Post by LadyKeren on Feb 9, 2016 12:39:54 GMT
All right, I thought I would do a little editorial on my outlook on fanfiction. I normally like taking a season/scene of a series and putting my own spin on it, writing what I would have loved to see happen if I had my choice, playing with scenes I was a bit dissatisfied with whilst still staying as true to the canon as possible...meaning I only make the drastic changes when the occasion calls for it. There are some things I don't write but can read if well written and some I wouldn't read or write. I am not calling anyone out but I just wanted to let you all take a peek inside my mind when I am doing my fanfics..so here is a list of my peeves:
1. Character Bashing: *sees if I could state my case without ranting* I don't think there's too much I need to say on it but there is no excuse for it..regardless of whether the canon character is likable or not, one should do well to keep in mind that these characters are not theirs to do with what they please and belong to someone else. If the character is gonna be portrayed worse than they actually are, there should be a logical reason/explanation for it, like for instance, being abused for a long time and one day he/she just snapped..or brainwashed..
2. Characters doing things totally in contrast to their personality without logical reason/explanation in a fic that isn't a parody or a spoof: I covered some of it above, but to be clear, I am not talking about mild OOCness, like if a character does something humorous once in a while because the author is building on him/her having a light side although usually serious..I am talking about a generally kind, caring, well-mannered, honest character being portrayed as a mean, spiteful, evil person who is deceitful and has NO manners..or a character who is genuinely very intelligent or at least catches on quickly even if they don't know about something being dumb as a rock..like I said there should be an explanation for it if they will be written that way..also if the fic happens to be a parody or spoof fic that should be clarified from the beginning in the disclaimer or author's notes.
3. Randomness: Here I mean certain traits just being slapped on a canon character without considering whether it is likely to happen or not..
4. Lack of research: should be self-explanatory, and before anyone goes "we're not in school", I am referring to the details being deliberately incorrect when info is accessible..for example if a character's birthdate, preferences, physical description was given by the creator I go with what is listed..sometimes I will add in what I can imagine but that's all. Or also tackling a rather complicated topic like a certain mental illness or a culture of a certain ethnic group, it is imperative to know the facts and I also tend to be careful with the latter especially since there are misconceptions and erroneous info out there.
5. Yaoi/yuri pairings that make no sense: Now if there is evidence for it, like for example Kunzite x Zoisite from Sailor Moon (90s anime) I go with it but I am talking about the ones where both people involved are shown liking the opposite sex. These are fics I keep my distance from.
6. Badly written AUs: Before I delve into this I will say I generally prefer AR or Alternate History, but I have seen AU can be a very good fic depending on the fandom and how well the person pulls it off so I do tolerate it to a certain point. After all it has similarities to AR, not just differences, which is why they're both used interchangeably. And it can be a way to explore the possibilities or change what went wrong for a person in the fandom. And I know while a certain change is drastic, it can also be reasonable and logical so it's all good. Have found some that I really enjoy just as much as my favorite ARs. But what I mean by badly written is if there is no explanation for the big changes so there are loopholes and I find myself being confused. I also don't like being roped into reading it..again, if the fic is AU or AT (alternate timeline) that should be clarified from the beginning to minimize confusion...but it goes to show not everyone can pull it off. However, if the changes are so drastic that the premise would work just as nicely for an original fiction work (I am talking about where EVERYTHING except the character's name is different) then I am gone. I am not particularly fond of canon characters having lifelong ailments either unless it is likely to happen at some point (like for example, because of the character's unhealthy lifestyle or something), but I will still give it a shot if it is well written, though it probably won't be on the top of my favorites, especially if things don't get better. I prefer to save the lifelong ailments for my OCs seeing as how they're my creation and I can do whatever I like with them within reason.
7. Constant, non-stop drama: Now I am all for characters having to face issues, but if things don't get better for them at a certain point that could get too depressing for me and unless I am in the mood for a good cry, it's a major turn off.
8. OCs being stronger than the main protagonist: Unless the OC is a villain, this should not be happening..and even then the villain should have a weakness..while yes it can be a turn off when a character is weak and can't defend themselves sometimes being all-powerful, all-knowing and perfect can be even worse. In other words, there should be a balance.
9. Grammatical/spelling/punctuation errors all throughout the fic/chapters: I am not talking about the typo that will happen once in awhile but in every sentence where it is obvious there was no proofreading. I usually let it slide in the case of a learning disability but even then there should be a beta..and there should also be one when English isn't the first language.
That's pretty much it.I may be missing something and if I am I will come back and edit. I guess you all can say I have a rather conservative attitude towards writing although I am a tad more flexible with reading. (although I am still somewhat strict with that too)..feel free to comment but no rude comments, please.
1. Character Bashing: *sees if I could state my case without ranting* I don't think there's too much I need to say on it but there is no excuse for it..regardless of whether the canon character is likable or not, one should do well to keep in mind that these characters are not theirs to do with what they please and belong to someone else. If the character is gonna be portrayed worse than they actually are, there should be a logical reason/explanation for it, like for instance, being abused for a long time and one day he/she just snapped..or brainwashed..
2. Characters doing things totally in contrast to their personality without logical reason/explanation in a fic that isn't a parody or a spoof: I covered some of it above, but to be clear, I am not talking about mild OOCness, like if a character does something humorous once in a while because the author is building on him/her having a light side although usually serious..I am talking about a generally kind, caring, well-mannered, honest character being portrayed as a mean, spiteful, evil person who is deceitful and has NO manners..or a character who is genuinely very intelligent or at least catches on quickly even if they don't know about something being dumb as a rock..like I said there should be an explanation for it if they will be written that way..also if the fic happens to be a parody or spoof fic that should be clarified from the beginning in the disclaimer or author's notes.
3. Randomness: Here I mean certain traits just being slapped on a canon character without considering whether it is likely to happen or not..
4. Lack of research: should be self-explanatory, and before anyone goes "we're not in school", I am referring to the details being deliberately incorrect when info is accessible..for example if a character's birthdate, preferences, physical description was given by the creator I go with what is listed..sometimes I will add in what I can imagine but that's all. Or also tackling a rather complicated topic like a certain mental illness or a culture of a certain ethnic group, it is imperative to know the facts and I also tend to be careful with the latter especially since there are misconceptions and erroneous info out there.
5. Yaoi/yuri pairings that make no sense: Now if there is evidence for it, like for example Kunzite x Zoisite from Sailor Moon (90s anime) I go with it but I am talking about the ones where both people involved are shown liking the opposite sex. These are fics I keep my distance from.
6. Badly written AUs: Before I delve into this I will say I generally prefer AR or Alternate History, but I have seen AU can be a very good fic depending on the fandom and how well the person pulls it off so I do tolerate it to a certain point. After all it has similarities to AR, not just differences, which is why they're both used interchangeably. And it can be a way to explore the possibilities or change what went wrong for a person in the fandom. And I know while a certain change is drastic, it can also be reasonable and logical so it's all good. Have found some that I really enjoy just as much as my favorite ARs. But what I mean by badly written is if there is no explanation for the big changes so there are loopholes and I find myself being confused. I also don't like being roped into reading it..again, if the fic is AU or AT (alternate timeline) that should be clarified from the beginning to minimize confusion...but it goes to show not everyone can pull it off. However, if the changes are so drastic that the premise would work just as nicely for an original fiction work (I am talking about where EVERYTHING except the character's name is different) then I am gone. I am not particularly fond of canon characters having lifelong ailments either unless it is likely to happen at some point (like for example, because of the character's unhealthy lifestyle or something), but I will still give it a shot if it is well written, though it probably won't be on the top of my favorites, especially if things don't get better. I prefer to save the lifelong ailments for my OCs seeing as how they're my creation and I can do whatever I like with them within reason.
7. Constant, non-stop drama: Now I am all for characters having to face issues, but if things don't get better for them at a certain point that could get too depressing for me and unless I am in the mood for a good cry, it's a major turn off.
8. OCs being stronger than the main protagonist: Unless the OC is a villain, this should not be happening..and even then the villain should have a weakness..while yes it can be a turn off when a character is weak and can't defend themselves sometimes being all-powerful, all-knowing and perfect can be even worse. In other words, there should be a balance.
9. Grammatical/spelling/punctuation errors all throughout the fic/chapters: I am not talking about the typo that will happen once in awhile but in every sentence where it is obvious there was no proofreading. I usually let it slide in the case of a learning disability but even then there should be a beta..and there should also be one when English isn't the first language.
That's pretty much it.I may be missing something and if I am I will come back and edit. I guess you all can say I have a rather conservative attitude towards writing although I am a tad more flexible with reading. (although I am still somewhat strict with that too)..feel free to comment but no rude comments, please.
