Why, yes, I _would_ like some cheese with my whine!

[dark_puck]

I fucking hate the stigma against OCs in fandom.

I really do.

It just smacks of a lack of imagination to me.

I mean, there is a whole wide world to explore, and you want to limit yourself?

That's like going to a pool but only allowing yourself use of the available toys. It's a lot of fun if you bring your own to add to the experience.

I mean, I get that

Comments

[dark_puck]

I would post it to fanficrants only I'd get dogpiled, I'm sure.

[falseaidoru]

OCs need love too. I'll tell you, I don't read a load of fanfiction these days, but I do read and write in RPGs online and that's almost purely OCs these days. Like with Harry Potter, she names a LOAD of characters without doing much with them at all, she gives all these surnames and then nothing else. Some people didn't even get genders and that's why Blaise Zabini used to be a white Italian girl for a lot of people! And I've read some really amazing back stories and threads in Pern universes before. Just fantastic!

[floranna]

The main fear (atleast with me) is that those OCs would be Mary Sues or Gary Stus probably. Well made OCs are so damned rare to find sometimes...

[dark_puck]

I specialise in OCs, and let me tell you -- the majority of that which people label as Mary or Gary really, truly are not.

Mary Sue and Gary Stu are convenient labels that nowadays people slap on any character they don't like.

[floranna]

Yaeh. Now that I think of it, that's true. Or then I am thinking about those horrific Zuko/OC fics out there.

Don't ask me anything smart, I just woke. ^^'

[dark_puck]

Even canon/OC can be fun, if done well. *still ships Kouji/Toph in her heart of hearts. When she isn't shipping Kouji/Torako or Toph/Teo, anyway*

The point is doing it well and letting things develop naturally.

I mean, shit, look at Ichiro. He is my Shounen Protagonist, the one person with the ability to kick Azula's ass hands down. I have to do a LOT to make sure he doesn't overpower everything because of that. (For starters, he loses to just about anyone else.)

[avocado_love]

I guess for me, the first attraction to any fandom is the canon characters. After the shine has worn off (and crossovers are written and AU's are explored) generally after a couple of years, I'm more open to the type of alternate stories you mentioned.

If it helps, I've found that I'm writing more OC's since I've gotten to know you. Maybe you're a good influence? :D

[shadowsong26]

this this this a thousand times this. and, yeah, there is the risk of running into mary/gary territory, but...on the other hand? i'm actually much much more afraid of getting a canon character wrong when i post something than i am of creating an unpopular OC, which is why i usually write AUs, where characterization can shift some without being HOMG YOU'RE RUINING IT!!!!1!

so, yeah. there's that aspect, too.