Hmmm... It does sound like Taliesin's story is the sort of AU I can sometimes roll with so I'll keep it on the list and give it a whirl. I read very fast and retain most of what I read -- yeah I was a mutant child, thanks for noticing -- so when I was younger I felt compelled to finish anything I started just because I was "thirsty" to read everything and anything. One of the blessings of age is the realization that I can't possibly live long enough to read everything I want to read so if I get a few chapters in and can't stand it, it's gone. *g* There's an occasional (painful) exception when I'm trying to understand why everyone loves something so much but it usually doesn't turn out well. Dan Brown owes me for the couple of hours I'll never get back reading that *thing* he calls a book. Egads!
No "I know, I know" about it, not at least where I'm concerned. Some things we just like/love and that's all there is to it. I did my post-grad work in Popular Culture in large part because I was fascinated by the allure of things my critical reasoning told me were... well, not very good. When someone tells me they like or love something that's fantastic. When they tell me it's the "best thing ever written" or "no other writer can compare" then I want/hope for a critical explanation to back that up.
I think you and I have very similar tastes. I was going to respond to the CATW post but as I only made it about a third of the way in before I was bleeding from the eyeballs and stopped I didn't think it was fair to join in the discussion.
I always feel a little flat footed in such discussions anyway due to the fact that I write and post fan fiction stories myself and fully understand the nature of my own work so I'm well aware that sometimes fen are thinking "who are you to take a swipe at our fandom's great novels when you just write short comedy/smutty bits?" It's a fair enough POV for them to have. I only started writing fan fiction in order to "communicate" with my peers and perhaps entertain them a little along the way... Well that and improve my comic and smut skills. *g*
My natural inclination in always to write plotty, angsty or odd little homage pieces which I haven't really done in fan fiction land since my early days so there's very little evidence of it where people might see it. It broke out a little at last year's LoM ficathon I'm a Stranger Here Myself (http://community.livejournal.com/lifein1973/1413746.html). Oh and please, feel free not to follow the link. I've never really got comfortable with the self-pimpage thing. *g*
no subject
No "I know, I know" about it, not at least where I'm concerned. Some things we just like/love and that's all there is to it. I did my post-grad work in Popular Culture in large part because I was fascinated by the allure of things my critical reasoning told me were... well, not very good. When someone tells me they like or love something that's fantastic. When they tell me it's the "best thing ever written" or "no other writer can compare" then I want/hope for a critical explanation to back that up.
I think you and I have very similar tastes. I was going to respond to the CATW post but as I only made it about a third of the way in before I was bleeding from the eyeballs and stopped I didn't think it was fair to join in the discussion.
I always feel a little flat footed in such discussions anyway due to the fact that I write and post fan fiction stories myself and fully understand the nature of my own work so I'm well aware that sometimes fen are thinking "who are you to take a swipe at our fandom's great novels when you just write short comedy/smutty bits?" It's a fair enough POV for them to have. I only started writing fan fiction in order to "communicate" with my peers and perhaps entertain them a little along the way... Well that and improve my comic and smut skills. *g*
My natural inclination in always to write plotty, angsty or odd little homage pieces which I haven't really done in fan fiction land since my early days so there's very little evidence of it where people might see it. It broke out a little at last year's LoM ficathon I'm a Stranger Here Myself (http://community.livejournal.com/lifein1973/1413746.html). Oh and please, feel free not to follow the link. I've never really got comfortable with the self-pimpage thing. *g*