Jercy Dee

Unconventional Rules, 2019

Short story collection • Fanfiction and self-published novella
Fanfic hosted on Ao3 and Tumblr. Novella printed as a paperback novel. 

  • 15 fanfictions collected into a series
  • 11 original fiction short stories (created from fanfiction) for print launch at GradEx 2014 and digital distribution

Unconventional Rules is an over 30 000-word novella (approximately over 200 letter pages). The manuscript is a collection of eleven short stories, with accompanying poetry and footnotes. The stories are rewritten versions of Haikyuu!! fanfiction revised into original fiction. They all feature the same five characters in different relationship configurations: as a group of friends, or with two characters as a romantic monogamous couple, all the way up to a polyamorous penta relationship (an intimate relationship between five people).

The book was completely written and designed by me and edited by a team of close friends who are also authors.

The Process 

I began this project by participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time ever in 2018 using a calendar style mode of production.

Once I completed producing all of the raw fanfiction, I then chose 15 fanfics to revise into original fiction. What was produced was the short story collection, Unconventional Rules. In addition to writing for NaNoWriMo, I also wrote three fanfictions separate from the challenge that were later translated into original fiction chapbooks, called Kuroko no Chapbook (click “The Side Project” tab for more).

Since this manuscript is published independently—therefore not printed by an official publishing press, or available for profit—all fanfiction is still available to read online.

The Fanfiction

Series: Haikyuu!! NaNoWriMo 2018
Total Word Count: 53 000+
Rating: Mostly G to PG-13. See individual fics for specific ratings.
Themes/Tropes: Volleyball, friendship, romance, humour, some Haikyuu!! manga spoilers
Major Warnings: See individual fics for specific warnings

Read all NaNoWriMo 2018 fics on Ao3 ⇥

Read all NaNoWriMo 2018 fics on Tumblr ⇥

▸ Fic Excerpts

Amicable Amity

They were told that the storage room’s lock was broken. They were told that it was going to be replaced by the end of the week. They were told to be careful with it, to have some sort of doorstop ready so people could safely lock away all the equipment without trapping someone inside. They were told this multiple times throughout the week.

Azumane-san already had it happen to him, and no one wanted to repeat that fiasco again. Kei remembers the captain’s tired expression once they got their ace out.

Of course, misfortune enjoys annoying Kei at every opportunity.

Dumb Dumb 

Tobio lines up the bottles by the net with practiced ease, and when he stands up he finds his girlfriend talking to Tsukishima at the sidelines. Hitoka easily catches his eyes and beams at him. Tsukishima just looks on with a straight face.

Then, it slowly morphs into his signature smirk.

Tobio wants to kiss the look right off his face.

That was when I went numb
You’ll be my sweet love 

His teammates continue to beam at him like twin suns illuminating a clear sky. Tobio turns away before he does something embarrassing like trip over the bottles he just lined up.

Group Chat: baby crows

(Yamaguchi has added Tsukishima to the chat)

Yachi [9:23pm]
tsukishima-kun! :D 

• little giant #10 • [9:23pm]
stingyshima!!

Kageyama [9:24pm]
… 

Tsukishima [9:24pm]
No 

(Tsukishima has left the chat)

• little giant #10 • [9:25pm]
rude!!!

The Side Project

» Kuroko no Chapbook

Short story fiction • Fanfiction and chapbook series
Fanfic hosted on Ao3 and Tumblr. Chapbooks printed on 24lb paper for public distribution. 

  • Research, analysis, and prototype for thesis project
  • Three fanfictions collected into a series
  • Original fiction (created from fanfic) for print distribution as chapbooks
  • Created to supplement NaNoWriMo 2018, and not part of overall word count for the challenge

This side project is about Tadatoshi Fujimaki’s Kuroko no Basuke (or Kuroko’s Basketball) animanga series, focused on different relationship dynamics of the main characters. It comprises of three fanfictions separate from my NaNoWriMo 2018 challenge that were later translated into original fiction chapbooks.

» The Fanfiction

Series: Kuroko no Chapbook
Total Word Count: 3200+
Rating: G
Themes/Tropes: Basketball, friendship, romance
Major Warnings: None 

Read Kuroko no Chapbook on Ao3 ⇥

Read Kuroko no Chapbook on Tumblr ⇥ 

▸ Fic Excerpts

Just take my hand, and let’s enjoy

Aomine-kun gave the best hugs. They were full-on bear hugs. Especially because of how broad he was, he physically curled himself around Tetsuya, and he’d be enveloped by Aomine’s warmth. His shoulders were sturdy pillars that anchored them, his arms cocooned Tetsuya wholly. The embrace was often accompanied by the rumble of Aomine’s laughter and a hand ruffling his hair. 

Tetsuya mourned when the frequency of his hugs slowly dwindled and changed.

Lucky Item Hunt

10:47am

“I can’t believe we have to go to all the way to Bunkyo for your lucky item.”

“I have to do –”

“‘– everything in your power so your shots never miss,’ yeah yeah, I know that.”

“I don’t understand the point of your whining. You do this every time yet you accompany me anyway.”

“Because you’re my responsibility.”

“I am a grown adult, not a child that needs supervision.”

Blue & Yellow

Track 2: Confession, Take #2
(Now Playing: Today - Joshua Radin)

Their confession is nowhere near as cute as Ryouta thinks it could have been, but it’s perfect all the same.

Aomine brings him around the back corner of Touou when Ryouta visits one day, literally stopping just a few feet away from the dumpsters. Ryouta at least persuades him to move away from the garbage, towards a secluded corner next to a fence.

At first Aomine whispers his feelings, then he half-shouts them because Ryouta tells him he can’t hear him.

“I said I like you, idiot!”

» The Chapbooks

The fanfictions were all translated into original fiction by removing names and plots from Kuroko no Basuke, then adjusted to each be read alone without the context of the Kuroko franchise.

Each story was then printed into a series of chapbooks, with the layout and print design of each book inspired by the writing format of the original fanfiction. All chapbooks contain the same type of information available for the fanfictions: summary, word count, themes and tropes, etc. The entire collection is now available for purchase on my Storenvy!

Buy a copy of the chapbooks! ⇥

Since Blake barely comes up to his chest, hugging Shion is like hugging a tree. Shion is indomitable and his hugs are no different. Blake can feel strength in his lanky build, solidity in his light embrace (because as much as he claims he would crush his opponents, Shion’s hugs are gentle).

Whoa! Sage, look at this –”

(smack)

“Ow!”

“Unless you have thousands of yen on your person, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself, Gavin.”

The beginning of their friendship was built from competition and constant antagonizing. It makes sense that their relationship is the same.

They clash, they yell, they argue, they bicker, they roughhouse. It’s what they do, him and Jaune.

The Novella

Total Word Count: 31 400+
Rating: PG-13
Themes/Tropes: Volleyball, polyamory, friendship, soulmates and soulmarks
Major Warnings: Descriptions of mental illness (mainly anxiety disorders), brief mentions of past bullying, rated for language and discussions not suitable for young audiences
Note: Minor discrepancies in format and spelling between the above documents and the printed publication from 2019 were done to correct mistakes missed before print. It has also been revised to include links.

Toronto’s Lakeshore University features the city’s first ever co-ed varsity volleyball team, Net Blazing.

Luna Haruto, Sunny Kordin, Tobias Blakely, Padma Perera, and Dillon Pieper happen to be on it.

Luna and Dillon are childhood best friends. Sunny and Tobias are buffoons and rivals. Padma is just trying to keep them all together.

Five wildly different personalities
over half a dozen relationship combinations,
one happily penta polycule. 

Unconventional Rules is a collection of alternative short stories following five undergrads as they navigate volleyball, school, and each other. Some of the stories relate; some of them don’t. Throughout it all, shenanigans and bickering abound. 

This limited edition copy also includes user guides from Adopt-A-Character Facilities featuring exclusive content about each character!

Read Unconventional Rules in its printed form (PDF) →

Read Unconventional Rules as an eBook (EPUB) →

Related Projects

» Of Fanfiction and Creating Space, 2018-2019

Multi-media • Undergraduate thesis
Completed at OCAD University for the Cross-Disciplinary Studies: Publications Major

The novella was created as part of my undergrad thesis project, Of Fanfiction and Creating Space (2018-2019). It was featured in my final installation, [Fanfiction] Reading Corner (2019).

See more about both these projects →

Writer • Designer • Nerd