kriadydragon (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kriadydragon) wrote2007-06-09 04:53 am
kriadydragon) wrote2007-06-09 04:53 am
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Intermission - More thoughts on Whumping
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.
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.)