mrv3000: made by elismor (Default)
mrv3000 ([personal profile] mrv3000) wrote2012-02-22 07:24 pm
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What? What what what?

There seems to be a new fic description going around, and I have no idea what it means:

Freeform

It's been popping up on AO3 as a tag in just about every context imaginable. Drabbles, vignettes, long fics, in relation to characters, pairings, descriptions, fandoms...

WHAT? Or as Martin Crieff puts it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g00qkEK1yEk#t=07m10s
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[identity profile] joyfulfeather.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
As opposed to... what? Haiku?

[identity profile] joyfulfeather.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
I feel so out of touch with fandom. WOE.

Okay, not really woe. I just don't have the energy to keep up with these youngsters and their new crazinesses.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
I know! Kids these days with their freeform and tumblr and werewolf porn!

[identity profile] intrikate88.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
No idea. I'm still trying to puzzle out why I keep seeing "drabble" attached to damn near anything with less than a thousand words. I mean, not that I miss the days of rabid debates over whether a drabble had to be no-more-and-no-less than one hundred words, but I mean we can stick to the definition at least a LITTLE, right?

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_thirty2flavors/ 2012-02-23 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
MICHELLE I WILL FIGHT YOU ON THIS

I AM GOING TO WRITE SO MANY DRABBLES

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
AND THEY WILL ALL BE 100 WORDS, RIGHT?

[identity profile] intrikate88.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:10 am (UTC)(link)


I agree 98%. It is 100 words. Though I do not quite call for the summary shooting by fandom police of infringers who hit 103 words.

394 words on the last thing I saw labeled "drabble", though?

AGAINST THE WALL, MISCREANTS.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
XD

I usually opt for ranting to myself. Keeps people away.

[identity profile] sesaworuban.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I always thought it was supposed to be *exactly* 100 words - that was part of the point - getting a good story and making sure every word was important.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes! This! Exactly!
professor_mirror: (Default)

[personal profile] professor_mirror 2012-02-23 09:36 am (UTC)(link)
BEST. RESPONSE GIF. EVER.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
XD

[identity profile] amberfocus.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
As far as I know, freeform writing is related to larping (i.e. live action role playing). You would sort of...write a script then act it out with your friends. I'm not sure the original definition means what they think it means. Or the definition has become bastardized by fandom somehow...like drabble. They may also be confusing it with free-style writing which is when you are given a subject and a timer and you basically write whatever comes out of your head until said timer goes bing. Not the same thing, but used to get your creative juices flowing in writing classes. And it wouldn't really be the stuff you'd want to be publishing unless you think everything that falls from your pen is gold. It's more unpolished stream of consciousness story-telling, basically an excuse for: "I wrote this five minutes ago and couldn't be bothered to get a beta for it or even run it through spell check, but I hope you like it, review, review, review, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!) I might, possibly, be jaded.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
Hmmmmmm. It could very well be people using it instead of free-style. Maybe? Possibly?

Although with some it might be the case of "I don't think that means what you think it means." Or possibly there's been a secret fandom meeting I didn't hear about where they decided that it meant "no lobsters were harmed in the making of this fic."

[identity profile] earenwe.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
My first thought is stream-of-consciousness fic, but that sort of thing doesn't necessarily need a label (for me at least).

And I admit I'm guilty to calling short bits drabbles, though they tend to be anywhere from 100-300 words. Sometimes I call them ficlets, if that's more appropriate. ;)

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
My first thought is stream-of-consciousness fic, but that sort of thing doesn't necessarily need a label (for me at least).

Yeah. It's...odd.

And I admit I'm guilty to calling short bits drabbles, though they tend to be anywhere from 100-300 words. Sometimes I call them ficlets, if that's more appropriate. ;)

Image

[identity profile] elly427.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
Am I correct in suspecting you have an entire folder of photos/macros/gifs just to use when people try to argue drabble length with you? Cause that's pretty awesome.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Pretty much, yeah. XD

Image

[identity profile] tripocket.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 10:43 am (UTC)(link)
I've been skipping anything marked freeform assuming it was a way to excuse bad writing. Also can I mention how many stories are tagged Sherlock/John but upon reading I find they're really Sherlock and John. People need to QUIT TRICKING ME INTO OPENING THEIR FIC. And while it's early and I'm ranting, what the heck is pre-slash? I laugh at the Sherlock/John pre-slash tag. In other words it's NO PAIRING.

[identity profile] tripocket.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
Okay maybe I'm pre-caffeinated and being unfair. But aren't tags supposed to help me know what the story is?

[identity profile] solielle.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 01:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Eh, it's not unfair. I don't enjoy slash, so I'd avoid anything marked Sherlock/John, but don't mind gen. They are basically losing their intended audience and annoying their readers. Why would you do that?

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 01:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I've noticed that as well. It's...odd.

And I think that pre-slash means that there's no relationship yet, but there will be. After the story is done. For the most part UST, although why people don't just say UST...

[identity profile] solielle.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm with [livejournal.com profile] earenwe in that I'd assume it's stream-of-consciousness without any linguistic discipline. Which makes them "I just wrote everything that came to mind and didn't feel like editing" fics. (Okay, I'm meaner that [livejournal.com profile] earenwe.)

Also drabbles are 100 words! It's supposed to be an editing challenge to convey your intent in a small amount of text! Rawr! (Obviously, I'm big on editing)

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)
In that case I'll be avoiding anything that says "freeform" as well. Bah.

And YES. A DRABBLE IS A THING. A SPECIFIC THING.
nandamai: (Default)

[personal profile] nandamai 2012-02-23 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh. Never seen that one. Do they all suck? Because that would be useful to know.

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-02-23 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I sort of have been afraid to click.
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