I don’t know why, but there’s a lot of talk of character hate on my Tumblr feed and it’s got me thinking.
My love/hate relationship with characters is a complicated one, but one that works. My fics may not read it, but I enjoy every character (yes, I even have some enjoyment from Jacob Taylor though Bioware really screwed over the character). Sure, some have better stories and character development than others. And we all know there will always be my favorites, but here’s the thing:
I can hate a character as a player getting into my Shepards’ heads, but love them as a writer or unbiased viewer. And I only really came to this conclusion after being a fanfiction writer.
Now some will argue that I wrote some characters (Ashley comes to mind) very negatively, but I think it’s safe to say that my opinions and my characters’ opinions differ. Just because Jane and Ashley don’t get along doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy just how much damn growth she has through the trilogy. In all honesty, I love her more than Kaidan even though my first playthrough of the trilogy had me letting her die on Virmire because I didn’t like her attitude. I’ll say the first playthrough I had with her alive was my absolute favorite – and she didn’t even live for the sole reason of being a romance because I was playing a femShep.
Another example was Garrus and Joker. Sure, I was a bit peeved Shepard died because of Joker’s insistence on staying behind, and then the fact that it was never brought up, but I specifically thought about Garrus’ reason to hate -and down right try to kill – the man. Who wouldn’t be angry seeing the last person who say your loved one and find out they held out while everyone was evacuating? You’d be crazy not to be pissed in some way. Yet, personally, I really do love Joker. I love his humor and attitude. I always have.
I guess, in short, I’m trying to say that people should realize there’s a difference between not caring about a character as a person in relation to the role you’re playing as Shepard and appreciating the character as a story telling tool. You can hate and love them because of this, but at least have reasons and an open mind.
And in the case of fanfiction, just because an author writes a certain character in a bad light through their Shepard’s eyes doesn’t mean they hate them. Although, writers, you shouldn’t bash a character oh the basis of you hating them as a player. Each character deserves to be portrayed in a way where the reader can make their own decisions on how to feel. It just isn’t fair to force a reader to share your opinion when you’re supposed to be telling a story instead of a Tumblr rant (she says as she writes her own essay).
In short, let’s all agree to be better people and accept that everyone has their own opinions. If you don’t like a character, block their tag or don’t read fics of them, but let those who do love them enjoy them.
P.S. I’m still mad at what Bioware did with Jacob. What a way to trash their own character.
1. How old were you when you first started writing fanfiction?
Okay, I’m going to go off of the time I posted in FFN. I started out on the Kink Meme, but I transferred it pretty much the same year, so I don’t feel like I have to search the kink meme archive for the exacts.
The first post is for Juxtaposed on October 27th, 2014, so I was 23.
7. When is your preferred time to write?
It’s a mix between middle of the day while everyone is at work and late night when they’re asleep. If I had to choose between those two, then late night, though I don’t always get to lately. I like the quiet and late night comes with the added benefit of the dogs being asleep.
17. Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.
I’m currently working on some Juxtaposed revisions, so I’ll put a random one from there.
‘What kind of friend is she making him open himself up completely when she stays closed off, secure behind her walls?’
48. What’s your favorite trope to write?
I think many who know me will notice I love the friends to lovers trope. It’s a tie between that one and the very, often unbelievable happily married trope. I don’t know what it is, but I love characters who are best friends, lovers, and crazy about each other in so many ways.
Thank you so much ❤️ I took a while to answer this because it just made my day. I’m so happy that this self indulgent fic is a good read for people. I admit that I really didn’t think it’d go anywhere. I mean, think about it, a turian vampire fic? I don’t even like human vampires, lol
Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect – All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Original Female Human Character(s)/Original Male Turian Character(s) Characters: Gwen Malolin, Tassius Malolin, Livia Malolin, original turian characters, Original Asari characters – Character, Original Quarian Character(s) Additional Tags: War, Battle, destroyed city, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Interspecies Sex, Established Relationship, Vaginal Sex, baby turian, Adoption, Murder, Espionage, descriptions of death and destruction, True Love, Family Series: Part 4 of Ring of Fire Summary:
Married and living on the turian colony world, Taetrus, Gwen and Tassius’s bond is put to the test when the planet erupts in a bloody civil war. As both are pulled in different directions by honor and duty, they must put their faith and trust in each other in order to survive the chaos of the new battle front.
Takes place during the events of ME2.
Tassius gets an important mission and Gwen deals with new responsibilities.
Most of the writer ask posts I come across are only like ten or so questions long so I thought I’d try to make a longer one because we like talking about our writing! Feel free to reblog!
1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction?
2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?
3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.
4) What is your favourite genre to write for?
5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?
6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?
7) When is your preferred time to write?
8) Where do you take your inspiration from?
9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?
10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind?
11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?
12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?
13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?
14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? – You can ask about multiple stories.
15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?
16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?
17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.
18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?
19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?
20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?
21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?
22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?
23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?
24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?
25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?
26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?
27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?
28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?
29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?
30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?
31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)
32) Are any of your characters based on real people?
33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?
34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?
35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?
36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?
37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?
38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.
39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?
40) Do people know you write fanfiction?
41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written?
42) Song fic – What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.
43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?
44) What is the last line you wrote?
45) What spurs you on during the writing process?
46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?
47) Here’s a fic title – insert a made up title. What would this story be about?
48) What’s your favourite trope to write?
49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?
50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?
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