Poll: Does anyone on the Escapist Magazine read fanfics?

[Misterian]

There's a question that's been floating around my head, are there people on The Escapist that read fanfics? I sort of forgot if there are.

I've read fanfics from time to time because I know that it has it's good stories, it's bad, and it's fair share of the just plain stupid, much like every other part of media that's existed in the world.

But I took notice of how there are some people who deafly avoid fanfics entirely, I know people have their fair share of likes and dislikes, but is there a particluar reason for it?

Is it because of the Mary Sues you'd find from time to time? 'Cause I know about them, and I can't blame you if you avoid the fanfics that have them (I do too), but I've seen some fanfics with really good non-sue OC's and even read 1 OC-centric fanfic that I thought was pretty well-written and had no Mary Sues in it to my knowledge.

If it's not that, can you explain why certain people deafly avoid fanfics?

 

[Grayjack]

I read them. I've actually read some well written ones, contrary to the stereotype that all of them are badly written.

 

[Zaik]

I can't explain it, but I know who can.

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Fanfiction

 

[Sora-Livana]

Yes, but it's only rarely that you find an author who really writes some brilliant stuff. 90% of fanfiction is absolutely abysmal

 

[Ldude893]

Yes, some of them can be excellent.

However, I always tread carefully around fanfic sites. Rule 34 after all (there are some very disturbing writers in this world).

 

[Thaluikhain]

I try to avoid them, but then again, I try to avoid most writers...sturgeon's law and all, and fanfic doesn't even need editors.

On ther other hand, fanfic with a purpose...I liked the one where

Spoiler: Spoiler for Harry Potter

James Potter doesn't chicken out and stop Snape from finding werewolf Remus, cause it's about pointing out how fucking stupid the 4 of them were to set the thing up

 

[Phlakes]

I can't explain it, but I know who can.

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Fanfiction

GET THAT SITE AWAY FROM ME. I'M NEVER GOING BACK THERE AGAIN.

OT: I never do, but mostly because I'm not a big fan of reading. Also because I don't feel like searching for the ones that don't suck balls.

 

[Keldon888]

I used to alot and still do occasionally, mostly funny plothole poking shit. I have no faith in most peoples ability to write anything serious that require character development and a coherent plot so comedies are the way to go.

 

[Black Phoenix]

I used to write it, a few years back now, though I've never been much of a reader of it myself. That said, the site I posted my stuff on had some pretty good writers in my opinion Just a pity it's kinda dead these days...

 

[Lullabye]

Cloud mows the lawn was the first and last fanfic I ever read....

 

[Shirokurou]

I write some Claymore yuri on the side... GalateaxMiria.

And the key to enjoying a fanfic is avoiding any Original Characters it may have (or weird crossovers)
And sticking to an understandable summary...

But yeah, there's a lot of fucked up stuff out there.

Weirdly, kid's shows and games get the most weird stuff (example - Kingdom Hearts) I've read some wonderfully written and sadistically adult stories there.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Yep. I got to know some folks that IMO are better than most writers, at least when they're doing a topic that interests them. Perhaps the most sterling example would be 'Guiding Rainbow's Light' by Erico. I will usually write a story whenever the idea occurs to me, or when I happen upon some new franchise that interests me.

 

[Trivun]

I've read a few, some can be really good, you just have to remember Sturgeon's Law and use the same sort of quality checks you would when enjoying any other entertainment medium. I've actually written one, to be honest, the first chapter of a Halo fanfic that builds on the events from the book Ghosts of Onyx and details a previous operation involving the Spartan-IIIs Tom and Lucy (from that book) before Lucy went mute. Still haven't gotten around to the second chapter, mainly because I've been alternately busy and lazy. Have a look if you want, my username on Fanfiction.net (where it's hosted) is the same as my username on here (which is also my real first name, wouldn't you know...) .

EDIT: Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6535664/1/Memories

 

[Lieju]

Occasionally. I've written some oneshots focusing on exploring less known characters or analyzing relationships and personalities or something. But I'm not much of a writer and it's more for my own amusement or as a thought-exercise. I more make comics, which is a type of fanfiction, I guess. And my drawing sucks, to be honest.

I also totally have written awful self-insertion fanfiction with pretty much all fandoms I like messed up in one, but for obvious reasons I'd never submit that to the Internet and only read it aloud to my cat. Who thinks it's awesome.

As for fanfiction in general, I have read some very good ones, but finding that stuff from the vast majority of shit is of course difficult.

But I believe one can learn a lot from bad writing as well, so when I happen to read ones like that I always analyse it and why it's bad.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Very rarely and only when I'm bored out of my mind, and someone recommends me one.

However, me and two friends are considering writing one for "Shin Megami Tensai: Devil Survivor", if it would have taken place in our city (montreal).

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Very rarely. I've read some pretty decent Star Wars fanfic but I haven't looked for it for quite some time now...

 

[GoldenRaz]

I've read a fanfic, yes. I was a Chuck/Burn Notice-crossover thing that was quite enjoyable. Really good, actually.
My friends have also shown me some Justin Bieber-fanfics, and they've all been horribly written, creepy and just plain stupid in equally large quantities. The unintentional hilarity kinda makes up for it, though.

 

[Hader]

I didn't read much, but usually ones I read for Mass Effect were just badly written and had an alright plot idea, or were well written but had shit story.

I don't think people really take their time on these fanfics enough to make them as good as they should, and could be. Seems like that are so bent on getting their idea of an awesome fanfic out there that they forget to do the simplest steps of the writing process. If you are turning out about a chapter a day to your fanfic, then odds are you are not taking enough time to polish it.

 

[drbarno]

Yes, but it's only rarely that you find an author who really writes some brilliant stuff. 90% of fanfiction is absolutely abysmal

90% percent of everything is absolutely abysmal.

Sturgeons laws at it's finest

As for me, I rarely read fanfiction, there's barely any that I actually follow.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Yeah I read them when I have nothing to do.

Currently, I'm reading Star Wars The Clone Wars fanfics and a lot of them are pretty decent...at least the ones I care to read.

And yes, some of them are followers of Rule 34 but not that many.