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I'm just going to say it already since I've been wanting to for some time but, for some reason, could never get myself to.
About a year back I came to the realization of what it is about the way Rodney is written in fanfic, sometimes, that bothers me. I always thought that people were writing him too abrasive, too mean. Then it hit me - it wasn't what was there that was bothering me, but what wasn't there. It's not that some writers write Rodney "too mean," it's that they write him without any apparent compassion, outward or inward. It's as though some writers get so caught up in Rodney being snarky and his abrasive side that they forget to remind us that "hey, this is Rodney being worried."
It came to me while reading a story where John is hurt, followed by a second story where Rodney is hurt. In the second story, Sheppard's concern is obvious, not just vocally but mentally. With the first story, though John was going through something serious, you would think it was such a common occurence that Rodney no longer cared. There was no actual indication from Rodney at all that he was worried. I'd pointed this out to the author and they made some changes. Nothing big - the dialogue was the same, and most of the worry was internal (raised heart rate, sigh of releif, etc.), but at least we knew Rodney was, in fact, concerned.
With some stories (not a lot, but they are out there), there aren't even those minor indications of concern (heart-rate, sigh...). Sheppard gets hurt, Rodney berates him. Those of us who know Rodney also know that this is how he reacts to stress. However, while reading such fic, had I been new the the fandom - having never seen the show - I would wonder what the heck these people see in this guy that makes him worthy of their compassion. Then I'd probably stop reading.
I don't know if others have noticed the same or if it's just me, but there you have it, and there, I've said it. Rodney isn't too mean, it's just hard to tell whether he's worried or not.
About a year back I came to the realization of what it is about the way Rodney is written in fanfic, sometimes, that bothers me. I always thought that people were writing him too abrasive, too mean. Then it hit me - it wasn't what was there that was bothering me, but what wasn't there. It's not that some writers write Rodney "too mean," it's that they write him without any apparent compassion, outward or inward. It's as though some writers get so caught up in Rodney being snarky and his abrasive side that they forget to remind us that "hey, this is Rodney being worried."
It came to me while reading a story where John is hurt, followed by a second story where Rodney is hurt. In the second story, Sheppard's concern is obvious, not just vocally but mentally. With the first story, though John was going through something serious, you would think it was such a common occurence that Rodney no longer cared. There was no actual indication from Rodney at all that he was worried. I'd pointed this out to the author and they made some changes. Nothing big - the dialogue was the same, and most of the worry was internal (raised heart rate, sigh of releif, etc.), but at least we knew Rodney was, in fact, concerned.
With some stories (not a lot, but they are out there), there aren't even those minor indications of concern (heart-rate, sigh...). Sheppard gets hurt, Rodney berates him. Those of us who know Rodney also know that this is how he reacts to stress. However, while reading such fic, had I been new the the fandom - having never seen the show - I would wonder what the heck these people see in this guy that makes him worthy of their compassion. Then I'd probably stop reading.
I don't know if others have noticed the same or if it's just me, but there you have it, and there, I've said it. Rodney isn't too mean, it's just hard to tell whether he's worried or not.
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Date: 2009-01-06 06:13 pm (UTC)From:whenever i've written Rodney i usually concentraite on him being kinder/more loving than he is in the show because they (the ptb) have already covered him being a big meanie!
i'm not sure if people who've not seen the show would read fanfic... i've got to be really into something to want to go beyond just tuneing in. could just be me tho.
i suppose if you like the idea of a show but missed it on tv, fanfic might be a place to start, but you'd have to take everything you read with a pinch of salt anyway.. 'cause it's just normal (ish! lol) folk writing their ideas/wishes for the show. i mean you'd get the wrong impression if the first fic you read was shweir!
x
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Date: 2009-01-07 01:12 am (UTC)From:whenever i've written Rodney i usually concentraite on him being kinder/more loving than he is in the show because they (the ptb) have already covered him being a big meanie!
That's how I tend to write Rodney. He's got great potential for being compassionate and we have seen it shine through on the show (38 Minutes, The Seed, Conversion to name a few). It's why it tends to bug me when the focus is on that abrasivness, and why I sometimes feel like he's written "too" abrasive" at times.