A surefire way to get me to remove you from my flist ;)

[caer]

I tried looking for other entries/articles/essays/writings on baby!fic, but all I found were a few vague sentences on it. Seems like it's not really talked about a lot :/ So, I shall try drawing up my thoughts without the aid of a reference (although, I have to admit, it feels weird not having other sources for an argument). I'll also try not to

Comments

[citron_presse]

Damn, was I relieved to see your list of fics . . . before that I was about to slink away with my tail between my legs! To think the PPD was the only aspect I was scared of writing ;) (Thank you, by the way.)

mrsfjl66 once said that I'm only ever writing about Mark anyway (well, presumably not in the fics he's not in . . . but who knows, I'll have to ask her) so hopefully I'm safe if / when I tackle another baby!fic. (See, I might just have to kill Sloan Riley and deal with the grand-spawn at some point . . . )

I reserve the right to return with a more intelligent, less breathless response, 'cause that was just the hyper-verbal equivalent of exhaling ;D

[caer]

The PPD is definitely what it made it a winner for me. You went outside the box, and it paid off, imo. Awesome stuff =)

LOL. Considering how you said that most things remind you of Mark, I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing you ever write about is him. I'm sure you find a way to tie him in somehow ;)

Feel free to post your thoughts whenever - or not, in case you feel obligated to, or something.

[lexiesloan]

I have created an entire family AU for Mark and Lexie so I am very happy to see that I am still on your flist. I write fluff. I completely admit it but I always try to keep Mark and Lexie in character. It started when I wrote a story about Mark and Lexie suffering through a miscarriage. In regards to the children I have created for them, Mark and Lexie have gone through a lot of problems when it comes to them and their marriage. I try to write a realistic portrait of a family but I completely understand why you would not want baby fics. I have come across some that are just practically unbearable. And maybe you are talking about mine but I like writing about the family I have created. There is something about seeing Mark Sloan grow into this man who is able to be a father even though this man has issues upon issues. I know family fic/baby fic is definitely not for everyone and I do agree with you on a lot of what you said. I know I am not the best writer but I can say that I am better than some of the baby fics I have found on

[caer]

I don't think there's anything WRONG with writing fluff or baby!fic, as long as you do it well, you know? Realism is what's missing from most of these fics and that's a major turnoff for me :/

FF.net is like a junkyard. You gotta wade through a whole lot of trash to find the gems buried underneath ;D

[caviarandmeths]

lol. I don't know that I'd defriend, but I pretty much agree with you. I think for me, it always feels like the authors of baby!fic are just writing their own lives, rather than actually writing the characters. In SVU especially, it feels a lot like the writer just wants to be married to Elliot and have his babies, so they write their own life with him in it. Because the Olivia in those fics tends to not resemble the one I actually see on screen. With exceptions, of course. OR, like you said, they tend to focus exclusively on the kids. You have 10 pages of overly cute and really annoying kidspeak, and the main characters simply reacting to that. I guess some people get into that, because those fics always have reviews, but eeeh. Not for me

[foibles_fables]

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but you made an excellent point that I have to give my thoughts on...

it always feels like the authors of baby!fic are just writing their own lives, rather than actually writing the characters

This is the sad truth of the matter. This is what all the problems boil down to. Everyone wants an adorable, uniquely-named child genius with a doting husband/wife/partner with barbeques and bedtime stories and whatever else. But life isn't like that.

[caviarandmeths]

Exactly. I always feel like the writer has either a very sad life in which they settled and are trying to live vicariously through fanfic, or they have a very happy life and think everyone must want to live that way. They kind of...ignore the actual characters and what they might want. (And, you know, whatever. Everyone should get to enjoy fandom in their own way, just... don't get offended when I don't read it!) Maybe that makes sense though, because the writers who DO great in-character writing tend to write kidfic fairly well too, while those who are inserting themselves into the story, do it regardless of kid content and are nearly always OOC.

[caer]

Lol, that was a very thinly veiled threat to my flist should they even think about it ;D

just writing their own lives, rather than actually writing the characters.
D'oh! I knew I forgot something: self-inserts. Not unfamiliar to the GA fandom either, unfortunately :/ I never quite understand how people get into it, though. But each to their own, I suppose...Oooh, what are these "exceptions" you speak of? I don't think I've read a decent fic where El/Liv have their own kid.

I can sympathize (with the freaking out)! Marriage fic is something I tend to shy away from, but I think I'm gravitating towards it (very slowly!) . OH! There was this one author who wrote terrific married El/Liv fic, but for the life of me, I can't remember her name. I'll try to track her down, if you're interested?

[foibles_fables]

WHAT. HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE BABYFIC. I AM GOING TO SHIT OUT SOME SPARKLES AND THEN THROW THEM AT YOU, YOU HEATHEN

I mean uh

Though I enjoy babyfic a heck of a lot more than you do (lmao), I definitely agree with most everything you've pointed out. I also appreciate your distinction between pregnancy!fic and baby/kid!fic. Because they really are beasts of a different nature.

*goes through the extensive process of cracking various body parts before boiling some copypasta*

These people are not the sort to name their kids something trendy. YES. THANK YOU. THIS. I blame it on my generation, with their love of names like "Aiden" and all of its variants (I liked this name for ages before the Gosselins, but now I will never name my child Aiden/Aidan/Aaden/Aadan/Ayden/Aidyn/however the fuck else), Jayden, Brayden, Kaden, Colton, Ava, Sofia, etc. I mean, I like obscure names. And by "obscure" I don't mean "nuts," like Apple or Jehosaphat. We're not talking Frank Zappa here. I mean "you don't hear it every day

[foibles_fables]

OCkid is validation of X/Y's love for each other

I think this is the aspect I struggle with the most. While I want my characters' kids to be a culmination of love, if it's the ONLY reason why the baby is there, then it's shit. If it's a side-effect of an already-established relationship, then that's generally more acceptable. My argument to that statement is, what about me (there I go using my example again)? I was born when my parents were married. They no longer are. Whatever love they had for each other was either lost or never existed in the first place. Does that compromise my existence? No damn way! My parents still love me (most days ;D), even if they no longer love one another. Another situation is in one of the fics X isn't even carrying Y's baby. I think this is a GREAT example/predicament, since it tests the relationships of X/Y, X/Z, and X+Y+Z/the baby. Just because X is carrying Z's baby instead of Y's baby, does that mean that X has to love Z because there is a baby? No

[foibles_fables]

On about a third and a half thought, I feel the need to add this to the "child genius" part, since I overlooked it...

Working with kids as I do, you can tell which ones have the potential to be very smart and you can tell which ones have bulbs of a dimmer sort. It's the way they retain the things I teach them, or the way they look at me when I'm speaking to them. Still, that doesn't mean they're astrophysicists. They're kids. They're going to pick their noses, laugh about poop, and eat paste (or sand, hee hee hee) like any other kid.

[caer]

OMG, Lexie! Um, rain cheque for tomorrow? Please? *points at userpic* How can you say no to that?

[littleone87]

I don't think I've ever written baby!fic. And I just have to say wow, this is such a well thought out post. You're just so analytical

[caer]

I've never read Twilight, so I won't be throwing any tomatoes at you ;)

I highly doubt Shonda will EVER write Mark and lexie having a baby, because then where do you go with it?
VERY interesting point. I've never looked it at that way. Then again the farthest I ever get is, Mark as a fath- ?*cringe*. Lol. If/when any pairings on GA should ever have kids, I don't think it should be a pivotal point of the show. Because, frankly, that's not what first interested in me the show and characters, so I wouldn't feel like we're missing out on anything big.

As for kid!fic, even if the author somehow manages to pull of characterization well, it'll still most likely be fluff and that'll automatically send it to the bottom of my pile again >__>
ETA: I also meant to add that I could never through sit a baby!fic saga. No matter how good it is. One-shots, ftw =D

Nothing sounded idiotic =)