Hmmm. I'm not sure it's quite accurate to say that I hold fanfiction to a higher standard than canon, because I had quite a lot of criticism for canon, too. (I quite like the show, but that doesn't mean I think it had no flaws.) It's probably best that I was into the show before I was into fandom and only found fandom towards the end of the show's run; I was kind of a downer back then!
For fanfiction, ideally, I want it to fall between canon and reality. I don't think it should contradict explicit canon (for example, they're "inertial dampeners", even though technically that phrasing is wrong, I'm told), but when it can improve on canon, I'm delighted to see that.
My real criteria, though, are that characterization and plotting should be consistent and should make sense. Fanfiction takes the characters far beyond anything I could imagine canon ever intending, but so long as the writer makes it make sense, I'm perfectly fine with that.
And sure, writers make mistakes, and it's not the end of the world. If a writer isn't sure exactly when the jumpers gained shields, for example, and mentions them in story set before "Grace under Pressure", I'll notice, but I won't really sweat it unless other problems with the story have made me sensitive. If the writer makes the climactic plot point rely on those months-too-early shields, though, that ruins my ability to enjoy the story — and that's worsened if it's not fanfiction, which is largely recreational, but an MGM-endorsed tie-in.
That's all tl;dr, sorry. I find this stuff interesting.
But I'm not sarcastic in beta feedback, in contrast to this post. I figure being a beta is my chance to let the writer know of anything I personally think needs better support or more explanation, while changes can still be made. Ultimately, though, it's the writer's story, not mine; I'm offering advice and early-reader reactions, nothing more. (For example, in the GenFicathon, I was beta for an AU story in which Sumner still died very early, in nearly identical circumstances. I asked the writer why that would be the case, considering her altered history; I pointed out that I was fine with Sumner still dying, but she would be best served by knowing why he would, even if that wasn't made explicit in the story. On consideration, she decided it made more sense for Sumner to survive, in the end, but my point was primarily to ensure that she'd thought it through and was happy with her results.)
I was a little worried to get this comment, by the way, because I hadn't gotten your email yet — but it did arrive shortly later. I'm off to read it now; I hope to get back to you shortly.
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For fanfiction, ideally, I want it to fall between canon and reality. I don't think it should contradict explicit canon (for example, they're "inertial dampeners", even though technically that phrasing is wrong, I'm told), but when it can improve on canon, I'm delighted to see that.
My real criteria, though, are that characterization and plotting should be consistent and should make sense. Fanfiction takes the characters far beyond anything I could imagine canon ever intending, but so long as the writer makes it make sense, I'm perfectly fine with that.
And sure, writers make mistakes, and it's not the end of the world. If a writer isn't sure exactly when the jumpers gained shields, for example, and mentions them in story set before "Grace under Pressure", I'll notice, but I won't really sweat it unless other problems with the story have made me sensitive. If the writer makes the climactic plot point rely on those months-too-early shields, though, that ruins my ability to enjoy the story — and that's worsened if it's not fanfiction, which is largely recreational, but an MGM-endorsed tie-in.
That's all tl;dr, sorry. I find this stuff interesting.
But I'm not sarcastic in beta feedback, in contrast to this post. I figure being a beta is my chance to let the writer know of anything I personally think needs better support or more explanation, while changes can still be made. Ultimately, though, it's the writer's story, not mine; I'm offering advice and early-reader reactions, nothing more. (For example, in the GenFicathon, I was beta for an AU story in which Sumner still died very early, in nearly identical circumstances. I asked the writer why that would be the case, considering her altered history; I pointed out that I was fine with Sumner still dying, but she would be best served by knowing why he would, even if that wasn't made explicit in the story. On consideration, she decided it made more sense for Sumner to survive, in the end, but my point was primarily to ensure that she'd thought it through and was happy with her results.)
I was a little worried to get this comment, by the way, because I hadn't gotten your email yet — but it did arrive shortly later. I'm off to read it now; I hope to get back to you shortly.