Fanfic Pet Peeves

[Kunoichi]

However it could be argued that since the show was on television, profanity would not be permitted. However, there are some characters you might feel would use language like that if not for network censors.

Yes, that's basically my take on it as well.

It's also mine. I have no problem with characters not swearing in the show due to censorship issues on the networks where it was shown. Equally, I have no problem with writers having the characters swear because in the 'real' world it is likely that in certain circumstances they would swear. However, I don't expect every other word out of a character's mouth to be a curse because I feel that would be out of character for the SG1 folk. It's about getting a balance that feels appropriate for the characters being written - same with any language/phrasing being used. I read something recently in which Jack was using terms like 'piffle' and 'poppycock', to me that's not Jack!

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

The thing about swearing is that if you do it too much, it loses its impact. In which case, what do you say when the excrement really does hit the fan?

Seaboe

[Princess Awinita]

The thing about swearing is that if you do it too much, it loses its impact. In which case, what do you say when the excrement really does hit the fan?

Seaboe

Does "Oh {BLEEP} we're dead!!!" count ??

if not, "Oh Primus" works just fine

[Skydiver]

It's also mine. I have no problem with characters not swearing in the show due to censorship issues on the networks where it was shown. Equally, I have no problem with writers having the characters swear because in the 'real' world it is likely that in certain circumstances they would swear. However, I don't expect every other word out of a character's mouth to be a curse because I feel that would be out of character for the SG1 folk. It's about getting a balance that feels appropriate for the characters being written - same with any language/phrasing being used. I read something recently in which Jack was using terms like 'piffle' and 'poppycock', to me that's not Jack!

This. WHat happens with a multinational fandom....I've often had to tell an aussie friend of mine that she simply could not have Jack thinking that the 'whole mission went pear shaped', because that's an aussie/brit thing and Jack isn't.

TV language rules aside, if you're trying to write your characters 'show canon' then they won't swear a lot or 'badly' because they don't. However if you're extrapolating the show's characters into your own version of them, yeah, they'll talk how you think they'll talk 'off camera'.

[scifithinker]

This. WHat happens with a multinational fandom....I've often had to tell an aussie friend of mine that she simply could not have Jack thinking that the 'whole mission went pear shaped', because that's an aussie/brit thing and Jack isn't.

This is one of the many words or phrases I've learned courtesy of science fiction fandom. What I don't understand is what the shape of a pear has to do with everything falling spectacularly apart. Can anyone enlighten me?

[fems]

[Whytewytch]

This is one of the many words or phrases I've learned courtesy of science fiction fandom. What I don't understand is what the shape of a pear has to do with everything falling spectacularly apart. Can anyone enlighten me?

I've often wondered that myself. I, too, have learned many "Britishisms" from fandom, as well as learning British spelling and grammar as a beta.

[scifithinker]

Fems, did the software eat your post?

[Skydiver]

the 'post eating glitch' hasn't totally gone away as hoped, it's just much less prevalent...Greg knows about it but doesn't think there's much he can do about it.

[scifithinker]

the 'post eating glitch' hasn't totally gone away as hoped, it's just much less prevalent...Greg knows about it but doesn't think there's much he can do about it.

*whines* But Sky, that post may have been about the meaning of life and pear-shaped objects. Wah, wah, wah.

OK, I'm over it now.

[fems]

It was! No, I just said that I've heard of things "going pear-shaped" in TV shows/movies and that's it definitely a British expression.

Plus I gave a link to wikipedia where there were some explanations as to the origin of the expression.

[LizzieAnne]

This is one of the many words or phrases I've learned courtesy of science fiction fandom. What I don't understand is what the shape of a pear has to do with everything falling spectacularly apart. Can anyone enlighten me?

It doesn't mean falling apart though. It's more that something has gone skew-whiff Yep, that's another one.

Meaning it's not gone according to plan...out of shape...it's not perfect. The perfect thing being something round - I suspect that's where it originated.

[Princess Awinita]

Sometimes, a peeve of mine is too much romance scenes.... even in roleplays, I'm not a romatic type of writer, I try to avoid it, and should it come up, I just simply fade to black, that seems to work. but some stories go on and on and on and on about romance scenes and such, it drives me kinda crazy.

For me, give me a pickup truck, {or a tank, or a semi or a Mustang or a... (you get the idea)} and a car chase with all sorts of bad guys and VOLIA, I'm happy

[CMWriter]

Okay, I realize this is totally subjective and maybe a little bit harsh, but if there's going to be an established pairing/romance/ship (whatever you care to call it) between two characters that does not happen in the canon...
...it's got to be pretty darn convincing if you want me to take it seriously.

A couple days ago I came by a fic I thought looked interesting. Well, it ended up having a lot of issues (main characters were totally OOC, dialogue felt choppy, bad paragraph spacing, on and on..) but even though the pairing was somewhat plausible, the way the author wrote it just didn't grab me.

On the other hand, a long while back I read an incredibly bizarre fic that was so strange it could probably be considered AU. And I'm talking pairings I would've never imagined seeing. But you know what?
It was one of the best gosh-darned fanfics I've ever read.
By the end I was totally convinced with the pairings, had latched onto this really weird plot, and absolutely could wait for more.

Oh, and it followed what my English 252 professor has said over and over:
"The First Rule of Writing: Don't bore the reader.
The Second Rule of Writing: Don't bore the reader!"

But that's a whole other rant in itself.

[Choo1701]

Oh, and it followed what my English 252 professor has said over and over:
"The First Rule of Writing: Don't bore the reader.
The Second Rule of Writing: Don't bore the reader!"

But that's a whole other rant in itself.

Wise advise, CMWriter

But there's also the "First Rule of being a "Popular" writer": The ego comes first!