Pros and Cons of Characterisation and Relationships in Fiction

Are there certain things in fiction (fan or original) that just put you off? For instance, I was just reading something that had the main character whine, pout, and flutter eyelashes (those exact words) all in one chapter. I was done. Goodbye. I don't know what it is about those particular descriptions, but I utterly detest them, even in characters that are supposed to be detestable. (I don't usually read stories with those sorts of villains anyway.)

Is there anything in fiction (fanfiction or original) that you can't stand? On the flip side, is there anything you particularly like? For instance, I really like concepts of strangers becoming family, underestimated people proving their worth, and geeky characters. This is perhaps one reason why I like Joss Whedon's work so much. Ditto Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis. These shows are all about people with different talents working together for common causes while still retaining great individual personalities. They have a manageable cast of characters that don't stretch the richness of their relationships too thin, and I love the snappy dialogue. The characters are always dedicated (a polite word. Obsessed is probably more appropriate) to something (history, engineering, anything), and they always figure out how to use these strengths effectively. If you read anything that I recommend, the heart of them is usually all about people choosing their own families.

Anti-SOPA and PIPA Blackout

I don't exactly have site code that I can use to post the black out script, but I can post my SOPA/PIPA image on all the sites I own, including Facebook, and spread more information about the anti-SOPA anti-PIPA strike tomorrow. My journal is also going dark. For people who were interested in using my anti-SOPA icon, you're free to do so.



On Wednesday Jan. 18, Reddit, Wikipedia and many other websites will black out their content in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) and the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN). Organizers of the SOPA Strike are asking interested sites to black out their content for 12 hours and display a message encouraging users to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to oppose the legislation.

For more information, you can refer to: STRIKE AGAINST SOPA and SOPA Blackout. Why SOPA Is Dangerous and Anonymous's Stop SOPA: The Essentials are also good resources if you want to go into depth.

For interesting and hilarious moments from the blackout protest, go to Gizmodo's What Is SOPA.

Information taken from Web Monkey's Protest SOPA article.