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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Discussion Fan Fic Pet Peeves?

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by alienyouthct, Jul 30, 2002.

  1. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Cultural appropriation - whether it's just "exotic" names or fully blown bastardisation of barely-understood cultures. That is not how one transfers reality to fantasy, no.

    Authors who don't reply to comments.

    Fics being more or less knock-offs of other works, without attribution.
     
  2. Grade

    Grade Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2013
    In the world of writing everyone steals from everybody... That is what I read somewhere on the net, which i find is true.

    But I don't agree steal blindly and making exact copy of other just changing a few things here and there from other people's works.

    But agree with authors don't reply to comments.
     
  3. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Guilty as charged on not replying, especially since that sometimes bugs me too. I'm hoping to catch up on some of that today.
     
  4. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    I don't usually (read: almost never) reply to comments in my own story threads because to me it feels like filling up the thread with chat stuff. But I can understand why that would be appreciated on the commenters' parts, so I usually send any responders a "like." But if it gets more folks to comment on my stuff, then so be it... ;)

    As for "cultural appropriation," I don't see that as a problem at all, in any realm of life. Culture isn't owned by anybody, and everyone can borrow from it as they see fit.
     
    whiskers likes this.
  5. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2014
    I don't mind knock offs in them self where they get inspired by a story and write something similar but different. I am not a good writer and would fine if someone was inspired by my ideas and wrote something better. I do think someone should make it different enough though, where it has some different plot twist and isn't just a reworded version.

    I don't think people should copy and paste someone's story word for word and claim it as their own. I've brought this up before up I don't like fan fics that are basically the same as the movie with an added OC. Or an OC takes place of a character and almost nothing changes or a character lives, but the story is basically the same.

    And also I don't like Luke and Leia switching roles fan fics.
     
  6. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    There is a difference between doing it right and making it corny. When you insert an equivalent of, say, a Samurai into SW, it's corny, campy and may appear offensive, but that last thing is rare.

    When you base a culture on an existing one and take the effort to make whole new worlds that are just loosely based on something from our own history, that's good and shows that the author cares about their story.
     
  7. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2014
    There is also Star Wars brought to Earth fics. While the parody/crackfic humorous ones may be funny in some cases the other ones I don't care for.

    I am not really a fan of the Empire invading the Earth stories too.
    And then there is the insert self into stories and girl gets transported to Star Wars and joins the gang or falls for a character.
     
  8. JadeLotus

    JadeLotus Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 27, 2005
    I appreciate and author replying to comments as well.

    My pet peeve is use of "Mr" and "Mrs" - the terms just don't seem very GFFA to me.
     
    Ewok Poet likes this.
  9. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    I prefer master and mistress or similar

    I have no problem with people inserting an equivalent of a samura, it is when they, and the culture they come from, is nothing but a samurai/fudal Japan ripoff then I have a problem with it. I mean show some creativity people!
     
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  10. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    On titles, what I feel would be GFFA would be the usage of Mx for people. It has the added benefit of being gender neutral in a species-neutral environment. Mx Jade. Mx Skywalker. Mx Solo. Mx Calrissian.

    Also, it has an X in it, which is one of the Xtreme Kewl Letterz.
     
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  11. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

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    Jan 28, 2014
    I am not bothered by the use of Mr. and Miss, Mrs. I think I've used it once before. I wouldn't use it a lot though. Having it in common usage would be weird I think. Doesn't C3-PO use the word Miss?
    With all the planets of Star Wars I am sure you can have certain people use certain titles and greetings that are different.
     
    Kahara likes this.
  12. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014

    Basically yes to both things you said...which is why us attentive writers/readers appreciate you, Gamera....I mean, Gamiel. :eek:
     
  13. Goodwood

    Goodwood Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2011
    I think we're starting to get away from actual peeves (things that bug you) and getting into stylistic choices and the preferences thereof. Not really what this thread was intended for.

    That said...

    ...one peeve of mine is one that, fortunately, I've rarely seen in fanfic (but have seen in profic). It is stories that try to have a military angle or elements of military life, but the author didn't bother to put forth the effort to understand the principles of the life. I'm not saying I'm anywhere close to being an expert on the subject, but it can be painfully obvious even to a layperson when someone is writing a battle scene as though they'd gotten all their knowledge of combat from Command & Conquer or Call of Duty.
     
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  14. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

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    Jul 31, 2014
    And what you just said is no different from my pet peeve on cultural appropriation, as the concept is the same - taking something one does not understand and just inserting it into another world, without even bothering to grasp it. ;)
     
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  15. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Something that is a peeve of mine that I have mostly seen in My Little Pony fanfics is when you have beings with anatomy that is rather different from humans and then describe them doing stuff as if their anatomy were nearly the same as humans
     
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  16. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    3PO does call refer to Padme in AotC as 'Miss Padme' when they arrive at the Lars Homestead.
     
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  17. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

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    Dec 16, 2012
    Miss is a short form of mistress if I remember rigth.
     
  18. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Force Ghost star 7

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    Sep 2, 2012
    That's what the Master did in Doctor Who last year.
     
  19. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    Along those lines is when I see people using certain terms as one thing but mean another. A servomotor is not the same as programming. Servomotors are rotary actuators and are commonly used in joints and other moving parts of a machine that require precise control of angular position, velocity, and acceleration. You can program a servomotor, but it's not the programming itself. It's a motor with a sensor. A Transformer's fingertip is also not a servo, unless you're describing the joint.

    Also, programming does not dictate the structure of a robot, unless you're using that programming to run the software that would design the robot.
     
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  20. Kahara

    Kahara FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    This exact kind of thing is why I tend to go to extreme lengths to avoid having military topics become a major plotline. When and if they do, it tends to be some sort of weird (and explicitly acknowledged to be abnormal) circumstance. Which is a total cheat. I know some things and can research others, but sometimes it does seem that you have to have a certain baseline of knowledge to even know how to find the information. I've undoubtedly made such a complaint before. It bothers me so much when my mastery of Google search terms fails me. ;)

    I've also worried about this kind of knowledge problem with regard to medical things, since the GFFA seems to have a lot of potential situations that don't correspond neatly to the real world. I suspect someone with an in-depth knowledge and feel for things would do a lot better at theorizing at the very least. I guess that's a peeve about my own current limitations. Authorial medical incompetence. :p
     
  21. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2014
    I don't think you have to have tons of military knowledge (amount of knowledge depends on fandom)for a military fic to be ok, a little is fine I think since it's a fictional military unlike our own(star wars that is). Militaries aren't all the same and have evolved through out history so I think some liberties can be taken. The militaries in Star Wars are quite different. Seriously, how is it every Jedi seems to be a General and Padawan a commander(btw I don't really care for that). Also it seems to be blend of army and navy if you go by American military ranks. General isn't a Navy rank, but commander is.

    I do think there is a line though.

    I was into Lord of the Rings fanfic before Star Wars and remember some elements of a modern military in the Gondorian army which I did not like. I don't like the idea of cadets in lotr, it seems too modern. Also a naval rank of Ensign doesn't fit with the setting too.

    I suppose this comes to another peeve is adding elements that don't seem to fit in the time/setting. Examples, soldiers in Middle Earth shouldn't talk like modern naval officers, but with SW there seem to be more freedom in that there is a blend of old and new elements. You have modern and medieval like stuff. Lightsabers, vibroblades, royal monarchs, droids, computers etc..


    ****

    One of my biggest peeves and this is probably a lot of peoples

    Is when a character you like is portrayed badly, as if the writer doesn't like the character.

    my examples- Luke a bumbling farmboy
    -Faramir(lotr) a wimp
    - Severus Snape (Harry Potter) is a weakling or character bashed
     
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  22. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    When writers don't come up with swearing that fit the seting and insted just use worlds that sound like ****, ****, **** or similar. Also sith should not be used the same way you use **** it should be used the same way you use 'satan', 'devil' or similar.
     
  23. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2014
    Now I think of fics that have character's using vulgar language that is unfitting of their character or fics which Lots of swearing that is distracting.

    Example: Harry Potter does not drop the F-bomb every few minutes. I am sure I've seen other things like F-Bomb dropped in Lotr, but can't recall specifics right now.

    If anyone wrote Vader, Palpatine, Admiral Ackbar, Dooku, Aunt Beru, Tarkin, Yoda as characters and others (I just can't see seriously) dropping the F-Bomb or SW equivalent it would be weird and distracting perhaps funny in certain circumstances.

    This brings about another subject, have the character's language fitting the character
     
  24. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Potty-mouthed Ackbar? That's like Dumbledore in My Immortal. Makes no sense, but it's funny.
     
  25. SatineNaberrie

    SatineNaberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2014
    potty mouthed Dumbledore ? seriously? I couldn't take that seriously I'd laugh and better not be drinking anything, or my computer would get sprayed. I have heard of the infamous My Immortal , but haven't heard that.