this is sad, even for me...

[tommygirl]

It's 10:30pm on a Saturday night and I'm ready to go to bed. I had to work today and then run a few errands. So much fun. At least I still get a two-day weekend. That's what I kept repeating to myself today while I tried to make it through tons of work...and eep, it's not going away. On the bright side, I talked with my boss about switching some of my job responsibilities around when the new girl starts. I'm taking on a new project and dumping something that just annoys me to do. So yay for that.

I really do try to focus on the positive because negativity just causes me to spiral (and that's never a pretty sight, trust me), but lately I just feel so tired all the time. And I'm very far behind on many things. If I owe you anything, I apologize for any delays. I'm trying to get my act together again.

**

Question for Readers of Fanfiction: What is one thing that will make you swoon about a fic? What makes a story good in your opinion?

I've been pondering this lately and I'm trying to make sense of my own thoughts and wondered what others think.

Comments

[larah33.livejournal.com]

What is one thing that will make you swoon about a fic? What makes a story good in your opinion?

Something that always makes me squee is when the author gets the characters' voices. I mean, just nails the dialogue.

Another thing is when it's got a bit of humour in it. A line or two that speaks to the fan, referencing the source material in a way that only fans would get.

Third, when the writer makes something happen that we all yearn for in the source material. *coughPeterEllecough*

what makes you swoon

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Hm. For me it's some plot-twist or character detail that I never would have thought of in a million years, but once somebody else uses it in fic and it just...clicks...like it's canon, better than canon, it fits and explains things so much.

If I'm understanding the question and that makes any sense. Heh.

[aliaspiral.livejournal.com]

i swoon over characterization and logical plot. meaning, dont have your character think all of a sudden, "omg! im in love with him! id die for him! my beloved!" when two sentences ago, she hated him with the fire of a thousand suns. IT BOTHERS ME.

[skuf.livejournal.com]

What is one thing that will make you swoon about a fic? What makes a story good in your opinion?
Awesome writing? Everything that I like (kinks, etc.), if they're not well-written, it doesn't matter. So I can't really answer the question, heh.

[krisgoespop.livejournal.com]

Honestly? Happy endings.

It really depends on the fic - for a lot of SPN fic, a lot depends on the language that the writer uses. I drool over flowing, almost-poetic, lyrical kind of phrasing. It has to be written in a way that captures me attention instead of just making me really bored. I know it's a good fic if I read over the sentences more than once just to savour the taste and texture of them.

Even if the fic is mostly plotless, just a bit of writerly masturbation, if the writing is lyrical and smooth, I'll love it.

For that reason, I really love rejeneration's writing.

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about the tiredness - it's a problem I have myself, and it gets in the way of so many things I would like to do. I wanted to write something for the porn challenge for one, but I just haven't been able to.

Things I look for in fanfic? The author has to have a similar take on the characters to my own, so that I can recognise them; and there are authors whose words flow, and others who have good ideas but whose words just plod; I like a fic to have something to say - not necessarily anything new (I'm not sure if there is anything new left to say), but at least an interesting spin on it; and, most of all, stories need to have heart, there needs to be caring and tenderness.

I also adore angst and, most of all, hurt/comfort, but that doesn't happen so much.

[alliecat8.livejournal.com]

Aw, I'm sorry everything's going crappily for you. You asked a good question, though. The thing that makes me swoon in a fic is discovering a parallel that I hadn't picked up on before. For instance, one of the fics in my WIP file is a character study of Saywer and Desmond, and how they both found themselves on the island because of a letter. Lost is chock-full of things like that (right down to the notebooks in the pneumatic tube echoing the messages in a bottle), and I love it when somebody sees one that I missed. And of course, good writing. A fic can be clever as can be, but if it's written OOC, or with bad grammar or spelling, that negates all the good stuff. Which is why I ♥ betas. OH, and of course, great in-character porn! ;D

[dragonsinger.livejournal.com]

Either something new and different or an interesting twist on a fic staple, all with a happy ending. And an interesting summary. If you don't have an interesting summary, how do I know if I'll like it or not?