Alt Pairing Reflections - What are your thoughts?

[AnShino]

I think they all have the potential to be with someone else. I like seeing different couplings because, really, who finds their soulmate at 16?

I've grown fond of 3xR, actually, over the rest of the Pilotx Relena pairings. 1xR is still number one in my heart, but next comes 3xR. As for Hilde and Duo...they're interesting. You can argue that Hilde and Duo will go together for life or they're just friends. PErsonally, as much as I love 2xH, it's fun seeing Duo with someone other than Hilde (be they OC or not) and Hilde with someone else (for some reason I like her with Wufei... or with Trowa).

One couple I can't really see (canon-wise) is Dorothy/ Quatre. I like them together, yes, but I can't really see them as a canon couple. The only reason, I think, they're paired together is because Quatre really doesn't have a femal counterpart in the show. SO (yes, there's an alt. pairing mention in this) I grew to like 4xR.

Though, I think ultimately, they'll just end up as friends. They're too similar in my tastes. Sometimes, if Quatre or Relena is written differently, I can definitely see it (example: Her Wicked Ways, by Andrea).

As for the OC thing.. I said in the beginning that everyone has the potential to end up with someone else. Written well, I think a pilotxOC pairing can be believable. As I said, who finds their soulmate at 15-16-17? I love the canon couples--really I do--but it is refreshing to see new characters in there every so often..

IF the OCs don't end up Mary Sues/ Gary Stus, then I'm sure I'd like the fic (example: Andrea and zapenstap's work). Plus, it gives you a character that you can manipulate to your liking--there's no OOC for an OC to begin with so I have fun with that. Being mainly an original fiction writer, I take that idea and run with it.

So... this is my two bits on this. If you read all this, I'm gald you didn't fall asleep. :razz:

[lilac310]

Anshino, I'm trying to see from your perspective regarding 'Original Characters'. However, as an avid fan of 'canon' pairings or even 'alt' pairings, I can't help but somehow feel emotionally disconnected or distant from original characters because I don't have much background information on them so as to actually "feel" what they are supposed to be feeling in the story..I just can't relate to them at all...

...It's like having a stranger take center stage on my wedding party..lol..(has anyone seen Wedding Crashers?)...I guess I'm a bit old-fashioned and overprotective of the "Gundam W circle" in that sense...

Don't get me wrong, though...I still do appreciate original characters once in a while but not as someone having the lead role...

[Tobo Castit]

You know, for the longest time I HATED it when OCs were featured in a story, especially if I had started to read it looking for Relena/pilot-that-isn't-Heero goodness However, as I read more, I noticed that there ARE some OCs with merit. I'm not saying I've written any (I'd like to THINK I have, but we're all biased when it comes to our own work ) but I have read some by other authors.... On the whole I'd say it's more fun to read when most of the featured characters are canon, but it's nice to throw in some extras for variety.

[Teankun]

Well, I better give my input.

I would be a hypocrite if I did not like some OC-parings since my fic has some. Again, I am totally staunch 1xR and 2xH, so I will never support any OC paired with either of them, but I am generally okay with pairing with other characters, particularly Lady Une (in fact I don't really like 13x1.1 continuation fics; he's dead; deal with it; move on). As the fic has been developing in my head, it started of with an original character paired with Trowa, then one with Lady Une, then Sylvia and one to compete with Wufei for Sally (heh heh).
I like having OCs in fics for variety of interaction even beyond romance.

However, I do not like fics where OCs become Mary Sue and steal the spotlight. This has become a concern in my own writing, so advice is encouraged.

However, fics I cannot stand are self-inserted pairings. How is this for bad? One chick, who is a 15 year old girl, wrote a self inserted lemon! And if that was not bad enough, she has herself as Quatre's wife; they have sex, but then later, she has sex with Heero (i.e. adultery). And she really expects the reader to like her character?

[lilac310]

I agree with Teankun....self-inserted pairings are absolutely gross (for lack of a better word)...It gives us more information about the author's "fantasies" more than we like to know....It just creeps me out... It's like they're living their sexual fantasies through writing....It's so wrong...

I, personally, wouldn't write or even think about inserting myself into a story along with the other Gundam pilots...It feels like I am desecrating them for some reason...Now, if others want to do it..then, please keep it personal...No one really wants to hear about your erotic ideas....No offense, but it's like watching someone m_ _ _ _ _ bate!..or so they say...Gross!

[Andrea]

Inserting yourelf in a story is the worst thing any author can do. It's the worst thing a writer can do. It's lame, and lacking originality. I've never read SI fics. And I won't start anytime soon. I apologize if I've hurt anybody's feelings, I know some members who usually insert themselves in their fics, but this is just my opinion.

In any case, I'm hungry. I'm off for some cookies!!! Yum!

[AnShino]

Self... insertions. *eye twitch* I totally cringe. I truly am sorry if I hurt people's feelings about this but... no... it's just. No. *shakes head* That's all I have to say about that. ^_^


Getting back to the OC thing, I am a fan of many of the canon couplings. I haven't actually written a fic that paired an OC with a pilot (well.. not recently. I started off in fanficcing with an OC x Trowa pairing, but then I stopped it because she just started to get really MS and I might revise it one day, but not now) but I've liked quite a few of them. I don't usually want to read an R x OC or Hilde x OC, since I do like them best with Heero and Duo respectively (or any other pilot, actually... but Heero and Duo best!), but I rather like the pilot x OC pairings (sometimes). If only for the sake of variety.

Hehehe, I have to admit, sometimes I just get bored of 1xR or 2xH so I turn to alternative pairings. Plus, if a writer can pull it off, then I really have to give them a hand because it's pretty tough selling your OC.

For the record, the only reason I'd write an OC x pilot fanfic is because I don't like/ don't understand/ can't get into the so-called canon couplings and no one else in the Gundam Wing realm really fits with them (or so I think). I do enjoy reading all of the canon couple fics out there (some couples more-so than others), I just... can't seem to sell it to myself that x and y are gonna get to get in z years. But you know... that's just how I work. :razz:

[wicked]

So I'm guessing y'all don't ever want to read all the TrowaxMe fic's I have?

*tear*

~Wicked

P.S. OC's serve a purpose, and that is usually to make a certain pilot jealous enough to actually do something about his/her feelings for the other canon character. They're a nice little plot point and really it gets old having to reuse the same people as bad folk or the "other person." SI's are bad. Bad like whoa. They should be shot. And no I don't have any TrowaxMe fic's <s>written down</s>.

[Adaon]

So I'm guessing y'all don't ever want to read all the TrowaxMe fic's I have?

*tear*

~Wicked

P.S. OC's serve a purpose, and that is usually to make a certain pilot jealous enough to actually do something about his/her feelings for the other canon character. They're a nice little plot point and really it gets old having to reuse the same people as bad folk or the "other person." SI's are bad. Bad like whoa. They should be shot. And no I don't have any TrowaxMe fic's <s>written down</s>.

I take it this isn't countring your silly shorts? Because I know I've read you paired with Trowa before. :razz:

[wicked]

Are you talking script format or things that a wonderful someone wrote for me for mah birfaday a couple of years ago?

Scripts are an entirely different ballpark because that was me and mah sissy (the missing MBF...except she's not exactly missing) letting the <s>truth</s> crack out for all the world to partake.

Oh and OC's are fun to kill. XD

~Wicked