What do you look for in a fanfic? (Rant, be warned)

[Regulus]

[quote="TheBlackCatCrossing"] Ever have an idea that came out of nowhere, as in Regulus case, and then apply it to a story? [/quote]

It's always that. I do not write without an idea in mind beforehand. It just doesn't work that way. I'll end up staring at a white screen.

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

Ugh, I just realized my wording came off weird. LOL!

^Have you ever had a theme or concept that has been on your mind and then apply it to a LK fanfic?

[Regulus]

Sorta, but not really.

[DGFone]

I know no one really leaves it to me to edit their entries for them, but especially if they win and I edited their stories, some recognition would at least be nice. At least, that's how I feel.

[quote="TheBlackCatCrossing"]Ugh, I just realized my wording came off weird. LOL!

^Have you ever had a theme or concept that has been on your mind and then apply it to a LK fanfic?[/quote]

I don't know if my "Lion King on the Moon" concept applies, but I feel like it does. When I came across that now-removed clip from the movie "The Dish", I fell in love with just about anything space related, and especially the moon and the Apollo missions. It was only natural for me to combine that with my love for The Lion King and set them together. Some people, like my sister, think I went too far, but I don't. I'm still debating if I want to expand that concept into a full length, multi-chapter fic, or to just let it rest with the short story and picture.

But concepts like that come rarely for me. Most of the time, when I come up for an idea for a story, it's about The Lion King and not about applying TLK into an already existing idea of mine.

[FlipMode]

[quote="TheBlackCatCrossing"]

What motivates you guys to write aside from winning a contest?
[/quote]

It's fun. I don't really need "motivation" to write something, just the time and an idea.

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

You know, I know there are PLENTY more authors on this site who have passionate views on this. WTH, everyone?

Flip, Regulus and DGFone and I aren't the only writers here.

[Ninaroja]

Would have posted here A LOT sooner had I actually known this sub forum existed

TLKFF things I hate:
1. "Kovu and Kiara's Cubs/TLK4"
I just can't read these anymore, as every one I have ever read has played out almost exactly the same way -
Kovu and Kiara's twin cubs, *insert random Swahilli words here* are born but a shawdow lies over the kingdom as a familiar threat rises once more
If anyone knows of a decent one of these then PLEASE tell me

2. Insanely short stories
Not even joking, I have read wall-of-text one shots that literally comprised 300 words, and were very much (as DGFone said before)
Simba did this. Scar said this. Mufasa came over. Mufasa attacked Scar. Mufasa killed Scar. The end
I think for a story to be good it has to be of a decent length where all the action doesn't happen at once, for example:

Simba was walking through the pride lands. Suddenly, a hyena jumped out of the bushes.

Describe Simba's feelings, his surroundings, what is he thinking etc.?

3. CUB SIMBAXNALA FLUFF
I can't stand these fics at all. These stories are basically all exactly the same, don't go anywhere, and serve no purpose other than to indulge the writer's fantasies or what they wish had happened. They're also usually insanely cheesy.
I am a firm believer that cub Simba and Nala were friends and nothing more, and any romantic link between the two of them didn't develop until they were adults, which is why these stories just don't do anything for me.


I think TLK fanfiction is extremely difficult to get right, given the source material. Sadly a lot of the fics out there are extremely bland and at times badly written. I feel that a lot of people think that the TLK section is very easy to write for, but when they get there and upload a story they find that it isn't. To quote ff.net user Readsmanyfavsfew:

(in reference to Sturgeon's Law)
For lion king fanfiction anyways, a 90% crap ratio is wrong, I think a 99% percent crap ratio would be more accurate. But still the gems of fanfiction exist, in wading through the torrents of horrid language, absent description, and flat out embarrassing characters, I've found some truly excellent literary works.

Luckily, I've discovered some extremely talented writers here on MLK (I have told some of you )

TLKFF Things I Love:
1. "Mufasa Survives"
I LIVE for these (heck, I've written one of these ). I love Mufasa as a character, but he isn't featured prominently in very many stories. I think if a long , detailed story is going to have Mufasa be one of the main focuses his survival of the stampede is likely to be a factor of the story. Every so often I'll stumble on a really good one, though strange ones do exist

2. Canon Stories
I really prefer stories which focus on the characters of the first movie, probably just since it's my favorite. I would very rarely read anything different if I'm honest (besides entries for the MLK writing contest)

3. AU Fics
(I write these too ) An AU fic (stands for alternate universe) is basically when "canonical facts of setting or characterization in the universe being explored or written about are deliberately changed." I feel like for TLK this has a lot of possibilities, so I usually read them if I see them listed as such.

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

[quote="Ninaroja"]Would have posted here A LOT sooner had I actually known this sub forum existed

TLKFF things I hate:
1. "Kovu and Kiara's Cubs/TLK4"
I just can't read these anymore, as every one I have ever read has played out almost exactly the same way -
Kovu and Kiara's twin cubs, *insert random Swahilli words here* are born but a shawdow lies over the kingdom as a familiar threat rises once more
If anyone knows of a decent one of these then PLEASE tell me

2. Insanely short stories
Not even joking, I have read wall-of-text one shots that literally comprised 300 words, and were very much (as DGFone said before)
Simba did this. Scar said this. Mufasa came over. Mufasa attacked Scar. Mufasa killed Scar. The end
I think for a story to be good it has to be of a decent length where all the action doesn't happen at once, for example:

Simba was walking through the pride lands. Suddenly, a hyena jumped out of the bushes.

Describe Simba's feelings, his surroundings, what is he thinking etc.?


(in reference to Sturgeon's Law)
For lion king fanfiction anyways, a 90% crap ratio is wrong, I think a 99% percent crap ratio would be more accurate. But still the gems of fanfiction exist, in wading through the torrents of horrid language, absent description, and flat out embarrassing characters, I've found some truly excellent literary works.

Luckily, I've discovered some extremely talented writers here on MLK (I have told some of you )
on a really good one, though strange ones do exist [/quote]


Bolded for truth. I know I can come here and enjoy some amazing fics because I know that a lot of the writers here (DGFone, Regulus, Gemini, you) care about characterization. What I like is the challenge of keeping the characters within character and not making them say common vernacular words like 'd*******g* (Yes, I have seen that!).

[DGFone]

[quote="TheBlackCatCrossing"]
Bolded for truth. I know I can come here and enjoy some amazing fics because I know that a lot of the writers here (DGFone, Regulus, Gemini, you) care about characterization. What I like is the challenge of keeping the characters within character and not making them say common vernacular words like 'd*******g* (Yes, I have seen that!).[/quote]

Ironically enough, in the actual movie, there is a point in which Simba says something that he really have not have said: Just as he and Nala enter the elephant graveyard, Zazu arrives to take them back. Simba's reaction was a whiny "Aww man!"

As a lion, I really don't think that Simba would have been aware of this specific word and how it's used... in human (English speaking, probably reserved to America and the UK) culture. That phrase passed through no doubt countless edits and alterations, so I know that it's very hard to keep even a very good fan-fic from using the occasional dialect term. But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't take care to avoid them if you can spot them.

But at the same time, you can now argue that if Simba knows the term "aww man", what other modern slang does he know?

[Carl]

For me, I like fics to explore the other aspects of the universe. For example, I love reading about Uru, Ahadi, Mohatu; I love reading fics about Scar and Mufasa's childhood. I love it when people incorporate semi-canons in general, such as Naanda, Mheetu, Malka, etc. I think it helps to expand upon the story and makes a nice read.

An author I'd recommend is *Rinjapine. I disagree with some of her theories (most of them in fact) but her tales are a very good read. I'm currently reading through her version of SP, after having read all the way from the beginning, starting from before Pride Rock was Pride Rock.

Another thing is, I like OCs in applications where they make sense, because there are other pride members without names that could have interesting stories. In fact, I think it's hard to write a TLK fic completely absent of OCs without just repeating a cycle of the same things happening over and over again.

My main fic is actually about something several people posting here have spoken against- the cubs of Kiara and Kovu (they did have only two at first, but will have a total of five). I think I'm succeeding in not making it the same old problems and "TLK 3/4" plot, but hey I've not read any of them, so maybe I'm not.

I'm trying to make the story an interesting and unique future for the series, but it does mostly feature OCs. The reason for that is because I really do not think much of my portrayal of canon characters and I do not wish to ruin them.

Normally I don't like reading about OCs that much myself, but it can work. For example Regulus's Mohatu fic is very good IMO.

I am writing one AU fic that features all canons/semi-canons with the exception of one OC (the daughter of Tama and Malka) but I don't work on it much because it's difficult to write canons and I'm writing fics simply for fun.

Mostly when it comes to reading a fic, I mostly just want to see that it was well thought out and doesn't seem completely implausible (obviously for this the characters must be themselves!). I also can't read it if the grammar sucks, but usually a thought-out fic has decent grammar so that doesn't become an issue.