fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2454 ]

[ SECRET POST #2454 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2454 ⌋

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

01.

__________________________________________________

02.

__________________________________________________

03.

__________________________________________________

04.

__________________________________________________

05.

__________________________________________________

06.

__________________________________________________

07.

__________________________________________________

08.

__________________________________________________

09.

__________________________________________________

10.

__________________________________________________

11.

__________________________________________________

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 073 secrets from Secret Submission Post #351.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - 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

They aren't complaining that they have to tag for OCs.

They're complaining that they can't even talk about them without someone piping up and complaining about the existence of OCs.

ironically most people in this thread are proving part of OPs point.

well tbf what the fuck else did OP expect people to talk about in this thread

how about....awesome things you could explore and write with OCs like say....other wizard communities, other planets for a sci-fi show, theories about how these fictional worlds work, stuff like that you know.

Fictional Worldbuilding, since the OP mentioned an interest in that. Recs for good Elsewhere Fics. "What I'd like to see other writers try, what aspect I'm interested in seeing people explore".

There's actually a hell of a lot of possibilities that could be talked about, rather than addressing things that were already addressed in the secret.

I mean when the OP already says "I know people feel this way and their reasons and I understand why it's important to warn" why is it the conversation turns to "well I don't like OCs because" or "I only like them sometimes".

Like if a secret popped up about say "everyone ships this and they don't know I ship that, I'm afraid to tell them"...do we sit here and talk about how both ships have bad smutfics? Or sit there and talk about the bad experiences with other people who shipped "that"?

But why are they talking about OCs in a fandom space.

I understand that Elsewhere OCs exist in the fandom universe. But they are still OCs.

If you go to a Star Wars con and try to talk to people about your fantastic Jedi Apprentice OC, a lot of people are going to roll their eyes at you - that's not what they are there for, and by bringing it up you are giving them the opportunity to say they aren't interested. So they do.

"Bawwwwww I can't bring up a topic in a place that isn't meant for the topic without being told it's off-topic and I'm annoying others! It's not fair!"

^ SA

and I say this as someone who loves, loves OCs. There is a time and place and general fandom communities are not it and it's presumptuous to assume they would be interested in your OCs.

Uh, don't comms work on an individual post basis? OP could make a post with a clear title and be able to expect people who are not interested in the subject to NOT come in and waste everyone's time with an opinion that doesn't relate to the post's topic.

Like, OCs are just another way of enjoying the canon. People can make posts about how they want Leia and Luke to fuck in non-consensual ways but god forbid someone's thinking about how different characters may work in the same lore?

Luke and Leia are canon characters that people already have an interest in. You have to admit that something like "interest in planet Tattooine; Elsewhere on Tattooine, the OC" is a much weaker connection to the canon than interest in a major canon character.

Fandom communities are generally understood by most to mean canon characters, no matter what ship or relation or combination you choose to stick them in. Posting an OC there is like going to a car enthusiast community and posting about the completely new car you just made up and built from scratch (but it uses the tail light of the brand everyone loves!!). Sure it's relevant in a way, but it's not what people are there for.

And like I said above, I say this as someone who loves OCs. I've never had a problem with people complaining to me about them, because I don't randomly talk about them where there's no interest and expect people to care.

I'm not saying that people have to show interest in OC discussion threads, I'm saying that they do have space in a general fandom community, like most of anything else relating to the lore. Say someone goes to a star wars comm and makes an individual post like the one the poster below me linked to. People wrote about their own OCs and no one complained; that's what the OP is arguing in favor of.

But it's disingenuous to think that politeness norm, or like no one who has interest in OCs hasn't had some jerk come to them and remind them that all OCs suck or something.

Take this other thread for example http://fandomsecrets.dreamwidth.org/876886.html?thread=684870998#cmt684870998

where even if anons had something positive to say, they still felt like they had to preface their comments with "Some OCs suck!" or "I only like them if they're super well-written. It's like, yeah, we know that; it's like everything else. You don't have to give me the OC equivalent of 'no homo' in every OC thread.

I do think the OP could try to form an OC-specific community and be happier for it, but it's not really fair that OC can't be mentioned in general fandom comms.

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-21 21:41 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

cbrachyrhynchos - 2013-09-22 01:58 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-21 22:38 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 02:00 (UTC) - Expand

Fandom communities are generally understood by most to mean canon characters, no matter what ship or relation or combination you choose to stick them in.

Yes, because the last 40 years of Star Trek clubs built around roleplayed Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan crews never really happened. (Good grief, who dropped the stupid bomb to redefine fandom = canon fanfic.)

Edited 2013-09-22 00:03 (UTC)

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 00:18 (UTC) - Expand

But people HAVE made threads on OCs they have written on F!S. As far as I know, no one goes into those threads complaining about OCs. BUT if you make a secret about OCs, the commenting is a free for all. Because that is how it works.

example: http://fandomsecrets.dreamwidth.org/868288.html?thread=681164224#cmt681164224

Edited 2013-09-21 20:59 (UTC)

Ahahahaha, oh, you sweet summer child, how naive you are.

I've BEEN in spaces for OCs. And they still get people barging in about how much OCs suck.

Re: ITT: People missing the point

kaijinscendre - 2013-09-21 22:15 (UTC) - Expand

What, did the Star Wars fandom suddenly forget that there's 35 years of officially licensed RPGs in the extended universe? Or that people have been cosplaying OCs with lavish attention to detail from licensed sources from the start of the franchise?

Are you the OP? Because it would to know what kind of conversation is lacking. I'm sure if you asked a writer about their OCs, the writer would be more than happy to talk about them. Ask me about my original characters! I will bore you silly. If you want to discuss creating OCs, there are writing communities for that. If you want to talk about your OCs with other fans, no, they probably would rather discuss canon characters. Original Characters in fanfic are a bit like dreams, people are usually more interested in sharing their own than hearing about yours.

Original Characters in fanfic are a bit like dreams, people are usually more interested in sharing their own than hearing about yours.

Nailed it.

I'm curious about how these conversations would even work, really. Like, "I'm thinking of making my OC a half-blood raised by his muggle father, who owned the antiques shop Stephen (beloed oc!!) started running after he resigned from Hogwarts. I'm also thinking of making him a former Charms Master rather than Divination professor!"

Oookaaay. Sounds... whatever. Good luck with that? Have fun?

How do these kinds of conversations work?

With a great deal of fun and enjoyment. Some of us like hearing about each other's OCs and POVs in the canon universe. And, no, the characters aren't always so far fetched. If they are, it's for crack or satire.

Your preference for canon characters does not make your interest superior in any way.

Your preference for canon characters does not make your interest superior in any way.

It's the overly sensitive OC fans/writers who are pulling the superiority card in this thread, tho.

DA

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 00:19 (UTC) - Expand

Re: DA

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 01:00 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 01:23 (UTC) - Expand

Re: DA

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 16:37 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 00:56 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 01:01 (UTC) - Expand

I love well-written OCs and have a whole bunch of them myself. But when I'm in a community for a particular fandom, I'm there for that fandom. I want to discuss the canon and the canon characters, not someone's OC that uses that particular canon as a setting. In other words, I agree completely with

blueonblue-- I like talking about OCs and writing them in general, just not in spaces that are about a fandom.

Actually it would be more like say asking about a specific thing, "Hey do you guys know anything about what all the possible employment options could be for someone who's a Seer? The only seers we see are Divination teachers. I mean do people write books, are there Seers in the Ministry that other members consult?"

Like that. Provoking thoughts and discussion on a topic while trying to get answers for a story. Or a non specific situation-based questions "Hey, what do you think are misdemeanor offenses in the British Wizarding world. I'm writing about an [wizard lawkeeper] and looking for incidents he would have to deal with. "

That way even if people don't have any interest in a particular OC they could use their imaginations to come up with funny or interesting incidents that wizards might chat about at the water cooler, so to speak.

There are ways to have discussion about fics without boring people. Hell I'd like to think a community that discusses stuff about the world and how it works could be interesting for people who are just looking to add something to their canon-centered fic.

I'm not the OP, but I like to hear about other people's OCs. So, uh, yeah.

"They would probably rather discuss canon characters."

Which sucks. Sometimes I want to talk about scenarios where Random Persons #984583850 in the universe because it's a great way to explore the lore. If I wanted nothing but the canon characters, I'd be watching or reading it instead of fucking talking about it. I mean, you can only rehash the same conversations about canon characters so many times!

THIS

I lose interest in canon characters fast- you can talk about and analyze them only so much, but another person's pov on a universe and on the canon characters can be fascinating and an OC is the perfect vehicle for this.

If I wanted canon characters I'll watch the show or read the book. I don't expect fanfic writers to provide that service for me.

1. Make peace with the fact most people in fandom don't think like you, that they enjoy the source material differently and that it's pointless to try and show them how "wrong" and "boring" they are.

I mean, REALLY make peace with it.

2. Join or create a space for fans who think like you with clear, strictly enforced rules about OC hate.

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-21 23:09 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-21 23:16 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-22 00:16 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ITT: People missing the point

(Anonymous) - 2013-09-21 23:11 (UTC) - Expand

I usually love my canon characters, but I do understand that some people love the canon universe, and maybe they want to explore different people in that universe. It isn't MY version of fandom, but I don't understand why people are saying it ISN'T fandom. It is - it's just that someone is more interested in the world than the characters that inhabit it.

Actually I'm the OP

and to be honest I'd love a space to discuss things about the world. Like maybe discuss things like other wizarding communities /districts whatever. More conversations about aspects of the world I guess.

I mean I'm not really as interested in just talking about one OC. Just maybe being able to talk about an Elsewhere fic's CONCEPT (a story about someone used to the British wizard world moving to another wizard community and getting used to it, a person from another district viewing the actions of Katniss and Peeta, etc, etc) and open discussion about that topic.

Discussion involving OCs is far more than "HEY I HAVE THIS AWESOME SUPER CUTE OC LET ME TELL YOU HER LIFE STORY". I'm interested in discussing exploration and concepts. Or just maybe discussing ideas on a story about a canon character who is more minor and their life, which may or may not involve OCs.

Example from Danny Phantom fandom: Danielle..only four or five people know she exists and she usually flies off by herself. What the hell does she do all day anyway?

Or from the same fandom say I had an idea for a reunion fic between both sides of the protagonists' family. How would both sides react to one another. Is the protagonists' eccentric father well liked and similar to his family or is he the odd one out. Do the two sides fight.

I don't see why the idea of talking about these kind of concepts and thoughts and observations should be automatically uninteresting. Yes, someone talking about a specific character nobody knows about would be, but....that's not all OC writers want to do. You know?

I mean I know conversations about fics don't happen everyday, but when they do It would be nice to talk about a concept with OCs without someone saying "Yeah, yeah and I bet your self insert gets it on with [protagonist]." It's not like I'm busting down the door to talk about so and so original character every time I comment but when I see people talking about fic...I feel left out because I feel like I can't talk without being reminded 'your idea is inherently boring'.

To be fair it's hard to read the secret due to the Mass Effect endings colour scheme going on so people might not actually know what the secret is about

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only