DPP: Fanon Complaints

[cynicalshadows.livejournal.com]

Special destinies. Poofs. Pigeons. Almost table fraks. We all have things that we don't like about canon. But what about fanon? Do you not like when Starbuck is characterized as an easy lay? Do you hate stick-up-his-ass!Lee? Do pilot babies make you cringe? Here's your chance to complain about the things in fic that bug you.

Comments

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

Pre-mini fic isn't my favorite, although I definitely read it. I mean, there are some amazing pre-mini fics that I absolutely adore, but there's also a lot that feels trite to me. A lot of it just feels like it's been done before, or done better. Which can be said about a lot of fanfiction, but for whatever reason I find it especially true of this genre.

Personally, I don't much like fic set in or around UB-EoJ. Specifically, I don't like reading about how the affair started or what happened during it. Nor do I much like reading about the New Caprica flashbacks. It's weird because I like all of these things and am interested in them...maybe it's like you said, that I have my own personal canon. And of course there are exceptions, but it's still not my favorite area.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

While we're talking about fic that we don't particuarly dig, I'm gonna throw my two cents in here (although I may need to hide under a table afterwards.) I'm not a big fan of long fics that pretty much track canon except for one or two changes, which then go and study the "ripple effect" of such a change. But I'm following up the disclosure of my preference with a question: For those of you who do like this genre, what is it that holds your interest? Is it the idea of "fixing" canon relationship-wise? Is it just the pleasure of having more K/L interaction? I'm honest to gods interested.

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, interesting question. Personally, I don't like reading fic that follows canon too closely but I do enjoy a well done what-if scenario. I started writing fanfic that way, exploring what-ifs in the Buffyverse and it was almost a purely academic exercise. I'd pick one event and change it, and then try to figure out all of the ramifications. Usually the characters' actions would change, but I'd keep external events the same (unless there was a reason to change them). For me, it was never about fixing canon. I just liked to explore the possibilities.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

Was it done out of a motivation to alter a character's arc or a relationship arc in a particular way? It just seems that there would have be some kind of emotional/character-invested payoff in order to spend that much time an effort on a story.

A follow up question to this-- How do you deal with overarching 'meta-narrative' themes while working within major canonical events? It seems like you're going to end up echoing the Big Damn Points of the overall story unless you change things significantly. Is that a consideration?

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

Gosh, you are making me ponder things I haven't pondered in ages!

Was it done out of a motivation to alter a character's arc or a relationship arc in a particular way?
Even if it wasn't necessarily the reason for writing the fic, I would always alter the character's arc in a significant way. The first what-if I wrote (which was also the first fanfic I wrote) was written with the objective of saving one of my favorite characters who had died in canon. The second one I wrote, though, was kind of different (and also much better, imo, even though I never finished it). In that case, I took one small detail and changed it in such a way that affected the entire ensemble, and totally rewrote Buffy's arc. As for my authorial motivation...because it was fun? Because nobody else had? Because it was there? *shrug*

As for meta-narrative themes...I'm not sure what you mean? I guess it wasn't really a consideration because while certain things remained the same, all of the main characters were considerably affected by the change so that the story was sufficiently different from canon. For example, in a what-if set during Buffy season 4, you'd still have the Initiative as the Big Bad and all the various vampires/demons/apocalypses, but the way the characters dealt with them would be different (in the case of the story I wrote, Buffy was out of the picture for much of it, and her relationships with both Faith and Angel were significantly altered). And in a BSG what-if set during season 3, you might still have the algae planet and the Baltar trial, but maybe the affair wouldn't happen, or would happen differently, or Kara wouldn't kill herself, etc. Does that answer your question?

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

Sort of. I think for me it comes down to being a plot lover and wanting to see something new story-wise-- from the character arc level all the way up to the Big Damn Plot level. But that's just me. I could see how it might appeal to others to rexamine particular episodes or story arcs. Again, it all comes down to preference. : )

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

Makes sense. In my ideal what-if, one small change can have enormous consequences that change the plot extensively, but it often depends on the fandom/scenario.

Also, thinking about this has made me open up an old Buffy WIP (a what-if, naturally). Every once in awhile I look at it and go "gosh, I should finish this" and I never do. But you never know, maybe this time will be the one.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

You should finish it!!! Go go go!!!

**cheers the girl who can't manage to finish one damn epilogue ; P**

[shah-of-blah.livejournal.com]

You should finish your epilogue! I want to see that pilot!baby.

But actually, the reason I stopped writing the fic in the first place was because there were some canon events that hadn't been changed by my scenario and I didn't know what to do with them. I suspect that if I do ever finish it, I'll end up just breezing through them as quickly as possible to get back to the good stuff.

[innibis.livejournal.com]

Agree, agree. I like plot so rereading a plot I already know is not worth my time.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

Me too! I think that's my issue. When I read a story, I want a STORY-- something new and inventive and something I haven't seen before. I love having callbacks to little moments here and there, but reliving a plot I already know just doesn't do it for me.

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

Well, I like when writers explore "what if" situations and go along with them. I also like when they try to fill in the blanks - providing reasons for some events that didn't really a lot of sense when the episode was aired. Whether the story created is little more than a novelization of the series or it brings out new unexpected turns of events, in the end, what really matters is the quality of the writing.