Monthly Capriccio

Imitating Isin

nolwenn961 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:26:59 +0000

As you may or may not know, next month is November, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It’s a month-long contest where you sit down and put pen to paper or fingers to keys in an attempt to complete a whole novel in just thirty days or less.

Did you know that popular light novelist nisiOisin wrote his 12 volume “Katanagatari” series in just one year, completing each volume in a single month? I know that’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. The amazing feeling of accomplishment that you have after completing a novel-don’t you want to feel that? You may not be nisiOsin, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make the attempt.

This year will be my first year participating in NaNoWriMo, and I’ll gladly type away on my laptop until I have a complete manuscript. NaNoWriMo is the perfect way to get started on a story if you’ve been contemplating submitting material for the ezine.

I hope that everyone will join me in this year’s contest. Feel free to add me to your Writing Buddies list. My username is o2co. The contest is just around the corner from November 1-November 30, so there’s just under a week left before November starts. Happy writing, everyone!

Ning, anyone?

nolwenn961 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:53:45 +0000

A couple of days ago, someone mentioned to me that the best way to gather light novel enthusiasts is to create a network. Keeping in mind that light novels are still a niche market here in America, there still aren’t very many sites dedicated to light novels.

We need to gather ourselves together, and our need for unity reminded me of a website I’d learned of a few months ago. It’s a site called ning that allows anyone to “create and join new social networks for your interests and passions.” There are so many social networks out there. Shouldn’t light novels have its own social network, too? Maybe it’ll be just the thing to gather us all together in one place.

New Guidelines

nolwenn961 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:49:48 +0000

After many delays and unexpected problems, I was finally able to get around to updating the guidelines. They’re listed under “submissions guidelines,” and they are a lot more detailed than they used to be. I hope that I’ve addressed all of your questions and concerns about submitting work to the ezine, but if I haven’t, feel free to ask. I’ll do my best to answer your questions as quickly as possible. I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s submissions.

Beneath the Surface

nolwenn961 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:15:44 +0000

I know that things seem like they have become a little stagnant for Monthly Capriccio, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. This ezine is a big job, and I want to put all of my best effort into it. If I’m going to do this and do it right, then it’ll take some time. I’m prepared for that because I am absolutely serious about doing this ezine and making it something worthwhile, something our readers can tell other people about.

In the next few days, I hope to be adding something to the site including better submission guidelines so you can have a better idea of what we’re looking for to include in this ezine. I also want to add some links about light novels. If you have any suggestions, links, or comments on how we can improve this blog or the ezine, I am open to your input as usual, so don’t be shy!

Not Anime Enough?

nolwenn961 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:09:12 +0000

I was told that one of the biggest issues that people had with the stories that were included Karui Shousetsu Magazine was that the stories weren’t anime enough. Since that publication is this ezine’s predecessor, I imagine that this is an issue that I will have to face as well. Should the characters all have Japanese names? Does the story have to take place in Japan? Is this what gives of a distinct anime feeling in a light novel, or is it something else entirely?

I feel like this issue of not being anime also relates to our perceptions of what is and what isn’t a light novel. Wikipedia has a definition of light novels, but unfortunately, it’s not very extensive. It is a good start, though; it gives a broad clue as to what constitues the content of a light novel.

What’s your definition of a light novel? What defines the light novel overall? Is it the anime cover and manga illustrations inside alone, or do the brisk reading provided by dialogue-driven text provide the driving force behind a light novel? Most of all, what can this ezine do to provide stories that meet your definition of a light novel?

I’d like to hear what everyone’s opinions about this. Feel free to leave your comments below.

The Inner Circle

nolwenn961 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:09:27 +0000

Nothing says indie publishing like dojinshi. Since we’re essentially an indie ezine, I was wondering what people would think of a light novel dojin circle. I know that a dojin circle usually creates something, but we don’t necessarily have to create anything. Although I think a light novel dojin cirlce would be the best way to do a relay novel. (A few people were interested in that idea.) As you can probably tell, I’m just throwing ideas out there, seeing what people would like the most. If you have a great idea for this, feel free to let me know; I’m open to fresh ideas.

I would really like to hear from other light novel enthusiasts who aren’t really interested in writing light novels, but still love to read them. There seem to be so few of us, and I would like to talk with them. A group or just an informal society of people who happen to love the same thing talking to each other would be the perfect way to get us all together. Discussion would probably have to take place in a group though Google groups or something, but I definitely think it’s worth a try. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just find each other in a single place? It would really make me glad to be able to read other peoples’ impressions of light novels and the light novel industry.

Anime and manga have thousands of forums dedicated to them, so can’t we light novel enthusiasts have at least one venue for ourselves? Maybe gathering together is a better way to improve the light novel industry. No action without unity, right?

Even if this proposed group never became more than a society for people who were passionate about the same things, it would be fine with me. I can’t help but think about the possibilities of a dojin circle. In Japan, dojin circles have produced some amazing work both of existing and original characters. I feel really inspired just thinking about all of the things that dojin circles are responsible for because as you know, the power of fans and fandom is amazing.

Tell me what you think. What’s the best way to gather together the light novel fan base? How can we get more people interested in what we love? Do you think that we enthusiasts have the potential to affect the light novel industry in the US?

The Perfect Genre

nolwenn961 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:36:25 +0000

Light novels are written in a variety of genres and can of course be written in a way that overlaps and/or merges genres. In Japan, certain genres seem to be more popular, or at least it seems like more light novels are written in certain genres rather than others.

I think the most popular genres for light novels are romantic comedy, mystery, and sci-fi/fantasy, but that’s in Japan. What about in America? I think people would prefer to read sci-fi/fantasy light novels more, but that could be because many people who enjoy sci-fi/fantasy also enjoy manga, anime, videogames, and light novels.

Or perhaps it’s a simple question of demographics. Do more boys read light novels than girls? It seems that in Japan, more light novels are aimed at males. Is it the same or different for the United States and other countries?

And finally, what genre of light novel do you prefer? What genre of light novel would you like to see in Monthly Capriccio? What genre is the most appealing to you? I would like to hear everyone’s opinions on this, so please leave your comments below.

A Replica, but not a Pastiche

nolwenn961 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:26:08 +0000

I’m still looking for writers for the ezine, and I never thought that this would be a difficult process. It’s not that I’m having a hard time finding writers, it’s more like I’m having a hard time getting writers to understand what the light novel style is in general. I suppose this all goes back to the ultimate question of “What’s a light novel?”

I want the writers to create a replica of the light novels that have been written in Japanese and the ones that have been translated into English. I want this to be a smooth transition for those who have read light novels either in Japanese or English. I would like the writers to emulate the same brisk writing style that allows a reader to read the story quickly.

If the reader can get through each story quickly, then the possibility of a re-read increases. I remember when Shonen Jump was first published in America. I read that first issue over and over until the next one came out. Everytime that I read that first issue, it made me ancitipate the second issue even more, and I could easily retain what happened in each of the stories.

One thing that I am a little bit concerned about when trying to emulate something that already has a sizable following is that I don’t want to make this into a pastiche. I don’t want it to appear that our authors are trying too hard to emulate the light novel style, and I don’t want this ezine to become something that only does cheap imitations. Quality of stories is what I’m looking for overall, and that will come first, so if the story is good and engaging to the reader, you can be concerned about formatting later.

A Good Artist Is Hard to Find

nolwenn961 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:07:31 +0000

I realize that this is an ezine, an ezine that focuses primarily on the text inside it, but the irony of that is that what we need to really draw in the readers is art, not words. That’s not to say that words aren’t important because that’s obviously not true, but art is more eye-catching than text alone.

Take a relatively unknown or new manga, for example. If potential readers aren’t drawn in by the artist’s name, then what ultimately must draw in the readers it the art, specifically cover art. That’s why I’m in search of a few good artists who are passionate about what they do and hopefully a few will be into light novels.

An attention-grabbing color cover will be especially advantageous to the ezine, but I can’t leave out the contents of the ezine. Remember, one of the defining qualities of a light novel are its mangaeque illustrations. I’ll need artists to illustrate the stories, but that shouldn’t be too much work for the individual artist. As a serialized ezine, there will be one chapter of each story per issue, so that would mean no more than two illustrations per story. Even a single illustration for each story is fine.

There are some really amazing artists out there, artists that are just waiting to get out there and have their name known to the world. It’s my hope that I will be able to provide a few artists with a means of being more recognizable, that is to people who adore light novels. And perhaps the audience of this ezine will expand far beyond that barrier.

I’ve been told that DeviantArt would be my best place to search, and that’s where I’ll start, but I wonder if there is another source of untapped talent that I can look? I’m sure I’ll know what I’m looking for when I see it. I want this to be art that will make the Japanese manga industry jealous, art that is original and truly stands out on its own.

Is Self-Publishing the Only Way?

nolwenn961 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:49:30 +0000

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how light novels can become a profitable media in the US. A lot of publishers have failed with the light novels, resulting in them dropping titles altogether. If a translated light novel from a popular franchise with anime and manga tie-ins can’t be successful in America, what success does it have if an American (or any other individual) wants to publish their own original light novel? Is there any hope? Is there a real market for light novels at all?

I am inclined to believe that there is. In spite of all the failures that publishers have had with light novels in the past, I want to remain hopeful. Afterall, it is still a work of literature. As long as people like to read, there’s a chance for success. I was reading an advice article about self-publishing. As it turns out, self-publishing is ideal for niche audiences. That’s perfect for us light novel enthusiasts who are but a niche of a niche. To me, published is published. I don’t care that a major publishing house didn’t help produce it. I just want people to read the work, and I want to see to it that more people actually know what a light novel is.

So, is self-publishing the only way to go about this? Maybe not, but right now, I think self-publishing is the best approach. There’s nothing wrong with self-publishing. If anything, it says that the author is hardworking and dedicated to the work that he or she wants the world to see.

I have another purpose for the self-publishing model. In the style of a Japanese light novel magazine or even a Japanese manga magazine, once the stories have been serialized in the ezine “Monthly Capriccio,” they will be collected into individual volumes, physical books, or e-books, if you prefer. As physical books, they can be sold to the both the people who read this ezine and to general lovers of fiction everywhere.

Maybe you don’t want to go through the hassle of a major publishing house and have them tell you no because your work doesn’t fit their business model, but at least you’ll have self-publishing which has a POD (print on demand) model so you don’t have to worry about losing any money. Just print when people want to buy your work. To me, that is where light novels have the greatest chance of success regardless if the author sells 700 copies or 70,000.