Characterisation

[lady_windermere]

Was having a chat about characterisation last night to a couple of people, and realised that I don't always use my own idea's on characterisation when writing. In some areas I am quite willing to allow a lot of OOC when I am reading as well. Especially with Angelus and William.

I write Daddy!Kink, and Baby Boy because my friends enjoy it, and use what I consider to be the fandom characterisation for that kink. So even if my Angelus and William the Bloody do not really fit into that, I will quite happily write it anyway, using the general characterisation.

I wondered if anyone else felt the same?

[Poll #984998]

Comments

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

*grin*
I will read pretty much anything when I'm in the mood but over the top OOC tends to put me off cause I keep asking 'why didn't you just give them different names and call it original fic?' since I spend too much of my reading time getting grumpy because the characters named would not act that way in any circumstance...
except kink. For me kink is game playing as much as the physical enjoyment of the kink. So Spike can call Angel daddy during sex games but I'm not so keen on it in normal interactions (especially when it comes with him crawling into Angel's lap at meetings) unless of course it is an insult.
If Angel wants to wear woman's underwear (what? He might) that's fine but I couldn't imagine him wanting to go to a drag show in a dress and call himself Angela. Unless he was forced to for undercover purposes and maybe discovered he liked it but then I could only see him dressing up in the privacy of his own room and being mortified when Spike caught him. (Oooo plot bunny)
Anyway... what was I saying?
It's all about characterisation which I take the bulk from the show and when I deviate I like to try and make it believable. Spike isn't going to suddenly morph into William and write poems to Angel or anyone else and Angel isn't suddenly going to be caring of Spike and understanding. They grate on each other, the snark is what makes their relationship so much fun but that doesn't stop me making them fall in love *grin*

Gah! I'm babbling and now I have to go back to my WIP and check I haven't done any of what I have just railed against.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Yes, the kink rules mostly in that type of fic. What titulates seems to be what is wanted, not good characterisation.

With trying to get them into each others arms, then the fact that they have a strained relationship helps to make the story more interesting, and gives a lot a material to work with.

I read OOC, but still think that a lot of it is taking away from the characters as well. Still I will enjoy a good story.

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

that said, the kink is even better if it works within good characterisation and is believable in the character interaction.

When the characters are too OOC I stop seeing the originals and if it is good simply enjoy it for that and not for the characters I adore.

The interesting thing for me is when the writer has a different view of the characters from mine. So they are writing with what they perceive as canon characters but it makes me wonder if we were watching the same show. Everyone views the characters from their own cultural and personal backgrounds and can interpret things very differently from another.
At least it keeps the fandom alive and active!

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Nods, yes. There are so many different views of characters that what seems OOC to me, maybe the other person writing in character as far as they are concerned. It is a wide and varied fandom!