Random Fic Thought/Question

[doc_3]

So I was reading some fics the other day, and this thought occurred to me:

There are certain things that can totally turn me off about a story, even if it's something I have really liked right up until that point.  For me, if at any point the characters feel the need to clarify their relationship, perhaps by saying, "So are we dating now?" or "Does this make you my girlfriend?", then I am out. 

I just totally lose interest in a story at that point.  This holds true for any fandom I read fics in.

Do other people have this trigger, (without being specific about stories or authors - this isn't to bash anyone's writing), or am I the only one?

Comments

[labsquint.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I've got a list of things that turn me off. But I'm sure you don't want to be here all day listening to me bitch...

The short list:
- OOC behaviour. Nothing will make me run faster that having characters I know and love act like someone else. Why would I want to read that?
- Bad spelling/grammar. Come on guys, if you can't manage on your own, then ask for help from a beta. I'd like to read something that resembles the English language.
- Brennan getting pregnant. No, no, NO! Very closely followed by Brennan getting raped unless VERY carefully handled. 'Nuff said...
- Brennan & Booth bedding scenes where suddenly both of them start to swear like sailors. Huh? I guess to be fair that actually comes under point #1, OOC behaviour.
- Anything that takes canon and chucks it clear out of the window. Any fic that has Brennan and Booth meeting in grade four or in high school etc. etc. There's taking canon and putting a twist on it and then there's throwing it out the window and I can't stand that. Now, that being said, I've seen some very AU pieces that were good (Jaded Elysium by Seralis comes to mind) but to me that was a good piece about two totally different people, that wasn't Brennan and Booth).

Hmmmmm....am I picky or what? Guess I am!

[tempertemper.livejournal.com]

I love knowing what turns people off about fics *makes notes*

I have a lot of similar triggers to Labsquint - all probably hanging around the OOC tag. My biggest pet peeve is people using the wrong name for people.

I can get totally thrown out of a fic if anyone other than Russ or Max or a new character calls Brennan 'Tempe'. Angela calling her Tempe???? *head desk*

I also have got really squicky lately about Brennan suddenly calling Booth 'Seeley' just because they've started scrogging. Disclaimer: I have used this plot device myself in the past... but it now squicks me out so much, I am seriously considering going back and removing it from the offending fics *cough-promises, promises-cough-cough-white flag-cough*

;)

I may return when I think of more!

Oh, I have one.. Brennan/Parker fluff unless handled very sensitively... oh, and with Parker speaking with proper grown up words... and calling her 'Bones' not 'Dr. Bones' *shudders* It's all about namage with me, clearly LOL.

[bertie456.livejournal.com]

Nope, you're definitely not the only one!

Aside from various typical storylines that should never have seen the light of day ("OMG, pregnant with twins!!!1!" and "Brennan's daughter that she forgot she had magically shows up one day" amongst others), one of the things that really bugs me is the "love at first sight" moment, where one of B&B looks at the other and instantly falls in love. Usually accompanied by disturbingly flowery description that neither B or B would be caught dead thinking. *shudders*

Another one that really bugs me personally is swearing in fics. I always kind of assume that fics are meant to be things you could see in the show (except smut because there's no way that would be shown at 8pm on Fox) and so having people swear in relation to the case/lab/personal stuff seems jarring to me. (I am kind of hypocritical as I don't apply this rule to smut, but I think my mind's adjusted enough to know that if they're going at it like rabbits, they're allowed to curse a little.) Did that make any kind of sense? :)

[only-more-love.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, I have yet to read a fic where Booth asks Brennan if she's his girlfriend now. *dies* :P But if I did, I'd laugh my ass off.