3rd August - thinky thoughts

[kitchensexslave]

I've been thinking about this for a while, but I've been stirred into action by mrstotten 's recent post querying about the definitions of gen and het and slash.

My question is, why do you / don't you read certain types of fic?

I am a shipping whore, and read gen / het / slash / femmeslash / combinations of the above - it really just depends on the writing

Comments

[lila_roxo]

I have to agree with the above. I'll read anything, anything at all, as long as it's well-written and the writing style calls to me. I have ditched fics with incredible plot and characterization because the execution was messy, or because there were minor grammatical flaws, or commas missing where they really, really shouldn't be.

Another aspect that is very important to me is how a character is written, if it's faithful to cannon or if the author has basically just created an OC and labeled it Sam. Or if the author attributes traits a character shouldn't possess. Those are as big turn-offs as bad writing, regardless of the fact if it's a ship I'd normally like. Another dislike is when the writer tells instead of shows, or UGH, writes exposition paragraphs every time someone does something, instead of letting actions and dialog stand on their own.

I do realize I'm very picky with how a fic (or a book, or an article, or a cereal box) is written, but on the other hand, I can read any ship or pairing and adore it. For example, I started out reading Cas/Dean ONLY because the thought of Wincest squicked me, and RPS seemed too much like voyeurism, but then I got curious and stumbled upon a fic so gorgeously written that I had to read it. And that opened doors for me, because that author wrote both Wincest and RPS and she did it beautifully. In the end, reading that one fic got me to read all of the fics in that LJ, and then got me looking for more.
In a way, I'm pretty flexible with ships. I have no trouble with het or slash; IMO that's interchangeable. It might have to do with my own sexuality, or it might not. *shrug*. Like someone above me said, as long as there is sexual tension, or the possibility of it, I'll read it.

Really, the main thing (and I can't remark enough on it) is that the writing style must call to me. As long as it does, I'll read it and love it. It's one of the reasons I love the SPN fandom so much- despite the batshit, there are amazing writers, way more than I had in my last fandom.