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Post by physicssquid on Sept 2, 2013 13:42:22 GMT -5
I don't like reading RtBs which have most of the text chopped out, either. Yes, chopping out bits of text might well be a good idea, but if an author does that, I think they should just chop out the news articles, letters, Sorting Hat songs, and things like that, so we don't lose bits of the story.
There was one story, that I really liked the first chapter of, and the Author started with book one, and was going to do the others, but she chopped out more of the text than I would have liked, and then, when she got to the second book, chopped out all the text, and that really put me off, because it wasn't what I would call an RtB, any more.
And yes, it might be a good idea to start with reading the seventh book, maybe add a chapter or two from the first six, just to give and idea of what happened previously, but still have the trio, or someone else who was involved, explaining things.
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 3, 2013 12:42:48 GMT -5
As I usually skip the book text anyway, I didn't miss the deleted scenes that much. But then, these stories either were only a few chapters of the first and maybe second book, or only started later on with the end of PoA and/or GoF and usually only these chapters at the end that were really important. And neither of these stories got very far (so far?). So, I wasn't too bothered with the few I have seen.
Squid, I guess that author did what the CU was preaching ... they keep telling people they have to do it that way, after all.
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Post by RandomPasserby on Sept 3, 2013 18:01:00 GMT -5
One thing I've always wondered about RtBs which actually kind of pushed me away from the whole genre.
What happens afterwards?
The characters now all know their potential futures. Depending on when it's set, some of them may have found out that they're going to die or that they're going to kill somebody or that they're going to fall in love with somebody.
Does this change anything? I mean, if a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane what can a potentially large number of people learning things about the future do?
The idea behind the whole 'reading the books' thing is based around the characters reading what has happened or will happen in the future but the consequences are potentially far reaching. Think about how many tiny choices went in to making up the version of Harry Potter that they read.
Although personally, if I were one of the muggleborn students who found out I was going to die in DH because Dumbledore couldn't be arsed to actually tell Harry things in words I think I'd either go hide under a rock in New Zealand until after my supposed death...or I'd go vigilante, take out all the Horcruxes and certain people before they could take me out. If I actually thought I was going to die, I might even make a run at Voldemort before I kicked it (by 'run at' I mean 'blow him up' with homemade explosive. See what that does.)
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 4, 2013 14:29:42 GMT -5
Well, things will have to play out a bit differently. For one, they know the Horcruxes and can destroy them easily. And they hopefully end up a bit more distrustful of the MOB. They might be able to prevent the war, or at least keep it short and with much less damage than in canon. They could save some lives, I hope. Though - how much of the changes would be on a big scale, like destroying the Horcruxes, and how much just on a more personal level, like pairings?
True about the muggleborn, particularly if they find out about how they are going to be treated in DH. That would be a huge incentive to flee from England if the war can't be avoided.
Though there were RtBs where they said in the beginning that they are going to read all 7 books, and then they are obliviated and won't remember anything. A concept I find rather silly, too. What's the point of reading about the future if they forget about everthing afterwards, if the war still happens, if thousands still die?
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Post by physicssquid on Sept 4, 2013 16:54:42 GMT -5
Maybe the authors of those RtBs, chose to do that, obliviate everything once the books are over, because they just wanted to write the RtB and couldn't be arsed to actually write about the future changing afterwards.
Here's another thing I don't get. What is the point in writing and RtB, where the reading happens after the war is over and done with, other than to inform those who didn't know about everything? They can't change anything, because it's already happened, all of it.
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Post by RandomPasserby on Sept 4, 2013 17:57:30 GMT -5
Well, things will have to play out a bit differently. For one, they know the Horcruxes and can destroy them easily. And they hopefully end up a bit more distrustful of the MOB. They might be able to prevent the war, or at least keep it short and with much less damage than in canon. They could save some lives, I hope. Though - how much of the changes would be on a big scale, like destroying the Horcruxes, and how much just on a more personal level, like pairings? True about the muggleborn, particularly if they find out about how they are going to be treated in DH. That would be a huge incentive to flee from England if the war can't be avoided. Though there were RtBs where they said in the beginning that they are going to read all 7 books, and then they are obliviated and won't remember anything. A concept I find rather silly, too. What's the point of reading about the future if they forget about everthing afterwards, if the war still happens, if thousands still die? I wonder how many more people would be willing to fight if they saw what was coming. How many people, previously neutral, would join Harry's side after viewing what was going to happen to people they loved. Also, yeah, pairings. I mean if certain interactions or instances made Person X fall in love with Person Y, and they don't happen, would the two people still fall in love? If Person Y decides 'hey, we are together in the future that means we're together now' would they work as much to be in a relationship with Person X? And people who aren't friends at that point but will later fall in love? Would that let them see Person Y's good points or would it harden Person X's heart against ever being with Person Y. Maybe the authors of those RtBs, chose to do that, obliviate everything once the books are over, because they just wanted to write the RtB and couldn't be arsed to actually write about the future changing afterwards. That's just really unfortunate implications. Not to the author, just in the story. Yeah, you could have saved a lot of lives, you could have kept the bodycount down....but we (the fates or whoever gave them the book) are not going to let you because we don't feel like it.
Would you do it? If somebody approached you and said 'I can show you what's definitely going to happen in the future but you won't remember any of it' would you say yes or no? |
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 5, 2013 0:36:36 GMT -5
Maybe the authors of those RtBs, chose to do that, obliviate everything once the books are over, because they just wanted to write the RtB and couldn't be arsed to actually write about the future changing afterwards. Here's another thing I don't get. What is the point in writing and RtB, where the reading happens after the war is over and done with, other than to inform those who didn't know about everything? They can't change anything, because it's already happened, all of it. Possible, yes, but when you reduce the whole work to the comments, with no actual consequences, why bother? Ah, that's something I don't get, either. As if it would help that much to show the surviving people what could have been avoided if they had gotten the book earlier! Personally, I don't even read RtB fics that are set in sixth year. If they don't at least save Sirius, then I am not interested  I wonder how many more people would be willing to fight if they saw what was coming. How many people, previously neutral, would join Harry's side after viewing what was going to happen to people they loved. IMO that is one of the reasons why it is fun to write that sort of fic - to explore the possibilities. Sadly, most authors give up long before they reach the point where true change starts, or are deleted. It can go any way. They can decide they aren't interested any longer, seeing how X develops. Or they can see it as confirmation of their feelings and say 'see what he/she did, he/she is my hero'. But I admit, that's one aspect of the RtB I don't really care for, as I am not that interested in relationships. Never understood the need to have pairings for every single story, even if the kids are still in their nappies! If I knew it could help to save lifes, yes. But if it doesn't accomplish anything? Probably not. The most annoying were these who said it was so Harry could get to know his parents. So, what's the point in doing it if he can't remember anything afterwards? He will still be left with only the memories of their dying moments when all is said and done. |
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Post by unbeastly on Sept 12, 2013 13:56:57 GMT -5
The sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as your fandom is slowly taken over by illiterate teenage fangirls.
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 12, 2013 14:02:39 GMT -5
*sigh* Yes. There are days when I need to flee back to SoA, just so I can read some stories of authors who can spell *and* know what they are doing, not just repeat every cliche in existence and ask the readers what they are supposed to write because they don't know what they want to achieve in their story.
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Post by RandomPasserby on Sept 12, 2013 15:00:02 GMT -5
What's worse is when you find a story with an amazing premise and it's horrendously badly written.
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 12, 2013 15:32:36 GMT -5
What's worse is when you find a story with an amazing premise and it's horrendously badly written. Even worse: The above *and* then finding out that they turned Harry into a female, or that he's suddenly best buddies with Malfoy and all that rubbish. |
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Post by melodypottersnape on Sept 14, 2013 12:41:24 GMT -5
I think I just got my first flame today. I'm not sure though since it doesn't seem to be a rant that I've seen most flames in while reading others reviews.
'Infantile narration' by guest.
Is the guest telling me that my story sounds like it was written by a baby. I'm not sure.
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 14, 2013 13:09:19 GMT -5
Might be that rather said guest is itself infantil, you know. Besides, seeing how many readers leave gushing reviews for stories that sound like written by pre-teens, and whose authors can't spell to save their lives, and how many flame excellently written stories because they don't like a tiny detail in a book-length story, I'd not put too much stock into that sort of 'review'. Particularly if the story is at least as mature as your posts here.
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Post by melodypottersnape on Sept 14, 2013 13:32:35 GMT -5
I was actually laughing when I read it. It just sounded like they were trying too hard to sound intelligent.
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 14, 2013 13:45:22 GMT -5
You mean, them using big words and all that?  Good, just laugh and don't feel bad about it. |
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Post by blackroses77 on Sept 14, 2013 20:16:29 GMT -5
The sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as your fandom is slowly taken over by illiterate teenage fangirls. That is the worst! Especially since some of them write good summaries that get you really interested in the story and then you open it and go...?!? I've recently gotten into the Teen Wolf fandom, I discovered it over at AO3 and found some really amazing fics that I fell in love with which lead to me watching the actual tv show (which I also fell in love with) but back on topic, I went over to ffn to see what they had over there and yeah with what they have I don't know if I want to cry or throw my computer since 90% of the fics are the dreaded OFC aka teenage author inserts herself into the story, and the rest are stories the author has posted over on AO3 as well so I've already seen them. I have only found one story on ffn that I absolutely love and check every day to see if it's updated. It's a shame to because there are about 5000 stories for TW on ffn and there are probably other hidden gems in amongst them but I just can't bring myself to wade through all the OFC stories to find them  I don't know what I would do without AO3 and I hope with everything in me that the 'teenage fangirls' stay at ffn and don't start to invade AO3. |
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 15, 2013 1:24:14 GMT -5
With the complicated sign-up on AO3, I think you don't have to worry that much. It's really annoying so see that FFN has so many stories and so few are worth reading. By now I have pretty much given up to scan the 'all HP fics' page altogether and rather find new stories by way of the favourites of my favourite authors. More chances of finding something, and without being forced to wade through all that rubbish. Just don't have the time and patience to find the 1% of readable fics among the 99% unreadable.
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Post by unbeastly on Sept 15, 2013 3:55:21 GMT -5
That is the worst! Especially since some of them write good summaries that get you really interested in the story and then you open it and go...?!? I've recently gotten into the Teen Wolf fandom, I discovered it over at AO3 and found some really amazing fics that I fell in love with which lead to me watching the actual tv show (which I also fell in love with) but back on topic, I went over to ffn to see what they had over there and yeah with what they have I don't know if I want to cry or throw my computer since 90% of the fics are the dreaded OFC aka teenage author inserts herself into the story, and the rest are stories the author has posted over on AO3 as well so I've already seen them. I have only found one story on ffn that I absolutely love and check every day to see if it's updated. It's a shame to because there are about 5000 stories for TW on ffn and there are probably other hidden gems in amongst them but I just can't bring myself to wade through all the OFC stories to find them I don't know what I would do without AO3 and I hope with everything in me that the 'teenage fangirls' stay at ffn and don't start to invade AO3. Sorry to say that the Teen Wolf fandom on AO3 has been slowly invaded, it's not as bad as the average ff.net fandom yet but it's getting worse. I've been wading through the entire backlog of Sterek fics (it was at around 5000 fics when I started in January and it's now up to just under 13,000, it's taken over all my spare time) and I can say that the quality has been going down the more recent you get. I can't stand what the recent updates have done the ff.net, normally I start on reading in a new fandom there before going elsewhere for new fics but with the new four character choices I have to wade through nearly twice as many fics now and it really isn't worth it for the majority of what's posted there. |
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 15, 2013 5:31:28 GMT -5
See, and that's why I always wanted a HP twin of SoA, my favourite LotR archive - there at least 95% of the fics on FFN would be denied. The few stories I stoped reading at SoA were all because the plot didn't interest me that much, but never due to the quality of the story. These illiterate kids wouldn't have a chance in hell to be accepted as authors on SoA.
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Post by melodypottersnape on Sept 15, 2013 9:54:51 GMT -5
I can't stand fics that go "Mandy was reading her favorite book, HP, when suddenly she appeared on the train.." I can get interested in the ones were they take over the main characters body so to speak if it is well written, but usually they make me want to claw my eyes out.
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Post by Miss Wings on Sept 15, 2013 10:04:23 GMT -5
I've just read one by the author named Callum.Foster.82 I think it was and let me just say: THAT PERSON DOESN'T DESERVE TO WRITE!!!
Rant over.
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Post by Miss Wings on Sept 15, 2013 11:27:22 GMT -5
ARGHHHH!! How many kids does Dragons-Twilight1992 want to give James & Lily? I think there's at least 20. They add a new one every chapter.
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Post by Kitty279 on Sept 15, 2013 13:10:33 GMT -5
Oh god, that's not realistic. I can see two or three, or maybe four, but not more. Lily never struck me as the type of mother to stay at home forever and to pop babies out nonstop. She'd want to do something else now and then, too. Definitely a story I'd avoid at all costs.
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Post by blackroses77 on Sept 15, 2013 13:38:00 GMT -5
I have noticed an increase of female Stiles stories polluting AO3 I love Sterek and there are about a half dozen stories I'm following that are updated on a fairly regular basis but I have tons of stories saved to favorites that haven't been updated since July or Aug. I have noticed a slight decline in the number of new stories added that I am interested in enough to click on and read, I'm hoping this is just a temporary little slump that will reverse itself soon. I can't stand the new updates for ffn either as it is now impossible to search by pairing so my searches are inevitably swamped with het. [quoteI can't stand fics that go "Mandy was reading her favorite book, HP, when suddenly she appeared on the train.." I can get interested in the ones were they take over the main characters body so to speak if it is well written, but usually they make me want to claw my eyes out.][/quote] Sounds like an author insert to me so I would avoid it like the plague. ARGHHH is right, that sounds like a horrible story as bad as the one I was reading that started out really good and then turned into Harry popping out babies (yes multiples) every other chapter. |
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Post by Miss Wings on Sept 16, 2013 6:11:24 GMT -5
Really is stupid isn't it? Has this person ever actually read Harry Potter? The one I hate the most is giving Harry a twin that also speaks parsletongue and all those different classes at Hogwarts, again they add new ones every time.
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Post by Miss Wings on Sept 17, 2013 5:30:01 GMT -5
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Post by unbeastly on Sept 17, 2013 10:51:51 GMT -5
They need help desperately.
Does anyone else find RPF stories slightly creepy or is it just me?
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Post by Miss Wings on Sept 17, 2013 11:14:26 GMT -5
Can you explain what RPF is to this dummy please?
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Post by unbeastly on Sept 17, 2013 11:17:50 GMT -5
It stands for Real Person Fiction they're stories written about actors, musicians, athletes, celebrities basically anyone in the public eye.
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Post by blackroses77 on Sept 17, 2013 14:17:14 GMT -5
They need help desperately. Does anyone else find RPF stories slightly creepy or is it just me? I find them extremely creepy and in poor taste. |
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I don't know what I would do without AO3 and I hope with everything in me that the 'teenage fangirls' stay at ffn and don't start to invade AO3.
