Just Fandom Things [The Outsiders]

Pet Peeves in Outsiders Fanfictions #2

After publishing the first part, I remembered a few more of my pet peeves, sooo here we go again! Quick Note: This isn't meant to offend any writer who does these things, just for awareness and to prevent any more of these things from happening.

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#5: OC Clichés

OC's (own character) are completely up to the writer. However, when so many writers follow the same clichés for their OCs, it gets a bit annoying. Here are some examples:

1. OC just moved to Tulsa

2. OC just moved to Tulsa and, magically, their neighbors are the Curtis's

3. OC is related to some gang member

4. OC is a Soc (I did this in my Dally fanfic lol oops)

5. OC gets jumped, OF COURSE

Please people, be creative and unique with your OC's. For example, even if I made my OC in my own fanfic a Soc, I also made her the daughter of a cop. That's pretty different from these clichés, if you ask me.

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#6: Cherry the Basic Bitch

Okay, so I don't like Cherry for a couple of reasons, but honestly I would never portray her as a bitch in my books. Why? SHE'S NOT A BITCHY CHARACTER. She's actually fairly nice for a Soc, if you haven't noticed.

Like in Ponyboy fanfictions, Cherry is almost always a huge bitch. A jealous, Ponyboy-crazed bitch. It often goes like this:

*Ponyboy and new girlfriend named Jane romantically watching a sunset*

*Cherry arrives*

Cherry: PONYBOY MICHAEL CURTIS I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU

Ponyboy: oh no, not you again

*cherry sees jane*

Cherry: WHO DIS BITCH

*cherry punches jane in the face*

Jane: PONY HELP

Ponyboy: cherry you're such a bitch, leave my girlfriend alone

Cherry: BUT PONYBOY I LOVE YOU

Ponyboy: but I love jane now

*cherry cries and runs away*

Seriously, I doubt Cherry would even care if Ponyboy got a girlfriend...

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#7: Those Names Though

Okay, if a writer actually researched what the 1960s was like, they would know how to name their OCs appropriately. Like, modernly creative and unique names are cool -- I love those kind of names, don't get me wrong -- but when you're writing a fanfiction that is BASED IN THE PAST, a person's name was NOT EXTREMELY UNIQUE. Actually, they were pretty average and boring.

Unless your character is related to the Curtis brothers, THE CHARACTER'S NAME SHOULD BE MODERN. I doubt that most of the modern names we have today even existed in the 1960s. So in order to be realistic when writing your fanfiction, just give your OC's names that FIT THAT TIME PERIOD.

But ONLY IF your OC is related to the Curtis brothers, then go ahead with being creative.

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#8: That Fashion Though

In the 1960s...

THERE WERE NO SUCH THING AS CROP TOPS.

THERE WERE NO SUCH THING AS BEANIES.

THERE WERE NO SUCH THING AS SKATER SKIRTS OR DRESSES.

THERE WERE NO SUCH THING AS FASHIONABLY RIPPED JEANS.

THERE WERE NO SUCH THING AS THE MODERN CLOTHING WE HAVE TODAY.

Again, with a character's name, the character should NOT be dressed modernly. DRESS THE CHARACTER LIKE THEY BELONG IN THE TIME PERIOD YOUR WRITING IN. In the 1960s, girls wore simple things, NOT HIPSTER/TUMBLR THINGS. For example, girls wore sweaters (with or without collars), skirts, things that were plaid or plain-colored, etc. NOTHING MODERN. NOTHING.

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#9: Rumbles

Okay, I've read a few fanfictions where a girl character participates in a rumble. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that before, after, and during the 1960s, there was a lot of gender inequality and society was pretty dang sexist. So based off that, I don't think the Greasers and Socs would have allowed for a girl to fight in the rumble. I mean, I'm all for Girl Power, but this is just unrealistic for this time period. Sorry ladies. :(

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#10: Pregnancy

Okay, if you're gonna have someone get pregnant in your book, you should probably know how people dealt with that in the 1960s. I'm talking about how they would find out, how doctor's appointments went, how they birthed the kid... Like, I don't think they had the modern pregnancy test sticks like we have nowadays. I don't know man. If you want to be historically accurate, which you should, I'd research these things. Lol.

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Whale, I think that's all of them... If you read any of my other books, know that I try so hard to stay away from all these clichés and OOCs! That's not saying that I don't use them -- trust me, I know I've sometimes done some of these things -- but just so y'all know. I feel your pain with this kind of stuff.

If you guys have anymore pet peeves about Outsiders fanfictions that I didn't mention, let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!!

Amanda :)