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ext_2780 ([identity profile] aizjanika.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] switch842 2006-12-19 04:24 am (UTC)

Has anyone else noticed the recent influx of suckiness in fandom? Like, all of them? Especially in fics and videos? Like, I hate reading WIPs, so I try to wait until they're done to read them. And there are some that sound really interesting and I'm really excited to read, and then I do. And it completely sucks ass. Everyone is so out of character, the grammar and spelling are atrocious. Ugh. It's almost to the point where I wish I could leave feedback or something that says "Please stop writing. You suck." But know I can't. Grrr.

lol Everyone has to start somewhere, but I know what you mean... I actually wrote a ranty post about something similar yesterday and then didn't post it. *g*

The problem that I'm having right now is reading some stories that are actually good and mostly well-written or at least average, and if I like the story and the characterization, I can forgive a lot, but...grammar and spelling...UGH! But the biggest thing I'm coming across lately?

"The older man" and "the younger hunter" and "the elder hunter" and any number of other phrases authors are using to avoid using the characters' names. UGH!!!! That is maybe my biggest pet peeve. I *hated* it in the Stargate fandom if people would refer to Jack as "the older man" or "the old colonel" or even "the colonel." His name is JACK or O'NEILL!! *g* (Referring to Daniel as "the archaeologist" or "the younger man" was just as irritating.)

This is even more irritating when "older man" is used in the Supernatural fandom to refer to a 26-year-old guy. *g* Even if the character were 90 years old, though, this would be irritating unless the character was unknown and not yet named in the story.

Every time I read this, I think "What older man? Where did the old man come from?"

For god's sake, writers, USE the *characters'* *names*!!!! Or use a simple pronoun. There's no need to make up all sorts of elaborate phrases every single time you refer to a character in a fic.

OTOH, I do think it's best not to criticize writers too harshly because, they do need to start somewhere and we all have our own ways of seeing the characters. I think Daniel was acting completely out of character on the show in season 10, but 99.9999% of all Daniel fans would disagree with me. *g*

When it comes to fanfic, I like to find an author who sees the characters more like I do, and that's not always easy. Sometimes I'll jump into an author's universe and other times it's just too far off from what I see in the character or what I want to see, that I just can't do that.

Another thing I really want to rant about is: Why are authors not including links to previous chapters when they post a story? Especially if it's the last chapter of a story (when I'm more likely to read it), why would they not include links to previous chapters for those who were waiting or those who just saw the story for the first time? I honestly don't know what authors expect. That I'm going to go searching their LJ and hope to find a tag or something in their memories or just scan through every post they've ever made hoping to find previous chapters? Or hope to find a link to a website? I'm not doing that.

And...if it's a multi-chapter story, they should go back and edit the previous chapter posts and add "next chapter" links, too. *g* Preferably, they could include links to all chapters completed in every post related to the story.

Or am I just crazy? No matter how good the story is, I don't want to have to work that hard. *g*

And most of the time, people just take a song and plop random scenes on top that don't go with the song, have nothing to do with the song.

I've noticed this for a long time. I always love vids when the author takes pains to make the clips go with the music--even going in time to the music. Long clips set to music really do nothing for me. I've seen some vid makers tell a very specific story--sometimes even something completely different from what was on the show--just by editing the clips a certain way.

OTOH, I can't even make a picture slideshow, so I have at least a little respect for anyone who can make a vid.

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