DPP: Going AU

[anamarya.livejournal.com]

Ok, this is it - the week in which the person in charge of the DPP bus doesn’t have a driving license. so, because of that and the fact that I had a plan and then I changed it and then sort of changed it again, and so on… I’ll take one advice from another show and “I’ll fake it until I make it”. I do hope that you all are going to bare with me and not throw assorted vegetables my way.
After last week’s lovely discussion about what we don’t like in fiction I ended up with the idea of speaking about AUs this week (or at least for a while).
Today’s topic is not really a topic but a Q&A about AUs in fanfiction. In a perfect world the goal would be to try and classify them but some thoughts, opinions, ideas, even some recommendations would be great.

1. do you like them?

2. what do you like/dislike about them?

3. what works and what doesn’t?

4. when do you consider a fic to be an AU and when not or if you want: where are you drawing the line?

5. do you prefer the ones where we have just something slightly different, the ones where everything is different or even the totally different setting type?

6. how do you feel about crossovers?

7. are BSG related AUs different from the ones that you wrote/read in other fandoms?

8. what about original characters?


And the list can go on and on but I promised myself to keep it sort of short and to go by my own 8 question rule. So, let’s have it people...

Comments

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

1. do you like them?
Yes!

2. what do you like/dislike about them?
There's something very fun about placing favorite characters into settings that we have kind of a set idea about, for example, high school AUs or detective AUs are pretty standard AU premises that get used a lot but for people who enjoy that genre can never get old. It's like going to see a chick flick or an action movie where you pretty much know going in how it's probably going to end, but you have fun along the way and it's nice to have along characters you couldn't normally see in that setting.
The one thing I dislike about them is that it's challenging to figure out the characterization - You may end up with a Kara or Lee who are based on genre cliches rather than the way we know them, but at the same time, they should be a product of their circumstances and Kara shouldn't be exactly the same if she, say, had a much more ideal family life.

3. what works and what doesn’t?
I think in the hands of a good author almost anything could work...When I'm the one writing I need an AU to really grab me and feel like it somehow speaks to the original canon, so that the result, while it isn't canon, manages to say something about the canon simply by contemplating the what-if's. As a reader though I'm sometimes willing to try anything because when somebody writes an AU you'd think would feel ridiculous but actually doesn't, it's a great read.

4. when do you consider a fic to be an AU and when not or if you want: where are you drawing the line?
I use it pretty broadly to apply to anything that intentionally departs from canon events or backgrounds.

5. do you prefer the ones where we have just something slightly different, the ones where everything is different or even the totally different setting type?
I'm as much a fan of ones where you place characters in a completely different world as the ones that are made up on a smaller but important event that could have gone differently (What if she turned left instead of right? LOL).

6. how do you feel about crossovers?
YES. Though as an author, it's the same as with AUs; I have to feel like they are two universes that have a real potential to "talk" to each other.

7. are BSG related AUs different from the ones that you wrote/read in other fandoms?
I feel like we get a ton of fusion AUs in this fandom. I'm almost surprised we've never had an event similar to reel_sga or reel_spn.

8. what about original characters?
I'm just fine with them if they're needed. It seems like people are very hesitant to use them, though. Fandom can be very down on OCs.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

**clicks curiously on that reel_sga link**

OOOOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Naturally this is very appealing to me! Hee. Maybe we should do this... hmmm.

For those who didn't click it (seems to be?) a WHOLE COMM where people take popular movies and write them as fic starring our beloved BSG characters.

I think I have a new comm to start....

[anamarya.livejournal.com]

this seems interesting.

[kl-shipper1.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it?

[anamarya.livejournal.com]

really does. just gave an idea that we'll sort of change this weeks plan but that can be a good thing.

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

WE SHOULD DO IT WE SHOULD DO IT

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I was just about to post tonight to get the medium bang signups started....but maybe we should do this instead! (They could still be long-ish)!

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

Ah, I didn't know you were still thinking about the medium bang! I'd be excited about either one, really.

[howlinchickhowl.livejournal.com]

Um, YES PLEASE! I AM SO VERY MUCH IN FAVOUR OF THIS!

Canwecanwecanwecanwecanwecanwepleeeasssssssseeee??!

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Co-mod with me?????

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

I will totally join that comm.