(no subject)

[kriadydragon]

There are times that I wish an author would announce to the world who his/her favorite characters are. Mind you, I don't actually want authors to put in the warnings or make a side note listing the characters from most liked to least liked or anything. Most authors are pretty good about letting you know who the story is going to be focused on via the summary. But I'm a one character kind of gal, in that - for me - there is only one character above all who I really, really, really adore. Yes, I like the other characters, but not as much as that one character. So when I read a story by a new author or an author I've never read before - with no indication of who that author's favorite is - it's frustrating to sit through an entire tale in which my favorite character was all but shoved to the background.

Or worse, reading a story in which my favorite character was the author's least favorite.

But I've now come to know what to look for when I go into a story in which I'm unsure where the author stands on a particular character.

1. The least favorite character can do nothing right. Not that he/she is a klutz. More that he/she seems to be continually berated for their decisions, even if that decision seemed to be sound. Everything is black and white, the character either totally in the right or totally in the wrong. In the case of the least favorite, he/she is totally in the wrong, sometimes for inexplicable (or unexplored) reasons.

2. Going along with this, the other characters are unsympathetic to the least favorite character. Not blatant jerks, but neither do they seem all that understanding or helpful. Either that or most of their concern is occupied with the favorite character. When it comes to the character being disliked by the author, the other characters may even be insulting to this character - calling him/her derogatory names - because he/she annoys the other characters or keeps doing foolish things.

3. When it comes to whump stories, the least favorite will either get the lighter whump and/or be healed quickly, or not get whumped at all.

4. The least favorite character gets the least "interesting" descriptions, or details. For example, in SGA, the author puts the whole team in the infirmary, but glosses over the check-up or injuries of the least favorite character. Another example, when it's the least fave character's POV, we don't get descriptions such as "his heart pounded" or "his lungs burned." Mostly, we get a lot of what the character is thinking, observing, and not much else.

5. The least favorite doesn't seem to have much of a purpose. He's in the story because canon demands it, but otherwise the story would not suffer if he was not in it. Either that, or he/she is "less." Not all that good at their job, not as talented as the others, has the least to contribute, etc.

Some stories may include all of the above, some only a few of the above. But it helps me, personally, to determine whether or not I should keep reading or if I will just get frustrated. I'm shallow, I admit it: I read for Sheppard and pretty much only for Sheppard, even if he is not the focus character.

Finally, when I say "least favorite," I'm not talking about the character the author hates. In some cases, it's not a matter of love and hate, but simply a matter of (like me) having a favorite above all others. Though Sheppard is top-dog when it comes to who I like, I pretty much love all the characters on SGA. However, yes, some characters will get the short end of the attention stick. With me, it's usually Teyla - poor woman - because I tend to have a difficult time writing her, plus I'm not a fan of female whump. But just because she may get the lighter whump doesn't mean I don't like her. I do like her, and write her the best that I can and, I hope, in a way in which her fans will not feel like I'm shafting her.

If it is a matter of really disliking a character, then the story will include all of the above, sometimes subtly, sometimes blatantly. Usually, with most stories, if an author doesn't like someone, you know it pretty quick. Others times it can be subtle, and you're never quite sure if what you're reading is character-dislike or you reading character-dislike into the story (especially if, also like me, you're rather protective of your favorite character). But I find that if the story does include all of the above, then you may want to avoid that author in the future.

Comments

[sholio]

I've definitely had the uncomfortable feeling of the writer downplaying, shoving into the background or making a joke out of a character I like, and I don't enjoy it, so I can totally sympathize there. (For me, generally speaking, Rodney's my go-to character, though based on my reading habits I don't think I'm oriented nearly as strongly on him as Sheppard fans are on Sheppard -- and I'm pretty equal-opportunity about reading different characters in the spotlight. I'm unlikely to read a story that Rodney's not in at all, though.)

However, lately I've kind of been feeling like I actually prefer a rendition of a character that's not written by a hardcore fan of that character. For example, I really like the way that penknife writes Rodney, even though I get the impression from reading her journal and most of her fic that she's a Sheppard and Ronon fan, and is perhaps not terribly fond of Rodney in general. But I like her Rodney a lot better than the more woobified, pathetic or Mary Sue Rodney that you tend to get from a lot of writers who are big-time Rodney fans. It's almost like a person who isn't a big fan of that character is able to do a better job of portraying them with shades of gray, and keeping them from taking over the story at the expense of other characters.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

"It's almost like a person who isn't a big fan of that character is able to do a better job of portraying them with shades of gray, and keeping them from taking over the story at the expense of other characters."

I think there is truth to this. There are some authors who I'm always surprised to learn are fans of this character when I thought they were fans of another character, and some authors that I have no idea who their favorites are, (if they have a particular favorite). And these are usually the authors who write the characters, and plot, in a way that feels on the level.

Those times when a writer is not on the level - is playing favorites or simply writing my favorite character in a way that doesn't feel right - I now know what to look for to know whether or not to stick with an author or move on. My tolerance for certain types of fic has diminished, and there are some stories and tropes that I can no longer stomach. But, then, I suppose that's the story of most fanfic readers' lives ;)

[tringasolitaria.livejournal.com]

Quoting from friendshipper - For me, generally speaking, Rodney's my go-to character, though based on my reading habits I don't think I'm oriented nearly as strongly on him as Sheppard fans are on Sheppard -- and I'm pretty equal-opportunity about reading different characters in the spotlight. I'm unlikely to read a story that Rodney's not in at all, though.

I think this pretty well describes my own experience - Rodney is my favorite, but I don't necessarily hunt out fic particularly focused on him - in fact, I tend to prefer fic that is more broadly focused, though not without exception.

I do know what you mean, though, I think. I'm not likely to spend much time on a fic that bashes Rodney or minimizes his relationships with the rest of the team (for example, there are some people who don't like to believe that John and Rodney could really be friends so they write him as an annoying jerk that John just tolerates). The same actually goes for Elizabeth, and I've actually found this to be a larger problem in fic for me of late - Elizabeth may not be as much of my favorite as Rodney, but she is a favorite, and I've found myself growing less and less patient with fics that exclude her, downplay her relationship with the team, or portray her as weak, judgmental, humorless, and rigid. I remember reading a fic a few months ago - it was an AU that created roles for all the SGA characters from John down to Bates, but completely ignored Elizabeth's existence at all. I couldn't finish it. It's the writer's prerogative of course who they choose to include, and I suppose exclusion is better then bashing if they just can't stand the character, but it's as glaring to me as if they'd excluded John or Rodney. *shrugs*

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I'll read stories where John isn't the focus - I love team stories - but if he's not in the story, or only in it for a tiny portion, then I won't read. I'm actually the same with the actual episodes. If an episode is John light, I usually won't watch it. I'm shallow, what can I say ;)

But it's usually stories where John isn't the focus, or doesn't play as big a role, that I'm wary of, especially if the story is by an author I don't know well. There's a lot that I used to tolerate that I now can't stand, especially when it comes to characterization. It makes me squirm when a character, any character, is written as a jerk for the sake of it, or is the sole focus of the humor. All the more so when it's Sheppard, but I'll be thrown out of a story if I feel the other characters are being written unfairly. For example, and speaking of Elizabeth, there was a story I was reading and reviewing that was writing Elizabeth as rather manipulative and uncaring toward Sheppard. I'm still reading for reasons that are a long story to tell, but I stopped reviewing as I can't stand the way Elizabeth is being written (I pretty much skip the parts that include her, as the author is only using her as a plot device).

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

I'll read stories where John isn't the focus - I love team stories - but if he's not in the story, or only in it for a tiny portion, then I won't read. I'm actually the same with the actual episodes. If an episode is John light, I usually won't watch it. I'm shallow, what can I say ;)

Concur, both ff and series episodes.......e.g. the one where McKay is stuck in a jumper underwater.
I had little interest in spending any time watching it.
So I guess all of this means I am shallow as well?
So what?
:P

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

A little shallowness never hurts ;) I'll expand my horizons on occasion if curious enough. But part of the reason that it's rare for me to go beyond Sheppard is because I've run into stories in which I felt the handling of his character was annoying, at time even insulting. And my tolerance for it is next to non-existent :P

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

my tolerance for it is next to non-existent :P

You are preaching to the choir here.........
I am no longer interested period and I don't care who
might find that shallow or whatever adjective they care
to use. It is blatant in so many ffs that they enhance
McKay by demeaning and tearing apart someone who I happen to care about.
Finally, if I were stuck in a bad situation, it would be Sheppard who I would hope would come to my rescue, not McKay.