Home again. For now.

[valis2]

Good news and bad news on my fanfic front.

Good news? A Niffler wrote a review about TLS. Yay!! Super yay! For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a Niffler is a fanfic reader who recommends fics to other readers on Fictionalley.org. There are only a select few Nifflers. I would love it if my fic was Niffled. It would truly be an honor.

Bad news? The review pointed out that I haven't explained a long-running plot point, and that my Minerva McG is not canon. In defense? Well, the long-running plot point is a biggie, and I'd rather hold off and save it for a little while longer. The Minerva thing? To me it is logical. Sarah is a Sanguimagus. Minerva knows. Minerva really doesn't like anything she's heard about Sanguimagi, and was completely against Sarah coming to Hogwarts, and especially teaching young children. Minerva doesn't trust her at all, and only the will of Dumbledore keeps Sarah there. I think it is within McG's character to react this way to a character like Sarah. And the other teachers are coming around as well.

The review was definitely positive, though, and it was awesome that she/he spent so much time reviewing it. I really like long reviews. (Not that I don't appreciate short ones---all reviews are helpful, honestly.) I can only cross my fingers. He/she was only at chapter 31, so hopefully I'll hear more about what they think soon. Hope I don't lose them!

If I don't get Niffled that's okay, of course, really. It's just good to get such a pointed review. Makes me think about things and tests my mettle.

Glad to be home, though. Hopefully I'll write more tomorrow.

Comments

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

There's a good deal that gets niffled that is in my opinion not that good. Nifflers seem to tend to read their own "field" of stuff. And there is a noticeable amount of mutual stroking. Niffler A recs writer B's fic, and then Writer B becomes Niffler B and lo and behond, reccs Niffler A's fic. I'd like to say it is not true, but sadly it is.

There is a lot of stuff that is good and is never niffled either. I lack a niffle, and it should not rankle, but it does. Yet despite a lack of niffleness, I am on a few best-of lists.

At the end of the day, while I'm pleased for anyone who works hard getting some recognition, I'm always a bit cynical in this fandom. For example, I recently saw the worst fic I've ever read being recced as well written on a ficalley thread. Fangirls are everywhere, and there's theoretically nothing to stop them becoming nifflers.

/whinge at perceived slight due to lack of niffle.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I know so little about the Niffling process, so I'm probably just imagining this, but it doesn't seem like that many Snape/OC fics get Niffled. Nearly none, actually. I went through a long list and found some Snapefics, but not as many as I expected. Maybe I was looking at the wrong place, but I was surprised.

And about worst fics getting recognition...that burns me right up, it does. I once read the absolute worst Snape fic with not one, but TWO absolutely dreadful MS characters. It was completely awful on all accounts (spelling, grammar, punct.) and someone reviewed it saying "Are you SURE you're not JKR?!!" I nearly died right there. Ugh.

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

Name of fic? For the incorrigible mocker and Deleterius hanger on?

And in any case it cannot be the absolute worse, that honour goes to the SS/HG fic, Tyger!Tyger!

You are dead right about Snape/OFC. As far as 90% of fandom is concerned, Darkness and Light trilogy is the only fic you'll evah need. I like it, too, but it's not the derniere cri of Snapefic.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

The fic is here http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1133252/1/

And it has 1000+ reviews from some extremely obsessed fans. I'm certain that deleterius or pottersues HAS to have skewered it at some point. Or there is no real justice in the world. I haven't searched to see if it's been done.

Oh yes, Darkness and Light is nearly always mentioned. It had some good moments, but I really ended up mostly skimming it. Probably because it is about Snape and a student. (At least, I assume that she was a student.) No offense, but that doesn't intrigue me as much as a full-grown woman and Snape. Yum. I love the series...hmmm...what is it called...the Other Side of Darkness, I believe, by...Abby? I am awful with names, sorry. But those are terrific. I normally avoid SS/HG, but if it involves a mature Hermione I sometimes give it a chance because usually in my (canon) mind there lingers the notion that wizards are a bit more long-lived and therefore it isn't so much a problem at that point. I just like Hermione to be out of school, preferably with some time and perspective.

I must check out Tyger! Tyger!. I assume it is on the Pit.

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

I took a peek at the fic above and nearly fainted. Then I reminded myself as we all must do, all the time, of the great truth, that review numbers are no indicator of quality.

It is a truly abysmal fic, too, with its scene headings. Jeez.

One of the reasons I have a bit of a soft spot for Darkness and Light is that it is the first Snapefic I read that

a. Wasn't absolute crap, and

b. Was finished.

It's hugely overrated. There are far better stories out there. And I was hugely irritated by the "There is no rule against a teacher and a pupil having a relationship at Hogwarts" thing. What a cop out. The only point of writing a teacher/pupil thing is if there are ramifications around the rules. Let's see Snape either get sacked, or go into melt down over it.

I personally also think "The Other Side of Darkness" hugely overrated. Well written, well yes, albeit hugely pretentious. But the bit that pisses me off is Abby's daft depiction of England as some 17th Century theme park, yet another rip off of "The Beekeepers Apprentice" and finally, having your cake and eating it, in Virgin!Snape who also shags like a porn star. Writers can have Virgin!Snape, but please do not then write him as superstud.

Oh, and his walking around with a kitty on his shoulder was pretty stupid, too.

Otherwise agree with the out of school thing. SS/HG shippers argue that she is clever. Perhaps, she's not mature though, and she is not experience in life. And above all, he would not.

Take your sickbag in hand if you read T!T!. On affnet under the SS/HG section. The writing is enough to make the discerning reader violently ill, the content is worse.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

That fic is about the worst I've ever read. I actually even read some of the reviews starting from the beginning because I was so stunned by the sheer number of them. It seems as if they had at one time even started a website to talk about it or promote it. They spend a lot of time MST3King it as well.

I agree that OSoD has some probs. I completely agree about the cat thing. I absolutely have no desire to read about Snape with a pet. Anytime a pet shows up I get annoyed.

I have a friend who claims that Virgin!Snape would be seriously messed up, saying that at this age he'd be so used to...er...taking matters into his own hand that he'd be very uncomfortable with anyone sexually for some time. Also he thought that Snape might very well be impotent, considering his generally repressed and tightly controlled demeanor, not to mention his unhappy upbringing, etc.

Will check out T!T! this afternoon. Thanks for the tip!

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

I hope you get the niffle. There is a serious shortage of Snape fics making the boards.

PS: I liked reading the comments above mine. I'm a hardcore slasher and it's quite a different view of the fandom when you're talking het. Ah well, if you ever come over to the dark side there's some fabulous Snarry I could recommend.

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

The Coming of Age

Snape/Tom Riddle. Kind of a squicky pairing, but this story is awesome. This is a future Dark Lord I can see following. It was written as part of a challange in which the challenger specified 'Tom seduces Snape's brains as well as his balls'.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I've read this one. After I read it I wondered to myself how this Lord Voldemort had somehow not taken over the world yet. He was fairly frightening, and the fic is definitely worth of its NC-17 rating. I thought it was quite interesting, and one of the darkest fics I've ever read.

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

*nods* Without a doubt the best Voldemort I've ever read.

This was posted yesterday. It's very dark. Chan, non-con (kinda), character death, etc... But it blew me away with the characterizations of Harry and Snape.

By the Light of Lesser Stars

Totally not a happy ending story. In fact, it's ugly. But there is a truth to the ugliness.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Read that one already too. The Snape characterization was fairly incredible, but of course it squicked me quite a bit and was hard to finish reading because it was so dark and I am not fond of Snarry. Still, it was well done.

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

I've been reading way too many dark fics lately. Of course, my Snarry is usually dark. Fluffy!Snape doesn't work for me.

For romance I turn to H/D. Star crossed lovers and all that. (Which is odd because I hate Romeo and Juliet.)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I've actually read some very good Snarry, and Snupid, and...er...Snack. I must admit Snarry usually squicks me out and I avoid it, but I'm up for nearly any good characterization of Snape, so I usually read it only if I know the author is good. I've been thinking very seriously about joining queerditch_pub, actually. Seems like fun.