I find it depressing when authors I like write SG-1 stories filled with Vala-love. I really do.
I have to admit that I felt that way, too. I was actually open to reading fic in which Vala was present at the beginning of season 9, but the little that I read was...just not what I was looking for. I wasn't even looking to see Vala vilified or anything, but I expected her to be portrayed...well, I was going to say "realistically," but obviously that's a matter of perception. *g* I didn't want a hint of shippiness or Daniel confessing to how he'd treated her badly (because he so didn't! *g*) or...well, I don't know. I just didn't like what I saw, and I have to admit that I stopped reading most fic, including by my favorite authors.
I was actually blindsided by Vala's presence and/or mention in ways that totally threw me in Jack/Daniel stories, some by my favorite authors. I got so I actually wouldn't read new Jack/Daniel stories any more, and I'm still not reading much SG-1 fic at all.
I want everyone to feel free to write whatever they want, but, yeah, I was hoping there'd be at least a few writers out there who felt as I do and would write something I'd be interested in reading. *g*
It's not just Vala either. I was actually even open to reading Mitchell/Daniel--both slash or especially friendship. I have never seen Mitchell as a replacement for Jack, so I liked (both on the show and in fic) the chance to see Daniel react with someone else. I saw it as a chance to explore Daniel in a new way. (If it was slash, I read it as an AU.) But then...I don't know. I usually don't like the way that Mitchell is portrayed either. (To be fair, I read a few that I thought were really interesting for Daniel and I liked the Mitchell some of them. Since he was all over the place last season, it's hard to fault an author for taking one of he many personalities and running with it. *g*)
But then again, I still feel this way, when authors that I followed as they wrote season 1 & 2 & 3 fic, get to season 4 and the fic just...changes. Just like the show. And I find myself not wanting to read it. I disagree with nearly everyone on Absolute Power and what that meant for Daniel and to Daniel, and I find that I often dislike the way Daniel is portrayed in fic anywhere beyond season 3. But then again, often in fic that takes place in seasons 1 - 3, even if it's gen fic, Daniel is portrayed as a child or as weak and wimpy, which he wasn't--not even back then. He was more emotional, but there's a difference between Daniel getting emotional or even crying over a very real hurt (like in Need) and Daniel spending all his time crying or feeling sad because he thinks everyone doesn't like him or something like that. *g*
So...I just can't win! *g* And I can't do any better. I tried. I suck at writing so far. I'm still working on it. I'm not being overly self-critical either. I know what I'm trying to say and portray and I can't do it.
Um...what were we talking about again? *g* Right. I get depressed when it comes to fic. *g* I really feel your pain about this issue. When I first read a few fics with Vala in them, especially when I really was not expecting it to come up in a lovely Jack/Daniel fic, I was just blindsided.
But then again, I was blindsided yesterday by this fic (and wrote an unposted rant about it). Basically it was supposedly a gen fic with hints of Daniel/Cameron. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think gen fic should have hints of any pairing, but I read it anyway, because the premise sounded interesting, I was in a horrible mood and looking for distraction, and I was bored. *g* But...then, in the fic, Jack and Sam were...er...married. I just wanted to wash my eyes out with bleach. I would never have given the fic a second glance if I'd known that. It's not that I don't think the author can write whatever he/she wants and I also think that if an author doesn't want to label or categorize a fic, that's up to them (and I won't read it), but if a fic is labeled and categorized, I expect it to be as labeled.
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carisma_sensei
no subject
Date: 2006-08-27 04:34 am (UTC)I have to admit that I felt that way, too. I was actually open to reading fic in which Vala was present at the beginning of season 9, but the little that I read was...just not what I was looking for. I wasn't even looking to see Vala vilified or anything, but I expected her to be portrayed...well, I was going to say "realistically," but obviously that's a matter of perception. *g* I didn't want a hint of shippiness or Daniel confessing to how he'd treated her badly (because he so didn't! *g*) or...well, I don't know. I just didn't like what I saw, and I have to admit that I stopped reading most fic, including by my favorite authors.
I was actually blindsided by Vala's presence and/or mention in ways that totally threw me in Jack/Daniel stories, some by my favorite authors. I got so I actually wouldn't read new Jack/Daniel stories any more, and I'm still not reading much SG-1 fic at all.
I want everyone to feel free to write whatever they want, but, yeah, I was hoping there'd be at least a few writers out there who felt as I do and would write something I'd be interested in reading. *g*
It's not just Vala either. I was actually even open to reading Mitchell/Daniel--both slash or especially friendship. I have never seen Mitchell as a replacement for Jack, so I liked (both on the show and in fic) the chance to see Daniel react with someone else. I saw it as a chance to explore Daniel in a new way. (If it was slash, I read it as an AU.) But then...I don't know. I usually don't like the way that Mitchell is portrayed either. (To be fair, I read a few that I thought were really interesting for Daniel and I liked the Mitchell some of them. Since he was all over the place last season, it's hard to fault an author for taking one of he many personalities and running with it. *g*)
But then again, I still feel this way, when authors that I followed as they wrote season 1 & 2 & 3 fic, get to season 4 and the fic just...changes. Just like the show. And I find myself not wanting to read it. I disagree with nearly everyone on Absolute Power and what that meant for Daniel and to Daniel, and I find that I often dislike the way Daniel is portrayed in fic anywhere beyond season 3. But then again, often in fic that takes place in seasons 1 - 3, even if it's gen fic, Daniel is portrayed as a child or as weak and wimpy, which he wasn't--not even back then. He was more emotional, but there's a difference between Daniel getting emotional or even crying over a very real hurt (like in Need) and Daniel spending all his time crying or feeling sad because he thinks everyone doesn't like him or something like that. *g*
So...I just can't win! *g* And I can't do any better. I tried. I suck at writing so far. I'm still working on it. I'm not being overly self-critical either. I know what I'm trying to say and portray and I can't do it.
Um...what were we talking about again? *g* Right. I get depressed when it comes to fic. *g* I really feel your pain about this issue. When I first read a few fics with Vala in them, especially when I really was not expecting it to come up in a lovely Jack/Daniel fic, I was just blindsided.
But then again, I was blindsided yesterday by this fic (and wrote an unposted rant about it). Basically it was supposedly a gen fic with hints of Daniel/Cameron. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think gen fic should have hints of any pairing, but I read it anyway, because the premise sounded interesting, I was in a horrible mood and looking for distraction, and I was bored. *g* But...then, in the fic, Jack and Sam were...er...married. I just wanted to wash my eyes out with bleach. I would never have given the fic a second glance if I'd known that. It's not that I don't think the author can write whatever he/she wants and I also think that if an author doesn't want to label or categorize a fic, that's up to them (and I won't read it), but if a fic is labeled and categorized, I expect it to be as labeled.