fanfic tropes meme.

[oanja]

Genderswap: I kind of like it. I mean I'll read almost any kind of fic if it's well written but it's not the kind of story I'd go out of my way to find. I have read a few awesome ones in SGA fandom, especially one where both Rodney and John both get turned into women and then they start 'experimenting' with each other, because who else would they have sex with and it's not like it's gay or anything because they both like women etc. It was really funny and well written.

Bodyswap: I just listened to this pod-fic (SGA again) where Rodney turned into John because the ATA gene therapy was based on John's DNA and Carson messed up. So for years there were two John's on Atlantis, except the other one was actually Rodney. But that's not really bodyswap, so I got side-tracked... I guess I have to say again that if it's well written I'll read it but it's not my favourite. OH! Now I remember a bodyswap story! In it John and Rodney had been sleeping together but when John woke up it was Teyla in Rodney's body. That was a really good one because of all the awkwardness the situation caused. I don't really see the point of bodyswap if the pair shipped ends up sleeping with each other while in the other persons body, because it's just weird, like having sex with yourself.

Drunk!fic: If this means the kind of story where one or both characters get drunk and have sex or reveal their true emotions because they are drunk; well I don't really care for it. I like it if it's funny and awkward, like if they don't remember what happened the night before and even then it still sounds lame. So only if it's done really well.

Huddling together for warmth: Yeah this is a popular one. I think every fandon has its fair share of these stories and that's fine with me. Except if they actually have sex, because I'm pretty sure it's just going to make a person loose more body heat, especially after-wards if they got all sweaty first and then their bodies cool down...

Undercover in a gay bar: Yay! I'm all for this one! Especially if one character is gay and takes a 'straight' character to the bar, where people hit on the straight guy and he gets intimidated and sticks close to his gay friend. Or if the gay one needs to stake his claim on the straight guy to keep the competition away. This gets even better if it's a BDSM club. *cough* yes I do have my kinks when it comes to fanfiction. ^_^;

Pretending to be married: Love this one too! There is this great story in SGA fandom that was written for a Harlequin challenge and it's awesome and I love it to bits (I think the fact that I like stories like this reveals the fact that I actually read a lot of Harlequin novels when I was in junior high) It's also pretty well used in the HP fandon (at least that's my opinion)

Secretly a virgin: Needs to be done right, I mean like a proper explanation why the character would still be a virgin, especially if they don't act anything like a blushing virgin in canon. But I've read good ones so I'm not against it.

Amnesia: Depends... Sometimes I really like them, for instance if they were already a couple and then one of them looses their memory and doesn't remember the life they had together and/or doesn't even want that anymore. Or they both loose their memory and start a relationship together and when they get their memory back they realise they were actually married to other people or they hated each others guts or something similar. If there is amnesia involved I'm expecting a lot of angst. I don't want to read a wacky comedy about this, except when I do... but even if it's funny think about Buffy and Tabula Rasa kind of funny because it was heart-breaking at the same time.

Cross-dressing: YES PLEASE! But only if it's the right character. I have these weird hang-ups about who I think would be into cross-dressing and if the author 'got it wrong' I will stop reading immediately. This works really well for me in scifi fandoms where it can be all 'aliens made him do it' because of their culture/ritual what ever the reason is, but I like it if it's just the characters preference/kink too.

Forced to share a bed: Lame... unless written really well. In general I just don't buy what the big deal is and why people would end up waking in compromising positions. I guess it's just because I always know how I'm moving even when I'm sleeping (sounds weird but I almost always wake up when I change my position, like turn to my other side ot whatever) and I most certainly would wake up if someone started spooning me in the middle of the night. Um... heh~ didn't mean to rant so much.

Aliens made them do it: Bring it baby! This is a very well loved trope in the stargate fandoms and they can be really funny/sad/awkward/heart-breaking/hot depending on where the writer takes the story. Good stuff in any case.

Wingfic: No. For some reason I don't like the idea. I just don't see why it would be hot and usually the stories I've read have been about how the other person finds the wings in the other person really attractive (sexually) it's a weird idea to me. I like tails more... But just in general if there is transformation it should be complete (whole body changed into something else and not just randon body parts)

Mpreg: Oh how I love you! Because there isn't enough of it around I will read the story even if otherwise I would hit the 'back' button. It only works for me in certain fandoms though, like HP fandom? No problem! I mean they can change people into animals/other people/things. Why wouldn't they be able to transfigurate a womb or make a potion for it, or whatever. Same goes or Stargate fandom, you can always blame it on the aliens. I wouldn't like it in a fandom that is supposed to be based on this real world, unless it's an AU where it's always been completely normal. I'm also pretty finicky about who actually carries the baby... oh and now ass-babies, seriously there needs to be some kind of surgery or magic involved in getting the baby out.

Mistakenly assumed to be gay: Is this a trope? I haven't really seen it that much in my fandoms. Assumed by whom? The other person in the pairing? society in general? The aliens? I mean it has potential but it's not anything special to me. *shrug*

Let's play truth or dare: SOOOOOO LAME! Seriously just say no! Especially if the players are drunk/high and then someone lets slip that they have feelings for x or that they aren't actually that straight or something. Extra minus points if all the players are men/boys. (Somehow I can't see this happening IRL...)

Mary Sue fic: Um honestly I've never really been clear on what a Mary Sue is. I think I've even had it explained to me a few times but it hasn't stuck. I just know it's bad, and maybe has something to do with self-insert? Or is Mary Sue a character who knows everything? Or a badly written OC? Waaah~ I have no idea but I'm pretty sure I don't like it.

Aphrodisiacs: This is the same as Aliens made then do it, except you don't have to have aliens. So I'm all for it. Also can be really good for angst if character A is the one who drinks/inhales/etc the aphrodisiac and has sex with character B who didn't know A wasn't themselves and then later A comes to his senses and freaks out because of x. Also good for pwp's and marathon sex. So all in all, what could be bad about this?

Curtain fic: (I read in fodian 's journal (where I stole this from) that this means a domestic fic, you know the buying curtains together thing. But I just though it was a story that is sort of an epilogue to some other fic, like something that comes after the curtain closes in a play... However, I think they both mean the same thing in the end.) It depends a lot on the writer. I like domestic fic in general so I don't see anything wrong with this, but if it meant what I thought it meant then I don't always like it. Some stories you just need to end where they ended, you know? Like how an epilogue can ruin the whole thing (Last HP ring any bells?)

Hurt/Comfort: I'm cool with it because angst is good but I don't want the hurt to come from the same person as the comfort (unless it's that kind of a story) But if it's the kind of story where two character survive something horrible together and lean on each other and learn to take care of each other/love each other then I'm there.

Apocalypse fic: Only if it will make me cry. I mean seriously the world ended, it's supposed to make you cry! This is where I want to see h/c. Even here I want a happy ending though... I'm a baby when it comes to this.

Someone has a baby: Like someone other than the people in the pairing? I wont be very interested unless the guys end up taking care of the baby.

Baby!fic: (This is the same as Kid!fic right?) I love these and it's really weird because babies and kids in real life are gross. But slap a kid on my favourite slash ship and I will read it with stars in my eyes. I like reading about them being a family and doing normal stuff, or still saving the word and then going home to the kids. Goes with my love for mpreg.

Telepathic soulbonding: Hello Star Trek fandom, how much do I love you? A LOT that's how much. Gotta love those vulcans. *nod nod* But the bonding doesn't have to be telepathic, I've read stories for this in almost all my fandons. I especially love it if there is consent issues or if it happened accidentally etc. There needs to be drama/angst and adjustment for both parties involved. If it just happens in the end of a fic like a wedding then it's boring and not cool at all.

Werewolves mate for life: I think this goes with the bonding thing. So the same stuff applies as above. I haven't read a lot of stories involving werewolves, which now that I think of it is a real shame! Where are all the werewolf fics hiding and why haven't I read them? I have read a few though and again I'm really finicky if there is a alpha thing involved, so if the 'wrong' character is the alpha then I wont read it.

Comments

[arilyn9.livejournal.com]

"(I think the fact that I like stories like this reveals the fact that I actually read a lot of Harlequin novels when I was in junior high)" Jeij I'm actually not the only one! o/

This was really interesting! I will do this when I have time too~ I agreed on a lot of what you said. I also like mpreg but like you, I have to have a proper fandom or explanation for it. Hp, SGA, Naruto, FMA are good fandoms for it but like Criminal Minds of Tenipuri... My mind just gets stuck on the fact HOW?!? Although if it's good otherwise I'll read it anyways~

I disagree a little on the truth or dare. I like those fics. Or would if I had ever managed to read a welldone one :D I'm still looking though because the idea itself is interesting. There just doesn't seem to be a writer that gets it done well ;_; Maybe exactly because it is such a huge cliche ^^;

Also as a side note: We have been watching more SGA lately. Almost done (3 to go) for the first season. I have to say that the McKay/Sheppard pairing really starts to stand out later on :D The jelousy made me giggle which of course made Joonas give huge sighs as he knows perfectly well what I'm thinking of :D

[oanja.livejournal.com]

Wow sorry how long it took me to reply... =(

Haha~ yeah I read way too many of those horrid things when I was young and impressionable. It's a wonder I'm not horribly sappy at heart.

You should, it was so much fun, and I'd like to see what other peoples opinions on these things are.

Yep truth or dare is impossible to do well if you ask me... Or I shouldn't say impossible but at least very hard.

Yay! For you not giving up on SGA! \0/ Heh~ it really does. Poor Joonas, but at least he puts up with your slash goggles. ^_^ That's a sign of a good boyfriend if you ask me. =D

[arilyn9.livejournal.com]

No problem. I sometimes forget alltogether so compared to that you were fast :D

I did too. I tried again a few months back but the sugary stuff was way too heavy >.< I still do read Nora Roberts who usually has either crimes or supernatural mixed in with the love stories. And they are not Harlequin books but still the basic girl meets boy concepts is there ^^

Will do o7

But it has potential for crack or humor! Still looking though :D

It's actually pretty good after I got my brain to ignore the multiuniveral English and the fact that 90% of the 'aliens' they have encountered have been humans ^^; But I'm just hooked on the dialogue! We finished season 1 during the weekend. And saw Ford running away D:

Hahaa he is :D But more than that I like the times when he does it. For example he read Demon diary that I had on my computer and remarked that it was clearly slashy :') The same thing with Oofuri, he just said that "This series is So gay." after the third episode. And demanded me to put on the next one :) And he puts up with my Naruto commentaries pretty well :D Clearly he has decided that if you can't change it you have to deal with it ;)

[oanja.livejournal.com]

I haven't tried to read one in 5 years or something and I'm not sure I could make myself to try anymore. ^_^; I really liked Nora Roberts too in high school *high fives*

Well at least in fandom it's pretty much agreed that the stargate acts as a sort of universal translator, so that when you go through you'll be able to understand the language the people speak. And why all 'aliens' are human, well it's because of the Anchients (who built the stargates and Atlantis) they terra formed a lot of planets and planted life-forms that were based on themselves, that's true for humans on Earth too, so actually they aren't human, they are Anchient (heh~ very convenient for the show of course but at least they explained this one in the show, unlike the English thing, which is mostly ignored, except sometimes in SG-1 where Daniel had to act as a translator. BUT that is explained by the fact that a lot of humans were taken from Earth by the Guauld (the evil aliens) as slaves and put on other planets, so they still speak languages that resemble earth languages.) OMG sorry for the geek-out! *flails*

Phew for you knowing about Ford... That was a big spoiler I didn't want to blurt out. =)

Yup you have trained him well. ^_^

[arilyn9.livejournal.com]

Maybe again after another 5 years? ^_~ *high fives* But I'm still there :'D My favorits are the trilogy with the Quin brothers where their adoptive father dies and as a last wish asks his sons to take care of the fourth one he was about to adopt. The first one is called Kotisatama in finnish. If you will ever try again and if you haven't yet read those I highly recommend. I love the brothers. And their women of course :D

No this was actually Very helpful to me! I guess I completely missed that explanation about the ancients and all >.<; That makes it all very, very much easier to stomach :D And understand. We have been watching them in the middle of the nights mostly so no wonder I missed something ^^;

So he does come a fullfledged bad guy from now on? ;_;

^_~