graculus

I have officially reached the 'meh' period where HP fanfic is concerned. So I guess that's not bad, considering I've been reading it for a solid 18 months now.

The 'meh' period can best be defined as: 'I will no longer finish everything I read regardless of how awful. I will wince at bad summaries and run away quickly, rather than allow hope to triumph over experience and believe that the story will be better than the summary. I will still slavishly read anything written by writers who I trust to know what they're doing, even in pairings I don't like, but other than that I will not scrape the bottom of the fic barrel in the hope there's... just... one... more... new... story'.

It could be worse, though. I could be torturing myself with half-written stories... lucky escape! :)

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: 'Let Robeson Sing' - Manic Street Preachers

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

dmarley.livejournal.com

*Welcomes Graculus to the club*

I hit that point about six months ago, I guess. I'm always kind of sad when the honeymoon's over. There's a wonderful frenzy in those first heady days of a fandom, when it's all so new and shiny that even five stories in a row where Harry has to spend the summer at Snape's house don't matter. When the nickname "Sevvy" only makes me shudder instead making me want to claw my eyes out. When Lupin/Black stories don't seem hopelessly sweet and sugary....oh, wait, but that never happened....

It could be worse, though. I could be torturing myself with half-written stories

Do you mean ones you've not read or ones you've not written? I got sucked into reading, well, a lot of WIPs myself, but I can't think of any I'm still actively keeping up with. If a new part of one I was reading falls in my lap, fine, but I've quit checking almost all of them for new bits.

The only places I really check regularly anymore are Ink Stained Fingers, the SSFF, and occasionally I'll take a spin around the Snape Slash Fleet. But, alas, the honeymoon is over. *snif*

From:

graculus.livejournal.com

I'm always kind of sad when the honeymoon's over. There's a wonderful frenzy in those first heady days of a fandom, when it's all so new and shiny that even five stories in a row where Harry has to spend the summer at Snape's house don't matter.

Ah yes, the dead horse that's been flogged so hard that it's now powder. That's why I end up being utterly entranced when someone comes up with a plotline that hasn't been written two dozen times already (like

resonant8 and her 'Harry gets turned into a frog' or

predatrix and her Snape the inanimagus or Josan and *everything*).

When Lupin/Black stories don't seem hopelessly sweet and sugary....oh, wait, but that never happened....

You mean there are stories that don't have Snapesex in them? *scratches head* No, I don't see how that's possible...

As for the 'half-written stories' I was being pleased about the fact I have zero Snape plot bunnies! Hoorah! I have enough from other fandoms galloping around my ankles to need that kind of harassment as well...

From:

dmarley.livejournal.com

You mean there are stories that don't have Snapesex in them? *scratches head* No, I don't see how that's possible...

LOL!

When I first got into the fandom, though, I was mainly interested in Black/Lupin. Snape's always been just about my favorite character, but I honestly didn't think that anyone would be writing him in slash. After these years in fandom, you think I would have known better than to think that there was anyone writers wouldn't slash....:)

As for the 'half-written stories' I was being pleased about the fact I have zero Snape plot bunnies! Hoorah!

Yea for you! Wish I were that lucky. I've got about a dozen probably-will-never-be-written ideas lurking on the computer. But I have just as much fun scribbling down the ideas and plotting them out as I do writing the full-blown stories, so it's not really a bad thing, just a teeny bit embarassing to be so crappy at finishing.

From:

graculus.livejournal.com

Snape's always been just about my favorite character, but I honestly didn't think that anyone would be writing him in slash. After these years in fandom, you think I would have known better than to think that there was anyone writers wouldn't slash....:)

*cough*

I've got about a dozen probably-will-never-be-written ideas lurking on the computer. But I have just as much fun scribbling down the ideas and plotting them out as I do writing the full-blown stories, so it's not really a bad thing, just a teeny bit embarassing to be so crappy at finishing.

It's not so bad if they're not tormenting you too much. Do you have a pairing of choice or are you easy? ;)

From:

xochiquetzl

I remember the honeymoon in Stargate. I think I'm officially old and jaded and in permanent "meh" mode. I made one small attempt to find HP fic on google, burned my eyes out with a badfic, ;) and then immediately started looking for recs lists.

You know, just because something's recced is no guarantee it's good. ;) I managed to find some stories that didn't make me want to pluck out my eyes, but I feel no obligation to finish stories at this point if they suck.

I'm now reading your recs. Thus far I seem to agree with your pics more than that other person's who I found on google.

From:

graculus.livejournal.com

I remember the honeymoon in Stargate. I think I'm officially old and jaded and in permanent "meh" mode.

I wonder whether not writing it makes the 'meh' period take longer to arrive. I felt no desire to rage at people's lack of grasp of canon, or to fume as they massacred the characterisation.

I'm now reading your recs. Thus far I seem to agree with your pics more than that other person's who I found on google.

Now there's a surprise. ;)

Yes, there's a scarily large proportion of incredibly awful fic, much of which has its proponents. In fact, this fandom made me feel much better about the bad fic in SG, since it's utterly eclipsed by the turgid stolid and just plain vile prose of many HP writers.

From:

xochiquetzl

I wonder whether not writing it makes the 'meh' period take longer to arrive. I felt no desire to rage at people's lack of grasp of canon, or to fume as they massacred the characterisation.

I mainly felt the need to make bitchy comments and hit the back arrow really fast. I must be really, really, really old and jaded. ;) No, appalling characterization and canon errors merely prompt me to cry out, "Why does my head hurt?" and to move on to the next story.

I think all fandoms have a high signal-to-noise ratio when it comes to fic quality. OTOH, I read a couple of opening paragraphs that made blood spontaneously shoot out of my ears...

From:

graculus.livejournal.com

I think all fandoms have a high signal-to-noise ratio when it comes to fic quality. OTOH, I read a couple of opening paragraphs that made blood spontaneously shoot out of my ears...

I always figure if I can make it through the first couple of paragraphs without goggling too much at the spelling, grammar, epithets, characterisation or sheer inanity of the plot, I have a chance of reading till the end. Doesn't mean they might not lose it at some point, but I can often tell right away...

From:

obelix

*grin* That's one of the reasons I rotate fandoms... stay away long enough and you can go back and get some new fics that don't make you want to run around the house screaming... usually... well mostly... well ok it depends on the fandom...