Discussion Fan Fic Pet Peeves?

True. That can turn a 5k word slice-of-life or character study into a 100k monster that takes over your life!

 

Or at least add a few more complications and character moments you weren't exactly counting on.

 

I've had both happen. Having months long standoffs with my characters because they are insisting on doing something I really don't want to deal with and consequently not writing at all.

 

Oh yeah, been there done that.

 

When people write characters from SW completely out of character just to make it plain how 'evil' they think they are so they are 'justified' in killing them off often in worse ways than their film demises. I've seen both happen to Dooku and Tarkin a lot.

 

Sadly that method isn't exclusive to Star Wars. I sometimes want to hit some writers with a newspaper everytime I see a fic that twists Rose Tyler's character into somebody evil so that they can pair the Doctor or meta crisis up with a character of their choosing.

 

Good old 'Ron the Death Eater' syndrome at work. Large reason why I stick to certain fics and 'fandoms within the fandoms'. I don't have the time or patience for that type of fic.

 

Finding decent fanfic does seem very hard. It seems there are very vocal minority groups of tastes that don't even make sense. I don't like it when writers distort relationships.

 

Of course, Tarkin and Dooku were villains and the men who portrayed them were outstanding actors who made us believe they were truly evil. You have to realize that many SW fans might have never seen these two actors in any other movies. So their impression of them is skewed to the villain way of thinking.

 

That may be so but it shouldn't be. And truly if you look at how both Cushing and Lee handle them they are NOT as black as most of those here insist.

 

I agree that Tarkin is no Jeffrey Dahmer or John Wayne Gacy, but he did order the destruction of two planets. Alderaan and Despayre were destroyed because Tarkin ordered it. Ordering the destruction of maybe a billion people makes Tarkin probably the biggest mass murderer in the Star Wars galaxy, followed by Kyp and Luke (for that Saga and Beyond time frame at least).

 

What do you mean distort relationship?

 

That's a point I always make when talking about how Vader isn't quite as evil as he's made out to be, since it was Tarkin who thought that blowing up Alderaan would make Leia talk. Not that that discussion has any particular purpose, mind, other than to serve as context for Anakin's eventual redemption (he did dark things, but not that dark). Vader knew that such a ploy wouldn't—and indeed didn't—work anyway, and I'm sure that that small bit of Anakin inside him would not have permitted him to do such a dastardly thing.

At any rate, a related peeve: when fan fic has the villain committing acts of "stupid evil" or "evil for evil's sake" such as murdering random people while walking down a city street And that's just one example; many more can be found in the world famous "Being an Evil Overlord" list.

I think she means taking relationships between canon characters, within the canon setting (for example, Han hooking up with Leia, Daala with Tarkin, etc.) and twisting them to suit the author's whim. As in, making Daala a secret Rebel who wanted to exploit Tarkin's influence within the Empire, so that after Tarkin dies, she can hook up with the author's self-insert character and lead the Alliance to glorious victory, yadda yadda yadda.

 

They are different types of evil. Tarkin is far more deadly, but he appears to do things in a cold and calculating manner without a lot of emotion. Vader is written as a cauldron of hate and anger that strikes out against people who irritate him or gets in his way.

I guess it would be analogous to a kid that pulls the wings off a couple flies compared to the adult who takes out the insecticide and kills all the bugs in the yard. One kills a couple bugs with vindictive glee and the other kills thousands with complete indifference. When you are the bug…both are equally frightening.

 

Know what guys, I'm out of here. It's very sad so few are willing to listen to anything but parroting of their own views.

 

Don't go. I think people were listening. It's just most of us see the characters as they are portrayed in the movies. Vader, Tarkin and Dooku were written to be villains. You can't blame people for seeing them that way…especially when there is nothing written that mitigates their actions. I encourage you write a story about the Grand Moff that changes people's minds about the character. I have seen fanfic authors write about characters I hate in a way that made me like them.

 

Get Tarkin to change out of those leather pants and then we'll talk, dear.

 

What? Why do you want to see Tarkin without pants?

I just thought of a plot bunny that would have all of Tarkin's actions make him look like a hero. Unfortunately, I have too many stories on the back burner to write it.

Pet peeves: Not knowing how to proceed with my main fanfic and therefore I start other fanfics to occupy my mind while I let my main fic linger in limbo.

 

Draco in leather pants

My last comment on this will be that I like Tarkin because he's ruthless, cold, calculating, and willing to blow up a planet just to get Leia to talk, while having impeccable manners. I wouldn't change a thing about that. Those "bad" qualities are what I like to see in my supervillains. Downplaying those and emphasizing some softer, sensual side would only hurt his character.

 

Jedi Lover: So do I. I see that they made very bad choices. I see the characters just fine. I just have studied the men and their work enough to know they inform their parts especially Cushing and every time I dare say so people blow me off. You act like the characters of Tarkin and Dooku are reprehensible monsters when they aren't. They are no worse than Anakin and practically everyone seems to excuse him. Yes, they are antagonists but they are also *men*. And both *real* men bring aspects of themselves to the parts which hardly anyone seems to notice or acknowledge are possible.

I can't write Tarkin. I'm sorry. I can't write a character that isn't mine in good conscience. I am striving very hard to writing a tribute tale for Cushing though to honour his memory.

Goodwood: Your comment makes no sense. I have never seen Cushing in leather and doubt he ever wore it at least of personal taste (except shoes perhaps).

TrakNar: Downplaying those and emphasizing some softer, sensual side would only hurt his character.

I disagree with you completely. It would humanise Tarkin and perhaps show everyone a bit of what Cushing was really like.

 

Peter Cushing = Actor
Wilhuff Tarkin = Character

Peter Cushing = Nice guy with stellar acting skills
Wilhuff Tarkin = Extremely ruthless supervillain with a boom fetish

 

Peter Cushing = Human being Wilhuff Tarkin = human being in context of SW

 

Your logic is...interesting.

 

Normally I don't like to step in on discussions such as this as a mod, because there is no policy breaking, so I'm not using my mod voice. That being said, 99% of the discussions here on the fanfic boards revolve around FICTIONAL characters, and have NOTHING to do with the actors that played them. I'm not even sure why Peter Cushing was brought up in this discussion, in general, actors are only allowed to be brought up if it adds to the conversation (IE Cushing's mannerisms when he played Tarkin). I don't see how Cushing adds to the conversation of fanfic pet peeves. Tarkin is the character. Peter Cushing was the brilliant actor that played him. Discuss Tarkin as a character, not Cushing as a human being. There is some slight flaming (IMO), and this has started to get a little off topic, so please stop bringing real-life actors into discussions if they have nothing to do with the discussion. Thank you.

 

That was some interesting reading TrakNar. Thanks for the link.