donutsweeper | Fanon characterization

That actually happens to me a lot. Mainly because we have some really great writers out there who can explore the character(s) I like more than the show has the time or inclination to do.

That's happened to me with Supernatural, Highlander, Stargate and NCIS. Buffy characters are a little more iffy on that, I'll have to think about it with them. Probably Sentinel too.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I'm finding it with .. well to be honest it'd probably be shorter to list the shows that actually am happy with, it would be a very short list.

Do you find that there are some authors who see that characters in the way you do and others whose view is so different it's hard to read them?

Oh yeah... that happens to me all the time to. I get very set in my ways as to how I like to read the characters, even if I have a very broad scope of how I will read the characters.

Probably the most notable ones right now are Tony and Gibbs. There's been many a Tony/Gibbs story I've backed away from because I just couldn't take the way the characters were represented.

Another character I have to be careful with is Xander. I like what is known as Super!Xander to a certain extent, but it is hard to find the right mix for that. And I have a little secret like for Spike/Xander (yes, Spander!) from a very few select authors.

I've read a little Spander (very little) Gibbs and Tony are written all over the map depending who is doing the writing. And some are very hard to take (Woobie!Gibbs just makes me tear my hair out)

Except in very special cases, I have issues when they call each other something other than Tony, Gibbs, Boss or Jethro. 'Ro' and 'Tone' really irk me for some reasons. Or them being overly lovey-dovey with each other. There's also be some BDSM fics I've back away from even though I enjoy the genre. Mainly because I don't think the authors get the lifestyle or the characters and how they would be in the lifestyle.

It's actually why I stick to certain characters in writing. If I don't feel I have a handle on a character, I won't write them. In Buffy fandom, I can't write Buffy, which always makes me laugh a bit. In Supernatural, I mainly stick to Dean and keep Sam to a minimum. For NCIS, I avoid Ziva and Ducky writing wise... And I really, really want to write some Criminal Minds fic or crossovers with NCIS, but I've never felt I could do the characters from CM right. *sigh*

I also run into certain authors who it's hit and miss for me on their fics. One fic I would love to pieces and the next I'd be like 'eh...' over and then turn around and love the next one. Then comes the authors who I go out of my way to read everything and more than once. For instance, with

xanthelj I actually ventured into her X-Files fics even though I never really watched the show (knew the characters enough though), because I liked her NCIS and SGA stuff... Same with KSL. I ventured into her Houston Knights fic without knowing the characters at all because I like how she did Gibbs/DiNozzo (one of the few that gets more... I guess doting/loving is the best way to describe it with G/D that I like to read).

KSL is awesome, she has some great Houston Knights stuff and this utterly amazing Magnificent Seven series I've read an embarrassing number of times.

Have you read litgal (were you the one that suggested her to me?)? She's one of the few Spander authors I've read and liked.

Oh lord, nicknames. *shudders* Jet, LJ, Ro, Jeth, Lee... just no. Please oh please oh please NO.

I tend to shy away from writing Ziva and Sam too for the same reasons. And CM's people would be HARD. It's easier to figure out a way around them then write them badly.

I don't know if I was, but yes, I've read litgal. She was the first person I read Spander from. Then I found a few others I liked. She's also got one of the very few Ziva/Tony fics I've read and liked. I think it was her... *ponders that* (and there was a Tony/Ziva/Gibbs fic by someone else that I liked too)

Jet! I forgot Jet! Honeybuns is the only nickname that should ever exist between them outside of Boss... Them and Naomi that is. :-)

Reid is probably the only CM character I could come close to writing... and maybe Garcia. But... like you said... they would be HARD.

I haven't tried out KSL's Mag 7 stuff yet. That's another fandom I don't really know the characters outside of the fics I've read that have been crossovers with other fandoms.

What I like about KSL is she doesn't whitewash the problems that coming out might create, the Mag7 one in particular since it's set in 1870s there is a very different attitude about it.

Honeybuns and Naomi or something else like that in jest would be just fine. the others however.... no, just no

Yeah. I've done that. Also, a lot of the time when I read fanfic sex scenes, I can't picture the actual TV characters, it's more like the pictures I've made in my mind from the fics.

That makes a lot of sense to me. The rare times I read slash I do pretty much the same thing.

Dude? I was reading TW fic before I ever saw the series...and you know what, the way

paperclipbitch wrote Ianto? I really liked him. Never has the the actual canon version of a character been such a disappointment.

Oh dear, that must have stung, her Ianto is excellent

Excellent, but not anything like we eventually ended up with, especially in the 2nd series and CoE. And it's not like I can be mad at her for being a writing goddess, only at RTD et al. Such a waste. :(

RTD wasted so much potential

Don't forget the Et Al. I blame the entire writing staff. Special Hall of Shame for Chibnall and Moran...mostly Chibnall, as I look at the episode writer list.

It was embarrassing how many plotholes were in CoE. Sad, really

Oh, OW, that must have been a real shock!

Seriously. Especially when we got to Cyberwoman and all that sniveling. Not what I'd been expecting at all.

Usually this isn't a problem for me, because I tend to be fairly passive as far as what canon gives me -- I usually like all the characters at least a little, even if it's just for their potential. Or I'll work something out in my mind that explains things. More importantly probably, I just don't read a lot of long fic where the writers have a chance to develop characters, so there's not a lot to compare to.

An exception that comes to mind at the moment is Primeval. NOT a show that's well-known for sense-making character development, and I actually got frustrated with how the female characters, especially, were written. Since I've dipped a toe in the fandom, I've come across a few things that made me go, "OH, now that actually makes the character make sense! I could have liked *that* character!"

I'll work something out in my mind that explains things.

I might have to try that, it's a good idea!

Well, yeah. :-)

Oh, yes, this is quite common.

I know a number of Kowalski fans (Due South) have said this and I've seen it in other fandoms too.

Umm yes, hasn't everyone?

PS. Happy Birthday!

I suppose everyone has, but it just hit me when I was watching NCIS that all I could think was how much I don't like one of the characters or how they've acted much this season, but I do tend to like them in fanfic and how sad that is.

I think NCIS is easy to do that with (as is Doctor Who).

David and I were watching the NCIS we just got over here (Guilty Pleasure) and we were both baffled by the writers once again making Tony act like a total prat during much of the episode (though especially when they were trying to trap that call girl).

Tony this season *sighs sadly* Other than the episode where his dad showed up it's been painful to watch him in the last 10 or 20 episodes. He's a trained investigator. A professional. With 9 years as an NCIS special agent, 18 months as a Baltimore detective and I forget how long on the force in Peoria and Philadelphia. He has to be competent or Gibbs would have fired his ass ages ago. Let us see a COMPETENT Tony NCIS, please. I beg of you.

Let us see a COMPETENT Tony NCIS, please. I beg of you.
There needs to be a petition or something *nods vehemently*

although, I'd take a hot and bothered Tony as well. Maybe wearing only his shoulder holster?

*fans self*

And possibly tied with a bow?

I'm liking this image!

I thought you might be *G*

It is entirely unfair how few times Tony has been shirtless in NCIS. Entirely.

Entirely...

TPTB really should rectify that.

They really should.... *wonders if him being tied to a chair while being held to ransom would qualify as a 'bow'?*

It would if he were tied with black silk ropes...

Gibbs strode across the parking lot, rapped on side panel of the van that was parked there and, not bothering to wait, flung open the door and climbed right on in.

“Harkness!” he barked, throwing the door closed behind him.

“Agent Gibbs,” Harkness replied, hands coming up as he started to his feet. “I can explain--”

Gibbs cut him off with a look - it was times like this that a really good poker stare came in handy: give it long enough and, nine times out of ten, the victim of such sustained attention would give him plenty of rope to hang them with. Though it looked like, in this case, there was plenty of actual rope to hand already. Silk rope at that.

As it turned out, it was Tony caved first. “I got some fresh intel on our friendly neighbourhood mad scientist, Boss!” he blurted out.

“The seafood fetish guy,” chipped in Harkness.

“I kinda guessed which one he meant,” Gibbs snapped, gesturing at Tony. “Why else would my senior field agent be lying in the back of a surveillance vehicle parked at the beach, stripped to his undershorts and dripping water all over the place! Though it does leave the question: Why’s he trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey?”

“Uhhh…” said Tony.

“Ah…” said Harkness.

The two men exchanged glances.

“I kind of got out of my depth,” admitted Tony, looking shamefaced. “Jack was kind enough to come rescue me.”

“So you half drowned and then he thought it was a good idea to tie you up instead of getting you medical attention?”

“Yes--”
“No--”
“That is--” They said, talking over each other.

Gibbs resisted the urge to bang their heads together; the pair of them were going to give him a headache.

“You!“ he said, pointing at Harkness. “Explain.”

But, once again, it was Tony who spoke first. “I thought I saw a mermaid.”

“You thought you saw a mermaid,” Gibbs echoed.

“She had wings,” Tony added, like that helped.

First giant crabs and now mermaids with wings -- it figured. Kinda. “And that explains why you’re tied up, how, exactly?”

“I think she was part Siren, Gibbs,” put in Harkness. “As soon as got Tony onto the beach he punched me to the ground and tried to dive back in. I had no option but to restrain him.”

“And what, you don’t carry handcuffs?”

Harkness shrugged, slid open the door and grinned over his shoulder as he stepped down, out of the van. “Now where would be the fun in that Agent Gibbs? Where would be the fun in that?”

Edited 2010-05-12 18:18 (UTC)

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!! That is SO Jack! :-)

*G* thank you!

bwhahahahaha! I LOVE it! It's *perfect*

Thank you! *giggles*

I think it is going on for a year ago, now that you asked for more mad scientist? So it's past time he put in an appearance.

*bites lips*
... ... ...

I don't think this was ever truer for me than with Lex Luthor from Smallville. His character ignited ten thousand fics, many of them excellent, and then the show began to alter him in emotionally unrealistic ways, so that fanon Lex remained a wonderful, indelible character, while canon Lex just sort of dwindled away.

I think Dean Winchester is a similar case, though his canon character and his fanon version didn't diverge quite as quickly. By this time in canon, I barely recognize a consistent character there at all.

I never got into the Smallville fandom, but I did love early SV Lex and was unhappy with the arc his character went through- it was one of the reasons I gave up on the show a few seasons ago.

SPN definitely has a lot of different fanon and canon interpretations of the characters, doesn't it?

Fanon characterization

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Silk Not Steel

Re: Silk Not Steel

Re: Silk Not Steel

Re: Silk Not Steel

Re: Silk Not Steel

no subject

no subject

no subject