Original Characters In The Fanfic Universe

I'm still fairly new to the fanfic community at large, just starting to get all the lingo down and learning about how it all works.

I love fanfiction.net but have no idea how to work the message-board/community area of that site. I've often wanted to pick the brains of seasoned fanfic writers, especially about original characters.

I've learned about Mary Sues, and I'm wondering if this is the reason it seems people just skip right over a fic if 'OC' is mentioned? I've read a whole bunch of fics that do seem to be an extension of the writer's fantasy life, but I've read a few original character fanfics that have been fantastic and left me wishing that character really existed in the canon the fic is based on.

How do you guys feel about original characters?

I am really curious because I wrote fanfics with an OC friend/love interest for Greg Sanders because I got tired of the writers never giving much info on his past or giving him a decent love interest. It was the first fanfic I ever published online, and I got a couple private messages accusing me of writing a Mary-Sue. I didn't even know what that was, and once I started digging around for definitions, I started getting the feeling OCs are really disliked (even hated) in the fanfiction community. Would you say I'm correct on that?

I only ask because I have really enjoyed writing the fics I've done, but I kind of feel a bit daunted thinking I'm up against the bad rep of OCs/Mary-Suism. I definitely fall under the label of 'shipper' for sure, it's just I don't personally see Greg with Sara/Sophia/Nick myself (though I enjoy reading some of the fics others have done on those pairings).

I don't feel the stuff I do falls under Mary-Suism in any respect, I've tried to craft a real character here and while I'm totally cool with people not liking her, I'd like to think they wouldn't like her because of some real flaw they see in the writing rather than just assuming I wrote someone based on myself, y'know?

Again, I'm really interested in hearing your take and feedback on it. Like I said, I'm new to publishing fanfic and am in the dark about a lot of the ways of the fanfic world.

Thanks in advance!

 

Show me your fanfic and I'll read it :thumbsup:

I personally have nothing against OCs. I even like it if the author makes an OC based on themselves since then the fic has something personal in it and the author tries more to write better.

I also dislike Greg being shipped with Nick, Sara or Sophia, the only one I love with him is Riley. I somehow could never picture Greg as gay.

I read some OC fics with Greg being with an OC and those are really good and well written.

Take me for example, I mostly (but not always) like to base my characters (OC or in my original work) of the people I know because then it's easier to write and you care for the characters enough to write the fic. You also know the character better and know their flaws and qualities etc.

I personally hate it when someone starts writing a fic and then just stops. I think that if the character means something to you(which is more likely if they're based on you or someone you know), there's more chance you'll finish your story. But also there are diferent cases.

The only thing I don't like is when the character is too perfect. He/she can do everything, be friends with everyone, have all the power etc. and there are no flaws.

When you make the character, you have to make them vulnerable to something and they have to be scared of something, but also they have to have qualities. It makes them human if they have it.

What I want to say is that everything is accused to be a Mary Sue today. For example, you can't call your character Bella, or you'll be accused of Mary Sueing because there is one very know book I'll not mention and the character there is called that.

But if you love your character, you shouldn't give a damn about what people think of them. Nex time someone accuses you of making a Mary Sue, just tell them not to read your fic if they thing that way. If they are persistent, just block them/or report them for spamming. Don't be nice to that kind of people.

But if someone gives you a nice, polite advice how to make your character better, you could consider it. You don't have to listen to the advice, but could thank.

I don't want to offend anyone with my post so if someone found themselves offended, I apologize. I hope I'll not get attacked my someone because what I wrote is only me stating my opinion and nothing else. If you don't agree with me, I respect that, but please respect me too. Thank you.

 

@Marril:

Not offended at all! Exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. Thanks so much!

I love and welcome constructive criticism, in fact I wish I was left more of it. That seems to be a common grievance with fanfic writers, the lack of real critique as opposed to "Love it!" or "This isn't good", lol. I didn't respond to glib, trollish Mary-Sue commentary I received, I was just intrigued by the whole concept.

In my personal works (short stories and such) I create a lot of characters that are cocktails of people I've known and bits of myself too. When I've written fan fiction, I tend to sort of 'sink' my brain into the series and imagine whatever character I think is 'missing'. I suppose I tend not to use anything I'd use in my private fiction only because I'm all too aware of how easily passages and concepts can be pilfered when posted on the internet. I tend to keep anything I create in fanfiction very impersonal for that reason, so if someone wants to crib from anything I've done it won't be a problem for me.

I agree with you about creating multifaceted original characters as opposed to the 'martyrs and saints' trap. I don't like martyrs and saints myself.

I of course love my original character but not to the point I don't want to hear it if someone has problems with my structure of her. When someone offers me thoughtful commentary I appreciate it, I just don't go in for the "Um, yeah, she's stupid" kind of stuff. It just offers me nothing and promotes no real discussion.

Thanks for the offer to read my stuff. I've got one complete and one in progress (on the last chapter). I'd definitely appreciate feedback if you've got the time. The link to my fanfiction.net profile is:

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2099721/LittleGloriana

I don't have any private message stuff set up here, but if you've got stuff on fanfiction.net you'd like me to have a look at, please do drop your link to me.

Thanks again for the reply!

 

Yes, I think I get what you mean. If I start reading a fic with an OC and the whole thing is primarily focused around said OC, I tune out pretty quickly. If it doesn't 'feel' like the series its based on and the author ignores the canon characters, I tend to move on to the next fic. I love those gems when the author eases a really good OC in there and gives us all time to soak that person in and get our heads around them being in that environment. I heart that!

I was very aware of how negatively anyone, anywhere reacts when a new face is thrown into a beloved world, and so I made pains to try and introduce my little OC very slowly in the first piece I did. I primarily enjoy getting inside Greg's head and imagining what he was going through internally during his transition from lab rat to field mouse, as well as some journeys into his past (Stanford, etc.) so I stick mainly to that.

Mine are very much character studies because so far I've found I am lacking at constructing mysteries (I'm alright at finding a crime, knowing who did it and why, and what clues will point to the killer but I am absolute crap at figuring out how to unravel that, produce satisfactory red herrings, and describe lab procedure without sounding repetitive). I might have a serious try at it for my next piece though. I just write and hope perhaps there may be readers who would enjoy my take on Greg's inner monologue and perhaps maybe grow to accept/enjoy the OC.

Again, I really appreciate this feedback and I'll be checking out your stuff

 

I literally laughed out with your mention of Greg sadism, a friend of mine is the same way toward him and I'm beginning to get a latent streak of it too. I always think "Poor Greg" or "Poor Nick" because they're both the sweetest and kindest, but then it's almost a compulsive desire to torture them, haha. I get this in my regular writing as well, I think Kurt Vonnegut was the one who said you've got to put your characters through hell to show everyone what they're really made of, otherwise the story has no soul. Makes sense to me. There's just something satisfying about blowing Greg up, lol.

I'll have to keep it in mind about the finishing/publishing thing. The first piece I did, I finished completely before uploading but didn't get any reviews (save the Mary-Sue private messages) and very few hits. It seemed to me most people uploaded without finishing, and I started wondering if THAT was the common way to do it. I thought of the old newspaper stories where they'd publish a chapter a week to keep up the suspense and I wondered if fan fiction was supposed to work like that.

With my second one, I started to hate on it and just threw it out there, but now I totally regret it because it does make it harder to have that editing freedom. I think I will stick to finishing before publishing in the future.

I sound like a broken record but this feedback is great. I've really wanted to straight up chat with other fic writers but haven't found much of an opportunity. Thanks a million (again!).

Vampira, if you have a link to your stuff I'll be glad to read

 

ok now i can clearly see why most people don't read and not comment my stories.
yeah i admit i use a quite lot OC's and i make canon characters OOC. but also i'm fairly new to writing and i'm learning to improve my style and language knowledge (english is not my native).
my only and main problem is lack of computer which makes it harder to get story done and update at normal tempo. if i had pc i'd already done with few stories during summer since it was socially boring.
i'm not making lame excuses without a fair amount reasons.
but in future i'll be more dedicated in my stories.
about OC's, mainly i use same characters with different age and other stuff but same name, also i use lot of other characters to make story different from show. i think original characters is the way how i put a bit of myself and some part of my point of view into a story to make it all original.

 

Personally I like OC characters, I mean sometimes they're written badly and are definitely Mary Sue ish, but there are also a lot that aren't and they're intertwined into the story so well that it seems like your reading about a character from the show.

Also I have to agree what Marril96 about Greg. I can't see him with Nick or Sara or even Sophia (even though she's not in it anymore), although I kinda like the idea of Greg and Morgan actually. But I get that other people like say Greg/Nick or Greg/Sara and that's fair enough, it's just about personal preference really.

But yeah, I don't mind OC's, and technically all fics have some kind of OC's in them, like if your writing a CSI fic and it's a crime scene type fic but not based on any episode from the show then there'll be victims and suspects and stuff.

I like a bit of a balance, where the fic is sort of mostly canon but features an OC, but they're not really in the background.

Talking of Greg fics, my sister, she's faith666 on here, wrote a really good Greg fic. And I think she did post it on here and possibly on ff.net, but then I think she removed it. I'm sure I saved it though but not on this laptop, I don't know I can't find it any more.

Ooh that was it, it had Greg's sister in it, who was an OC, but it was really good. And I'm not just saying that because it was written by my sister. I think Greg was kidnapped in it though, I do remember it having Grissom in it...at least I think It did. I dunno, has anyone here read it. It was awhile ago.