fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #5478 ]

[ SECRET POST #5478 ]

⌈ Secret Post #5478 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 18 secrets from Secret Submission Post #784.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
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and getting very frustrated with what i can only describe as "basic mlm romance".
i'll read a fic where everyone has distinct personality and unique voices and the second the romance starts that all drops in favor of the same phrasing and internal monologue. am i crazy? just bad at picking fanfic? it seems to not matter what fandom i look at, i could exchange the romance sections between them and no one would notice.

(also that is unrelated but people switching tenses between sentences drives me up the wallll how do i find quality fic because by comment count isn't it)

I don't think you're bad at picking fanfic. I think it's a combination of, one, that kind of romance is comparatively easy to write; two, that kind of romance is overhwelmingly what fans want or at least are willing to settle for.

(also that is unrelated but people switching tenses between sentences drives me up the wallll how do i find quality fic because by comment count isn't it)

there is, unfortunately, no royal road to finding good fanfic

I'd like to add a three, it's a style that everyone has subconsciously copied from one another. A sort of weird universal-fanon shorthand for how mlm romances work/sound.

lmao oh yes, this is very true.

The only really tried and true way is to sift through the quagmire yourself and find the things that appeal to you. Eventually you get really good at judging a fic by the first few paragraphs and the process gets faster. Otherwise, um, here's your headlight and your pickaxe because fandom's a lot of work if you insist on only reading quality. So better get spelunking!

(I say this with genuine affection for all fanfic, even the terrible stuff.)

Even in the fandoms I love, I find a lot of the fics run together in my mind, because this does happen a lot. I can only suggest you keep trying, note authors you trust and perhaps explore their other works, and be prepared for Sturgeon's Law to operate (90% of everything is crap.)

Same anon: A couple of recs communities might be worth checking out:

https://crack-van.dreamwidth.org/

https://fancake.livejournal.com/

NAYRT

Thank you for this! Already found something good for an old fandom I had :)

I mean, I see this happen in profic too with het romances, so I don't think it's just a fanfic problem. It's pretty irritating though and I wish I could advise you on how to find better fic, but honestly, all I do is dig through a whole bunch until I find a good one.

Switching tenses bugs the crap out of me and it's unfortunately common in one of my newer fandoms. I'm trying to be understanding because a lot of these writers seem young and/or new to writing fic, but geez, pick a tense and stick to it.

I know what you mean.

When you do find a fic you like...

- click on the Author and take a look at their other Works
- take a look at the fics they've Bookmarked
- take a look at the people who have Bookmarked this one, good fic themselves

It's not foolproof, but you have a better chance of finding fic with similar flavour.

This is solid advice.

+2

Has mostly led me from gem to gem.

Ah, quality fic. It's an elusive wonderful beast.

One general rule I've found is, if their tags are quality, the fic is probably a least decent. There is a sweet spot in tags where things are covered clearly without being over the top. If there are a lot of "Why isn't that a tag?, or Haha, I don't know how to tag, or just an overabundance of tagging of every possible thing that could even be hinted at" then that's a big red flag from me.

Pay attention to description, if the author couldn't put a clear description together why would they be able to but together a clear story. I also try and find fics where there is an actual plot in the description because then the plot will demand movement from the characters and it's harder to fall into the internal monologues of never-ending feelings.

I also find that when people declare English is not their native language, it'll probably be fine grammar-wise. It's when they don't declare it and you realize it during the first chapter. Those are really hard to read, just backclick.

Ultimately, it's a crap shoot. Judgements on tags, descriptions, or Looking through authors you like and their bookmarks (very good advice) can only get you so far. You just have to try a lot of fics and some of them will be poorly written. I was a kid who would finish every book even if it was boring or bad. Do not do that with fic. If you don't like the writing or the plot, drop it immediately. It won't get better.

I just want to say welcome and good luck!

Unthread the anon who recommended if you find something you like, check that author
-other works
-their bookmarks

And (if you're on AO3) check to see if the work is part of a collection -- if someone made a list of similarly themed or written fics. Additionally, check the pages/bookmarks of the people who bookmarked or kudos the fic. Not a guarantee, but not a total crapshoot.

As someone who can't decide when everything is happening, sorry about the tenses. Although as someone who edits (and has a beta from time to time -- you know, back in the day, I feel like some archives and even LJ comms/challenges REQUIRED a beta; if you didn't have one, you couldn't join the exchange/challenge/prompt, anyway...) It's something that you can catch.

Anyway. If it's an older fandom, you can try your luck looking for pairing specific archives/comms on LJ. There's also a LOT of good stuff on Tumblr if you luck out and an author posts " this was inspired by this fic". But check authors you like -- whoever they tend to like tends to be similar territory.

Again, good luck. You'll have to sift through a lot of...lesser quality fics until you find what you like. I go with the most basic configuration of my pairing to maximize results. And then zoom past giant walls of tags, might filter out certain things, and take a risk. You can infer a but from the summary.

Anyone else being paranoid and checking their fic over now? Lol

Nah. I know my stuff is crap, or at best varies in quality. But then, I only write what I want to see and have no interest in being a professional writer, so for me, it doesn't matter.

op- aw i'm sorry. i think, as another anon said upthread it's something people enjoy reading and writing, there is nothing wrong with it! i'm not into it so it frustrates me, but even if you (unintentionally) do it, i'm sure lots of people will appreciate it. the fics i looked at had tons of comments and kudos after all

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[ SECRET POST #5478 ]

kinda new to reading fanfic

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