Fanfic Cliches You Hate?

[FractalMoon 378]

I'm not sure if this is MLP specific, but my most hated fanfic cliche is "Insert character here develops amazing supernatural powers that make no sense in the setting with no real reason for aforementioned manifestation aside from author appeal. Said character then proceeds to totally sideline any other characters in the work."

[Simon 4,557]

I'm not sure if this is MLP specific, but my most hated fanfic cliche is "Insert character here develops amazing supernatural powers that make no sense in the setting with no real reason for aforementioned manifestation aside from author appeal. Said character then proceeds to totally sideline any other characters in the work."

Ugh seriously... I just don't get why it's as common of a thing as it is but I see it in every fandom...

[FractalMoon 378]

Ugh seriously... I just don't get why it's as common of a thing as it is but I see it in every fandom...

(WARNING: RANT INCOMING)

It's common because most fanfic writers, who are often subpar authors who don't keep things such as 'logic', 'plot coherence', and 'sense' in mind when they write their works, think of their favorite character as an extension of themselves. They then erroneously believe that they should be powerful and special in their universe, which leads to the development of abilities that would make the original creator's brain melt from sheer overload of stupidity.

(RANT CONCLUDED, CONTINUE YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED THREAD)

[Mephala 2,633]

I really don't like trollfics, because they're not even good anymore. Basically, it's now becoming popular to try to be unpopular, and I would rather read a genuine piece of shit than a overly violent, profane, cruel, or poorly worded attempt at shit.

Ironic seeing my own profanity there, but I have to be blunt.

 

EDIT: Another one I don't like is ones that are purposefully designed to make you cry and end up being crappy sob-stories filled with soppy similes that everyone decides is sad so they can seem emotional and cool because they're manly enough to cry.

I'm looking right at you, My Little Dashie.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Zenith

[Moniker 93]

What fanfic cliché for me?

 

Huh. Guess Luna's "Always a video gamer" thing. Not to say I find it horrible, it's just  . . . every story that's focused around Luna has this "I'm a video gamer" reference. That's of course something I find cliché, wait . . . *Remembers Discord and Luna Plays . . .* Oh,  right. *Blush* None the less. It's still a cliché and kinda an insult to a video gamer saying the most anti-social pony in the show is a video gamer. That's mine. Mental note: get more clichés, which I haven't already done before . . . wow, I suck. 

Edited January 30, 2014 by GabrielR

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

@GabrielR,

 

Gamer Luna > "Molly."

 

P.S.,

Jen McGregor's voice = <3, nevertheless.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[Page.Turner 940]

Oh, I'd like to add one more that I've thought of:

 

I'm not sure if it's a cliché or not, but the general lack of stories revolving around well thought out original characters bothers me.

 

I mean... does EVERY story HAVE to be about the ponies in the show? Can't there be stories that are simply based off the show? I'm not exactly talking about stories like Fallout: Equestria because that's a crossover. I mean real original stories with imaginative ideas and characters you actually give a shit about!

 

If the majority of this fandom didn't have such a big boner for lame-o stories, porn, OC hate, and shitty writing then I'd even try to get something off the ground.

 

Ah! There's another one!

 

Stories that are immensely popular but are written so damn poorly it baffles me that people like it at all. People even comment shit like, "Omg ur such a gud writter!!11!"

 

While I'm sitting here with PTSD from the first three paragraphs. I know this probably makes me sound pretentious, but holy shit, there's a LOT more to writing than good grammar. Lord have mercy.

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

8. No paragraph separation:

 

"Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm. Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm--"

 

Edited January 30, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[InkyJay 21]

1.) The High School/College setting. Is anyone really interested in how certain characters would behave if they went to a "normal" school with the typical bullies and unrealistically strict teachers?

 

2.) Atrocities that the main hero(ine) is put through for the sake of changing the tone entirely. Conflict is nice in a story, but there are better ways of getting to that conflict than, say, ripping off a pegasus's wings or blinding someone through an unjustified attack. If one or two atrocities have to happen for the sake of character development, that's fine, but don't go overboard with it.

[Blackcat 205]

Well, I happen to have a lot of faith that cliches if handled appropriately are not that big a deal, however I do have a few things that bug me. Mainly, Rainbow Dash as a lesbian just because of tomboyish behavior and rainbows. Screw that. I'm not straight myself, but homosexuality does not own refracted light. Give rainbows some room to be with whomever their many colored rays land on.

 

I think someone said this one before, but I also prefer stories to be about OC's. I see the mane six all the time in the show. Branch out, don't try to dick around with the titular characters for no good reason. I think a lot of people avoid OC centric stories because of the high number of bad OC's but if you get a writer who can craft decent characters then I would take that persons OC over the mane six any day. It allows for way more creativity, and allows for surprises. We can infer how twilight or fluttershy will handle a situation, because we already know them. We have no idea how an OC will examine the same problem, and if the writer is up to the task of storytelling, then I think it's much more enjoyable to roll with a setting of OC's

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

Well, I happen to have a lot of faith that cliches if handled appropriately are not that big a deal, however I do have a few things that bug me. Mainly, Rainbow Dash as a lesbian just because of tomboyish behavior and rainbows. Screw that. I'm not straight myself, but homosexuality does not own refracted light. Give rainbows some room to be with whomever their many colored rays land on.

 

(...)

 

I like the Rainbow Road tracks from the Mario Kart series. Does that automatically mean I like Gay Road?

 

 

P.S.,

 

 

^This cover will turn you into a TESTOSTERONE TYRANNOSAUR!!!

[Blackcat 205]

I like the Rainbow Road tracks from the Mario Kart series. Does that automatically mean I like Gay Road?

 

 

P.S.,

 

 

^This cover will turn you into a TESTOSTERONE TYRANNOSAUR!!!

To be honest, if I have to see anyone portrayed as gay, I prefer it be Pinkie, because the thought of that amuses me.

 

And isn't that what Pinkie Pie is all about?

[Bucket 107]

I hate it whenever a story starts off with the main character waking up in the Everfree. I HATE IT. I CANT STAND IT. I WONT STAND FOR IT. IM STARTING A RIOT. * throws papers on the ground (aggressively)*

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

I hate it whenever a story starts off with the main character waking up in the Everfree. I HATE IT. I CANT STAND IT. I WONT STAND FOR IT. IM STARTING A RIOT. * throws papers on the ground (aggressively)*

 

Isn't the Crystal Empire a decent interdimensional hotspot in canon?

Edited January 30, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[SomariFeyWright 776]

... I have so many fanfiction cliches I'd like to let out, but this seems to just apply to FiM-fiction. Darn.

 

Oh well.

 

One thing I hate: OCs. Now, this is just a pet peeve of mine, and by all means, I'm not saying that anyone should stop using them. But in fanfiction, they personally bother ME. And the weird thing is, when I'm watching them in a fanwork, or roleplaying with them, it doesn't bother me at all, yet when I'm reading one in fanfiction, I struggle to keep reading. I can't really explain it.

 

Also, personality butchering. I'm sure I don't need to explain this one... this is prevalent in every genre of fanfiction, I'm sad to say. Many fanfiction writers view characters as a means of forcing how they think the characters SHOULD be, rather than what they are. More than once have I run into a story written by someone who stares only at a speck of a character, and that trait automatically becomes the character, ignoring any of the more complex development or underlying character parts that, to be fair, ARE missable. It just infuriates me to no end. I don't care how well the concept works, if Rainbow Dash decides to abandon Ponyville for the Wonderbolts, I hit the X button. No ifs ands or buts about it.

[Geek0zoid 1,468]

This one doesn't just count for MLP Fan Fiction. It counts for any fan fiction.

Post-apocalyptic timelines.

 

Seriously. Everything going to shit before we even dive into the setting of the story is about as by-the-numbers as you can get. Admittingly, I'm a person who's guilty of doing the same thing. Though these days, when I tell stories, I got out of my way to be original. But, still, post-apocalyptic settings are a norm in fanfic writing.

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

@Geek0zoid Steven,

 

They're not dark and edgy anymore, just depressing and boring.

[Cerbyrus 63]

- Mary Sue's

- Alicorn OC'S

- OOC Canon characters

- (Bad) OCxCanon ships

- Bad grammar (does this count?)

- Flat characters

- Unnecesary actions/language

- Bad plot progression

- Human In Equestria (there are exceptions; Drefsab's Sophistication and Betrayal is a nice read, but it contains sexual content, so if you wanna read just search it on FiMFiction)

 

Yeah, that's about it.

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

(...) Drefsab's Sophistication and Betrayal is a nice read, but it contains sexual content, so if you wanna read just search it on FiMFiction)

 

(...)

 

Said "content" can always just be skipped, which I do.

[Riddle 102]

In truth i got a story or in the plotting of a story chunk full

of OC's but a lot of them are just miner to keep the

story going but trying to make a whole new kingdom and

doing real life research on things and magic and all

is a killer...and making a history.....

 

/dies/

[SonOfTheNorthe 412]

I used to read these all the time for fantasy fulfillment, but the whole "OMG I'm a brony who somehow suddenly ended up in Equestria and somehow acquired half the mane 6 as mai waifus!"

 

There was one that was slightly unique, in that the person sent to equestria was an anti-brony cynical asshole who'd always try to start shit with the mane 6, but updates came along slow and unpredictably.

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

9. Humanity actually originated in Equestria:

 

...but was ultimately sent to another universe for whatever reason(s). Bonus points if said universe was actually a pocket dimension created by Celestia or somepony all along, thus reinforcing ANOTHER cliche:

 

Celestia and Luna being portrayed as some kind of gods.

 

I mean, come on, Lauren Faust once even wrote a little text about how that is not the case; never was her intention, and I think the curent staff would agree. She posted it on DeviantArt, if I recall it right.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[RainbowDashington 89]

I hate it whenever a story starts off with the main character waking up in the Everfree. I HATE IT. I CANT STAND IT. I WONT STAND FOR IT. IM STARTING A RIOT. * throws papers on the ground (aggressively)*

Oh poo. I'm currently brainstorming ideas for a fanfic, and my OC wakes up in the Everfree. I'm not going to change it though (beginning plot depends on this). I better make the back story good for it.

[Blue Moon 6,341]

I'm sure there are other things that bug me when reading a fanfiction, but what I hate the most is when the writer has one of the Mane 6 refer to their Element of Harmony as explanation for their actions.

 

Examples:

 

Applejack: "Well, I am the Element of Honesty."

 

Rainbow Dash: "They don't call me the Element of Loyalty for nothing."

 

Etc.

 

 

It just bugs me so much! It sounds so awkward.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Blue Moon

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

@Blue Moon,

 

Viewers Are Goldfish.

 

Oh, and: