Fanfic complaints

[sp23]

What I'm going to say is nothing new, fresh, or insightful, but I was trying to find something new to read last night, and most of it was just so bad I couldn't get past the first paragraph. Therefore, in order to purge my ire:

1st) Punctuation. Punctuation, punctuation, punctuation! Commas are our friends, people. Learn them, love them, use them

Comments

[spikedluv]

*hugs you*

Sing it, sister!

*gets paranoid*

*goes back and rechecks own fic*

[spikedluv]

Er, I need to stop being so quick to click the submit button. *g*

Re 'cum' vs 'come', I do tend to use 'cum' when I'm writing a piece of dirty, nasty PWP that I want to be even dirtier and nastier, lol.

[sp23]

Hee! Well, I'll forgive you. *g* I'm sure if I go back to my older fics, I'll find that Spike has "cum" all over him. I'm pretty sure that I *won't* find Spike calling Xander 'whelp' though. Ah, the fanon cliches that just won't die. *g*

[spikedluv]

Oh, god, whelp! I didn't mind it when it first came out, but it got so overused that whenever I see it now I cringe.

[wisemack]

::applauds::

You preach it, hon!

[sp23]

Hee! It was just so awful last night. It seemed that every fic I clicked on had one or more of my complaints. And in one brain-aching moment, I read the response to feedback wherein the author stated that in the show Rodney often calls Col. Sheppard 'Major' just to piss him off. ::headdesk:: No, that's completely fanon.

[linaerys]

Amen and halleluia.

I'm going to have to declare a moratorium on whimpering for a little while, too. It's not nearly as egregious as the other things you mentioned, but I've seen it in a lot of fics lately, to the point where it is kind of speed bump.

The other things usually kick me right out of a fic. Well, #4 won't kick me out, but will make me roll my eyes. He's Major in the first season, Colonel in the second, and that's that.

Sing it, sister.

[linaerys]

Oh yeah, and I know I've used "whimper" so this isn't a moral judgement or anything, but I'm seeing it everywhere now.

[sp23]

Well, and that's the thing...and god knows I have my own moans and groans and whimpers and gasps. Its just on some of these things, it happens in one fic and suddenly every other fic you read has it. And I'm really burned out with the fanon Major/Colonel thing. And having the boys speak in text message speak just makes me want to hurl.

Btw, are you going to be busy this weekend? I have a story finished except for the final edit that I'd like you to beta if you have the time.

[linaerys]

I'd love to take a look at it. If it's under 10000 words, I can do a reasonably fast turn around (like by midday tomorrow), longer will take longer. Uh, duh, Lin *g*. So feel free to email it. It's my turn!

And having the boys speak in text message speak just makes me want to hurl.

Wow, I'm happy I never saw that. It doesn't take much for me not to read past the first few sentences of a fic, or even click on a fic at all.

[ljs]

Heh.

I have had R. Giles giggle once or twice in fic, but only because Tony Head *does*. :-))

[hugs hugs]

[sp23]

Aw, the exception that proves the rule, because, yes, Tony does and its adorable and I love him more than anything when he does it. :) However, most of the characters don't, especially John Sheppard. He grins, and he - on rare occasions when Rodney is being especially cute - chuckles or even laughs. I don't think I've ever seen him giggle, and it takes me right out of a story.

{hugs and a happy weekend, Lori)

[opalescence]

Sing it, sister!

[sp23]

Hee! Like I said, none of my complaints are new to fanfic, but I live in hopes that someone somewhere will read it or someone else's rant and make the effort to learn their craft. Just because it's fanfic, doesn't mean the author gets a free pass on basic English grammar and punctuation. :)