[ SECRET POST #3415 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3415 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 027 secrets from Secret Submission Post #488.
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.

Comments

[fscom]

09. http://i.imgur.com/mo5gT1r.png

[(Anonymous)]

Of fanfic? Maybe. The thing with fanfic is that it's very tropey in a very specific way and certain styles/plots/characterizations are popular so you see them again and again even if you switch fandoms. Do you have the same problems with published fiction? Have you tried switching up what genres you read? Or maybe kick back with some cool non fiction for a while and give yourself a break.

[(Anonymous)]

I never really read fanfic for the plot. It was always for ships or character studies/concepts/maybe some artsy experimental stuff. Maybe your fandoms have a lot of people who are the same?

[(Anonymous)]

so much this. I mean, I do prefer plot in my fic, something has to be happening as a framework for the character study, but if I'm going to fic it's because I want the characters and their interactions specifically. if I wanted only plot I'd read something original where I have zero prior investment in the characters.

[(Anonymous)]

Your first mistake is reading anything with a plot to begin with.

[(Anonymous)]

This comment. I mean... it sounds like you're trying to be edgy, but I don't even understand what you're trying to be edgy about?

[(Anonymous)]

da

Porn, presumably.

[(Anonymous)]

Wut. I'm not trying to be edgy. Canon is for plot. Fandom is for porn.

[ketita]

You're not wrong - the plotting in a lot of fics isn't particularly good. As people above said, a lot of fans are in it for the characters and the emotions.
My real issue is that too many fics, especially shippy ones, just don't HAVE a plot. The characters exist in a vacuum with nothing but their relationship in it, and do very little but meet, talk, flirt, and fuck. I wish more fics would at least TRY for an actual plot.

[(Anonymous)]

That's because the canon is the actual plot and the fanfic is like the behind the scenes you wish was happening.

[ketita]

nah, I like plot in my fanfic.

[starfleetbrat]

This. I loooove fics with plot. Especially those slow burn ones. But I've seen so many times authors actually apologising in the author notes because they are getting comments saying that there is too much plot and the "ship" isn't moving along fast enough. So I don't blame the authors for just writing the ship without much plot. It seems to be what a lot of readers want. I wish it was different though.

[mrs_don_draper]

Well, I think the whole point of fic is that you're supposed to know what's coming. There's so many kink memes, tropes, cliches, and fandom staples that if you've been around long enough, you'll know how it will pan out. I think the key is finding some well-written stuff so that similar plot device use is still fun, even if it's not fresh. Maybe take a break from fic and come back to it and see if the fun comes back.

[(Anonymous)]

Genre tend to always kind of have that going on. I know when a friend binges on too many horror movies he starts complaining that there's a set number of plots and scenes that are just shuffled slightly. It's like the Taco Bell menu. You don't go to Taco Bell expected to be surprised by a Brazilian Steakhouse menu, you expect some combo of the same 6 ingredients.

I like h/c. When I go on a binge I don't want to be surprised or shocked, I want some effort put into Character A hurting, and I want some effort put into character B giving them comfort. Good dialogue, good descriptions, ICness as much as possible (I'm willing to forgive a bit of OOC for the genre), and the plot needs to be coherent enough to figure out what's going on and why. That's it. I mean I'm willing to say most of the times a fic puts in a twist, I'm going to get annoyed because it probably means not giving me one of the things I like (Like sneaking in character death, or not actually having the c part of h/c, or surprise it's a different pairing)

[(Anonymous)]

Probably. I had a similar experience when I read too many mysteries over several years, you get too familiar with the tropes. Take a break and read a different genre for a while.

[(Anonymous)]

It's true in a lot of shippy fic the plot is mostly them getting together. That said, most of my favorite long fics are ones that do have 'actual' plots as well.

When I write longfic, plotting is one of my favorite parts. How well I do is at the discretion of the reader, I guess, lol. Though most of my longfic is not shippy fic, so something of a plot is necessary.

[(Anonymous)]

Try shaking up your genre choices, and especially your fandom choices a bit. Either that or detox on profic or nonfiction for a while and then go back.

[(Anonymous)]

When this happens to me, I try to abstain from fic, try to either
a) read non fiction (books)
b) read classics (or anythign that looks promising, published)
c) stay away from the fic for a month or two, or howeve rlong, utnil the interest comes back.


It's always a little harder in smaller fandoms(lack of fic)/particular pairings (if only because there's so much that is repeated). But I do think another anon mentioned that fic is very tropey...and it def. is. Where else can I go for some slow-burn enemies turn lovers?

It's really like ordering at a fast food place, or restaurant...whatever you're in the mood for, they're bound to have it. But eating out can get tiring/expensive (on your soul, in this case), so you must cook at home from time to time.

[quantumreality]

I think part of the problem is that some fanfic readers are stunningly incapable of grasping that there are extratextual points that can be reasonably deduced to have happened instead of practically being spoon-fed every little thing about what's going on.

As a result fanfic very quickly becomes trope-filled and reductive.

[(Anonymous)]

Nah, fanfic is trope-filled because people read it for the tropes. They don't want challenging, convention smashing literary genius, they want fun, safe, familiar escapism.

And I don't think reductive is the right word to use, from your complaint. I think you might be thinking of 'redundant'.

But even that I would assign to the pile of bad writing - which is a different issue than what the OP is talking about, which is that fanfic plots are repetitive (because people read fanfic for the tropes - see first point).

[(Anonymous)]

That's probably true for some fanfic readers, but I kind of agree more with the first anon who replied... Just from personal observation, what I see of fanfic readers is that a decent plot (or characterization for that matter) simply isn't a priority with them. They're in it for the shipping, or the porn. Tropes are familiar and easily digestible, so they provide the escapism and satisfaction without being much of a challenge.

All of that makes me really sad, but that's my general impression.

[(Anonymous)]

Anon above

I just wanted to clarify that I don't think fanfic being filled with familiar tropes is necessarily a bad thing. I just think it is the nature if the beast. I feel like a lot of people treat escapism like it's a dirty word. I think of it more as the literary equivalent of comfort food when done well. A well written, in character, deftly paced tropey h/c piece takes skill, as does a perfect chicken soup. The rest is bad writing (which is to be expected considering fanfic has has no screening process).

(And done badly

[lb_lee]

Enh, I burned out on fic for a while, and I still really don't read much, not like I used to. It's fine to take a break from it; right now, I'm mostly reading comics and nonfiction--I just have NO patience for longform fiction prose of any kind.

[(Anonymous)]

I think tropes are, for many people, a big part of what they like about fanfic. There's a very specific type of enjoyment that comes with tropes. When a trope I like is done well, the fact that I know approximately what's coming doesn't make things boring - instead it creates the most delicious sense of anticipation. The promise of the trope is like a bit of a tease; it makes you want it.