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What are your personal "red flags" before reading any fanfic?

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BaffleBlend Hey there! Having fun? from Somewhere Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: LET'S HAVE A ZILLION BABIES
Hey there! Having fun?
#1251: Oct 10th 2014 at 4:47:17 AM

I find "characters discover fanfiction of themselves"-types of fics annoying. Mostly because they're all the same; being shocked about Rule 34, being shocked about Slash Fics, being shocked about non-canon stuff (despite acting completely OOC themselves) and then probably retaliating.

edited 10th Oct '14 4:47:39 AM by BaffleBlend

"It's liberating, realizing you never need to be competent." — Ultimatepheer
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1252: Oct 10th 2014 at 11:18:23 AM

I dislike awkward bits where the characters suddenly start criticizing other fanfic trends in general. Like, a character saying "of course I'm not perfect, what I do look like: a Mary-Sue in a bad story?" or something like that. Usually gets an eyeroll out of me.

I tend to avoid "character reads real life fanfic of themselves" fics because they tend to be nothing but that.

Unless it actually works with the premise, but that's rare.

Sharysa Since: Jan, 2001
#1253: Oct 10th 2014 at 3:14:42 PM

Yeah, "characters discover fanfics" is just so formulaic that I avoid them.

theAdeptrogue iRidescence Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
iRidescence
#1254: Oct 10th 2014 at 3:36:23 PM

@1251: On a similar note, I really don't like premises where "character reads canon books about themselves" either. Most of it is just a copy pasted text of the original texts with characters making some remarks in between the lines. I think I'm better off reading literary chapter snarks, since they aren't actually masquerading as a "plot".

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1255: Oct 10th 2014 at 9:45:07 PM

[up] I like that genre, because the concept is actually pretty interesting with a good writer, but the good ones are extremely rare so I understand the reputation they have.

edited 10th Oct '14 9:45:35 PM by KnownUnknown

Robotnik Since: Aug, 2011
#1256: Oct 12th 2014 at 8:53:25 AM

Also, being clearly pretentious. Ye Olde Butchered English and half-assed attempts at metaphor are a big sign that the author thinks they're tough shit. An example of why I bring this up. Warning, it's kind of disturbing.

"Library of the Damned" sounds like it's run by a bunch of assholes. As soon as you call all fetishes "disturbing" and state outright that anyone who reads or writes such fic has something "wrong" with them, you're a fucking horrible person.

BaffleBlend Hey there! Having fun? from Somewhere Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: LET'S HAVE A ZILLION BABIES
Hey there! Having fun?
#1257: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:06:27 AM

[up]Well, I'm sorry if I really do think there is something wrong with an author who glorifies self-harm and thinks casually abandoning a relationship and letting a Bastard Boyfriend be one of the only characters with a happy ending is okay. Something seriously wrong. And that's not getting into the bad taste the awful writing quality left behind.

And I never said anything about all fetishes being disturbing. Don't put words in my mouth.

edited 12th Oct '14 9:13:59 AM by BaffleBlend

"It's liberating, realizing you never need to be competent." — Ultimatepheer
Robotnik Since: Aug, 2011
#1258: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:16:07 AM

[up] No, you're not sorry, and I wasn't referring to you anyway. I was referring to the shitdicks on that website you linked to who lump all fetishes (including vore) into the same category and accuse anyone who has them of being bad people.

edited 12th Oct '14 9:18:18 AM by Robotnik

BaffleBlend Hey there! Having fun? from Somewhere Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: LET'S HAVE A ZILLION BABIES
Hey there! Having fun?
#1259: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:21:41 AM

[up]Well, I haven't seen them do that. Tell me where they did it, and I'll talk to them about it.

"It's liberating, realizing you never need to be competent." — Ultimatepheer
Robotnik Since: Aug, 2011
#1260: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:27:56 AM

[up]Here's what they classify as "disturbing", according to their Fic Classifications section:

You will probably never see one of these on the Library of the Damned, unless we do it for Halloween or April Fools. Disturbing fics are to Ugly fics as snuff films are to b-rated sci-fi. Torture, fetishes, rape, gruesome slaugheter, vore (and if you don’t know what vore is, don’t look it up), incest, and really… anything goes here. It’s a no-man’s land of awful, soul-destroying muck that not even the bravest of us will willingly subject ourselves to. If you enjoy this kind of fic, there is probably something wrong with you. And there is definitely something wrong with the people who write it. There is more of these out there than any of us would like to admit.

You'll note that they didn't say "torture fetishes". They said torture and fetishes. What am I supposed to take away from that?

edited 12th Oct '14 9:28:12 AM by Robotnik

BaffleBlend Hey there! Having fun? from Somewhere Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: LET'S HAVE A ZILLION BABIES
Hey there! Having fun?
#1261: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:32:58 AM

[up]Thanks for letting me know. Like I said, I'll talk to them about and recommend changing it to a more neutral "we don't handle fics with explicit subject matter"-type message.

edited 12th Oct '14 9:35:14 AM by BaffleBlend

"It's liberating, realizing you never need to be competent." — Ultimatepheer
Robotnik Since: Aug, 2011
#1262: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:35:24 AM

[up] You're welcome. And thank you.

Jinxmenow Ghosts N' Stuff Remix from everywhere you look, everywhere you look Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
Ghosts N' Stuff Remix
#1263: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:52:03 AM

Are you implying that vore and incest aren't disgusting?

"Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy."
BaffleBlend Hey there! Having fun? from Somewhere Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: LET'S HAVE A ZILLION BABIES
Hey there! Having fun?
#1264: Oct 12th 2014 at 10:00:26 AM

[up]Times are changing. People are sensitive about their personal vices.

Fetishes are generally dangerous territory to tread through.

[up][up]I've sent an e-mail to Lyle, one of the admins and the one I submitted my riffs to in the past. If I know her, I should get a reply within the next few days if not sooner.

edited 12th Oct '14 10:03:38 AM by BaffleBlend

"It's liberating, realizing you never need to be competent." — Ultimatepheer
Robotnik Since: Aug, 2011
#1265: Oct 12th 2014 at 10:15:21 AM

edited 12th Oct '14 10:58:52 AM by Robotnik

SapphireBlue Since: Jan, 2001
#1266: Oct 12th 2014 at 10:30:34 AM

If it's the cartoony unrealistic kind where no one actually dies, I can usually just write it off as weird and move on. But beyond that...yeah, it can get really disturbing.

Mandemo Since: Apr, 2010
#1267: Oct 12th 2014 at 1:54:15 PM

"Darker telling" of the original story. Not alternative universes (like Fallout Equestria), but the same setting, same story, only "Darker and Edgier".

Which usually is less actually darker, more thematically heavy setting and usually just ends up with random gorefest, rape and torture.

FullMoon feeling blue from Surface Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
feeling blue
#1268: Oct 12th 2014 at 3:21:28 PM

Fetishes are something that I don't give more than a passing glance. Some are very weird or disturbing but, at least when it comes to writing, as long as they give a warning that the story contains the fetish I'm just going to leave it be and go back to looking for more normal fics.

ObsidianFire Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#1269: Oct 12th 2014 at 3:44:19 PM

[up] The problem is when they don't warn and you stumble into it by accident...

FullMoon feeling blue from Surface Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
feeling blue
#1270: Oct 12th 2014 at 5:53:55 PM

Well, if you begin reading and you reach the kinky part you can just stop reading as soon as you realize what you got yourself into. But yeah, it'd be better if they gave a warning.

prettycoco Since: Jan, 2013
#1271: Oct 12th 2014 at 7:55:29 PM

Thank you Vore Fan. This thread will probably get locked soon.

Okay. Just one guy. The rest of you are cool.

edited 12th Oct '14 10:37:22 PM by prettycoco

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1272: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:07:49 PM

If merely mentioning that fetishes exist in an on-topic way were enough to get a threat locked, we wouldn't have very many threads here. I don't believe this conversation has gone anywhere beyond that.

edited 12th Oct '14 9:22:42 PM by KnownUnknown

SapphireBlue Since: Jan, 2001
#1273: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:15:06 PM

[up][up] I don't think any of us said we were into the stuff...

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1274: Oct 12th 2014 at 9:24:18 PM

I think that the "if you say something that isn't 'X is wrong,' then clearly you must be defending it because you're into it" fallacy at work here.

Anyways, to add a new red flag... though this is less of a red flag and something that, depending on whether the rest of the fic is good or merely okay, something that can bug me enough to ditch a fic partway through...

Another thing that's been bugging me lately is awkward scenes where the characters blatantly vocalize how they have feelings for the OTP in a way that tinges of That Makes Me Feel Angry. Usually in a jarringly forward and sudden conversation with a third character (but not to the OTP, cause of course the plot is all about how nobody can spit out anything), who of course doesn't interact with this in any other meaningful way.

Stuff like:

"Oh by the way, you like X, don't you? Like, like her like her, right?"

"... yes..."

"Cool, I'll keep your secret."

Basically, Scenes in general where the author awkwardly works a blatant declaration of love into a conversation that feels out of place because of it. Characters asking questions like "why do you love X" so the other can go on a long winded spiel about why the author's OTP is the best, etc. Especially when it's just an excuse for the other half of the OTP to walk by at just the right/wrong second.

Though, I'll admit, in at least one case I've done something kind of similar to that... the shame...

Another thing, too. Characters doing the freudian slip thing in their thoughts, then going "wait, did I just think that?" or "why did I just think of X as 'my X'" or "augh, why would I think of X as cute. I wouldn't call X cute! I hate X" or any of those fluffy bits of self denial in the narration or their thoughts in general.

edited 12th Oct '14 9:28:47 PM by KnownUnknown

Sharysa Since: Jan, 2001
#1275: Oct 12th 2014 at 10:18:28 PM

Yeah, I hate that too. It's always so boring and nearly the same for every story. It's especially bad if it's in an otherwise good fanfic.


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