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Jani_chan · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2685 Location: Enma's bed

In fanfics, people often like to add their own characters. I'm one of those and I'd like to know what you think on the matter. Do you like new characters? Do you hate them?

admin · Site Admin Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 1008

Hmmm. That's a difficult one.

Usually people don't tend to like OC's, they read a fanfic to read about their favourite characters, not the writers own stuff. And thats why they can be dangerous ground, some people will even skip by a story the second they see, Original Character in the summary.

Overall it depends, is the OC the main focus, are they background, do they steal attention away from other area's, are they a mary or gary sue, are they cliched, do they add to the plot or take away from it, are they a self insert or an interesting individual character, why are they there, what do they represent?

I find the best OC's seem to be well thought out and their purpose to the story beneficial to the plot, I can think of multiple fanfic's where the OC's are absoulutely amazing, Daveron from i.k.w.b.t.s Anjele and Gemini from a.l.h.r, there were two OC characters a writer use to constantly use throughout her fanfic's that were brilliant-I think one was called Ames, and other OC's used to pop up now and again but it never had a negative effect on the plot-the opposite if anything, there's also Fukou from m.o.t.f, loads and loads of good fanfic's have OC's in them.

Often fanfic's, especially really really long ones with characters from stories that are segregated or few (or even not in those cases), will have or sometimes need an OC to help move the story along or add something new to it.

I share a lot of peoples anxieties about OC's, but because I have read few fanfic's with OC's that have ruined the story. I have no problem with them. Whoo-hoo to good expierences.
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Rhea-sama · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject:

It depends on what purpose they serve.

For example, it is wonderful, admiriable, and even advisable to make new villians/victims/demons/what have you for soemthing like Yami no Matsuei.

And a new ally/shinigami to better help narrate one's views on the universe of YnM (or whatever fandom really..) wonderful.

Mary Sues/Self insertion*? Die.

Die now.

XD

*Admittedly, some self insertion can be done right, but for god's sake don't SAY it is D:
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admin · Site Admin Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 1008

pyro_o · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 11:29 pm Post subject:

I couldn't vote!! XD

man, it just all depends on what kind of OC they stick in there. Personally, I hate Mary Sues, except when they're well done. Which hardly happens, really. Especially in such a dark series as YnM.

Self-insertion is one of the hardest OCs to achieve- after all, most writers tend to put more focus on themselves than the canon characters. But then again, OCs are just there to usually add more intrigue to the story- or even make another couple. I remember there was an excellent YnM series done with OCs- Koijiki Trilogy, or sth similar. Amazing collection, that. =)

But enough of recs. I rarely criticize OC-centric fics, but really.. Mary Sues are overdone and self-insertions are just too BLAND. I don't really think it's much of a fanfic when it has too many OCs, either. Far too little concentration on the canon characters.

AUs are like OC-centric fics, only they just stick the same name to a different personality. Much more different than what an original fanfic is like, in my opinon.

I like it when original characters are WELL DONE- meaning that they can have a great amount of attention lavished on them in fics, while retaining a fanfic-like flavor of the YnM universe.

Perhaps I'm being too critical and wanton of whatever I can't have? XD

-edit-

Man. This is good enough for ff.net forums. XD
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darkmoon13 · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 148 Location: middle of nowhere

hmm....ocs.... it just depends on how they're down but most of the time i don't like it when they are the main focus or they end up pairing with the canon characters. for some reason it rubs me the wrong way so i don't usually read them.^^

admin · Site Admin Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 1008

suzoka · Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 119 Location: Asia

new faces make a story interesting too.
specially if the fanfiction would be long. it would be good to add new characters on the way.

pyro_o · Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:12 pm Post subject:

....care to clarify/elaborate? I'm getting quite interested. XD
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Paurie · Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject:

I don't want to say "No way (it's annoying)" but I honestly don't care too much for them. (at first anyway) OCS villians are fine, though....

Bah, it depends on how well the writer brings them out, introduces them...

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