Fandom pet peeves
Aug. 30th, 2009 11:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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misscam posted her own list of fandom pet peeves, and I finally got around to putting mine together. Some of these things are specific to Doctor Who/Torchwood. Others are, sadly, universal. YMMV, naturally.
1. Misspelling characters' names. I'm not talking about the occasional typo. I mean consistently incorrect spellings. Why is it that so many self-proclaimed fans of Charley Pollard think her name is spelled "Charlie"? I've also seen Nissa, Joe, Adrick, Jaime, Perry, Camellian, Teegan/Teagan/Tegen/Teigan/Teagen, and Turlo/Turlow/Terlough running around, and I must have laughed for five minutes straight the other day when one author kept referring to Teagun throughout her fic. Even the poor TARDIS comes in for some abuse (TARDAS, TARDUS, TARDES). The capper might be the existence of a strange creature called Ramona, who certainly bears no connection to Romana.
2. Misspelling actors' names. A Peter "Davidson" often appears on people's lists of favorite Doctors. No idea who he is, but Peter "Davison" is tied for first on my own list. "Billy" Piper, Christopher "Ecclestone", and David "Tennent" (or "Tenant") probably wish their fans would get it right, too.
3.misscam had this one on her list, and it bothers me enough to make mine, too. If I ever start up a comm, one of the rules will be that any post including the phrase "If this isn't allowed, please delete it" will automatically be deleted, even if the content actually falls within the rules. It's that annoying. If the people who make those posts would simply read comm rules and/or ask a mod before posting, they would know whether the material is permitted. But I guess that's too much to ask.
4. Time Lord. Two words. Not Timelord. It's onscreen in the episode that's titled Last of the Time Lords. Isn't that a big enough clue?
5. On a similar note: The correct spelling is c-a-n-o-n. Because if you say you're going to add something to your personal "cannon", then I picture one of those big ol' weapons being loaded up in preparation to fire.
6. Rabid character hate. Not merely disliking or even actually hating a character, but being actively nasty. I was trying to think of any characters I genuinely hate, and it was a tough job. I finally came up with the Daleks, Connor (from Angel), and Spinelli from General Hospital. I skip most of their scenes, I wish they didn't exist, and they irritate the hell out of me. That said, I don't write bashfic about them, I don't regularly rant about how much they suck, and I don't use disgusting little hate icons of them. Basically, I usually try to avoid thinking about them. If you truly despise a character that much, why in the world would you want to spend any more of your time than absolutely necessary with him (or her) on your mind? Or is that train of thought too logical?
7. That type of fanfic known as a drabble? It's 100 words, exactly. Don't go calling your 2000-word story a drabble. It isn't. Neither is your 135-word story. The point of a drabble is that it's a specific length.
8. Awful authors' notes. The ones below work for me only if the story is a parody. Otherwise, they're gigantic turn-offs and reasonably reliable warning signs that a story is bad.
I didn't use a beta reader. All mistakes are mine. Well, duh. Unless, say, your cat commandeered your keyboard while your back was turned, of course you're responsible for the contents of your story, including any errors. Said statement also carries the unfortunate implication that if the writer had used a beta and the story then contained mistakes, the writer would immediately whirl to point the finger of blame at the person who gave up her time to help. This sort of note drips with fail.
I suck at summaries (or "summeries"). What's the point of saying this? To imply that even though the summary is terrible, the story itself might by some miracle be good? Go sell that one to someone else. Saying "I suck at summaries" will just make most potential readers assume (very often correctly) that the story will be as bad as the summary.
Character bashing. I'm of two minds about this warning. Ideally, no one would ever use it because no one would ever write bashfic. Realistically, though, I want to be warned if bashing lies ahead. That way, I know to skip not only the story in question, but anything else with that author's name on it.
This story sucks but I'm posting it anyway/Not my best effort. Well, thanks for sharing your crap with the world. I don't know how I ever would have survived without setting eyes on it. If you really think your story sucks? Either don't post it, or if you must (for a ficathon or whatever), present it in the best possible light. Which means not including notes to the effect that the fic isn't very good.
I did no research what so ever, I don't like research. If you were too lazy to do research, for heaven's sake don't trumpet this fact to your audience. I saw this note attached to a story where the plot hinged around a major medical condition involving the lead character. I wonder if it ever occurred to her that, given her aversion to putting effort into getting the facts right, writing a story with a medical plotline might not be the greatest idea.
I wrote this story in ten minutes/at 1 in the morning/while I was on a sugar high. DO NOT WANT. Do not want to know, do not want to read, do not want to think about.
I want five/ten/random number of reviews before I'll post more. If I feel like commenting, I'll leave a review... unless the author sets a review quota. In that case, she has guaranteed that I won't comment. Think about it this way: If one has to beg for or demand reviews, how much are they worth? Isn't it better to get genuine praise or concrit that wasn't the result of throwing a temper tantrum?
Well, I stopped at eight pet peeves. Feel free to share your own.
misscam posted her own list of fandom pet peeves, and I finally got around to putting mine together. Some of these things are specific to Doctor Who/Torchwood. Others are, sadly, universal. YMMV, naturally. 1. Misspelling characters' names. I'm not talking about the occasional typo. I mean consistently incorrect spellings. Why is it that so many self-proclaimed fans of Charley Pollard think her name is spelled "Charlie"? I've also seen Nissa, Joe, Adrick, Jaime, Perry, Camellian, Teegan/Teagan/Tegen/Teigan/Teagen, and Turlo/Turlow/Terlough running around, and I must have laughed for five minutes straight the other day when one author kept referring to Teagun throughout her fic. Even the poor TARDIS comes in for some abuse (TARDAS, TARDUS, TARDES). The capper might be the existence of a strange creature called Ramona, who certainly bears no connection to Romana.
2. Misspelling actors' names. A Peter "Davidson" often appears on people's lists of favorite Doctors. No idea who he is, but Peter "Davison" is tied for first on my own list. "Billy" Piper, Christopher "Ecclestone", and David "Tennent" (or "Tenant") probably wish their fans would get it right, too.
3.
misscam had this one on her list, and it bothers me enough to make mine, too. If I ever start up a comm, one of the rules will be that any post including the phrase "If this isn't allowed, please delete it" will automatically be deleted, even if the content actually falls within the rules. It's that annoying. If the people who make those posts would simply read comm rules and/or ask a mod before posting, they would know whether the material is permitted. But I guess that's too much to ask.4. Time Lord. Two words. Not Timelord. It's onscreen in the episode that's titled Last of the Time Lords. Isn't that a big enough clue?
5. On a similar note: The correct spelling is c-a-n-o-n. Because if you say you're going to add something to your personal "cannon", then I picture one of those big ol' weapons being loaded up in preparation to fire.
6. Rabid character hate. Not merely disliking or even actually hating a character, but being actively nasty. I was trying to think of any characters I genuinely hate, and it was a tough job. I finally came up with the Daleks, Connor (from Angel), and Spinelli from General Hospital. I skip most of their scenes, I wish they didn't exist, and they irritate the hell out of me. That said, I don't write bashfic about them, I don't regularly rant about how much they suck, and I don't use disgusting little hate icons of them. Basically, I usually try to avoid thinking about them. If you truly despise a character that much, why in the world would you want to spend any more of your time than absolutely necessary with him (or her) on your mind? Or is that train of thought too logical?
7. That type of fanfic known as a drabble? It's 100 words, exactly. Don't go calling your 2000-word story a drabble. It isn't. Neither is your 135-word story. The point of a drabble is that it's a specific length.
8. Awful authors' notes. The ones below work for me only if the story is a parody. Otherwise, they're gigantic turn-offs and reasonably reliable warning signs that a story is bad.
I didn't use a beta reader. All mistakes are mine. Well, duh. Unless, say, your cat commandeered your keyboard while your back was turned, of course you're responsible for the contents of your story, including any errors. Said statement also carries the unfortunate implication that if the writer had used a beta and the story then contained mistakes, the writer would immediately whirl to point the finger of blame at the person who gave up her time to help. This sort of note drips with fail.
I suck at summaries (or "summeries"). What's the point of saying this? To imply that even though the summary is terrible, the story itself might by some miracle be good? Go sell that one to someone else. Saying "I suck at summaries" will just make most potential readers assume (very often correctly) that the story will be as bad as the summary.
Character bashing. I'm of two minds about this warning. Ideally, no one would ever use it because no one would ever write bashfic. Realistically, though, I want to be warned if bashing lies ahead. That way, I know to skip not only the story in question, but anything else with that author's name on it.
This story sucks but I'm posting it anyway/Not my best effort. Well, thanks for sharing your crap with the world. I don't know how I ever would have survived without setting eyes on it. If you really think your story sucks? Either don't post it, or if you must (for a ficathon or whatever), present it in the best possible light. Which means not including notes to the effect that the fic isn't very good.
I did no research what so ever, I don't like research. If you were too lazy to do research, for heaven's sake don't trumpet this fact to your audience. I saw this note attached to a story where the plot hinged around a major medical condition involving the lead character. I wonder if it ever occurred to her that, given her aversion to putting effort into getting the facts right, writing a story with a medical plotline might not be the greatest idea.
I wrote this story in ten minutes/at 1 in the morning/while I was on a sugar high. DO NOT WANT. Do not want to know, do not want to read, do not want to think about.
I want five/ten/random number of reviews before I'll post more. If I feel like commenting, I'll leave a review... unless the author sets a review quota. In that case, she has guaranteed that I won't comment. Think about it this way: If one has to beg for or demand reviews, how much are they worth? Isn't it better to get genuine praise or concrit that wasn't the result of throwing a temper tantrum?
Well, I stopped at eight pet peeves. Feel free to share your own.
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-30 04:17 pm (UTC)I did no research what so ever, I don't like research. If you were too lazy to do research, for heaven's sake don't trumpet this fact to your audience. I saw this note attached to a story where the plot hinged around a major medical condition involving the lead character. I wonder if it ever occurred to her that, given her aversion to putting effort into getting the facts right, writing a story with a medical plotline might not be the greatest idea.
is the same one I recently walked away from after seeing that note - it was on Teaspoon. I shuddered in horror! (Part of my reaction's probably down to the fact that I *love* doing research for my fics - think it's the scholar in me coming out!)
(no subject)
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Date: 2009-08-30 04:24 pm (UTC)I used to be very guilty of the here's-a-fic-I-have-written-but-it-is-crap thing, but I'm much better now as I've realised there's a difference between being funny and self-deprecating and just being off-putting.
(no subject)
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Date: 2009-08-30 05:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2009-08-30 05:42 pm (UTC)That one annoys me beyond belief. It guarantees that I won't review regardless of the quality of work. Anyway, aren't you meant to be writing it because you enjoy writing, not because of praise?
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-08-30 06:52 pm (UTC)I want five/ten/random number of reviews before I'll post more.
Which means you are writing purely to get attention for yourself and want instant gratification. These are not conditions under which quality art is generated.
Beeeeg red flag, yes.
Something that bugs me: fanfic bandwagoning. By that I mean, 1,254,548,752,215,442 Ten/Rose reunion fics, or 657,422,248,987 how-Donna-got-her-memory-back fics. Most of which are virtually indistinguishable from each other. If you want to write fiction, try to pick something that hasn't been done 5,235,684,259,871,410 times already.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-08-30 08:24 pm (UTC)I used to know someone in fandom who crusaded against references to "Peter Davidson." Unfortunately, she wasn't successful. *sigh*
I've seen some strange variations on Sylvester, too. Slyvester, Sylvestor, Slyvestor... Also, I don't like Sylvester McCoy being called Sly, because that's not his nickname; Sylv is fine, as long as it's not Slyv.
5. On a similar note: The correct spelling is c-a-n-o-n. Because if you say you're going to add something to your personal "cannon", then I picture one of those big ol' weapons being loaded up in preparation to fire.
I enjoy the SF/fantasy author Elizabeth Bear. I just read her novel New Amsterdam and was taken aback when one of the characters mentioned hearing "canon." No, he was hearing cannon going boom. Oh dear, Bear, and shame on your editor for not noticing, either.
I did no research what so ever, I don't like research. If you were too lazy to do research, for heaven's sake don't trumpet this fact to your audience.
Groan. I'm a nerd who loves research. I admit that I once privately berated a lazy kid on a board because he whined about how he hated to do research, and he went crying to his friends over it. Oh well, shame on me for expecting people to be literate and to enjoy using their literacy. (Mind you, I live in a society where people think that Alphabetical by Author in a bookstore or library is "complicated." Uh-huh. Oh, gawd.)
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2009-08-30 08:26 pm (UTC)Sigh...but so many of my fics are written this way...but of course I go to sleep then look at it again in the morning BEFORE posting...at least...mostly. ::Evil Grin::
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Date: 2009-08-30 09:04 pm (UTC)Both of these mysterious figures appear in Billie Piper's autobiography. Copy-editing fail.
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Date: 2009-08-30 11:38 pm (UTC)I was reading a post someone made of awesome Who-themed cakes, and the last one, which was amazing, had a Martha figure on it. And of course, someone just had to say "That cake would be so cool if Martha wasn't on it!"
Shut up. Shutupshutupshutup. Nobody asked you, you're not adding anything constructive to the conversation, and, oh yeah, bite me. It took all my willpower not to deliver a smack-down and start a flame war over it.
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Date: 2009-08-31 12:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2009-08-31 05:28 pm (UTC)3: i am going to use that myself.
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Date: 2009-08-31 10:15 pm (UTC)7. YES. Yes, yes, yes. You wouldn't go round calling a 4/2/6 poem a Haiku.
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Date: 2009-09-01 01:26 pm (UTC)(Followed you here from fanficrants.) :)
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