Small Talk: The Quiver

[manbearpig]

Did anyone end up reading that Lois Lane YA novel that was discussed in this thread months ago? This reminded me that it was a thing. I already pre-ordered that Black Widow YA novel though.

Edited June 1, 2015 by manbearpig

[calliope1975]

Did anyone end up reading that Lois Lane YA novel that was discussed in this thread months ago? This reminded me that it was a thing. I already pre-ordered that Black Widow YA novel though.

 

Haven't read the Lois Lane book, but I did read a Clint Barton/Black Widow novel, New Avengers: Breakout, Marvel put out a few years ago. I really liked it, and I liked reading a prose book instead of a graphic novel. I might have to pick up the BW YA book.

[manbearpig]

Haven't read the Lois Lane book, but I did read a Clint Barton/Black Widow novel, New Avengers: Breakout, Marvel put out a few years ago. I really liked it, and I liked reading a prose book instead of a graphic novel. I might have to pick up the BW YA book.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. Just ordered that novel. I'm not quite in a comic mood at the minute but anything with Natasha is worth a look for me. I do have the first two trade paperbacks of the recent Black Widow series and I've ordered the next one, but I think I'm going to save them up and read them all in one sitting, otherwise I get forgetful.

[calliope1975]

I love the new Black Widow series. I'm only reading about 4 comics these days, and that's one of my faves. I do kinda wish I'd just gotten the trades because the issues are stacking up, and I have yet to have a decent storage system. 

 

At the time, I was a huge Clintasha shipper, so I loved the book. I'm less so now, but I still enjoyed the role others played - Luke Cage, Jessica Drew, and Spider-Man, and reading about the Savage Land versus just seeing panels in a comic. 

Edited June 1, 2015 by calliope1975

[Morrigan2575]

calliope1975 are you reading Secret Wars? I just took a long break and will probably start up again in September with Deadpool vs Thanos and whatever X-Titles look interesting

[calliope1975]

calliope1975 are you reading Secret Wars? I just took a long break and will probably start up again in September with Deadpool vs Thanos and whatever X-Titles look interesting

 

Not really - only if it pops up in my regular books - Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Avengers: World. I'm pretty confused at what's going on to be honest. 

[Morrigan2575]

Not really - only if it pops up in my regular books - Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Avengers: World. I'm pretty confused at what's going on to be honest.

I only read 4 titles, all X-Men so I figured why bother, since it would be totally confusing. Even more than the Axis event.

[JJ928]

Just curious if anyone plans on watching Sense8 on netflix this Friday? I haven't seen much publicity for it but it looks really interesting to me.

[FurryFury]

I'll definitely check it out. Not sure if I'll like it, but it does sound interesting.

[Morrigan2575]

Just curious if anyone plans on watching Sense8 on netflix this Friday? I haven't seen much publicity for it but it looks really interesting to me.

never heard of it, will look it up.

I'm interested in The Strain in July and I'm going to give The Whispers a shot.

[Sakura12]

For those of you wanting to know what Sense8 is about. 

 

[olicityfan25]

Sayid!!

[JJ928]

never heard of it, will look it up.

I'm interested in The Strain in July and I'm going to give The Whispers a shot.

I really like the Strain. Sense8 looks interesting but netflix hasn't put much into marketing it.

[FurryFury]

God The Strain was one of the worst pilots I've ever seen, I don't think I've ever loathed the main character as much as loathed that guy who somehow managed to be both generic and annoying. And everything about that show felt overdone and pretentious yet very cliched. The old guy was pretty much the only saving grace but there wasn't much of him. 

Edited June 2, 2015 by FurryFury

[Morrigan2575]

I really like the Strain. Sense8 looks interesting but netflix hasn't put much into marketing it.

That Sense8 promo looks interesting. I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

How did you see The Strain already? Was it leaked or an international show just making its way to the US? I just saw the first commercial this past weekend

Edited June 2, 2015 by Morrigan2575

[Starfish35]

Meh. :(

I'm dating myself, but I still miss summer TV like Eureka and Warehouse 13. Light fun stuff. I think that time has gone however.

[JJ928]

That Sense8 promo looks interesting. I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

How did you see The Strain already? Was it leaked or an international show just making its way to the US? I just saw the first commercial this past weekend

Season 2 of the Strain starts in July but season 1 was good.

 

But I also read the books, so I guess I had a little more interest in the Strain. I know that it's a hit or miss for most people.

Edited June 2, 2015 by JJ928

[Morrigan2575]

Season 2 of the Strain starts in July but season 1 was good.

But I also read the books, so I guess I had a little more interest in the Strain. I know that it's a hit or miss for most people.

Oh, I'm a whole Season behind? Guess I'll have to do some research. LOL

[BkWurm1]

Meh. :(

I'm dating myself, but I still miss summer TV like Eureka and Warehouse 13. Light fun stuff. I think that time has gone however.

Like everything, TV goes around in cycles. Eventually light shows will pop up more frequently again. I remember when the light Scifi pushed off the more gritty which is laughable since at the time the "gritty" show was Stargate SG-1.

[EmeraldArcher]

As a newbie, I'd like to ask for some advice.

How do you manage to live a productive life once you've discovered the existence of this site, Arrow fan fiction, and Olicity fan vids on YouTube? At my university, other faculty are available to mentor us in work-life balance, but I don't think we have mentors who would know what to do to create an Arrow-work-life balance. Do you schedule time to read/post, or are you able to multitask?

I've fallen down the rabbit hole and am almost too delighted by the sensation of the free fall to care about anything else.

[Menrva]

Meh. :(

I'm dating myself, but I still miss summer TV like Eureka and Warehouse 13. Light fun stuff. I think that time has gone however.

I liked those shows too. Miss them. How is that dating yourself? Did those shows really come out that long ago?

 

ETA: Nevermind. I really am getting old and senile. And crochety.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Menrva

[statsgirl]

HBO has a lot to answer for. When shows like Game of Thrones became must-see watercooler shows, everyone thought they had to go dark.  Even the current sci fi shows like Extant (how did that ever get renewed?), Defiance and Continuum and dark and bleak rather than quirky and funny.

 

How do you manage to live a productive life once you've discovered the existence of this site, Arrow fan fiction, and Olicity fan vids on YouTube? At my university, other faculty are available to mentor us in work-life balance, but I don't think we have mentors who would know what to do to create an Arrow-work-life balance. Do you schedule time to read/post, or are you able to multitask?

Ugh, tell me about it. I'm supposed to be writing a report in preparation for a meeting, but here I am.

 

I blame all the smart and funny people in this fandom, fanfic and posters alike.

[FurryFury]

A Song of Ice and Fire, the book series GoT is based on, has had a similar effect on the fantasy genre as a whole. You won't believe how popular "gritty" fantasy has gotten over the last 20 years. Thankfully this tendency seems to be not as overwhelmingly present nowadays, but still quite common. And I do sometimes like this gritty fantasy (as a whole, way more than standard heroic fare it tends to deconstruct) - but I like variety too.  And really, doom and gloom only work well for me when contrasted with hope and light. By themselves, they just put me off sooner or later. Actually, George Martin did try to insert some more classic heroic characters in the books, like Jon and Dany, and coupled with such stuff as no POV onscreen rape, etc., it helped to not make the books as dark and hopeless as the show has become.

 

That said, I've found W13 a pretty bad show judging by the few episodes I've seen, and Eureka just seemed boring judging by its description. I never felt like Continuum s1 was THAT dark, and after that, the show just turned to shit, imho (which I'm really disappointed about because s1 was absolutely fantastic). I guess I could agree about Defiance though, it felt quite heavy to me, I think some levity could have done it some good (I've only seen about 4 or 5 episodes, waiting until the series finale to binge it all at once).

Edited June 3, 2015 by FurryFury

[Sakura12]

Warehouse 13 is a show that grew on me over time. The first season was terrible acting wise. It did get better and I enjoyed it for what it was. A fun show that doesn't take itself too seriously. And I loved Jamie Murray as a female H.G. Wells. The ending however, sucked. Eureka was another fun show that you can't take seriously. Just enjoy the wackiness of a town full of genius's with no regard for the town they are living in. I enjoyed both shows because they were light and fun but I was never that heavily involved in the fandom.  

 

White Collar was like those shows too. I give them kudos for killing of the lead characters supposed main love interest and never bringing her back. Still upset that I don't know what happened with Alex Hunter but overall the show was a fun ride. 

[Starfish35]

Warehouse 13 took about 5-6 episodes to hit its stride IIRC. It seems like I was on the point of giving up on it, when suddenly there was an episode that got me hooked. But I have to admit I've never watched the final season, mainly because of them putting Pete and Myka together. I don't normally protest about the nearly inevitable hookup of the leads, but Pete and Myka had an amazing platonic relationship and it's something I almost never see in the shows I watch and it really irritated me that they threw that away to put them together romantically practically at the last minute.

Eureka was just fun for me, but I get that it might not be for everyone. I was never really in the fandom though - I'm not even sure Eureka had much of a fandom. I could be wrong about that though.

[kismet]

I've fallen down the rabbit hole and am almost too delighted by the sensation of the free fall to care about anything else.

 

 

Ugh, tell me about it. I'm supposed to be writing a report in preparation for a meeting, but here I am.

 

I blame all the smart and funny people in this fandom, fanfic and posters alike.

Yea, I find myself checking this site & fanfics at work frequently for updates. In between pt rooms & random corners whenever I have a free moment (which is not as much as I would hope, but thx goodness for free wifi at work). Most of my free time involving the computer at work is when I need to write my notes, which now take forever thx to quick checks... So I don't quite understand the whole balance thing.

 

I do wonder what it will be like when one my other fav shows starts up in a few weeks and I return to that forum I followed intensely last spring. I took some time from it when there was a death in my my family & other personal issues that arose and never really returned. I've peeked in on it from time to time but didn't really delve back in as I fell off pace and there was no clear way to jump into months of speculation or theories. But I have every intention to delve back into it when the new eps air. SO then my denial of a semblance of balance may be forever shattered between trying to balance both fandoms & real life.

 

Fanfic well that is a rabbit hole I fell through once and never thought I would again at least not for a TV show. Last time I fell through it was with a novel series, so I felt it was easier to break off. Once I found enough stories that satisfied my lack of how they completed the novels, I was ok and my thirst was quenched. These Arrow fanfics are completely different. The Arrow stories & characters are constantly evolving both on the air and in these series that I feel compelled to find out how they are all going to end. And I'm constantly looking for just the right characterizations. Its getting pretty hard to keep all the plots/characters straight. SO, I might need to stop finding new ones soon.

 

Even when I try to step away from it all, my mobile is always there to tempt me just to look for an update. So a simulataneous yay & nay for technology.

 

But perhaps @Statsgirl explained it best in the above bold italic comments. Nicely summarized btw. :)

[Delphi]

Has anyone checked out the first two episodes of Between on Netflix? It starts Jenette Mccurdy of icarly fame. I watched it last night and it looks interesTing but a little slow paced. But its only supposed to be six episodes, so I don't think it will eat my too much of my time this summer.

[BkWurm1]

As a newbie, I'd like to ask for some advice.

How do you manage to live a productive life once you've discovered the existence of this site, Arrow fan fiction, and Olicity fan vids on YouTube? At my university, other faculty are available to mentor us in work-life balance, but I don't think we have mentors who would know what to do to create an Arrow-work-life balance. Do you schedule time to read/post, or are you able to multitask?

I've fallen down the rabbit hole and am almost too delighted by the sensation of the free fall to care about anything else.

I can't help with the forums.  I'm just in too deep.  In regards to fan fiction, eventually I found I became far more selective about what I read.  For every good writer, there is a bad writer or what I often find worse, one that while a fine writer has a poor grasp on the characterization of the characters. 

 

I read a good story the other day about Oliver waking from a nightmare during a thunderstorm but from there somehow it became that Oliver was terrified of thunderstorms to which then Felicity showed him their beauty and he stopped flinching every time the thunder rolled.

 

I have no problem with someone being afraid of thunderstorms and it was a pretty story but Oliver is not that person.  The initial premise of storms triggering his nightmares worked great but I could not suspend my disbelief that once awake and aware that Oliver would flinch and cower at the flash of lightning.  I was annoyed at how much it bothered me.  Something felt off early on when I was reading it but I ignored my instincts and pressed on.  My advice, don't ignore your instincts. 

 

I also find there are certain types of stores I'm not interested in so I can skip the met in high school ones or the collections of drabbles under a hundred words.  Or the remade movie ones (if I'm not a fan of the movie). 

 

That still leaves a lot of material.  Which means you need to get to know your bookmark function..  Sometimes the only option is to save it for later.  :D

 

Some people I know use fan fiction as a reward they have to earn.  So finish a chore and earn a chapter.  Finish a report, finish a story.  Yeah, I don't have that kind of willpower but it works for some. 

Edited June 3, 2015 by BkWurm1

[manbearpig]

I can't deal with fan fiction. That being said, years ago I read this Veronica Mars/Buffy crossover that was a lot of fun. Basically Veronica somehow ended up in Sunnydale during season two of Buffy and had to use her knowledge of the show to stay alive, all while bumping into and interacting with various characters from BtVS. I never even finished that one, but it really entertained me for that day or two where I was obsessed with it. Either the author stopped updating the story or I gave up. I can't quite remember because this might have actually been about eight years ago or something because I was definitely quite young when I read it. No idea what it was called either.

 

Haven't read any fan fiction since. I'm sure there is a lot of great stuff out there, though, I just don't have any interest in searching for it.

[foreverevolving]

I fell into the drug that is Fanfics in 99, have no desire to kick the habit (seriously some fics are even better than many of the novels out there)... I've been through a nice number of fandoms, like BkWurm1 said, for every awesome writer, there is about 1/2 a dozen of them who are decent (and of which I will be willing to give their story a shot) and a few that should never quit their day job- actually they should retire from writing all together.

I've grown really good at weeding out the stories i don't want to read. I start with the characters than description and afterwards just my gut instinct. i'm already bored or annoyed by the end of the first paragraph i click back and continue to the next story. characters written out of character drive me crazy but can be accepted if it is an AU story (and it better be well written). Real People Fiction is a major no. I hate it when authors are aware of their poor english skills (and for me it's poor when i can spot grammar and punctuation mistakes without opening my grammar book) yet make no effort to seek an editor to help them, I can accept an unedited fic from a writer I am already familiar with, or if it's a flash fic written and posted that same day. Badly written sex scenes/fics, nothing is worse than a mediocre or badly written smut.

But the worse kind of fan fic is the "incomplete" kind, where the story is freakin awesome, but the writer has abandoned it. to which I say: writers first finish the series, then start posting it and if you can't than post only stand alone stories.

 

And yes the bookmark/favorite story/favorite author buttons are your best friends.

Edited June 3, 2015 by foreverevolving

[Sakura12]

I used to be into fanfic but since it's 90% shipping, I lost interest. 

[dtissagirl]

The first thing I ever found on the internets was X-Files fic. I've never stopped reading fic since then. [Twenty years ago omg I'm so old.]

I don't, however, read Work in Progresses anymore because I have been burned so many times before. The most important search parameter for me is checking the "complete only" box on AO3. Good writing legit comes second, because the one thing worse than shitty writing, is unfinished badfic.

[wingster55]

I try to read fan-fic that doesn't primarily feature a couple. 

[WaitandHope]

I'm an old lady (40) by Internet standards and started back with Mighty Big TV getting pulled into fandom abyss- especially Buffy and later Veronica Mars, though I used to post on other shows too. But I've never read FF until Arrow. Go figure! Always managed to stay away. I think it has something to do with liking Arrow better in theory than in actuality sometimes. And the FF writers sometimes have the better ideas in actuality.

And I really like Berlanti and Guggenheim. I LOVED Eli Stone. And I used to watch Everwood every week for a weekly cry. Seriously, that show was cathartic if you needed a good cry.

That said, Emerald Archer, I've actually had to ration myself a little - everyone here just makes me laugh and makes me feel safer in my weird little TV obsession. The Fan fiction is crazy, I sort by hits and favorites and works complete and that cuts away a lot of the excess. But then I made my way through all that and am sort of doing what foreverevolving said: going with gut instinct and initial visceral reaction.

And the recs on this board going back to page 1 in Clock Tower are usually spot on too.

[EmeraldArcher]

Thanks to everybody who responded to my request for help! I've found myself recognizing your advice in the ways I've already started to sort through the massive quantities of stuff to enjoy in this fandom. Even though I'm new to fan fiction, I sort of intuitively found parameters to help me find the quality works aligned with my interests. For example, I almost always follow up on fic recommendations I find on this site--you all mention the ones with fabulous characterization or other appealing qualities. I started and then stopped that same story about the storm because that was just not Oliver--I have zero interest in stories that can't capture the characters I love. I also agree about skipping Real People fics or vids--yuck!

WaitAndHope (LOVE your name!!), I'm 40, too! I'm loving being 40--are you?

My husband has been laughing at my growing collection of action figures, comic books, and list of must-see superhero media. He summed it up like this: "It's like you have Benjamin Button syndrome. Obviously your body is aging (HA!), but your mind is devolving into a teenaged boy."

[statsgirl]

I look at the bookmarks of people whose fic I like and they usually bookmark things I like as well. Sort of like the friends of my friends.

 

Different fandoms have different types of fic.  An old fandom of mine, The Lost World, had a lot of adventure fanfic because the relationships were fairly well established and didn't need fanfic writers to work them out.  Maybe now that Oliver and Felicity are together in canon, future fic will be more about their adventures than getting Oliver to get his head out of his ass.

 

I've never been much for AU fic with other shows but the Arrow fic writers are really talented in keeping the characters the same while putting them in different situations..

[Starfish35]

I've been reading fanfic for ~15 years now, but I've kind of gotten out of the habit the last year or so. It's interesting - Arrow is the first fandom I think I've been in that I'm not reading fanfic for. Back in the SGA days, I was reading reams of fanfic. I like long fic and AU fic, and I love crossovers, but it's hard to find ones that are well done. And agreed on WIPs!! I will not touch them these days (LOVE the "complete only" option at AO3).

manbearpig, it's funny you should mention that fic - I remember reading that a few years ago. I can't remember if it was finished or not when I read it though.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Starfish35

[FurryFury]

I can't deal with fan fiction. That being said, years ago I read this Veronica Mars/Buffy crossover that was a lot of fun. Basically Veronica somehow ended up in Sunnydale during season two of Buffy and had to use her knowledge of the show to stay alive, all while bumping into and interacting with various characters from BtVS. I never even finished that one, but it really entertained me for that day or two where I was obsessed with it. Either the author stopped updating the story or I gave up. I can't quite remember because this might have actually been about eight years ago or something because I was definitely quite young when I read it. No idea what it was called either.

 

Haven't read any fan fiction since. I'm sure there is a lot of great stuff out there, though, I just don't have any interest in searching for it.

I know this story! It's actually finished, but I was disappointed by the ending, TBH. But it was pretty funny for a time.

Anyway, here it is.

 

It's interesting - Arrow is the first fandom I think I've been in that I'm not reading fanfic for.

 

I tried looking for fan fiction for Arrow back in 2A when I was invested in the show, but 99% of fics were Olicity, which I'm just not interested in.

 

The only fandom I sometimes - very rarely - read fic for now is a video game. The TV shows with big active fandoms just don't have the right stuff or don't interest me this much. Plus, I've gotten really, really picky over the years, and a good story is hard to find.

[dcinmb]

And I really like Berlanti and Guggenheim. I LOVED Eli Stone. And I used to watch Everwood every week for a weekly cry. Seriously, that show was cathartic if you needed a good cry.

LOVED Everwood. No other TV show has moved me like Everwood did, although Berlanti's Jack & Bobby came close. I'll never forget the ep with Kate Mara where Dr. Abbott stepped in for Andy. And his closing line? "Bless Me, Father, for I have sinned." Chills. And when Bright carried his mom so tenderly when she was sick? So many tears! Who knew Chris Pratt would become such a huge star? So happy for him!

I was crushed when Jack & Bobby was canceled after only one season. It's too bad Matt Long doesn't work more.

Also liked Eli Stone and Political Animals but Everwood and Jack & Bobby set a very high bar.

[FurryFury]

I've never seen Everwood. What genre is it? Is it primetime soap, teenage drama, etc.? And I've heard it has something like a part of a couple cheating on the other half and viewers are expected to forgive him? I HATE this trope (I remember dropping Hart of Dixie because of it).

[manbearpig]

I know this story! It's actually finished, but I was disappointed by the ending, TBH. But it was pretty funny for a time.

Anyway, here it is.

 

I tried looking for fan fiction for Arrow back in 2A when I was invested in the show, but 99% of fics were Olicity, which I'm just not interested in.

 

The only fandom I sometimes - very rarely - read fic for now is a video game. The TV shows with big active fandoms just don't have the right stuff or don't interest me this much. Plus, I've gotten really, really picky over the years, and a good story is hard to find.

 

Wow! Did not expect anyone else to have seen that fic. Crazy to me that whoever wrote it posted that in February 2007! I would have been around fourteen when I read that, then. Thanks for the link but I don't think I can bring myself to read ninety eight chapters. Maybe one day though because I did actually love the idea at the time and Buffy is still my favourite show and Veronica Mars would hover around my top ten. (And I guess since it finished in 2012 I probably just forgot about it, rather than losing interest).

[FurryFury]

I guess Buffy is #2 and VM is #3 for me, as far as favorite shows go. I've read this fic all at once because I only got into Veronica Mars a few years back. The only two times I've managed to not lose interest in an ongoing fic they were cruelly forgotten by their authors so I'll probably never venture into a WIP anymore.

[Sakura12]

I try to read fan-fic that doesn't primarily feature a couple. 

 

Do you find any? 

 

I tried looking but everyone tags every fracking character in their fic. I try looking for fics on Sara but when I search I get 99% Olicity fics that I'm not interested in. If your fic is primarily about Olicity don't tag Sara in it. I don't care if Sara's in the fic, she's not what your fic is about. Since then I gave up on searching for character fics, it's too hard to find them. It was easier before all the tagging. 

[FurryFury]

Sadly it's become common practice to tag every character, even those who are in the background. I don't really understand why, nobody reads a fic just because it has 2 lines about a character the reader is invested into. My experience is that Arrow fandom has almost zero "gen" fanfics, TBH, I think it says something about a show when only a ship inspires people to write something (I mean, I know shipping usually takes the majority of fanfiction, but not to this extent).

[Carrie Ann]

I still think AO3 needs to implement a tag-searching option where you can easily eliminate a tag from your search. But they don't have that yet, and someone here gave me advice on how to do it manually once (thanks, friends!). So (for example) you would click on the "Sara Lance" tag to bring up all results with that tag, and then in the sidebar, under "Search within results," you would type exactly this:

 

-"Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak"

 

That doesn't mean those works won't include or focus on other relationships, but you can continue to narrow from there by using commas to separate terms, as the little "?" bubble describes on the site.

 

Unfortunately, the tag system is never going to be perfect. Because for every person who only wants a character or pairing tagged if they are the focus, other people want them tagged if they're present at all because they don't like them and want to avoid at all costs. I don't think either of those positions is more or less valid than the other. Personally, I scan the tags to gauge the scope of the story, so I appreciate additional, possibly non-focal characters being tagged. I do think it would be cool if there were a tag system that incorporated focal/primary versus secondary, which would then be helpful if tag search were made more robust (so you could search for "Sara Lance" only in the primary tag, for example).

Edited June 4, 2015 by Carrie Ann

[Sakura12]

If it's a multi character story then yes, by all means tag those characters in your story. If it's an Olicity story about them as a couple where they sometimes interact with other characters, but those characters have no story of their own, then they should not be tagged. Since the story isn't about them. 

 

When I used to write fanfic along time ago, if I was just writing about the ship then I'd only tag them. Unless it was a one shot, the couple only interacting with each other would get boring to write so of course they interacted with the other characters from the show/or shows. But those characters would only be in chapters with the ship and nothing outside of it. If I was writing a story where the couple is part of the story, but I wrote chapters on the other characters without the couple being there, then I'd tag all the characters I'd be writing about. 

 

Having to delete or search through a bunch of tags to get to a fic would turn me off even more. I don't have time to do that, just to read a fic that may or may not be a good, well written story. However my opinion doesn't really matter since I'm done with fanfic. Which is one less obsession in my life. It's probably a good thing. 

Edited June 4, 2015 by Sakura12

[kismet]

Do you find any?

I tried looking but everyone tags every fracking character in their fic. I try looking for fics on Sara but when I search I get 99% Olicity fics that I'm not interested in. If your fic is primarily about Olicity don't tag Sara in it. I don't care if Sara's in the fic, she's not what your fic is about. Since then I gave up on searching for character fics, it's too hard to find them. It was easier before all the tagging.

Fanfiction.net has a not or exclude feature on searches. But there are not as many arrow writers on there. So it might be a toss up. Aoo is very couple heavy. Also I find aoo people tend to tag a lot of characters that aren't really in their piece at all which can be frustrating.

[wingster55]

Do you find any? 

 

I tried looking but everyone tags every fracking character in their fic. I try looking for fics on Sara but when I search I get 99% Olicity fics that I'm not interested in. If your fic is primarily about Olicity don't tag Sara in it. I don't care if Sara's in the fic, she's not what your fic is about. Since then I gave up on searching for character fics, it's too hard to find them. It was easier before all the tagging. 

In this fandom it's really difficult. I read a few Olicity ones..but generally try to find ones that either feature a different couple or one that'll never happen.

Though this Past Is Prologue is my favorite Arrow one at the moment. 

 

I find more non-couple specific ones at fandoms like Buffy...or Sonic the Hedgehog. Yes I said it. 

[WaitandHope]

Ah yes, Jack and Bobby, I loved that show too.  Where did Christine Lahti go?  And Political Animals...you and me dcinmb!  All 6? episodes.  I'm like a Berlanti groupie at this point.  "Damn you, Berlanti"!!!    I'm surprised I don't see more of that on this site!  I used to see it more.  But I guess it wouldn't always be in jest - and mostly we just curse MG. 

 

@EmeraldArcher. 40 is living the life, I guess.  As much a one can - with a husband, 3 kids, a full-time job and an Arrow obsession... 

Edited June 4, 2015 by WaitandHope

[FurryFury]

I've watched 2 seasons of Bates Motel and I have to say, I definitely recommend that show. Never expected to like it, but complex, nuanced main characters + awesome acting + the Twin Peaks-ian small town vibe have won me over. Also, I think I'm shipping a pairing that will not have a happy ending, 100% guarantee. Why can't I ship normal happy stuff? Why am I doing it to myself?

Edited June 4, 2015 by FurryFury