![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rj_andersonI have mad love for this fic. Do you hear me? Mad. Love.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cesario has written the first part of an absolutely brilliant Snape/Luna (yes, you heard that correctly) fic called Pretty Good Year. It's lyrical and suspenseful and beautifully characterized, with a wonderful surprise twist at the end of Part One, and I truly cannot wait for the next bit. It reminds me, in the best possible way, of lizbee's fic Girl Most Likely, which is hardly anything like PGY in style or content, but pushes all the same shiny red buttons and makes the same pretty lights go on in my brain.
Which leads me into a ramble, or possibly even a rant, about the kind of writing I like... No, I'm going to bite the bullet and just call it plain good writing.
A lot of stories I've seen -- not just fanfic, either, although fan authors are much more frequent offenders in this area -- spill their expository guts all over the place. The heroes alternate between private, angsty soul-searching and Deep Meaningful Conversations with the other characters. By continually revisiting the characters' thought processes and motivations, the author hopes to win the reader's sympathy and interest; but for me as a reader, this just makes me bored and annoyed with all the characters involved. It's like being cornered at a party by someone who wants to spend the whole evening telling you their life story and all the bad things that have happened to them and the way they felt about every. single. one. No matter how polite, attentive and compassionate you might try to be at first, eventually the litany just wears you down and you start longing for a chance to escape.
On the other hand, some stories are so terse and cryptic they leave me scratching my head and wondering what just happened. Presumably the story made sense to the author, but so many details have been stripped away that I'd pretty much need to grab the author and quiz him or her to find out what they really had in mind. Or else the plot is so incredibly convoluted and the dialogue so self-consciously clever that I have to read at half speed -- or else read the story several times -- just to begin to figure out what's going on. I don't have time for that, myself. I'm all for stories that reward re-reading, but I do want to be able to at least grasp the main points the first time around. Otherwise it's more like reading for duty than pleasure.
I love writing that has subtle hints and touches of character development I can pick up on for myself; I love putting the emotional pieces together and getting excited when I find that my suspicions about a character's intentions or state of mind are correct. Although I've never been one to try and guess whodunnit before a murder mystery's over, and I don't tend to get invested in an intricate plot for its own sake, I do pay close attention to characterization and dialogue, and I love picking up on non-verbal cues and nuances of the narration that reveal a character's true state of mind.
I don't want a lot of long expository passages telling me exactly what the characters are thinking and doing and why; I don't want the characters to sit down and put all their emotional cards on the table at once. I want them to do something, to show me how they're feeling by the way they act. If that's done well enough, then exposition can be kept to a minimum; and conversations, instead of rambling all over the place, have maximum economy and impact.
This, to me, is quality writing. Bothlizbee and cesario are fantastic at it, and I wish I knew of more fan authors like them.*
So. Pretty Good Year. Girl Most Likely. Go. Read. Adore. Review.
--
* Why, yes, I certainly will take recs if you've got 'em -- just het or gen, though, please.
cesario has written the first part of an absolutely brilliant Snape/Luna (yes, you heard that correctly) fic called Pretty Good Year. It's lyrical and suspenseful and beautifully characterized, with a wonderful surprise twist at the end of Part One, and I truly cannot wait for the next bit. It reminds me, in the best possible way, of lizbee's fic Girl Most Likely, which is hardly anything like PGY in style or content, but pushes all the same shiny red buttons and makes the same pretty lights go on in my brain.Which leads me into a ramble, or possibly even a rant, about the kind of writing I like... No, I'm going to bite the bullet and just call it plain good writing.
A lot of stories I've seen -- not just fanfic, either, although fan authors are much more frequent offenders in this area -- spill their expository guts all over the place. The heroes alternate between private, angsty soul-searching and Deep Meaningful Conversations with the other characters. By continually revisiting the characters' thought processes and motivations, the author hopes to win the reader's sympathy and interest; but for me as a reader, this just makes me bored and annoyed with all the characters involved. It's like being cornered at a party by someone who wants to spend the whole evening telling you their life story and all the bad things that have happened to them and the way they felt about every. single. one. No matter how polite, attentive and compassionate you might try to be at first, eventually the litany just wears you down and you start longing for a chance to escape.
On the other hand, some stories are so terse and cryptic they leave me scratching my head and wondering what just happened. Presumably the story made sense to the author, but so many details have been stripped away that I'd pretty much need to grab the author and quiz him or her to find out what they really had in mind. Or else the plot is so incredibly convoluted and the dialogue so self-consciously clever that I have to read at half speed -- or else read the story several times -- just to begin to figure out what's going on. I don't have time for that, myself. I'm all for stories that reward re-reading, but I do want to be able to at least grasp the main points the first time around. Otherwise it's more like reading for duty than pleasure.
I love writing that has subtle hints and touches of character development I can pick up on for myself; I love putting the emotional pieces together and getting excited when I find that my suspicions about a character's intentions or state of mind are correct. Although I've never been one to try and guess whodunnit before a murder mystery's over, and I don't tend to get invested in an intricate plot for its own sake, I do pay close attention to characterization and dialogue, and I love picking up on non-verbal cues and nuances of the narration that reveal a character's true state of mind.
I don't want a lot of long expository passages telling me exactly what the characters are thinking and doing and why; I don't want the characters to sit down and put all their emotional cards on the table at once. I want them to do something, to show me how they're feeling by the way they act. If that's done well enough, then exposition can be kept to a minimum; and conversations, instead of rambling all over the place, have maximum economy and impact.
This, to me, is quality writing. Both
lizbee and cesario are fantastic at it, and I wish I knew of more fan authors like them.*So. Pretty Good Year. Girl Most Likely. Go. Read. Adore. Review.
--
* Why, yes, I certainly will take recs if you've got 'em -- just het or gen, though, please.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-07-03 08:33 pm (UTC)I'm embarrassed to admit that I've not yet read PGY. I saved it to a disk, but we have guests. My conscience allows me to read Discworld one-shots that take ten minutes, but I don't think I'm supposed to get drawn up in something big.
*keeps blushing*
So, how's that drabble coming?
no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-03 08:58 pm (UTC)Rather then a recommendation, I’m going to gather my courage do something I’ve wanted to do for two years—a request. If you find yourself so inclined, I’d be thrilled and honored to have you scan through Ancient Prophecy. You and Melanie were inspirations to me. Your OCs proved to me that is was possible to place a new character in the HP universe and have that character be believable. No problem if you don’t have the time. I’ll understand, I know you are a busy woman. *Now to post this before I change my mind *
no subject
Date: 2004-08-09 10:05 am (UTC)Also, I want to say that I do very much appreciate your enthusiasm and encouragement for my fics over the last two or three years -- it's always a thrill to have such dedicated readers. So even though I may not have much (if anything) to say in response to your posts and comments, please don't think it's because I don't care! It's usually just that I honestly don't know what to say. *blush*
Re AP: I did read the first few chapters, a year or so ago, and thought it was technically well written, but alas I didn't really take to Raven, or the plotline, so I didn't read further. I hope that's not discouraging to you -- we all have different tastes and preferences, and I know you have quite a few devoted fans who really do like and identify with Raven and her story. (Plus, you have a very talented artist fan who draws you fantastic stuff! I just love that pic of Raven on your icon.)
And I do feel honoured and humbled that you would claim me as an inspiration. Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-03 10:04 pm (UTC)No higher praise, man.
*aloofly pretends not to be blushing*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-04 03:57 pm (UTC)I love your Luna, and all your hints at the progress and events of the war. Shall send an email...
...Actually, I just wandered by to squeal my thanks at RJ, for making me read it.
*squeals*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-04 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-04 06:50 pm (UTC)but, re content of said comments: *beams*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 02:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-06 03:29 pm (UTC)I want to see how you resolve this Harry/Lilith thing going on, as she IS only 15...
Very good. :) Poor run down Harry!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-06 04:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-03 10:21 pm (UTC)Mind you, it might not hurt to go take a look at some of Kristine Williams' original SF. She started off as a Sentinel writer, and her first set of stories there reflect that, as the two main characters are based heavily on the two main characters in The Sentinel. However, the series starting with "Keeper" is all original, except for the theme of friendship which goes through all her stuff, something which I for one find very satisfying.
There are writers around, in various different fandoms, who know how to tell a story, whether that be Ellynne G, or Judith Proctor or K. Ryn or Jeri Massi... (or you of course)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-04 10:27 am (UTC)I'm not an HP fic fan
Date: 2004-07-04 11:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-05 04:30 pm (UTC)*Hides face*
Hi, my name is Erin.
Hi Erin
I spilled my expository guts only yesterday. D'oh! Yes, I am one of those unlucky authors with a bent towards garrolousness. Fortunately, I have admitted my problem and I am getting better. I think. I hope. *lol* Yes, I have to be getting better because I look back on the stories I thought were good in high school and cringe. Writing a novel really works those writing muscles...