About the Story:
What genre would you classify this story as?
It's All Relative(IAR) is a contemporary fantasy. I used to say that it was inspired by manga and anime and in its conception, IAR heavily relied on the tropes used in these mediums. Now that I've grown up a bit, I think IAR has strayed a bit from that. The only thing that it has retained is the character designs, which is probably just a homage or shout-out to the medium that inspired me to write the story.
Didn't you get that idea from "XYZ" anime/cartoon show/book...etc...etc...?
Yes, I'm aware of this. Some of these influences are obvious and others are not. I'm not going to lie and say that everything is original, because I'm aware that it's not. My main priority is just getting this novel written because it's never been fully realized in it's entirety. I think the story, however unoriginal people may think it is, deserves to be told. I've resigned to the fact that no matter how original I think something is, someone is always going to find something in the story that reminds them of something else.
Where are you going with this story?
Where ever it decides to takes me. I have a loosely written plot written on my computer, but I'm not following it religiously. I'm not following it because I don't want to stress out over not having the plot going where I want it to go. I know it'll get there eventually. If I stick strictly to the plot, the story and my writing will suffer because I didn't realize the characters to their full potentials. IAR is an ever changing entity with new plot twists and developments occurring everyday. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
About the Characters:
No one in this fantasy world is of any one specific ethnicity. The concept of race and ethnicity isn't the same in Atheria as it is the Western world. For the record, most of the characters aren't specifically any type of race, even though they may have attributes of one specific race or many races.
So, why do they have Japanese names?
Most of these names just sound Japanese. Some of the names have meaning, others were just filler names that just stuck. If an editor or someone wants me to change the names, I will (not without a fight though), but as it stands I'm not inclined to change them at the moment. Sorry if it bothers you.
But some of these names don't even make sense in any language?
Some names are merely anagrams of other names, some of them with vowels tagged on at the end. I wasn't very creative with names back in 10th grade, but the names just kind of stuck.
About Web Fiction:
Don't take anything said about your story personal. When someone does say something negative about you or your story, (or a thinly veiled attack on your through your story), just ignore it and keep writing. I've spent countless hours going back and forth about everything that wasn't about the story. I don't know what it is about the internet, but some people turn into vicious crazy people. Recognize these people and stay away from them or at the very least (if you can't stay away), don't get sucked up into the drama.
Everything I learned about posting stories online, I learned through trial and error. I still have a lot to learn, but I think I've come a long way since 2007, when the older version of IAR was posted online. Don't burn bridges with any betas you have and make sure to find a critique group that suits your needs. Try to have a buffer of at least 6 updates (depending on how often you update). Also, if you feel the need to edit, don't do a major overhaul (unless your willing to put aside a few months for this), just go back and fix the minor things such as grammar, spelling, continuity and consistency, and the like. If you are doing a web serial, try to keep the story moving forward and try no to go back and fix anything in the past. If you read more, your writing will get better and if you keep moving forward people will notice the gradual shift. (Although if your beginning is lacking a hook, I would suggest fixing the beginning at some point, but not stalling your forward progress which is why it's important to have a buffer).
One thing I hold true in my writing: Write like you're the greatest writer in the world and edit like you're the worst.
About the Author:
I am a 4th year Psychology major in Southern California. I work as a teacher for autistic children. Some of my former jobs include Mad Scientist, Teacher's Aide, Telemarketer, Hospital Intern/Volunteer. You can contact me at sorakainomori at gmail dot com.