LJ Idol - Week 8: Rant

[sky_designs]

As a writer, I create characters that I fall in love with. They are all like babies to me, and I raise them up and watch them grow into beautiful works of art. Sometimes they go off in directions I'm not expecting. But in the end, I'm still proud of the people that they are, and cherish them

Comments

[virusq]

I need to write more slash . . .

[sky_designs]

:P

[virusq]

I have to agree with you, though -- I really hate it when fans decide that certain pairs should be made specifically because it sounds hot instead of it actually being logical.

On that note, I secretly enjoy fics about outrageous pairings, since some authors make it a game to see how far back they have to bend before it starts making sense... :X

[lilmissmagic71]

I have always been bewildered by Slash.

Great post! I relate to your feelings about your 'babies'... I have a few that it would kill me to read them in those scenarios!

[brightflashes]

I've never understood much about slash fiction or fan fiction much, but I like what you did with the topic very much! :)

[boxsofrain]

Interesting, I have never heard of RPS before. I am going to google it later.

[sky_designs]

.... be careful.

[gratefuladdict]

I know what you mean. My characters are definitely my "babies" too.

There's this great writing exercise where you ask the author to describe their main character as completely as possible. Once they have done this, you ask them to give you a scenario where the character would do something totally OUT of character, such as rob a bank, fall in love wtih someone they hated, etc. The rule is, the author can't say, "My character would never do that." They have to figure out what could bring *that* character to a point so far out of their personality or comfort zone. A lot of fan fic writers in general, slash or otherwise, don't do this leg work. They prefer to use the character like a puppet they have stolen from the ventriloquist, and given a different voice. I suppose it could be oddly flattering, but I would find it creepy and offensive if it happened to me and my babies.

[alison_sky]

exactly. I taught a fanfic writing panel at DragonCon one year in the Star Wars track where I challenged the people to find reasons why Obi-Wan and Anakin would be in a bar in yellow zuit suits, who they would feel and act. Someone said "But they would never do that" and I'm like "Not immediately. But what if?" and we went back and built a story, and throughout it all kept the character's voices throughout it, showing that you can do scenerios.

But then I asked about slash, and everyone jumped all over it, and I asked them to find me canon proof to support their wants. No one could, but one girl made a good case, but she had to take Anakin all the way back to being a child and never meeting Padme.