[ SECRFET POST #5023 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #5023 ⌋

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


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 37 secrets from Secret Submission Post #719.
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]

07. https://i.imgur.com/9hzcED9.png

[(Anonymous)]

I mean, do you think the same thing of published authors who write those things?

OP

[(Anonymous)]

No, not really. Fic about modern highschool AU's don't exactly correlate with original fiction.

[(Anonymous)]

Dunno, OP. This feels like genre snobbery to me. I've long been of the opinion that every genre has good examples, and school fic, which admittedly I don't read much of, can't be the only exception.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

There are admittedly many highschool AU's that I found genuinely amazing. Some that even shared the Modern AU side of things.

My main focus on the secret was the "only". As in people who /only/ write modern highschool/uni AU's were particularly lacking on talent in said directions. Those types of AU's tend to erase some if not most of the identity of the characters written, and more often than not, it ends in failure. If you only write these AU's, then chances are, you're trying to relive/(more likely)fix personal past experiences and are using various characters to fix out those life experiences. Which is just bad writing most of the time, imo.

[(Anonymous)]

It's mean but I agree. They're the lowest-bar type of fic and they clog up the tag of any even vaguely popular ship.

[(Anonymous)]

Yuppppp

[(Anonymous)]

I sort of agree about a large percentage of the fic (including original fiction, TBH) in those categories, though I'll say I've seen really well-written college AUs (and really badly written canon setting fics, of course). That might be my own bias, though, because I find school settings boring unless there's something especially interesting about the writing.

Mainly, I don't care if other people enjoy them, so it doesn't bother me much to scroll past fic I'm not interested in.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Hell, I literally gave up visiting the port of St. Maarten on cruise once upon a time ago because I was so obsessed with a fic written by one of my most favourite authors which had such a setting.
It's mainly just the combination of all of the tags lately that make me stop thinking them as fanfic and more as just some self indulgent and unrealistic self insert fantasy... or something like that... Basically I definitely side eye anyone who only writes a combination of those tropes.

You are right though- they're allowed to like what they like, 100%. I just wish they'd keep it to original fiction at best.

[(Anonymous)]

I've read some interesting Modern AUs and I'm glad people are writing a variety of things in my smaller fandoms. I think a good writer can stay consistent with characterisation within an AU and introduce interesting themes.

I think it shows when people enjoy what they're writing. I'd rather read an AU that someone put a lot of love into than a canon fic that they laboured through in order to be taken more seriously.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Oh absolutely! When done right some Modern AU's can be upmost perfection. Really, any AU fic can be as such when the author puts the work in to interpret the characters motives, voice, and actions, through that reality. Those are some of my favourite fics tbh.

I find though that those who /only/ write Modern Highschool/Uni AU's that things can get sketchy. I find most of those are more of a self fantasy than any realistic interpretation on the characters.
With the modern half, I find authors generally use this as an excuse to forego any and all inaccuracies they might make about a character, most often because they can't be assed to do the research.
The Highschool/Uni falls into to fantasy portion of things. Where they don't care about the character, they're just living the life they wished they lead in highschool.

[(Anonymous)]

A lot of high school AUs feel generic and OOC to me. However, I don't think accusations of laziness have any place in conversations about the writing that people do for free, in their spare time, for fun.

Also, I have read good high school AUs. They do exist.

[(Anonymous)]

However, I don't think accusations of laziness have any place in conversations about the writing that people do for free, in their spare time, for fun.

I agree 100%
People write these stories to have a good time, not for some arduous academic purposes.

[(Anonymous)]

True, yeah. There's a lot of fic that I guess I could call "lazy" but it's not the word I'd go to as a criticism, for the reasons you said!

[(Anonymous)]

Exactly. People are allowed to have fun however they have fun. You are allowed not to read their stuff, but your judgement of them doesn't matter a hill of beans.

[(Anonymous)]

"bad at creative writing"

LOL dude. It's fanfiction. Not exactly the most arduous or inspired form of creative writing to begin with, is it?

[(Anonymous)]

tbh I've always assumed that highschool AUs are largely written by highschoolers themselves. Not saying that no other age group would do that, but depending on fandoms that has been my experience so far (also when I first got into fandom I pretty much did that too when writing fics as a teen)
Now quality just depends on the writers - there are a few I've absolutely loved, but because it's one of the most popular AUs to write then yeah there's a lot of bad/boring ones to wade through to find them.

[ibbity]

The "live and let live" side of me wants to say you're being unfairly judgmental, but the realist side of me admits that I've literally never seen one of these that wasn't ooc, badly written, and pretty clearly the work of someone immature. I think it's mostly a teenager thing, baby's first fan fic or whatever. I just go with DLDR for em personally

[(Anonymous)]

I don't want to look down on any particular genre, but at the same time I've never read a good high school AU in any of my fandoms. And I like AUs! I've found some with a good premise, but they never really went with it.

[(Anonymous)]

I've read one or two high school AUs that were good and I wrote one when I was in high school myself, but I do think that most are very OOC.

[(Anonymous)]

Maybe they're just taking "Write what you know" very literally?

[(Anonymous)]

It's not lazy to spend hours creating something.

Huh.

[(Anonymous)]

I've read a few that were good and a few others that were weird, and so not what I would consider uncreative, but I'm not sure I've ever run into a writer who writes only these types of fic.

Weirdly, now that you brought it up, all I want is a Hannibal high school AU where Hannibal Lecter is a band geek, who somehow is at the top of the school’s feeding chain (heh), is having a pitched battle in home economics with Abel Gideon since the teacher doesn’t seem to grade their dishes on artistry, but whether they are familiar (Abel may be able to cook a passable meatloaf, but it has nothing on Hannibal’s skilandis), and talks other students he doesn’t like into suicide, while his goth friend Bedelia Du Maurier looks on with amusement, exasperation, or horrified fascination. Meanwhile, Alana Bloom, student council president and crisis line volunteer, is trying to figure out why the calls have had a dramatic increase in volume (fellow volunteer Frederick Chilton is no help, he seems excited by the swell and Alana’s pretty sure he only volunteers to hear everyone’s secrets). Then there’s Alana’s friend, Will Graham. Jack Crawford has dragooned Will onto the forensic debate team with him, Beverly Katz, Brian Zeller, and Jimmy Price, since Will, while awkward and unsociable, seems to be able to figure out most people’s weaknesses at a glance. Plus, Will has apparently caught Hannibal’s attention. And, of course, there’s Freddie Lounds, who seems determined to turn the school newspaper into something like TMZ.

[(Anonymous)]

It actually takes a very inspired, dedicated writer to keep the essence of adult characters while writing them as teenagers. However, most people don't want to put the time and effort into it, so it's rare to find one that's well done, but there is an occasional gem out there.

[(Anonymous)]

Hard agree.

I've mentioned it on a previous comment, but all it tells me is that you only know how to write your own very boring life.

It's especially frustrating when the world and character origins are either integral to the character's personalities and ideals OR the origins are FASCINATING. Why would you turn this beautiful feast into a pudding cup. Why.