How much Rodney?

[leesa_perrie]

Someone has asked a question regarding how prominently Rodney needs to appear in fanworks for it to qualify for this comm, especially in the case of crossovers. The following is not set in stone and I want your input on it, but it's a possible way to answer this question

Comments

[tinah]

In my meta thing ( http://rodneymckay-gen.livejournal.com/28794.html#cutid1 ) I wrote regarding my fanfic preferences: "Rodney needs to be the main character, or one of the main characters, in the story. He can share spotlight, but if the story focuses more on another character than on Rodney, I will most likely lose interest

[leesa_perrie]

Okay, I'm going to take that onboard and alter the post accordingly.

[tinah]

Looks good! :-)

[hajimebassaidai]

I think actually that Tinah's rule of thumb that "if you're reading this fic for Rodney, would you be disappointed?", is the way to go.

My drabble that I included on a bingo line, then removed when it was pointed out, quite rightly, that it didn't have enough Rodney. It had as much for him as it did anyone else, apart from Sam, whose pov it was. But then, that's the point and why it didn't count. If I had been reading that drabble for Rodney, would I have been disappointed? Yes! I would, so it doesn't count.

However he doesn't have to appear personally though, I believe. I recced Table Set For Four on my bingo card and technically Rodney doesn't appear "on screen" in that fic at all. None of SGA-1 do and yet the story is entirely about them, just from the pov of others. The story is about what effect the lack of SGA-1's presence has on others and what it says about the team. This means that a significant part of the story is about Rodney but he isn't actually in it!

Something to think about but hard to quantify!

[leesa_perrie]

Yeah, it is hard to quantify! I agree, appearance is not always necessary for it to still feel like a Rodney fic *goes to edit*

[hajimebassaidai]

This now seems as good a point as any to raise a problem I was having!

I want to rec a fic which is definitely, and firmly, Rodney-centred. So far, so good!

The problem is that the Rodney story is written off the events of another story. This main story had very little Rodney in it for relevant reasons. Namely he was stunned for part of it in an attack that got John taken. The main story centred on the military response and how John not being there changed the command structure between Elizabeth, Lorne and Caldwell. Therefore great story, very well-written but not enough Rodney.

Does this mean (a) I can't rec the Rodney story at all, (b) I rec the Rodney story and state that it a "missing scenes" style off a main one or (c) rec them both as a set, a bit like I did for $178.23 and Earth on a Shoestring (Remix of $178.23)?

Suggestions? Thoughts?

[leesa_perrie]

No idea, I'll have to ask what the other mods think and get back to you, sorry. I have a headache and so not really in decision makng mode, but didn't want you to think I was ignoring the question.

[x_varda_x]

I'd say rec the second one and not the first one, but only if the second one still makes sense on its own without having to read the first. Still link to the first one though in case people do want to read it.

I only read Rodney centric fics and I wouldn't want to read the first one :o

[tinah]

Totally agree with Varda!

Gotta run - young relative is graduating!