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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. Mayla

    Mayla Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2012
    Some of the worst misused homophones I've seen (eg. "he marbled at the size of the statue") tend to be caused by spellcheck programs or auto-correct features. That would have to be another peeve of mine... a spellcheck program is great for finding problems, but that's basically all it's good for. But given the kinds of author's notes I see, a lot of folks seem to think that having a spellcheck program negates the need to actually edit their story. Spellcheck is not a valid replacement for a human beta, nor the author's own proofreading abilities.
     
    Admiral_Volshe and TrakNar like this.
  2. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    I've had more than a few of my own misused words that I only caught when I would read the piece aloud. Spellcheck is no substitute for a sentient editor (or droid editor, I'm not prejudice!).
     
  3. Alexis_Wingstar

    Alexis_Wingstar Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2006

    I almost died laughing at the part I bolded.
     
  4. Mayla

    Mayla Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2012
    Yeah, that was one of the ones that made my Funny List. :p
    I don't usually save the phrases I find them in, but that one was just ridiculously fitting.
     
  5. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Lol! I just had to take a double look at a comment on my fic. I thought someone put 'pervert' instead of 'prevent'. One should not read while distracted.

    I can't spell worth anything, so spell check is my best friend and usually it will pick up if I use the wrong word, but I still go over it, send it to my beta and then go over any update with a fine tooth comb before I post it. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but if you don't go over your own stuff at least twice, then your just lazy.
     
  6. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    Unless it's "just a post," like here. I'm horrible at the occasional typos in threads like this and apparently I'm not the only one.
     
  7. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Especially if you're a distracted dummy, like me.
     
  8. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    Distracted, maybe, not a dummy. With me, it's carelessness - eh, it's "just a post."
     
  9. ardavenport

    ardavenport Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2004
    I'm horrible at catching typos no matter what. I'm writing something at work now and I'll be relying on other members of the team to catch those mistakes. I'm very glad they got the editing function working again here, so I can go after those typos when I see them.

     
  10. Dantana Skywalker

    Dantana Skywalker Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 7, 2002
    Hey, at least we're not pros who end up with "Kip Durran" in our books.
     
  11. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Or refer to Jacen as Ben's uncle, twice... in one book -.-
     
  12. Dantana Skywalker

    Dantana Skywalker Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 7, 2002
    Oh, I missed that one!
     
  13. Skywalker_T-65

    Skywalker_T-65 Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2009
    I don't have many problems with spelling myself. I've had three betas beat that into my head after all. Now I beta for other people.;)
     
    Admiral_Volshe likes this.
  14. Admiral Volshe

    Admiral Volshe Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I don't get worked up about anything except spelling. Which, like you, is my strong point. The only typos anyone ever points out to me is just the a/an.

    I was recently reading a non-SW fic, and the main OC actually switched names a few times. The author didn't realize they had been using their other OC for the story.
    It took me a while to catch on, and believe me, I was confused.
     
  15. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    Let's see now... M. Shayne Bell's inexplicable switching of "Effour-Seven" and "Effex-Seven" about three times in the same paragraph before continuing the story with "Effour-Seven."

    Oh, and then there are the authors who don't pay attention to what has come before and we need mental illness to explain away drastic character personality changes.

    But, enough about profic peeves, back to the fanfic peeves...

    Spelling changes of the OC's name for no real reason and with no real consistency. That irks me. It also strikes me as supreme laziness, as the author doesn't care enough about their own damn characters to bother to even spell the names correctly.
     
  16. Katana_Sundancer

    Katana_Sundancer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2009
    How about consistently spelling a canon characters name wrong? Inconsistently can be a typo or, as you mentioned, an autocorrect problem (like Jason for Jacen). But always spelling it wrong irks me. Especially when they claim that the character is a 'favourite'.
     
  17. Dantana Skywalker

    Dantana Skywalker Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 7, 2002
    I see Jania a lot, and I've seen a lot of Anikins. People sometimes drop the second K off of Zekk to make it Zek. No, sorry, not all the guys Jaina's been into only have three letters in their names. :p

    Misspelled planet names, or constantly mis-identifying a person, are also irritating.
     
  18. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    Kind of like how people consistently misspell "Wookieepedia." "Wookiee" has two Es, dammit! And what's worse is when it's misspelled on the wiki. It's only displayed half a dozen times for easy reference and people still manage to misspell it!

    But, I digress...

    Misspelling of canon character names is irksome. And not just fanfics have this problem. And for the record, "Zuckass" has appeared outside of Marvel.
     
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  19. Dantana Skywalker

    Dantana Skywalker Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 7, 2002
    Oh, yeah. Wookiee/wookie. Bugs me. *twitch*
     
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  20. Skywalker_T-65

    Skywalker_T-65 Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2009
    Found another peeve...Character Bashing fics. Especially prevalent in Harry Potter fics.

    I mean, seriously...we get it, you're annoyed your pet ship didn't happen...GET OVER IT AND DON'T BASH CHARACTERS!!:rolleyes:

    EDIT: Especially characters that you are making EXTREMELY OOC just for the point of bashing them.:rolleyes:
     
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  21. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    There are certain characters that I don't like. So, you know what I do? I have other characters talk about them behind their backs! :p However, when I do actually feel like writing those characters, I will stay true to their characterization. Otherwise, I won't use them at all. Avoidance is usually the best policy.

    Now, this is something I've seen in other fandoms, and not just concerning fan fiction. When an author is so very protective of a specific pet ship, that they'll stop at nothing to make sure that all who dare work around them knows that their ship is the only ship that is right. Right now, I'm watching this happen on, of all things, a Sonic wiki. And not a Sonic fan wiki, either. It makes excising fanon out of an article very difficult when that particular fan thinks that their word is law.
     
  22. Skywalker_T-65

    Skywalker_T-65 Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2009
    Yeah. It just annoys me since the characters they bash are the ones I like (I happen to LIKE the Weaslys, and Ginny is my favorite character.:p ).

    And I've encountered that type of person too. Quite annoying really, and leads to the just as annoying Ship-Wars...*shudders at the memories*
     
  23. Mayla

    Mayla Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2012
    Possibly the worst kind of character bashing is when they decide to just kill the character they don't like... and often times, the other characters don't even care.
    Eg. Leia dies in some horrible accident, Luke's like "oh my gosh, I can't believe it, this is horrible"--but ten minutes later is making out with the OC and taking them out to dinner and so on. I mean really? 0.o
     
  24. TrakNar

    TrakNar Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 4, 2011
    I've encountered another pet peeve...

    When people write "dark side" as "darkside." Does combining the words make it more EXTREEEEEEEME?
     
    Admiral_Volshe likes this.
  25. Valairy Scot

    Valairy Scot Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2005
    No, it does mean I was confused until spell check boinged me. Still, spell check insists Obi-Wan takes a plural verb and Sith can't be capitalized.

    Seriously, though, I was occasionally, in the past, guilty of darkside, but its practicioners ARE darksiders, not dark siders. I think.