Whoops!
I keep meaning to make updates (I still have to do that Warped post!), but every time I sit down to do it, I lose the desire to do it instantly.
Fanfic Trope Meme
What are your thoughts on the following tropes? Have you written them yourself?
Genderswap: In the past year, I figured out why I like genderswap, but straight-up het does not appeal so much: for some reason, slashers make hetsex more realistic, and less Mary-Sue-ish. This is a gross overgeneralization, and I've read bad genderswap het, but on a general basis, I have come across more realistic genderswap sex than straight-up het sex.
Having said that, there are two kinds of genderswap: always-a-girl (boy), and overnight-swap. I prefer neither over the other; both are awesome to me. Overnight swap lends itself more to crackfic (in non-magical/wacky sci-fi fandoms), which I generally steer away from, so I suppose if I had to choose one, it would be always-a-girl (boy) style.
Bodyswap: I like this most because of the forbidden appeal to it. When two people who are not in a sexual relationship get bodyswapped, you know you shouldn't look, and maybe it starts with just curiousity, but soon it's UST, and if all goes right, sex-and who knows that body that your partner's in better than you?
It's another one that has cracky circumstances, but I still read it.
Drunk!fic: Eh, it depends. If it's not *too* goofy (wow, I am serious-minded when it comes to fic), then okay. I do have a thing for the angsty "Oh fuck, are we cool?" panic that comes with the morning after, and I'm down with drunken confessions, but the drunk!sex itself holds very little appeal to me.
Huddling together for warmth: CLASSIC. A must-have for any H/C collector.
Undercover in a gay bar: I don't see this one so often in my fandoms, but I have seen it. And it's interesting. I'm not a big fan of it, but I don't have anything against it. I just don't come across it a lot.
Pretending to be married: Does fake!dating fall under this, as well? Because if so, I love it. Especially in RPF when it's for publicity reasons or whatever, idk. Just the idea of going through the motions, then having that illusion shatter when you have to stop, realizing that you don't *want* it to.
Secretly a virgin: Sometimes I like the awkward. And the idea of one character being able to go through the "omg, I'm your *first*?" can be really, really hot. I am itching to write virgin fic, actually, but am failing to come up with a decent story for it.
But to be honest, this trope isn't usually for me. There are just too many cases where I just don't buy it. I read a McKay/Sheppard one a long time ago where Rodney was supposed to be a virgin or whatever, and that just doesn't work for me. I have to be able to believe that the character could be a virgin.
I really like first-time fics, though, in younger fandoms. Like, idk, first-time-fumblings in Hogwarts dormitories and the like.
Amnesia: Love it when it's emotional-like when the character forgets a relationship or powerful friendship. Not too crazy when it's the catalyst for a relationship, though. Like when the amnesiac ~feels a ~connection and that must be a romantic one. Something doesn't feel right about it.
Cross-dressing: Yes, but only as a fetish sort of thing. I have no problem with people who crossdress as a lifestyle, but it's not my thing in fic. And I prefer it being full-on, not just the underthings or whatever. Weak.
Forced to share a bed: Eh, it's right up there in the CLASSIC category with huddling for warmth, but I've never really been crazy about it.
Aliens made them do it: Can be overdone. Can be done creepily. Can also be incredibly hot. I don't have a "made-them-do-it" tag on Delicious for nothing.
'Course that also covers sex-pollen, which I think falls under "Aphrodisiacs" here.
Wingfic: I like it from the emotional approach. I don't get, like, wingsex? But the process of growing the wings fascinates me on an emotional level.
Mpreg: It is very rare that I come across an mpreg that I like. I've read a couple that work for me, but I am not maternal, and I definitely don't want my boys to be...most of the time.
Mistakenly assumed to be gay: Can be fun or it can be more serious and heart-clenchy. From the "Oh, no, we're not..." awkwardness to the "Oh, you're not..." angst. I love it either way.
Let's play truth or dare: I love reading it, but I can't stand writing it. I can't come up with shit for the game in real life; I'm shit at it in writing, too.
Mary Sue fic: Heh, no. And I don't write it. At least any that ever ends up within the eyeline of *anyone*.
Aphrodisiacs: Of course sometimes. But it's not my favorite-especially if there are elements of dub-con.
Curtain fic: I didn't even know what that meant. I had to look it up. Domestic fic is actually a favorite of mine, so long as it's in character, y'know? Especially if there's someone making fun of them for doing things like ~picking out curtains.
Hurt/Comfort: I've seen it done badly. I'm not a fan of "whumping" in general, partly because of that, but I like a good number of h/c tropes.
Apocalypse fic: Love it, love it, love it. But then I love those sorts of stories anyway.
Someone has a baby: Eh. Like with mpreg, I lack the maternal properties to truly care about kid!fic. It's never really appealed.
Telepathic soulbonding: I don't know about soulbonding, but telepathy is one of my fic kinks. There's nothing more intimate than being in another person's mind.
Werewolves mate for life: I've not read a lot of this, actually. I'm planning on writing it, though, so maybe I should do some, er, research on the subject.
Fanfic Trope Meme
What are your thoughts on the following tropes? Have you written them yourself?
Genderswap: In the past year, I figured out why I like genderswap, but straight-up het does not appeal so much: for some reason, slashers make hetsex more realistic, and less Mary-Sue-ish. This is a gross overgeneralization, and I've read bad genderswap het, but on a general basis, I have come across more realistic genderswap sex than straight-up het sex.
Having said that, there are two kinds of genderswap: always-a-girl (boy), and overnight-swap. I prefer neither over the other; both are awesome to me. Overnight swap lends itself more to crackfic (in non-magical/wacky sci-fi fandoms), which I generally steer away from, so I suppose if I had to choose one, it would be always-a-girl (boy) style.
Bodyswap: I like this most because of the forbidden appeal to it. When two people who are not in a sexual relationship get bodyswapped, you know you shouldn't look, and maybe it starts with just curiousity, but soon it's UST, and if all goes right, sex-and who knows that body that your partner's in better than you?
It's another one that has cracky circumstances, but I still read it.
Drunk!fic: Eh, it depends. If it's not *too* goofy (wow, I am serious-minded when it comes to fic), then okay. I do have a thing for the angsty "Oh fuck, are we cool?" panic that comes with the morning after, and I'm down with drunken confessions, but the drunk!sex itself holds very little appeal to me.
Huddling together for warmth: CLASSIC. A must-have for any H/C collector.
Undercover in a gay bar: I don't see this one so often in my fandoms, but I have seen it. And it's interesting. I'm not a big fan of it, but I don't have anything against it. I just don't come across it a lot.
Pretending to be married: Does fake!dating fall under this, as well? Because if so, I love it. Especially in RPF when it's for publicity reasons or whatever, idk. Just the idea of going through the motions, then having that illusion shatter when you have to stop, realizing that you don't *want* it to.
Secretly a virgin: Sometimes I like the awkward. And the idea of one character being able to go through the "omg, I'm your *first*?" can be really, really hot. I am itching to write virgin fic, actually, but am failing to come up with a decent story for it.
But to be honest, this trope isn't usually for me. There are just too many cases where I just don't buy it. I read a McKay/Sheppard one a long time ago where Rodney was supposed to be a virgin or whatever, and that just doesn't work for me. I have to be able to believe that the character could be a virgin.
I really like first-time fics, though, in younger fandoms. Like, idk, first-time-fumblings in Hogwarts dormitories and the like.
Amnesia: Love it when it's emotional-like when the character forgets a relationship or powerful friendship. Not too crazy when it's the catalyst for a relationship, though. Like when the amnesiac ~feels a ~connection and that must be a romantic one. Something doesn't feel right about it.
Cross-dressing: Yes, but only as a fetish sort of thing. I have no problem with people who crossdress as a lifestyle, but it's not my thing in fic. And I prefer it being full-on, not just the underthings or whatever. Weak.
Forced to share a bed: Eh, it's right up there in the CLASSIC category with huddling for warmth, but I've never really been crazy about it.
Aliens made them do it: Can be overdone. Can be done creepily. Can also be incredibly hot. I don't have a "made-them-do-it" tag on Delicious for nothing.
'Course that also covers sex-pollen, which I think falls under "Aphrodisiacs" here.
Wingfic: I like it from the emotional approach. I don't get, like, wingsex? But the process of growing the wings fascinates me on an emotional level.
Mpreg: It is very rare that I come across an mpreg that I like. I've read a couple that work for me, but I am not maternal, and I definitely don't want my boys to be...most of the time.
Mistakenly assumed to be gay: Can be fun or it can be more serious and heart-clenchy. From the "Oh, no, we're not..." awkwardness to the "Oh, you're not..." angst. I love it either way.
Let's play truth or dare: I love reading it, but I can't stand writing it. I can't come up with shit for the game in real life; I'm shit at it in writing, too.
Mary Sue fic: Heh, no. And I don't write it. At least any that ever ends up within the eyeline of *anyone*.
Aphrodisiacs: Of course sometimes. But it's not my favorite-especially if there are elements of dub-con.
Curtain fic: I didn't even know what that meant. I had to look it up. Domestic fic is actually a favorite of mine, so long as it's in character, y'know? Especially if there's someone making fun of them for doing things like ~picking out curtains.
Hurt/Comfort: I've seen it done badly. I'm not a fan of "whumping" in general, partly because of that, but I like a good number of h/c tropes.
Apocalypse fic: Love it, love it, love it. But then I love those sorts of stories anyway.
Someone has a baby: Eh. Like with mpreg, I lack the maternal properties to truly care about kid!fic. It's never really appealed.
Telepathic soulbonding: I don't know about soulbonding, but telepathy is one of my fic kinks. There's nothing more intimate than being in another person's mind.
Werewolves mate for life: I've not read a lot of this, actually. I'm planning on writing it, though, so maybe I should do some, er, research on the subject.