When reading a fanfic...

[Cheesy G Nacho 88]

I'm not sure if this happens to anyone else out there, but when I read a fanfic, for some reason, if a character from the show acts differently in the story, like doing something bad or something they say, my view on said character changes.

I feel like I take the personas the authors give them too seriously, I have to be reminded that isn't how they would actually act in the show.

Post your opinions!

[Kapitan zur See Hans (Daz) 883]

I do the exact same thing, especially background characters. Such as certain fanfics out there that have to do with less savory concepts that changed my opinion on Rarity and Pinkie for quite awhile. Even the small things that are done by these characters in fanfics greatly change my opinion on the characters in the show, especially if those actions make sense for them.

[Cheesy G Nacho 88]

YES!!! I'm not the only one lol

[Kapitan zur See Hans (Daz) 883]

Yea, my fave Mane 6 list even shows it, Applejack would be last on my list if it wasn't for fanfics(She is awesome and all, but yea). Currently reading one with Featherweight as the main character so it is totally weird seeing him in the show now because I try to piece the fanfic personality of him into it lol

Edited December 10, 2014 by A. Dazven

[Imperator Knoedel 58]

Only if it's a background pony or a very very good fanfic.

[Cheesy G Nacho 88]

Exactly, after reading all of the stories I have, it's actually made Rarity my favorite character.

All of the stories I have read she is always portrayed as a total angel lol, I love it!

[VelvetDivan 96]

Well, there's a difference between poor characterization, and taking a character in a different direction.

 

I remember one fic (a Scoota-orphan one) that depicted Mr. Cake as a pretty nasty guy when it came to keeping sorts he regarded as unsavory out of his shop.  He actually attacked Scootaloo with a broom.  I couldn't read a fic featuring Mr. Cake without being mad at him, for weeks. 

He remained his canon-self around actual friends/paying customers, so while many of us might feel behavior like that goes against his nature, we've never seen him in a situation like that in the show.  It's possible he would react that way, showing a different side of himself.  As long as we can suspend disbelief, the writer can get away with it.

 

Other fics just don't have a good grasp on the characters, their personalities, quirks, and their motivations, so the cast come off 'wrong' or worse: everyone feels like the same character with different names.

 

Other writers who are just starting out make the mistake of not digging deeply enough into the characters, and their own copies of the ponies ring hollow.  They'll fixate on superficial characteristics (Rainbow Dash's competitiveness, Twilight's love of books) and decide that's enough to set the characters apart.  Two-dimensional characters are poor vehicles for plot, and a good way to drive off readers.