3636: Bar Elate series - Hermione Granger and company

[pottersues]

- The link of the day is Writing effective OC/canon (part 1).
- Flashback Sue

So, this story has tie ins with yesterday's Sue.

TITLE: Bar Elate, Bar Elate 2: Victoria's Revenge
PERPETRATOR: katyedavis
SUE-O-METER: Toxic
COVER/BANNER ART: I think it's the Forbidden Forest, but I could be wrong.
SUMMARY:”Hermione's feelings had done exactly what

Comments

[darth_gojira]

How the hell is Hermione ever emotionless? Being smart and studious and disciplined in class doesn't mean she's a bloody Vulcan.

[anonymous]

If you read the whole thing, you would know.

[pottersues]

In other words, you the writer - for I have very good reason to suspect the person who is commenting is the writer - are arguing I should have read 40k+ to find out why Hermione Granger is so horribly out of character.

Of course, if the reader is accusing me of not properly reading the actual three chapters because they think the war is a valid reason for why Hermione is acting out of character when it is not, just as it is not a valid reason for all the other Hermione Sues who runaway from their adult problems because they suddenly out of nowhere can't cope with reality.

[yemi_hikari]

The way I see it, the writers of characters who run away are in fact skipping the actual hard work of setting the character up as having developed some kind of issue and/or when they do manage to set up the issue, it becomes a background element which can often conveniently go away if it doesn't drive the plot in the direction the writer wants.

[yemi_hikari]

I struggle with believing this statement, given the number of stories I've come across where writers honestly thought they could miraculously turn things around by the end of the story and the fact the number that actually succeed in doing so is next to nil.

The real truth though is that the reader shouldn't be expected to suspend their disbelief regarding the story until the writer can "get to it". Not when a good writer can "get to it" within the first few chapters, meaning the reader having to wait out is actually a sign there are issues with the story.

Of course, there is the mystery genre. The mystery genre does still tell readers things when they need to know it, and by this I mean not hiding things which don't need to be hidden, but hinting at certain things within the narrative.

[anonymous]

You’re niche is actually useless. You know that, right? It’s bloody fanfiction!

The author, who I’ve been following for quite sometime, is actually a published author now. I watched her writing grow and progress as the years went on. Unlike you, I finished the series. Was it out of character? Of course it was. Want to know why I let it slide? She told us from the beginning that it was going to be out of character.

You’re not being a critic. You’re being a bitch.

Critique something that’s bigger than Fanfiction. Maybe finish a story every once in awhile? Grow up if this is what you want to do.

[yemi_hikari]

Warning the reader that the character is out of character for no logical reason is no different than warning the reader that the story contains grammar and spelling issues. Sure, readers may let said issues slide, but that doesn't ever negate the fact said issues are there, not to mention different writers have different limits to what they'll let slide.

Also, by saying that it's just fanfiction you're repeating the whole idea that writing fanfic is less than any other kind of writing, a stigma many of us fanfic writers have been fighting against for a very long time. You also say the person reviewing isn't being a critic but then call what they're doing critique in the very next paragraph.

Telling people fanfic is off limits to critique is an attempt to censor ideas and thoughts you don't agree with, but these days critique is being treated in the same vein as flaming when it's actually not.

Oh no!

[ext_5634853]

Hi! Writer here :) I was told that someone actually critiqued that story from years ago and I got excited haha I didn’t even care that it was a bad review.

Yeah, I was 21 when I wrote it and honestly I’m not that proud of it. I was just writing it because I loved HP and I had the idea to make it something. It wasn’t good haha I know that now. I’m not sorry because it was experience and honestly I feel like I’ve become a better writer since then.

As for the other people defending me, chill out guys haha it’s just a review. I’ve seen worse and this person is right. She shouldn’t have had to finish it to know it was bad.

I’m sorry for their comments. Don’t worry about them :) thank you for reviewing my story!

Xoxo
Katy

Re: Oh no!

[pottersues]

I'm glad to hear that person wasn't you, but even more glad to hear you're not sorry for writing said story. Here on Pottersues, we wish more people would appreciate where they've been as a writer.

Re: Oh no!

[yemi_hikari]

I noticed your profile currently says, "2. Cafe Elate : Bar Elate rewritten" and that you've not yet started the rewrite. I want to wish you good luck, but as someone else whose done rewrites of their own stories, if you've not yet done one, be prepared for readers to dig in their heals at first. That's what happened the first time I'd ever rewritten a story, with a reader wanting me to still continue the old version, but then they read the new version and understood why I wanted to rewrite the story.