Subject: What does the PPC mean to you?
Author:
Posted on: 2013-12-27 00:34:00 UTC
I don't mean in character, either.
What does the idea of the PPC and its values mean to the people who constitute it? What do you think is wise, and what do you think is foolish? If I'm to get an idea of what people like to read in a PPC story, then I might as well figure out what it is people like about this august body in the first place... =]
The PPC is a group of people who like to write. I like to write, so why wouldn't I be interested?
We all need beta readers and grammarians to pick over our work, but it's hard to find that IRL. Go online, though, and you can meet other people who also like to write, and care about writing well.
I like to read the missions that people write, and I've gotten pretty skilled at preventing whatever I'm drinking from squirting out of my nose due to the inevitable laughter.
That's a complicated question, isn't it?
On one hand, it exists as a medium to express our displeasure at those who would corrupt our fandom with bad writing/spelling, bland OCs, Mary Sues, poor grammar, and to generally mock them as often as possible. Unlike the Official Fanfiction Academies, the PPC doesn't exist to teach writers to do better while delivering an amusing tale at the same time, it is there for the sole purpose of comedy.
On the offhand, it is capable of creating an entire world built around a simplistic concept, filled with characters that make us laugh, cry, and go 'Sweet bifurcated Darth Maul! That was awesome!' The PPC is more than just a costume, it's a culture. A culture filled with half-mad assassins/exorcists/space-time cops/reformed villains armed with lethal weapons, but a culture nonetheless.
A tale from the PPC must be funny, entertaining, immersive, and most importantly, it must be written from the heart. It's an exercise in self-expression, and a way to inform writers that what they're posting is not the best they can manage, they can always do better. I've seen so many stories with excellent premises, but are executed(both ways) so poorly it makes me cringe.
This gives me an idea. To all you agents out there, try finding a fic with a good idea at the center and nurturing that tiny breeze until it grows into a great wind that sweeps over the internet like a... like a great wind!
My time is coming. I think things, and they happen.
"...it exists as a medium to express our displeasure at those who would corrupt our fandom..."
We are not here to express displeasure at badfic authors. There are reasons we have rules against flaming and why we only rarely contact the author at all.
We are here to express our displeasure at bad writing. Dislike the fic all you want, but please leave the author out of it.
-Phobos
There has been occasion for authors contacting us because they want us to PPC their fic (Spidey3000) and there was that mystery person telling authors that their fics had been sporked. So, they are more likely to seek us out than the other way around.
Neshomeh would like to note that some of us offer concrit, as well, which could count as PPCers contacting badfic authors.
-Phobos, with a side of Neshomeh
And in most cases we don't even tell that we are from the PPC, 'cause it isn't really the point (you don't need to be a PPCer to give good concrit, after all) and some people might react badly and not listen.
Considering that a lot of people doesn't listen already, better to not take chances.
And it's always heartwarming when you give concrit to a fairly terrible fic, and the author non only accepts it but asks for more advice. It means that peple that truly care despite their current level of skills still exist.
Specifically, this line: Unlike the Official Fanfiction Academies, the PPC doesn't exist to teach writers to do better while delivering an amusing tale at the same time, it is there for the sole purpose of comedy.
I think the PPC absolutely does exist to teach writers to do better. Perhaps not the individual fanwriters whose stories get sporked by us, but everyone who reads the missions, and indeed everyone who writes them, should be able to pick up a thing or two in the process. A mission is two things: a critique of a particular badfic and an independent narrative about the agents. If a mission doesn't adequately show why the badfic is bad, it has failed. Further, if a mission doesn't stand as an example of good storytelling in and of itself, it has failed. There's a reason we don't just let anyone write for the PPC, after all: we expect quality.
On top of that, it must also entertain, but that's almost a secondary concern; it'll have a hard time entertaining if it's riddled with spurious, unsupported accusations, poor mechanics, bland characters, and dull narrative. There also has to be a balance lest it turn into an essay with quotation marks thrown in (too much critique, not enough story/snark), an MST (too much snark, not enough story/critique), or something that might as well be original fiction (too much story, not enough critique/snark). Learning to strike that balance should teach writers to do better. Seeing how it's done should teach readers to do better. QED.
~Neshomeh
I have a habit of contradicting myself, but everything I say is completely true.
...
Why should one such as I care? I am a humble being, so let us disagree. You have the floor as long as I may speak freely.
I'm not sure I'm understanding you correctly. What I'm getting from your response is something along the lines of "I think what I think, and I don't care about other people's opinions, so I'm going to dismiss you with some vague, grandiloquent phrases." Was that your intent?
~Neshomeh
Somehow I thought you were talking about PPC stories in general, not just missions. Blame being over tired. :P