- Is this site a part of FanFicNetwork.com?
- Hardly. While I host the majority of my Slayers-related works on slayers.fanficnetwork.com, and my primary domain is zchaos.fanficnetwork.com, and some links within this site do go over to those domains, Still Waters itself is hosted by Mazoku.org. FanFicNetwork and Mazoku.org are two completely unrelated domains. Mazoku.org was created, and is owned and run by Tasuki and Zee. FanFicNetwork is founded and maintained by Tom Carpe and Alara Rogers.
- Will you host my site?
- Uh, see above. Do the math. Do either of those domains sound like they're mine? Next!
- How long have you been into Slayers?
- I saw the first season and NEXT in July of 2001, but it wasn't until after seeing
TRY in January 2002 that I really started getting mused back into a fandom again
to the point where I started hunting around blindly for 'fics to feed my growing
addiction. By February or March, I had solidly mused plot ideas, and began getting
into the 'fic side of things. I started building a subsite on my personal domain for
Slayers 'fics, and then upgraded my account with fanficnetwork.com to get
another domain specifically for Slayers-related things. By the time I was mused
into making this shrine, I'd been writing and roleplaying Slayers --Filia in
particular -- for two years.
- How long has Still Waters been around?
- Actual development went underway in late February 2004. It opened to the public
in March of 2004.
- What tools do you use for the site?
- Corel WordPerfect 9, Jasc Paint Shop Pro (6 & 8), Adobe Photoshop 5, Macromedia
HomeSite 5, and AceFTP 3 Pro primarily. I used to be a faithful IE user, have been
since the '90s when I got online, <Evita>Oh, but it's sad when a love affair dies,
the decline into silence and doubt.</Evita> Now I'm passionately in love with
Mozilla Firebird Firefox. HomeSite5 is IE integrated, so when I preview my work
there, I see how it functions in IE. I also have the latest versions of Netscape and
Mozilla on my computer and I use them to check out how my site displays with
them as well, although Firefox is my default, beloved browser. Cross-browser
friendly sites are happy sites.
- May I use your layout's graphics?
- Only if you want to be pointed out to the fandom as a plagiarist. ::sweet smile::
The artwork is entirely of my own creation.
- May I use images in your gallery?
- If you just want to grab images regardless of which are fanart and which are canonical works - Hell, no. If you want to host
fanart on your site, you first have to ask the artist if they will allow it. I will allow
mine to be displayed if one, you ask me first, and two, provide me with a URL
where you plan to host it, and provide full crediting on your site with a link back. But, if you're talking about canonical images from my
Slayers fanfiction site, meh. Go for it. If you're not sure if something's canon or
fanart (why, I wouldn't know. I label everything clearly) ask first.
- May I use some of your information on my site?
- If you're planning to rip off entire pages of information, especially essays, bite me.
But if you want to quote specific parts, get in touch with me. Tell me what you
want to use and why, and I'll be happy to work with you then to reach a solution
where we're both happy. I put a lot of hours into this site and a lot of work writing
up the material. Ripping off entire pages is a good way to get that plagiarist label.
We all want our sites to be interesting and unique. I don't want to compromise
this. But if you ask for specific quotations, I'll be happy to work with you, as I
said.
- May I use your HTML coding?
- While I don't mind if you look at the source code to see how I pulled off layout
tricks, you're better off learning how to do it yourself. That's how I did it. If I saw
a trick done on a website that I really liked, I investigated it. If you just work off
ripping code without bothering to learn how to do it yourself, you're just cheating
yourself. If you mess up anything, you won't know how to fix it. You won't have a
unique site. You'll be limited by whatever you can scrounge off other people, a
bottom-feeder of the webbuilding world. I learned how to read and write code by
starting small and learning from others and figuring out how to do it myself. If
you have the patience, you can do it too.
...and no, I don't use WYSIWYG editors. HomeSite deals with raw HTML code. I
know how to edit and tweak it all from scratch. I just use it because it's easier on
my poor wrists to cut back on typing work where possible.
I'll admit I suck with JavaScript. I use free scripts I find on sites like
jsmadeeasy.com, javascriptmall.com, and javascript.internet.com. But, the biggest
drawback is that the majority of these free scripts are written with IE in mind, and
it's a bitch sometimes finding a decent cross-browser script that does what I need
it to do.
- Will you make graphics and/or write HTML for my site?
- While I can and will do it for close friends, and I do like making graphics, I don't have the kind of time I'd need to open this offer to the general public. Translation: no.
- Will you be my affiliate/sister site?
- Is your site heavily Filia-centric with good, original content? It doesn't have to be
purely about Filia, it can be a coupledom shrine too. And heck, it doesn't even
have to be X/F or V/F. If it's creative, original, well-coded, easy on the eyes, and
pro-Filia, I probably will agree.
- Will you link to me?
- Here? Maybe, maybe not. I'm more likely to put a Slayers-centric link over on
slayers.fanficnetwork.com, to cut back on the number of link lists I have to
maintain. Since that list is also linked in at this site, and recommended for more
links, it comes down to the same thing.
- May I link to you?
- Link away in good health. May the Force be with you.
- Why are you spelling so-and-so's name this way and not that way?
- Because the way I'm spelling them is also legitimate and correct. If you don't like
it, well...all I can really say is, so sad, too bad, sucks to be you, hmm? I can be a
strict purist as far as canonical history, continuity and characterization goes, but I
consider it pretentious to spell names such as Xellos, for example as "Zerosu".
Argue all you want on the correctness or lack thereof, but the fact remains the
Japanese creators licenced and approved of the translation spelling as Xellos
(although Xelloss is also correct). Spelling Xellos as "Zerosu" just smacks of
ostentatious elitist bull, and anyone who tries to get huffy with me on the topic
will get the same kind of reaction the self-important belles and debutantes would
get from me when they got all snobbishly 'proper' -- lots of scornful laughter and
snarky mocking. (And if you wonder -- I'm in the Southern United States.)
- My copy of Slayers Episode [whatever] doesn't say [whatever]!
- I'm going by the subtitles, as I cannot hear to verify things with the dubbed
version. If I'm aware of a significant difference in translation (i.e., "That's the
Dragon I know/love.") I'll make a notation of it. Otherwise, it's based off the subs. No, I'm not doing it to be elitist. The dubs are not closed-captioned, after all.
- Did you write all these stories/draw all this art?
- The art used in the layout of the site, and the majority of the content here? Yes. But! But, everything in the Surfacing area is fanwork. If it doesn't have my name attached to the entry, it's not my work.
- Can I submit fanworks to you?
- Yes, yes, and YES! Just please read the Submission Guidelines first. I won't just
blindly accept content without previewing it, and I do have specific themes I'm
mainly looking for. But if you think your work might belong here, by all means,
please let me know, and we'll see what we can work out, hmm? ^_^
- How can I contact so-and-so?
- All fanworks have a link back to the creator's homepage, where applicable, or an e-mail address if not. You can attempt to go through those. Be aware, however, that not everyone is still on the 'net, for whatever the reason.
- I e-mailed you! Why didn't you ever reply to me?
- First, did your e-mail require a netspeak translator without any attempt to conform to proper English and punctuation? If it was, your e-mail's been sent to the virtual garbage dump in the sky. Second, I may not have received it, or just haven't checked that particular in-box yet. Third, what was the content of your e-mail? Was it a mere demand for more stories by another author, or featuring a specific character which I did not create? Did you demand information on something without even an attempt at civility? Then I probably deleted it as well. Did you e-mail me just to say "Hi, nice site! Come check out mine blah blah blah?" Deleted. If you want something, be polite. Don't just make demands. Writers are picky creatures, and feedback is always welcome. I do my best to reply to genuine feedback in a timely manner.
- Will you write [insert plot/pairing/fandom/whatever here]?
- I'm a slave to my muse. I write what my muse tells me to write. Are you my muse? I didn't think so, so stop asking.
- I want more stories with [insert plot/pairing/whatever here].
- And...? Your point being...?
- Are you a Trad or Alt 'shipper?
- I'm whatever I wanna be, whenever I wanna be it. I rarely do OTPs. Ironically, the OTPs I'm the most fanatical about are usually in fandoms I don't even participate in. I am primarily Trad in my preferences, but that's a guideline, not a rule.
- What does OTP mean?
- One True Pairing. The usage is either snarky or serious, depending on the person. With me? Usually snarky. I prefer OT3s. ^_^ One True Threesome.
- What are your OTPs?
- Hmm. Dante/Trish in Devil May Cry sort of qualifies, although I see them more as polyamorous. Otherwise, it's Scott/Jean and Kitty/Pete (Marvel), Worf/Jadzia (ST:DS9), Han/Leia (SW), Sheridan/Delenn (B:5), Aragorn/Arwen (LotR). I define 'OTP' as a pairing that I cannot even begin to see with anyone else, not even for angsty plot value, and I cannot write them with anyone else. Otherwise, Lina and Gourry would likely be on this list. I'm almost incapable of not writing them together, but I can do it in very limited circumstances. (I certainly see the chemistry in Jean/Logan pairings, but my Marvel days are pre-movie. Scott and Jean are just... meant for each other. Period.)
- You just like het, don't you?
- Actually, no. I like femmeslash (yuri) just as much. I don't have any yuri OTPs listed because one, I haven't made it all way through Noir yet ^_^ and two, most all other f/f pairings in published fandoms have the feel of being there for the sake of politics and making a statement. The 'token gay couple', so to speak. That's a turn-off for me. I'm almost a Willow/Tara OTPer, but at times, it felt like Joss was getting trendy and wanky about it, so bleh.
- What about m/m slash (yaoi)?
- It's not my cuppa. I see pairings I can certainly see and appreciate, and even support as being very likely canonical even without outright proof, but it doesn't hold much appeal to me. Two of these pairings are Gaav/Valgaav, and Dilandau/Dragonslayers. (Vision of Escaflowne) Of course, a great deal of that is probably related to the fanatical yaoi fanpoodles who flame the hell out of anyone who even looks at a 'fic funny if it has yaoi content, even if the reason they're looking is because the grammar and spelling sucks, or the plot's infeasible and cliched, or it's a hate/bash 'fic. (Relena bashers, I'm looking at you, especially - never watched Gundam stuff myself, but good god almighty! Get a life.) <sarcasm>I just adore being called homophobic when my issue is with the quality of the story itself, not the pairing.</sarcasm> And no, don't bother e-mailing me with rants and flames and all that fun stuff, unless you want them published for mocking purposes. Fans are fine. Fanpoodles suck. And yes - I roll my eyes just as much at the het 'shippers who pull all the same kind of crap. I have zero bullshit tolerance.
- Are you going to add a [insert whatever here] section?
- If I feel like it. If you have a recommendation, by all means, let me know. But the
answer's still 'if I feel like it'.
- How can I reach you?
- Over here.
- Are you on AIM/Yahoo/MSM/Jabber/ICQ/IRC/any other internet chat system?
- Yes.
- Gimme your names! We can talk!
- No.
- What's up with the '42' mention on the entry page?
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference. It's a misnamed trilogy by Douglas Adams, rest his soul. Go read it, you won't regret it.
- Why are you called 'Zanne'? You're riding in on the coattails of another Zanne in the Slayers fandom, aren't you?
- I've been "Zanne" online since long before I'd even heard of Slayers, let alone like anime. It's actually my RL nickname. Back in my Marvel fandom days, I was known as only "Zanne". This was in 1997-1999. The 'Chaos' bit crept up later, as an inside joke that has nothing to do with either Stryfe - the Chaos Bringer, or Slayers. My LiveJournal (permanent now, by the way) predates my Slayers-related knowledge by several months, and fandom involvement by almost a year. I kept my name when I switched fandoms, and it wasn't for quite some time before I saw a mention of a fanartist by the name 'Zanne' while doing a googlism while bored. Out of respect, I keep the 'Chaos' part attached to my name in all Slayers-centric activities due to that, whereas I did not have a need nor reason to in the Marvel fandom.
- Parts of this FAQ look familiar. Are you sure you're not a plagiarist?
- Hee. If it looks familiar, it's likely because you've been by Tara-hime's Shrine
Maiden site. I hate writing FAQs because I wind up drawing blanks on a lot of
question ideas, so I bugged her to ask me some questions. In response, she gave
me the list she wrote up for Shrine Maiden and told me to use it however I pleased
for the site.
- Did anyone else help with the FAQ?
- Yes. Credit for some questions or question ideas goes to Tara-hime and Lisa Short.
- Why isn't this FAQ better arranged?
- like the whole stream-of-consciousness approach, myself. I'm just typing this up as I go. Someday I might feel anal enough to give it a rigid structure, but for now, this'll do.
- Why are you so sarcastic?
- Sarcasm is just another friendly service we provide. Besides, I'm a Fandom_Wanker. We're known to even eat our own. What do you expect?
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