Most Overused Things In Smallville Fanfictions

[newbaggy]

Originally posted by Valerie
I am not a fan of fan fiction romance, because it is usually cliche`d sappy and predictable. That aside I have read some great fan fiction with Lois, Chloe, and yes even Lana, as the female lead character.

In addition to the above list, I have noticed some other overused themes in fan fiction:

1. The lead female treating Clark like he is stupid and/or her lapdog. I have noticed this mostly with Lois, sometimes with Chloe, and rarely with Lana.

2. Clark only being focused on the leading Lady. I am not saying this is wrong in a romance fic, but it gets boring, and isn't very realistic.

3. Clark chasing after female lead. Hearing all about how he feels about her, and how he can convince her to be with him. I just think the reverse would be refreshing once in awhile.

4. Lois being a know-it-all and condescending. Some may argue that this is canon, and while you may be right, it is still overused.

5. Villianizing one or more of the other female characters. Lana is usually made to look petty and villiany, but sometimes it is Chloe or Lois. The problem with villanizing a character that is not really a villian on the show, is that it seems petty of the author, and it makes all the characters that interact with the villianized character seem out-of-character.

Now I have also noticed some under-used things in fan fiction romance:

1. Lack of conflict between the lead characters. A great way to build tension (sexual or otherwise) between characters is to have them fighting and angry with, and confronting one another. This also adds excitment for the readers. Too much sappiness is boring.

2. Clark being the strong confident one. Again, may not be canon, but it would be refreshing.

3. An equally viable love triangle: Example; Clark being attracted to both Lois and Chloe, or Chloe and Lana, ect... This would be a complicated storyline, and it would keep the readers guessing. Clark has been shown to be attracted to all three of these young women in canon. It would be less cliche`d.

4. Having the romance as a sub plot instead of the main plot, for all of the above reasons.

Some interesting stuff here. I have to say that some of the over-used (and under-used) items here are probably partly the result of the writers copying the portrayal of characters and situations from the TV show.

Yes, it is a pity that women treat Clark as a stupid or a lapdog, but the "Big Dumb Alien" cliche does have some truth in it. I'm writing my first fanfic at the moment, and I'm conscious of having to work out a character arc that gets Clark from the TV show portrayal to a more consistently confident character. I suspect that the writers sometimes fall prey to the modern fallacy that for a man to be "thoughtful and sensitive", he has to be something of a wimp, whilst "strong and confident" equals macho, womanising, bad-boy. Also, to be fair, Lois treating Clark as stupid/her lapdog is in line with other portrayals of the characters in their early days together. Remember the "Lois and Clark" pilot?

Lois: You work for me, not with me...you are low man, I am top banana!

Which brings us on to the over-use of Lois as a someone who is condescending and a know-it-all. Not sure if you mean overuse, period, or fanfics that focus solely or largely on that side of her personality. Certainly, I would consider it to be as much a part of her personality as Dr Gregory House's rudeness to patients, or James Bond's womanising and vodka martini quaffing. However, I'd tend to want to play it off something else. So, for instance, Lois could come across as a know-it-all about something, only to fall flat on her face (to comic effect) when it turns out that she knows less than she thinks. Equally, you could start a scene with Lois being condescending, only for something to occur that suddenly reveals her sensitive side. From my point of view, the great thing about Lois is that she can be flippant one moment, deadly serious the next, and it is fun to be able to use the different facets of her personality within a scene to vary the tone.

Definitely with you on the making characters villains for the sake of it. I really don't like Lana (sorry Lana fans), and it was tempting to put her into my fanfic as a hate figure. However, as you say, it is petty and I also found it boring to write (I dread to think what it would have been like to read), because the character became utterly one-dimensional. Therefore, I'd be tempted to add to your comments, "if you can only see a character as a hate figure, leave them out of the story."

Equally, I'm not a lover of excessively sappy romance (back to the "Big Dumb Alien" and Lana, the "Petite Dumb Love Interest" with their irritatingly doe-eyed longing looks). Conflict leading to love between the leads is a good idea, so long as it doesn't lurch into being over-used. After all, overdo the conflict without letting the audience glimpse the love underneath, and you might destroy interest in the romance. That said, if used in conjunction with your idea of keeping the romance as a sub-plot, it could work very well.

[Kryptongurl07]

I've noticed some repetition as well, like the number of people who spell "Chloe" as "Chole" and other words that are constantly misspelled.

In many fanfics, the writer will make numerous errors and then ignore the comments of people who say "break up your paragraphs" or "spell check" or whatever. Some people need this advice in order for their fanfiction to get more reads.

I just felt like adding my two cents. Great thread idea, Liz Lane!

[Valerie]

[i] Also, to be fair, Lois treating Clark as stupid/her lapdog is in line with other portrayals of the characters in their early days together. Remember the "Lois and Clark" pilot?

Lois: You work for me, not with me...you are low man, I am top banana!

Which brings us on to the over-use of Lois as a someone who is condescending and a know-it-all. Not sure if you mean overuse, period, or fanfics that focus solely or largely on that side of her personality. . [/B]

I never watched the series Lois and Clark. My previous Superman expierence has been Superfriends when I was a child, and the Superman movies. To be honest I thought the movies were a bit campy and Lois in the movies irritated me.

I like the Smallville version of Lois. She can be abrasive, but it is in a good natured way. The problem I have with many Clois fan fictions is that they make her too abrasive and condecending and they have Clark always trying to win her over while she treats him with no respect. I don't know much about the Lois in the comics, but if she acts this way I wouldn't like her.

To be honest, I prefer Clark with Chloe romantically. I am sick of Clana and Clark's Lana obsession, but I do see a possibility for Clois. I am just one of the many fans who would like to see, even if only for a little while, Chlark.

[aqgalaxy]

For me, in the Chlark fics... Clark's revelation happens too quick and so does Chloe's acceptence. On certain stories, I would like it if Clark actually fought to convince her, or even suffer as she moves on...

[Valerie]

Originally posted by aqgalaxy
For me, in the Chlark fics... Clark's revelation happens too quick and so does Chloe's acceptence. On certain stories, I would like it if Clark actually fought to convince her, or even suffer as she moves on...

By revelation do you mean his love for her? I have actually read many Chlark stories where he has to convince her, or where he suffers as she moves on. (ff.net) Unfortunately I find most romance centered fic to be a bit boring and cliche`d. I much prefer fics that are not romance centered, but have just a touch of romance in them.

[aqgalaxy]

Originally posted by Valerie
By revelation do you mean his love for her? I have actually read many Chlark stories where he has to convince her, or where he suffers as she moves on. (ff.net) Unfortunately I find most romance centered fic to be a bit boring and cliche`d. I much prefer fics that are not romance centered, but have just a touch of romance in them.

I am just referring to a quick forgiveness in a chlark conflict. Clark could cheat on Chloe and in a manner of discussion they are all forgiven, I guess it's the unbelievable aspect in certain Chlark fics. Not all are like that, just there are some you know, and it is one of the overused factors in Chlark fics.

But I agree, I don't like a romance centered fic, unless it's a fluffy one-shot. I like plot and adventure myself with Romantic undertones.

[newbaggy]

Originally posted by Valerie
I never watched the series Lois and Clark. My previous Superman expierence has been Superfriends when I was a child, and the Superman movies. To be honest I thought the movies were a bit campy and Lois in the movies irritated me.

I like the Smallville version of Lois. She can be abrasive, but it is in a good natured way. The problem I have with many Clois fan fictions is that they make her too abrasive and condecending and they have Clark always trying to win her over while she treats him with no respect. I don't know much about the Lois in the comics, but if she acts this way I wouldn't like her.

Thanks for the clarification. I tend to get a little defensive about Lois' abrasiveness because there are people who maintain that, even at Smallville levels, Lois is far too mean to Clark and utterly unworthy of him. This is despite Lois being pretty hard on Clark - particularly when they first meet - in various Superman incarnations. These people seem to believe that Clark should only fall for Lois if she is some sort of epitome of female virtue. so she can't be rude or abrasive or sarcastic (which means that virtually every actress who has played Lois has got her wrong). However, there does have to be a balance. In the British T.V. series "The Beidebecke Affair", one of the lead characters, when asked whe she loves her boyfriend, replies: "Half the time he drives me mad; half the time he keeps me sane." I think it is perfectly correct to make Lois someone who at times makes you think "what could Clark possibly see in her?" as long as you balance it with scenes that make you think "oh, that's what he sees in her!"

I know that you haven't seen "Lois and Clark", but in the pilot (from where I took the low man/top banana line), you do see a lot of Lois being abrasive and condescending towards Clark. However, it is contrasted with scenes that demonstrate her softer side (she secretly likes watching - and crying at - romantic mini-series; in Lucy's words, she does not have dates, she has "interviews"; she is moved by the plight of a scientist's crippled daughter; and - when they are held captive together - she admits to Clark that she has broken her three "unbreakable" rules regarding work, and gets into trouble because she dives into situations without thinking about the consequences). By the end of the episode, it is the contrasts (and contradictions) in Lois' character that make Clark's attraction to her understandable.

[Valerie]

I am all for a strong female character in Lois, but there is a difference between being strong, and just being bull headed.

The Smallville Lois has the ability to laugh at herself. She is strong, and she does rush into situations without thinking much about the consequences, but she also seems willing to admit to her mistakes. Her caring and her sense of humor are made evident in the show. She is basically a stronger, more ruthless, version of Chloe.

All that said, I always prefer a strong male lead character. Smallville's version of Clark usually lives up to this except when it is a Clana scene, than Clark becomes Lana whipped.

In fan fiction, Clark being the BDA has been very overused. He tends to be whipped by which ever female lead the author uses; Although it is especially evident in Clois fics.

[newbaggy]

^^^^
Sorry, I should have mentioned Lois' self-awareness and self-deprication myself. If she were simply, as Clark initially saw her, "bossy, rude, obnoxious, stuck-up", then she would be intolerable. Again, showing all the facets of her personality is important.

However, I think where Lois is concerned, the "whipped BDA" sterotype - overused though it may be - does have a basis in the first four episodes of season 4. In these, Clark is something of a naive BDA, unable to deal with the smart-mouthed army brat that has been foisted upon him (hence, he can't wait to get rid of her). In time, he learns how to cope with Lois, but even now, he isn't always the Spencer Tracy to her Katherine Hepburn. By contrast, Dean Cain's Clark Kent in "Lois and Clark" has experienced the world by the time he meets Lois, so has the strength of character to handle her abrasiveness from Day One(his reaction to the "low man/top banana" line is to tell Lois "I get it - you like to be on top" with a light garnish of innuendo that earns him a "Don't push it, Kent!"). Admittedly, Smallville's Clark Kent is still only a small-town boy, but to me, he still is not a "strong male lead" enough of the time on the show. So, I can understand why he is depicted as a BDA so much of the time in fan-fiction, even though I share your distaste for that portrayal.

[Valerie]

I loved the Lois/Clark interaction in the first few episodes of season four. I can understand why he is portrayed so much in fan fiction as the BDA, but it is overused and unoriginal. If the story is a comedy or spoof then i'ts almost a given he will be the BDA; However, in other geners I think it is more exciting and interesting if he is portrayed as a strong, confident male lead. The BDA theme has become boring and predictable, much like most (not all, I have found a few really good ones) shipper based romance fan fiction.

[Dustmite]

Originally posted by Valerie
The BDA theme has become boring and predictable, much like most (not all, I have found a few really good ones) shipper based romance fan fiction.

I have to admit that all of my stories are romance (Chlark) but I think I enjoy writing romantic Chlark because there's such a lack of it on the show.

There are some themes that are definitely overused in fanfiction but I think they are aspects taken from the show and magnified like Chloe's caffiene addiction, for example and I think the same can be said for Clark acting like a BDA.

There are quite a few stories that combine romance with adventure and plot. I'll try and find a few good examples for you

[pacofajita]

What gets me is "losing" and "loosing." Losing means to lose something. Loosing means to reduce the tightness of something.

[Valerie]

Originally posted by Dustmite
There are quite a few stories that combine romance with adventure and plot. I'll try and find a few good examples for you

That would be great! I have found a few, and suprisingly one is even a Clana fic, but the romance is just a sub plot and not focused on much. It is Condemed Memories by Jazzmaster on ff.net.

Another is Elsewhere by Bulbus. This one hints at Chlark, but is very understated.

There have also been a few stories on this site that have been exceptionally good.

I like a few of the red K stories too, but another overused thing is when Clark is on red K in alot of the fics he calls himself Kal. The fics based on the time he ran away to Metropolis and called himself Kal, makes sense, but that was the only time he called himself Kal while on red K. In fan fiction it has become clichéd. It is as if instead of just losing his inhabitions and having a lower morality, he becomes a totally different personality, and even refers to Clark as his alter ego. A few AU red K stories like this can be a fun "what if" exploration, but this has become the norm in fan fic.

[aqgalaxy]

^ Thats because a way to differentiate between Clark on RedK and Clark is by calling him Kal, like I did with No Mercy. I showed a different side to himself, but he'll be called Clark later for you see the normal Clark persona come into more focus with the upcoming chapters...

[Valerie]

Originally posted by aqgalaxy
^ Thats because a way to differentiate between Clark on RedK and Clark is by calling him Kal, like I did with No Mercy. I showed a different side to himself, but he'll be called Clark later for you see the normal Clark persona come into more focus with the upcoming chapters...

You are one of the writers on this site that I was refering to when I said there are some exceptional writers. No Mercy is a very interesting AU "what if" type of fic. The use of Kal in it (although a bit clich`ed) made sense in the way you wrote it, but not many writers have your talent.