Harmless Question, I promise.

[kriadydragon]

I apologize if I've already asked or discussed something like this. I have the worst short-term memory.

Have you ever read a well-written or at least fairly well-written story, by an author who has good to excellent writing skills, that left you feeling like they were being "snotty" toward a particular character? (*cough* particular favorite character *cough*.) Not character bashing, conscious or unconscious, but a story trying make a statement or resolve an issue, and portraying or treating one character in a way that feels a little negative while another character or characters are treated in a positive light.

It's usually why I don't like "issue-resolving" stories, as many I've come across become so intent on clearing things up - rather than exploring all sides of an issue (which I find more interesting than the actual resolve... if a resolve is possible) - that they opt for the fastest way to clear a matter up. In turn, a charater (i.e. the favorite character) ends up being portrayed as either naive, stupid, cold, a jerk, foolish, or a wuss. In many cases, I'm left feeling like the author was being a "snot" toward the character - for whatever reason (usually, in more cases than not, the author is a fan of another character) - more than trying to resolve or explore an issue.

I know character bias is involved - there are some lights we don't like seeing our fave characters cast under - but with many stories it is more than that. I once read a very excellent Hot Zone tag dealing with the conflict between John and Weir. Where as most resolve fic put John in the dog house, this story explored his side of things, and neither side was right or wrong. There was no real resolve, which I had found more interesting and realisitic. It also made neither character out as the bad-guy or a fool. It was very fair, IMO, to both characters.

I'm not saying a good resolve fic is one with no resolve. I do like a resolve fic that works out issues to a point where the matter is settled, but in a way that doesn't cast one character in a poor light and puts the other character on a small pedastel. I like it when a story explores the issues while working toward an apology scene, without one character dominating and forcing another character to see how wrong they were. It's not a matter of who is right and who is wrong, but of two characters coming to have a better understanding of each other.

Which, I know, isn't easy (it's why I tend to stay away from writing them, myself). But there are some stories where it seems like the author doesn't even try, they just want the resolve, and want it now. And if it's a character they normally don't write, that character usually ends up getting the short end of the stick.

Comments

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

In the instance I'm thinking of, I like the author's work, but it's pretty obvious that she doesn't like Rodney very much, doesn't think he should be on Shep's team, and would really prefer to ignore that they're close friends in canon. She doesn't bash, but...those vibes ares still kinda there. So, as much as I enjoy her work, that kind of throws me a little bit.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Not character bashing, but not exactly being kind to a character, either. It's why I sometimes get irked with some McKay fans and how they handle Shep. I've even gotten irked with a few Shep-fans and the way the portray Rodney.

It is mostly is a matter of personal opinion and views, I know (I sometimes worry about writing Rodney in a way that might bother McKay fans) and I have to remind myself that we all see a character differently; but there are some stories where it's obvious the writer isn't a fan of a particular character. Though they try to be fair, there ends up being a kind of "taint" to the story that isn't quite character bashing, but isn't being as fair as they could be to a character, either. They will be fair to every other character except for that one.

[tringasolitaria.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I understand what you're getting at now, and yeah, I've come across it quite a bit, not just in this fandom, but others as well. It's different from character bashing, although I've run into enough of that too. Like you said, there's a "taint" there to how the character is portrayed, or there's a specific agenda being addressed, like what you were talking about in your reply to splitbeak - oftentimes I'll just get to the point where I'll just walk away from the fic. Everyone's entitled to their viewpoints of course, and to write whatever they want, but...well, when I'm sitting there thinking "wait, but they wouldn't DO that!" then it's time for me to stop reading.