Fanfic article help!

[Alpha Centauri]

Oh my, with one or two exceptions, I haven't read a lot of fanfic lately... I'd love to be able to help though, and so I'll think on it a little bit.
Good luck, Kelly!

The same kinda goes for me. I'll the best I can to help.

 

[TogetherAgain]

...as there's pretty much a consensus that TogetherAgain is mega-awesome.

Well, duh.

Yeah... There's a reason we named her the Queen.

Aww... Jou guys makin' me blush! <crawls under a rock> <adjusts crown>

You ask some tough questions, Kelly. I am absolutely TERRIBLE at picking favorites, which doesn't make this any easier, either! BUT... Let's see what I can do here.

1. Which fic or fics in your opinion best reflect the characterizations of the major Muppet characters (please list the characters, such as Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, Rowlf, the Electric Mayhem)? Let's keep it to these characters for this question, shall we?

Well, if you insist, I suppose we shall. Let's see here... If you want to see some excellent Gonzo, head for Prawnie's fics. "Old Friends Who've Just Met" happens to focus on Gonzo, but really, just about ANYTHING of Prawnie's is great for that Whatever. Prawnie also writes a great Fozzie, and he's FANTASTIC with the Electric Mayhem. (Actually, I can't think of any characters that Prawnie CAN'T write well...)

For the frog-pig relationship, see Ruahnna. Anything by Ruahnna. Personally, I've always had a soft spot for "Fancy Footwork" and "Can't Help Lovin' That Frog of Mine."

2. What qualities do you look for in a "good" fanfic? Originality? Characterization? Description? Faithfulness to characters or plot? Plot depth? Quick and easy reads? What fanfics in your opinion exemplify those qualities?

First and foremost, faithfulness to the characters. If the characters don't "sound" like themselves, I lose interest pretty quickly. Sometimes I'll read it anyway, if the plot is good enough.

What makes a good plot? Conflict, primarily, so long as it's within reason... relatively speaking. Muppets can get away with just about anything, as long as there's some vague explanation for it. I mean, think about TMS... they got taken over by pirates and turned the theater into a ship. If that isn't far-fetched, I don't know what is. So I suppose keeping the conflict "within reason" isn't much of an issue... but there does need to be some sort of conflict, of some kind.

It doesn't have to be EXTREME conflict, either. Personally, I like to write stuff so heartwrenching that my readers find themselves writhing on the floor in pain... but not everyone likes to read that, and sometimes it's not what I'm in the mood for, either. Something nice and hysterically funny is always good. (Unfortunately, I rarely think of those stories!)

If I ramble enough, does that get me out of picking specific stories to demonstrate conflict? No? Alright, let's see here...

If you want the oh-my-gosh-I'm-writhing-on-the-floor-in-pain-tell-me-more conflict, head for Beauregard's Visions series or WhiteRabbit's "Coming of the Roads."

To laugh out loud, aim for Xerus's "Battle of the Muppet All-Stars" or Super Scooter's--well, just about anything by Super Scooter, but particularly "Muppets of the Caribbean," or Prawnie's "Men are Pigs," "Weddings are Disastrous," and "The Muppets' Mid-Age Crisis."

If you want a happy mix of the two, Prawnie's awesome. "Don't Trip the Driver" stands out, as does--here's an oldie for ya--"The Revenge of Elmo." (Bet ya weren't expecting to see that one!) I also HAVE to recommend Just J's "Broken Dreams." I know, I know, it doesn't SOUND like a mix of the two... but trust me on this, alright?

3. Who is your most favorite original character? Which fanfic are they from?

Ohhh, I'm no GOOD at favorites... Alright, alright... Well, I've got a real soft spot for Aunt Marge of Prawnie's "Men are Pigs" and "Weddings are Disastrous." She's... feisty. To put it mildly. I'm also an eternal fan of Zany, the cue-card holding penguin, who made his debut in Prawnie's very first fanfic, "Muppet High," (Prawnie, please don't hurt me for refering folks to it! ) and continued showing up as part of Prawnie's sort of signature, so to speak, for many stories after that.

4. If you had a choice (and, really, you do, right?), which property would you read about the most? Muppets (including the Muppet Show, Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight), Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Storyteller, Dinosaurs, Farscape, Sid the Science Kid, Bear in the Big Blue House -- and whatever properties I may have missed.

Muppets. Hands down. Without question. Although I do really enjoy Sesame and Fraggles... but as a reader, I mentally raise the bar higher for those, if they're going to keep my interest... Which really isn't fair, but... too bad.

5. What is the best Fraggle Rock fanfic?

Prawnie's "Perfect Harmony" is absolutely fantastic. I'd say it's a must-read for Fraggle fans. I've also got a soft spot for christyb's "Return to the Magic."

6. What is the best Sesame Street fanfic?

Oooh... Ooh, ooh, ooh. Probably Prawnie's "Street Smarts." ...Yeah... yeah, that's probably it.

7. What is a personal favorite fic of yours that never got lots of reviews (less than 10)?

...Uh... um. Um. Super Scooter's "A Day for Sweetums." Super Scooter's "Beau Fraggle" didn't get much attention, either... OH! And "The Fiendish Fraggle," also from Super Scooter. ...C'mon, folks, read Super Scooter's stories!

8. What, in your opinion, has been your favorite fanfic overall?

...Um. ...Um.

...Well, I don't know about an OVERALL FAVORITE... If you make me choose THAT, I might explode. So instead, I'll take this opportunity to mention a couple tales that inspired ME to start writing... Beauregard's "And What's on the Other Side?" and BethC's "Behind the Romance, There is Reality." I probably wouldn't have written a single word of "Destination: Home" if it weren't for those two... heck, if Beau hadn't kept forgetting his story even existed--thus requiring nagging--I might not have joined MC to begin with! So if you ever get a chance to peek at either of those... do so. Well worth the time!

I also want to tip my hat to a couple of purposeful heartwrenchers. First, "Muppet Terror..." Beau started it, and really deserves the credit, but he also invited all other writers to contribute to the tale with various other properties... I think it helped all of us cope with the bombings in London back in '05. There's also "A Hidden Juhl," which Beau, Prawnie, and I wrote shortly after Jerry Juhl passed away. That was also Beau's idea. I'm honored to have been a part of it... and I know I felt better for having written what I wrote of it. Sometimes, writing is a way to deal with the tough stuff... That's what those two are.

And that's an AWFULLY solemn note to end on, so... <slips on a banana peel and smacks a cream pie in own face> Oh, that's much better!