Jenny's Discussion With Sarah

Characters

 * Jenny Williams
 * Sarah West
 * Sebastian

Voices

 * Nicole as Jenny Williams
 * Kimberly as Sarah West
 * Sebastian as Himself

Summary
Jenny talks to Sarah about a few things.

Note: Sarah, if you're reading this page, feel free to ask some questions.

Introduction
Sebastian: Hey, Sarah, Jenny needs to talk to you.

Sarah: She needs to talk to me? Why?

Sebastian: Because she says it's really important. Please go into the room and talk to Jenny.

Sarah: Uh, okay.

(Sarah comes into the room where Jenny is in)

Jenny: Hello, Sarah. I'm glad that you came. There's something I have to talk to you about. What I have to tell you is very important, and you need to understand every single detail. So, are you ready to begin?

Sarah: Uh, yeah, I think so.

Jenny: Good. Sit down, and let's begin. We have lots to talk about.

Part 1: Grammar and Spelling
Jenny: So, the first thing I want to talk about is your writing problems.

Sarah: What's wrong with my writing?

Jenny: Well, there are quite a few things wrong with your writing. Allow me to explain. Are you listening?

Sarah: Yes.

Jenny: Okay, then. Here's what's wrong with your writing. You seem to have a bit of trouble with uppercase and lowercase letters. Sometimes, you make a few words uppercase when they're supposed to be lowercase and you make a few words lowercase when they're supposed to be uppercase. You end almost all of your sentences or statements with an exclamation point, even when they're not interjections or don't need to be expressed with really strong emotion. Your subject-verb agreements are very faulty. You tend to get confused when it comes to personal pronouns. You also forget to use contractions.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Yes, really. It seems to me that your writing hasn't improved at all. In fact, it's gotten a tad bit worse.

Sarah: It has?

Jenny: Yes, it has. That's why I want to help you improve your grammar.

Sarah: Improve my grammar? How?

Jenny: Well, I've made a few pages here on this wiki, and I'm currently writing a grammar guide, but I'm certain that the pages I'm making will help. But, I could give you some advice now that you're here.

Sarah: What kind of advice?

Jenny: Well, I'm going to give you some tidbits to improve your grammar.

Sarah: Oh...okay.

Jenny: First off, you cannot end all of your sentences with exclamation marks. You can only do that if you're writing an exclamatory sentence or using an interjection, and not everything you say has to be an exclamatory sentence or an interjection.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Yes, really. Second of all, you seem to have a little bit of trouble when it comes to subject-verb agreement.

Sarah: How come?

Jenny: Well, you don't really seem to grasp the concept of subject-verb agreement and how it works in sentences. You don't really seem to know how to get subjects and verbs to agree.

Sarah: I don't?

Jenny: Of course you don't.

Sarah: But, how do you know?

Jenny: Well, subject-verb agreement is all about numbers. A subject has to agree with its verb in number. Single subjects are followed by single verbs and plural subjects are followed by plural verbs. But, you usually tend to make plural subjects be followed by singular verbs, which makes your subject-verb agreement incorrect. For example, when you attempt to use subject verb agreement, you might say something like "Paul and Eric walks down the street", which doesn't sound correct.

Sarah: How come?

Jenny: Well, if a singular verb follows a plural subject, they will not agree. The correct way to make a subject and a verb agree with each other is to make sure that they match up. If the subject is singular, you follow it with a singular verb. If the subject is plural, you follow it with a plural verb. To make it more simple, you can check your sentence to see if your subject-verb agreement is correct by removing the extra words, leaving just the subject and verb. sometimes with the English language, that's the best way to know if something's correct. "Paul and Eric walk" agrees in number, but "Paul and Eric walks" does not. You can hear that the first way just sounds more correct.

Sarah: That sounds kinda complicated.

Jenny: It does, but once you get the hang of it, it's rather simple. Most verbs that end in "s" are singular. That's the opposite of nouns; when they end in "s'", they're usually plural.

Sarah: Oh, I get it now.

Jenny: Another problem with your grammar is that your use of personal pronouns isn't very good.

Sarah: It's not?

Jenny: No, it's not. For example, when you write a sentence about you and another person doing something, you often say something like "Me and Lilly went to the movies." That doesn't sound right.

Sarah: Why not? It sounds right to me.

Jenny: Well, it isn't right. It's supposed to be "Lilly and I went to the movies." Think of it this way, Sarah. Would you say "I went to the movies" or "Me went to the movies"?

Sarah: Uh..."I went to the movies"?

Jenny: Exactly. You would never say "Me went to the movies". "I went to the movies" is correct. So, the correct sentence is "Lilly and I went to the movies".

Part 2: Original Characters and Plagiarism
Jenny: The next thing I want to talk about is your OCs.

Sarah: My OCs?

Jenny: You know, your original characters.

Sarah: Oh.

Jenny: Listen, Sarah, I know that you like to make your own original characters, but there's only one problem: not all of the OCs you make belong to you.

Sarah: They don't?

Jenny: No. Sometimes, you tend to steal OCs and claim them as your own.

Sarah: Do I?

Jenny: Yes. We all know about your bad habit of stealing OCs or already-made characters and claiming them as your own.

Sarah: Do I really steal OCs? If so, then how do you know?

Jenny: Well, I do a little reverse search or check the file name. When I see that the file name says that it was created by someone on DeviantArt, I realize that the OC isn't yours. I also notice that when you steal an OC, you sometimes change the name of the OC and claim that you made it yourself. The truth is, you might not even know that the OC you stole already belongs to someone, and that OC might already have a name.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Yes, really. To be honest, your habit of stealing OCs could get you in a lot of trouble.

Sarah: It could?

Jenny: Yes, it could. The truth is, Sarah, you're not very original when it comes to making OCs, and the only ones you're original with are characters you make using dress up games on websites like Rinmaru Games and Doll Divine or the characters you make on GoAnimate. When you don't use those websites to make OCs from scratch, you take random, already-made OCs, existing characters, possibly already-taken character adoptables, and character renders from DeviantArt and claim to have made them yourself. You also use random character clipart for your OCs, which doesn't really solve your problem with plagiarism.

Sarah: It doesn't?

Jenny: No, it doesn't.

Sarah: Why not?

Jenny: Because it's not being very original.

Sarah: But how come?

Jenny: Well, plagiarism is the act of submitting someone else's work as your own. Whatever you do, you can't steal someone else's ideas, even if they're original characters.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Yes, really.

Sarah: Whoa...I didn't realize that I was stealing OCs that belonged to other people.

Jenny: Well, now you do. Stealing from someone else is not a good thing to do, because stealing can lead to dire consequences.

Part 3: Creativity and Originality/Overusing Stereotypes
Jenny: Another problem of yours is that your ideas aren't very creative or original.

Sarah: They're not? Why?

Jenny: Because you tend to use the same concepts over and over again. And if you use them over and over again, they become very cliche and boring.

Sarah: What concepts do I use over and over again?

Jenny: You use the same concepts for video games, movies, and even character personalities and interests. You keep using them over and over and over again.

Sarah: I do?

Jenny: Yes, you do. It's becoming very monotonous, unoriginal, and repetitive.

Sarah: It is?

Jenny: Yes.

Sarah: How do you know that my concepts are boring and repetitive?

Jenny: Allow me to explain. First of all, let's talk about the personalities and interests you give your OCs.

Sarah: What makes the personalities and interests I give my OCs so repetitive and boring?

Jenny: Well, your OCs don't really have that much personality. You just make their personalities the same as yours: ditzy, naive, childlike, always happy-go-lucky, gets upset easily when someone bullies them, and slightly immature. You also give your OCs the same interests that you have, such as Disney and anime.

Sarah: What's so wrong about giving my OCs the same personality that I have and making them like the same things I like?

Jenny: The point is, "OC" stands for "original character", and the personalities and interests you give your OCs aren't very original. In fact, if you give them all the same personalities and interests, they're not original characters at all. They're unoriginal Mary-Sues.

Sarah: Huh? What's a Mary-Sue?

Jenny: A Mary-Sue is a fictional character often recognized as an author insert or wish fulfillment.

Sarah: So, you think that the OCs I make are Mary-Sues?

Jenny: Somewhat. The only way I can make them more original is by giving them more different, complex personalities and different interests.

Sarah: I...I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me?

Jenny: Sarah, what I'm saying is that not everyone can be like you. Not everyone has the same personality or interests as you do.

Sarah: Not everyone has the same personality or interests as me?

Jenny: It's true, Sarah.

Sarah: Not even my OCs?

Jenny: Nope, not even your OCs. We all have different interests and personalities, and your OCs should have different interests and personalities, too.

Sarah: Oh.

Jenny: You also tend to give very repetitive and unoriginal concepts to your ideas for movies and video games.

Sarah: I do? How? Jenny: Well, almost all of your movie or video game ideas involve a cute anthropomorphic creature rescuing a human damsel in distress, a group of magical female superheroes saving the world from an evil threat, or...something similar to Kingdom Hearts, if you know what I mean.

Sarah: Oh.

Jenny: You also like making very strange crossover ideas. For instance, you like to make crossovers of Woody Woodpecker and anime, which isn't a very good combination.

Sarah: It isn't? Why not?

Jenny: Well, they just don't go very well together. The same goes with a few other crossovers you tend to create. Some franchises just don't go well together. It's like a cheeseburger sundae, because it might have two great tastes when separated, but when they're put together, they just leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Sarah: They do?

Jenny: Of course they do, Sarah.

Sarah: So, you're saying that some franchises don't go well together when crossed over together?

Jenny: Of course they don't.

Sarah: But why not?

Jenny: They just don't. In fact, a few people might not even like the crossovers you make.

Jenny: Another problem with your OCs is that you sometimes stick stereotypes into them.

Sarah: Stereotypes? What kind of stereotypes?

Jenny: Well, whenever you make a princess OC, you tend to stick the stereotype of all princesses being damsels in distress into that OC.

Sarah: Do I?

Jenny: Yes, you do. Whenever you make a princess OC, you decide that the princess OC you made has to be kidnapped and held for ransom by a fictional villain, and then a cute anthropomorphic creature has to come rescue her.

Sarah: I know that. What's so wrong about making my princess OCs damsels in distress?

Jenny: Well, it's just becoming too repetitive.

Sarah: Why?

Jenny: Because when you stick a certain stereotype into every single character you make, it becomes very cliche. And besides, nobody likes characters that are stereotyped way too often.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Of course, Sarah. Not every princess is a damsel in distress.

Sarah: Why not?

Jenny: Because there's more to a princess than just getting kidnapped and held for ransom all the time.

Sarah: More? Like what?

Jenny: Well, real princesses are not just beautiful women in crowns and fancy dresses. A real princess has to be brave and stand up for herself. She has to be wise and give her knowledge to others. She has to be strong and be able to defend herself when there's danger.

Sarah: Ohhhh! I see! So, should my princess OCs be brave, smart, and strong, too?

Jenny: Of course, Sarah. But, you don't just stick stereotypes into royal characters.

Sarah: But...what kind of characters do I stick stereotypes in?

Jenny: Well, first of all, you have a tendency to stick stereotypes into fictional characters who are either heroes or villains.

Sarah: Do I?

Jenny: Yes, you do.

Part 4: Properly Working on Wikis
Jenny: Another problem is that you don't seem to understand a few basics of working on wikis.

Sarah: I don't?

Jenny: No.

Sarah: How come?

Jenny: Well, first of all, you don't quite seem to understand how deleting pages works.

Sarah: I don't?

Jenny: Of course not. You seem to think that you can delete a page just by removing all of its content.

Sarah: Well, if I make a page completely blank, does that mean I deleted that page?

Jenny: No. If you remove content from a wiki page, it won't be deleted. It'll still be there, but as a blank page with no content.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Yes, really. Blanking a page does not count as deleting it.

Sarah: It doesn't?

Jenny: No, it doesn't.

Sarah: Then how can I delete a page?

Jenny: Well, there are two ways to delete a page. The first option is that you can delete the page yourself, but you have to be an administrator in order to access the "Delete this page" button.

Sarah: But I'm not an admin in any of the wikis I contribute to.

Jenny: That's the problem. If you're not an admin, you cannot delete a page.

Sarah: So, what's the second option?

Jenny: The second option is that you can mark a page for deletion and ask the admins of the wiki to delete it for you.

Sarah: But...how can I mark a page for deletion?

Jenny: Well, it's simple. You just add the Candidate for Deletion tab.

Sarah: How?

Jenny: On the right side of the editing screen, you'll see a small box on the bottom that says "Templates". Click on it, and it'll show two buttons that say "Add other templates" and "Show list of used templates". Click on the "add other templates" button, and when you see the word "Delete", click on it, and the Delete tab will be added to the page.

Sarah: Oh, I see. That sounds kinda tricky.

Jenny: Actually, Sarah, it's fairly easy once you get the hang of it. There are many templates that you can use on a page.

Sarah: But...what kinds of templates?

Jenny: Well, to start, there are something we call infoboxes. The infoboxes are for information on the topic of the pages.

Sarah: How do you use those?

Jenny: It's simple. You just fill inthe empty boxes with little tidbits of information. Here are a few examples below:

Sarah: Ohhh, I see, I see.

Jenny: Then there are templates that warn people of certain content. For example, there's the Mature template, which warns readers that the page might contain profanity or innapropriate content, like this:

Sarah: Okay...

Jenny: Then there are templates that are a little more complex, like the forumheader or the navigation box.

Sarah: How do you use those?

Jenny: Well, you do the same thing you do with the simpler templates. You just write in some information, like this:

Sarah: Oh, I never knew that.

Jenny: Well, now you do. The next thing you need to learn to do properly is to add features and media to pages. I already know that you sometimes add photos or galleries to pages, but there seems to be a little problem with the photo galleries you create.

Sarah: What's the problem?

Jenny: Well, the problem is that you always add the link of the page that the photos are already on.

Sarah: Do I?

Jenny: Yes, you do. It's not okay to add the link to the page that an image is already on.

Sarah: How come?

Jenny: Well, people would want to see the pictures more closely, and to do that, they need to click on the pictures to expand them.

Part 5: Acting Your Age
Jenny: Here's another problem of yours.

Sarah: What is it?

Jenny: Well, you're not very mature for a 20-year-old.

Sarah: I'm not?

Jenny: No. In fact, you can be very immature for a young adult.

Sarah: Why am I immature?

Jenny: Well, you're very naive and tend to act more like a giddy little child than a grown woman. You're very obsessed with rainbows, fairies, princesses, and whatnot. In other words, you still like things that little children like, and you haven't outgrown them, like normal people do when they become adults. You also tend to get upset over small things that adults normally wouldn't get upset about.

Sarah: Then how can I become an adult?

Jenny: Well, it's simple. First of all, you need to develop some mature behaviors.

Sarah: Like what?

Jenny: Well, for starters, you should start developing your interests.

Sarah: You mean my interests in TV shows, movies, and video games?

Jenny: Something like that. But lacking dynamic or developed interests or hobbies might contribute to your seeming immature. Finding something that you enjoy doing and becoming an "expert" at it can make you seem more experienced and mature. It will also give you something to talk about with others, whether or not they also participate in your hobby. Try to keep your hobbies active and productive. It's a lot of fun to marathon a TV show, but it isn't necessarily the best use of your time.

Sarah: Does that mean I can't enjoy my favorite TV shows, movies, or video games?

Jenny: Well, not really, but they shouldn't be the only things you spend your time on.

Sarah: Really?

Jenny: Yes, Sarah.

Sarah: So, if I can't spend my whole time watching my favorite shows or movies and playing my favorite video games, then how can I spend my free time besides doing something that has a screen?

Jenny: Well, taking up new hobbies can increase your self-esteem and boost your creativity. They can also stimulate parts of your brain that make you feel positive and happy. There's basically no limit to the types of things you can do. You can grab a camera and learn photography. You can learn how to play a musical instrument. You can practice a new language. Basically, you can take up any hobby, as long as you're interested in it. Just make sure that whatever you choose is something you enjoy doing, or it'll become a chore rather than a hobby.

Sarah: So, you're saying that I need to take up a hobby?

Jenny: Of course you do.

Jenny: You should also set goals and work towards them. Part of maturity is being able to assess your current strengths, determine areas that you need to improve, and set goals for the future. Keep the future in mind and let it inform the choices you are making about your life right. Once you have set goals that are clear, actionable, and measurable, take action to work towards them.

Sarah: Whoa...I don't think I'll be able to do that.

Jenny: Well, setting goals can seem overwhelming, but don't worry. It just takes a little time and planning. Start by figuring out what you want to improve. For example, maybe you want to start boosting your resume for college.

Sarah: Uh, I think I'm already in college right now.

Jenny: I was just giving an example, Sarah.

Sarah: Oh.

Jenny: As I was saying, you should set some goals and work towards them. First, you need to think about a few categories: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why.

Sarah: How do those work?

Jenny: Allow me to explain. There would be a certain person, or a few certain people, who will be involved in achieving your goals. Obviously, you are the primary person here. However, this category could also include a tutor, a volunteer coordinator, or a counselor. It's important to be as specific as possible in what you want to achieve. "Prepare for college" is way too big. You'll never get started on a huge vague goal like that. Instead, choose a few specifics that will help you achieve that bigger goal, like "Do a volunteer activity" and "Participate in an extracurricular activity." You also need to know when specific parts of your plan have to be done. Knowing this will help keep you on track. For example, if you want to volunteer for a job, you need to know if there's a deadline to apply, when the activities are, and when you'll be able to do them. It's often helpful to identify where you'll be working on achieving your goals. For a volunteering example, you might choose to work at an animal shelter. Next, you'll need to learn how to identify how you'll achieve each stage of your goals. For example, what is the process for contacting the shelter to volunteer? How will you get to the animal shelter? How will you balance your volunteering with your other responsibilities? You have to think about answers to these types of questions. Finally, the most important part is, believe it or not, to figure out why your goals are important. You're more likely to achieve a goal when it's meaningful to you and you can see how it fits in the "big picture." Do you seem to get it now?

Sarah: Um, sort of. Setting goals seems pretty tough.

Jenny: Well, once you figure out how you should think about the categories that I described to you, it will be easy.

Part 6: Trying New Things
Jenny: What I'm also concerned about is that you're not trying anything new.

Sarah: Like what?

Jenny: Well, you're always listening to retro musicians instead of modern musicians. You spend way too much time watching your favorite movies and TV shows, making random videos on GoAnimate, and playing video games. You need to stop spending so much time staring at a screen. It's not good for you.

Sarah: It's not?

Jenny: No, it's not. You need to spend more time reading books and doing something creative than watching TV or playing video games all the time.

Sarah: How come?

Jenny: Because you need to exercise your brain. See, your brain is like a muscle, and if you don't exercise it by reading or doing something creative, it'll get very weak. If you spend all your time watching TV and playing video games, you're basically going to be a mindless zombie for the rest of your life. You don't want that, do you?

Sarah: Um...no.

Jenny: Well, then you should spend more time reading or drawing.

Sarah: But, I don't think I'm very good at drawing, and the only books I read are fairy tales.

Jenny: Well, maybe it's time you learned how to draw and read more books than just fairy tales.

Sarah: But, what kind of books?

Jenny: Well, there are lots of books that can interest you. Mystery books, fantasy books, science fiction books, you name it.

Sarah: But Jenny, if you're gonna make me read a lot of books, how should I keep track of the books that I read?

Jenny: Well, the best way to keep track of the books you've read is by making a reading list.

Sarah: You mean, I can't play my favorite video games or watch my favorite movies, cartoons, and anime all the time?

Jenny: No, you can't. You must take a break from your favorite things from time to time and try something new for a change. You should try other things, or some things that are similar to what you like.

Conclusion
Jenny: Listen, Sarah, I'm not doing this to be mean. I'm only trying to help you. I want you to get better at working on wikis properly and improve your writing, while also maturing and becoming an adult. I want to help you the best that I can.

Sarah: You're right...I guess I do need help.

Sarah: Is that all?

Jenny: Yes, Sarah. That's all I have. You may leave now.

(Sarah leaves the room)

Sebastian: Sarah, thank you for listening to Jenny. I hope you've learned a few things after having this discussion with her.