What do you like in a fanfic?

[xmadxscientistx]

I like to discuss fan fics almost as much as I like to read them, so I thought I'd see if I could start a convo going.

What do you like in a fan fic? Why do you read them, what are you looking for?

I enjoy fics that:

1.) Make me think I'm watching the show. Suck me in.
2.) Make me feel emotions, regardless of which ones. Make me laugh or cry, and I'll remember you longer than when you just keep the customers satisfied.
3.) Take me out of my comfort zone. I want to be introduced to sides of characters that maybe I don't like. I want bad things to happen to good people. I want to see something about me in the bad guys, I want an unhappy ending every once in a while.
4.) Show me a new side of a situation. I don't care how many times I've read the "so and so is a vampire" fic, what matters is how that changes things for the characters and the story as a whole. If I feel like I've read it before, I stop, but if it still feels new then I know I've struck gold.

I don't enjoy fics that:

1.) Recycle plots.
2.) Totally disregard Joss's work.
3.) Are severely OOC.
4.) Bash characters. I've read way too many fics where Buffy gets an extreme powning from everyone she knows and loves.

I like every genre of fic. When I'm in the mood for romance I'll read slash or het. I don't look for ships, I just browse and when I find something interesting I read it. When I'm in the mood for a good comedy I'll search for something obscure. When I'm in the mood for drama I look especially hard at Xander related material.

I love to read about Xander, Andrew, Angel, Spike, Illyria, Drusilla, and Oz, but I also like to read about Tara, Willow, Cordelia, and Lorne.

How 'bout y'all?

[pesk]

I enjoy fics that-

- are set inbetween 2 eps, or in the middle of an ep, like a 'missing scene'.
- is seen from the POV of a supporting character rather than the lead, like The Zeppo or Harms Way.
- put 2/3 characters together in a buddy movie situation, preferably characters that don't usually get a chance to interact much.
- totally follows cannon... unless its something humourously over the top like 'what if the characters were all cops and vamps were criminals' or something like that. You get the idea. Even then though, I'd want everyone to be as in character as they can be.
- don't involve hearing what a character thinks, unless its absolutley nessecary. You never heard people's thought on the show, well except in earshot.
- don't have any new characters, unless they're bad guys.
- isn't set after chosen (or NFA if its an angel fic). Everyone has their own image in their head of what happens next, and I don't like reading a fic that doesn't match up with what I've pictured. But hey that's just me.