Fanfic Taxonomy

[jlh]

So I saw the rec page thingum through acadine's page, and I went to it, and no Clio. Not even the smut. And I admit, I was vaguely annoyed, because dude, am I a slasher or not? So:

[Poll #176761]

Vote early and often!

Comments

[ari-o.livejournal.com]

I haven't read it yet! :(

I'm not listed either!

but that's okay...

[acadine.livejournal.com]

I voted purely out of logic, and because there wasn't an option for "omni". (I will infect the fandom with that term, I will.) But I have not read it; ergo, link me, that I might!

As for the not-linkage, see, this is a good reason why I think the people squeaking about it being a good resource and devoid of social context and "pan-fandom" are on crack. It's like an oddly filtered version of "all the Snape-obsessed slashers recs, plus the occasional H/D BNF or Highly Recced Fic, and a few random Intellislash-aligned types". It really seems to me like it's very much built from and pandering to one particular sector of HP slashfandom proper - ie, the Snapeslashers, and not just the Snapeslashers, but the ones who are essentially the "people who came from old school media slash fandoms and organize their corner of the fandom in the exact same way".

Guess which sector of the fandom I have the absolute least in common with as an overall whole.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Eight Ways from Sunday (http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Clio/). Link also above. Harry/Hermione, Draco/Ginny, Ron/Padma, Seamus/Dean. Background of Sirius/Remus; reference to Percy/Oliver. Rated R. Romantic Comedy. No warnings.

I have found that generally these things show just one area of a fandom because so few people are aware that there are other areas of the fandom unless they are affiliated with a very general site like FA. Which even still represents only part of the fandom, but at least it is aware of this. (Unlike, say, our friends at SQ.)

[hermorrine.livejournal.com]

I checked for my own name, and I found it odd that she has only "Sex in the Village" listed, which has both het and slash, and none of my slash-only fics. Very, very strange.

[til-midnight.livejournal.com]

I say it's both because there is both het and slash. I read it mainly for the slash, but the het is still there.

[longtimegone]

I haven't read your story yet, but as far as classifying a fic...

I would say, that first I consider the content of the story i.e. is it mostly plot/action driven or more relationship stuff? Then, I would consider it WHATEVER (slash/het) based on the central relationship in the story.

SO in a fic where Snape and Flitwick are having a grand t00by love affair, and that is the "central" ship, yet there is also Harry/Luna and Ron/Ginny, I would still consider it slash. Not that it really matters to me cause I'll read just about anything :>:>:>

I guess that wasn't really helpful at all.... >:D

[jlh.livejournal.com]

It is a romantic comedy. There is no action plot whatsoever.

The thing is, it's also an ensemble piece, so there isn't a "central" ship. There are three ships of roughly equal prominence: Harry/Hermione, Draco/Ginny, and Seamus/Dean. Then Ron/Padma is just a little bit more minor. In fact, if there was a "central" relationship, it's really the friendship between Seamus and Hermione, as that's the backbone of the fic.

So, knowing that, what would you do?

[longtimegone]

Well, not being one too stuck on labels of "slash" or "het" as such (thus my rather vague classification system) I would probably just consider it a "relationship fic." I would say, though that your fic could be classified as EITHER, considering the equal prominence of the ships. However i read both slash and het, so I don't use classifications like that as a warning so much as a guideline

Sounds like I know what I'm reading next.... :D

[mmichelle.livejournal.com]

I voted both. It has both het and slash relationships, so the fic is both het and slash.

As for the fic itself...I originally read it for the H/Hr (*points at icon*) but EWFS was the fic that got me into Seamus/Dean, for which I shall be forever grateful. :)

[misscora.livejournal.com]

Not voting because you're being cruel to yourself and the story and I won't let you. Was just rereading it this afternoon, and am reminded just how much I adore you and EWfS. It's a beautiful piece.

Also, I disagree that Harry's the main character in this part. The story follows Seamus much more than Harry, and culminates in Seamus and Dean's resolution, not in Harry's.

Be less hard on yourself, if you can. And if you must be hard on yourself then at least remember that we all love you.

(I'm not on the rec thingy either. *shrug*)

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Since I'll never be able to find you in chat (wibble) I'll just ask you here and hope you have email notification for comments.

Cruel? Explain. I was mostly just pissy because, like, am I a slasher or am I not? The universe seems to keep going back and forth and I just wanted to know where I stand.

The Harry bit was more, if you have Harry as "a" main character (which is what the question said) then maybe it's HIS orientation that drives how people feel about the story. I was wondering if since it's H/H that is really how people would label the story. But that doesn't seem to be the case anyway.

Of course, I was also grouchy about any number of things, but that's as may be.

*HUGS*

[misscora.livejournal.com]

(wibbles back)

Ok, not cruel then. Pissy is understandable. I say you are a writer, and you write slash (In the Club, Re-Union, the P/O piece I'm too lazy to go look up the title of, etc. are undeniably, and only slash) and you write het (Pretty from Behind, half of the spouse-swaping chapters, etc.) and you write things which might qualify as both. So, a writer, genre variable.

I tend to say, I'll call a person whatever they want to be called. If you feel like a slasher who sometimes writes het, or if you feel like a heter (*grin*) who sometimes writes slash, or whatever, you're still going to be Clio and fantabulous.

*hugs* and *offers chocolate* and generally tries to *chases away the grouchy*

[aegeus.livejournal.com]

Where is the option that says it is just a fic that reflects things that actually happen in real life (sans magic)? Why do you feel the need to classify your fic when it incorperates charecteritics from gen, het, slash, and others? Your fic is wonderful because it can't be classified, and therefore reminds me so much more of something that could actually happen than almost any other fic I've read.