Poll! What kind of fic do you read?

[kate]

This is in no way scientific, but I was curious what y'all read, love, and reread. I'm curious to see if people like to read the same things I do, or if there's as wide a variety as it seems. Assume the writing quality on all is equal; given superior writing, what genres would you like to read?

Like I said, not science, so the 'genres' are based on tags from various communities.

Poll #1623 What kind of fic do you like?

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 28

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What kinds of fic do you read? (I'm thinking fanfic here, but go broad if you want to.)

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long fic
26 (92.9%)

schort fic
25 (89.3%)

angst
22 (78.6%)

fluff
22 (78.6%)

apocafic
22 (78.6%)

darkfic
20 (71.4%)

genderbender
21 (75.0%)

h/c
23 (82.1%)

schmoop
16 (57.1%)

crackfic
24 (85.7%)

character studies
18 (64.3%)

drama
25 (89.3%)

action
24 (85.7%)

romance
24 (85.7%)

humor
25 (89.3%)

kidfic
15 (53.6%)

pwp
24 (85.7%)

curtainfic
17 (60.7%)

other I will tell you about below
6 (21.4%)

So tell me, what else do you read?

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So if you had to name your top three types of stories, what would they be?

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long fic
17 (63.0%)

short fic
2 (7.4%)

angst
9 (33.3%)

fluff
1 (3.7%)

apocafic
2 (7.4%)

darkfic
5 (18.5%)

genderbender
5 (18.5%)

h/c
4 (14.8%)

schmoop
0 (0.0%)

crackfic
4 (14.8%)

character studies
3 (11.1%)

drama
8 (29.6%)

romance
11 (40.7%)

action
6 (22.2%)

humor
6 (22.2%)

kidfic
0 (0.0%)

pwp
4 (14.8%)

curtainfic
0 (0.0%)

other I will tell you about below
1 (3.7%)

So tell me, what is it that is your favorite type of fic?

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So what kind of fic do you go back to again and again, reread multiple times?

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I don't reread
2 (8.0%)

long fic
18 (72.0%)

short fic
8 (32.0%)

angst
10 (40.0%)

fluff
5 (20.0%)

apocafic
6 (24.0%)

darkfic
7 (28.0%)

genderbender
5 (20.0%)

h/c
9 (36.0%)

schmoop
4 (16.0%)

character studies
4 (16.0%)

crackfic
7 (28.0%)

action
9 (36.0%)

drama
12 (48.0%)

romance
12 (48.0%)

humor
11 (44.0%)

kidfic
7 (28.0%)

pwp
9 (36.0%)

curtainfic
5 (20.0%)

other I will tell you about below
5 (20.0%)

So tell me, what kind of fic do you reread over and over again?

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Comments

[mrshamill]

I would take the poll except I read all of that! Seriously, I'll pretty much read anything, even in a fandom I don't normally read if someone tells me I absolutely HAVE to read this (and I at least know who the characters are). Mind you, I won't re-read a story that's traumatic (there's a beautifully written story in SW/TPM fandom that to this day traumatizes me, just thinking about it), but something that's fun, that's well-written, that hits the right note with me... yeah, I'll keep it and keep re-reading it.

My file of stories I keep on my hard drive would probably tell my shrink a few things about me she doesn't know and no, you may NOT tell her that.

[kate]

See, I think you should take the poll! I answered all of them for #1, and a good number for #3. But I find it hard to believe that there are absolutely no trends in that fic folder of yours. And, even if there aren't, that there aren't a particular few stories that you pull out time and again. (Maybe that goes under hits the right note with me - that's what I'm curious about.)

Of course, I'm talking right out of my hat there, because clearly I haven't seen your fic folder. I'm just curious, I guess. I like to know what pushes people's buttons.

[jack_of_none]

OK, what the heck is curtainfic?

[facetofcathy]

That was hard to choose for me, I don't read by genre so much as something more like tone, or dare I say it, soul. I said a story that is at heart about joy and life and humanity brings me back over and over again.

One really famous example of a story I've read a half-dozen times is Chicago's Most Wanted, Cesperanza's dueSouth amnesia fic. It's funny, I don't really love most of her SGA fic, I like most of them fine, OK Computer was very enjoyable as well for similar reasons, but I want a story to say life is beautiful in some strong way.

I think all kinds of fic can say that, kink, death fic, threesomes, meant for each other romance, crack--anything.

[kate]

Domestic fic. Picking out curtains.

(I know - when I first heard that term, I thought they meant deathfic - like, 'Curtains for you!')

[msilverstar]

Established relationship domestic stories including such mundane events as choosing curtains together. It can be done well, but I think it only really works after a long angsty series.

[kate]

Huh. Yeah, I find I want something that I can get from a variety of fics too, but nothing so... grand. I just like a really satisfying ending, and usually the ones I go back to time and again have a degree of romance that makes me happy. But, before they get there, they need to have enough substance that I have a real journey, you know?

And Cesperanza's SGA are some of my favorite, isn't that funny? Beautiful Lifetime Event makes me ridiculously happy, and I enjoy Ordinary Life when I just want to lay around reading something fun. I don't know dueSouth at all, but I might check out that fic just to see what the fuss is about.

[msilverstar]

Yes to all of them.

Genre is not what makes me read or not read. That said, I am dubious about kidfic, and genderbending tends to rely on sexual stereotypes in a way I dislike.

I try everything in Lotrips, recommended fics in a bunch of other fandoms (SGA, Bandom, Torchwood, Merlin), and occasionally browse further out.

Sadly, I find in other fandoms I prefer AUs or even worse, non-canon stories. If a story is too perfectly fit into canon, I'm not enough of a fan of the show to appreciate in and feel left out.

[mrshamill]

Hits the right note... ...at the right time. There's that to think of too. Because sometimes I want the fluffy gentleness of Iowa; sometimes I want the amazing characterizations in String Theory or Complimentary Colors; sometimes the silliness of the genetically altered 'wraith-killing' tigers, or John as a black cat or a hugging competition; and even, occasionally, there's time for a dark story too (all I have to do there is read something by Chaps, I suppose, though Ruth can put 'em through the wringer too).

It's not just story, it's mood too. I think maybe you should think on that as well, missy! ;-)

[auburn]

But A Beautiful Lifetime Event is by astolat, not Ces. Not knocking Ces.

I should dig out my Medium List of SGA fic I Reread Regularly, even though I haven't updated it since about season two.

[kate]

Ah, see, I'd label that under poor writing. A story should hang together on its own (with the exception of episode caps or 'fixes'). I firmly believe that if something is written well enough, anyone from anywhere could read it and not be missing anything major. And personally, I hate the nods to canon - I don't know why they're necessary (and here I mean things like Sheppard saying 'I love football, ferris wheels and anything that goes over 200mph' not noting that Rodney has a citrus allergy).

I read widely too (thought not nearly as widely as you do!), but when it comes to things I choose out of that lot to reread, I have a particular itch (usually) and it involves having a meaty story with enough conflict that the happy ending is satisfying. Sometimes I'm looking for something else, but that seems to be the thing that I'll read and reread. Maybe I'll do a rec set of my rereads by mood.

[were_duck]

This was fun! Usually I'm looking for a story that contains a few of these elements, of course, and even in my favorite tropes/genres there are plenty of stories that make me hit the backbutton with inhuman speed (I'm looking at you, genderswap fic!). I tend to find myself going back to warmer, more comforting stories than to the bleak angsty ones if I am doing a re-read, but for a first read I'll usually try anything if it's well-written and it's a fandom I'm familiar with.

[kate]

No, it's true - I just wrote that in response to someone else's comment. But I find, for me, I generally only want to reread fic when I'm in a few particular moods, therefore why it's so easy to pick out my tried and trues. I think I'm going to do a couple of rec sets by mood, actually.

These days, most moods make me want to write, not read. I'm still getting used to that.

[were_duck]

Ooo, I would love to see your rec sets.

[kate]

Dammit, you're right! I don't know why, and this is kind of hilarious, but I get Ces and Astolat's stories mixed up, but I get Ces and Seperis's posts mixed up (they have the same icon, it's fooled me more than once).

And Ordinary Life is Ces and Astolat! Fail, me. Definitely time to do a recs post so I can link links and make up for my fail.

[kate]

Yeah, that's me too. And I think most of my flist. I tend to think that I'm missing a large swath of the fandom experience, though.

[mrshamill]

These days, most moods make me want to write, not read.

That's good! Keep that up, we like it!! :-D

Now I've just got to get back into that groove...

[kate]

They are sadly going to be 99% SGA, but... actually, I only have one story on my entire delicious that isn't SGA.

But I'll put them up, I think. I don't know that I'll have more than three, but the idea of doing mood-based rec sets makes me happy.

[kate]

Yeah, it's an elusive thing, the muse. *eyes it*

I can kick you, if you want. Gently, I mean.

[were_duck]

I don't think that's sad at all. I think about 90% of my recs would also be SGA, so I for one will be delighted to see what you rec, if you get around to it.

[auburn]

I get astolat and mzbstone mixed up in my head, probably because they were posting fantastic SGA stories at the same time when I first started reading in the fandom. I also recently about went crazy trying to find a story I swore was by purna that turned out to be by mzbstone.

[mrshamill]

I'd take the kick, except MuseBoy likes it too much. sigh

He'll come back. He always does. Usually hung-over.

[kate]

Well, most of my circle comes from SGA, so maybe it wouldn't be quite as pathetic as it feels. I'll definitely do this, but probably not until this weekend, and I want to take the time to reread and pick out the good stuff.

[kate]

Hahahaha I like your MuseBoy! Mine is emo with lots of makeup and a complex about how much the world hates him. At least lately. I go through a fair number of muses.

[kate]

God, isn't that hysterical? Ces was still writing in SGA by the time I got there (and I was recced astolat, though I think she hadn't written anything in a while), but I don't recognize mzbstone, so either she wasn't posting any more or I missed it all. Rec me something?

Also - which purna story is it? I have one from her on my delicious, I think.