To explain my dislike of PWP, I’ll first have to talk a bit about the fundamental story, the framework on which 99% of all stories we read are built.Selfish personally-directed critique question here- When writing short porn stories (what I consider to be my version of “Plot? What Plot?”), I try to flesh things out with a little background on the characters’ relationship, with the setting they’re in and how they got there, with the things they’re feeling about each other or their relationship or what have you… Where does this fall into your definition of PWP? Is that not enough to raise it above bland and boring?
What you’re referring to is character exposition, what in my old days of D&D roleplaying we called ‘the fluff’, everything about a character that isn’t the stats listed on their character sheet. In fanfiction, though, we already know the characters’ personalities and backgrounds from the canon; it’s possible to write a story without mentioning anything about the characters other than their names and still provide the reader with a clear mental image. Some critics consider this minimalistic approach to be truest to the canon; I consider it boring. To me, the fluff is the life you breathe into the characters, the way you make them yours for a little while, and I love it. You do it very well.
Still, character exposition is not enough to make a story good. As I mentioned in my original post, every story must have a Crisis and in 99% of stories that Crisis should be resolved before the end or readers will be left disappointed. However, there are no rules stating what the Crisis should be, and I find that you do have Crises worked into your erotic short stories, though perhaps unknowingly; like I told Ze Doktor in my analysis of their writing, experienced writers tend to add the necessary elements instinctively because they just make for better stories.
To give you a couple of examples, I’ve dug up some of your own short stories on Y! (spoilers under the Read More for Dogs and Soldier Gets Abducted By Aliens, mentions of Dawn, Our Lost Kingdoms, and Put A Spell On You):
Ah, thanks! I appreciate that you took the time to think about all this and write it down. I guess I hadn’t really thought about a crisis-climax setup where it isn’t a big, flashy showdown or a disaster being averted or what have you (Holy shit, I learned all this crap in school, I shoulda remembered it…).
It’s kind of interesting that you mention the Sniper/Engineer one. It was originally intended as background information (and an excuse for porn) amidst the events of Our Lost Kingdoms. I think I really like your take on where it would work better. Thanks!
After the not altogether unmitigated success of my first fanfic pet peeve post (I had no idea the word ‘giggle’ was such a hot topic in the fandom), I’ve decided to continue this series with another controversial subject: PWP.
PWP is, depending on your source, an abbreviation of ‘Plot? What Plot?’ or ‘Porn Without Plot’, a subgenre of the short story that usually serves as a literary equivalent of the 15-minute amateur porn videos uploaded to Xhamster.com.
Now bear with me for a moment and let me explain: It’s not that I dislike adult stories (lol), or that I think people shouldn’t write/read porn with the express purpose of getting off to it. Sometimes, you just want to see two hot guys (or girls, or whatever number and combination of genders you prefer) get it on. But as a writer and erotic literature connoisseur, PWP always leaves me unsatisfied.
Selfish personally-directed critique question here- When writing short porn stories (what I consider to be my version of “Plot? What Plot?”), I try to flesh things out with a little background on the characters’ relationship, with the setting they’re in and how they got there, with the things they’re feeling about each other or their relationship or what have you… Where does this fall into your definition of PWP? Is that not enough to raise it above bland and boring?
So Heavy and Medic were totally a commander in the Russian army and a Nazi officer during World War Two! It’s canon, because some game promo items say so! Just like how it’s canon that Heavy is also a gangster and a dragonborn from Skyrim! And don’t you all mention how Medic is a planeswalker from Magic: The Gathering? He’s got a hat for it and everything! Because hats = canon!
Cyan and I were talking about all the nonsense that goes on in this fandom. And then I made this for her. We’re starting a movement, guys, and you’re all welcome to join us/free to use this flag wherever you like. I’ll make a fandom-neutral one, soon, too.
But, Cyan and Docteur, what does pairing pacifism really mean? Well, friends, it simply means being pacifistic when it comes to pairings and ships, whether they are your own or someone else’s. It means understanding that all pairings - canon, fanon and crack - are valid. It means accepting that not everyone shares your OTP. It means respecting others’ OTPs. It means willingness to listen to someone else’s headcanon, and sharing your own peaceably. It means ignoring that which you do not want to see. It means considering that which you have not thought of before. It means being a positive contributor to the fandom. (It also means realising that once we are all pairing pacifists, this flag will be redundant.)
It’s sad that something like this even has to be said, but as long as there are people out there who consider themselves the fucking fandom police (oh God I can’t remember where I read that phrase but it still cracks me up), it will be relevant for other people to point this out: It’s really obnoxious to go around shitting your pants over gay TF2 cartoons of pairings you don’t like. Also, throwing pants-shitting temper tantrums won’t make the pairings, the cartoons, or the artists who drew them go away.
(Picture removed for the sake of my eyes- check the original post if you dare)
Mon dieu I hate Mpreg.
It’s not Mpreg, he just hasn’t taken a dump in nine months. :D
The sight of watching them sleep.
My art-trade part with Hana-Bakemono~
I’m a huge fan of her works, and this is a scene from her lovely, lovely fic.
GAAAH what is this I don’t even
♥
(via fuckyeahsniperandspy)
Cyan's Writings: TF2 Fandom Drama -
Yes, let’s all ignore…
…that Spy made a child become a murderer.
…that Medic conducted illegal medical experiments on civilian patients and on a prisoner of war.
…that Saxton Hale hunts endangered animals to the point of extinction.
…that Soldier abducted children.
…that Demo killed…
AHAHAHAHAHA people are flipping out over Scout hitting on high school girls (and not being a 15-year-old waif)? Holy shit, that’s awesome. In a retarded way. It’s kind of funny to me, though… some time before I played the game and got into the fandom, I’d watched some videos of the game. I didn’t know what the hell Scout was supposed to be good for or why he had a baseball bat, but at the time I thought he was a scrawny man of about 24. It was only after I got into the game that I wondered if he might be younger (the thumb-sucking, that great Wilhelm Scream he does, the way he acts in “Meet the Scout”), but I always assumed he was somewhere between the ages of 19 and 21.
Now I’m all embarrassed because anyone who gets hairy about insignificant details and dates might glean that I insinuated his age as being 19 or 20 in Our Lost Kingdoms. Aaaaaah. But I doubt anyone noticed that part.
High-res version of the WoW Mists Screencap, here. You’ll have to rotate the image on your own computer, then, voila. Wallpaper. The size restrictions for a files height were more generous than that for their width, hence the rotated image.
- make a ‘jokey’ post intend to bother people
- people calmly tell you why its wrong
- get defensive
- get upset
- accuse other people of being ‘butt hurt’
- later, call yourself a troll even though you were the only one actually getting upset by your post and its fall out
- repeat
My God, it’s so true… Muhahaha. This was my take on the subject.
(via yangrambles)
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