Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RokofAges75]

What are some of the cliches you notice in Bsb fanfic?


I started reading this series the other day that more than one person had recommended to me.  I won't say what it was, so as not to offend anyone, but it wasn't on AC.  Anyway, I started the first story, which everyone had told me was so amazing, and all I read was cliche after cliche.  The writing wasn't bad, but the plot seemed to predictable and overdone that it didn't interest me at all.  But it was an older story, so I thought, "Well, maybe the series gets better with the later stories."

So I clicked to the last story in the series and started reading, thinking that if it seemed a lot better, I would go back and give the first story more of a chance.  But all I found were even more ridiculous cliches, so ridiculous they were funny, so at that point I gave up on it.  I know I'm picky, but I've read so many GOOD stories with the old cliched storylines that I can't get into ones that are less than stellar.  It's just pointless.

Anyway, I was thinking of making up some sort of "litmus" test for Bsb fanfic cliches, kinda like the Mary Sue one we did on here once.  So I need you to start listing cliches.  Not just for romance either - think of all the cliched stuff that happens in drama, angst, suspense, action, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.  Cause there are cliches for all of them, but I haven't read enough in certain genres to know very many.

I'm looking for stuff like bus crashes, car crashes, a character getting cancer, kidnappings, all that good stuff LOL.

[MellzBellz]

OMG there are SOOO many lol. I think its really hard NOT to write something cliched. I believe that the trick is to take that cliched plotline and do something to make it a little different.

I feel that certain plotlines tend to go through phases. Like for instance they'll be one REALLY sucessful "best friends" story. Then they'll be ten others that come out all at once afterwards and each one is progressively worse until everyone is just sick of best friends and it becomes cliched. Does anyone else notice this or is it just me?

[DragonStar]

What about the "girl meets BSB, *insert BSB name here* acts like he hates her until he finally admits he's in love with her." It can make for an interesting story when it's not totally obvious that *insert BSB name here* likes said girl.

I can't say I don't feel like a hypocrite for talking about cliches when I tend to use some of them. I try not to, and if I feel like I am then I try and figure out how to de-cliche whatever the issue is, but I can't help but feel like that lol.

[mare]

There are plenty of fanfic cliches out there lol

To add to what Mel said, it seems like the problem is with every new story that gets written the cliche becomes more exaggerated until you feel like you're reading the Lifetime networks version of the story. (That was meant as an insult I hate the Lifetime Network lmao)

I know stories everyone tends to love I tend to think they are overly cliched a lot of the time lol

Probably the biggest one in suspense is of course the stalker or kidnapper, Always directed at Nick and I am guilty of writing a few storylines with this plot as well lmao *hangs head in shame*

The standard formula tends to be boy is being watched by stalker, recieves threats but doesn't take them seriously until it's too late.

I have to say since suspense has died down a bit to almost zilch, I haven't seen any good old fashioned kidnapping stories anymore but usually a bus crash is involved or it happens backstage at a concert.

The biggest cliche I have noticed in medical type dramas is the failure of the sick person (again usually Nick lol) to tell anyone he's sick until it's too late.

Other general overly done cliches:
 
- having Lou Pearlman be the bad guy
- having Leighanne be everyone's BFF
- the boys played out OVERLY stereotypical i.e. AJ the lonely alcoholic, Nick the womanizer, Brian the God boy, Howie the well...Howie lol, Kevin the anal one
- the boys always having long drawn out conversations about the main female character
- Nick acting younger than his age (we've discussed this one before. I doubt kevin carried Nick up to bed when he was 13 lmao unless his legs were broken)
- song lyrics lol (okay not sure if this is a cliche but it's a pet peeve)
- two friends fighting over the same boy or girl.
- the use of Frick and Frack

That's all I can think of for now lol

[nicksgal]

I think in fantasy it's putting the guys in a Camelot type setting... I don't know why it's considered fantasy and not historical or a crossover, but...

[MellzBellz]

There are plenty of fanfic cliches out there lol

To add to what Mel said, it seems like the problem is with every new story that gets written the cliche becomes more exaggerated until you feel like you're reading the Lifetime networks version of the story. (That was meant as an insult I hate the Lifetime Network lmao)

LMAO Hey! I like those damn Lifetime movies! They always draw me in even though they are usually pretty cheesy LOl

[mare]

LMAO Hey! I like those damn Lifetime movies! They always draw me in even though they are usually pretty cheesy LOl

I know most people do, that's why I had to say I meant it as an insult. See? At least i'm consistent. I don't enjoy romance or Lifetime Movies LOL
 

[RokofAges75]

Good ones, thanks guys!!

And yeah, I agree - all it takes is one good story, and everyone gets inspired and copies it.  It's not always intentional, but it's hard to top whatever great story started the trend.  A story can be built off of a cliched storyline and still be a great story, but like Mel said, it needs to be different and better somehow.

I'm totally guilty of using cliches, so I'm not out to judge, but I think it would be fun to have a sort of litmus thing for it like Mary Sue.  Could be an eye-opener LOL.

[moppy]

Ok I've been wondering for ages now, but could some please tell me WTF is a Mary Sue?? 

[nicksgal]

Ooh, I totally know one of those fics... Someone recomended "Oreos for Breakfast" to me... It got really poor and cliched by the end... but I think it totally started the Anti-Sue trend... *shakes head*

Anime/Manga-style definition (with examples from my faovrite series, Yuugiou)... Because it makes more sense to me to explain it this way...:
A Mary Sue is basically the term for a female character who is not normally part of the original universe of the show/cannon universe. She general either falls in love with or sleeps with the main characters or the author's favorite characters. She is stunningly beautiful, so much that every character, even ones who should hate her, adore her. The girl becomes friends with Yuugi-tachi but Kaiba is isntantly taken by her anyway. She does everything wonderfully. She is a master duelist rivaling both Yuugi and Kaiba. She can do everything amazingly from the first moment she tries it. She has never played Duel Monsters before and somehow defets Yuugi. She usually sings, or plays an instrument of some kind. And she can often have magical powers. She's young, trendy, and must wear a new outfit every three sentences. The author goes on and on and on about what she is wearing, because obviously it is the most important element of the story... She is usually the narrator of the story and more often than not has the same name as the author.

The short version is... She's a perfect in every way, and then some, character posing as a perfected self-insert.

For Backstreet Boys fan fiction, all that cannon stuff I mentioned up there is usually replaced with the female in question being a magically amazing singer or dancer.

Mary Sues tend to be followed by a horde of cliched characters and plots lacking time continuity.

[RokofAges75]

I think that's why I couldn't get into Oreos; I don't like the blatant Anti-Sues either.  Or that love/hate stuff where they hate each other at the beginning and then end up falling in love.  Gag.  (Not in all cases, but that one did nothing for me.)

[nicksgal]

I tried very hard to make it through most of it... But I've basically given up.... Those Anti-Sues may as well be Mary Sues these days...

Arg, that's annoying, because it's so painfully obvious who the girl will end up with.

[Nijntje]

*feels sad because she uses clichés as well*

I really do hope though that PF (Prevailing Fate) is much more than a story with a cliché storyline..

[Rose]

Nijntje it's fine to use cliches as long as you don't use too many and you try to put a new spin on them.

I did do the girl meets a BSB by chance thing, but I also made her a bit overweight, glasses and basically not perfect looking...not that confident, but she has her pros too. Then kept the time frame consistent. It's fine as long as you try to work it into something good. It's a challenge hehe.

I tried Oreos too by the way Julie and Dee...lol couldn't stomach it. Here I thought it was cause I'm very romance picky.

In sci fiction stories...now this a cliche thats older and not used as often, but I don't see many sci-fis anymore either. It's almost died in the BSB fanfic fandom. But having the ten destined heroes (BSB and Nsync) plus one girl who's been pulled along for the ride. Only one I saw pull it off right was Whitney, and her story The Legend was classic. But then everyone tried to do it too.

[RokofAges75]

That's a good one too, Rose!