To fixfic or not to fixfic, that is the question · 9:24am Feb 19th, 2014
So if you see this blog you should also see that I've got a new story out. Very different from my other stuff I think.
Random Elements was an exercise of seeing if I can turn my various takes on headcanon along with a joke that amused me far too much from an old PMV of mine into a consistent story. Coincidences was an attempt to see if I could adapt a good chunk of season 3 into a story in the Random setting like I did with elements of the first two seasons, while also giving the sequel that had been requested. By Royal Command while an all out comedy does explore the potential abuse of power inherent in the princesses ever dating along with having a proper look at the Twixie ship rather than just throwing it in there cause I like it with the Random fics. All for You is my current ongoing attempt to take a crackship and treat it with respect while avoiding the nastiness inherent with the pairing that was out there at the time along with trying to do something with the changeling race that is different while still fitting their appearance on the show.
And then there's An Unexpected Inclination, a silly bit of fluff, that no lie, I knocked out pretty much in a day 
Yes, as hard as it to believe given my usual time of getting out chapters, but this one came out at a speed I've never seen or thought possible before. I'll happily admit it's somewhat rough because of it and there's certainly a much longer story to be told from the same idea, still I don't want to distract myself further from my current fic and honestly I'm very happy with it as it is.
Which brings me onto fixfics. I've got to admit I've never been keen on them, so I find myself in the odd position of having written something that I normally object to in others which is a bit of a catch 22. Best or should that be worst example I can think of is Somber's What's Eating Rainbow Dash? Now Somber used to be one of my absolute favourite authors and I still like a lot of his stuff (about 10 chapters behind on Project Horizons admittedly). That fic was written in response to the Mare-do-Well incident and was originally going to have Dash hanging herself, and ended up just having Dash threatening to leave while laying the mother of all guilt trips. I think the worst thing about it was that when it got down to it is that I did agree with the problem. Mare-do-Well is the one single episode of MLP:FiM that I'd ever call outright bad for what Dash's friends did to her (wow, she sure is acting uppity, shall we talk about it, nah let's just humiliate her), but I've never thought fanfic should be for fixing problems with the show. It should be for playing in the universe that someone else has created, not as an exercise to tell them how much they suck, oh and also because everything is better with more lesbians 
I could make a case that I did it for some silly laughs rather than going on a rant in fic form which is probably not as bad, still feel a bit guilty for doing it though. Oh well, it's done now and a few people seem to like it so yay.
I'm probably over thinking this aren't I?
I think that the matter of fixfics is more how it's executed than fixfics being good or bad as a concept. It can be done smoothly, or heavy-handedly, it could get the point or miss it completely.
No Hard Feelings is an example of a MMDW fic done well; RD thanks her friends for deflating her runaway ego, even if they had to resort to humiliation. Said friends are horrified, because they never intended it to be like that, and realize that they went too far too. Cue heartwarming forgiveness and a new lesson learnt. Making Amends has three particular Ponyvillians track down a certain blue showpony and apologize for ruining her show, because they realized that they did act inappropriately. Again, handled nicely, and you could see it happening on the show.
On the other hand, sometimes it's not done well. Plenty of Boast Busters fixes that has Trixie apologizing for her 'crimes', or Twilight deciding that she needs more punishment. And sometimes the author misses the point completely. One "How It Should Have Happened" fic tried to retell Look Before You Sleep by having them go to Sugar Cube Corner, because you apparently can't have a party without Pinkie. Unfortunately, the whole point of that episode was the increasing friction between Applejack and Rarity culminating in them realizing that they were friends despite their differences, because they still had common ground. Having Pinkie around to act like a social lubricant, however, meant that none of that friction happened, which means that said realization never had a chance to happen either. Ergo, the point of the episode was missed.
I'm still of the opinion that Pinkie deserves the right to be a bit flawed and imperfect, particularly given how insensitive her friends were to her in Pinkie Pride. And let's be honest, it wouldn't have been nearly as objectionable if she had been nasty towards somepony who could take it, instead of vulnerable Fluttershy.
In the end, it was a fun and silly scene that did fit the theme of the overall story, so it wasn't too heavy-handed.
Fix fic is easy to mishandle and generally not as interesting as writing something new rather than re-hashing an existing episode. However, fixes can be a good part of an existing story (for example: when setting stories earlier in the timeline, having Twilight mention her brother to her friends) or in the case of large scale plot holes it can be worth it (for example: one of my favorite Bleach fanfics is designed entirely to fix the fact that part way through the series the main villain contracted a sudden case of 'the stupid' and just started doing things that made no sense). Of course, there are always exceptions where the author's personal talent or sheer chance managed to make something good where by all rights they shouldn't have.
The important thing is that you have to actually have a good story. It can't just address problems with canon it needs to be able to stand on it's own and manage to put a new spin on events without becoming repetitive from the re-telling or feeling like you're preaching.
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I'll have to check out those first two fics, as you're right maybe it is just the bad ones I've read that have sold me off it like that monstrosity where Trixie is Twi's sister and has to wear a magical shock collar for what she's done.
And that's certainly true too. Problem is you make Fluttershy cry and not only have you stepped into King Sombra level of villainy territory, but you also immediately think of Gilda who I've long thought of as the anti-Pinkie.
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The preaching one is most definitely the biggie as nobody wants to read that, as like I said with the What's Eating Rainbow Dash one, even if you agree with the point you still feel like you're being talked down to.
1852371 Funny that you're mentioning Gilda, as she's the target of fixfics too. In First Impressions, she comes to Ponyville hoping to settle down with her daughter, and can't understand why all the ponies treat her like she's pond scum. In the end, it turns out that 'Canon Gilda' was a changeling.
I do agree about the preaching, though. It's one thing if you want to cover up/explain an implication that clearly wasn't intended in the original work. It's another to pretend that your writing and stance should take precedence over the actual show writers, particularly if you're being wangsty about it. And seriously, hanging herself? That's too much.
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Eh... no matter who it was she said those things to, I would've hated her for it. Sorry, dude.
As for the topic of the blog post... it can be done well, but remember Sturgeon's Law, where 90% of everything is crap... this one wasn't of the 90%, mind.
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In pretty much any kind of story it really is in the execution. Actually, forget stories, most of most things is in the execution.
That said, it seems like some kinds are harder to execute well than others. But I suppose that could be an illusion where some kinds simply draw more people that can't execute them well, now that I think of it.
I think it can be called 'disposition'. Excellent fixfic will be still excellent. But... okay fixfic will be bad, and bad fixfix will be horrible.
Well, while not as bad as anti-shipping stories, authors of fixfics still have tendency to demonize one side and angelize other, often including scenes of profound apologizing in the end. And 'hero' will either not 'forgive' at all, or forgive dismissively, silently implying there is only one's side's fault. Characters seems more like dolls-mouthpieces to relay author's righteous indignation than real alive persons.
Anti-fixfics (aka fixfixfics) is even more liable to bad handling.
More interesting variation of fixfics are adventure fics that use the whole situation to advance the plot. When character is vulnerable, author is creating 'point of divergence' from canon, exploring adventurous scenario. 'Fixing' canon is taking a back seat to the plot of fanfic.