What.

[farla]

Name: Tishu
Profile: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/932503/
--------------------

Subject: I disagree with some of your issues with 'Lonely' (Homestuck
fanfiction)

Personally I look at fanfiction as something written by the fans, for the
fans. There are times you come across a writer or reader who looks for
something as close to the canon as possible, but generally I think it's
written to fulfill a niche not explored in the canon, and sometimes, if not
often, a degree of OOCness is necessary. I look at good fanfiction as a
cohesive alternative, a cohesive -interpretation-, that's my personal
preference. For me there's a big deivide between the comic/nolvel/series/film
etc, and fanfiction. I don't know if you find this view on fanfiction
annoying, or haven't considered it, or something else, but I think it's
something imortant to consider when critiquing fanfiction, and it seems like
you're not, while being very assertive in your criticisms. I can agree with
the writing of a character being over the top, but saying that's bad because
its not like the actual Tavros is perhaps missing the whole point of
fanfiction for many people; and seems a little one sided. If you had made a
commision for the fanfiction, or the author had specifically stated they were
aiming for writing a story and characters as close to the canon as possible,
then criticising their failure to do so, and following, relaterd errors, fair
enough. In my eyes, Tavros and Gamzee having very tender sex in the lab seems
just as likely as Tavros wangsting, caring about blood colour, and being an
unreliable narrator. Picking up on only one, or some of those differences from
the canon, but not all of them, while suggesting differences from the canon
are a bad thing seems illogical. But that's just my perspective, I'm assuming:
1 You mean to suggest differences from the canon is a bad thing, and 2 the
character differences mentioned above are all as ooc as each other.

I think you make some good points, but come across a little strong. You want
to help people write well, which is a good thing. I just want to make sure
you're not running on a one sided view.

--------------------

I think I just read something saying I shouldn't complain about the canon errors I mentioned because I didn't bitch about them being gay and/or that the point of fanfic is to be OOC.

Comments

[bay115.livejournal.com]

I think I just read something saying I shouldn't complain about the canon errors I mentioned because I didn't bitch about them being gay and/or that the point of fanfic is to be OOC.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too when reading that reply. I admit, I too sometimes read (and write) stuff that is not explored in canon because whatever idea is in the story can perphaps easily fit/expand that canon world. The "point of fanfic is to be OCC" though really threw me off. The plot/idea might be interesting, but if the characters are not who they are, then the story is better off as original fiction.

[farla.livejournal.com]

The point of fanfic always seemed to me to explore areas of canon without going OOC or having to change too many details to accomplish it (or, only change the details that are necessary, anything else is an error).

[ember-reignited.livejournal.com]

Mostly the latter, with a touch of the former for support, yeah. Because I guess it isn't possible to explore things that don't happen in the canon while still keeping the characters themselves?

[farla.livejournal.com]

I wonder if I've wandered into a shipwar or something.

What's really confusing is they favorited the fic.

[ember-reignited.livejournal.com]

I think they like slash ships they also consider to be OOC. Which is why they get nervous when people criticize OOCness.

[farla.livejournal.com]

That's a mildly depressing outlook. Like the people who like slash and are ant-gay, only hopefully with less actual anti-gay.

Huh. What do you think of the pairing? I thought it was a perfectly reasonable one. Gamzee♦Tavros doesn't work at all, but matesprits seems fine.

[charizamdc.livejournal.com]

You can't really pair IC Gamzee with anyone for very long.

[farla.livejournal.com]

He seems to maintain friendships fine. It'd have to be a pretty low-key matespritship, of course.

[ember-reignited.livejournal.com]

Yep. Though not actually anti-gay, it's weirdly heteronormative. Most trolls are bisexual and Gamzee and Tavros get on well enough, so I don't see what's so odd about it.

It's perfectly reasonable and painfully dull.

[purplekitte.livejournal.com]

I really don't know why everyone keeps treating stoned!Gamzee/Tavros like a whole big thing that needs so much OOC justification. I was just rereading some old comics and they're totally friends. Tavros is Gamzee's server player and they have the worst rap-off in the history of paradox space. Their being on good terms is totally canon.

[ember-reignited.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I think it must just be heteronormativity. Slash fans are used to having to justify their ships beyond "they get along really well," while with a(n otherwise unattached) guy and girl who are good friends the default assumption is that they will canonically get together.

[(Anonymous)]

This person probably thinks "Gam/Tav is not canon, therefore it's OOC", but likes the story either despite or because of the OOC-ness.

I guess what he's saying is…… some people are into OOC characterization…?

[knuddeluff.livejournal.com]

Personally I look at fanfiction as something written by the fans, for the
fans.

Agreed. Doesn't mean that the execution can't be terribad.

That's a lot of words but I kinda lost the point.