Either/Or

[clevermanka]

Jumping on the A OR B in fic thingy.

Slow burn OR love at first sight: Either! Give me all the love! Slow burns because pining is my jam--all the UST and the potential for angst! Love at first sight can be trickier, but (obviously since I wrote one) I think it can be done in believable ways. I don't read fic for a dose of reality, after all. My favorite, though, is when the two are combined into the "instant connection, drawn out getting together" scenario. That's just... mmmm *chef's kiss*

Fake dating OR secret dating: I think fake dating appeals to me more because the angst is more, uh...self-inflicted? Secret dating skirts that line of actual heartbreak that I try to avoid (like the too-real Zhubai stuff). But secret dating because people finding out would just be embarrassing? bc maybe you've been friends for so long and claimed you'd never get together and then one night they get that "oh. oh." and KISSING HAPPENS but it's just too mortifying to admit your friends were right all this time? Fully on board with that, yes please.

Enemies to lovers OR best friends to lovers: Oh look! I have a real preference for this one! Enemies to lovers all the way. I know best friends to lovers is a good way to do it in real life but I AM NOT HERE FOR REAL LIFE.

Oh no there's only one bed OR long distance with correspondence: One bed one bed one bed! The whole reason I'm writing Deconstruction is someone (kazoogrrl maybe?) mentioned the dearth of Just One Bed fic in Guardian and I was like Copy That I'm On It. That said, I do love epistolary romance and certainly wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers.

Fantasy au OR modern AU: I think I stand alone (or at least in a silent minority) when I say Modern AU. Taking a modern real-world show (or as real-world as I watch, anyway, let's go with something like The Eagle) and inserting them into a fantasy world doesn't do much for me as a trope. I think it doesn't help that I got burned out on fantasy when I was a teen (that's pretty much all my mother bought at the used book stores--now there's a memory I should share someday). I adore the Modern AUs where I can tell "oh this person does that for a living" because of all the love and detail. That said, a Modern AU with hints of urban fantasy or magical realism? That's the stuff, right there.

Smut OR fluff: Ha ha ha ha what do you think? Guardian is the first fandom I've ever had any interest in reading Gen fic for. And I enjoy it, I do, but let's be real, I'm here for the fuckin'.

Mutual pining OR domestic bliss: Mutual pining fuck yeah. Never you mind that most of Deconstruction (despite the grim title and first 30k words) is going to be domestic bliss.

Alternate universe OR future fic: Either! Both! I have zero preference, here.

One shot OR multi-chapter: I think this is a bad question for me because although I don't read short fiction that isn't fanfic, I think  there are a lot of Really Good Fics out there that shouldn't be long fics. They work perfectly as a one-shots and I love them just as much as I do the 100k+ monsters.

Kid fic OR road trip fic: I don't like kids (no harsh on the people who do or have them, they're just not my thing until they're teenagers but I fuckin' LOVE teenagers omg bless their dramatic little souls) so this should be an easy call, but... I don't know that I've ever read a road trip fic? Now I want to write a Guardian AU college freshman road trip fic, though, so thanks for that I guess?

Reincarnation OR character death: If the latter must happen, doesn't the former necessarily follow?

Arranged marriage OR accidental marriage: Um. *looks at naye's A vow set in stone as a charming example of both* I think my preference for Arranged Marriage is largely due to the fact that most of my ships probably wouldn't find themselves in an accidental marriage? Like, there's always the one person (Shen Wei, Fraser, Spock, etc.) who'd put the brakes on before things got out of hand. Write me a convincing argument as to how and why, though, and I'm definitely here for it.

Time travel OR isolated together: Isolated Together  (*cough* Deconstruction *cough*). This is mostly because (oh, irony) I generally do not enjoy Time Travel stories. Time Travel and First Contact stories are not my SF jam. There are obvs exceptions to both, though.

Neighbors OR roommates: Either! I'll take either dynamic because they have such different nuances and, as I mentioned, I like Modern AUs.

Sci-fi au OR magic au: Oh, look! My first Neither! I don't know why, but if a show doesn't already have a spec-fic-esque basis, I'm not generally interested in reading a spec-fic take on it (unless it's a very gentle magical realism one). It is one of the great tragedies of my life that wingfic doesn't do it for me. I'd like it to, because wings are fucking amazing but... *sigh*

Bodyswap OR genderbend: I love the idea of bodyswap fic but I am a very visual reader and bodyswap fics are difficult for me to follow. Which sucks because the concept is incredibly appealing--getting to experience something in the other person's skin! especially if they're not lovers yet? DELIGHTFUL (god I loved that Farscape episode). But when I'm reading it I just get lost. Boo. I do like genderbent stuff, but both parties gotta be swapped. I especially like genderbent Holmes/Watson.

Angst OR crack: Angst, please. I don't know why, but crack often trips my embarrassment squick? Anyone else get that? It's weird. That said, I've read things tagged as crack that I thought were only just silly and enjoyed them, so... *shrug* But I definitely prefer angst and nobody is surprised by this.

Apocalyptic OR mundane: Mundane. This answer probably would've been different ten years ago, but I am weary of apocalypse stories and I am especially weary of feeling like I'm currently living at the start of an apocalypse story here in the real world, so. Yeah. Mundane, I guess.

If anyone's got suggestions on destinations for that that SID college kid roadtrip fic, hmu. XD

Comments

[solo]

I AM NOT HERE FOR REAL LIFE.

Better words, never spoken!

That said, a Modern AU with hints of urban fantasy or magical realism? That's the stuff, right there.

I'd enjoy that, too! I love those genres.

Time Travel and First Contact stories are not my SF jam.

It's funny, I'm not really into time travel but I do like first contact a lot. Probably because I like anything inter-species, where the people concerned have to come to figure each other out and quite probably overcome some prejudices.

let's be real, I'm here for the fuckin'.

You have a way with words. :D

wingfic doesn't do it for me

SISTAH!!! Seriously, I have never even seen the point.

I am especially weary of feeling like I'm currently living at the start of an apocalypse story here in the real world,

I know what you mean. Oddly, this is one reason why I can find apocalyptic fic comforting. Of course it has to be the right kind or level of apocalyptic and my sweeties have to be together and (eventually) okay...

[clevermanka]

I like anything inter-species, where the people concerned have to come to figure each other out and quite probably overcome some prejudices
Right??? Like, I should be all over that trope, but I'm just... not. Unlike the time travel meh, I actually wish I liked first contact stories more. Kind of like Beyoncé's music. Why can't I enjoy it? WHY???

You have a way with words. :D
I mean, I try, you know?

Thinking more about the apocalypse stuff, and I would, actually, very much like to read a soft apocalypse fic. Like, learning how to live gracefully and well in a world that is newly No Gods No Masters. Someone write me a hope/solarpunk Guardian AU?

[solo]

Kind of like Beyoncé's music. Why can't I enjoy it?

Because it's awful?

I would, actually, very much like to read a soft apocalypse fic.

That's a good description of the sort of apocalypes fic I probably mean. :)

[clevermanka]

Aw, I disagree. I think Beyoncé is a good artist, with quality songwriting and production skills--she's just not producing stuff for me and that's cool.

Someday when I'm over my "only reading in these three fandoms rn" kick, I'm gonna try to remember to ask you for recs (if you've got any in fandoms we share).

[trobadora]

My favorite, though, is when the two are combined into the "instant connection, drawn out getting together" scenario. That's just... mmmm *chef's kiss*

I wouldn't call it love at first sight, but that's my favourite too!

Secret dating skirts that line of actual heartbreak that I try to avoid (like the too-real Zhubai stuff).

Oh yeah, that's a good point.

I don't know why, but crack often trips my embarrassment squick? Anyone else get that?

A LOT of stuff that's meant to be silly or funny hits my embarrassment squick, so that makes a lot of sense to me. (Most comedy does, actually. It's a pain.)

[clevermanka]

Ugh, that does sounds like a pain. Poor you!

I feel especially sorry for you about that because I adore comedy (as long as it's not embarrassment humor and every rare once in a while even that can get me, I'm looking at you, Michael Shur). I like writing comedy, too, and I think/hope I can carry off slapstick, too (thinking of particular scenes in Ghost Story). In a different world, I can absolutely see my 20-year-old self trotting off to a coast to become a comedy writer but chickie is way too old to be pondering that sort of career option now.

In my bunnies folder is a fic where I re-write the entire Guardian plotline as a romantic comedy based on this vid. That actually might be the next longfic after Deconstruction. I wanna write that SO HARD.

[goss]

My own personal take is give me ALL THE TROPES. LOL. I fail at choosing one over the other for like 95% of these, but I'm finding people's answers to this meme sooo fascinating! :D

Also, thank you for linking to naye's fic! I *knew* I'd seen a marriage fic at the Guardian Sundial collection that I'd been meaning to check out.

[clevermanka]

THAT FIC IS SO GOOD!

I'm a lover of tropes, as well (as everyone can probably tell by now). Heck, I even enjoy some takes on soulmates stuff if I like the writing/story enough, and that's one of my least-liked things ever (I'm surprised it didn't show up on this meme).

[yantantether]

If the latter must happen, doesn't the former necessarily follow?
*toasts to that*

Guardian is the first fandom I've ever had any interest in reading Gen fic for
Erm, yep, that perfectly describes me too :D

[clevermanka]

[minoanmiss]

Intriguing. So many of these are so conditional for me. Take wingfic -- sometimes I don't see the point, but for a character canonically connected to flight, such as Sam Wilson or Poe Dameron, I LOVE it. And so on and so forth.

I had more to say but someone just started hollering outside my room.

[clevermanka]

Oh dear. Good luck resolving...whatever's happening?

[minoanmiss]

My household is voluble.

[naye]

These are such good answers! I am in awe of how well you know your preferences, and how great you are at expressing them.

[clevermanka]

[ranalore]

It's funny how we have most of these in common, but then on the couple where we differ, we really differ! Although, I think your point here lays out a similar mentality: if a show doesn't already have a spec-fic-esque basis, I'm not generally interested in reading a spec-fic take on it.

For the most part, what I'm looking for in fanfic is stuff that's the same setting, because of how much the worldbuilding influences the characters, even if I'm looking for canon divergence. It's just that the bulk of my fandoms are speculative, because I already have a strong preference for speculative fiction in place. This is also why I chose fantasy AU over modern AU, by which I'm assuming the meme creator meant "mundane" AU. If the source isn't already fantasy, then it's likely sf or horror, and I'm more interested in seeing that translated to another speculative setting than a mundane setting. On the other hand, old school urban fantasy is my jam, so if it's a modern fantasy/horror AU? Oh, yeah. GIMME.

(god I loved that Farscape episode)

That Farscape episode ruined all other bodyswap for me. Of course, prior to that episode, I wasn't big on bodyswap anyway, so I guess it was the exception that proved the rule? It's just, most bodyswap seems focused on humiliation humor, rather than exploring the noncon intimacy, plus written fic just can't do the visual storytelling I think is vital to bodyswap.

[clevermanka]

the bulk of my fandoms are speculative
Now that I think about, it most of mine, are, too. To some extent, anyway. Which makes it interesting that I do like non-powered AUs. But not the other way around. Untamed Social Networking Tweetfic? SOLD! Marcus/Esca in a magical world? Nah.

The heart wants what the heart wants, I suppose, but sometimes those incongruities don't make much sense.

eta: Farscape Fistbump!

[unrelaxing]

although I don't read short fiction that isn't fanfic, I think there are a lot of Really Good Fics out there that shouldn't be long fics

Very intrigued by this! I agree a lot - I also tend towards longer fics, but some shorts fics I've read are SO good, and packs such a punch, and if it had been any longer I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Maybe it's better to say we tend to gravitate towards fics that allow for epic lengths?

[clevermanka]

I don't know that I can say that either, bc tbh I'll read about anything if it's written well. XD