On Fri, 26 Apr 1996, Nightelf wrote:

On Thu, 25 Apr 1996, Ryan Mathews wrote:

	<Challenge Snipped>

Anyone here think that this was probably the best way to get the Ranma
fans away from writing the series?  (Martial Arts Fanfic Writing!!!  Yes!!!)

I am one of those 'fic writers who tends to stick to Ranma.  I will be
gone over the summer, writing, thinking, and working, but I will be back
in the fall.  Among the ideas in my head is a really cool A!MS idea that
I've been putting on the back burner since Christmas.

You're on.

BTW, as for the ease of writing the characters...only if it's done poorly.
I have stressed for the people to know the characters you write about so 
intimately that they almost write the story for you.  It isn't eyestrain.
It's looking at about every aspect of a character's life...wondering how
it affected them...Creation is involved, but only in a very limited
respect.  How intimately do you know your characters, Ryan?  Have you
ever come close to crying for them?  Have you found your hands shaking
on the keyboard, feeling the character's emotions flood through your very 
being, unable to control the tidal wave of anger and frustration flowing
from the character to yourself?  That is my counter-challenge: to know 
your characters _that_ intimately. 

	I hate to tell you this 'Elf, but this is the guy who wrote 
'Dirty Pair: Reunions'.
	Trust me, failure to know his characters is not something you can
accuse him of. 

HTG