The Classics Are Classic For A Reason

[redbrunja]

Okay, I'm super behind on this, but a while ago a meme was going around where you go through a list of fanfic tropes and see how many of them you've written. Now, I haven't written enough to make this post interesting (which should probably be fixed) so I'm just going to provide commentary on the tropes themselves.

Genderswap: In general, I think this is rarely an interesting storyline. First, because often I don't think changing a character for a boy to a girl changes things much, unless we're illustrating how gender!faily a work is. That said, I have read a significant amount of genderswap that allowed me to take a normally slash pairing as het, which I appreciate.

Bodyswap: I don't read much of this; I think most fandoms don't lend themselves well to this idea without it being an automatic crack-fic.

Drunk!fic: Hell yes. This trope can lead to great, great things. Loosening inhibitions, revealing hidden attractions... and then it can tie into hurt/comfort with one person having to take care of the other or knowing that they can't take what the other is offering even if they really, really want to....

Huddling together for warmth: This is a classic for a reason. I actually think more people should be writing it.

Undercover in a gay bar: I think this is one of those tropes that's way more common in slash fanfics than in het or femmeslash ones. Although I have read and written some 'we have to pretend to be gay for the mission (but we really are)' Naruto femmeslash fics.

Pretending to be married: Another one I haven't read much off. But pretending to be dating or having people assume a pairing is dating when they aren't is always a lot of fun.

Secretly a virgin: Hell no. Look, I like my fictional sex to be sexy, and usually that requires experience.

Amnesia: Not a big fan. Unless the amnesiac is spending time with the villians, having them reintroduce themselves to their friends and family is usually pretty boring. 

Crossdressing: Total adoration. Many I see this in books, but I love love love it. Nothing like a girl dressing up as a boy to go to war. ...which, now that I think of it, is a pretty specific type of cross-dressing. But anyway, that's the one I really dig. 

Forced to share a bed: *loves* And almost never finds in fic.

Aliens made them do it: I have read some epically awesome fics that explore issues of consent with this. I can be a phenomenally powerful theme to work with.

Wingfic: Why? I totally don't get this. 

Mpreg: *stabs eyes out* Part of my thinks the hellish popularity of this is the clearest example of slash fandoms misogyny there is.

Mistakenly assumed to be gay: Again, I think this is a slash-specific trope.

Let's play truth or dare: Not a big fan. Often it feels too childish for the characters I'm interested in.

Aphrodisiacs: I am a fan. Although the author needs a depth touch to handle the squick factor correctly.

Curtain fic: I LOVE CURTAIN FIC! THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE IN THE WORLD.

Hurt/Comfort: Honestly, hurt/comfort, in various incarnations, is the majority of what I both read and write.

Apocalypse fic: Not a big fan. Apocalypses are usually far too bleak for my tastes. 

Someone has a baby: Unless a fic has been recced to me by someone I trust, this will have me hitting the back button so fast. That said, because of that, I've read an impressively high percentage of really good preggers fics.

Telepathic soulbonding: Excuse me while I die of lolz. As soon as I moved beyond Mercedes Lackey, this stopped working for me.

Werewolves mate for life: Feels way too similar to the above. Unless we're talking about Ladyhawke, in which case it's the best thing ever, oh my god.

Comments

[sureasdawn.livejournal.com]

*nods*
*takes notes*

I love love love curtain fic. I kind of get wingfic, just a little since I have a very embarrassing and seldom discussed fetish for winged humanoids.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Curtain fic, especially when I'm in the right mood, is the best thing since sliced bread.

e since I have a very embarrassing and seldom discussed fetish for winged humanoids.

I just started reading Superior, and it's embarrassing how much I like how the main character has ears that look quite cat-like to me and slit pupils.

[lykomancer.livejournal.com]

What is "curtain fic"?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Basically, fic about a pairing being domestic together. The classic example is fic about what happens when they buy curtains together.

[zuki-san.livejournal.com]

I've only seen wingfic played seriously maybe once, years ago, and that was in AU.

I've seen in discussed as an excuse for absolutely ridiculous hurt/comfort fic all the damn time, and I think that "No, don't look at me, they're hideous!" "No Frodo, I think they're [i]beautiful[/i]" is utterly hilarious.

And then it's an excuse for angelic imagery/symbolism/comparisons.

[neko-no-kaze.livejournal.com]

Ok, this might be the late night talking, but after...

"No Frodo, I think they're beautiful"

All I can think of is this:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButYourWingsAreBeautiful

[zuki-san.livejournal.com]

That is precisely what I am talking about.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I've seen in discussed as an excuse for absolutely ridiculous hurt/comfort fic all the damn time, and I think that "No, don't look at me, they're hideous!" "No Frodo, I think they're [i]beautiful[/i]" is utterly hilarious.

Oh, so hilarious. And also unnessecary, considering most of the characters that inhabit fandom.

[neko-no-kaze.livejournal.com]

Ah Mpreg, a warning sign and a funny conversation starter. A friend showed me a manga where that was canon. Head-tilts and O_o ensued.

I have read a few good wingfics that for some reason were all AU Rurouni Kenshin fics that involved dragons or demons. Go figure.

I have a story in my head that involves soulbonding, well more soulrenter/freeloader, but then I did just finish a Lackey book.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Ah Mpreg, a warning sign and a funny conversation starter. A friend showed me a manga where that was canon. Head-tilts and O_o ensued.

That would be my reaction too.

I have a story in my head that involves soulbonding, well more soulrenter/freeloader

See, that sounds interesting.