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wook77First - thanks for the comments on my mopey post. Peche went to sleep at 3:15pm CST yesterday. It was very peaceful.
Second - I've changed my layout again. I don't like it but I didn't like the other one either. Anyone good at coding and be willing to help me out? I'll pay with fic or really shitty art. Honest. I'll write any pairing for a layout that I like for more than a month.
Moving on... I've recently noticed a lot of things that annoy me when people are advertising their stories and/or art. So - a mild but long rant about what makes me read or not read a story.
1.) I admit it. I judge by the icons. If the icon is childish and/or annoying, unless it's a name I already know, I won't read the story. When the icon doesn't make a good first impression, I don't go further. Am I mean and bitchy when it comes to this? Nope. I simply ignore the post other than making a mental note of the lj user so that I don't peruse it later.
2.) If there is no summary, there won't be any reading from me. It's as simple as that. I'm not going to get suckered into reading a story I don't want to. Even an excerpt of the story would be wonderful. Give your reader a few thoughts about what you do. (I've learned this one the hard way. I don't read dark!harry very often and I've been sucker punched into it a few times. This wookiee can learn a new trick or two.)
3.) If you don't tell me who you're writing about, I won't read. It's another simple fact. I detest Snarry or, in fact, any teacher/student pairing with very rare exceptions, likewise for anything involving a romantic or sexual Filch, Dumbledore or Hagrid. Sorry, it's just a personal preference. I'm not going to get suckered into reading a Filch/Dumbledore simply because the writer decided not to clarify who the pairing was.
4.) If there is self-deprecation in the A/N or intro (other than a "I'm new to this pairing/comm/fandom" or the like type comment), I won't read it. If you don't like it, why the hell should I? If there isn't a chance in hell of me liking it, why should I waste my time reading it when there are plenty of things out there that I will like?
5.) Continuing #4 - I will read new authors. I will give everyone a chance when it comes to my chosen ships. I will offer concrit, advice, commentary, etc. Why? Because I was new once (and still am in many circles) and I know how much I appreciated all of that. However, if you think I'm flaming you when I request that your story go through a spellchecker before being posted, I will mark you down on the "wook will never read again list". If you can't use a lj cut, I won't read you. If you are argumentative, arrogant or condescending, I won't read you. (I realize that by me saying this, it is arrogant and condescending.)
6.) Continuing #5 - If there are blatant misspellings and/or grammar mistakes in the "advert", I will avoid you like the plague. Why? Because I can't be pantsed to read your stuff if you can't be pantsed to spell check/grammar check. English not your native language? Get a beta. There are plenty of them out there. Hell, I've been known to beta a couple of times.
7.) #6 holds true for netspeak and that annoying tYpnLYkDiS as well.
8.) If your username annoys the shit out of me, I won't read you. Example? If you have a username of dracoisawhingingbitchthatdeservestodie, I won't read you. Insulting people, places, things that I like doesn't float my boat. UsEAusRNMlKDs and I won't read you either. Why? It annoys the shit out of me and goes back to the first impression.
9.) Continuing in the vein of #8 - If your summary, a/n, etc. are insulting to characters or people, I won't read. (I recently saw a story with "Hermione is a dumbass know it all and I'm happy to kill her off in this story. I'm sure you all will agree." as a summary. Err, no thanks.)
That being said for why I won't read you - here's why I will read you.
1.) If your advert is cleanly laid out and you're writing a ship I adore or want to try, I will give it a try. Cleanly laid out means summary, pairing, title and any a/n's in a clear concise order. Most communities have requested advert formats. People who adhere to these are beautiful.
2.) Irregardless of your pairing (other than my squick ships), if your summary sounds interesting, I will give it a try. I read a wonderful Seamus/Draco story that had a very intriguing summary. Am I a Seamus/Draco shipper? Err, no, not at all. I still enjoyed it because it was well written and the summary intrigued me. I made sure to also tell the writer this because comments are golden.
3.) If you give me a teaser and you don't violate #6 above, I will probably give it a try. Why? Because your teaser gives me a taste and I'm one of those "once you pop, you can't stop" kind of girls. I have to know the ending. If it is a WiP, I will eagerly watch the comms for updates.
5.) If you comment on one of my offerings, I will normally pop over to your journal and peruse all fandom related things and comment as well. Why? Because it's polite to return the favor. More than that, I'm always curious about what other people can offer to fandom as well. Comments are gold. They let the person making the offering know that people are reading and appreciating. More than that, concrit is platinum. Concrit lets the person know what they're doing wrong in a polite manner that will insure that they're not going to be part of some big cosmic joke. (ie, did you see how![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wook77 always mispells Madam Pince? What a tool.)
6.) I'm alright with crossposting when done over a matter of hours (not seconds). Why? Because sometimes I don't catch the first post. Sometimes I don't catch the second or even third posts. I belong to a lot of groups so that I can have the exposure to new offerings for a reason. If I minded cross-posting, then I would defriend a bunch of the groups.
7.) If you are recc'd by a friend of mine, I will give your stories a go. If they liked it, chances are, I'm going to like it.
8.) If you offer something new, I will read. That means a non-cliche, a cliche used in a new way, an AU that hasn't been done, a pairing that sounds intriguing, etc.
9.) I will normally give crack!fic a try, irregardless of the pairing. Why? Because the idea of Snape being caught in a tutu cracks me up. Dumbledore shagging Fawkes is like a trainwreck I can't look away from. New uses for Hagrid's pink umbrella make me go "ew but OMG hilarious" if done well. All these characters are normal squick for me but if the crack! is right, I'll be coming on down to your story.
10.) You're in a ship that I follow religiously and you don't violate any of the "no thanks" things above. Self-explanatory.
I'm interested to hear what makes any of you read or not read a story. Tell me all about it, people.
Please note that this is not to turn into a "I don't read soandso because they're horrible" type post. I'm honestly curious about what makes or breaks an offering for you. What draws you in? What pushes you away?
Anon is on and ip logging is off. Wank will be deleted with no explanations.
Second - I've changed my layout again. I don't like it but I didn't like the other one either. Anyone good at coding and be willing to help me out? I'll pay with fic or really shitty art. Honest. I'll write any pairing for a layout that I like for more than a month.
Moving on... I've recently noticed a lot of things that annoy me when people are advertising their stories and/or art. So - a mild but long rant about what makes me read or not read a story.
1.) I admit it. I judge by the icons. If the icon is childish and/or annoying, unless it's a name I already know, I won't read the story. When the icon doesn't make a good first impression, I don't go further. Am I mean and bitchy when it comes to this? Nope. I simply ignore the post other than making a mental note of the lj user so that I don't peruse it later.
2.) If there is no summary, there won't be any reading from me. It's as simple as that. I'm not going to get suckered into reading a story I don't want to. Even an excerpt of the story would be wonderful. Give your reader a few thoughts about what you do. (I've learned this one the hard way. I don't read dark!harry very often and I've been sucker punched into it a few times. This wookiee can learn a new trick or two.)
3.) If you don't tell me who you're writing about, I won't read. It's another simple fact. I detest Snarry or, in fact, any teacher/student pairing with very rare exceptions, likewise for anything involving a romantic or sexual Filch, Dumbledore or Hagrid. Sorry, it's just a personal preference. I'm not going to get suckered into reading a Filch/Dumbledore simply because the writer decided not to clarify who the pairing was.
4.) If there is self-deprecation in the A/N or intro (other than a "I'm new to this pairing/comm/fandom" or the like type comment), I won't read it. If you don't like it, why the hell should I? If there isn't a chance in hell of me liking it, why should I waste my time reading it when there are plenty of things out there that I will like?
5.) Continuing #4 - I will read new authors. I will give everyone a chance when it comes to my chosen ships. I will offer concrit, advice, commentary, etc. Why? Because I was new once (and still am in many circles) and I know how much I appreciated all of that. However, if you think I'm flaming you when I request that your story go through a spellchecker before being posted, I will mark you down on the "wook will never read again list". If you can't use a lj cut, I won't read you. If you are argumentative, arrogant or condescending, I won't read you. (I realize that by me saying this, it is arrogant and condescending.)
6.) Continuing #5 - If there are blatant misspellings and/or grammar mistakes in the "advert", I will avoid you like the plague. Why? Because I can't be pantsed to read your stuff if you can't be pantsed to spell check/grammar check. English not your native language? Get a beta. There are plenty of them out there. Hell, I've been known to beta a couple of times.
7.) #6 holds true for netspeak and that annoying tYpnLYkDiS as well.
8.) If your username annoys the shit out of me, I won't read you. Example? If you have a username of dracoisawhingingbitchthatdeservestodie, I won't read you. Insulting people, places, things that I like doesn't float my boat. UsEAusRNMlKDs and I won't read you either. Why? It annoys the shit out of me and goes back to the first impression.
9.) Continuing in the vein of #8 - If your summary, a/n, etc. are insulting to characters or people, I won't read. (I recently saw a story with "Hermione is a dumbass know it all and I'm happy to kill her off in this story. I'm sure you all will agree." as a summary. Err, no thanks.)
That being said for why I won't read you - here's why I will read you.
1.) If your advert is cleanly laid out and you're writing a ship I adore or want to try, I will give it a try. Cleanly laid out means summary, pairing, title and any a/n's in a clear concise order. Most communities have requested advert formats. People who adhere to these are beautiful.
2.) Irregardless of your pairing (other than my squick ships), if your summary sounds interesting, I will give it a try. I read a wonderful Seamus/Draco story that had a very intriguing summary. Am I a Seamus/Draco shipper? Err, no, not at all. I still enjoyed it because it was well written and the summary intrigued me. I made sure to also tell the writer this because comments are golden.
3.) If you give me a teaser and you don't violate #6 above, I will probably give it a try. Why? Because your teaser gives me a taste and I'm one of those "once you pop, you can't stop" kind of girls. I have to know the ending. If it is a WiP, I will eagerly watch the comms for updates.
5.) If you comment on one of my offerings, I will normally pop over to your journal and peruse all fandom related things and comment as well. Why? Because it's polite to return the favor. More than that, I'm always curious about what other people can offer to fandom as well. Comments are gold. They let the person making the offering know that people are reading and appreciating. More than that, concrit is platinum. Concrit lets the person know what they're doing wrong in a polite manner that will insure that they're not going to be part of some big cosmic joke. (ie, did you see how
wook77 always mispells Madam Pince? What a tool.)6.) I'm alright with crossposting when done over a matter of hours (not seconds). Why? Because sometimes I don't catch the first post. Sometimes I don't catch the second or even third posts. I belong to a lot of groups so that I can have the exposure to new offerings for a reason. If I minded cross-posting, then I would defriend a bunch of the groups.
7.) If you are recc'd by a friend of mine, I will give your stories a go. If they liked it, chances are, I'm going to like it.
8.) If you offer something new, I will read. That means a non-cliche, a cliche used in a new way, an AU that hasn't been done, a pairing that sounds intriguing, etc.
9.) I will normally give crack!fic a try, irregardless of the pairing. Why? Because the idea of Snape being caught in a tutu cracks me up. Dumbledore shagging Fawkes is like a trainwreck I can't look away from. New uses for Hagrid's pink umbrella make me go "ew but OMG hilarious" if done well. All these characters are normal squick for me but if the crack! is right, I'll be coming on down to your story.
10.) You're in a ship that I follow religiously and you don't violate any of the "no thanks" things above. Self-explanatory.
I'm interested to hear what makes any of you read or not read a story. Tell me all about it, people.
Please note that this is not to turn into a "I don't read soandso because they're horrible" type post. I'm honestly curious about what makes or breaks an offering for you. What draws you in? What pushes you away?
Anon is on and ip logging is off. Wank will be deleted with no explanations.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-01-13 11:45 pm (UTC)And I completely agree with you on summaries, although again, I'm slightly bad when I'm linking to some of the 100-drabble comms.
So, what have we learned? I suck ;)
And, because I missed your previous post *hugs* At one point I wanted to work at the Humane Society, but I realized that I just wouldn't be able to go in every day. I get teary just looking at the website. Instead, I just donate money to them, and applaud anyone who works there. It takes a lot of strength to be able to deal with the horrible things that are done to animals on a daily basis.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 10:28 pm (UTC)For the 100 word communities, it's almost unnecessary for a summary simply because the stories are barely ever under a cut and I can skim it quickly to make an informed decision.
You don't suck. I adore you and your work. (besides, see self-deprecating info above *snirt*) I admit that I'm hypocritical about some of this stuff, especially the self-deprecation. Hell, I opened up the post with "really shitty art". However, I wouldn't dream of posting that kind of stuff on a comm to get people to read my work.
Thanks for the *hugs*. I really didn't want comments. I just wanted to get stuff off my chest. But, I'm also glad that people didn't listen to me. It was very peaceful when Peche passed. Everyone, including the guy doing the injection, was sobbing because she's been such a part of everyone's life. We're putting together a memory journal. I keep putting it this way, I lost a co-worker and a friend, not just a dog.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 12:16 am (UTC)*comments to use appropriate icon*
Also, I agree with almost everything on that list. :)
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Date: 2006-01-14 10:30 pm (UTC)Almost everything? What up there don't you agree with? I'm always curious (my mum says I'm nosy but I prefer curious).
I'd love to hear from a widerange of people what makes them choose or not choose a story.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 10:40 pm (UTC)I said "almost everything" because based on this list, I assume I read far less fic than you do. I read almost only H/D and rarely give other pairings a shot. And even then, these days I don't read as much fic as I used to. Maybe it's the time of the year when I'm extremely picky. Maybe not, considering that this time last year I was reading endless amounts of crappy OOC fic on Mugglenet's fanfiction section.
Ah, good times, good times.
Although that list is probably the way I'd like to act when it comes to fanfiction. Because I'm sure I miss a lot of good stuff the way I act now.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 04:38 pm (UTC)I probably miss alot of good stuff as well because of the lack of information. I'm alright with that. My flist is semi-small yet and I like it that way. If I had to keep up with hundreds of people, I don't know that I'd be able to. Hell, I skipped reading this weekend and I still had to skip back 300 posts. I finally caught up late yesterday afternoon.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 12:36 am (UTC)Currently, I hardly read. I needed a break, really. I was getting too emotional over everything. But I want to read more - like more of your stuff and more of the AWDT.
I feel the same about one-shots right now as you do. When I finally do read, I want a closed work. And I have two WiP's so that's twice the hypocrite here *G*
My growing liking of H/D has meant that I don't read much else, even though I write other things.
Hm. Will return with more thoughts, I think.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 10:34 pm (UTC)Yeah, I've really cut back on my reading. I found that it was affecting my work quality so I cut out a bunch of stuff.
I really do like both WiPs and one-shots. One-shots tide me over until the next part of a favorite WiP is posted.
I will normally pick H/D well before any other pairing. However, I read a McGonagall/Tom Riddle that got me to thinking about that pairing. Why did I branch out? The summary really really intrigued me.
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Date: 2006-01-14 12:46 am (UTC)It's interesting to think about.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 10:37 pm (UTC)I'll read off of LJ every once in a while, mainly for the WiPs. That way, I don't lose a chapter because they're all right there in front of me.
If you hear anyone else commenting on this type of thing, I'd love it if you'd send them my way for a comment. I'm always
nosycurious about it.no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 12:58 am (UTC)I very rarely post to communities (I have a WiP that is Ron/Pansy that I do post to a comm; everything else is just on my personal journal and on OWL) but I do use a preset header thingy if I do post to a comm (title/author/rating/pairing/summary/etc). For the stuff that does not get posted in comms, I am guilty of just offering it up to my flist -- like my most recent writings, which were darefics and were in a post that basically said "Hey, here's your crack!"
Lately I haven't been reading as much as I used to. I don't have time, for one thing. I agree with some of the reasons you mention above for not reading -- no summary or pairing (I usually look for either one or the other, unless it's someone I know well enough that I read everything of theirs), poorly written or misspelled summary or A/N, etc.
I only have a couple comms on my flist. I am a staff beta on OWL, so I read practically everything that comes through there, but that isn't always by preference. On LJ, I depend on my flist to rec things, which they are fantastic about doing. I will read almost anything that is well-written, as well as most everything that is H/D or R/S or crack!fic. But I give all recs a shot; I trust that if my friends like it, I probably will to. If I actually find the time to go searching for stories myself, I look at summary/pairings and also look at the author. There are some authors that I will not read b/c of various things -- they responded poorly to concrit, they do not answer any reviews/comments left on their work, etc. It also depends on what kind of mood I'm in and what kind of fic I'm in the mood to read, b/c if I'm in the mood for something funny I don't wanna read deathfic, though I may mark it to come back to at a later time.
And I'm supposed to be writing, so I'd better get back to it. *g*
*cuddles* Good to see you around again, wook!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 10:42 pm (UTC)I enjoy the comms. I really do. But there was one post that was done right before I wrote this up that annoyed the shit out of me and did almost all of the "I won't read you" things. It was wretched and painful.
I don't have as much time, either. My RL has gone hectic and hard in the past month.
As you say you agree with some of the things, is there anything you don't agree with? I know that the icon thing is petty. I'm sure there are many people that don't give a shit about the icon of the person posting.
Oh yeah, I wanted to sign up for OWL. I'll have to do that on Monday when I have a bit more time. (this weekend is jampacked with crap. I'm not supposed to be on right now *looks around for spies*).
I like your additional reasoning. The poor response or even the lack of response is a huge annoyance with me. It takes two seconds to go through and post a quick "thanks for reading" to everyone who commented.
Glad to be around more. I hope to post what I've been scribbling soon. I have a dark!fic and an update to Voice in the Dark to post. They need tweaked though. *groans*
If you hear of anyone discussing this, I'd love to get more opinions on it. Send 'em my way.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-15 11:41 am (UTC)I'm pretty openminded about pairing, so that doesn't usually matter to me. It's usually more the tone of the fic and how well-written it is that concerns me. Of course, I've read house-elf non-con, so I'll obviously read anything.
The self-deprecation thing I totally agree with. Although, again, I've been guilty of that too. ("I don't like this H/D smut, but my beta readers do, so here it is"). But it's obviously a lie anyway, b/c why write it if you don't like it? Or, if I actually don't like something, I'll offer it up to my betas and ask their opinions on it. They're very good for that.
As for the username, I honestly don't notice them at first. Obviously, if it's someone on my flist that I'm reading, then I do, but that's b/c most of them are color-coded. If it's a comm post, I'm more interested in the title/summary/etc. I've actually started reading things on a comm and recognized the writing style and been surprised to look at the username & be like "Oh, yeah, that's such and such!"
I will read anything that has an interesting, well-laid-out summary, especially if it has been rec'd. I read Breakfast Club slash b/c someone rec'd it and I loved it. I'm pretty easy to please; if you can catch my attention long enough to get me to start your story, chances are I'll finish it.
If someone I don't recognize comments on something of mine, I'll pop over to their journal. Of course, this is rare b/c, as I said, I don't generally post to comms and my stuff isn't exactly recworthy.
One of the reasons I took off most of the comms I was in was the crossposting. You end up with a page of the same fic b/c the author posts it in like 20 different HP communities. I understand that we all want to share our work and all want it to get exposed so it can be read and get comments, but c'mon! That kinda falls in the category of comment-whoring, IMHO. Just a few comms is fine, and spread it out a bit.
And you get *extra big hugs* b/c I feel bad now about not commenting on the sad post.
Oh, and I posted a link to this on my LJ, so you may get a few strangers show up to weigh in on this, k?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 04:45 pm (UTC)I've actually read the same house elf non-con, I think. It was actually intriguingly dirty, wasn't it? (err, the one with Kreacher and Dobby and Harry? or no?)
I don't post anything I don't like. If I really don't like it, I'll tweak it and have betas tweak it and keep playing with it until I'm satisfied.
The username, nine times out of ten, makes no difference to me on a comm (well, unless it's a friend then I make doubly sure to read it). However, if it is full of netspeak or insulting, I give the offering a pass.
I'll especially give anything that is recc'd a try. I stick to the Potterverse and Star Wars for most of my readings on LJ. I'm too addicted to my favorite fandoms, I guess.
No worries on the sad post, really. I didn't want comments and you abided by my wishes and that made me happy.
I'm glad you posted it on your LJ. There has been some interesting discussions down below *points*.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 04:50 am (UTC)LoL. I read that one, too, but I think it was more recent. I've been using the "I read house-elf non-con" since the summer, right after HBP I believe, when
I do read almost all recs, but I'm branching out fandom wise. And I will read a rec in a fandom that I'm familiar with even if I'm not actually in the fandom.
And my flist is interesting. *g* Glad they've brought some interesting discussions here for you. LoL.
Oh, and I understand your point about the icon and/or usernames. I just don't pay attention to them.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 08:07 am (UTC)I've never thought much about summaries, and it seems I am guilty for not using them. *makes note to try writing summaries*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-14 10:45 pm (UTC)For me, the genre/warnings are ok as long as they are clearly posted. I'll read anything other than my squicks if I'm in the mood. I actually do like character death (although reading it at work and sobbing doesn't really work very well for the whole "work environment" thing).
I'll read your stuff irregardless of the summary because I know I'm getting high quality
crackfic.If you hear of anyone discusisng this, I'd love to hear what makes people read or not read. Send 'em my way, yeah? *winks*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-15 08:22 am (UTC)PS - Find out Harry's parents were murdered.
CoS - Moaning Myrtle was murdered
PoA - Street full of Muggles.
GoF - Frank and Cedric
OotP - Sirius
HBP - Dumbledore
untitled 7th book - People are going to die again!
plus all sorts of other angst type stuff, racisim, teen problems, and many others. If we got warned at the start of the book by JKR... I'm gonna kill someone in here, how many people would then not read? So warning's other than some pairings and sex squicks can be a bit hard, I think.
I try to read a varied cross section of characters, avoiding Dumbledore and Hagrid and most of the teachers but I will give Snape a read as he always(should) have good writing to go along with him. Mainly I read H/D but I like other pairing's and a good story I can usually tell in about 150 - 300 words whether I can enjoy reading something. Bad spelling is, yeah, a real turn off.
I'm like,
There's probably more but I think i'm filling up your journal... :D
Character death warning
Date: 2006-01-15 08:51 am (UTC)I think it was a v. good move of Rowling to warn for character death for HBP, actually. Some small kids actually have nightmares over Dumbledore's death and parent have to form support groups and all :-/
And...if I pretend that the HP books are fanfics, I would post the character death warning only for OotP and HBP, because:
1. Both Sirius and Dumbledore play quite major roles in that specific book
2. Sirius is a constant character since CoS, Dumbledore since PS/SS
3. The deaths are watched by the main character and therefore have more emotional impact on the reader
I wouldn't post a character death warning for the first four books, because: 1. The characters that die are not that important (anonymous Muggles) or
2. Harry doesn't have any emotional ties to the character (Myrtle, Cedric)
3. The deaths were not witnessed by Harry (except Cedric)
So um, even if character death is not noted in the warnings (because it will be spoiler-y or whatever), it should at least has warning for "extreme angst" and/or "darkfic."
I mean, I love Cinnamon's Windfallen and Beautiful World and all (they're what sucked me into the HP fandom), but I haven't had the emotional climate/weather/whatever to read deathfics lately (read: more than half a year now).
Re: Character death warning
Date: 2006-01-16 11:58 pm (UTC)However, if I see "angst" as a warning, I'll be prepared for almost anything. Both the stories you mentioned, had there been a huge character death warning slapped all over the place, would not have made such an impact on me. I like fics that twist me unexpectedly. I really do enjoy it in a masochistic sort of way.
I'll agree with the Dumbledore warning simply because of the intended audience/age and the way the death happened. It allowed for parents to prepare their children, especially as there are very small children out there currently reading the books that have not experienced death firsthand like that.
However, in a fanfic, especially the ones I read, the intended audience is of age and should realize that "extreme angst" could mean character death.
Re: Character death warning
Date: 2006-01-17 01:22 am (UTC)*g* Now I know what that means when I see it connected to your name. lol.
Both the stories you mentioned, had there been a huge character death warning slapped all over the place, would not have made such an impact on me.
I agree. Which is why I appreciate that Cinnamon posts"very dark" for Windfallen. On the other hand, I'm not as disturbed with the character death in Beautiful World because the fic builds up to it, basically. Plus the H/D romance is still sweet even though it did end with death :-P
especially as there are very small children out there currently reading the books that have not experienced death firsthand like that.
I mean, some children get traumatized by Narnia, for goodness' sake (The Last Battle).
And I do agree that having character death warning where the death of the character is a vital plot twist (or a looming threat) takes the fun out of it :-/
Re: Character death warning
Date: 2006-01-17 04:48 pm (UTC)There are times and readers that require that visceral gut-wrenching pain of an unexpected character death.
It's still traumatic for some children to experience death firsthand. It's up to the parent to make that decision. Then again, I have multiple other rants about parents and parenting skills, so I'll leave it there *winks*.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 11:55 pm (UTC)There are a few times that character death should be warned for... for example, the dumbledore comment below. By allowing parents to plan that a character in a children's book was going to die, it alleviated the traumatic effect on the kids. However, in fanfic, sorry but I'll hardly ever warn over it. When I write it, I WANT people to be shocked and hurt. That's one of the reasons I have "angst" as a warning.
Like I said above, I'll give any of the pairings a try unless they're a squick. I've recently become really intrigued by femmeslash. Bad spelling is not only a real turnoff but a complete never again moment for me. A few and I can forgive as it slips past. There are certain rules of grammar I'm willing to let go of. However, way too much and I'm outta there.
I really really try to click on anything I look at but lately, I've been horribly remiss (I'm hypocritical when it comes to that right now).
Feel free to continue. I really love a good debate/discussion/etc. When I say concrit is welcomed when I intro a fic, I really do mean it. Please point out where I'm wrong. Feel free to point out where I'm right as well *snirt*.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 05:39 am (UTC)I don't hate the idea of HAPPY Potter stories, it's just I don't think your staying true to canon if everyone gets along, there's no angst other thatn what dress to wear and who's dating who. I agree also that to warn about a ddeath can be negative to the story.
I will have to agree to disagree in regards to JKR warning about Dumbledore's death... she didn't for Sirius. Also she has gone on record as saying that even though they are read by children she doesn't consider them to be just books for them. I agree that fanfic is different but, you can regulate who does and doesn't read your fic once it's posted somewhere. If it's Harry they might read it anyway. Luckily I had managed to avoid hearing about any death's in HBP and so it came as a surprise, which was great, as was Snape. I agree the only warning should be 'angst', and that should cover all bases. The term Dark!fic can get a little grim, so een though I like it, it's probably a tough one to use unless it really is DARK. If you want Happy Harry, go trot of and read .... *eek* can't think of any happy books - even all the fairytales, Grimm, Narnia are all angsty.
On a side note about ship's though... in reference to Snape and Draco and what happened in HBP, I will read almost any story... more so if I like the pairing. However people who avoid a story because of a pairing or a minor pairing...gggrrrrrrr. Ok, so say I'm not fond of Snupin(I do like it though)... I wouldn't stop reading a fic if I was and found they were a minor pairing, yet for some people this is a problem. Why? Variety is the spice of life. You need more paings in your diet. Also by reading more pairings you get a better understanding of their dynamics, helps me in writing them I hope.
Thanks for letting me vent...
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 05:00 pm (UTC)It's more the fact that children really got attached to Dumbledore and saw him as a parental/grandfatherly figure. To have him suddenly murdered and by Snape, really ripped the rug out from under a lot of kids. Not only did it give parents time to prepare their children, it was a brilliant marketing plan. It really got people talking both before and after and really got people excited about the franchise.
Yeah, most children's stories have at least a small amount of angst. Without that overcoming, the hero myth dies and it's a boring recitation of facts. Have you read "The Hero With a Thousand Faces"? It's a really interesting book that compares Luke Skywalker with Hercules, etc.
I won't stop reading due to a minor pairing in the fic. I'll absorb and continue on. I read a wonderful H/D with Hermione/Snape as a secondary pairing and continued on, even though I was a bit *ew* about it. Why? Because it wasn't the main thing and the author did a good job on making it believable.
I will avoid a story that focuses on a ship I don't like. In school cross-generation is not my cuppa so I avoid them. That being said, I will read cross-generation if it's not in school. I read a fantastic Remus/Harry (I wish I remembered titles) that was after school. Not a pairing I would normally seek out but it was recc'd by a friend and it delivered.
I'm with you on the variety thing. I enjoy H/D as my OTP and will read it above others. However, other pairings inspire me into situations with H/D and get me to thinking about the possibilities. So, yeah, I agree.
Vent away... I'm having fun!
Finally (as the main point wasn't to self-pimp but...)I'm so glad you liked Moments. It's my favorite thing I've written. It was challenging and wonderful and took me weeks of tweaking to make sure I could write it into a "choose your own ending" ending. I agonized over verb choices, adjectives and flow. The end comments are based on a NIN song from Further Down the Spiral. It's just those phrases sung over and over. It's very hypnotic and, as I was in a dark place in my life at the time, it really fit. I have another darkfic coming out for the challenge over at
no subject
Date: 2006-01-15 08:53 am (UTC)Will post an answer tomorrow when I'm coherent and have enough sleep.
Was going to comment properly but got distracted with the character death talk *point above*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 12:00 am (UTC)The more the merrier on the discussions. I like hearing everyone's opinions on this stuff. I know some of my stuff above is petty and small as to why I don't read something. Some of it is huge, though.
To read or not to read
Date: 2006-01-17 01:59 am (UTC)*draw a deep breath*
1.) Had I judged by icons, I would miss out on the fantabulous H/D
goddesswriter that is2.) For some reason, some fantabulous writers can't write a decent summary. And sometimes they have typos *cue horror music*
Perhaps it's because they wrote the summary after the story, and didn't double-check or beta it before posting?
3.) I detest Snarry or, in fact, any teacher/student pairing with very rare exceptions, likewise for anything involving a romantic or sexual Filch, Dumbledore or Hagrid.
Yes. I like surprise pairings now and then, though. And
4.) For some reason some good writers really do seem to have low confidence in their writing ability. I don't know whether they're just being angsty teenager or haven't taken their meds or what, but yeah. And there's this impulse in me to read those kinds of fics to reassure the author that they're not as bad as they think they are.
But if I read those self-deprecation in FF.net, I flee. Also when I see "I suck at summaries" and typos.
5.) I will mark you down on the "wook will never read again list".
What's a wook?
If you are argumentative, arrogant or condescending, I won't read you.
Yeah, some authors are so defensive of their writing it's scary O.o
"Umm, have you taken your not-crazy pills yet? Because your hysterics are creeping me out..." ~_~
7.) #6 holds true for netspeak and that annoying tYpnLYkDiS as well.
Except for crack!fics! X-D
9.) Continuing in the vein of #8 - If your summary, a/n, etc. are insulting to characters or people, I won't read.
Yeah, those get tiring real quick. I enjoy my Evil!Manipulative!Dumbledore though ;-) As long as it's believable and not terribly OoC. (Yes, I still believe in Evil!Manipulative!Dumbledore, even after HBP. Except if the fic continues HBP, of course)
3.) If you give me a teaser and you don't violate #6 above, I will probably give it a try.
Hee, I'm a sucker for teasers as well. Except for those "what if"s at FF.net ~_~
5.) If you comment on one of my offerings, I will normally pop over to your journal and peruse all fandom related things and comment as well. Why? Because it's polite to return the favor.
Yepz, me too. Get connected to
6.) I'm alright with crossposting when done over a matter of hours (not seconds).
Will keep this in mind next time I plug. Will probably space them every 30 minutes.
7.) If you are recc'd by a friend of mine, I will give your stories a go.
Plus it's fun to see where our tastes differ. So far the friend whose taste is closest to mine is
8.) If you offer something new, I will read. That means a non-cliche, a cliche used in a new way, an AU that hasn't been done, a pairing that sounds intriguing, etc.
Yayz for crackfics that turn cliches around!
9.) All these characters are normal squick for me but if the crack! is right, I'll be coming on down to your story.
Same here! X-D
Self-plug here
Date: 2006-01-17 02:09 am (UTC)Ahem. *peer up to check you don't mind self-plugging*
I almost exclusively write H/D too, although never higher than PG-13.
*****
"Green Eyes" (http://www.livejournal.com/community/mukashi2/1331.html#cutid1) (Draco-centric, AU, PG, Gen, HP/DM preslash).
A Harry Potter adaptation of Grimms' "The Frog King."
Playing at the dragon fountain near the forest, ten-years-old Draco lost the Golden Snitch which commemorated the fastest capture in Quidditch history. A green-eyed frog leapt out of the dragon's mouth and made a deal with him.
This one is pure cutesy fluff. It basically writes itself in a matter of hours, and I was pleasantly surprised that I can actually write humor.
My pet project is I am Responsible for My Rose (http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=43sunsets), a PG-13 AU Genfic featuring HP characters in the Little Prince world.
The entire wizarding world, with the exception of Dumbledore, has no knowledge of Harry Potter's existence. When Harry turns twelve, he finally comes into contact with Hogwarts and the wizarding world. However, he is left with an unfavorable impression and decides to return home.
On his way home, he encounters a stranded Snape in the middle of the Sahara desert. "Please sir," asks Harry, "draw me an owl…" Snape finds himself staring into the face of his worst enemy. He then suspects that Harry is a hallucination created by his wormwood and nutmeg tea.
Draco won't show up until chapter 7 though, and this fic is more of a Genfic instead of pairing focused. This one I agonize over _a lot_. Which is why it hasn't been updated for months. (HBP destroyed my Snape's back-story. In my story, Snape's mother is the half-blood.)
Chapter seven should hopefully be finished by the end of this month, after I'm done writing "Dragon Dreams," which is a H/D one-shot inspired by "Sleeping Beauty," the myth of Morheus, and Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. I might actually work myself to write a kissing scene for "Dragon Dreams"
*****
Fanfics are a way for me to exercise my creative writing ^^;; and try out different writing styles. So far I prefer understated over flowery writing.
Ahem. End of self-plug. Which of your stories do you think I would like? :-)
(And an LJ link works better for me, since I'm awful at leaving feedbacks outside of LJ).
Re: Self-plug here
Date: 2006-01-17 05:01 pm (UTC)Re: Self-plug here
Date: 2006-01-17 05:19 pm (UTC)And rec me whatever stories of yours you think I'd like.
Here are some of my fav.s (http://www.livejournal.com/users/lilian_cho/tag/fanfic+rec), to give you an idea.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 04:04 am (UTC)I used to read everything on
I don't read anything with excessive angst, dark!Harry, extreme non-con (dubious con can be okay) or too much violence. I avoid anything too squicky. I don't like reading Harry/anyone else. Same holds for Draco usually, although I've read a few Draco/Hermione fics which didn't disagree with me too much. I won't read Snape/Harry or Snape/Draco. Nuhuh. Teacher/student relationships just kinda squick me out. Plus, Snape is greasy and nasty!
I refuse to read Harry or Draco character death. I like to be warned. If I'm reading a fic which I'm really enjoying and then suddenly Harry or Draco dies, I will be really upset because of the lack of warning. However, fortunately, most fics with character death are pretty damned angsty and warn for that, so I would probably have avoided them from the start. I started reading Charlotte's "Knives Out" before I saw the char death warning, and have resolved to not read anymore, because the story is already traumatic enough. For some reason, major character death really upsets me. Nightmares resulted from one story I read in which Harry killed Draco. I was upset for days. Just thinking about it now is making my gut clench and my eyes tear up a little.
*changes the subject*
Like you, I don't like reading fics which are self-depreciating. I'll occasionally, if I feel like it, read a fic which says 'this is my first fic, be nice' - I read one last night and it was really pretty good. I remember how terrifying it was to post my first ever story - it was only about 5-6 months ago!
I like a short summary, even if it's just a few words. I don't usually bother writing summaries for fics I just post to my journal, cause the people on my flist know what sort of stories I write! It's all fairly benign. :D I almost always type up a short summary if I cross-post it to a comm.
If I'm reading a story and I see the word 'cum' in any of its forms, I will be extremely turned off that story and often won't continue. It's a pity, cause one of my favourites - Corruptela Vox (http://www.thehexfiles.net/viewstory.php?sid=253) - uses the word 'cum' and 'cumming' and I just wince every time I see it and have to skip past it real quick. *shudder*
that's all I can think of. :D
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 05:16 am (UTC)I think the thing that turns me off straight away when it comes to any type of fanfic is the summary. If there's no summary, or I don't find it interesting I'm not going to click the link or the cut- there's no point. While spelling errors irk me more than they should, if the fic is good, I can over look that... to an extent. If spelling errors and grammatical errors are glaring and simply overlooked when fics are posted then no matter how much I'm enjoying it, I'm most probably going to stop- it hurts to much to continue.
Self-depreciation is annoying- for all the reason's you pointed out.
Mostly I read works by authors I've become familiar with. Why? Because that way I'm at least assured of quality, and I tend to enjoy the writing style. But I will read new authors as well- after all everyone is different.
Rec's are something that I love. I know for a fact that I haven't read everything, so I like it when my favourite authors post rec's because that way I can almost be certain that I'm going to enjoy it, and that the quality is decent. Rec's also allow me to peruse some stuff that I otherwise might not have found on my own. So with rec's we all win.
WiP's are something I thought I'd never read, usually because I don't like being left waiting. But recently I've started reading quite a few and I have to say, I enjoy them immensely... until I get to the end of the update then I remember why I don't read WiP's. But I still keep waiting, because I've enjoyed them so far.
One thing that never fails to amuse me is when people post "extreme angst" and I find it rather fluffy because I'm quite a morbid/dark person. Although, that's one thing that makes me slightly hesitant when posting my own stuff, because I never know what to rate or what warning's to give because of my oddness.
The only thing I really read everything on is AWDT,
-- sorry if it makes no sense, my head hurts.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-29 05:13 am (UTC)Summaries and ships are definitely important. If the summary sounds interesting and there's no indication of pairing, I may pop over to it anyway and check, but if it turns out to be a ship I don't like, it generally doesn't matter how good the summary is. There are rare exceptions to this, but they are, indeed, rare. I try not to be too critical of summaries because I know how hard they can be to write (harder than the story, for me :P), but obviously a general idea of the story content is a must.
Depending on where the story is posted, I may or may not freak out about spelling/grammar errors. If it's on someone's lj or another forum where it may be a first draft type thing, I'll be more tolerant. If it's on FA or an archive, though, I'll likely be pretty peeved if it's full of mistakes. Occasionally I'm fairly tolerant of errors if the story is really good, but even then I'll either save it to Word and edit as I go or just never re-read. And yeah, spelling/grammar errors in the summary... O.o Unless it's an author I know, forget it.
Anyway, a bit after the fact, but there's my 2 cents! :D