~~ squick me baby. awww yeah.
Dec. 13th, 2003 11:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaSo I was talking to Cassie and for the first time, I considered the fact that yes, maybe the Dursleys are worth writing about. Not because one would like them as people, but just because they would be interesting to explore the possibilities of. I mean, I hate the Dursleys-- I hated them as soon as I found out about them at page 1 of book 1. It was clearly the reaction the book was advocating (a little too blatantly for my tastes), and I was just as disgusted as prescribed. I tend to be a pretty pliable, receptive reader-- which is why I rarely read non-OTP fics, for example. While I read something, I tend to believe in it, and that disturbs me if it clashes with something already dear to me, but I can't help it. Easily brainwashed, I guess :> :> Hee!
But anyway, that's not the point. The point is, a lot of people who dislike H/D say it's because they dislike Draco. Clearly, there are a lot of reasons (in canon) to dislike him, especially if you're a reader who tends to accept rather than subvert the material while reading. A lot of times, any discussion of H/D as a pairing, in fact, degenerates into Draco-bashing (i.e., saying Harry hates him & that he's got got the right idea, basically). Conversely, a lot of your run-of-the-mill H/D shippers have a serious case of Draco-worship (the fanon ideal of Draco, anyway) going on. It seems to be taken for granted that one has to be able to like the character as a person to make them worthy of pairing with another character (which one likes, especially). And also, as a side point, that the writer/reader should like this character, whether or not the one being paired with them does or not.
It occurred to me how silly that is, and how much I don't buy into it, really.
Thing is, I don't like Draco as a person-- of course I don't. He's a stupid git most of the time-- who really -likes- that unless they think they -are- that? But what does that matter? I'm not pairing myself with him, am I? I realize a lot of people -do- basically pair themselves or some aspect of themselves with their favorite character, but baby, that's not my thing. I mean-- I identify with Luna, and I can't bear to ship her with anyone. I think Snape is "my type" as far as that goes, but I don't ship him with anyone either. It's a -story-, not a sexual fantasy (to me, anyway). Even if I write sex scenes, I don't necessarily write what -I- want to happen to -me-. I just explore the character dynamic & maybe it gets me off & maybe it doesn't, but even if it does, it's because I can imagine the characters' emotions and those are always easy to identify with.
So what I'm saying is-- to me, there's no need to like Draco, not to write about him and not to read about him. It helps to -understand- him, of course, and generally, people write what they understand and they understand what they love (better) and what they hate very little. It's fanfic and of course people are going to go after their kink most of the time. Usually, I find my kink is a certain romantic dynamic rather than any particular character-- but a number of people do just have a love-on for a character and off they go. Also, I know that people read/write fanfic for different reasons, and usually it's not to explore the world & characters but rather to have more of what they like already, what pushes their buttons.
Of course, inspired as Cassie made me, that doesn't mean I'm any more likely to read/write Lucius (whom I don't like)-- so maybe I do like Draco, in a way-- in terms of the things he can tell me, if not in terms of wanting him for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love Draco-- liking him isn't the same, though.
In fic, I tend to like a Draco that's hard to like, that's prickly and mean and not so brilliant (though I like him brilliant too, of course I do, I'm easy, really). I like to be challenged and prodded in my soft spots for him-- but then, I already love him, so that's not going away. Hmmmmmm. But I just think it's fun to write/read about uncomfortable things, things outside one's comfort zone with characters-- it could lead one to surprise oneself & also to pay more attention to the story rather than some pre-arranged notion of what should happen. And yeah, I do practice what I preach, though not nearly enough, since mostly I'm here for the happy place. I guess it depends whether you aspire to other things or not, in the end.
~~
Also, looking through gettyone.com, I found the perfect Draco. Heeeee! Am in love! 'Cause. The snake! And the stare!! And eeeeeeeee!! Plus, heeeeee, there's Ron and Ginny, too. They so are >:D
But anyway, that's not the point. The point is, a lot of people who dislike H/D say it's because they dislike Draco. Clearly, there are a lot of reasons (in canon) to dislike him, especially if you're a reader who tends to accept rather than subvert the material while reading. A lot of times, any discussion of H/D as a pairing, in fact, degenerates into Draco-bashing (i.e., saying Harry hates him & that he's got got the right idea, basically). Conversely, a lot of your run-of-the-mill H/D shippers have a serious case of Draco-worship (the fanon ideal of Draco, anyway) going on. It seems to be taken for granted that one has to be able to like the character as a person to make them worthy of pairing with another character (which one likes, especially). And also, as a side point, that the writer/reader should like this character, whether or not the one being paired with them does or not.
It occurred to me how silly that is, and how much I don't buy into it, really.
Thing is, I don't like Draco as a person-- of course I don't. He's a stupid git most of the time-- who really -likes- that unless they think they -are- that? But what does that matter? I'm not pairing myself with him, am I? I realize a lot of people -do- basically pair themselves or some aspect of themselves with their favorite character, but baby, that's not my thing. I mean-- I identify with Luna, and I can't bear to ship her with anyone. I think Snape is "my type" as far as that goes, but I don't ship him with anyone either. It's a -story-, not a sexual fantasy (to me, anyway). Even if I write sex scenes, I don't necessarily write what -I- want to happen to -me-. I just explore the character dynamic & maybe it gets me off & maybe it doesn't, but even if it does, it's because I can imagine the characters' emotions and those are always easy to identify with.
So what I'm saying is-- to me, there's no need to like Draco, not to write about him and not to read about him. It helps to -understand- him, of course, and generally, people write what they understand and they understand what they love (better) and what they hate very little. It's fanfic and of course people are going to go after their kink most of the time. Usually, I find my kink is a certain romantic dynamic rather than any particular character-- but a number of people do just have a love-on for a character and off they go. Also, I know that people read/write fanfic for different reasons, and usually it's not to explore the world & characters but rather to have more of what they like already, what pushes their buttons.
Of course, inspired as Cassie made me, that doesn't mean I'm any more likely to read/write Lucius (whom I don't like)-- so maybe I do like Draco, in a way-- in terms of the things he can tell me, if not in terms of wanting him for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love Draco-- liking him isn't the same, though.
In fic, I tend to like a Draco that's hard to like, that's prickly and mean and not so brilliant (though I like him brilliant too, of course I do, I'm easy, really). I like to be challenged and prodded in my soft spots for him-- but then, I already love him, so that's not going away. Hmmmmmm. But I just think it's fun to write/read about uncomfortable things, things outside one's comfort zone with characters-- it could lead one to surprise oneself & also to pay more attention to the story rather than some pre-arranged notion of what should happen. And yeah, I do practice what I preach, though not nearly enough, since mostly I'm here for the happy place. I guess it depends whether you aspire to other things or not, in the end.
~~
Also, looking through gettyone.com, I found the perfect Draco. Heeeee! Am in love! 'Cause. The snake! And the stare!! And eeeeeeeee!! Plus, heeeeee, there's Ron and Ginny, too. They so are >:D
no subject
Date: 2003-12-14 07:36 pm (UTC)I like what you said about understanding being both intellectual and emotional in order to write (successfully, I assume)-- and this understanding having the identification aspect to it, even if one doesn't like the character. I suppose that's the peculiar state of being a writer in the first place-- letting your mind go places it wouldn't normally go. I don't know if I actually feel the hate, for instance-- I feel like I just channel it through me rather than experience it the same way I would one of my own emotions. But yes, I think I know what you mean. Usually, I start off with an identification already in place, but it's a different process when I build up to it through conscious immersion. It's almost like I'm writing differently in some basic way-- though it's hard to pin down, I think~:) For me right now, anyway. But then, my brain is pretty fried :>