On fanfiction trends

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I like to look at fanfiction. Sometimes I actually read it.

Basically, I like to write. I dont' write fanfiction, but since I am very interested in what other people who like to write write about, it stands to reason I would be interested in fanfic trends. I'm actually more interested in the trends and the posting patterns than I am in the actual writing.

I'll sometimes glance over a piece to get the gist, theme, and skill level. If it's particularly good, I might even sit down and read it if it looks like something I might enjoy.

I did a little skimming around last night, and a question that frequently comes up in my head came up again.

What's with the slash?

Slash is where two otherwise hetero characters of the same sex have a sexual relationship with each other.

Now, I will say off the bat thatt I am in no way, shape, or form offended at same sex relationships. I am open minded about that to the point that my own sexuality has been called into question on numerous occasions (which is fine).

But seeing as how most slash is written by straight females about otherwise straight males, I find it curious. I certainly have thought about males I find attractive in a sexual way, it just never has occured to me to pair them in my mind with other guys. I could see it if this stuff was written by gay men, but most times, it's not.

Anyone able to shed some light on this phenomenon? I'm just very curious, is all. Any ladies here like to write or read this stuff?

[Amethyst Hunter]

There are as many varieties of slashfic as there are reasons for why it's written. I've seen some excellent essays on the subject; unfortunately I can't find them or remember where I've seen them without a whole lot of searchwork. (And I'm too tired atm to do so, lol)

Some of the more basic reasons:

- It's the female equivalent of a guy who likes to watch two girls together
- It lets women explore ideas in relation to their own sexuality
- It's just fun

I write slash myself for all these reasons, and more.

[Boozy]

- It's the female equivalent of a guy who likes to watch two girls together
- It lets women explore ideas in relation to their own sexuality
- It's just fun

I'm not really familiar with fanfiction, other than being aware of its existence. But I'd say that your first explanation seems quite likely. I've never understood why men find lesbians sexy, but many do. So it makes sense that it would go both ways.

[Sylvia727]

Alright, I'll come out of the closet as a yaoi (gayboy) fangirl. For me, it's about emotions. I can't get turned on by porn without plot. I need to feel why the characters are screwing, or it means nothing. Straight guys tend to be raised with the attitude that the only acceptable emotion to express is anger, and that a man who talks about his feelings too much is a wuss. Gays tend not to follow that stereotype. Also, since a lot of slashfics are written by straight women, they use plot elements like emotions and relationships in ways that appeal to me. The corniest storyline about romantic drama, if told well, can satisfy a deep emotional need for me.

I should note that I also read hetfics or femmeslash, where the guy pours out his soul to the gal, or there aren't any guys at all. They're rarer and don't usually occupy the same subgenre. Some do exist, but mostly I have to turn to slashfics.

[anriana]

I like fanfic too, especially Buffy fic, and I read slash mainly because I don't care about the sex part. Fanfic for some reason tends to have a lot of stories that have graphic sex scenes in them. I usually skip those parts anyways, so it doesn't matter to me which two characters it is as long as the story is well-written.

In the Buffyverse, the two vamps with the most signifcant storyline are both male, so if you want to write vampy fic you can just put those two together. Also the Buffyverse has a lot of sexual ambiguity - the first few seasons Joss Whedon wasn't sure if he was going to make the male or female sidekick gay so they both have scenes that can be read that way and it's pretty easy to just take off from one of those.

[MystyGlyttyr]

I write wrestling fanfic. The ratio of men to women in wrestling is something like 200:1 (not really, but sometimes it feels like that) and sometimes I just plain don't like any of my female options.

Also, I think people would be extremely surprised if they knew the high percentage of wrestlers who are at least bisexual...I mean, face it, it's a business where a bunch of good-looking guys wearing very few clothes willingly get in the ring and grope each other. Homosexuality is just something that comes naturally.

In any other fandom I've written in (starting with Tiny Toons when I was seven years old!) I've never used slash because it's never seemed to have a place. In wrestling, it's EVERYWHERE.

So I guess I just use it because A) there's just not enough women I like to use where I can make a meaningful relationship, B) it's just part of the world anyway, and C) sometimes I just think it's cute/funny as hell to cast these big macho scary guys as loving, caring, tender sweethearts.

Slash can be comedy too

[Lace Neil Singer]

I have nothing against slash... as long as it has the following criteria:

1. It's in character. Yes, the characters aren't gay in canon, but they do act a kind of way. No, you do not make a strong decisive male character into a woobie, just cuz you want him to be the uke. You should have them acting how they would in the book/movie/TV show anime. And you definitely do NOT match up a canon with your hideous Gary Stu. No effing way.

2. It's tasteful. Lemons can be not good; most are written by virgins anyway who have no experience of sex, and who have not brushed up on basic biology and/or gay relationships. No, you do not have to have had the experience; but you do have to do some research. For example, not all gay men do penetrative sex. Not all lesbians use dildos. And certainly, the prostrate is NOT the male equivilent of the clitoris; that's the penis. You should also give only as much detail as is needful; going into vastly and disgusting detail is never a good idea. And finally, a lot of badfic authors seem to labour under the impression that sexual fluids are tasty like ice cream. -.- I only wish I was joking.

3. Consent. I personally hold a huge hatred against rapefic; particularly the ones where a character is "turned gay" by being raped, or ones where a character falls in love with his/her rapist. Or ones where a character is raped, and instantly recovers with no need for therapy. Those type of fics sicken me, particularly when sexual torture is involved with too much detail and with justification of a sickeningly evil act.

[MystyGlyttyr]

1. It's in character. Yes, the characters aren't gay in canon, but they do act a kind of way. No, you do not make a strong decisive male character into a woobie, just cuz you want him to be the uke. You should have them acting how they would in the book/movie/TV show anime. And you definitely do NOT match up a canon with your hideous Gary Stu. No effing way.

Well, an addendum...like I said above, slash can be comedic, too. I wrote a short little story once that featured Brock Lesnar and Rhyno, two of the biggest, most macho, meanest guys in the biz at the time, getting into a clothes-ripping catfight over another guy. But it was utterly over-the-top because it was a humor story, nothing dramatic.

So...I would say keep them in character, or take them so far out of character that it's hysterically funny.

[Dreamstalker]

So...I would say keep them in character, or take them so far out of character that it's hysterically funny.

In the Real Ghostbusters fandom, I've read serious stuff that works, serious stuff that is full of fail (and turns into comedy gold for exactly that reason, it's obvious the author is trying too hard), and funny stuff that works. For some reason, the "funny but fail" subset does not seem to exist naturally.

I had the misfortune of reading one orgyfic that was clearly only written so the author could see what they could get away with (said author was burned at the stake for ignoring/violating not only canon, but basic biology/physiology as well). That was a fun flamefest to watch.

I can't recall any slashfics in that fandom with Gary Stu or any other fic-canon character (although plenty of hetfics with Mary Sues--I can usually spot those in the first paragraph).

[Rapscallion]

I used to edit fiction articles for a fantasy game's webpage. Fortunately, there was a ban on anything more extravagant than 'the curtains on the four-poster bed closed softly', since many players were youths and no way was around to police ages.

Oddly enough, despite the majority of the players being from adolescence up, there was a dearth of anything really attempting erotic fiction. There was a game world and the occasional hint that certain NPCs in unrelated areas knew each other a little more than tea and crumpets at the annual evil-doers convention. Fortunately, I never had to deal with anything really icky.

The fanfic for existing fiction that I've seen has ranged from enthusiastic dross (the majority) to excellently crafted piece of work (very rare). It's generally not worth digging through the crap to find something you want to see. Slash fic - the only stuff I've seen has been obviously done so the author can try pairing off different non-canon characters. It serves no other purpose, though I dare say that there is good slash out there. I'm not an afficianado of romantic/erotic fiction, mind, so your mileage may vary.

Rapscallion

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Lace Neil Singer, I think you're very right. I've given quick looks at stuff that is slash and fits your criteria, and it really wasn't bad.

And then again, what triggered the intitial post was stumbling across someone who wrote an entire series of stories about Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora boffing each other's brains out at ever opportunity.

It was just a little weird to me. And kind of unsettling, I guess because they are real people and to me, there's nothing to indicate that they might be into each other on the ....well...the down low.

Hell, maybe they are, I don't know them.

I will say this, though. I DO find it a little unpleasant at the idea that two friends cannot be close without being sexual. No problem whatsoever with, say, Brokeback Mountain kind of stuff. However, I will admit to it being a little annoying when Harper and Tyr (Andromeda, for instance) jump into the sack together. To me, that's so out of character as to be kind of pointless. Why not just write original stuff at that point?

[MystyGlyttyr]

I'll tell you the slash that really kind of is weird, because it's quite prevalent in wrestlefic...look up (not at work!) "Hardycest". Translation, slash between the two Hardy brothers, Matt and Jeff. Who are legitimately brothers in and out of the ring.

...don't get me wrong, I've read it, some of it is actually marvelously well-done, and incest is no more taboo than any other subject in people's fictions. It's just...weird...how common it is.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Mysty; incest is seriously prevalent in Supernatural fanfic. It scares me. O.o

Dreamstalker; I've come across a bit in the Harry Potter fandom, not so much in the LOTR fandom tho. That's mostly Legolas and Aragon getting it on and some of it is so bad, it's funny.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Remember when I said I was open minded?

I'm not THAT open minded. I draw the line at incest. I draw the line at het incest, even.

I meant to mention that the stuff Mysty is talking about, the over the top out of character stuff, I can actually see. Clearly, it's meant to be funny.

I saw one Lord of the Rings fic that was like that. It was hilarious. The disclaimer said "I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing them. Their rightful owners can have them back when I'm done gaying them up." :-D

EDIT: I just avoid the Harry Potter stuff. Those characters are kids. And too many people write too much sex stuff, so I just avoid that stuff altogether. Talk about having my crank turned backwards.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Parodies are another matter; as long as a parody is done properly, with tongue firmly in cheek (no pun intended) then it works. What doesn't work is when a badfic author takes two characters, totally ruins canon and turns them into a pathetic representation of their former selves, just to write a lemon that is hideously unrealistic. Or turns one character into a pathetic woobie just cuz they want them to be the uke to their Gary Stu's seme.