Intermission - More thoughts on Whumping

[kriadydragon]

This is an observation and minor rant.

I'd been coming across a couple of SGA stories by authors who are normally Shep-whumpers, and it felt, to me, that they'd whumped McKay a little more than they had Sheppard. Heaven forbid! Right? Well, yeah, if you're a Shep-whumper in need of some heavy Shep-whump and get McKay whump instead. It tends to be a bit of a let down.

But after thinking about it, I realized that it's all probably an "eye of the beholder" thing. The writer is trying some unusual form of whump on Shep because broken ribs have been done to death, or is focusing on mental angst instead of Shep whump (which never really cuts it for me, personally.) To some, a broken leg is more satisfactory whump than broken ribs, or a headwound to broken limbs. We all have our favorite forms of whump, so what may be considered heavy whump to one isn't squat to another.

The way I see it, however, the more-whumped character is the one who gets the injury that is more life threatening. Yes, broken fingers are different and angsty if Sheppard thinks he can never pilot again. But it's less dire and exciting than, say, broken ribs that can puncture a lung or a severe head injury. I read a story, once, by someone who was normally a Shep whumper where McKay was a little more injured than Shep, and I kept hoping for something more to happen to Shep. Not just because I wanted it to happen but because the story read in a way where I kept expecting it to, and I was rather frustrated at the end when it didn't happen.

What's funny is that I've also read stories by McKay whumpers who seem to whump Shep more than McKay.  Again, all in the eye of the beholder. Some people like angst more than whump and some like certain kinds of whump.

But when a writer developes a certain reputation, say as a Shep or McKay whumper, then that's what you usually expect from them. It doesn't have to be that only that character is whumped, but it's a let down when that character isn't as whumped as they usually are by that same author. Or if all the good whumping happens to the non-fave character because that author wanted to try something different with the fave character. But, I'm sorry, if it's not life threatening then its just not all that interesting. At least to me it isn't.

The worst of the worst, however, to me, is when it's an OC getting whumped more than the fave-character *shudders*. I don't read fan-fic for someone's made-up character. I read it for the existing characters.

Comments

[karri-kln1671.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

If you have a rep as a certain type of whumper, it makes me do a double when a writer changes things. Mental angst is fine if you hurt the other, but in the end I'd rather seem Shep whumped more.

As far as life threatening....I'm of two minds. I like life threatening, but that typically means Shep's not awake, but I love the worry of the others. My preference as a writer is to slowly wear him down, or have the injury take its toll, or whump more than once.

I like Shep to be 'part' of the action, while hurting, then have to deal with the aftermath of what was done to him, or eventually have it beat him down.

But I soooo agree about the OC stuff. I don't care what happens to them! Its a bit unfair, but I read for our guys. OC's enrich a fic, but when they become the central focus, it annoys me.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

The life-threatening whump doesn't have to be life-threatening from the start, just potentially life threatening. That's why I used broken ribs as an example. There's the possibility of the character's life being in danger with broken ribs (cracks turning into breaks that eventually lead to a punctured lung or kidney, maybe some internal bleeding). However, with broken fingers, not so much unless they somehow become infected. The injury doesn't even have to lead to something worse happening, it's just the possibility of worse happening that makes it the more interesting whump.

But I agree with on the the major whumps that lead to John being unconcious for most of the story. I prefer the whumps that keep him concious and part of the action for as long as possible myself.

If mental angst is done right then it's interesting, but few do it right. Whether the writer likes it or not, there is going to be some physical whump with the mental whump, especially with depression (loss of appetite leading to weight-loss, fatigue, susceptability to illness, etc). I've come across a lot of stories that whump the character mentally while physically they're fine, and it just doesn't work.

[carsinya.livejournal.com]

You've got it in a nutshell, I think. Minor whumping at the beginning is good as long as it develops into something more serious/life threatening/angsty along the way.

I also agree totally with the OC thing, while they're fine for minor characters (ie nameless soldiers that are KIA during a mission, preferably near the beginning, or nurses/scuentists/kitchen staff/etc.) I really don't like to read OC-centered fics. I definitelu prefer to stick with the canon characters for the most part.

[obsessed1o1.livejournal.com]

The well known whump writers that i read are all so good that if they decide to do something else then i will read it, just because i know they are good writers. Some people might write excellent whump, but i think its unfair to just say that they should ONLY ever then write whump fics.

However, i do know what you mean about finding your fave whump writers mixing it up and maybe producing something thats just not quite the same as Shep whump. You learn to rely on someone for good whump. You, for instance, are a writer i know i can depend on for Shep whump :D

With Whump, i think everyone has a different take on what they like and don't like. I don't like Shep to be whumped too much, that is to say, that i like it believeable. Some writers whump the man too much and to the extent where it would have actually killed him.

Life threatening is okay, but i prefer the smaller things that build up to something more serious and also told from someone else point of view!!! That way we get to see it!! It's all very subjective. We all like different things, so its very difficult to cater for everyone.

I have to say that im not into extreme whump and to be frank, i get tired of reading stories where Sheppard passes out every few seconds. That kind of irks me.

No as long as its believeable then i will read it.


And OC whump........No thank you. Why would i care about mary sue getting broken ribs???

Oh dear, did that make any sense...LOL!! I rancled all over the place.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying if the writer is normally a Shep-whumper only they should only write Shep-whump. People shouldn't limit themselves. I've been trying to write equal-opportunity whumps myself just to expand my horizons.

Sublte whump that builds is better. I'll read the heavy-shump fics but my favorites are the ones where shpe is front and center and the really bad stuff doesn't happen until toward the end of the story.

And the life threatening doesn't have to be life-threatening at the time, or even ever. Sheppard getting cracked ribs and they staying cracked without a lung ever getting punctured is fine by me, and still more interesting than broken fingers.

I forgot to mention angst. If the whump isn't life-threatening then it should at least creat some angst (like and injured back, for example.)