Aspects of Fanfics that turns you off...

[Wild Female Machoke]

What aspects of some Pokémon fanfic that totally turns you off?

Here are some things that piss me off about some fics:

Trainer fics: They're too easy to write and it's often too unoriginal. I am not saying they're all crap, but many often lack a plot and stayed too closely to the game.

Using overused Pokémon: How many times do you often see trainers owning the starters, Eevee, and Pikachu? It's okay if they all have their own personalities.

Bad spelling and grammar: 'nuff said. Can't anyone use the spell and grammar check on MS Word? My fic rarely have any spelling and grammical errors because of that.

Short chapters: Annoying. Lack of beginning, middle, and end.

Scripts: VERY confusing. I can easily get lost pretty fast when I read them.

Lack of description in battles: Something like "Pikachu uses Thunder" sounds very boring. Can't writers describe the attacks?

Example: (boring) Pikachu used Thunder and shocked the Milotic out of the water.

(better) Sparks of electricity were charged up in one of Hitmonchan's gloves while at the same time dodging Tentacruel's attacking tentacles. Using the tentacles like stairs, he struck the giant jellyfish between the eyes, sending large volts of electricity throughout the entire body. (Okay, it's a little awkward, but I think you got the idea.)

Pokémon Stereotyping: Yes, I hate it when some Pokémon are stereotyped in general. For example, it totally bugs me when Fighting-types were being portrayed as stupid, brainless, and made-for-bad-guys Pokémon. Being physically strong doesn't mean being dumb. Looking cute (like Jigglypuff for example) doesn't mean ONLY girls should own them. Not all ninjas use Poison-types and so on... Think outside the box!

I'll add more...

[mistysakura]

I generally don't like fics that are main character vs. Team Blah... can get too cliched. Of course, there are exceptions, like when the plot swerves away from Team Blah with good subpots, and when there are really good characters, description and stuff like that.

I also don't like it when an average fic posts about a chapter a month. In the case of really good fics, where the chapters are actually memorable and stand out against all the other fic chapters, it's alright, but with an average fic, you can hardly remember the plot after a month.

Of course, there's all the stuff WFM mentioned.

[Iveechan]

AAML and any "shipping" fics... I want to read about Pokemon, not kissing kids.

Glorification of a Pokemon; eg, an Eevee who can beat a much larger and stronger Pokemon with little effort.

That thing wfm said about stereotyping.

When the plot focuses only on a human's emotions and the Pokemon are only there to fight... if you are creative enough to make a human character deep, there's no excuse to not make the Pokemon interesting. I mean, the fandom IS called Pokemon, not human ;)

[mr_pikachu]

Ooh, good thread. :D


Bad grammar: My greatest turn-off. The easiest way to find a sub-average fic is to look at the grammar. If the grammar is poor, the fic can't be all that great. (Not insulting anyone, just giving you all an incentive, guys! ;))

Straightforward plot: I like my stories to have unexpected twists and turns, and not just be "Battle at A Town... win AA Badge... walk to B Town... win BB badge..." Boorrring!! Also, I hate it when there's just one plot line, instead of one major one and a few subplots. Subplots can also help pass the time between fillers. In a Pokejourney, for example, they can be used to spice up the time between towns. (Just an example.)

Robotic/Carbon Copy Characters: Lets face it: A lot of fics have characters that are balnd and/or seem like simple clones of each other. Characters that are unique from one another can almost singlehandedly turn a fic around.

Lack of originality: Enough said. X(

Over self-glorification: Hey, I don't mind if you want to make a fic that has you as your main character, alright? But please, don't make yourself some sort of God that can solve any problem with relative ease, k? Nobody's life is without problems, and that should be especially true in literary works. Readers LIKE problems. It makes things interesting.


I'll come back if I think of more. :wave:


P.S. I sort of agree about shipping fics, but I actually really like them if they have some subplots. Plus, I think skilled writers can do them fairly well. But I don't like something that's totally shipping and NOTHING else. Another reason why my first fic sux. :D

[Dragonfree]

I SO agree with Iceechan on shipping fics. Why do people even call them pokémon fanfics, usually they don't involve pokémon in them at all. I don't really think all those kids on the pokémon show are something to make up love between and write fanfics about it, anyway.

Fics that stay too closely to the plot of a game or the show, it's way too inoriginal and I think it pretty much tells you that the author has no decent imagination, unless it's a parody (then it can be really funny).

I hate it when everyone always gets a starter from a professor. If you HAVE to have a professor, you can at least make the main character get a special pokémon for some reason, that will at least make half of the beginning original (but no waking up late and getting a Pikachu, please).

But what I hate the most is when pokémon are put into fics there like little robots that have no purpose except making the fic into a pokémon one and getting an excuse for the main character to travel. Pokémon are characters and need a personality, and then I mean a real, deep personality, not just being obsessed with ice cream.

Legendary pokémon should not obey a little kid if they don't want to and aren't forced to. If you were a legend and some kid stuffed you into a ball, you wouldn't just go by everything they say.

Well, really, I have to put fics based on the games in here again, this time for a different reason: the pokémon games aren't about plot. They don't have a decent plot the game revolves around, just a team with an evil plan. Meaning that if you're going to base a fic entirely on a pokémon game, the fic won't have a decent plot.

Constantly confusing things like "their" and "they're". "Their" means that they own something so it's theirs, and "they're" is a shortened version of "they are". I hate reading something like that, it's irritating to have to stop by every "they're" and "their" figuring out what it means this time.

[Wild Female Machoke]

Bad Comments, Flames: I know this rarely happens, but I just hate it when some readers flamed the author and said that his/her story sucked.

Another bad comment is when some people said "That's not how it goes in the game!" I mean if authors stuck to the game or anime too closely, it would make the story a little boring and unoriginal. Fandom is fandom and everybody have their own interpretations. People would like some originality. (For instance, there is nothing wrong with capturing a Hitmonchan from the wild. There's no need to defeat a trainer to obtain one.)

As what Dragonfree had said, there are some authors who constantly confuse "their" and "they're." Even I get confused with something like that.

[Iveechan]

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I dislike replies that go "wow, that's so good, 10/10"! So spammy, and it doesn't really make the author feel good. Just makes them go "....ok".

I think you're and your is a huge problem. How hard is it to work it out in your head? You're = you are. It's so simple.

[The Muffin Man]

I really hate stories that basically ignore the game totally. Well, not hate, but have a pet peeve for. I mean, c'mon. How hard is it for you to adhere to the physics the game has put out already? Some ideas, like Iveechan having Hitmonchans knuckles studded with multi-colored gems, is a good idea. It's never explained HOW he can use Thunder/Fire/Ice Punch. So it's a good ad-lib. But something like, say, changing a Pokemons demeanor totally(i.e making a pokemon like Machoke a coward isn't bad, but making Eevee a ruthless killer) is really annoying. Especially if the entire species is shown like that rather than just the one Pokemon.

Stories/fics that change the physical looks of a Pokemon without any sort of reason are annoying. WFM has a green-eyed(or was it blue?) Machop. It knows Water/Dragon attacks because of it. That is the reason for the different eye color. It doesn't have wings for the sake of being a winged Pokemon. It's not a flying Eevee that becomes "SUPER MEGA UNSTOPPABLEON" because you used every stone at sunrise and treated it really good, and it will furthermore NOT look like a golden Eevee with wings.

Finally, made-up Pokemon. It's just too hard to keep track of 400 Pokemon. If you don't like what you've been given, don't bother.

[Oakbark]

Well done on beginning this thread WFM!

Now...
(I may repeat previous comments)

Lack of story:
Must I say more? Some fics are so plotless that I wonder if it's just a monkey-typed script. Fics are anime-spin offs, sure, but that doesn't mean a story should be bland or unoriginal. At least be honest with yourself - are you able to write stories or not?


Crappy titles:
I say this every time I post - please think up an imaginative title that's eye-catching and interesting. People sometimes bypass fics that are good because of this. You might have written the best story ever about a young poke trainer named Louise, but you won't get anyone to look at it 'cause the title of the fic says "Louise's Pokemon adventure". Please people, USE IMAGINATIVE FIC TITLES!!

Grammar
I'm saying this again to drill it into prospective fic writers - please get your grammar correct. People don't mind a couple of typo's (everyone makes mistakes), but a page full of gobbledegook is a turn-off.


That's it for now - later!

Oaky.

[Chris 2.1]

Whoa, there lies the testimony of Oakbark! That was pretty extensive 0_0;;


Well, maybe only so because I look for so little, really. I mean, grammar is immediate; if the plot is amazing, but the character used lower cases, no variation in sentences (She took the Pokeball and opeend it. It was Charmander. Hello Charmander said Misty...etc etc) then I'll leave it. I generally look at any fics on the board, most are trainery or not appealing (for me, anyway, every fic has its fanbase), while some, a select some I shall add, I find warming and very enjoyable to read. There's nothing like EBTV after a hard day at school.

[Almond]

I reeeeeally disagree with those who dislike shippy fanfics. The humans are just as much characters as the Pokemon are. I mean, the anime wouldn't be the anime without Satoshi, Kasumi, et al, would it?

However, I don't like when people totally ignore the Pokemon. I used to do that sometimes because I found it easier to write about humans, but I've been trying to include Pokemon more and more.

[Iveechan]

Since I dislike the anime, I don't really care for human characters' love lives. I just think about how there's so many other fanbases that centre on humans, so I feel that one that centres on the neato animals should do just that. Not saying humans should be totally left out, I just don't like it when Pokemon aren't really a part of the plot.

[Grim Reaper79]

Grammer and spelling dont bother me. I understand it better if it is written a bit off normal.

Plot is a big thing for me. If its too complicated and streached out to be boring then I wont read. I like twists and turns but to a point. Surprises are great.

Overused pokemon is not that big a deal. The only pokemon I'm really sick of is Charizard, Umbreon, Espeon, Pidgeot and the new RS starters. The rest are fair game. Eevee sort of bothers me but then it evolves. You dont see many trainers with Vaporeon. Well i havent.
There is also the fact that for instance Electric types are pretty rare. There is Raichu, Jolteon, Electrode, Magneton, Electabuzz, Ampharos, Manectric, Plusle, Minun, and Lanturn + legands. Same with fire and steel.

No Fakemons. Even with them being described I cant picture them.

[Mewfour]

I'm prettty flexible when it comes to spelling and grammar. If it's minor stuff like "Onimatipeia", then I'm okay with it. It's only the brutal stuff like "Im oly tee an da haf yeers old", that gets under my skin.

In terms of content, it's pretty much anythign goes for me. I'll read anything from mary sue to trainer fics, but even I have my limits. I'm a real stickler to "reality", so I'd be a little put off if I'm reading about an 8-year old kid bossing around 10-foot Pokemon who obey without question.

Other than that, I'm relatively happy to please....

[Tha Legend]

I'm guilty of alot of those things. I had no idea that I was repelling readers with my writing style. I guess I'll preview my chapter one mo' gin before I post. I guess, thanks.

~Legend~

<Edit>
Okay, on topic... lessee...

I really don't like it when a fic's formatting is all jacked-up. It make's a fic a pain to try and read. I would like for people to strike a happy medium between too many breaks and to few.

I also don't like color. Don't write chapters in special colors because it makes my eyes throb.

The last one has kept me from reading alot of fics past the first few paragraphs, the infamous, unintelligible writing style...

I'm not a jerk or anything, I can deal with homophones I can deal with subject/verb inconsistencies.(to a degree) I even reread problem fics a few times to give them a chance for one of their innate properties (great characters, vivid description, enthralling plotline, ect.) to draw me in at which point I'll keep reading as long as it isn't written in sanskrit.

My major beef is with specimens such as the following...

<><><><><>
I'm a blahblah. I've wanted to blah every since I could blah. I am now blah years old and I get my blah license tomorrow.

Blah.

Blah.

Blech!

<><><><><>

Or let's not forget the always popular.

"Luvdisc! Use that ridiculously overly-powered attack that regular luvdisc can't learn at all, but you can becuase you're a special luvdisc that can never lose, and you can faint a mewtwo in one tackle attack as a warmup for any real challenge to your unstoppable, horrible power!"

Luvdisc smiled evilly at the opposing well-trained pokèmon that would obviously have it overmatched if it actually had to adhere to the inherent laws of reality.

"Pikachu," it chirped happily, but then sheepishly recovered with a well-timed "I mean Luvdisc."

<><><><><>

Or the stories that sound like someone is telling you a story.

This boy... I think his name is Jake. He want's to train pokèmon, but what he really doesn't know is that he is a child prodigy. He walks over to professor fichus and you know what? He get's a pokèmon and...

I'm rambling.

I'll stop now.

<End EDIT>

~Legend~