Fanfiction Survey
From jearashifan
1. In your view, what is a fan fiction?
It's the combination of three lovely things: fandom, writing and freedom.
2. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word 'fanfic'?
Fun in all the shapes it might assume and, in one way or other, writer responsability.
3. Why do you read fanfic?
Because I like it. Generally, I only repeatedly do non-obligatory activities because I enjoy them.
4. What genre of fanfic do you prefer? Why?
Anything goes, depending on my mood. Most of the time, for example, I despise angst with passion, but there are days in which I'm so emotionally congested that some good crying is all I need, and that genre is of excellent help. But I love light-hearted and heavy narrations just the same ♥
5. What rating suits you? Why?
R seems just the most democratic. It contains all the nice, light things a PG would offer, but also have some juicy stuff too. Yes, I consider sex and/or violence juicy, if the writer can handle it, ok?
6. Who are the characters in the fanfic that you often
Asian idols, mostly male ♥ Sometimes Harry Potter, but that's only to have a good laugh or two, and Inception, because it's awesome.
7. What do you look upon in a fanfic?
First of all, I understand that what I want to read and what each author wants to write are two entirely different things.
That being said, I firstly enjoy a good conception of the idea. I like it when the writer sets what he wants to display in the fic, being it a plot, a solid story or just a thought, a question, a wondering. I realize that a fic may have beginning, development and end or it might not and that's what the author's idea was all time long. Unlike people who do not support the latter style, I love it and consider it as compelling as the former.
Then, I'll see what methods were used to make the fic loyal to the initial thought that motivated it. Such as:
• Charactarization is something quite important, you may want to keep your people the least OOC possible - but then again, that's very difficult when characters are real people. The fans may think they know the person, but the chances of that being an unchanging truth are minimal, not to mention there are certain traits of a person that one fan may like to value and the other may not, so it varies a lot. But it's important to throw into the fic the most commonly identified aspects of the characters so the readers won't feel lost, bored or annoyed to see their idols completely out of their normal selves. However, I do think it's valid (if not advisable) to make up some characteristics that'll contribute to the plot or stress the personage's relevance in the story.
• Description or the lack of it. You have to sense when describing cenarios, people, actions and emotions will be relevant in your fic. And although we all like to understand what's going on (when we're supposed to), it's important not to create long paragraphs full of detailed, heavy, excessive and uninteresting descriptions. The idea is to keep the reader wanting more and, if you give them a monstruous amount right away, their attention will be lost.
• Wording sometimes is better than description to create the mood of the fic. Fancy words will be perfect for a more refined environment, but if you're writing an action piece, bb, do not be afraid to unleash your less polite, more intense and inappropriate self, it adds to the thrill of the idea. The unexplained use of disconnected foreign words (such as kawaii, kakkoi, baka, ahou, wae, saranghae) only helps to put people off, I myself really don't like it
• Uneasy grammar makes uneasy readers. They'll go, "aw," everytime they see an obvious mistake (I know that from reading both mine and other people's fics), so I advise you to try to improve your English skills and at least double-check your text. Also, Spell Check is your friend and will always be there for you if you don't have a beta, like me.
I'll also want a coherent ending. Be it happy, cheesy, sad, angsty or neutral, it has to do with the rest of the fic, or else people will just click their tongues at it.
8. Can you list some great fanfic authors you had come across?
(user) (where they post fic) ( what I read from them )
airairo as theotheralissa ( JE )
ashkt as ashesof_hope ( JE )
bananyphophany ( JE )
fayevalentine3 ( JE )
girlearthless ( JE )
helicoptersky ( JE )
jisang as qiguai ( U-Kiss )
koneho as konliza or at konjanieito ( JE )
mousapelli ( JE )
musikologie as oddest_nooks ( JE )
osakaromanesque (formerly nana_murakami ) at kenkajoutou ( JE )
peroxidepest17 as peroxide_fic ( JE )
sunghyeon at parfaitte ( U-Kiss )
snoozing_kitten as _wristcutshow_ ( JE )
tatoeba at simplyephemeral ( JE )
track_04 at colorcodedlines ( JE )
travelingpsycho ( JE )
tinyangl ( JE )
yakiseop (formerly choko_jun ) at bokura_no_uta ( JE, U-Kiss )
yey_yey ( JE )
yuumei_nata at inkyreflections ( JE )
4_03_am as devetir ( JE )
& some more good stuff:
k8_exchange
je_devilorangel
je_ficgames
je_fqfest
je_holiday
je_justfriends
je_squickfic
je_whiteday
jetrickortreat
These are only the ones that I could find/remember, but I know there are many more from the Eito-biased fandom ):
9. What attracts you to read the fanfic?
Presence of summary; if the summary seemed decent and appealing; pairing; group (more Eito, less KAT-TUN, thank you); link out form (interesting catch sentences/extracts from the fic and I always fall for a fancy fake-cut, it looks so pretty and of good taste); usage of normal English (no "chooou kawaiiiiii~~~~~" or "hEy, GuyZZzz, thIZ iZ my New upDaTe hehehehehehhehe" for me, sorry if that sounds elitist); nice title and avatar do make me take a second look; tidiness (it's perfectly ok to have long Notes of Author, but please leave it under the cut to your journal or community and only leave a sum of the notes in the common fic community :/)
10. What do you think of this survey?
Very nice indeed! Fun to answer to and one can actually give a little tips to the ones that find them relevant. Sometimes, authors are great, but the lack of experience often makes them commit natural mistakes, so this can actually help a lot for them to get all this styling/formating thingy faster :D
I guess I sound too... picky. But, seriously, you can't help but getting a little more strict after so much time reading fic :/
1. In your view, what is a fan fiction?
It's the combination of three lovely things: fandom, writing and freedom.
2. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word 'fanfic'?
Fun in all the shapes it might assume and, in one way or other, writer responsability.
3. Why do you read fanfic?
Because I like it. Generally, I only repeatedly do non-obligatory activities because I enjoy them.
4. What genre of fanfic do you prefer? Why?
Anything goes, depending on my mood. Most of the time, for example, I despise angst with passion, but there are days in which I'm so emotionally congested that some good crying is all I need, and that genre is of excellent help. But I love light-hearted and heavy narrations just the same ♥
5. What rating suits you? Why?
R seems just the most democratic. It contains all the nice, light things a PG would offer, but also have some juicy stuff too. Yes, I consider sex and/or violence juicy, if the writer can handle it, ok?
6. Who are the characters in the fanfic that you often
Asian idols, mostly male ♥ Sometimes Harry Potter, but that's only to have a good laugh or two, and Inception, because it's awesome.
7. What do you look upon in a fanfic?
First of all, I understand that what I want to read and what each author wants to write are two entirely different things.
That being said, I firstly enjoy a good conception of the idea. I like it when the writer sets what he wants to display in the fic, being it a plot, a solid story or just a thought, a question, a wondering. I realize that a fic may have beginning, development and end or it might not and that's what the author's idea was all time long. Unlike people who do not support the latter style, I love it and consider it as compelling as the former.
Then, I'll see what methods were used to make the fic loyal to the initial thought that motivated it. Such as:
• Charactarization is something quite important, you may want to keep your people the least OOC possible - but then again, that's very difficult when characters are real people. The fans may think they know the person, but the chances of that being an unchanging truth are minimal, not to mention there are certain traits of a person that one fan may like to value and the other may not, so it varies a lot. But it's important to throw into the fic the most commonly identified aspects of the characters so the readers won't feel lost, bored or annoyed to see their idols completely out of their normal selves. However, I do think it's valid (if not advisable) to make up some characteristics that'll contribute to the plot or stress the personage's relevance in the story.
• Description or the lack of it. You have to sense when describing cenarios, people, actions and emotions will be relevant in your fic. And although we all like to understand what's going on (when we're supposed to), it's important not to create long paragraphs full of detailed, heavy, excessive and uninteresting descriptions. The idea is to keep the reader wanting more and, if you give them a monstruous amount right away, their attention will be lost.
• Wording sometimes is better than description to create the mood of the fic. Fancy words will be perfect for a more refined environment, but if you're writing an action piece, bb, do not be afraid to unleash your less polite, more intense and inappropriate self, it adds to the thrill of the idea. The unexplained use of disconnected foreign words (such as kawaii, kakkoi, baka, ahou, wae, saranghae) only helps to put people off, I myself really don't like it
• Uneasy grammar makes uneasy readers. They'll go, "aw," everytime they see an obvious mistake (I know that from reading both mine and other people's fics), so I advise you to try to improve your English skills and at least double-check your text. Also, Spell Check is your friend and will always be there for you if you don't have a beta, like me.
I'll also want a coherent ending. Be it happy, cheesy, sad, angsty or neutral, it has to do with the rest of the fic, or else people will just click their tongues at it.
8. Can you list some great fanfic authors you had come across?
(user) (where they post fic) ( what I read from them )
airairo as theotheralissa ( JE )
ashkt as ashesof_hope ( JE )
bananyphophany ( JE )
fayevalentine3 ( JE )
girlearthless ( JE )
helicoptersky ( JE )
jisang as qiguai ( U-Kiss )
koneho as konliza or at konjanieito ( JE )
mousapelli ( JE )
musikologie as oddest_nooks ( JE )
osakaromanesque (formerly nana_murakami ) at kenkajoutou ( JE )
peroxidepest17 as peroxide_fic ( JE )
sunghyeon at parfaitte ( U-Kiss )
snoozing_kitten as _wristcutshow_ ( JE )
tatoeba at simplyephemeral ( JE )
track_04 at colorcodedlines ( JE )
travelingpsycho ( JE )
tinyangl ( JE )
yakiseop (formerly choko_jun ) at bokura_no_uta ( JE, U-Kiss )
yey_yey ( JE )
yuumei_nata at inkyreflections ( JE )
4_03_am as devetir ( JE )
& some more good stuff:
k8_exchange
je_devilorangel
je_ficgames
je_fqfest
je_holiday
je_justfriends
je_squickfic
je_whiteday
jetrickortreat
These are only the ones that I could find/remember, but I know there are many more from the Eito-biased fandom ):
9. What attracts you to read the fanfic?
Presence of summary; if the summary seemed decent and appealing; pairing; group (more Eito, less KAT-TUN, thank you); link out form (interesting catch sentences/extracts from the fic and I always fall for a fancy fake-cut, it looks so pretty and of good taste); usage of normal English (no "chooou kawaiiiiii~~~~~" or "hEy, GuyZZzz, thIZ iZ my New upDaTe hehehehehehhehe" for me, sorry if that sounds elitist); nice title and avatar do make me take a second look; tidiness (it's perfectly ok to have long Notes of Author, but please leave it under the cut to your journal or community and only leave a sum of the notes in the common fic community :/)
10. What do you think of this survey?
Very nice indeed! Fun to answer to and one can actually give a little tips to the ones that find them relevant. Sometimes, authors are great, but the lack of experience often makes them commit natural mistakes, so this can actually help a lot for them to get all this styling/formating thingy faster :D
I guess I sound too... picky. But, seriously, you can't help but getting a little more strict after so much time reading fic :/