ladyjanelly

I love AU RPS, but wish they all didn't end up ensemble pieces, with all these guys running around. It seems to dilute the story. No fun.

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arabella-hope.livejournal.com

I have to agree.

It's difficult to balance sometimes and I suppose the motivation is to have the reader 'know' the other characters...but I find it SO much more refreshing and always think the author has so much more talent of they create a balanced blend.

'Course, sometimes it works to have the whole 'CW cast' involved...sometimes it doesn't. Like a lot of things, it totally boils down to the author's skill.

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I think I'll feel better leaving the OC as a small part than I would a real-person-character. And I totally feel out of my comfort zone trying to write Kane without having a clue about his manerisms beyond what I've read in fic.

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nova-berry.livejournal.com

WORD. It drives me CRAZY! It just seems like the authors are being lazy or something>.< Well, maybe I'm just a troll...

THANK you for deciding to go with an OC.

AND ALSO, I owe you an email! Agh!

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You do? I'm trying to remember what we were chatting about last.

Yeah, I'm totally not writing Kane when I don't know a thing about him. It's just weird. And lazy (for me to do, in this instance).

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jellicle.livejournal.com

I know the feeling. I have an AU playing in my head and while there are some former WB names showing up on it (Anthony Head and Holly Marie Combs being some of them), there are also a few characters that I'd love to be OC, because they already exist in my head.

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I think we should start a movement to reintroduce OCs into RPS. :)

I just--It's not a big part, but I want this OC, this personality, and I don't want to tweak any existing people to do it.

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ixchel55.livejournal.com

I suppose it's simply a matter of taste for the author. I happen to know who Christian Kane is and adore him. That doesn't mean that he's going to mean jackshit to anyone else. The only RPS I read is based around Supernatural. Even then I don't know a lot of the other actors that are sometimes included except perhaps by name. I've read those actors written in various ways with different personalities. To my mind, if I don't know anything (or very little) about the actors, they simply become OCs that I simply have access to pictures of if I care to Google them (which I usually don't).

To tell you the truth, if OCs take more than a minor supporting role in fanfic I'm less likely to read it. But well crafted OCs used on a limited basis can really enhance a story.

My advice: if the story seems worth reading otherwise, read those RPs you don't know as OCs.

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I don't have a hard time reading the OCs, except when they're cardboard cutouts of characters with a name pasted on them.

My personal rules for OCs that I write are:
1-Is the person necessary. Can any existing character do the job?

2-Do the non-OC characters still get all the good lines?

3-They can have sex, but not be significant.

I just feel like I''m expected to slap a known name on the OC, and yeah, not so good at doing what I feel I'm expected to do.

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ixchel55.livejournal.com

Those seem like excellent rules to write OCs by in fanfic.

I just feel like I''m expected to slap a known name on the OC, and yeah, not so good at doing what I feel I'm expected to do.

I can see how you might feel that way and if I felt the same I'd have a very similar reaction. Just write the way you feel comfortable writing. I'm very cool with not needing the whole menu to consist of brand names as I'm sure most people are. *G*

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thanks.

I had Jared knock on the door and the OC answer and the fic is rolling smooth now.

I think the Chris kane thing got me stuck because I'm so scared of doing it "wrong." like even if a character is in an AU, I still want to /know/ what I'm changing, not just make things up at random.

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In many fandoms, there's this sort of "bleeding" of characterizations...someone makes a comment about a character, or gives him/her a quirk/past history, and then you see it adopted all over the place. It becomes an accepted, taken for granted, part of the character-but it was never true.

I'm brooding over your lj right now in hopes of more fics magically appearing, somehow...it's not working, fancy that.

*broods*

*considers pouting, but gives it up as pointless*

*sends appreciative hugs n' stuff, instead*

Pesti

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Because I'm nothing if not a tease, (and also appreciative of the wait people endure waiting on my slow-ass writing),
Here, have a sneak-peak at the fic I'm talking about in this post:

Jensen ghosts down the art-wing corridor, checking the note from his pocket to make sure he has the right time and room—Life Drawing I, upstairs, 6pm. The teacher’s one he’s worked with before, and some of the students may know him from their previous classes. Three years of this work has taken any edge of nerves off of the job; he’s got it down to a science.

He turns into suite A211, Lucinda Williams on his headphones, her voice equal parts red dirt grit and sensual confidence. She helps him get into the mood, shutting the world out, centering himself down.

He’s the first one into the studio, and he takes a minute, turning on the space heaters near the studio’s central platform, grabbing some pillows out of the cabinet in case he decides to use them later and bringing the wicker chair over from the props corner. He gives the space a careful look-over while he’s still got his glasses on, making sure there are no obstacles to trip him up when he comes through without them.

There’s a flurry of door-thumping and paper-rustling at the room’s entrance. Jensen can’t help but smile at the perpetually flustered Professor “Call me Eric” Kripke arrives in a whirlwind of fluttering drawings and dropped satchel. Jensen turns off his music and stuffs the headphones down into a pocket of his hoodie.

“Can I give you a hand, sir?” Jensen asks, not that Eric ever takes him up on the offer; the words have just become his usual way of saying hi.

“No, no, I’ve got it. How’s your week been?”

And crap, this is what Jensen hates about the art department, the way teachers are so casual about things. “Good,” he manages to get out without stumbling over the word. “Did you have anything special in mind for the session today?” Talking business is so much easier for him.

Eric thinks about it for just a second. “I’ll probably have them warm up with a half-dozen thirty-second sketches, followed by four one-minute ones and then slow it down to a couple half-hour pieces.” He shrugs. “You always do great, Jensen, I’ll just let you do your thing.”

The first student comes in, juggling her portfolio case and tool-box full of supplies. Jensen takes that as his cue and heads to the closet marked “No Students, Models Only.”

He slithers out of his hoodie, folds the soft fabric and lays it on the shelf. Next follows his t-shirt and battered work-boots. He takes off the long-sleeved thermal shirt and pulls on the robe he brought for this. It’s freakin’ cold in the closet. He promises himself for the tenth time he’ll buy a heater for this place one of these days, though he knows that books or food or something more important will always come up. He takes off his baggy, faded, blue-jeans., peeling his underwear down with them. Last of all goes his socks. The cheap plastic flip-flops keep his feet clean; warm is a different matter entirely.

He lifts his glasses off and folds them carefully. The last thing he can afford this month is a new lens. Outside the room, he can hear Professor Kripke talking.

Jensen opens the door and steps out into the studio. It’s better that he doesn’t wear contacts for this, he thinks, it’s easier if he doesn’t have to see the artists looking at him. He puts himself into this kind of head-space where there’s a wall of glass around him—they can see in but he doesn’t bother seeing out, and he’s beyond their ability to contact. Even with so many people watching him it’s easier than the modeling he did as a child, Smile for the camera, turn your head a little, perfect, Jensen! Such a good boy. There’s something safe about being in front of so many, a protection given by the peer pressure they put on each other to be professional about this.

At Kripke’s instruction, he steps out of the robe and flip-flops and onto the platform. “Six thirty-second poses, Jensen,” says Eric, “Whenever you’re ready.”

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Well. *blinks, stares*

*drools*

Wow comes to mind. *stifles inner fangirly squeeing*

Seriously, this is a very good beginning. You've got the job he's doing, which is not glamorous or easy, no matter what some might want to think-*you* go pose naked for people to visually dissect and draw, the idea makes my innards shrivel-and you've intimated he's not doing so well financially; that he's good at the job; that he's been a model in the past, so he's probably used to being hit on or valued for his looks over his personality ('cause you know how people do); and I'm betting Jared's in the class...?

Aww, now I'm torn between badgering the hell outta ya for more scar!verse and badgering the hell outta ya for more of this one! *seethes*

*badgers indiscriminately, thus covering all bases*

thanks for the preview,

Pesti

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Someone I know once got a review saying they were writing Jared OOC because she hadn't adhered to those characterizations. Craziness.

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Crazy, indeed. There's so many cliches and common tendencies in all of the fandoms I'm interested in that I joke about there being a template that gets issued upon joining-you get to pick which version of a fan you want to be, and you get your traits and inner baggage assigned based on that. *rolls eyes*

Some people forget that we're writing about people we *don't* know who play people who *aren't* real. That's why the disclaimer.

Jeez! *waxes eloquent*

Pesti

From:

justforspite.livejournal.com

*cheers*

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*laughs*

Thanks.

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cal-j-fielding.livejournal.com

i understand exactly what you mean..sometimes the inclusion of the people as background names is confusing, cause they are often put into a role that i just can't fit what i do know of the person into....and that can ruin a good story for me.

sometimes the inclusion works, when it is more of an ensemble peice, equal time and care taken with all the parts, then thats fine, if i see a name i recognise i don't want it to be a throwaway reference....if it truly is a minor insignificant role, then i tend to feel it should definetely be an oc.

and i always think that a good well written oc is a perfectly fine thing.

so if you are not comfortable using a real person, you feel you don't know enough about, then please don't feel presured to use them....you level of writing is good enough for me to want to read about your oc's anyway.
hope the writing goes well.

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I think what gets me is when it feels like extra characters have been added to the fic to give more 'actors' roles. Like if they have Welling, they have to have something for Rosenbaum to do; if they have Kristen, then Allison needs a part too. It just gets cluttered.

Thanks for teh support and the vote of confidence. I went ahead and let Jared knock on that door, and the OC answer and things are running super-smooth now.

I will resist the urge to smack a bitch if somebody asks who the OC is and what show he's been on.

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cal-j-fielding.livejournal.com

Yeah that just results in this mass load of extraneous characters running about...i see your point.

Happy to hear that the writing is going smoothly....and if anyone does ask who the OC is, take it as a compliment that it means it's such a well written character that they assume it must be based on somebody who exists.

Good luck.

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Yay, thanks!
I'm stuck in class for the next 4 hrs, but I made my writing goals for today and then some.

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I have no freakin' idea who Chris Kane is outside of what I've read on LJ.

Me toooo! Except when I finally looked him up, turns out I did know who he was. When I say know, I mean I saw him in another show that I watched before I got into Supernatural but he wasn't someone I fangirled over. He's just there lol Personally, I don't like seeing him in RPS fics. He just seems kinda random... lol

I've had a word-file open for 3 days with Jared standing outside the door, ready to knock.

LOL This made me laugh :P I say you use an OC. Jensen went to college with people that aren't famous today. No need to use Chris Kane just because lots of people do. Using an OC in this case also makes it more realistic.

(By the way, I'm still working on that fic lol The one where John accuses the boys of being together when they aren't. I think I'm just gonna type it, speed things up a little lol Would you prefer it to end in Wincest or not?)

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kentucka

He just seems kinda random... lol

He is, because Chris and Jensen only know each other through Steve (Carlson), and I'd love to know how many times they've actually met and hung out. I'd love to know if they actually LIKE each other *lol* The whole Jen/Chris RPS is based on ONE picture there is of the two of them together. so yeah, throwing Chris into any kind of SPN RPS fic is kinda random.

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Didn't they both work in The Plight of Clownana? I think that's what IMDB said...

You wouldn't happen to have that picture lying around would you? lol

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kentucka

not like the IMDB is 100% right all the time, but I have no idea. I never noticed.

oh, I would have that pic if my external HDD hadn't died and everything was restored BUT my pic folder. so I gotta ask around first.

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I feel for ya! I almost lost my picture folder once. I was lucky enough to get it back though. Maybe someone could manage to get it back for you?

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kentucka

I don't care about the pics. between all of my friends, I am absolutely positive that I'll get it all back. it just saves me the headache of having to delete pics when the 200GB HDD runs out of space *g*

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Re: CK--I think having him sometimes dilutes letting Jared be the good ol' boy with the twang and all. Dulls down the flavor or something. If that makes sense.

I went with the OC. The fic is flowing along nicely now. I know somebody's gonna ask who the OC is though, and what show he's been on or something.

Heh. Wincest or not, I'll still be thrilled. Whatever flows best for you.

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kentucka

oh girl.

A) I love you.

B) But Chris is so much fun! especially when drunk *ggg* if you ever get the chance to attend one of Kane's concerts, do it. he seemed pretty easy-going even while he was still sober, and he definitely was generous with the hugs when the whiskey and the beer set in *g*

C) I like OCs a lot. we don't get enough of those in a fandom in which pretty much everybody agrees on the OTP.

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Now I feel like looking the guy up lol Although I really don't need anything or anyone else to fangirl :P

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kentucka

for a full account of what we saw and heard at the Kane concert, just look at my or amcw177's journal. I'm sure it'll make you laugh at and like him :)

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Heh.

I might look at youtube sometime and see if I can find some stuff with him, for maybe-future refrence.

I went with the OC and the fic's flowing along nicely now.

I feel sorta hedged in because it feels like it's gone beyond being a sub-fandom where there's OTP, but where there are no OCs unless they're part of the anti-OTP pairing. Does that make sense?

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