fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2314 ]

[ SECRET POST #2314 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2314 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 096 secrets from Secret Submission Post #331.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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(reply from suspended user)

a lot of fanfic writers are amateur and learning

(reply from suspended user)

A lot of fanfic readers want quick and easy fics.

Re: vignettes vs. long scenes in fic

(Anonymous) - 2013-05-05 07:33 (UTC) - Expand

This is because writers don't have enough motivation for writing the tie-up scenes. I do this, too, although sometimes I try to write the "boring" parts - in my experience, an adequate number of those enrich the work's atmosphere and make it overall better.

No preferences here, really. It very much depends on the fandom. Say, in anything Monty Python asterisks seem appropriate; but in Lewis works I'd rather not see them. Still, they are not tell-tale at all.

i've never noticed? i suppose i read a mix. personally i feel like when i write my paragraphs are too long/i never have enough dialogue, so i've always been envious of writers who could keep things short but have an impact.

i think it's simply easier though. you have an idea, you put it down and get it done. you can make your point and tell a story without getting too bogged down. most fic writers are only fic writers so they aren't interested in crafting a long tale.

I dunno; I think someone somewhere used it to convey a scene change and thought it looked cool~ (kinda like how they used every single symbol on the keyboard to denote different kinds of speaking), and then suddenly it caught on.

Because, I don't know, using normal writing format is boring or something? Or the writer is worried that their readers would be lost if not for fancy page-breaks? *le shrug*

Personally I get amused when the writer breaks out all the stops and does fancy shit like this:

-<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>--<*>-

SO FANCY

(reply from suspended user)

Re: vignettes vs. long scenes in fic

blunderbuss - 2013-05-04 20:49 (UTC) - Expand

I wouldn't call it suddenly lol. Using ~~ or ** or whatever to show scene change in fic has been around.....forever. I didn't know it bothered people until this thread?

um no this came from actual printed books. It was a thing way before Internet fanfiction appeared. In fact, I think it was quite popular amongst old-school writers prior to the 20th century.

Re: vignettes vs. long scenes in fic

blunderbuss - 2013-05-04 20:50 (UTC) - Expand

Re: vignettes vs. long scenes in fic

dancing_clown - 2013-05-04 23:06 (UTC) - Expand

My favorite is XXXXX666XXXX

I used to do ~_~_~_~ because FFN used to reformat all my uploads and erase ------, _______, or ******.

And then for the longest time, it just became habit.

Because most fanfic writers aren't professionals, and they can do a good job writing scenes and dialogue and come up with plots, but constructing a full compact novella is fucking exhausting. It's kind of the difference between writing several very good essays on the same topic in high school, versus writing a 20 page research paper in college.

(reply from suspended user)

Re: vignettes vs. long scenes in fic

intrigueing - 2013-05-04 22:36 (UTC) - Expand

I personally prefer more vignetts that come together at the end of the fic.Stuff happens here,stuff happens there,at the end bam! thing that ties them together and it suddenly makes sense.I don't know how to explain that better (and i'm sorry if it doesn't make sense). That's not very common either,but if you're going to have vignettes,i prefer it like that.

In my fandoms vignettes aren't very common,or at least i don't stumble on them.(Disclaimer:I don't read a big amount of fic.) I mostly see them on AO3.

I don't see this much but I did write one like this a few years ago. The choppiness was intentional and I enjoyed experimenting with a new writing style, but not everyone liked it and it was difficult for me to write. Somehow, I doubt that's what you're seeing if you're seeing a lot of vignette fic.

*raises hand*

I am guilty of this. At least in my shorter works, anyway, and in one slightly longer one I wrote for Yuletide. Especially if it's a convention your fandom uses often, it can become comfortable.

Also if you were like me over Yuletide and you were a three-day pinch hitter then you didn't really have much time to flesh out the small bits where the asterisks were.

Basically if you have a good idea for a scene but don't want to take eons to connect it then the asterisks are a good bet.

(reply from suspended user)

Re: vignettes vs. long scenes in fic

biohazardgirl - 2013-05-04 22:09 (UTC) - Expand

I've seen them, but I wouldn't say they are the most popular ones. I think it depends; sometimes a fic like that can work if the idea behind it is short and not too complicated. I think they work as commentary-as-fic sometimes. But for a long work consisting of that? I'd side-eye, though I haven'ts seen that.

I'd like to say it might be another legacy of anime/manga inspired fandom, or just what people do when they can think of a lot of stuff they want to write between characters, but can't link it together with a more solid plot.

Personally, as long it's consistent I don't really have a preference, except it really is weird to see vignette styled fic when there is a very clear story, unless there's lots of PoV switching or something like that.

Huh, I didn't realize it was so popular, but I'm extremely fond of that style of writing, though pretty bad at doing it myself (I keep trying, but I managed just one somewhat awkward story and a bunch of WIPs, so I don't see it as an easy style to use). It's probably because I love character studies and slice-of-life fics, and that style fit them so well.

Sometimes it works. Usually it's cringy.

Like I can't take your 'art' seriously when it's about Princess Bubblegum

I will take this as a challenge to create some serious art about PB and make you like it.

Re: I think it's hilarious when people try to make fanfiction arty

chardmonster - 2013-05-04 23:36 (UTC) - Expand

Re: I think it's hilarious when people try to make fanfiction arty

(Anonymous) - 2013-05-04 23:59 (UTC) - Expand

It's usually just to indicate a scene/character break? I've seen it in IRL books all the time. Sometimes its after a few paragraphs, sometimes it's after a few pages.

granted it throws me when people will use a word as a scene break instead of a discrete ~~~ or ***

It depends? I guess I've seen a number, though most of the ones I've seen it happen in they do it because the scene is over and as often as not lasts for longer than 4 paragraphs.

Admittedly, I'm working on a series of vignettes right now - but because 1. I'm trying to get back into writing, and 2. I don't really want long scenes to explore the characters relationship with the world/other characters in-depth. More of a snap-shot of different parts of their life type of thing.

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