4.9 KiB
[D] rationalist fanfics reworked as urban fantasies?
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Author: u/WesleyPatterson *
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URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/5lvvdc/d_rationalist_fanfics_reworked_as_urban_fantasies/
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Score: 5
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Created: 2017-01-04T00:54:02
Post:
do u guys think a rationalist fanfic remade as an urban fantasy would potentially mess it up? One of my 1st fanfics that i wrote back in middle school was an Avatar fic recast into the modern day, with the Hundred-year war being WW3, Aang being a Shaolin Monk who froze himself during WW2 (the beginning of the Hundred Years war.) Zuko being a Imperial Japanese prince, you can probably see where i was going with that. anyway, despite me having written it back in middle school, I.E its written horribly, the idea still intrigues me.
Comments:
u/callmebrotherg [+7] now posting as /u/callmesalticidae (an hour later)
That was you? Huh. I remember reading a bit of that, years and years ago.
u/WesleyPatterson [+5] (18 hours later)
i didnt post mine anywhere O.o
u/callmebrotherg [+3] now posting as /u/callmesalticidae (19 hours later)
Oh. Well, then someone else had the same idea as you.
u/UltraRedSpectrum [+8] (37 minutes later)
I'm assuming you're referring to all setting shifts, not just from Fantasy to Urban Fantasy but in general (Space Opera to Western, Sitcom to Superhero, etc). In that case, the answer is "it depends." As with most things, it's the execution, not the broad strokes, that determines whether it's good or not. Ask yourself what the setting shift adds, and how and to what extent that shift might damage or distort major plot points. Do the positive outweigh the negatives? What can you do to limit the latter and strengthen the former? If you care about readership, to what extent will the novelty draw people in, and to what extent will it drive people away?
I realize that this is both off-topic and impolite, but you're one of the only r/rational posters I've seen to use internet-speak contractions like "u." How do you feel about the general tendency towards (admittedly wasteful and signal-y) grammatical correctness among our community, and why do you prefer your own dialect? Is it a habit, or a conscious decision? For that matter, do you use internet-speak when writing fiction, or only making general statements?
u/buckykat [+10] (9 hours later)
(admittedly wasteful and signal-y) grammatical correctness
This is an interesting point, that the focus on grammar and spelling commonly found in online communities functions as a form of virtue signalling. It's the first compelling argument against correct grammar I've seen, and I'm not quite sure what I think of it yet.
u/UltraRedSpectrum [+8] (19 hours later)
Well, in the abstract it may be a waste, but given the difficulty of breaking the low-status associations of poor spelling/grammar, I'm not sure it's an argument against it. Some people (myself included) are distracted enough by poor spelling/grammar that it can ruin our enjoyment of whatever is being written. That enough is a good reason to type in full sentences, particularly for people who want high readerships.
u/buckykat [+4] (20 hours later)
Well, in the abstract it may be a waste, but given the difficulty of breaking the low-status associations of poor spelling/grammar, I'm not sure it's an argument against it.
Sure, it's an argument against it. Not a sufficient one to change my typing, but it's there.
But more, it's an interesting way to conceptualize grammar, serving as the literary equivalent of table manners.
u/eaglejarl [+1] (2 days later)
Sure, it's an argument against it. Not a sufficient one to change my typing, but it's there.
What is the argument, exactly? It sounds like you're saying that "signalling is bad and should be avoided in general, even if that means doing things like using poor grammar and tweet-speak." (I might be misunderstanding...?) If that is where you're going, I'll point out that you can't actually avoid signalling -- saying "sp n gramr dont mttr on teh net" is its own signal.
In general the argument I would make for proper SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation, And Grammar) is "do it the standard way and people focus on what you said, not how you said it."
u/buckykat [+3] (2 days later)
More like, "signalling should be used deliberately and consciously," I think? And "virtue signalling for the sake of virtue signalling is a waste of time." Also, beyond using grammar correctly in one's own writing, pointing out others' failings is especially wasteful and signal-y.
u/WesleyPatterson [+1] (an hour later)
oh i see lol
and tbh im super new here. i try not to use them when im doing fanfics or stories, but on social media and stuff, i use it way too much haha