*is smug*

Are you people on about Independence, or world domination? by Ulalume on 2009-05-08 16:58:00 UTC Reply

Has anyone here ever hear of Independent!Harry badfic?
You know, where it turns out Dumbledore has been using Harry like a puppet all along, and Harry turns out to be the heir of multiple old families, AND he has tons of superpowers, AND he's involved in the political process, AND he's just a great big flaming Stu?

Why, just why? How'd this type of fic become so common in the first place?

Here's what I mean: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3190255/5/TheHouseofLords

And here: <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3661577/1/SummerofIndependence">http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3661577/1/Summerof_Independence

Okay, rant finished.

You know... by thejadefalcon on 2009-05-13 10:20:00 UTC Reply

I think it says something that the author of the first one has Keiran Halcyon in his/her favourite authors list...
How did it become common? by thejadefalcon on 2009-05-09 10:41:00 UTC Reply

I answer that with my own question. How did Sues become so common? Because all these authors are too busy [unsure if I'd get into trouble if I post this word] over their supreme author skillz to notice that the only thing they should be writing is their signature on a court order forbidding them to come within fifty metres of a keyboard.

People don't *set out* to write bad fic by The Trojanhorse on 2009-05-09 22:13:00 UTC Reply

A lot of badficcers are just overenthusiastic kids. They eventually end up writing better fic, if they stick with it and don't freak out at concrit :)

It's a practice thing, don't forget. We spork the fic to fix the world, not to punish the author.

*raises eyebrow* Hem, hem (nm) by Ansela on 2009-05-11 12:56:00 UTC Reply

Correction: by The Trojanhorse on 2009-05-11 21:28:00 UTC Reply

most people don't set out to write badfic EXCEPT goodficcers with too much time on their hands and a weird sense of humor :P

That's the problem, though... by thejadefalcon on 2009-05-11 11:53:00 UTC Reply

In my experience, about ninety percent of writers do freak out at concrit.

True, but we should always hope... by The Trojanhorse on 2009-05-11 21:27:00 UTC Reply

... that THIS time they'll take our advice.

We can't just write them all off as losses. That'd be throwing the baby out with the bathwater, to mangle a metaphor.

Well, actually, I'd contest that... by Sedri on 2009-05-11 09:05:00 UTC Reply

Some people do set out to write rubbish - crack fics and such - and trolls especially just want to provoke a reaction. But otherwise? Agreed, completely.

That'll teach me to make sweeping generalisations :P by The Trojanhorse on 2009-05-11 09:06:00 UTC Reply

You are, as usual, completely correct. There are always exceptions. But most badficcers? Are completely unaware that they're badficcers.

*is smug* by Sedri on 2009-05-11 09:14:00 UTC Reply

"As usual"? That's quite a compliment, m'dear. *bows* Thank you. And it was just a nitpick. It really is sad that so many badfic writers are unaware of how terrible they are...

Though really, it's harder than most of us make out. Last week I spent six hours writing a cold draft of a chapter, and when I read it over two days later, I hated it. Things seem so, so, SO much better as you write, because you're seeing the story in your head without cumbersome words getting in the way. I'm not excusing all those thousands of badfics - the authors should have stopped, read them over later, redrafted, edited, and so on - but it's all too easy to see how it happens. :(

Re: *is smug* by thejadefalcon on 2009-05-11 11:55:00 UTC Reply

"Last week I spent six hours writing a cold draft of a chapter, and when I read it over two days later, I hated it."

I know the feeling with pretty much everything I write, but, as you say, the authors don't seem to reread it. A lot don't even bother looking for a beta (and the ones that do end up with god-awful ones, like the one I saw on FF.net advertising in chat speak).

You want pathetic? by Sedri on 2009-05-11 23:21:00 UTC Reply

I have an actual, real-life, paying customer who sends me emails with proofreading requests in chatspeak. He doesn't write like that in the essays themselves, thank bloody gods, but it irks me to no end that he can't be bothered writing full words in an email to a stranger. *grumbles*

I used to do that... by thejadefalcon on 2009-05-12 10:22:00 UTC Reply

I once used chat speak in IM and e-mails/PMs etc, simply because it was easier. Now, I've swapped to proper English for everything and I now find that easier. But yeah, that is a bit stupid really.

I still think advertising as a beta reader in chat speak is worse though.

True. (nm) by Sedri on 2009-05-13 05:26:00 UTC Reply

Oh, it really is by The Trojanhorse on 2009-05-11 09:16:00 UTC Reply

I am often tempted to delete my own in-progress fics because they read to me like utter wank sometimes.

It never is effortless to produce a good story. But that's no excuse for letting a bad one out, as you point out.

PS: you are often right when you correct me - otherwise would I ask you to beta for me so often?:P

Re: Oh, it really is by thejadefalcon on 2009-05-11 11:56:00 UTC Reply

Oh, okay. I could have said 'wank' then.

A bit harsh there. (nm) by Huinesoron on 2009-05-09 22:09:00 UTC Reply

Re: Are you people on about Independence, or world domination? by Pads on 2009-05-08 23:28:00 UTC Reply

That first one has to be a pisstake. No one in their right mind would call a house-elf Steve. And as for Harry being the Duke of sodding Windsor... And he gets "coronated"? In Azkaban? What the...?

I hardly dare click on the other one after that.

Oh, Glod. by Anity on 2009-05-09 05:04:00 UTC Reply

I didn't click on either one out of fear... Steve? Really? It burns...