3324: Mate and School - Samantha Angelina Snape, Melody... others

[pottersues]

My mind told me the last day I posted was yesterday. What a liar it is.

Don't forget about the fanfic contest. I don't agree with the tone of the link of the day. It can though be frustrating for some fanfic readers to go looking for a good fanfic only to find that the category they're looking through happens to be be filled with the writer's

Comments

[beacon80]

While I understand the LotD's point of view, it's not his, or anyone's* place to tell fanfic writers what they can or can't write. I don't like most of the crap that gets featured here, but I'd never tell a writer they shouldn't be allowed to write it.

* Except the original creator's. If they don't want fanfiction written, or have specific things they'd like fanfic writers to keep to, we should respect those decisions.

I think there should be a good tag for this, like “AU: [something]”, but I'm not sure what it is.I get what you're saying. In fics like this, it's not really an AU. It's the world we know, except they change whatever they didn't like from the books. I proper AU should be able to be summed up in a few words, but the best you can do with this fic is "like canon, only different

[pottersues]

I agree with you on the link of the day. I wonder though if some of these writers would still post what they do if they realized that there are people who are upset that they have to filter through a bunch of poorly written stories, or if they would actually have a second thought about what they post.

"Someone AU" doesn't work for what I want, but something else you said there... "AU: like canon, only better!" That should be the tag I think. I'll think a bit more about it.

From what I understand from the summary this is supposed to be her first year. This makes no sense at all.

[ext_2118339]

I agree, except about the original creators.

As long as someone isn't making any money off the work, and as long as they aren't taking credit for the original author's creations, I don't think Original Authors have an ethical leg to stand on when they demand that people cease and desist writing fanfic.

[beacon80]

I mostly agree with you there. The original creator has every right to say "I'd rather people not write fanfiction of my works," and I think fans should respect that. Actually enforcing that, though, I don't agree with.

[indigoneutrino]

I have to emphatically disagree with the link of the day. Getting judgmental over teenage girls having sexual fantasies. How lovely. Just because he doesn't want to read it doesn't give him the right to call it twisted or suggest slash shippers "see a shrink". Fanfiction is predominantly written by females and people like to write about their ships. That's the way it's always been, and he needs to get over it. Just because those kind of stories aren't to his taste doesn't make them automatically bad, and while I'm sure plenty of it is drivel, there's also plenty of it that isn't. His preferred "action" stories written by men aren't better quality by default, and I've come across plenty of supposedly "masculine" fics that are just as poorly written as any romance Sue story

[pottersues]

I like that one... "AU: altered canon".

[yemi_hikari]

o.o

How about AC: Altered Canon? The "u" got turned on it's side! :D

[yemi_hikari]

I just wish these girls would think about whether they really want to post them to the net where everyone can see them. These action stories typically include Gary Stus that are God Moded and are power fantasies. Or they include harems which amount to another kind of power fantasy.

His logic sounds similar to the logic some people have used saying that only live action should be crossed over with live action, cartoon with cartoon and written word with written word. That's a lack of imagination.

[ext_2118339]

On the question of AU, I think it really does cover a multitude of sins if the author is upfront about it

[yemi_hikari]

Certain writer's make the mistake and assume that their AU is covered by the infinite universe theory when in reality their AU is not. They assume that their AU is covered because they think that the word infinite means everything that exists when in reality it means something that can not be measured for some reason or another. Just as there are an infinite number of probabilities there is also an infinite number of improbabilities as well.

All AUs are governed by the rules of cause and effect and if cause and effect is not evident within the story then it is not an AU but bad writing. Sure... a writer can slap the AU label onto a story where they decide to change canon, but only the “cause” and the “effects” that would result because of said cause count as AU. Everything else does not. How close a given universe is allowed to adhere to the original with a few minor changes depends on what kind of AU the writer is dealing with.

There are also far more stories written by serious writers then you think.

[ext_2118339]

Alternate Universes don't necessarily have to follow the same rules of cause and effect at all. In fact, our own universe doesn't necessarily follow those rules at the subatomic level. The notion that all alternate universes must be parallel to our own timeline is a trope from TV and Film time-travel stories.

If one can think it, even if it's complete nonsense, then it exists, even if only in the fevered brain of teenage fanfic writer.

That being said, I prefer to read the stuff that makes sense. ;-)

Re: Serious Writers:

I think I'm allowed a bit of hyperbole! :P

[pottersues]

The fact a person can think something up doesn't make it a good idea. Good ideas are shaped, refined and well thought out.

I'm going to ask that you avoid hyperbole's in the future. We've had quite a few Suethors find their stories featured here and such comments are sure to rankle.

Also...

... if you don't feel comfortable saying something in a possible review to the writers because you fear ruining their fun then don't say it here either.

Suethors do in fact find their stories here despite the rule about not linking them here.