but it irritates me when writers make characters that AREN'T a romantic couple and thus ruin/disregard a heartwarming friendship (in most cases). There also seem to be far more stories these days that just have OTT hurt/comfort at the expense of a decent storyline, or even the characters being 'in' character.
Same here. I have nothing against slash, know a few who write slash too but the evolving (or devolving)definition of gen these days being "sexless, plot driven only, no one are friends" fic irks me. So if the two characters don't have sex (whether het or slash or ship), they can't 'care' for each other? When did sex=love?
That was one depressing aspect of Mediawest that mirrors fandoms these days: the growing divide of slash and gen. When fandom was brought to the media's attention, it's slash brought up and ridiculed, used to represent negatively on the fans as a whole. Gen was never considered and fans are made to look like some deep dark secret of society. Not to mention slash in general was being misrepresented and misunderstood.
Slash, as explained by a long time slash writer/friend far wiser and far more patient than me, used to be regarded as just another form of hurt-comfort. As another way for comfort. It was never meant to be the only thing that can be used as comfort. I like that explanation. It made for a far more beautiful transition than the "sex=care" trend of late. Slash was written as just another form of bond, closeness. It doesn't mean the writer is gay or anti gay if they choose to write slash or gen.
I miss smarm. I do. I've been accused of writing pre-slash, but honestly, that is all in the reader's pov. I liked reading about friends hugging, hold a hand if the pain is too much, a swat to the back of the head if the other goofs off, an arm around the shoulder for support. Do they then need to jump into bed? Not necessarily. It's the writer's choice what happens next. And no one felt like it's wrong either way. Hey, as a favor to a fellow fan, I helped beta a slash fic once. Not my cup of tea, but the fic was beautiful regardless, convincing and ooh look, they didn't have sex. Personally, minus a few sentences of love and thoughts of future sex, it could have been smarm. But it's the writer's prerogative on what the story was. The rigid 'sex or no sex' definition is stifling and frankly, a bit irritating to me because slash doesn't mean they have to have sex.
I wish people didn't automatically assume if two guys were good friends, it meant they were lovers. Sex doesn't automatically mean comfort. Friendship, love, joy is what it is and how the writer translates it to slash or gen should stay an interpretative choice.
Wow. Sorry there sngeek, I am now officially in fandom long enough to babble about things. LOL.
S vs G
Same here. I have nothing against slash, know a few who write slash too but the evolving (or devolving)definition of gen these days being "sexless, plot driven only, no one are friends" fic irks me. So if the two characters don't have sex (whether het or slash or ship), they can't 'care' for each other? When did sex=love?
That was one depressing aspect of Mediawest that mirrors fandoms these days: the growing divide of slash and gen. When fandom was brought to the media's attention, it's slash brought up and ridiculed, used to represent negatively on the fans as a whole. Gen was never considered and fans are made to look like some deep dark secret of society. Not to mention slash in general was being misrepresented and misunderstood.
Slash, as explained by a long time slash writer/friend far wiser and far more patient than me, used to be regarded as just another form of hurt-comfort. As another way for comfort. It was never meant to be the only thing that can be used as comfort. I like that explanation. It made for a far more beautiful transition than the "sex=care" trend of late. Slash was written as just another form of bond, closeness. It doesn't mean the writer is gay or anti gay if they choose to write slash or gen.
I miss smarm. I do. I've been accused of writing pre-slash, but honestly, that is all in the reader's pov. I liked reading about friends hugging, hold a hand if the pain is too much, a swat to the back of the head if the other goofs off, an arm around the shoulder for support. Do they then need to jump into bed? Not necessarily. It's the writer's choice what happens next. And no one felt like it's wrong either way. Hey, as a favor to a fellow fan, I helped beta a slash fic once. Not my cup of tea, but the fic was beautiful regardless, convincing and ooh look, they didn't have sex. Personally, minus a few sentences of love and thoughts of future sex, it could have been smarm. But it's the writer's prerogative on what the story was. The rigid 'sex or no sex' definition is stifling and frankly, a bit irritating to me because slash doesn't mean they have to have sex.
I wish people didn't automatically assume if two guys were good friends, it meant they were lovers. Sex doesn't automatically mean comfort. Friendship, love, joy is what it is and how the writer translates it to slash or gen should stay an interpretative choice.
Wow. Sorry there