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Why take pride in fanfics?

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1Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 14:25

Everyone has a friend like this, they come up to you talking about this really cool story they are working on so you get excited for them. Then they tell you "It's a really good story based on 'x', i'm proud of it", suddenly your excitement sinks and you are saying to yourself...oh no, not another fanfic. So you pretty much HAVE to read it at this point or at least skim it because you don't want to tell your friend how much you think the art of fanfics makes you sick and that they are an idiot for wasting time making one. Then you see the atrocious writing, the total lack of a plot and the terrible representation of famous characters who don't act anything like themselves. What do you do? Tell them it sucks and get into a stupid argument? Tell them it rocks and lie to their face?

I don't get why people are so proud of sucking. If it isn't shitty fanart it's shitty fanfics. It's like...I know when something I write is a piece of crap so I don't share it proudly. I hide it. Same with art. Why are people in this day and age so proud of every little scribble and rough draft they do that they have to proudly display it to the world? Doesn't anyone have any self respect anymore?

So you say "yeah that was cool" and you wish you could be honest but if you are they will probably get angry and it's not worth arguing over how you think fanfics almost always suck and they think the opposite because they have the mentality of some 12 year old who can't come up with their own ideas.

2Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 15:02

How about you get over yourself and give them an honest critique?  Tell them where it works, and show them where it doesn't; explain what's wrong, and do it without being an ass about it.  Don't give them pointless flattering comments, but don't make them feel like crap -- however bad it might be, they honestly put a lot of work into it.  What they need is guidance, and by showing it to you they're probably looking for some honest feedback.  If you can't make a worthwhile critique, tell them so and suggest they find someone who's more able to do so.

On the other hand, if they are incapable of taking any form of criticism, and get inflamed over the smallest helpful suggestion, then carefully disengage and walk away; you can't help anyone who doesn't want it.

But don't give attitude, because that never helps any situation, and says more about you than them.  At least by bringing their worst work into the open they are taking a chance with it, aqnd opening themselves to a whole lot of hurt, and maybe some chance at improvement; by hiding yours, you're only giving up in order to spare yourself a little pain.

3Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 15:32

>>2
Uh, no. By hiding mine I am using it to see where I went wrong and improve upon my work only sharing the best of the best rather than any ol thing I write up in an hour as a rough draft. Also, the problem is most of these people who do shitty fanfics don't take criticism well even if you are really polite about it. I've tried to point out things before like spelling and some basic grammar and they said "those things don't matter" at which point I saw how pointless it was to try and help.

4Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 15:48

>>2
Even though the OP is acting like an ass about it [I think he's the dude trying to troll /dis/ with a bunch of ranty threads] he is right in regards to the fact people share anything regardless of quality on the net. Then because people on the net or the communities they belong to discourage honest and constructive criticism it will usually shock an artist/writer to hear such things. This will cause them to get very defensive no matter how nice you are in your advice.

>>3
If someone who calls themself a writer claims that spelling and grammar don't matter then you should tell them straight up that they can't be a good writer without those things. If they refuse to listen then just change the subject or walk away like >>2 says because they are a lost cause. If you are a friend though you need to be honest and try to help them instead of bitching on Fchan.

5Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 17:53

If you for some reason, harbour an irrational hate against fanfics, read this and see if you still can maintain that: http://www.eyrie-productions.com/

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Sen at 17 Apr 2008: 18:03

>>1
Does everybody have a friend like this? Perhaps.

Does everyone feel the same way about fanfics that you do? I doubt it, so don't act like yours is the only opinion on fanfics out there.

There are some great fanfics out there, which is why I honestly can't have the mentality that fanfics suck as a whole. There are some absolute gems on this great internet of ours.

7Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 18:09

>>6
I agree, there's great fanfics out there, because I know of proffesional writers (published by non-fandom publishers) who write fanfics under pseudonyms on the net.  So obviously not all fanfics have the same issues the OP is referring to. 

8Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 18:17

>>6 Thankfully I don't have any friends like that...

So I can in clear conscience tell them how much it sucks and they should stop writing them ^_____^

>>5 Ok, I tried your demand going in with serious intent and an open mind...

I couldn't get past the first paragraph of the first story i picked up before I started laughing, it opens with some character called DJ (That's a name?) visitting England seemingly, and within 1 paragraph explains the character as "having explored ancient ruins as a kid with his mom".

...

Ok, let's see. The scene opens for the epic story, does the author describe the location? No,? The sky? No, the setting in which this is taking place? No, he tells me the character thinks this city is kinda cool (Seriously, you ever been worcester? - it sucks) and that his mum used to be a real life tomb raider or something and he learned a lot from her; despite the fact this is far from relevent and reads like a Gary Stu opening (Oh hai guys, this is my leet character lol, wanna hear my backstory... no? Tough - here it comes!)

The opening says it's based on Evangelion too, but I can't see where you'd hook a fanfic onto evangelion because...

*SPOILERS*

Everyone FUCKING DIES. kthnxbye

9Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 19:47

>>5
Those were TERRIBLE, i've read better sex fanfics than that garbage and I HATE sex fanfics.

10Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 19:50

>>8
"Well," said DJ to himself as he stood at the guard rail and
looked down the hill on which the Worcester Airport was situated,
"this is a happening city, I can tell from here."

Said DJ to himself? Are you kidding me? Improper grammar in the first god damned line.

11Report
LLz at 17 Apr 2008: 20:00

>>10
I don't see anyhting definitively wrong if DJ is used as a name. Other than that commas may help improve legibility, what's drastically flawed with the sentence that you think it's a joke?

12Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 20:21

So... is it easier to bitch, or easier to edit?

Obviously it is easier to bitch and act superior.

"You suck... he sucks... I'm okay."

13Report
at 17 Apr 2008: 20:23

>>11

I agree.  It needs a little editing, some minor rewrite, but essentially isn't seriously flawed.  Not to the extent that I'd throw it away in disgust and rail about what a wretched writer so-and-so is.

14Report
Sen at 17 Apr 2008: 20:36

>>12

It's always easier for people to bitch. Law of the internet I suppose. :/

15Report (sage)
at 17 Apr 2008: 21:20

"Well," DJ thought to himself as he stood atop the hill and looked down upon the city of Worcester, "This looks like a happening city. I can tell from here!".
-
DJ stood upon the crest of the hill, the airport behind him. He gazed down over the guardrail to where the city of Worcester lay, face alight with anticipation.

"Well," he happily declared to himself, "This is a happening city. I can tell from here!"
-
The airport lay behind him. DJ looked over the guardrail from his vantage point atop the hill. Below him, the city of Worcester lay in all its promise.

"This is a happening city," he told himself, a smile quirking the corners of his mouth. "I can tell that from here."

And several million variants. Call it a rough draft, and re-do. Read it, and then run each sentence through your mind, trying out variations to see which works best for the image and mood you're trying to impart to the reader.

Yeah, it's hard work.

16Report
Bizzle at 17 Apr 2008: 22:30

What do I do?  I tell them that it's not bad for a first draft, that it could use some polish here and there, and that there is no shame in getting someone to proofread for them.  Then I anonymously make copypasta out of it and post it on the internet for the lulz.

17Report
at 18 Apr 2008: 19:05

>>8

You managed to miss the sarcasm.

You managed to not read the explanation page, which tells you that this is not a straight fanfic, but a rewrite of the original storyline.

You pretty much managed to invalidate all your points a priori without any outside help.

>>10

This is meant to be a rewrite of an anime. Anime characters tend to monologue at times for the benefit of the viewer.

18Report
at 18 Apr 2008: 21:00

>>17
The monologue isn't the problem, it's the piss poor grammar and total lack of interesting prose.

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