fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2805 ]

[ SECRET POST #2805 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2805 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 054 secrets from Secret Submission Post #401.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I almost forgot a big one: Canon/OC relationships. I'll read stories with OC's in them; I recognize that sometimes they're a necessary evil. But anything where a canon character hooks up with an OC? Nope, nope, NOPE.

Just curious, what exactly deters you? And what if they're a minor character?

Yeah I mean what if say I'm writing about the life of a minor character like...some random student that started in Harry's 5th year or a character like Dani in DP all grown up, or something.

So when I have them fall in love with or marry someone BOOM i'm pairing an OC with a canon character. Does that suddenly by nature make it bad?

Also I have to roll my eyes at how OP called OCs "a necessary evil". I can't take seriously all these fanwriters who think creating your own stuff is inherently bad.

Edited 2014-09-07 21:51 (UTC)

Not AYRT, but ...

Perhaps "necesary evil" wasn't the best choice of words for the AYRT to use, but to me there's a difference between an OC that is needed to move the plot along (e.g., the person that welcomes the MC to the city/school/spaceship and gives them a guided tour that functions as expostion for the reader) and an OC that is paired with a canon character in the relationships tag.

I've used the former myself, but seeing the latter is a fic-killer for me.

Edited 2014-09-07 21:56 (UTC)

Ahh

okay that I can see.

(although I personally believe that an OC being paired with a minor canon character can be okay and not bad. My all time favorite fic had the main characters sister get an OC boyfriend and it didn't mess up the story at all. It was done to establish the sister having her own life. But eh, not everyone likes to read it.)

I agree. I do think some of it depends on who the canon character is - using the Harry Potter example, are we talking about Charlie Weasley with an OC or Harry (let's say the fic is pre-HBP) with an OC? Because you have two different things. With Harry and an OC, fine, but nothing can ever supersede the trio, which makes a relationship tricky - as we've seen in canon. (TBH I think that's why Harry "had" to be with Ginny, but that's another subject.) Charlie, however, is a character we know next to nothing about - so it makes sense to me that he would date an OC.

EXACTLY

OMG, that's like what I've been trying to say this whole time. I don't get people who are like "ew a minor character with an OC". I respect it but...I don't get it. Like the world is much bigger than the main cast/named characters.

I too sorta think pairing an OC with the main character is questionable at best and tacky at worst. Major characters....eh depends.

Honestly I do respect people's right to not read something they don't like, and that's why I tag my fics. Because I don't WANT them to read something they hate.

As soon as a minor OC does more than provide background color, and starts taking a prominent role then you have left fanfic behind and are just trying to bolt your Original Fic onto a fandom to increase its profile. There is nothing wrong with Original Fic, but if you want to write your own stuff stop using a fandom to boost your profile and hits. For the majority of fans, we read fanfics for the love of the characters in the books/show/movie not to read someone else's original fic. It is especially grating when the OC ends up changing the Canon Characters' personalities and views, because then you are just creating more of your own OCs and are trying to pass them off as the people fandom actually care about.

As soon as a minor OC does more than provide background color, and starts taking a prominent role then you have left fanfic behind and are just trying to bolt your Original Fic onto a fandom to increase its profile.

No. That's fucking stupid to assume that someone is just posting it to force people to read their stuff by "disguising" it as fanfic.

That's a bullshit conspiracy theory by people who think so much of their entitled selves that they're convinced those Mean OC creators are out to trick them

I like putting original stuff in my work to add something unique to it. To have a little something of mine. I'm not doing it 'just to trick people into accidentally reading my original novel. I'm doing it because I literally enjoy it more. You can choose not to read it

But don't you make stupid accusations about what I'm actually doing.

I'm just writing fanfic.

I write because it's something I enjoy. I don't do it to trick your stupid entitled ass.

Get over yourself. I'm sick of you dumbasses who think I have a fucking ulterior motive

Edited 2014-09-07 22:12 (UTC)

Mature. Temper tantrums do not win arguments you know.

Are you serious?

You're sitting here telling me "what you're REALLY doing is this". How do you not expect me to be annoyed. I've run into your type before. It just pisses me off to have someone try to tell me what I'm really doing.

It pisses me off to have someone tell me what my real intentions are.

I'm tired of people who think I'm doing anything but writing a freaking story. I'm not doing it to force people to read anything because I warn and tag my fics with OCs. I tell people exactly what my story is going to contain so they can decide for themselves whether they want to read it or not.

I'm just a little sick of people who think that any kind of story but original flavor is illegit. I write fanfic to explore different settings.

But I'm still writing fanfic. the fact that I include original stuff doesn't make it anything else. You CHOOSE to read my fic as "secretly trying to make us read her novel" or "making the canon characters into whatever"

When I wrote one of my fics I actually rewatched the whole entire series and analyzed the characters and came up with a bunch of little headcanons about some canon characters and their history to help me write about them. I wanted to make sure I would write everything well.

Don't tell me what my motivations ~REALLY~ are and then dismiss it as a tantrum when I get pissed.

Hey, I'm not trying to be mean, I swear. But when ayrt said "you", they probably meant people in general, not you personally. Stop trying to defend yourself / your fics every time people mention OCs. It's not about you, get over yourself. You don't need to be so defensive, okay?

Re: IA

jaybie_jarrett - 2014-09-07 23:55 (UTC) - Expand

Re: IA

(Anonymous) - 2014-09-08 00:05 (UTC) - Expand

Re: IA

jaybie_jarrett - 2014-09-08 00:09 (UTC) - Expand

Your age is really showing here.

I am not saying that anyone HAS to read my fics.

I'm just saying "don't fucking speak for me and what my motivations and intentions are" or "what I'm really trying to say"

You can only speak for YOU. That's my whole issue here. Don't speak for me.

Okay, I'll speak for just me. I am finding that you are overly defensive and resistant to criticism. I am finding you knee jerk reaction to any criticism of your preferred oeuvre to be very immature. I do not wish to read your you works because I believe you are just writing original fiction and are being wilfully to blind to that. That is what I find. Happy now?

Re: IA

jaybie_jarrett - 2014-09-08 00:03 (UTC) - Expand

I agree with some of this - especially "we read fanfics for the love of the characters in the books/show/movie" -- although I do suspect that when an OC takes center stage and changes canon characters that might more often be simply wishful self-insert.

lol no, this is utter garbage.

Yes. This is exactly how I feel. Thank you, you explained it more coherently than I could.

But it's wrong. Because all they're fucking saying is "I know for a fact that when you do this , you are doing it for this reason so stop doing it"

It is a person making generalized assumptions and stating it as fact.

You may feel that the author is doing this...but that doesn't mean that it's true.

I'll have to politely disagree with you.

There are times when there simply isn't a canon character available for a particular role in a fic. Then the writer has the option of A) creating an OC or B) picking up a random minor character and creating virtually their entire personality anyway.

The other time I use an OC is when doing so will be a catalyst. Like if a canon couple is married, canon gives every indication they want children.. there are no canon children. If I want to read/write a story where said couple deals with their children, then I have to create an OC or two.

I do not want to write an original fic. If I wanted to do that, I would do it. But I want to see canon characters reacting to things outside of canon. I know it's not everyone's cuppa, but readers painting all authors who add OCs with the same brush is also grating.

Thank you

I honestly find this whole "once it's not completely original flavor its not fanfiction anymore" to be honestly idiotic and I don't know why people are defending it so ardently.
Like I respect the people who don't want to READ it. But I don't get the whole "well you're practically writing original fic anyway just admit it"

Those people are the ones that I disagree with. Like it, don't like it whatever. I'm still writing fan fiction.

Creating your own stuff isn't bad, but if you want to create OC's and develop them, then you might as well just create your own universe/story/canon and work from there. Creativity doesn't just mean shoehorning characters into a canon-verse, you can create different concepts and work those into a story instead.

But yes, in that example, I'd definitely nope the hell out of that fanfic.

I see.

I disagree but I do agree that nobody has to read what they don't like. On the same token, though nobody should have to not write something because someone doesn't approve.

If they're a minor character, that's fine, especially if they're written/developed well and not too involved with the canon folks. I just don't care to see canon characters paired up with OC's. Then I get the feeling that the OC is a self-insert more than anything.

That sounds fair enough, I can understand that. *shrug*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #2805 ]

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