Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the story

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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Spica75 » Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:25 am

Pata Hikari wrote:Maybe you shouldn't use tags that are spoilers to character development at best, and more likely giant Mary Sue Character In Name Only signs.


Right. So, why don't you specify what tags that would be then?
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Drawde » Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:02 am

Fanfic authors (and other creators) get lots of flak when the ongoing work doesn't follow the reader's expectations. I've seen many writers quit simply because they have to constantly change email accounts to avoid the flames simply because an otherwise liked story turns out to have a pairing the readers didn't like (or simply didn't bash a character the reader hated). Tags are intended to let the readers know that the story will contain these things so they don't start reading to begin with.

Yes, I have seen reviews by readers praising a story turn to death threats, by the same readers, because things like that were introduced. And those readers then go on to harass the writer every chance they get. I'm willing to have parts of the story spoiled if it keeps the authors writing. Or even if it keeps me from dropping a story 50+ chapters in.
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Ellen Kuhfeld » Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:49 am

I got some static for introducing the Sailor Moon world way into the middle of Different Colors. I pointed out that it was right in the summary that this would happen. This may not have made them happier, but the complaints stopped.

And some stories (Desperately Seeking Ranma, for instance) cannot be properly summarized. Others (Ah Screw It!, a Harry Potter / Stargate crossover) can have a perfectly accurate summary that gives you no idea you're in for Powerful!!Harry. Both stories are great fun; neither are for the Canon Fanatic. Both require you to suspend your disbelief by the neck until dead.
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Pata Hikari » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:01 am

Spica75 wrote:Right. So, why don't you specify what tags that would be then?

What are you even talking about?

I commented that any story that has a summary contains modifiers like Smart!Naruto is far more likely than not to be bad because it's the vast majority of the time replaces, and I quote, "the main characters with Mary Sues of your own creation with their names" As such I have no desire to read them because, again, the odds are far in my favor that they're bad.

You than went on with me about... what? Judging bad stories harshly?
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Drawde » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:36 am

You're just as likely to find a bad fic without tags as you are with them. At least the tags allow you to find fics you either do or don't want to read.

EDIT: Sorry to post this in this thread, but this reply works best here:

Pata Hikari wrote:Fair enough, if a story is marked as AU in which the charcter has, for presumably a logical reason, has a different characterization than canon.

Not trying to be rude here, but "AU" is an example of a tag. This is exactly what tags are meant for. As I mentioned above you're just as likely to find a bad fic without a tag as one with. The problem is I don't think you like certain common tropes within fanfiction. At least the tags are doing their job: letting you know that you won't like certain fics.
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Pata Hikari » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:26 am

Drawde wrote:Not trying to be rude here, but "AU" is an example of a tag. This is exactly what tags are meant for. As I mentioned above you're just as likely to find a bad fic without a tag as one with. The problem is I don't think you like certain common tropes within fanfiction. At least the tags are doing their job: letting you know that you won't like certain fics.


All Alternate Universe means is that the story takes place in a different continuity than canon. What, exactly, that means is fairly broad. It can mean that one character's backstory was altered, someone lived instead of dying, or the entire story now takes place in Space. While these character modifier tags mean specific things that tend to go specific ways (especially since they tend to be following trends set by of other fanfics)

And, gasp, a thread titled "Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the story" has a poster point out that there are elements in summaries and fanfic tags that don't inspire them to read the story? I'm shocked.
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Spica75 » Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:34 pm

Pata Hikari wrote:What are you even talking about?

I commented that any story that has a summary contains modifiers like Smart!Naruto is far more likely than not to be bad because it's the vast majority of the time replaces, and I quote, "the main characters with Mary Sues of your own creation with their names" As such I have no desire to read them because, again, the odds are far in my favor that they're bad.

You than went on with me about... what? Judging bad stories harshly?


You were the one complaining about how tags were only "Thanks for telling me you replaced the main characters with Mary Sues of your own creation with their names! I will not be looking any further at your awful story.".

Well then, provide the rest of us with what kind of tags SHOULD be used.

The tags alone says absolutely nothing about the quality of the story, it only gives a very compressed idea about what direction a story is meant to go(and it's not like it always goes that way either, writers do sometimes have to change the tag in their summary because the story went somewhere else).
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Pata Hikari » Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:30 pm

Spica75 wrote:Well then, provide the rest of us with what kind of tags SHOULD be used.
.

OK fine.

Tags should contain information about the major characters involved in the story, properties of the story such as AU, Divergence, etc. And any trigger warnings for sensitive content like violence or sexual assault.
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Spica75 » Thu Jun 29, 2017 3:34 am

Pata Hikari wrote:OK fine.

Tags should contain information about the major characters involved in the story, properties of the story such as AU, Divergence, etc. And any trigger warnings for sensitive content like violence or sexual assault.


You mean like the ones you didn't like... :roll:
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Dumbledork » Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:44 am

If the author won't take the time to write a summary then why should I take the time to read it?

The Wish by 1Billy-234 reviews
I can not give a description without giving away the story
Rated: K - English - Chapters: 1 - Words: 935 - Reviews: 3 - Follows: 1 - Published: Jun 28
And that's the bottom line 'cause Dumbledork said so.

Dumbledork 3:16
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Pata Hikari » Thu Jun 29, 2017 10:18 pm

Spica75 wrote:You mean like the ones you didn't like... :roll:


None of those tags I mentioned had to do with awful bad and dumb character modifiers like Rational!Nanoha.

Like, I don't even know why you're so offended at this?

Dumbledork wrote:If the author won't take the time to write a summary then why should I take the time to read it?


Awww but it's a mystery! Don't you want to read what's in the mystery story!

SPOILER - Show Spoiler
Surprise, it's a bad one
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Spica75 » Fri Jun 30, 2017 1:32 am

Like, I don't even know why you're so offended at this?


Because you're being hypocritical and severly biased to your own preferences? You don't even realise when you're making assumptions and proclaiming it CANON. Yeah no, just because it's your OPINION does not make it right.
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Pata Hikari » Fri Jun 30, 2017 2:02 am

Spica75 wrote:Because you're being hypocritical and severly biased to your own preferences? You don't even realise when you're making assumptions and proclaiming it CANON. Yeah no, just because it's your OPINION does not make it right.

Well in the first place this thread is all about posting summaries that don't inspire you to read the story, therefore it is entirely about "preferences"

Also... uh, isn't the entire point of those dumb modifier tags like Goth!Naruto entirely about the fact that the character is, in fact, not following canon characterization?

Like, I assumed that was the purpose of the tags for the story that the writers are trying to make. I'm merely observing that the vast majority of the time this leads to a badly written character, because the author is using lazy shortcuts instead of trying to get into the head of the character their modifying and portraying them in character. Thus, adding such a thing does not inspire me to read the story.

So, uh, what's hypocritical about this?
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Pata Hikari » Sun Oct 01, 2017 2:21 am

I'm posting again to this thread because I found it.

The worst fanfic summary ever.

The goddess of reincarnation, cheat abilities, & the multiverse falls in love with an SI!OC shortly before he dies, causing him to be reincarnated in the Ranma 1/2 world as Ranma's younger twin brother. 6 months later he gains the Gamer Ability. Will the SI!OC tell anyone about his ability? His reincarnation? His knowledge of the future? What waves will he cause? Pairings Undecided
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Re: Fanfic summaries that don't inspire you to read the stor

Postby Ellen Kuhfeld » Sun Oct 01, 2017 7:37 am

That doesn't even sound as good as trained attack lobsters.
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