pet peeve

[deird_lj]

The number one thing that stops me reading crossover fanfics?


When Buffy isn't actually a Summers - instead she's a Grissom/Bartlett/O'Neill/Gibbs.

Or when Xander's real dad is the lead guy on the crossover show.

Or when Willow is the relative of the nearest Jewish cast member. Or the nearest redhead.


Putting Dawn in a different family works okay - because, hey, monks making different decisions or whatever. (But it would be kinda nice if Glory actually chased her into the crossover show, once in a while.)

But otherwise? There are other ways to get crossovers to occur. And I'm sick of all the new family members.

Comments

[elisi]

And I'm sick of all the new family members.
*laughs*

[deird1]

*grins*

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha! Yeah.

[nwhepcat.livejournal.com]

Yup. That is a classic sign of Mary Sue fic, right there. (I saw one where Giles and Xander were both 007 agents. And Xander was still 17.)

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

I rarely read crossover fics (unless I have to for some reason), but I definitely can't imagine reading one where the characters are somebody else. That's pushing the line much too close to AH to suit me. Well done crossovers into fandoms with which I'm vaguely familiar (LotR, Harry Potter?)are sometimes enjoyable, but none that I've read have ever tried to make the characters anything but who and what they are.

I have no interest in reading crossovers with a show that has no supernatural component of its own. That's too apples and oranges for me.

[deird1]

I have no interest in reading crossovers with a show that has no supernatural component of its own. That's too apples and oranges for me.

Really? For me, shows where there is a supernatural aspect are too hard to believe as a crossover - because the supernatural stuff is so different. Magic at Hogwarts is different to Buffyverse magic, Supernatural vampires are different to Buffyverse vampires, and so on.

I like Doctor Who crossovers and Farscape crossovers (and probably other things with aliens) but the crossovers I like the best are procedural shows - NCIS, House, and so on. It's just... hard to find worthwhile ones.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

That reminds me, I must resume work on my story in which Xander is the son of Hercule Poirot and Xena. Inspired, of course, by some of the more ludicrous (but not intentionally funny) 'Xander's real family' stories at 'Twisting the Hellmouth'.

I would, however, rather read a story in which Buffy is the long-lost daughter of Mustrum Ridcully and Granny Weatherwax, or of John and Holly McClane, than one in which the author decrees that 'Buffy' is a nickname and her real name is Elizabeth.

[deird1]

I must resume work on my story in which Xander is the son of Hercule Poirot and Xena.

Hee! *wants to read this*

Buffy is the long-lost daughter of Mustrum Ridcully and Granny Weatherwax

Hmm. *actually wouldn't mind reading this either*

than one in which the author decrees that 'Buffy' is a nickname and her real name is Elizabeth.

*nods* This is definitely something that will stop me reading a story. Her name is Buffy, dammit!

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I *despise* stories where her real name is Elizabeth. Trufax, I read one or two of those before I finished watching the show, and so for awhile there thought that was actually true...

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I write and, to a lesser extent, read crossovers all the time, and this is one I haven't stumbled across yet (maybe I'm reading the right stuff?). But no wonder it's one of your pet peeves. How obnoxious. Especially if you see it again and again.

Though I will admit that I have this epic never-will-actually-be-written story in which Joyce Summers marries Keith Mars, and Buffy and Veronica kill vampires and solve crimes together and and Wallace and Mac hang out with Willow and Xander and Spike falls in love with Veronica and Logan falls in love with Buffy, and it's all very, very snarky and epic.

[next_to_normal]

OMG I WOULD SO READ THAT.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

*dies* OMG please yes. I'll help you write this! C'mon, c'mon! Veronica Mars is like my second favorite show next to Buffy!

[deird1]

I write and, to a lesser extent, read crossovers all the time, and this is one I haven't stumbled across yet (maybe I'm reading the right stuff?).

You're definitely reading the right stuff!

It doesn't tend to happen on my flist, but over at Twisting The Hellmouth it's rampant.
Seriously - 8 out of 10 West Wing fics mention Willow being related to Toby (I think his name's Toby) in the summary, there was a whole page of Stargate crossovers where every single summary mentioned "Sam's new daughter" (Buffy) or "the General's granddaughter (Buffy) or "O'Neill's niece" (Buffy), and Xander is the long lost son of just about every hero in the history of fiction...

[nothorse.livejournal.com]

Do you respond to any kind of bribes? I want that story. Pretty please?

[cereta.livejournal.com]

I wish to claim a singular exception in my icon. Because in every show, someone is at least potentially Jessica's niece/nephew/old college friend's child.

[deird1]

True. *nods*

But at least that's using a convention of one of the shows...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'm with you here! All the 'Xander's Real Dad' stories have me skimming past at great speed.

Possibly this habit of shoe-horning people into new families is another contributory factor to my crossover series starring Dawn...

[deird1]

I love how everyone's using their crossover icons in this post...

Your series is one of those rare crossovers that doesn't seem to rely on the standard cliches at all...

[next_to_normal]

Admittedly, I rarely read crossovers to begin with (the interaction of a supernatural world and a non-supernatural one generally hurts my brain), but I don't think I've come across that particular issue.

And now I want to read a crossover with Dawn and Glory in some other show.

[deird1]

And now I want to read a crossover with Dawn and Glory in some other show.

So do I!

*wishes I could think of a way to do it*

[nothorse.livejournal.com]

I can sympathiz, although there are few — very few — that actually work. It all depends how careful the weaving is done.

[deird1]

(Links?)

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

I think just about every crossover I've written so far has a Buffyverse character going through a portal and finding themselves in the other universe. Except for the one where it was the other character appearing through a portal into the Buffyverse.

Mybe I should experiment with one of your "Buffy is the daughter of one of the crossover characters" ideas instead? :-)

[deird1]

Please don't! *can't stand the idea of there being more of them*

Your crossovers tend to work quite well. And portals can get you anywhere.
Mine, for the most part, tend to assume that all shows take place in the same universe. Given that I don't tend to write crossovers with supernatural shows, there's nothing stopping them from all being there at once...

[ms-scarletibis.livejournal.com]

You know...

*strokes invisible beard*

I don't believe I've ever read a true crossover (excluding Ats/BtVS clearly). And after reading this, I don't think I will ever want to ever :P

Although, I did hear of this idea somewhere awhile ago about the island on Lost being some kind of holding cell/hell for former W&H employees and clients, since several of the actors had been on Angel, and that some of the other characters would crossover on it and...that is something I would be interested in checking out.

Also, how do you feel about crossover fan vids? I once saw one where it was Buffy and Clark Kent--true loves, blah blah blah. And of course, the epic BtVS/Heroes/The Dark Knight/Spiderman/Iron Man/Hulk/something I've forgotten fan vid...

[deird1]

I don't believe I've ever read a true crossover (excluding Ats/BtVS clearly). And after reading this, I don't think I will ever want to ever :P

There are actually some quite good ones out there - if you know where to look. I generally rely on people's recs.
(My favourites being a BtVS/Harry Potter one, a BtVS/Law&Order, a BtVS/Stargate, a Stargate/Farscape, a BtVS/Doctor Who, and a BtVS/Sesame Street.)

Also, how do you feel about crossover fan vids?

They're fun! Especially that Buffy Vs Edward one that's been floating round the web lately...

[neutralalienist.livejournal.com]

I think Buffy being a Gibbs would put entirely too much badass in one place and make the universe implode.

[deird1]

Quite possibly.

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely.