Fanfic summaries

[wiseheart]

There are a few remarks that make me *not* read a story in any of my fandoms:

- I'm rubbish at summaries - learn to write better ones, kiddie!

- NOT SLASH! - and that in caps, too, as if it would make the author or the story any better. It usually doesn't. But even if it did, I wouldn't read it, just for that little remark.

- Don't like, don't read! - why, thank you, that's what I'm doing...

- It's better than the title - well then, why don't you find a better title?

Comments

[songfire3.livejournal.com]

This! And not to forget the always popular "I couldn't be bothered to edit, *lol*"

*headdesk* I'm not going to read a story where the title/summary are already ridddled with typos and grammar fail. :/

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Me neither. I'm so with you in that aspect - I've just forgot to add it!

[crowdaughter.livejournal.com]

You know, I do agree with the "NO SLASH!" part and the "I'm rubbish at summaries" etc. nonsense - but not with the "Don't like, don't read" part. The idea behind that was originally, of course, to fend off some pearl-clutching idiots who would read a story labelled AU or slash (or clearly announcing an AU plot or a slash plot in the summary) - and then ripping it apart because hey, it was AU or slash!!!101! Of course you can only know if you don't like a story if you read it - but for people who find certeain topics or pairings abhorring, the warning might still have some value.

This is why I use that caution in my numerous story warnings for my dark slashy slavefic AU, too - if people don't like slash, AU or slavefic, they should not complain that the story is just that. If they do like these things and still don't like my story, well, then that's my bad luck or I really did write something crappy. But then, they coukld at least have expected to find something they would like. :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know what you mean. And it's perfectly justified when it comes to a particularly dark and/or very AU story... although why people seem to be unable to recognize the big, honking AU level (happens with almost every single Atlantis or Torchwood story of mine) or read the warnings, is still beyond me.

However, I've once too often read that "don't like don't read" nonsense in the summaries of inane Merlin fics, where it meant that someone ships a particular pairing, and that's just plain childish, IMO.

[artemis10002000]

In general, I agree with you. However, yes, like crowdaughter said the "don't like, don't read" can make sense in some contexts.

Also, there are fandoms where the "not slash" makes sense - while I do find it offensive in every other context and certainly if it's in big capital letters. Or even more offensive with a tagged on "I don't write that stuff." In fandoms where slash is standard (say, my current one, Hetalia) people will assume the characters mentioned in the summary will end up in a romantic and/or sexual relationship unless otherwise stated.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yep, but I was speaking about Merlin and LOTR. And yeah, "I don't write that stuff" is especially offensive.

My most annoying experience in the No slash!-area is a particular author in the Stories of Arda archive - which is a site that doesn't accept slash by default, so WTF? - who puts that proud statement in every single one of her story summaries. Speak about stupid and self-righteous!

I never read any of her stories, and I never will. I mean, I like slash. But I like het, too, and genfic, and every possible genre, with the exception of gratuitous rape/torture stuff and kiddie pr0n. But I won't read the stuff on any author who thinks themselves better than other people, just because they don't write a particular genre.

[artemis10002000]

Ugh, that's just ridiculous of that author!

[deathsheadx.livejournal.com]

See, i'm going to have to say the reverse of point two(summeries that have SLASH! or YAOI in caps in them) can be just as bad and it's a little worrying to me that you find one side obnoxious enough to stop reading yet would seemingly give a pass to the other side

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... now that you say that, I actually don't read those, either. I'm just more annoyed by the other side. Especially if I see it in an archive that doesn't accept slash stories by default.

And for the record, that doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I like well-written slash stories. Those don't have SLASH in the summaries, as a rule.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

Think of all the time these writers are saving you, by letting you know up front to stay far, far away from their stories!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yes, it helps one to sweep through the Merlin section, for example, in record time. Finding something worth reading, on the other hand, is really hard. There are some promising stories, which I have bookmarked for later, because they are really long, and I've only caught up around Chapter 29 or so, but for the rest - it's like looking for a needle in a hayloft.

[jen-rock.livejournal.com]

Those are amusing examples of what not to put in a summary. I saw a story a while ago that had a description of "Worst story ever! Don't bother reading!" I'm guessing they were trying to employ some form of reverse psychology and make people click on it out of curiosity just to see how bad it was but I didn't fall for it.