MDL wrote:
Guys, you want something original or you want it to be predictable and waffy all the time? The way it is now, it seems that no matter how much we work on our plots, the stories "have" to be the way readers want and predict.
No, I don't think any of us who expressed concern about L&C acting "out of character" - in our opinions - want everything to always be
predictable and waffy. And I think that the writers in our fandom - most certainly Wendy and Kae included - are proof that it doesn't have to be. Yesterday Lynn posted her latest installment of
Haunting Eden that has everyone pulling out their hair - has there been a waffy moment in the entire fic thus far? - and it's as original as all get out. And Nan has just posted Part 24 of
Twins and thrown yet another totally unexpected plot twist at us (at least, I didn't expect it). That's two examples within the past 24 hours...there are hundreds more.
But you can be original and stay "in character". And it's the "in character" that can sometimes be a gray area, because it's so personal for everyone. If I give the extreme example of a Clark Kent who starts dropping people off the tops of tall buildings, I think everyone would agree that this is "out of character". Of course, with the proper motivation and in the hands of a gifted author, it could be done.
Then you have examples that aren't so extreme. Is it OOC for L&C to sleep together before marriage? They didn't on the show, but in a story if the circumstances were right...some people believe very strongly on each side, and in a case like this it's much harder to argue for what is a "definitive" answer, if there is one at all.
Speaking just for myself, I always have a hard time with the issue of Clark sleeping with Lois as "Superman" before telling her the truth. And especially under these circumstances... I know that he *wasn't* thinking and was nearly numb with grief, but somehow - perhaps unfairly - I hold him up to that higher standard that he would have resisted. Like Toc, I could picture both of them going *part* (maybe almost all) of the way, but somehow stopping in time...
Let's not forget that even if the story looks weird to our opinions, writers are free to play with the characters as they please and for the reader there's only the choice to follow the story or not.
Absolutely. The story belongs to the author(s), and they have the final word.
But I think that most authors post WIPs on the mbs to get comments from the readers as to what people like or what maybe doesn't work as well, otherwise they'd just wait until it was finished and publish on the Archive. It doesn't mean that an author is going to automatically change *everything* that a reader questions - certainly not! The author may decide that something does need to be clarified/changed, or that it's just fine as it is. We're just adding another opinion that the author can consider, if he/she chooses to.
Well, like Sara before me, I think I've taken up too much space in this folder, so I'd better scoot...
Kathy
