First off, a warning. This is a RANT. Therefore, if anyone feels the need to argue with me or whine about what I have to say, you can do so, but don't be surprised if I tell you to STFU. I am sick, and grumpy, and not in the mood to coddle fannish egos. SUCK IT UP AND DEAL.

Now, to ranting.

First of all, I would like fandom to acknowledge the law that says 90% of everything is crap. Yes, that means your precious little story. Hell, it means my story, too, but eh. Can't please all of the people all of the time. Just because someone has the balls to say that 90% of the stories written about a particular pairing are crap does not mean they are out to hurt your OTP. It means that 90% of everything is crap, including the stories about your OTP. Hating badfic != hating a pairing or fandom or subset of fans. And ranting about an archive or comm? Doesn't condemn everything there. Sewer workers find diamond rings embedded in shit from time to time, you know.

Next, plz to be getting off the entitlement horse. Yeah, I know you want to read about hot boy lovin'. However, if I'm the author, I'm going to get to the hot boy lovin' when it works for the story, not when my fans are demanding wet panties. If authors provided fanservice every time someone asked them to put out, 99.9% of all fanfic would be crap. It's called PLOT people, and CHARACTERIZATION. If you want teh sexx0rs so bad, go read a PWP. That's what I do.

As a corollary to this, I would like to remind everyone that just because you think a couple is OTP, it doesn't mean that every story about them should be full of romantic starry-eyed rose-scented TWU WUV. Yes, I'm a sucker for romance. That don't mean I think every story has a happy ending. That don't mean I want every story to be about how the OTP in question comes to realize that they are MEANT FOR EACH OTHER! and SOUL-BONDED 4 LIFE! If I wanted that shit, I could go read a bodice-ripper.

Moving on, I would like to say that if you are in fandom for the pretty, please do not be offended if someone calls you on it. Saying, "Hi, I'm here because X and Y are hot" is perfectly ok. Saying, "I write fanfic because it is fun and relaxing," is ok. However, when someone who is writing fanfic for the love of the characters and plot and universe and 97873276439 other reasons which have nothing to do with the pretty says "Hey, I'm not interested in your stories because they don't hit my buttons, but here are ways to change that," that is not ZOMG OPPRESHUN. That is an opinion. From someone who looks at fandom differently. And who doesn't share your priorities. I have my own pairings and fic I like for the pretty, and I admit it. They may not be the most IC fics, or the best plotted fics, or even the best written fics, but I can lower my standards for them. Someone else might not. To each her own, and STFU if someone else's standards are different than yours. They are allowed to have an opinion. And they are allowed to share it. It doesn't mean they are insulting you. It just means they are telling you what they like, and why their tastes and yours are not the same.

Finally, I have to remind everyone that STEALING = BAD. When writing fanfic, we all acknowledge we are taking our source material from someone else. I am not George Lucas. I am not Chris Nolan. I am not DC comics, and I am not JKR. I play with their toys, but I make no assertion that they are mine. However, I don't play with other fans' OCs or other fans' plots unless they tell me I can. If I'm chatting with someone and they come up with a bunny and say I can have it, that's cool. If I'm reading someone else's story and have an idea and ask them in the comments if I can write something based on their story, that's cool. If I'm writing a story and decide to tie it into someone else's universe and ask them if I can and they agree, that's cool. However, writing a story that takes from other people and not mentioning this? TOTALLY NOT COOL. The currency of fandom is recognition, and not giving someone recognition for their ideas is the same as stealing from them. You are taking their things and calling them your own. That's not right.

Yours in angry fangirlness,

Luthe

P.S. I'm an angsty bishounen with a collapsible flame-thrower today. Don't piss me off.