Fanfic author pet peeves

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#281

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
03 May 2021, 16:42
Guest wrote:
03 May 2021, 10:43
pixie wrote:
03 May 2021, 04:59
Guest wrote:
13 Mar 2021, 18:40
I really appreciate the work fanfic authors put into their stories and the free entertainment and comfort they provide. But like with all things in life, there are some pet peeves when it comes to fanfic authors. One of mine would be: author's notes at the start of the chapter that tells you everything that's gonna hapen in that chapter. Like damn girl, let me find out for myself!

So what are some of your pet peeves?
Never finishing the damn story. Publishing without editing. Repetitive phrases. Completely implausible AUs. Completely de-contextualizing a story/character. Re-contextualizing characters as rich/white/successful/whatever. Basically writers unaware of their cheesy ideology and how it stains a story. Abusing "POV". Deciding the course of a story on the bass of the comments.
Ugh that one is like a sure fire way to make sure I never read any of your other fics ever. It just makes me wonder annoyed because it’s like if you’re going to remove all the things that define the character, why not just write originals stuff ? I have never left a mean comment but I’m tempted to when I see that shit lol
DA There is definitely a fine line between AU and original work. I'm really picky when it comes to which AUs I invest my time in. Mostly I just go off the premise alone, if I can't picture it being plausible for the characters in question I won't even open up the fic. At least try to ground in it canon otherwise you're just transferring characters without any of the reasons they are those characters in the first place. I've never been able to do hospital/space/super heroes/magic whatever type AUs unless there's a strong canon reason for the story to go there. I need a bit more realism I guess, more of a differing take on the source material rather than bits and pieces borrowed and inserted into a completely different story. But that's just me, I know it isn't really the point of AU.
DA
Sometimes writers just reuse a fic from another fandom. It’s the hight of laziness, and often given away when the miss changing a name here and there. =_=

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#282

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
03 May 2021, 17:29
Guest wrote:
03 May 2021, 16:42
Guest wrote:
03 May 2021, 10:43
pixie wrote:
03 May 2021, 04:59
Guest wrote:
13 Mar 2021, 18:40
I really appreciate the work fanfic authors put into their stories and the free entertainment and comfort they provide. But like with all things in life, there are some pet peeves when it comes to fanfic authors. One of mine would be: author's notes at the start of the chapter that tells you everything that's gonna hapen in that chapter. Like damn girl, let me find out for myself!

So what are some of your pet peeves?
Never finishing the damn story. Publishing without editing. Repetitive phrases. Completely implausible AUs. Completely de-contextualizing a story/character. Re-contextualizing characters as rich/white/successful/whatever. Basically writers unaware of their cheesy ideology and how it stains a story. Abusing "POV". Deciding the course of a story on the bass of the comments.
Ugh that one is like a sure fire way to make sure I never read any of your other fics ever. It just makes me wonder annoyed because it’s like if you’re going to remove all the things that define the character, why not just write originals stuff ? I have never left a mean comment but I’m tempted to when I see that shit lol
DA There is definitely a fine line between AU and original work. I'm really picky when it comes to which AUs I invest my time in. Mostly I just go off the premise alone, if I can't picture it being plausible for the characters in question I won't even open up the fic. At least try to ground in it canon otherwise you're just transferring characters without any of the reasons they are those characters in the first place. I've never been able to do hospital/space/super heroes/magic whatever type AUs unless there's a strong canon reason for the story to go there. I need a bit more realism I guess, more of a differing take on the source material rather than bits and pieces borrowed and inserted into a completely different story. But that's just me, I know it isn't really the point of AU.
DA
Sometimes writers just reuse a fic from another fandom. It’s the hight of laziness, and often given away when the miss changing a name here and there. =_=
AUs that ignore exactly who the characters are and why they connected, make absolutely no sense to me. It's clear some people just want to use their own original content or repurpose stuff from elsewhere, like you say.

And sometimes they reuse a straight fic and forget to change the pronouns sometimes too. :rage:

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#283

Post by Guest »

when I have to read that someone ‘moaned as they tasted their food’, i truly hate it. because it just doesn’t make sense?? no one moans after a bite of food, especially not in public. don’t know why it’s a thing in fan fiction but it needs to die out

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#284

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
03 May 2021, 22:32
when I have to read that someone ‘moaned as they tasted their food’, i truly hate it. because it just doesn’t make sense?? no one moans after a bite of food, especially not in public. don’t know why it’s a thing in fan fiction but it needs to die out
lol me and my cousin were eating cake once so she was moaning the whole time she was eating it, every damn time she put spoon into her mouth, not sexual sounds but just those tiny moans, made me laugh :lol: so people do moan when the food is really good

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#285

Post by Guest »

I just went back to read some fanfiction in my old fandoms and I remember why I stopped. People need to tag their shit accordingly. I don’t want to find a random p*nis in the middle of my shit, this isn’t a straight woman’s bachelor party 😡 !! Oh and what’s with the rise of first person POV?

I opened my eyes. Then I used the bathroom. Then I went downstairs.

?? No, you didn’t lol. Idk it just takes me out of the story so quickly. Second sometimes works if the author is talented but it’s not that prevalent. Third is the best because it picks up the slack, especially when authors aren’t the best at writing.

I get that people are doing this for free but jeez.

lesbianx100
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#286

Post by lesbianx100 »

This must have come up earlier in the thread but I hate it when authors keep calling characters 'the tall one', 'the shorter one', 'the Latvian woman', 'the Korean woman' does this and that.
For goodness' sake your characters are more than their height or their hair color or nationality, please use their names :rofl:

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#287

Post by Guest »

lesbianx100 wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 10:32
This must have come up earlier in the thread but I hate it when authors keep calling characters 'the tall one', 'the shorter one', 'the Latvian woman', 'the Korean woman' does this and that.
For goodness' sake your characters are more than their height or their hair color or nationality, please use their names :rofl:
Same! And I really hate it when they call people by their race or skin tone. It’s like do you reference your friends/family like that irl lol. I’d much rather an overuse of ‘her’ or ‘she’ rather than, ‘the Korean spoke up’ or shit like that.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#288

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 10:36
lesbianx100 wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 10:32
This must have come up earlier in the thread but I hate it when authors keep calling characters 'the tall one', 'the shorter one', 'the Latvian woman', 'the Korean woman' does this and that.
For goodness' sake your characters are more than their height or their hair color or nationality, please use their names :rofl:
Same! And I really hate it when they call people by their race or skin tone. It’s like do you reference your friends/family like that irl lol. I’d much rather an overuse of ‘her’ or ‘she’ rather than, ‘the Korean spoke up’ or shit like that.
Da/ yeah, those are called "epithets", and are very common in certain languages (like spanish), but not particularly in english, so sometimes it's an esl writer thing.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#289

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 10:21
I just went back to read some fanfiction in my old fandoms and I remember why I stopped. People need to tag their shit accordingly. I don’t want to find a random p*nis in the middle of my shit, this isn’t a straight woman’s bachelor party 😡 !! Oh and what’s with the rise of first person POV?

I opened my eyes. Then I used the bathroom. Then I went downstairs.

?? No, you didn’t lol. Idk it just takes me out of the story so quickly. Second sometimes works if the author is talented but it’s not that prevalent. Third is the best because it picks up the slack, especially when authors aren’t the best at writing.

I get that people are doing this for free but jeez.
x2, lol i remember i was reading f/f tagged fic and in the middle of the story that 'genius' put a detailed het sex scene, no warning, fucking asshole traumatized me
and agreed about first and second POV, can't read such fics

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#290

Post by Guest »

lesbianx100 wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 10:32
This must have come up earlier in the thread but I hate it when authors keep calling characters 'the tall one', 'the shorter one', 'the Latvian woman', 'the Korean woman' does this and that.
For goodness' sake your characters are more than their height or their hair color or nationality, please use their names :rofl:
This bothers me too, and I've tried my best to remove it from my own writing. I once read a fic in which one character dyed her hair and then they were BOTH "the brunette" from then on. Why!?

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#291

Post by Guest »

For those of you who dislike untagged p3n1$, what if the fic is a canon fic and part of canon involves hetero sex? Like for example, if I'm writing a faberry fic, I might have to mention Finn x Rachel hetero stuff in order to successfully write about the Quinn x Rachel lesbian stuff. I think as long as I don't graphically glorify the p3n1$ it should be fine, right?

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#292

Post by Guest »

When authors project their own illness upon a character and try and make it canon.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#293

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 21:37
For those of you who dislike untagged p3n1$, what if the fic is a canon fic and part of canon involves hetero sex? Like for example, if I'm writing a faberry fic, I might have to mention Finn x Rachel hetero stuff in order to successfully write about the Quinn x Rachel lesbian stuff. I think as long as I don't graphically glorify the p3n1$ it should be fine, right?
Ask yourself who your audience is. No lesbian want to read any of that, but there's plenty of bi and straight women who don't mind. So make up your mind who you're writing for and then commit.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#294

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 21:37
For those of you who dislike untagged p3n1$, what if the fic is a canon fic and part of canon involves hetero sex? Like for example, if I'm writing a faberry fic, I might have to mention Finn x Rachel hetero stuff in order to successfully write about the Quinn x Rachel lesbian stuff. I think as long as I don't graphically glorify the p3n1$ it should be fine, right?
Well, it’s really up to you because it’s your fic but since you’re asking, my advice is gloss over it. But the beauty of fanfiction is that the people reading tend to have some prior knowledge of the show/movie so there’s no need to go in depth with the world building you know? And if someone’s reading a f/f shipping fic, they’re not looking for a surprise d--- lol. IMO if the character you’re writing for is bisexual, you can just mention their male ex in passing(what i do) or have a fade to black sex scene if need be, eg.: “They spent the night together, they slept together, they went home together, etc.”

I’ve read a few fics where the bi character dates around—both genders—until they get with their female love interest and usually I scroll past the hetero sex because I don’t care for it. But it’s tagged and I know it’s coming so I don’t mind.

What I hate is when it’s tagged as explicitly f/f with ZERO mention of a dude and then halfway through someone cheats with a guy. But I mostly read fics with lesbians so that rarely happens these days. With lesbian main characters and couples, writers hardly elaborate on the straight ships in detail, even the canon ones. Like if the lesbian is best friends with a with a straight woman, maybe they’ll do double dates or they’ll mention their boyfriends but never to the extent that there’s mention of the sex scene because it’s written from the lesbian’s POV.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#295

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 21:37
For those of you who dislike untagged p3n1$, what if the fic is a canon fic and part of canon involves hetero sex? Like for example, if I'm writing a faberry fic, I might have to mention Finn x Rachel hetero stuff in order to successfully write about the Quinn x Rachel lesbian stuff. I think as long as I don't graphically glorify the p3n1$ it should be fine, right?
I mean yeah if you're just shading in context then I think it's harmless, just make sure to mention it in the tags and give an idea of how much/little to expect. People can make their own calls after that. Passing mentions of canon, whatever, just be juducious about it.

pixie
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#296

Post by pixie »

I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#297

Post by Guest »

pixie wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 18:45
I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.
Honestly I’d be overjoyed if one of the long since abandoned fics I’d been reading ever updated lol. I’m reading one that updates once a week and has been since 1999 and that’s the kind of work ethic I need in my life.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#298

Post by Guest »

pixie wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 18:45
I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.
That's fantastic to hear. My fav Cophine AU fic hasn't been updated in like 3 years and I honestly just want to know if the author is ok.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#299

Post by Guest »

pixie wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 18:45
I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.
god I wish that were me :lol:

It has happened to some fanfics I've read before that the author goes MIA for a couple of years and then there's an unexpected update and they promise that they'll finish the fic no matter what and that there's gonna be weekly updates and every time, EVERY TIME that's the last time ever they show up :argh:

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#300

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 19:41
pixie wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 18:45
I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.
Honestly I’d be overjoyed if one of the long since abandoned fics I’d been reading ever updated lol. I’m reading one that updates once a week and has been since 1999 and that’s the kind of work ethic I need in my life.
What the hell. Link or it didn't happen.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#301

Post by Guest »

I don't really read too many fics anymore, but I'm reading one now where it's quite obvious that the writer wants to tic off every single sexual position and kink. The previous chapter was asshole play, and this last chapter was period sex. Ugh.Gross.

To top it off, one of the characters is pregnant now, so I'm sure she'll work in some breast milk suckling too.

These are characters living in a rural setting in the 19th century.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#302

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 20:23
I don't really read too many fics anymore, but I'm reading one now where it's quite obvious that the writer wants to tic off every single sexual position and kink. The previous chapter was asshole play, and this last chapter was period sex. Ugh.Gross.

To top it off, one of the characters is pregnant now, so I'm sure she'll work in some breast milk suckling too.

These are characters living in a rural setting in the 19th century.
:lol: I was nodding along wearily up until the last line really kicked this into high gear

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#303

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 20:23
I don't really read too many fics anymore, but I'm reading one now where it's quite obvious that the writer wants to tic off every single sexual position and kink. The previous chapter was asshole play, and this last chapter was period sex. Ugh.Gross.

To top it off, one of the characters is pregnant now, so I'm sure she'll work in some breast milk suckling too.

These are characters living in a rural setting in the 19th century.
This shit always makes me laugh more than it grosses me out. Period pieces especially, because it’s so obvious that the author is projecting. Especially when people talk like they’re in modern times and use slang.

I’m reading a vampire fic right now that went from standard gore and sex to hardcore fisting and anal. I’m not going to read anymore chapters because it’s gone so far left but watching the gradual increase in kink was a bit unexpected. I’m not into that at all. Most kink stuff sounds a bit cringy and not at all sexy tbh. Like how is having a whole hand up your vagina in any way hot????

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#304

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 20:29
Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 20:23
I don't really read too many fics anymore, but I'm reading one now where it's quite obvious that the writer wants to tic off every single sexual position and kink. The previous chapter was asshole play, and this last chapter was period sex. Ugh.Gross.

To top it off, one of the characters is pregnant now, so I'm sure she'll work in some breast milk suckling too.

These are characters living in a rural setting in the 19th century.
This shit always makes me laugh more than it grosses me out. Period pieces especially, because it’s so obvious that the author is projecting. Especially when people talk like they’re in modern times and use slang.

I’m reading a vampire fic right now that went from standard gore and sex to hardcore fisting and anal. I’m not going to read anymore chapters because it’s gone so far left but watching the gradual increase in kink was a bit unexpected. I’m not into that at all. Most kink stuff sounds a bit cringy and not at all sexy tbh. Like how is having a whole hand up your vagina in any way hot????
I never got the fisting thing either. Kind of negatively impacted my reading experience of Tipping the Velvet a little bit, when they did that.

(19th century lesbians again).

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#305

Post by Guest »

Not tagging one of yours ships deaths.

yes, yes it’s pathetic I can’t handle the fictional death of a fictional character but I read for entertainment and wish fulfilment generally not shown by the show. Not a casual ‘so and so died in a fire’. :handbags:

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#306

Post by Guest »

pixie wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 18:45
I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.
Girl you are raising a lot of lesbian hopes here :spy:

There’s so many abandoned fics I’d love to see updated. I had hoped lockdown would see fic tick up but not in anything I still follow :bigcry:

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#307

Post by Guest »

^ This is a rare occurrence imo. There was a fic once I read and it blew my mind, the author was consistent and everything but then toward the end would go missing and I should have known what was coming but I was new to the game.
You guessed it...abandoned fic. Now and again when I'm feeling hopeful (years later) I'll pop in to check if by some miracle it's been revived. Alas, still the same apology from years ago about late update. I've pretty much given up in any case.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#308

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 22:50
^ This is a rare occurrence imo. There was a fic once I read and it blew my mind, the author was consistent and everything but then toward the end would go missing and I should have known what was coming but I was new to the game.
You guessed it...abandoned fic. Now and again when I'm feeling hopeful (years later) I'll pop in to check if by some miracle it's been revived. Alas, still the same apology from years ago about late update. I've pretty much given up in any case.
DA IME it's not that rare for a fic to suddenly get one chapter updated after years of nothing. It's not the norm, but it happens from time to time. What I've found is very rare though is for that fic to actually end up getting finished after the late update. What it seems happens is the author gets a flash of inspiration or motivation and they manage to bang out and post one chapter, but then that's gone and they don't actually have the momentum to keep going until the end.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#309

Post by Guest »

As a fanfiction writer with 3 abandoned fics, I really do intend to see my fics through. What’s happened in my case is that the shows either ruined the character or relationship so throughly, that I lost all inspiration. My most popular work still gets comments asking for updates even a year later and I actually have most of it outlined right up until the final chapter, which I don’t think I’ll ever write. I’ve gone back and forth on updating but I don’t want to post what I’ve got only to leave people hanging. I did put in the tags that the fics are abandoned though so people know before they click.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#310

Post by Guest »

but there's an even worse version of that I've seen where years later the author decides to continue an unfinished work but then realizes past author's writing isn't up to current author's standard, so they take the entire fic down and begin to republish updated versions of each chapter, which obviously they lose steam halfway through meaning the readers are left with less of the fic than before :lol:

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#311

Post by Guest »

lesbianx100 wrote:
17 Sep 2021, 10:32
This must have come up earlier in the thread but I hate it when authors keep calling characters 'the tall one', 'the shorter one', 'the Latvian woman', 'the Korean woman' does this and that.
For goodness' sake your characters are more than their height or their hair color or nationality, please use their names :rofl:
This!! God, it drives me crazy. One fic I started reading had so many variations that it was impossible to figure out who did what. 'The blonde', the taller woman, the ex-assassin, the agent, the older woman. Why do people think this is a great idea??? :bigcry:

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#312

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
14 Mar 2021, 01:37
Unforetold pregnancy. I could be reading this amazing massive 100k+ fic, and then it's offhandedly mentioned that one of them wants kids or that they're planning on having them someday. Or even worse, the fic ends with them having kids. I read a Korrasami fic where despite the relationship being amazing, Asami gave a baby-hesistant Korra this ultimatum where their love wasn't enough anymore and she needed kids to feel fulfilled. The fic went from a 10/10 to a 5/10 because of that 1 sentence.

Maybe I have an unhealthy complex about this, but I don't want a single word about pregnancy or the desire to propagate in my romance stories. I'm reading the fic for the romance, and having a kid inevitably detracts from it because the love is no longer between the couple but instead on the kid. It changes the relationship dynamic in a way I can't explain and which I don't want to read about :tmi:
Did I write this? :blinkwide:

No, but seriously. SAME x1000000. I will stop reading a fic the second pregnancy or children are mentioned. So tired of that pronatalistic shit seeping its way into everything and the assumption that the ONLY way for a couple to be happy in the long term and complete and fulfilled in their love is to procreate and raise kids together :fool: Especially in this day and age when more people are actively choosing not to be parents.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#313

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 00:47
Guest wrote:
14 Mar 2021, 01:37
Unforetold pregnancy. I could be reading this amazing massive 100k+ fic, and then it's offhandedly mentioned that one of them wants kids or that they're planning on having them someday. Or even worse, the fic ends with them having kids. I read a Korrasami fic where despite the relationship being amazing, Asami gave a baby-hesistant Korra this ultimatum where their love wasn't enough anymore and she needed kids to feel fulfilled. The fic went from a 10/10 to a 5/10 because of that 1 sentence.

Maybe I have an unhealthy complex about this, but I don't want a single word about pregnancy or the desire to propagate in my romance stories. I'm reading the fic for the romance, and having a kid inevitably detracts from it because the love is no longer between the couple but instead on the kid. It changes the relationship dynamic in a way I can't explain and which I don't want to read about :tmi:
Did I write this? :blinkwide:

No, but seriously. SAME x1000000. I will stop reading a fic the second pregnancy or children are mentioned. So tired of that pronatalistic shit seeping its way into everything and the assumption that the ONLY way for a couple to be happy in the long term and complete and fulfilled in their love is to procreate and raise kids together :fool: Especially in this day and age when more people are actively choosing not to be parents.
DA
I also agree. The worst for me is when the couple mentions it maybe one on screen and then suddenly all the new fics are about babies and building a family. Yawn. Or when they take characters that have explicitly said they don’t want kids and rewrite their personalities so they become the sappiest pushovers ever. And I don’t think anything is more dull and annoying to read than play dates or pregnancy fics where each chapter is a month of belly growth and almost no romance or sexual tension between the couple, just baby talk :/

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#314

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 00:10
As a fanfiction writer with 3 abandoned fics, I really do intend to see my fics through. What’s happened in my case is that the shows either ruined the character or relationship so throughly, that I lost all inspiration. My most popular work still gets comments asking for updates even a year later and I actually have most of it outlined right up until the final chapter, which I don’t think I’ll ever write. I’ve gone back and forth on updating but I don’t want to post what I’ve got only to leave people hanging. I did put in the tags that the fics are abandoned though so people know before they click.
I re read some old partially complete stuff I've done recently and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It's fun when you've forgotten enough of it to enjoy stuff like it's for the first time. :lol:

Anyway I liked it enough that I'm back working on it. I figure people would rather have an imperfect ending than none.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#315

Post by Guest »

The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#316

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
That fucking addictive feedback though can sometimes be the thing that pushes you to finish something you're struggling with. It's such a double edged sword. You don't want to burn anyone, but getting feedback can be the reason you sit down and spend an extra hour after work writing, because you know you're not just doing it in a vacuum.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#317

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:34
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
That fucking addictive feedback though can sometimes be the thing that pushes you to finish something you're struggling with. It's such a double edged sword. You don't want to burn anyone, but getting feedback can be the reason you sit down and spend an extra hour after work writing, because you know you're not just doing it in a vacuum.
100%. It is wild how much of a difference it makes to get even one comment, especially on an older story or something you'd give up on otherwise.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#318

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
You know what let me go send a little message to my fav.

pixie
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Joined: 25 Mar 2019, 08:51

Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#319

Post by pixie »

Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 20:10
Guest wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 19:41
pixie wrote:
28 Sep 2021, 18:45
I just received the notification of a 2014 fic updated.
Procrastination is an issue, but this is a whole different level.
Honestly I’d be overjoyed if one of the long since abandoned fics I’d been reading ever updated lol. I’m reading one that updates once a week and has been since 1999 and that’s the kind of work ethic I need in my life.
What the hell. Link or it didn't happen.
x10000000
:rofl:

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#320

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 03:59
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
You know what let me go send a little message to my fav.
Everybody should! You never know what you might shake out of the tree :lol:

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#321

Post by Guest »

the use of the word "orbs"...its ok to just say eyes

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#322

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 02:03
the use of the word "orbs"...its ok to just say eyes
Or boobs. Boobs is also acceptable.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#323

Post by Guest »

Elementary level writing

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#324

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 02:04
Guest wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 02:03
the use of the word "orbs"...its ok to just say eyes
Or boobs. Boobs is also acceptable.
DA LOL, for eyes?

pixie
Member
Reactions: 46
Posts: 791
Joined: 25 Mar 2019, 08:51

Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#325

Post by pixie »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 00:10
As a fanfiction writer with 3 abandoned fics, I really do intend to see my fics through. What’s happened in my case is that the shows either ruined the character or relationship so throughly, that I lost all inspiration. My most popular work still gets comments asking for updates even a year later and I actually have most of it outlined right up until the final chapter, which I don’t think I’ll ever write. I’ve gone back and forth on updating but I don’t want to post what I’ve got only to leave people hanging. I did put in the tags that the fics are abandoned though so people know before they click.
This isn't the first time I read this from a writer. How canon got so bad that they basically lost the feeling. I can get that. I just wish that if that's the case, at least leave a notice in the fic that it won't be updated at all. "I dislike canon and it's a turn-off for me now, so this is finished". Also edit the document so it's shown as complete. It would be frank and it's a type of closure. As a reader it's the limbo feeling that I find really annoying, and also the fact that I commit my time and attention to something only to be disregarded later. It's so bad that sometimes I think I'd prefer if the writer killed the main characters because it's better to feel angry than not getting anything at all. It's frustrating.

Another thing that annoys me: the "I have a real life so I haven't updated this in 10 months. Sorry, deal with it". I have a real life too. Everybody does. Seriously it's a matter of common courtesy to respect people's time and attention.

All the other explanations and freak-outs I've read from very good writers, like the ones posted previously, are in fact kinda worrisome because of the level of paralyzing insecurity that drives some of them to mess with an original fic that was really good: re-write it, re-post it, remove it... Nothing uncommon in the world of writing, but it shouldn't be like that. Put the weight of expectations aside and enjoy the act of writing. Serious readers will always care more about commitment than perfect texts.

pixie
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Reactions: 46
Posts: 791
Joined: 25 Mar 2019, 08:51

Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#326

Post by pixie »

Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:34
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
That fucking addictive feedback though can sometimes be the thing that pushes you to finish something you're struggling with. It's such a double edged sword. You don't want to burn anyone, but getting feedback can be the reason you sit down and spend an extra hour after work writing, because you know you're not just doing it in a vacuum.
Just remember that as a writer, you write to:
1) Yourself
2) Yourself
3) Others

It's an act of accomplishment that no validation can give you. This is always an extra. It's nice, very rewarding and it also boosts the ego, but extra. Too much validation makes the writer insecure to the point she begins writing per request.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#327

Post by Guest »

pixie wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 02:28
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:34
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
That fucking addictive feedback though can sometimes be the thing that pushes you to finish something you're struggling with. It's such a double edged sword. You don't want to burn anyone, but getting feedback can be the reason you sit down and spend an extra hour after work writing, because you know you're not just doing it in a vacuum.
Just remember that as a writer, you write to:
1) Yourself
2) Yourself
3) Others

It's an act of accomplishment that no validation can give you. This is always an extra. It's nice, very rewarding and it also boosts the ego, but extra. Too much validation makes the writer insecure to the point she begins writing per request.
DA

Sure but if you didn't care at all if anyone enjoyed your stuff or not you'd leave it on your hard drive. Writing takes a lot of time and energy, knowing people give a shit enough to read your stuff and give it some thought and reply to it makes an enormous difference to how motivated you are to push through blocks or lulls.

I write mainly because I enjoy it, but if I post two or three fics in a row and never break into triple figure views or more than 1-2 comments, I'm a thousand times less likely to nail down any stray plot concepts I'm toying with to write a third or fourth story. Fic is written for free and there's a lot of other stuff screaming for attention all the time, the fact people might get something out of it can definitely be the clincher between finishing a story or forgetting it again tonight and watching Netflix.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#328

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 03:14
pixie wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 02:28
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:34
Guest wrote:
29 Sep 2021, 01:13
The flipside is that I have a thing now about not publishing anything until it's complete because I don't want to burn anyone if I lose interest or take forever to complete. Which sucks as an author because a lot of the time everybody's moved on by the time it's finished and ready to post, so you don't get any feedback.
That fucking addictive feedback though can sometimes be the thing that pushes you to finish something you're struggling with. It's such a double edged sword. You don't want to burn anyone, but getting feedback can be the reason you sit down and spend an extra hour after work writing, because you know you're not just doing it in a vacuum.
Just remember that as a writer, you write to:
1) Yourself
2) Yourself
3) Others

It's an act of accomplishment that no validation can give you. This is always an extra. It's nice, very rewarding and it also boosts the ego, but extra. Too much validation makes the writer insecure to the point she begins writing per request.
DA

Sure but if you didn't care at all if anyone enjoyed your stuff or not you'd leave it on your hard drive. Writing takes a lot of time and energy, knowing people give a shit enough to read your stuff and give it some thought and reply to it makes an enormous difference to how motivated you are to push through blocks or lulls.

I write mainly because I enjoy it, but if I post two or three fics in a row and never break into triple figure views or more than 1-2 comments, I'm a thousand times less likely to nail down any stray plot concepts I'm toying with to write a third or fourth story. Fic is written for free and there's a lot of other stuff screaming for attention all the time, the fact people might get something out of it can definitely be the clincher between finishing a story or forgetting it again tonight and watching Netflix.
Da. Yeah. I mean I write for me, because it's a hobby and I enjoy spending my time on it. But I don't post for me, I post for others. I wouldn't edit a single thing I have written if it weren't for the fact that I know what it's like to yearn for more content about something you love. So to know someone enjoy those extra hours of editing that's always the thing that decides whether I post or if I leave it with the hundreds of other unfinished works I've got only on my hard drive. I write for me, I post and edit for others.

Guest
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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#329

Post by Guest »

Guest wrote:
30 Sep 2021, 03:49
Da. Yeah. I mean I write for me, because it's a hobby and I enjoy spending my time on it. But I don't post for me, I post for others. I wouldn't edit a single thing I have written if it weren't for the fact that I know what it's like to yearn for more content about something you love. So to know someone enjoy those extra hours of editing that's always the thing that decides whether I post or if I leave it with the hundreds of other unfinished works I've got only on my hard drive. I write for me, I post and edit for others.
To all the fanfic writers posting in here, I read a ton of it as it is bedtime reading. I have never posted a single comment as I assumed writers write what has to come out of them. This post made me see there is more to it than that. I stopped reading in progress fics many years ago because so many do not get finished. After reading the comments in here, I will start reading in progress again and leaving an actual comment.

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Re: Fanfic author pet peeves

#330

Post by Guest »

People who use a phrase like “the pulsing source of your juices”. I mean it reminds me of that nutribullet machine.

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