Pet Peeves in Fanfiction stories

[Darkflame4ever]

Grammar and Punctuation, obviously. Misspelling character names or places, but what really irritates me is bashing.

I see no point in bashing unless it's Umbridge or Fudge.

Another pet peeve is author notes in the middle of the story.

I don't mind OC's, as I use them myself. I just dislike when their just there to be romance, and not helping the situation at all.

I actually love superpowered!Harry stories, but that's because I have a soft spot for shock and awe moments, which usually only happen when someone does something amazingly powerful.

I like slash, but only if they make it halfway believable and not out of the random blue just to have slash in the story.

[ShotgunWilly]

Jun 12, 2012 11:18:09 GMT -5 Kitty279 said:

Jun 12, 2012 11:10:17 GMT -5 ShotgunWilly said:

Thankfully, on Proboards you can change your display name. Go to Profile -> Modify profile and find the field for Display Name.

Thanks, had already looked how to change that - I am sure I did spell my name capitalised, but the boards changed it - and didn't see a way to change the name. But I had overlooked the display thing a bit down. Now I have gone and corrected my name!

By default, the forum removes capitalization and such in your username. That's where display name comes in

[Dimcairien]

Like most of you, my main peeve is grammar/spelling. It's a regular peeve for me in real life actually.
The amount it bothers me depends on how frequent the errors occur, the age of the author (if the author is younger, I'm a little more lenient), and if English is the author's first language.

I'm okay with Super!Harry fics, as long as it is after the Battle of Hogwarts. I think that Harry really is a powerful wizard, but his magic is weighed down because of the Horcrux, and after it is destroyed, he can reach his full potential.

I hate bashing through and through. If there is any bashing in the summary, I won't read it. I'm okay with extremely slight bashing towards Dumbledore, Fudge, or Umbridge, but nothing to the extreme. I don't like it when the core of the character is changed. All characters have flaws, and many of them have major, but one should not only emphasize the bad characteristics.

Also, if there are any changes to the main pairings, I refuse to read it. I won't read non-canon couples.

As for OOC or AU, I will read them sometimes, more-so AU than OOC.

[Kitty279]

Jun 12, 2012 12:26:21 GMT -5 ShotgunWilly said:

By default, the forum removes capitalization and such in your username. That's where display name comes in

That was something new for me - all other boards I was or am on over the last 10 years left the capitalisation in peace. Oh well, it would be boring if they all work the same way

[ShotgunWilly]

That's proboards for you.

I admit, if I were the person who'd thought to make this forum, I probably would've used Invisionfree or zetaboards and then seen about buying a domain name (they're cheap, really) to put in place, but, alas, I'm not so w/e.

[G. Novella]

Strolling through stories, and found another huge pet peeve

MPreg. This is so wrong on so many levels! First off, how the hell do two sperm cells form a baby? Or better yet, how the hell does a man develop a uterus and stay a man? And why is the man who ends up carrying the two-spermed-cell baby become a pathetic weakling who only cries and freaks out? Why does the child always get a stupid name? Why is Harry always the female who carried the magical-baby? How does a potion alter a man biologically forever and then 'fix' after the man gives birth?

Oh right. This is magic and we don't need logic. *BANGS HEAD*

[codygotkilld]

Jun 12, 2012 19:56:06 GMT -5 G. Novella said:

Strolling through stories, and found another huge pet peeve

MPreg. This is so wrong on so many levels! First off, how the hell do two sperm cells form a baby? Or better yet, how the hell does a man develop a uterus and stay a man? And why is the man who ends up carrying the two-spermed-cell baby become a pathetic weakling who only cries and freaks out? Why does the child always get a stupid name? Why is Harry always the female who carried the magical-baby? How does a potion alter a man biologically forever and then 'fix' after the man gives birth?

Oh right. This is magic and we don't need logic. *BANGS HEAD*

*GLADLY BANGS HEAD ALONGSIDE YOU*
Truly, I would rue the day that I ever met the author who began this *beautiful* genre so I can give them my appreciation for scarring me for life. There are just some things that are not meant to be written or spread through fiction.

[Trilonias]

I am with G. Novella and Codygotkilld. Mpreg is a major turn off for me. Can't stand it.

Spelling and grammar, while peeves of mine, I can at least ignore a bit if I truly like the story. Even if they keep putting defiantly instead of definitely. I shudder, but I can make it.

Bashing is also a problem, but I've managed to read a few.

Finally, there's lack of description and repeating themselves... as in a story that's mostly dialogue (unless they specifically did this on purpose.) or they keep saying "Blahblah," he said, "Bluhbleh," She siad, etc. Arg. This is why we have synonyms!

[Animikokala]

Jun 12, 2012 20:09:32 GMT -5 codygotkilld said:

Jun 12, 2012 19:56:06 GMT -5 G. Novella said:

Strolling through stories, and found another huge pet peeve

MPreg. This is so wrong on so many levels! First off, how the hell do two sperm cells form a baby? Or better yet, how the hell does a man develop a uterus and stay a man? And why is the man who ends up carrying the two-spermed-cell baby become a pathetic weakling who only cries and freaks out? Why does the child always get a stupid name? Why is Harry always the female who carried the magical-baby? How does a potion alter a man biologically forever and then 'fix' after the man gives birth?

Oh right. This is magic and we don't need logic. *BANGS HEAD*

*GLADLY BANGS HEAD ALONGSIDE YOU*
Truly, I would rue the day that I ever met the author who began this *beautiful* genre so I can give them my appreciation for scarring me for life. There are just some things that are not meant to be written or spread through fiction.

I have to agree; not a big fan of Mpreg stories. One story I liked had two men as the biological parents, but the method for doing that was like a magical in vitro; also, a female relative of one of the parents had to carry the child (so it was apparently a sort of blood magic).

But otherwise, I agree. Most Mpreg stories make the "mother" a whining mess.

[Silvertongue]

Yeah I used to like it but...yeah. It's ridiculous. some people say "Magic can do anything" but there has to be limits with magic, like Gamp's Law, food cannot be made from nothing! Therefore, neither can a baby.

[G. Novella]

Here's another one to chew on, self inserted OCs. Was that said already?

Anyways my gripe on them is that they become the main character, everyone loves them, they're so beautiful, they have a harem, and usually sound like thirteen instead of seventeen. Actually, that leans also to Mary-Sues

[Silvertongue]

Indeed. I never read anything with self inserts. That's also why I tend to stay away from OC's, they end up being Mary-Sues and Gary-Stus

[Kitty279]

Don't forget being so powerful and skilled and saving the heroes and the whole world all alone!

[Silvertongue]

Yep! I much prefer for Harry/Naruto to do that themselves! Which is why i Don't mind Super!Harry/Naruto. I'd rather it was them doing the insanely strong stuff than some random person called "Raven" or "Crystal" or "Shadow". I mean, seriously? It's obviously 14 year old girls coming up with these names, wishing they could be/be WITH that person.

[Kitty279]

Already learned to avoid that sort of fic many years ago. It was the same in my other fandom - reading anything with a mortal female OC proved to be a bad Mary Sue pretty much every time. The OC was usually a beautiful woman who went on the Quest with the Fellowship, was better at Archery than Legolas, a better swordfighter than Boromir and a better rider than Aragorn. Of course she had to resuce them all the time, and in the end she usually got Legolas. I learned quickly to avoid that sort of fic at all costs and didn't really try for HP, either.

[Silvertongue]

Do these people not even realise how much that sort of thing is hated in writing?

[Kitty279]

But there are enough people who love that sort of story, considering the number of positive reviews. I guess they identified themselves with that OC.

Another thing I hate is violence for the sake of violence, without any real reason, and way overdone. You don't have to break Harry's bones daily to show that he was abused!

[G. Novella]

Ugh. The worst is when they try and describe their pain and suffering in life and why we should pity the character they've created. The character just becomes so flat and you can completely grasp their lack of knowledge on human relationships and psychology.

[Silvertongue]

I find that they are generally the kind of peopl who like to think of themselves as 'emo' because that's the 'in' thing to be. They've never gone through a bout of depression in their lives and think it's all about dead parents and bullying and cutting their wrists. I went through depression and trust me, it is nothing like that at all.

[Kitty279]

It isn't. I've got friends who suffer from that, too. But you could be right about it being a fashion thing.

[Silvertongue]

Something I don't like is too much angst. Maybe angst is the wrong word but I read one fic (don't remember what it was called now) but it was so sad that much chest literally ached and I was reading through tears for about half an hour.

[Kitty279]

Another similarity Horror, tragedy and too much angst aren't my thing. And I prefer happy ends. I know, I'm sappy, but the real world is bad enough, I don't need that much death and destruction in the fantasy world as well.

[Silvertongue]

Yeah. I like the death and destruction thing but without the angst and a sad end. That's never a good way to finish things. It leaves you sad too. I read to enjoy it and I don't enjoy being sad. And I really hate the chest-achey feeling.

[G. Novella]

The worst is when they try and discuss abuse. They have really no idea what being abused is like or the implications. They write it so poorly I feel like they're joking, and then I get frustrated. I volunteer at the local hospital and one lady there used to work with abused victims (kids, women, seniors, etc). Just hearing the stories makes me cringe and then these kids on the Internet just throw it out in a fly away sentence and act like it was no big deal.

[Kitty279]

Wasn't that a bit like JKR handled it, too? The books make it seem as if it was no big deal, and no matter how someone was treated, there was no reason to ask an adult for help or any way to help and stop the abuse. In a story for children, that is questionable at best. Maybe that's why some fanfic authors now treat it so random - it's how the original is, too, after all.

[Silvertongue]

Exactly! It's insulting the way they do it! I can imagine someone who truly was abused reading these fics and either being sickened or outright laughing at their attempts. It's why I would never write an Abuse!fic. I know I have no experience in that area whatsoever and would just end up making it sound pathetic. I think the only people who could truly write it effectively are people who have been abused (and are adults who understand the emotions they were going through) or their counsellors.

[Miss Wings]

I really hate it when Fred has a go at George for stealing his Girlfriend. Can anyone point out where J.K says that Fred & Angelina are dating. As far as I know they only ever went to the Yule Ball together.

[OculisCaeruleis]

Back to the abuse-reactions bit (sorry), I hate it when they make Harry act like a total baby when it all comes out.

Yes, I can understand him wanting to feel loved, protected, etc. and seeking that out, but canon Harry hated it when people moddycoddled him and I don't think that would have changed. Making him act like a two-year-old in a fifteen-year-old's (or whatever age) body just goes over the top, IMO.

I don't mean to sound insensitive or anything...

[misschsparkle]

Heh, where to begin? Well, first off, I hate any character calling Minerva Minnie. She's just not the kind of person who would allow anyone to call her that and I really think the twins/Sirius respect her too much to do that.

I'm not so keen on Harry being abused, eg, beaten every day ect. Authors tend to go way, way over the top with this and make it seem unrealistic. Now, if it's treated right, I don't mind it much but some people rely toomuch on the fact wizards can survive worse injuries than muggles.

Also hate, absolutely hate character bashing, it's just so petty. I especially hate when people bash Ron and often for the most stupid reasons. Just because he made some mistakes and is loud in his opinions does not make him an awful person. He has his faults but so does everyone else, including Harry.

I don't like how some people say Harry and Hermione would be perfect together because they wouldn't. When Harry was spending all his time with her, without Ron, he found himself really bored. Because she just wants to spend time in the library and his personality means he won't say no. Ron is the one who stops her locking herself away there and makes sure she relaxes. He allows Harry to be a normal teenager and seriously, that is the greatest gift of all.

Trust me, allowing a person to feel like a normal person isn't to be sniffed at.

[Silvertongue]

The Minnie thing bugs me too. It would never happen in any situation... well, maybe if she was drunk.

It also annoys me when people call Dumbledore "the Professor" instead of "the Headmaster". Like if Snape told Harry (in terms of Dumbledore) to "respect the Professor". I only ever remember him calling Dumbledore "Headmaster".

Also misspelling Professor and adding an extra 'f'.