flyingskull | (no subject)

Current Mood: annoyed

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Been on a fanfic-reading binge, just not to obsess abut our next project and GAAAH! Altough there's a surprisingly high number of well written stories - I mean good characterisation, style, pace, imagery etc. - you can erase the sex scene(s) in 99% of them without affecting the story, plot, style, PACE, chara etc. It's just stuck in without any other sense or reason than to garner readers by porn. Am so bored by porn. *sigh*

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Hi! Er, sorry to randomly barge in(?) but I was browsing and just wanted to say WORD! (Especially about the porn!) Because this is exactly how I feel as I've, also, been reading a lot of fanfics lately :D

Though, I think there are more badfics than goodfics when compared to the overall number of fics XD

Um... so anyway. Bye. *disappears back into ether*

CALCIFER!!! Ah, so sorry, but DWJ was my childhood and it's still one of my favourite authors.

Don't be sorry, please, alll comments are more than welcome, especially as I don't have time for Lj anymore as I'm very busy at work. It's only this awful weather we've been having that's grounded me.

Yes, of course there are more badfics than goodfics, but I was going by the Sturgeon standard (99% of all that's written is shite) and I found a good 10-20% of good reads, which is a pleasant surprise.

I think my problem with porn is not so much that it's so mind-numblingly repetitive, but that it's used as a lure to get readers and, of course, reviews in stories in which romance is not the focus. I read a good whodunnit fic - interesting mystery, intelligent solution, good suspects, the works - and in the middle of it there was this gratuitous sex scene between two people who, up to that point, had been nothing more than collegues. There was no sodding NEED for it, the story didn't gain a thing by it, it was just there.

Oh, well, such is fic, I suppose. XD

Hee! Calcifer was really cute in that movie, wasn't he? :D Ha ha, you know, I haven't read that many DWJ's books, because our library didn't have them, but I read The Merlin Conspiracy and Howl's Moving Castle dozens of times.

Well, that 99% standard is rather accurate XD It is always a nice surprise to find a good fic, but then, I think tells something very sad about the overall standard of fic if good ones are pleasant surprises XD

But I suppose such is the case with books, or any other story medium, as well.

I've found a lot of fics that tell in the beginning of the chapter things like: "cursive is ghost talk!" or "character B's thoughts!", and they are so terrible but so earnest about it, you know?

Oh my god, yes! It is so, so repetitive, especially if you are looking for goodfic and read dozens a day. I usually just skim them XD

And then there are the kink!fics, which I know are just gratuitous porn, but they very often tell me more about the authors than I am comfortable to know!

I read a good whodunnit fic - interesting mystery, intelligent solution, good suspects, the works - and in the middle of it there was this gratuitous sex scene

I read something similar a while back. I don't think it was good per se, but it was interesting with the mystery and the case, right up until there was 3000+ words sex scene and then the fic was wrapped up quickly as tends to be the case as if they HAVE to be ended with a sex scene.

Oh, well, such is fic, I suppose.

Ha ha, true. So true XD

I LOATHED that film, I really, truly, did. I had liked Miyazaki's films up to then, but the murder of DWJ's Howl was a bit too much. However Calcifer was lovely and at least they got the Howl saving Calcifer thing right.

Also, yeh, fic seems to be all about the ROMANCE, which, though understandable, is a tad boring in the long run. I like that people, especially young people write, I mean I don't feel obliged to read what they write, but I like that they do it and earnestness is always good and quite endearing in children.

Anyway, yesyesyes, most of storytelling in all media is shite. People seem to forget that all the stories have been told already and that the art is in the telling, the how and the who, not the what and being, generally, not very well read they think they have this original never-told-before tale to tell and don't give much thought - if any - to the truly important parts, i.e. characterisation, worldbuilding and pace.

The movie didn't bother me much because I liked Calcifer and Howl's apprentice, who I thought was cute with his fake beard and everything, and I mainly watch Miyazaki's films for the sceneries so. *feels so shallow now* But yeah, it pretty much butchered Howl and moe-fied Sophia. I can't remember what else it did because it has been a long time since I've read either the book or seen the movie.

Also, yeh, fic seems to be all about the ROMANCE

Often, fics really do remind me of Harlequins.

I like that people, especially young people write, I mean I don't feel obliged to read what they write, but I like that they do it and earnestness is always good and quite endearing in children.

True!

People seem to forget that all the stories have been told already

They really do, don't they? I had this friend once, we both had an idea for a story and the premise was similar: a character ends up in another world (I've since tossed it because I realized it just won't work), and I thought it could be fun to discuss how the stories would have differed. But then she got really quiet and uneasy and asked me if I plagiarized her idea, which was a really wtf moment for me because it's not like it hasn't been done before everywhere.

It got even better when I told her of a black-haired character I came up with, and then she said: "One of my characters has black hair", at which point I decided I should just stop talking.

Um... Random story time is over! Er, sorry, I just never seem to be able to stop rambling! But it has been very fun chatting with you :)

PS.

not very well read they think they have this original never-told-before tale to tell and don't give much thought - if any - to the truly important parts, i.e. characterisation, worldbuilding and pace.

So much word for this!

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