(no subject)

[reenka]

Hah! abitloony, whoever you are-- I've found the first Luna that works for me ^^

Almost (but not quite) too insane. The poetry really helps.

Hee. This whole RPG (natternet) looks to be totally cute and IC~! Whee! ♥ ♥

Every time someone I consider intelligent (from afar, usually) unfriends me, I think this journal became really boring at some point. Alas.

Seriously, I'm very impressed with people who can RP in-character (or, uh, -write- in-character... which I never claimed I do...). Or just generally write with a natural, age-and-character-appropriate 'voice', which is really what's essential to believable RPing (to me). See, I don't think I do different 'voices' for characters -nearly- enough, so basically I can only RP people who're like me (that's... Luna... and also Luna... and then there's Luna). Uh. Which is why I don't write her much (it would be too embarrassing and I'd feel like I was cheating.)
    Basically, I don't think I've ever truly caught a character's voice in HP (though I think I did with Peter Pan... that one time... *sigh*). I mean, at least I know I suck. I really wonder where are the fanfics the good RP-ers write, or whether the talent doesn't necessarily extend itself to plotting, overall characterization and dynamics of multiple characters, non-dialogue things in general, etc-- so maybe it's just the difference between actors & writers. I'd make an... odd sort of actor, I think. If I ever got over my stage fright, that is. Hahah, though I did play a lead role in a school production at age 10 without too much trouble....

I think the best fanfic (as far as I'm concerned) also captures the characters 'voices' distinctively, and makes you -believe- it's Really That Person because they just -sound- like it, if nothing else. (Interesting) people really talk very distinctively. The Hermione here (parchmentandink) and the Harry, too (whatherocomplex), as well as most of the old N_A players were really good examples of what I mean, too-- they just speak their characters' language.

I do think that as soon as real 'romance' comes into it, often enough this ICness/voice-accuracy goes out the window and people become walking talking cliches because-- well, probably because the players/writers get carried away with the excitement. Thusly, I think it's truly a mark of a brilliant writer when they can write characters 'in extremis' emotionally still sounding and acting recognizably like themselves. So generally, my choice is either to stop reading romance & read gen (...argh) or to accept my reading choices are very limited-- and I hate the idea of both, because obviously I'm an addict. *sigh*

It's a lot easier when it's not fanfic though, so the writer is more naturally comfortable with the characters-- maybe. I can't say there's really a greater percentage of 'realism' in original yaoi, say, than slash fanfic, not by far. Argh, I am doomed. But on the bright side, that really is a cute RPG.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

It is funny you say that since the Hermione was about seven different people.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Heee~! Well, I only skimmed~:))

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a little sad that it died.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

It died...?? :/ Now I'm sad too. Though I'm actually to lazy to read most of it ^^;;;

[(Anonymous)]

It closed a week or so ago, yes.

[lasultrix.livejournal.com]

Spot on.

I always worry about character voice a lot, which is one of the reasons I never RP. 24-hour first person, with interactions you're not controlling? Argh!

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what I -said-, exactly, but um-- yeah :>
Writing is just a lot less purely spontaneous and unstructured, I think, so the two skill-sets wouldn't need to overlap-- though theoretically one might learn things about character voice though RPing, maybe....

I do have to say it can be fun if you let go of quality control, haha.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know if I'll get thumped for this or not but I just wanted to say thank you. As a roleplayer you spend such a considerable amount of time obsessing over the presumed 'realism' of your characters (I was practically neurotic), and your words of praise are so heartwarming. I can't help but smile, knowing somebody out there thinks I did him justice. Thanks. :))

~ the ex-whatherocomplex

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Hee! Well, I'm glad! I was going to ask you whether you wrote fic (just, er, in general), but then, I don't read anything but H/D when it comes to Harry, with a tiny smattering of H/S and H/R, so.... *laughs* It is probably the ugly truth of H/D fandom that the Harry-lovers don't really, er, write it. *facepalm*

But yeah, his voice came across as pretty damn authentic :D

[(Anonymous)]

Mmm, maybe because the Harry fans don't want him to suffer an aneurysm before he turns 20? ;)) Haha, who knows? I used to be big on H/D myself, but I noticed that a lot of the big H/D shippers are actually very big on the Draco-love.

Haha, well, what little I write of it is Harry/Zacharias (which you could probably deduce from the game--biased? what??) with maybe a couple of rarepairs on the side. Though I notice a lot of the Harry Greats have been H/D shippers--I'm pretty sure H/D is what they were gunning for in N_A and that's one of the most beloved games in fandom.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

In the H/D fandom at large, there's something like rampant Draco-worship, which sort of freaks me out, but.... I'm too old-school to change a pairing once it's my OTP, so Zacharias and any post-GoF character never had a chance~:)) Though I'm not sure who to think of as a Harry Great (I mean, I suppose I like Ivy's and Cassie Claire's in their own way but I dunno if that's IC or merely memorable). And then there's Thess (ie, thessamunga), who's like, my yeay happy Harry place, but since she only wrote him extensively in a private RP.... *laughs* Well, I suppose you could say Aspen is a Harry Great, though :D

It's true that just_harry and potterstinks was great... though in retrospect I see that as um, pre-GoF!Harry, kinda, which takes away from my 'omg-so-IC' joy ^^;;;; Then again, I also notice that I'm one of the rather few Harry fans who likes his OoTP self best in a lot of ways (or rather, I like exploring his darker issues and the opportunity to do so), even though I -do- want to coddle him. I always try to stop myself and go, 'but it's really not good for Harry to be coddled! yes!' :>

[(Anonymous)]

One of the few but definitely not alone!! I much prefer OotP!Harry myself over his later incarnation, when he was still growing into his skin and had these giant character flaws that seemed to get glossed over completely in HBP. *grumbles* I guess I'm sort of in denial--everything I write now always works from the basis of OotP!Harry. Like if I don't acknowledge its existence, HBP will just go away!

Heh, well, I wasn't even a year into the HP fandom when OotP came out so I wasn't too attatched to H/D or anything, that might be why I jumped ships so easily. I can imagine a pairing would have a lot more significance after keeping it afloat through things like canon changes and the lessening degree of seperation between the fandom and the canon.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I think I've made my peace with HBP Harry now, but at the same time I'm still not really writing him anymore-- it's just that I -can't- ignore canon even if I try (which is definitely a curse I wish on many a ficcer, lemme tell you, ahahah). I think Harry was -always- 'special' in his development, as Dumbledore said, ahaha. Though it was still a cop-out, basically, at the same time I think the book only wildly accelerated a process that was always likely, if that makes sense. I mean, er, well, Harry could always snap later, ahahaha. :D

Man, there are/were so many uber-meta as well as personal reasons I've had for pairing Harry with D-boy... things like them needing to see the other truly in order to really grow up-- hey, that's canon now, them being complementary, them inspiring each other to, um, extremes, etc. There was also snark, Harry's fixation on Slytherin, rivalry being hot and me liking unrequited love/obsession way too much for my own good, ahahah.

[(Anonymous)]

you will always be my harry. none of this ex- business.

[(Anonymous)]

And you! You will always be my.... You?

Re: Um!

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Hi! Um, talking to the people doing the RPing doesn't bother me anymore than talking to writers about their fics does, so no need to worry about butting in or anything :D I'm very impressed by people who can play characters authentically, as I said-- there's that rush of... surprise and even recognition that is different than anything one experiences writing/reading a fic, quite, even as a watcher. As as someone who -has- played a little, I know what you mean about the fun of seeing new facets of dynamics you'd thought familiar. I love going back over old RPs of mine and for some reason I always feel like they're -brill- even though rationally I doubt it, just 'cause of that remembered rush of 'ooh, shiny! new!' or something, I suspect :D ...Though it can't help but make me wish there was fic in my own pairing that gave me that same authentic-voice feeling even more, but I think that's just my little fixation talking, eheheh.

Re: Um!

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

So yeah, you're right, and I totally sympathize with all the difficulties you mentioned with writing H/D-- hahah, and believe it or not, it's sort of nearly inspiring me to write H/D again ('nearly' because I'm definitely also a perfectionist and it's true there's always something more to change about the stuff I've written-- which is partly why I tend to be too lazy to edit, because I -know- that once I -start- it'll be endless-- but anyway, I think my self-satisfaction is mostly 'cause of the pleasure I have in writing/RPing itself, y'know. I know most people as picky as me don't get as much of a kick out of it, but I definitely separate my writing-addicted and my critical self, or I'd probably have gone insane by now from sheer constant self-criticism~:)) So what makes me happy on re-reads is just a good turn of phrase or rhythm (I tend to have that, at least), and just that remembered sense of -fun-. :D

argh, try again -.-

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

(This is what happens when I don't proofread.... I don't even know what I was going to say at first). Um. I too get sick of having to have this huge big deal to get H&D together, and yearn for easier, more natural pairings-- and that's when I pack up and run away to Sirius/Remus (though woe, I cannot write them for shit! Alas). It would feel weird to me to give up on a pairing for practical or like, convenience reasons, I guess-- I can leave it alone and not read/write it, sure, but I can't say that impacts my -vision- of why it's a good idea in theory, I guess :> ...and I'm a v. theoretically-minded person -.-

I'm totally with you that Harry wouldn't go for anyone on Voldy's side, but at the same time I don't think anyone but Snape and Voldy get the intensity of reaction Draco inspires in him (like, Harry's prickled by other people, but it's really nothing in comparison, I guess). I think what you said about the temptation to cross the line from 'thinking he's the best thing on earth' & being it is brilliant-- that's it exactly, and it's why I've grown to hate (or rather, be furiously bitter with) fanon and like, a large portion of fandom in general ^^;;; It's very true that most people don't write him IC, and that drives me insane-- but at the same time it's a challenge, and I can't resist a challenge~:) Especially since the potential pay-off is so large... lazy as I am, I'm also ambitious, I guess :>

I think making Draco unsympathetic and yet self-absorbed and delusional is a particular challenge/quest of mine-- like, I'm always out to make characters not-so-sympathetic (like, y'know, JKR actually does, whether or not she means to), and the over-sympathetic Draco in fandom is something that's really driven me up the wall. Then again, most people's Harry doesn't inspire much more confidence in me ^^;;;; I totally see all these problems, and paradoxically it's what I -adore- (and what's so damn tiring, I admit!) about H/D, even now. I'm -dead- tired, completely tired, totally burnt out on all of these issues-- and yet even now, I'm stirred to passionate monologues because I believe in the sheer potential pay-off of overcoming all these obstacles.

There -is- something to be said for naturally developing relationships, of course :D ...Me, I'm a Harry/Ginny shipper in canon, ahahahahah. *coughs* Hey, she prickles him! Badly as that was portrayed, I think she does... but yeah, um, I think the point of H/D is really ridding Harry of his prejudices against Slytherin (as is the point of canon, I think!! no, really!) as it is in ridding Draco of his prejudices against Mudbloods. You're completely right in that it's a dangerous temptation to 'fix' Draco in a lot of ways, or to fix any character in general, but at the same time I think a journey of growth and self-awareness doesn't -have- to be a fix and rather an unfolding, a sort of... maturation process, y'know? It's a really difficult thing to write, but oh god, the challenge of it still makes me salivate~:)) Even moreso 'cause everyone else tends to fail (and me... I also tend to fail, though not as spectacularly as some others, I do believe, ahahah.) :>

I both want to and don't want to change Draco, and same with Harry. I think characters are most interesting in general when they have a central conflict within themselves that is the subject of some kind of crucial transformation. I'm addicted to coming of age stories and drama, and with H/D you have both in spades-- as well as all the sturm-und-drang you ever wanted to last you a millenia, with some left over for safe-keeping. :> Basically, I think it's more true to say no one -does- anything new with the pairing because fandom is largely unimaginative, rather than there -being- nothing new to do with it. ^^;; Yeah, so basically I stopped reading fic and kept shipping H/D, in the end, not a choice most fangirls are willing to make~:)) ...And even me... man, I slip and read a slew of badfics every so often... *sigh*