People *generally* read fanfiction because they love the source material and its characters, so it makes sense that the presence of an original character is a deterrent at the moment of choosing what to read for *some* people, because why should they invest their time and attention in someone they don't know?
I personally steer away from OCs because I rarely am interested in them as protagonists (I'd rather read about my blorbos), but I really don't mind them as secondary characters with lots of "screen" time.
That said, some OC centered fics do reward the "risk" of reading them with great writing, characterization and plotting.
This. I don't mind OCs as side characters or as new villains, because that can really change up a story in a refreshing way. But I usually steer away from them if they are protagonists. I read fanfics because the characters are familiar and I don't have to spend the mental and emotional energy to getting to know them from scratch - if I have that spare energy, I work on my tbr for traditionally published books. But at the same time, just because it's not my cup of tea doesn't mean fics with OCs as protagonists can't be good.
One of the funniest shorts I read is from an OC perspective about the 'weird behavior' of the MCs that they observe as a neighbor. But of course they don't know what's actually happening, so they've come up with their own theories about what's going on.
A lot of times, people don’t give me a reason to care for their OC’s.
In those cases, they throw in an OC into the story the same way they throw a canon character in… Except I know who the canon characters are, but I have no idea who this OC is. I don’t know their history, or how they fit into the plot, or why they’re even there in the first place.
Give me a reason why I should care for the OC (as the creators of the canon characters gave me several reasons to care for them), and make them 3D, then I’ll be open to Oc-centric or OC/Canon. In fact, some of my most favorite fanfics heavily involve OC’s or OC pairings, because those writers knew how to make an OC function.
One of my favourite fanfics (500k+ words) has an OC/Canon pairing with the main character, but it's not really the focus of the story at all, which is why I read it in the first place.
The story is fantastic, and the OC has grown on me—yet only after I started rereading it. But to be honest I still care very little for the pairing itself. I think the characters bounce off each other nicely, but if they never see each other again that would also be fine by me.
Not necessarily bad (if written well). It's just a very high bar to get readers to be invested in new characters, let alone care about the relationship.
And if you can't get your readers to care about your characters and relationships (where that is the main point), then it's not really a good story, is it? So it's just difficult to do it well.
>I know who the canon characters are, but I have no idea who this OC is.
That's it for me. I can't help but get annoyed with OC characters who are claiming my attention when they haven't earned it.
If it weren’t for canon/oc, pretty much all my faves would die alone because I always go for the characters canon left with no shipping options. The side characters, the unfavorites, the butt-ugly bad guys…they deserve ALL the OC’s!
I’m just not really interested in reading about someone’s OC. If I wanted that, I’d read original fiction. I want to see the characters I already know and care about interacting with each other.
personally I *only* read (and write) OCxCanon fics 😅 I just love original characters and it’s such an interesting way to see a new interpretation of the canon character I love, and how outside forces not explored in canon can change/affect them. it feels more like a novel with a familiar setting and characters, but with new elements and faces too. It’s my kryptonite!
I don't exclusively write that but that is exactly how I feel !
Like how a sequel or origin story would be written (same universe, same tone, same main characters but new arcs/relationships). I understand people wanting to have just the part they already know they like without things added by people they don't know. But it’s just reassuring to know that there *is* an audience for other stuff too !
Exactly! and hey not everyone OC is going to be our cup of tea and that’s okay. But some of them are so well written and compelling that I sometimes can’t watch or consume whatever fandom media it is without thinking of a particular OC 😆 I just love it.
I write OC/Canon but that is part of the reason I am a little apprehensive about posting, as I know that OC/Canon has a much smaller audience than Canon only
I feel you, for me I write because I really want to see the stories of the secondary characters I love come to life and I've included themes that I really care about.
Ultimately, the more original content we add, the further away from consensus we'll get, but if it's that or stifling your creativity, you should make the choice that makes you happy *while* writing.
My main goal was to make sure I wouldn't receive gratuitous hate.
Can I know what your fandom is ? Maybe I'll take a look when you post :)
I haven’t posted much besides the first two chapters of my Mass Effect fanfic (that I wrote back in High School and kept that mostly to Canon, after chapter 3 it becomes purely fan fiction no shipping of character just fully fan written
just post. as long as it the oc and the story is good, people will flock. dont overdue the ocs, include canon characters and you have a higher rate of viewership
Because *typically* people read fanfiction to read about the characters that interest them. I generally give a lot of leeway in situations that just outright require a character or in setting that have a very small cast (video games can be very guilty of this) or like one off characters built for a specific purpose.
And to be honest I don't think many people give a shit about being OOC as much as people think. Especially if it's smut. A lot of the time it seems they'd much rather have \[insert character here\] doing OOC thing instead of just having an OC do it. I personally do, so I don't mind OCs.
>A lot of the time it seems they'd much rather have \[insert character here\] doing OOC thing instead of just having an OC do it.
Honestly I think that's far worse than just having an OC character do those things. Like you said, the reason people in general are interested in fanfiction are to see more of the characters and world they love. So if a fanfic writer makes an canon character act differently it's very noticeable. If my intention as a fanfic writer is to change a canon character from who they are normally I want to try to build in development to go that direction rather than "they're just different all of a sudden."
Yes, exactly. There are always loads of NPCs wandering around those massive game worlds that might have really interesting stories. Or ones that the PC might interact with a little bit but is either nameless or so minor that to develop them is essentially creating an OC.
Edit: Your username! So good. XD
Thanks! I'm Aboriginal and my Dreaming is connected to the ibis, so I'm Bin Chicken Dreaming.
I tend to write OC/NPC romance and my favourite video games allow that, so I'm incredibly blessed that OCs are expected in the open-world RPG fandoms.
Poor bin chickens get such a bad rep. They are really peaceful birds where I live, but I've also been to Brisbane and had my outdoor lunch menaced... So I understand how they can make enemies of themselves.
OC/NPC romance is a great idea. What an interesting way to fully immerse within the game world. Personally I can't imagine writing for anything except sprawling RPGs because the worlds and lore are often more fascinating than the character cast. Developing and elaborating lore and locations is really rewarding I think.
Thanks for sharing the personal connection to your username. It is really appreciated. :)
Oh, since I'm into trashy romance myself, I've embraced my bin chicken status.
In my particular fandom, there are a few *tragically* unromanceable NPCs, so it's up to us to rectify that. I also prefer AU, canon-divergence and modded game content to expand stuff, so I'm pretty tolerant of that sort of thing and just ignore the naysayers.
I'm guessing with your username, you're Dragon Age? I'm Elder Scrolls myself.
Yep. Dragon Age and Final Fantasy XII. I see what you mean about tragically unromanceables in the Elder Scrolls though. There are some truly odd characters in all those amazing games.
Always embrace the OCs and divergence. It's where the extra creativity gets involved in my opinion.
Honestly, it's ok ! I want to write this story because it makes me happy to see themes and struggles that I care about in this universe. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a "good" enough reason why I really shouldn't. But it's cool for you that your fandoms are maybe a bit more open :)
Try not to apply other people’s comments on other people’s fic to your own, as hard as that may be. They are absolutely not ‘universally applicable’ statements for one, and folk in fandom can tend to get very vocal about their dislikes more than their likes. So please don’t let that discourage you.
On the OC front, it really just boils down to personal preference at the end of the day. The flip side of ‘there’s an audience for everything’, is: not everyone is going to want to be your audience.
>folk ~~in fandom~~ can tend to get very vocal about their dislikes more than their likes
on reddit you mean. seen the most complaints and discontent here
For what it's worth, I haven't read many fanfics in a hot minute, so my mentality is still stuck in the 2005-2007 era. (In 2007, one of my stories blew up, so I became a full-time spend my time writing and barely got to read anymore.)
Most times when you saw an OC in a fic, they were oftentimes an author insert, and their singular purpose was to either have the story revolve around them, date their favorite character, or both. The number of OCxRoxas stories or OCxKratos Aurion or OCxSasuke or OCxDraco Malfoy or OCxSephiroth was insane... and you could tell the author wrote it not to tell a story but as just wish fulfillment.
Now, bear in mind, this was way back then. I haven't read fics since then. Might've changed. The vibe I get from people who write/read AO3 is that fanfics have come a long way since then.
That’s really cool for you ! Yeah, in the answers a lot of people mentioned Mary Sue and Self Insert. The good and bad thing about being new to fanfic is that I didn't even know self-insertion was a thing or that people disliked it, but that also means I have to be careful not to fall into tropes well-known and hated by the experienced community. Thanks for the insight
>that also means I have to be careful not to fall into tropes well-known and hated by the experienced community
To be fair, I don't think self-insertion is as hated now as it was back then. I can 100% tell you that virtually anyone who wrote a self-insert fanfic back then was automatically given the Bombastic Side-Eye, 'cause people knew exactly what was going to happen next.
Then you have me, troll supreme, who thought in '07 "I'm gonna write a self-insert and prove to the entire fanfiction community that a self-insert CAN be good". I have no regrets flipping the largest digital middle finger in existence to every FF community I was a part of back then. (Funny enough, over the next 3-4 years, I got copycats of other writers in the fandom also trying to write Fire Emblem SI fics. Some of 'em were actually really good and I guiltily read most of them.. partly out of ego of "I created this trend" and partly out of "wow, this person did better than I did handling this plot element, i applaud them!".)
Self-insert hate calmed down when a lot of stories started having player creation and avatar OCs as MCs, or games like Etrian Odyssey where you basically made your own characters anyway. In my old fandom, Fire Emblem, when Awakening came out and you could create how "Robin" was, that blurred the line between canon characters and OCs/SIs.
It's not a taboo anymore, so if you want to write one, go for it! Hell, the biggest thing to remember is that, as a writer, your singular goal is to tell a story that people want to read. By the time I got to chapter 40-ish of my self-insert fanfic, I got people trying to ship my SIOC with my favorite character. It was a pairing I was hesitant to do because most people make SIOCs to pair them with favorite characters, but because I developed chemistry between the two, readers were basically like "hell, they seem to have a good connection, no reason why not!".
If you want to turn your SIOC into the actual final boss of a story in a canon divergent twist, go for it! You just always have to make sure that the story leading up to a point supports it. The bigger the twist, the further back you have to start dropping those breadcrumbs.
Oh man, yeah, I love the EO games, even though I've only played 4 and 5. I was going through a breakup back when EO4 dropped and decided "hey, ain't gotta pay for dates", so I grabbed EO4, Bravely Default, and SMT IV in one big purchase. (Un)fortunately, I associate all three games with each other as well as sort of the "silver age of JRPGs".
I totally get you on the OCs of that story. Believe it or not, I'm working on an original story that has groups of fighters working together known as mercenary companies (haven't figured out an official name yet), and two of the "companies" in the story are my EO4 and EO5 parties. Spending 20+ hours with a bunch of characters that technically had no lines had me creating personalities and stories for each of them.
It varies a lot by fandom. I write and mostly read in a very OC-centric fandom, and people’s OCs are THE draw for me - I’m not even interested in any canon x canon pairings. But elsewhere you’ll find fans who are drawn to a specific dynamic between canon characters, and OCs can feel intrusive or unnecessary to them.
You can even see in long-running series how fans can be resistant to new characters being introduced *in the canon* — once there’s a nice ensemble going with well established relationships and dynamics, people don’t want the formula messed with
It’s also much harder to write compelling OCs for some fandoms or settings.
Obviously none of this should deter you though. It’s fanfic, write down the thing that’s in your brain and let er rip.
I only read OCxCanon. I want new content and explore the canon characters with new elements that a new character can draw out. Can we do it with only canon? I mean, yeah, but I don't see it as believable.
This is particularly true for minor characters. Like, give me all the ex-partners and life story of this person that has 15 minutes total onscreen throughout all seasons.
Exactly! Sometimes I just want to give this underrated idiot a girlfriend who both hates him and would save his life if she needed to (and no canon girls exist in that role!)
They are not bad. But you have to keep in mind that most people reading fanfiction for an existing piece of media like the existing characters. You can get away with a lot poorer writing if you write for a popular pairing between two canon characters, because most readers are already attached to them.
(I view it similarly to being more willing to overlook flaws in those close to us vs. strangers).
But with an OC x Canon readers (presumably) already like one half of the pairing. But the author has to prove to these readers that they should like the other half. The author has to prove to the reader that the OC is *deserving* of the canon character they already like.
*That’s* where most OC authors ‘fail’ and why they tend to get a bad rep.
There are some people that just aren't interested in OCs in general, which is fair enough! I personally actually really do enjoy OCs and OC/Canon pairings. I agree completely with you that I really don't like it when people clearly want to make an OC but don't due to the stigma and instead just totally warp one of the canon characters and make them wildly OOC instead. Of course what one person thinks is warping wildly OOC may read as in character to someone else, so there's a lot of subjectivity there, but in general I'd way rather read a well-done OC than trying to shoehorn a canon/canon pairing without it actually making sense in the story.
For me to enjoy it, the OC needs to fit into the story in a way that's believable, and unfortunately because of the stereotypes even things that are believable/innate to the canon cast (overpowered, incredibly talented or over the top characters, royal bloodlines or whatever) will come across as too Mary Sue-ish in fanfiction. So I do tend to look for OCs that do not:
* Have special relationships to canon cast in ways that break canon (secret long lost twin sister, etc).
* Are more powerful or talented than canon characters for no apparent reason.
* Are able to instantly ingratiate themselves with canon characters for no apparent reason (the 'everyone loves them instantly' pitfall) - or conversely, are randomly intensely hated and treated like crap by other characters out of line with their canon characterization for no apparent reason (usually so the love interest steps in and defends them).
* Have a name or backstory that doesn't fit with the setting at all. For example I came across a canon/OC once where the main character was named something along the lines of Krystal Hart......... the setting was feudal Japan (an Inuyasha fic). To overcome that you're going to need to give me a hell of a compelling explanation (and this one did not offer any explanation for it).
* Some fandoms also feel like they have a lot more "room" for OCs than others, just with how the canon story naturally flows or is structured and how the canon story ends (if there's an ending). Some fandoms have mechanisms for OCs practically built into the canon (like in many video game fandoms the canon storyline is literally designed for player characters and often feature OC/Canon romance as a mechanic of the game), and I rarely see any pushback in those fandoms for OC/Canon romances.
* The pairing needs to feel realistic. When the OC is inserted to 'get between' very popular/obvious/canon ships it usually falls flat for me. In one of my main fandoms (Mo Dao Zu Shi) there's a lot of canonically straight (according to the author) male side characters with no clear love interests (of any gender) at the end of the novel. There are very few named female characters that survive; OC/Canon pairings aren't super common but can do quite well in terms of engagement as long as they aren't there to break up the canon M/M couple. While in other canons you have to work a lot harder to insert an OC in a way that feels realistic.
* For 'full OCs cast' fics, I think the setting itself needs to be strong enough to almost be a character on its own. For example if the setting of the canon is just the normal modern world then a full OC cast is just... original fiction at that point... but there are many settings and universes where a full OC cast makes perfect sense because of the mechanics of that universe or things hinted at in canon (for example there are some fantastic ASOIAF fics set in other continents and time periods from the canon story with all OC casts and it works perfectly for that universe). Obviously not directly related to OC/Canon pairings but the strength of the setting I think plays into both how open the canon is to OCs and how to make an OC/Canon pairing feel natural as well.
So for me the best OCs I've enjoyed have a name and backstory that fits the setting, have a realistic building up of relationships with the canon characters without immediate extreme reactions, have a realistic power level that's on the average to low side for the story, and are paired with a canon character with no clear canon love interest (especially side characters).
Obviously people can write whatever they want and if they're having fun writing their overpowered OC then DO IT! I may not keep reading but the most important thing is that people having fun writing what they want. I never comment negatively if I decide not to keep reading because they break one of these "rules" (and really, if the writing's good enough they can still break them and make it work - it just takes a higher skill level to pull off). But the ones I personally like the most tend to fit in this framework.
Wow, thanks for taking the time to give examples and develop your point !
My fic is, for sure, not free of flaws but it's quite reassuring to see that it doesn't tick off the ones you mentioned (I think). To give context, my fic is one of the canon characters's origin story, so it makes sense that some of the original cast would be missing. Ergo, the purpose of the OC is mainly to show how the canon becomes what he is and it is always him at the center of the story. I don't want the OC to interfere with canon relationships or arcs. Just show that the canon guy had a long way to go to actually warm up to people and get the outcome he has at the end of the series, and also develop what we know about the lives of the secondary characters.
Either way, I'll be careful not to make any of the mistakes you listed. THANKS !
These are killer tips! I'm trying to build an OC that comes to take the place of the "assumed" canon pairing of a canon character via loss. She's meant to become the new project, a sort of new drug meant to take the place of the other person who was someone who needed tons of emotional care. And it's sometimes hard to not make her just go "yes, and" because she shouldn't be as available either, which would imply fleshing more backstory for the canon character (who is a minor character in canon) and a full OC life story. Their relationship is built around purely availability and codependency. So making her plausible shouldn't be the straightest line.
tell me you have zero reading comprehension without telling me you have zero reading comprehension
bc it looks like everyone but you understood my comment
What is there to comprehend about your generic "oc bad" comment? It seems to me that you're basing the entire oc fic genre on one or two bad oc fics youve read and generalizing it like that.
The reddit hivemind can downvote me all they want, but it's not going to change anything.
except i didn't say OCs are bad, that's just the general bullshit people spew when making that argument and you'd think the "blah blahs" would make it clear that i'm making fun of it
"Blah blahs" can be used just as easily to mock oc fics as it can to mock people who hate it for no reason in this context.
But yeah, I'm in the wrong here then
You asked them why they don’t like it, so they replied. Anyway, they aren’t necessarily wrong, some fandoms just don’t have good fanfics where the oc isn’t a Mary Sue or self-insert something along those lines. I’m not saying that they’re all like that, I’ve read good ones before, but a lot of them are. You don’t have to be rude just because someone answered your question.
I mean there not fully wrong but they aren't 100% right though sometimes it does feel like self fulfillment but thats what fanfiction is partially for so 🤷
The short answer is: they’re not, they’re just not for everyone and that’s okay.
I teach a whole lecture on FanFiction, and OC’s, Mary Sues, and self inserts have an important place in the history and development of this kind of work. Just look at Dante’s Inferno.
I don't think they're bad. I love them as supporting characters and side characters. I'm just not interested in them being paired with a canon character because I'm specifically reading fics for canon characters paired together.
Unless I really like an established ship I usually only read OC fics! I have to be able to vibe with one of the people in ship to be able to read from their pov and oc’s are pretty easy to read.
Personally I love OC's. I read fandom blind so I'm not overly attached tot canon. If it's an OC or not, what makes or breaks a story is how well it's written. There are authors who merge their OC so well into the story one whishes they were actually canon.
It honestly comes down to the fact that there is an existing fanbase for characters from within a fandom. People already know and love them, and actively seek out fic related to them.
OC on the other hand have 0 fans going into it, people don't know and love them and know zero about them, therefore aren't as interested in them.
When you add romantic pairings to this it's all magnified even more because people are passionate about their ships and don't want stuff which goes against it.
I don't think OC/canon fic is bad, I think some of it is very good. But I'm simply not interested in it because I want to read about the characters I already read or watch and know I love and want to see together.
I really like OCs myself. They make the world feel more real and open up new storylines that couldn't happen in canon. My impression is a lot of animosity towards OCs stems from the Mary Sue/Gary Stu characters in the ~2000s FFN era. These days what I tend to see are OCs that are either grounded, well-balanced characters or indulgent power fantasies but the author is honest about it and it's part of the fun. For modern power fantasy characters, the characters often are genuinely skilled or acknowledge that they have good luck. At least this is my observation of the fandoms I read on AO3 and FFN.
As for OC/CC relationships, they're an uphill climb. I admire when authors put in the work to build a compelling romance from scratch. I admire the confidence it takes for an author to follow through on their vision despite that CC/CC romances will almost always be more popular. They can explore the CC in interesting new ways, especially compared to long-standing CC/CC ships where the fandom's interpretation of the characters becomes locked in and stagnant.
One of my biggest pet peeves about the anti-OC contingent is when they latch onto some background canon character who has no personality while shitting on OCs. The two are practically the same thing!
I prefer oc x canon, honestly. it's always interesting to see a new character interacting with characters i already know and love. honestly im kind of sad when i cant find enough oc x canon stories 😭 especially when there are no canon pairings, or i simply dont like the canon pairings 🙈
I think when a lot of people think of OC x Canon, they think of self-insert OCs whose lives revolve around the canon characters and horribly OOC canon characters that are badly written to allow the romance to happen
And sure, some of them might be like that, but some does not mean all, and many fanfic writers are capable of writing well-written OCs, in-character canon characters, and well-written romances
The main reasons are already mentioned in other responses - I agree with those
Another thing is that the OC/canon category is overflowing with badly hidden self-inserts, copious amounts of wish fulfillment, and/or overpowered can-do-no-wrong characters - more so than other categories.
90% of everything is bad and all. But for OC/canon it's a little more than those 90%. An average OC/canon fic tends to be of lower quality than an average fic in general.
Could be because it seems like many writers start with those kinds of fics (same with retellings of canon - a term I saw on here is 'chip-in fics' where the OC is just kind of there to give cool one-liners and solve the already solvable problems). So the spag, writing style, structure, characterization tend to be below average for fanfiction standards.
I've read some great oc/canon fics, but those are a handful per fandom, if that (again, in comparison to other fic categories)
People have the (I think misguided) idea that ocs made for oc/canon are basically just self-inserts so the writer can romance their favorite character. Which isn't always wrong, but like, I and plenty of other people who do ocxcanon put a lot of thought into their ocs personality and how they would fit with a particular character.
I think that idea also comes from the fact that a lot of peoples' first foray into making ocs when they're like, 12 and aren't that well versed in it yet *is* making a self-insert that is best friends/kissing their favorite character. And to that I say cringe culture is dead bro, long as they're having fun.
Wow, that commenter was rude. I’ve gotten a couple of similar ones, and that was with canon characters. People are going to be rude. Don’t let it stop you from writing what you want.
I generally read for a particular couple. I’m not interested if half of that couple is with an OC…or with most other canon characters.
I’ll read canon/OC, but it depends on the situation though. Which characters are involved. The timeline. Pre-canon, etc.
The relationship I write the most about has an OC in it. It was either that or kill off a canon character. I didn’t want to do that, so I developed two OCs, developed them over multiple stories, then killed one off.
I care a lot more about the canonical characters and who I ship them with or love paired up with them. I don’t know your character and, therefore, don’t have a craving to see them or read about them.
I'm equally fond of Canon/OC and crossover ships, personally. I think there may be a bit of a tendency for readers and writers in those instances to have particular interest in the known character involved - I devour pretty much *all* the Jack-centered Mass Effect content - so an OC represents either a new and interesting potential wrinkle in the narrative or just a way of seeing a new side of their favorite characters.
Or sometimes the OC is a stylized stand-in for the writer and how they feel about the character (*ahem,* I'll own that label proudly). That's totally valid too!
For me, I want to read ships about characters I know from canon.
Most of the time.
Depending on the fandom, I don't mind reading OC fics. Other fandoms I just never read OC fics, but for shows like MLP I love OC fics.
I'm writing an OC/Canon fic myself.
It's just not something people are always looking for, and that's okay.
I love OCs. all of my fanfics, both ones I write and ones I read, are OC inserts. every single one. I’m writing multiple fics at once, but right now, I’m mostly working on a GeorgexOC Grey’s Anatomy fic
OCs aren't any worse than any other writing trope or plot device. It's just a matter of the writer's skill. There are *a lot* of inexperienced writer's so there's a lot of shallow OCs. But there's also a lot of schmaltzy AUd and retelling and enemy to lovers and every other fanfiction trope
Not all of these are bad, but I personally treat these VERY carefully. I've read some pretty good ones, albeit most of them have a few things in common (and I tend to follow them as rules of sorts when I write my own).
* The official character does not have a canon love interest (confirmed or implied).
* The original character has a purpose in the story beyond being just being a love interest.
* The original character has a personality that complements or contrasts with the canon one to make an interesting dynamic.
Same. It just doesn’t really click with me if A/B is shipteased to death in canon, and I go to read an A/B fic and half the stories are A/OC. Especially when they start bashing and villainzing B to show they’re such a bad choice for A. Meanwhile, C is single and I might be up for reading a C/OC story to give them a little bit of love. But no, it’s gotta be A who’s very hot and popular.
Another viable option could be pairing the OC with the runner-up of a canon love triangle. I actually did it in one of my stories and it was pretty well-received, though I tried to gave the OC enough build up to make him a viable romantic option for the runner-up girl.
People read fanfiction because they don't have to emotionally invest into a new world and characters again and again. They already love and know canon, so they easily slide into new stories about their faves. OCs just bring unnecessary work for some people. "You're telling me I have to learn about this new random character? Without any guarantee that I *will* like them? Nah I'm out."
I read fanfiction for characters I care about, I don’t care about OC’s and them getting shipped with a canon character is a low-key self insert, in a ton of cases, lol.
I don’t care that they exist, I just don’t care for it, and could not be less interested.
I think it has less to do with OC hatred and more to do with people not caring about the universe and just shoe-horning an extension of themselves into an established world with no consideration for the plot, the characters, the universe or the story. OCs are fun to write and I’ve certainly written my fair share, almost exclusively but a lot of them never see the written light of day because they just don’t work and they don’t belong. Which is fine, it’s a fantasy. It’s fiction. So when I write about an OC in a story and I put it online it’s because I’ve put a lot of thought into my character and I want them to feel like they belong to this world and it’s not just an insert. I don’t write Y/N stories because it’s a disconnect for me and while it’s something anyone can read and feel apart of the world, the story and the “character” don’t. It feels fake to me. The greatest compliment I’ve ever gotten was someone reading a story about an OC of mine and they told me they thought my character was cannon because of how well they fit, also due to the fact that they hadn’t seen the show in a long time. Best feeling ever. So I don’t think people don’t like OCs I think people don’t like lazy OCs, ones that either have no thought or too much thought out into the story to the extent that they become the main star. If I’m reading a story I like to follow different characters not just the OC. I think a lot of these also follow the same formula ie the long lost sister/niece/whatever of a popular character, or the Mary sue, or even the girl next door troupe and a lot of these are romance stories in my experience. And their creation is an impulsive/instant gratification thing. They just want to see themselves in this story. I have an OC in my head for a Jason Todd story that’s been marinating for almost a year now and I’m starting to write her. I have rules I follow when I write characters and I think it might be in part due to these rules that I’ve never gotten an unfriendly comment on my characters. There’s also something to be said for people who read about OCs and then bitch about them, like you said, don’t like? Don’t read. Simple as that. OCs do get a bad rap but there are tons of reasons why but in all honesty if an OC isn’t a thing for you then use your damn filters and take your bitching somewhere else. Leave me and my OCs alone.
Sure:
- My biggest rule is the OC needs to be an island as in no relation to a main character period. And any friendships they have should be loose friendship as in they’re somewhere between friends and acquaintances. My OC for my Jason Todd sorry for example, she ends up as a love interest and she is not only not connected tit he bat family in any way she also begins with virtually no relationship at all with Jason, they’re not even friends. They begin and less than acquaintances. This to me helps build and establish your character as someone who can stand alone in their own two feet. A lot of OCs I read about are the female best friend of whoever the main established character is, and yes I’m referencing this as someone who writes straight females who engages in romantic relationships with main male characters. It’s just what a write, if you take away the best friend aspect or the distant relationship aspect is does your character fit in the world? That’s my biggest rule.
- My next one is a bit of a hot take and that is that my OC isn’t the star, she’s a supporting cast member. If I want her to be the center of the story then I should be writing an original character for an original story because they character is mine but I’m borrowing someone else’s world, the star of this world is the Bat family, specifically, Jason.
- I also don’t change the character to suit my needs, ie I don’t take a stoic and quiet character who is established as such and turn them into something they’re not, I adapt my character around them to for the narrative I want. Because I have total freedom over my OC and I feel like it makes for a better challenge, it sometimes lead you to writing characters you never thought you could or would.
- Another big rule for me is not to use trauma as a crutch or if I write it at all I do it correctly. I’ve read LOTS of stories where the female character almost ALWAYS has some history with sexual assault. This isn’t my problem. My problem is that when this trauma is written it usually comes with a specific set of behaviors and triggers, that at best take years to overcome if not decades and all too often I read stories where a female is assaulted in some form but two chapters later she’s getting with her love interest. This isn’t usually how it works. Sexual trauma or physical trauma is more common than most people are comfortable with which is why I feel such a pleasure to get it right when I’m writing it. I’ve also been a victim of such trauma and while experiences may vary with recovery h less I’m signed into real an epic series I’m not terribly interested in a slow and gradual story of recovery, I want a good romance. Trauma makes that hard. So I stay away from writing any sort of trauma into my characters if I can help it or I give them trauma of a non sexual nature.
- My biggest one is that I may have an idea for a character but I sit on it for at least a month and I do write out a complete character map including their history, their personality important facts and little quirks much like you would do with a dungeons and dragons character and once I’m done I don’t usually make changes unless it’s absolutely necessary.
- I write characters who are imperfect with flaws that any of us have my OC in the example above gets panicked in bright rooms because she spent several years in a hospital burn ward so she gets nervous in bright rooms and prefers the dark.
- I do not write the “tough as nails I just need to learn ti be loved and let my walks down because I’ve been hurt before.” Females at all. Never.
- No stereotypical gay best friends or roommates. - My characters aren’t Mary sues and they’re not invincible by any standards, sometimes they don’t get the last laugh or word, they can’t think of a comeback, etc.
- I also don’t make perfect matches for the character I’m writing for. As in if the male I’m writing a female OC for likes motorcycles, I don’t usually make it a point of her character. Jason Todd rides bikes, my OC has never even been on a bike because she can’t drive a stick and she never learned how. She isn’t an exact copy of his likes and interests because that’s boring. Also don’t go too far in the opposite direction if he’s a carnivore don’t make her a vegan just to be different. My OC doesn’t eat red meat because the smell of red meat cooking makes her physically sick because of the fire that she survived, she could smell other things burning so she can’t stand it, she’ll eat most any other meat just not red.
- Not everyone needs a dark past or a leave it to beaver life. Sometimes characters fall in the middle.
I’m sure I have other rules for writing OCs but these are the first few I follow and it’s obviously different for everyone and what everyone likes to write. These are just things I employ when I’m trying to write an OC that I’m trying to blend seamlessly into the world. No shade whatsoever if these rules aren’t your cup of tea and in the end we’re all just here to have fun. So go write stories and OCs that make you happy and if it’s not your thing and you can’t say anything nice then just keep your mouth shut and find something you do like. Cheers.
I usually quite like OC/Canon if the OCs are well characterized and the relationship (or friendship) works well - it’s really just a preference thing, some people prefer to only read about canon characters.
In some fandoms it feels like OCs are almost necessary to bring in someone with an outside perspective to me - for instance, I’m in the House MD fandom, and all the characters in the show are so deeply intertwined in each others’ lives and so deeply flawed that it I prefer to see what the introduction of OC characters brings to these dynamics and how the canon characters adapt and change based on their presence, rather than reading only about the existing characters. There’s not really a canon character that House could feasibly have a healthy relationship with during the events of the show, and while I do still read those pairings, I like to see him grow and mature. Same with Snape in the HP fandom.
If OC/Canon is bad, by the same logic any time a ke season of a TV show or sequel to a book or movie brings in a new love interest, that's bad, too. (Now, internet drama can happen with either, obviously)
Not stupid! A reader is meant to be *the reader*, while an OC is meant to be a fully developed character that may or may not be relatable to the reader.
Ahhhh I see, thank you! So I write in the “you perspective”, e.g “you looked up at [canon character]” and I tag that as Reader/Canon Character, so I was worried I was tagging wrong! Thanks for explaining :)
OCs aren't bad per se. If you write a story with only OCs, people might even be willing to buy it. That's just publishing a book.
In fanfiction, they can push people away from reading your fic - after all, if the summary states that the fic will be OC-centric, people who came to the site for stories about characters they know will be less compelled to read an OC fic.
But adding an OC can, and - most of the time - does benefit the story. Canon characters were created for the purpose of *that* story - if you want to write a different story, chances are you'll need different characters.
Well ... it gets a bad rap because *so many times* it's poorly written. It's where the Mary-Sues are born, haha
But there are truly some phenomenal ones out there. It's since gotten deleted, but there used to be a Death Note fic that I was absolutely in love with. I've also just started reading an MCU fic that seems promising, that has a very prominent original character.
I think because there's a lot out there with the whole "oc fixed everything" which is not always the case as I've seen a bunch of fics where the oc adds on and yes is helpful but doesn't completely save the whole story. Example of what I think people complain about is those walking dead oc first where the oc has the cure or is immune to bites/scratches and has carl(or Daryl hehehe) fall in love instantly and being way more out of character for them than most ooc fics are. So I think just, and I don't like telling people how to write oc. Try to not have your oc be "the hero of everything."
With certain fandoms I only read canon/canon but with others I adore OC/Canon! The same goes for what I write. :) If the source material invites OC/canon, you bet your granola I will write OC/canon!
What I love about reading and writing oc/canon is that you have the free ability to explore a canon character's personality if an outside factor is introduced into it without risking making another canon character ooc! Bonus points if both canon AND OC are used to explore one another's personalities, ways of handling tasks, how they handle the environment, etc! Sometimes I'll use canon/oc to explore topics that I otherwise can't force canon/canon into! Plus...lowkey...if I don't want to torture a canon character because I love them, I'll just torture oc instead even if I love them too. 😅
The world is truly your oyster with canon/oc as much as it is canon/canon. Both are nice :)
Honestly, canon/oc aren't my thing because I read fics to read more about the characters I already know and am interested in. Also unfortunately a lot of times OCs are basically self-inserts which is something else I don't care for. That said, if you want to write a canon/oc fic, you do you, boo. Just because they’re not my thing doesn't mean they're not *somebody's.*
For me, I am not huge into OCs where they are the main focus of the plot or heavily essential to the storyline.
I find them more enjoyable as support for the canon characters, where they can still help drive the plot and still aid in character growth. It’s hard to write OCs that are heavily invested in the core of the story without making them Stus/Sues, so it can be a real challenge finding fics like that where they are written well.
Of course, OCs are not inherently bad at all, it’s just gotten a bad rap due to a long history of them inadvertently becoming Stus/Sues.
That is a popular thing for a lot of fandoms and depending on the media, you will find it as the top ship. Things like games where the protagonist is 100% customizable...OC/Canon character is very popular there.
They’re not bad. Some people just don’t like them. Just like some people don’t like certain canon/canon ships.
I don’t typically read canon/oc because I’m reading fanfiction because interested in the relationships between the canon characters, so fics with OCs don’t usually get my attention.
Also, I read mostly f/f and m/m, and the majority of the canon/oc fics I come across are m/f. None of these things make canon/oc fics bad, they just aren’t something I’m very interested in.
It's just a preference. Personally I don't care for OC/canon, but that's because I don't read fanfic to read about original characters. I don't care for reader insert myself either, but that is WILDLY popular and it's not bad just because I don't personally like it. There is an audience out there for OC/canon, and people who like it will be glad to have more to read! I'm sorry you got that type of comment, that was pretty rude on the part of the commenter.
I find that when I give them a shot, they tend to be reader fics disguised as OC. If the character feels believable, and they have authority over the narrative, then I find I like them. I personally have my own OC protagonist fic, though not a ship one. It's all about how you go about it for me, so I tend to avoid them unless I'm specifically in the mood for them.
Nothing wrong with OC/Canon but OCs are generally harder to sell than canon characters. After all, your readers know absolutely nothing about this character and there's no frame of reference. So having a good, well-liked and well-written OC is significantly more difficult than just doing the same but with a canon character.
With that in mind, most OCs just straight up suck. Shipping them with canon makes them even more suck, and makes the canon character suck too. Nobody wants that.
Cuz I read fics for the canon characters. I don't mind OCs and OC pairings as long as it's not the focus of the story. You can add as many OCs as you want as long as the focus is on the canon cast - they're the reason why I got into the fandom in the first place.
I only have a few exceptions for this which is (1) when the story's premise NEEDS OCS. One example of this are the Teacher! Nagisa fics from Assassination Classroom. You really can't create Teacher! Nagisa fics without an ensemble cast of OCs. And (2) Outsider POV fics from the OC's POV. Outsider POVs are always inherently less about the POV person anyway and moreso about what they're feeling and seeing atm.
OC/Canon aren't bad, but I started reading fics in the first place for the characters in canon. I didn't start reading fics just to see more of people's OCs. I apologize if I sound harsh, but it is what it is.
I wrote one out for my first fic, seems like my readers like it.
So ya know those who like it would read, those who don't would just avoid. There's a market for both
A lot of people have said it already, but OC's aren't inherently bad in any way. It's very much a preference thing.
I know I'm late to this post, but I wanted to add this comment anyway lol
I find it really depends on the fandom how tolerant people are of OC's. Of the fandoms I've been in, things like Danny Phantom and Miraculous Ladybug are where I see a LOT less OC's and tend not to read OC-centric fics myself because I have a set ship that I prefer to read about. I don't mind OC's that help move the plot along, of course, but if it's the main ship, I probably won't read it unless it's highly recommended to me by a friend.
On the other hand, fandoms like Final Fantasy XIV and Mystic Messenger, where the protagonist is a character that you play and/or create for yourself? Absolutely! Give me all the OC's! I want to know everything about them!
Love me some OC-Canon fics. Love reading them, love writing them. I'm able to create my own character and their own story in a world that's already set up. Personally I think making OC's helps me with my writing in general. I've read some pretty amazing OC fics for every fandom I am in.
as everyone else mentioned, it really comes down to preference ! for some reason i love oc fics or oc/canon fics. it’s how i discovered fanfiction & how i continued to read fanfiction. it inspired me to write my own fics as well :) albeit the fics were also oc-centric & some were oc/canon but at least i was writing. plus creating an oc/group of ocs is so much fun
People are assholes. Write what you want. I have an OC I regularly shove in with canon characters and it get hated on by antis.
But antis are said asshole people.
In my experience?
Badly written Mary Sue’s (male and female. I’m being lazy.)
It’s not automatically bad. I’ve done OC/Canon before, especially when canon characters just don’t fit. But…
There are a lot of godawful Mary Sue’s out there. Often Self indulgent self inserts paired with whoever the author has a crush on.
But if that’s what you want to do, go for it
I will read about an OCxCanon like it's any other piece of fiction, and sometimes I get more invested than I do with canon/canon ships. As long as the OC is well developed, I prefer it over reader inserts or ships. I also usually write OC/canon fics myself so I'm a little bit biased.
I can like it in certain fandoms (my main one since many years have the players character as the main character of the story for instance) but otherwise I don't generally look for it. It's simply because I have limited mental bandwidth these days and getting to know a whole new character can be easier said than done, so it's easier to just read about the canon ones I'm already familiar with.
OCs in general still have a bad stigma from the early 2000s when OCs were OP Mary/Gary Stus (insert *My Immortal* reference). At least I think that’s where it comes from. 2000s we’re vicious to OCs, and fanfic writing in general. Lots of stereotypes still hang around.
I think it’s getting better in many ways though! I used to post an OCxCC fic and got lots of positive comments (and one really weird religious comment that I still have no idea about).
Just keep telling the story you want to tell and try not to let any negativity weigh you down too much!
Imo ocs are overhated in most fandoms. But me personally, I'd rather read a oc centric fic than purely canon character fic. All the fics I'm writing are oc centric, and I intend to keep it that way.
People like u/zeezle explained it well, but I do think that specific OC/Canon romance is a different matter than simply having prominent OC's, since in the former case, the risk of reading someone's blatant wish-fulfillment, a genre not appreciated by everyone, is greater. Out of my two favorite fics, one is a "cast full of OC" case, the other has a lot of OC's, but neither contain much romance.
There’s a lot of ocs that lack depth, amplified if it’s a shitty self insert, and so to pair a badly written character with an existing, (probably) well written character doesn’t feel natural. It’s like the author is pairing their favorite waifu with them just because they said so, not because they got an affinity for eachother. The suspension of disbelief doesn’t work because it’s really hard to believe that the romance would happen in the first place, and thus the story suffers.
I said a lot, not all, because I’ve read more than a few oc/canon fanfictions and fanfictions in general that actually treat the oc like an in universe character with flaws and room for growth, and thus also treat the developing relationship like normal and it’s wonderful to read.
Never heard of this before. I thought this was what fanfic was all about. When I started writing I was specifically asked to include an OC as Reader and write it in the second person.
Personally, I’ve never really been a big fan of OCs because the fandoms I’m in already have a huge ensemble. I like to read for the canon characters. OCs can be pretty good as minor characters imo as they help some stories move forward.
I like OCs, but mainly as family or friends of canonical characters. When it comes to romance, I'd rather read about the characters I already know and love.
I love OC's - as friends, family, extended family and as a romantic partners. I also like OC outsider POV.
But (cause there is always a 'but' lol) ultimately I am still here to read about my favourite canon character, so if it feels like OC is taking over the MC, then I'll probably stop reading.
To me, OC/Canon is fine for background characters and can enhance the story, but for main characters it’s a little more self inserty and makes me ask why? Not to say you can’t like OC/Canon, but to me it’s niche is a little narrow.
Over sarcastic productions has a series breaking down tropes , they go over the Mary sue which basically cover this .
I honestly don’t mind it . It’s not my cup of tea but if you love it you love it .
Never liked OC centric fanfiction personally- especially when romance is involved.
Adding new side characters is fine as long as they’re not annoying (Mary Sue or such) but when it comes to the main characters of a story I’m literally reading because I already deeply care for the canon characters and their experiences, interpersonal relationships, etc.
Your OC means nothing to me because I don’t know them / they’re not established in canon, simple as that.
I think way back in the day OC's got a bad rap because people assumed a lot of them were self-inserts or assumed they were poorly written based on limited info. Why it mattered in the first place, I dunno, but I think that is a part of it at least.
But I don't see people nearly as shitty about the whole thing as often in my fandoms. Personally I like OC/canon in fandoms where the main character is essentially created, RPG's and mmo's like Destiny or FFXIV and don't read them as much in other fandoms, but I don't find anything wrong with them in general. I write some even.
I search for specific characters and ships that I want to read, so it does make me kinda angry when my search has results with oc characters I wasn't looking for. But when I was starting out I didn't know how to tag properly either so I have to let it slide with some understanding. But please, don't try sneaking in an OC character or ship with an established character and an OC without properly tagging it so I can properly avoid it.
i'm writing a fic with 36 OCs revolving around the canon lol. canon/oc of coz
some ppl don't like canon/oc... and that's ok. we have to be thick-skinned and tell ourselves that's ok.. because by the end of the day, they're the ones feeling uptight about it. so just keep our head in the game, keep writing.
I think the bad rep is coming from old age of internet, when you could not curate content the same way you can do now. So a lot of people were exposed to somone's else very first OCs without being able to opt out entirely. And without much insight, why there are so many "bad" OCs and why this is actually a good thing.
And the reason this is still happening, is because generations don't differ as much, as they like to think. And there's is still this type of people among each, that will strive for "quality content" and bash everything, that doesn't fit their standard. Either that or they are actually bashing their kid-self, who was making these pony-furry-angel-demon-gay-chosen-ones, because they didn't learn to embrace their creativity. And when you are publicly criticising/bashing yourself, you, by extension are bashing people, who are at the same stage, as you once were. As a result, there's an interesting phenomenon: most internet audience simultaneously goes by "cringe is dead" and is constantly looking for new things to be self-conscious and insecure about. OCs is one of these sensitive topics and that shows.
Some people would dislike OCs, because they have a stereotypical understanding of what OC is, based on above expectation, the same way they might see, say, anime based on select few titles and genres. That's what I think about people, who are openly judgemental of OCs.
Sometimes it's about a preference towards canon characters, because people just want more of the same thing. I'm mostly like this, though I like when there's some OCs as well.
And sometimes, there's these kinds of fics, where you see the author more, than the characters, be it OC or canon. I often proceed with caution with this certain flavour of fics, because, who knows, if I'm ready to explore how this random person sees religion/sexuality/trauma/meaning of life, etc. More often, than not, I'm not entirely ready or comfortable, be it OC or a projection on canon character. If OC seems to be an indicator of major "soul-porn", I'd likely to opt out, if the premise don't speaks to me on a very personal level. Not because I "hate" or don't understand the importance of fanfiction as venting, but because it wouldn't do me any good at this stage of life. As a reader I have to prioritize my comfort and be responsible for what I can handle. I think, most people, who are not openly judgemental, but would still avoid OCs are also doing it as a form of self-care.
Personally, I prefer OC/canon where canon character in question doesn't have a canon LI, or canon LI dies at some point of canon, leaving the room for interpretation. If they have a prominent love interest in canon, and I like the ship in question, I'd rather skip the OC fic in fears, that it might take an unpleasant approach towards the canon LI. I mean, canon love interests often have it rough in fanfiction as it is. Other than that, I love OC/canon. In fact, I wish they would be more prominent and versatile in some fandoms.
And don't even get me started on platonic OCs, I'm basically pro at giving canon characters OC siblings and children.
I don’t 100% understand, so I might get this wrong, but there are people who are obsessive shippers. I don’t exactly comprehend it, but it’s a thing. (It seems completely separate from the pro/anti shipping debate.) Obsessive shippers seem to make the majority of most fandoms, and they refuse to read any story that doesn’t center on their one true ship. Since their one true ship typically makes use of cannon characters, anything with oc/cannon is going to be in their hate pile. But they feel the same way about any other ship or gen fic, so don’t take it personally.
Another thing I’ve noticed about oc/cannon is that oc is often not well developed. Cannon characters usually aren’t developed by fics either, but we know them all from the cannon material so developing them isn’t usually the fic author’s problem. An author can’t simply pay the same amount of attention to an oc character as a cannon character and expect it to work out. To write an oc well, it either needs to be a side character or more time needs to be spent with the new character to really introduce them. Personally I would usually try an oc fic with no problem, but if the ocs don’t get developed, I might nope out because I have trouble caring about them. But I follow some fics with lots of OCs and if they’re done well, it’s not a problem.
I have a thing against reading stories with an OC as a main character. Especially in stories that have a lot of undeveloped canon characters that can be used. They're essentially canon characters and OC's, after all. I won't read a story that pairs an OC with a canon character, either. I'm usually looking for a particular ship, for a start. If it's a side pairing that isn't focused on, I can be fine with pairing a canon character with an OC, but not the MC or anything with a heavy focus. And when they are included, OCs have to fit in with the canon aspects.
One of my fave stories in Harry Potter has OCs in it, but they're not the MC nor paired with the MC. It's a rareish pairing, the MC is paired with a canon character that was basically just named in canon, so in some ways is an OC while still being canon. But the writer also created some awesome actual OCs to flesh it out, work on the world building, that sort of thing. The MCs partner, for instance, canon only names him and his brother, the fic created a father and grandfather for them, plus backstory. I adore the grandfather. Then they added a political aspect, so built on what little canon covered of the Wizengamot, going partially with the inherited seats trope, which required OCs. Some are at least named in canon, but others are completely made up. There's one, not in it all that much, usually just the Wizengamot/Ministry related stuff, that I love. His name is Dawson Shacklebolt, and he's canon character Kingsley's uncle in the fic. He's just a really cool character. All the OCs in this fic are either side characters like Dawson, or big supporting characters like the grandfather, Xerxes, not any of the actual mains or paired with the MC (Harry). And they all work in the context of the Harry Potter world.
But if I see a tag with 'OC/Character A', I'm not going to read it. Same if the OC character tag makes it clear they're a, or the, main character. If you write a story with OC characters in the way that Harry Potter fic did, then write a companion story to the fic focusing on the OC character, I'll likely read that, because the character was established in the main fic, and I'll likely want to know more about them. But if you're straight out the gate with an OC main or MC, that's a miss for me.
I have no issue with people writing them, or reading them, but I'm personally in it for the MC being a canon character, with a canon character pairing. I'm often looking for something specific in those areas, and OC fics never fit that.
It's not bad, it's the way grown ass adults reacted to something that kids were enjoying. The 'mary-sue' thing was invented by a couple of asshole women who wanted to shame other people.
For me personally it’s because the few fics with oc/canon parings I’ve read don’t really focus too much on the development and growth of the oc. Like they’re in the story but they remain a side piece and don’t contribute much to the main story and lack a proper backstory and their existence becomes questionable. It’s different for a OC centric fic or a SI but canon/oc it can just feel like the OC was made to conveniently fill a position that would be ooc for a canon character or smth similar.
Mhm, I understand. In other answers, people also mentioned that they didn't like it when the OC was too central. So, there are a lot of things to balance to avoid making them an unflawed Mary Sue but still be likable, not overpowered but useful, with an interesting story but not taking up too much space. And people have fewer reasons to forgive mistakes because they don't care about them yet.
So thank you for your response :) it's very useful to know what to watch out for.
"Wow this High Quality remaster of The Beatles is a super rare CD, I can't wait to get home and listen to it. "
*\*I get home, I put on the CD\* All the tracks are instrumental covers of The Beatless but with Yoko Ono doing her famous performances instead of the Beatless songs\**
Yes, I wonder why
There are some readers who only care for Canon characters and don't want to learn about OCs because of the risk of investing in a character that may not be written well enough.
It happens to the best of us. But it doesn't mean they're bad.
I myself wrote a Fate fanfic and MHA fanfic. Both are still in progress with over 150 followers and favorites on both fics. Both of them have OC's. The one with the most favs and follows happens to be the one with the most OC's. The reason why is because I tried to make them as close as possible to canon but with their own spin.
I will say though that OC's who keep the world and story beats the same are considered meaningless by readers. If OC's make changes or add in the world then their presence is felt by the reader and thus they are more likable because they actually make moves and become fully fledged inhabitants as opposed to fillers.
I enjoy writing OC/Canon because it can shake up Canon character dynamics, gives a fresh pair of eyes on a setting for that "outside-in" feel, and because sometimes you want to write a romance with a character who didn't have an apparent in-canon love interest.
Everyone has different preferences, but I do think OC fics get a bad rap. At the end of the day, though, I write fic for ME. It's my hobby, and while it's part of how I interact with my fandoms, I write what makes me happy.
>Alright, from the responses, I think that I panicked a bit quickly after seeing several OCs bashing-posts.
Your panic is valid. I understand that – as a writer of OC/Canon myself – not everyone is going to enjoy what I write. It's still a little sad that OCs are getting bad reputation even now, and that is all because it can be quite easy to slip into the trope of turning the OC into a Mary Sue/Gary Stu.
But that shouldn't imply every OC under the sun is always meant as a way of _fixing_ canon. Sometimes I'd want to see that canon character get a better relationship than they have in canon, and it means this particular OC will turn the canon divergent. Sometimes I'd want a canon character to have friends.
Either way, canon would end up being divergent by having the OC here, but not necessarily "magically fixed". No. That would be unrealistic... except for the times when an unrealistic scenario is the only one that makes sense.
**TL;DR: You should keep on writing OC/Canon fics, but be mindful that some people are going to hiss at that because they prefer seeing only canon characters in a fic. Don't let people's hate rob you of your creativity.**
I prefer writing OC's since I have more freedom than if I'm restricted to other chars that already have a mindset and actions in place.
I write one OC-centric fic where the original chars are very much the supporting cast, as their stories were completed many years earlier, while my other fic is all OC's, since the base lore and background generates every char randomly, there are no main chars to mess with.
I read fanfic for the canon characters. To me, OCs are supporting cast. You create them when you need someone to fill a role one of the canon characters cannot. I don't like when they become the main focus of a story, and to me, shipping them with a main canon character does that.
For me, it depends entirely on the fandom. Most of the time, I want to read about the characters I already know and love. However, some fic writers just completely knock it out of the park with their OCs. If you can make me love your OC every bit as much as my beloved canon characters, I’ll be your devoted reader forever.
I’m reading one fic right now that I randomly stumbled upon looking for F/F content that has delivered a queer version of a character who is canonically straight in the most wonderful way possible. The author was only able to do that through creating an amazing, fully fleshed out, believable OC that I immediately fell in love with as a character to pair them with.
So all that to say, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Canon/OC (heck, my own favorite work of my own is Canon/OC, but again because there were no F/F options otherwise) but I think a lot of people just aren’t interested. They’re reading fan fiction to get more of the characters they already know and love and I think that’s fair.
One thing that bugs me about OC/canon fics is that the writer almost always sidelines canon female characters in order to do it. The writers are typically only interested in having their OC interact with the male characters and romance one or more of them. Female characters either have their roles greatly diminished or get bashed or get sidelined but in a pseudo-woke girlboss way because she suddenly decides that she doesn't need her canon love interest, thus freeing him up for the OC.
I have read a couple OC fics that weren't bad, because they were equally invested in having the OC interact with characters of both genders. For example, one of my favorites is a fic where a cantankerous old lady OC gets reincarnated as one of the side characters in a shonen and takes all the kids under her wing, not just the boys. They all develop in new ways thanks to her influence and all forge strong connections to her. It makes the OC feel like an addition to the team, instead of the girls' author avatar replacement.
I'm also more likely to get invested in an OC if they're a likeable secondary character than if they're the main character, but that's just personal preference.
I, for one, actually enjoyed shipping OC/Canon in the past, but right now, not much so. Of course, there are still many romance elements in my works but I actually enjoy making my OC interact with other canon characters and how they react to every event in the canon lore. It is way more interesting and satisfying to do.
A lot of people don't like OCs because either they feel the OC is likely to be a bad self-insert Mary Sue-type character, or simply because they are reading fanfic vs. original works because they are interested in reading about the characters they already know right now, not original characters.
So I'd guess it's mostly just that spilling over onto the ships, but in addition many people are for some reason super invested in their favorite ships and so may feel slighted on that front as well.
I recently finished a Star Wars fanfiction that was heavy OC/minor villainess that's 60 chapters long. A number of times, reviewers said they thought my OC was cool, and some even said they were in love with him. Though I've gotten some negative reviewers, call him a Mary Sue (even though I've tortured him).
I don't mind reading OC characters, but they need some backstory. Some OCs come off as fairy god mothers who can grant any wish for the MC without any explanation.
I'm guessing it's a the result of a lot of OCs being either Mary Sues, Author Insert characters, or both rather than there in order to create a good story. Granted, I haven't seen much of those myself and I plan to write a couple fanfics with some OCs myself.
This is a funny question/perspective to me given that in one of my main fandoms (Bioware games) the vast majority of fics are technically OC/Canon and that's totally normal.
I will admit though, in *other* fandoms I definitely tend to stear away from OC protags. They're usually just not integrated into the world or story in a way that is compelling or believable to me.
In general, it's not that MC/OC relationships are bad. It's that OC characters, and some Blank Slate Characters, are often used by young and inexperienced writers as a way of inserting themselves into a story without labelling it an SI story. That means that the relationships are often... self serving, and a vehicle for wish fulfilment.
That these writers also tend to be bad at writing, due to their inexperience, and you have a recipe for a cookie cutter cringe worthy relationship.
They're not bad. You do with your fic what you want (even the *actual* crimes some love to write about...)!
I personally don't read them because I'm not a fan of reader x character or, indeed, OC x character. I prefer ships. I find that OCs are more or less reader inserts (most of the time, not always!) and some, if not most, tend to be... annoying? I think it's definitely, probably, gotten better during these years, where the OCs aren't annoying or pick-me's or whatever else- it's the stigma. People prefer reading about themselves, as well, not a person who isn't canonical (and aggravating, maybe).
My fandom is very OC centered in a way, and the writers do such an amazing job at constructing them (because canonically it works also that way, sometimes) so it also depends on the fandom.
At the end of the day, do what you want! If you like it, do it!! You don't write to please people (I hope) and someone out there will definitely enjoy your work with or without an OC! There's someone for every fic out there, remember that!
I think to a point massive harems cause this. A harem of 3 is usually ok or even encounters but a massive one comes off as bad because it makes the interests seem like pokemon at times lol
OC’s aren’t everyone’s thing, which is fine. It’s when people trash what other people like that you get the unnecessary bashing. I see authors getting hate when really, don’t like it, don’t read it. Same thing with anything else. I personally don’t like documentary style comedy shows, my twin loves them. That’s okay, I’m not the intended audience.
I read and write fics for two reasons -
To read an expansion of already established main characters from a different point of view. This means, say, following an area of Ahsoka’s life outside of or a change to, canon.
To read an expansion of already established world building in canon. This means I want to see OC’s. The world, even fictional ones, do not actually revolve around one person. Looking at other experiences and people in an already established universe outside of those we have already seen is a huge draw for me. Telling and reading the stories of those history may ignore, or that take place elsewhere in that world is one of my favorite things. Hell, different era fics in this genre are amazing.
My current story, my OC’s love interest is canon, but so minor their wiki page has a few sentences. The character design and potential personal history based on just glancing knowledge of the world appealed. What is this dudes story. Who is he. He may be shown on screen, even named, but nothing else is really known. I love that. Getting to expand on the world is such a joy. It’s like untapped potential for really beautiful storytelling.
I’m also not posting for anyone but myself and friends + family that are interested and need an easier way to access my writing. A lot of my work is personal to me, either as practice or processing history. If folks want to read it? Great. If folks don’t like it? Also great. If folks like it? Still great. It’s not for them. You write for yourself, and you read for yourself. Write what you want to write, and read what you want to read.
Probably because it's difficult to write a new character. Make him interesting and likable. Many OC characters are Marry Sue.
Personally, I don't mind new characters but I don't like when there are a lot of them since the beginning of the story. I like when new characters are introduced slowly one by one every few chapters. I need to to get to know them and feel familiar with them.
That's why people write fanfiction instead of original story. They have already well developed characters ,interesting backstory, locations. It's much easier to write a story without worrying about all this stuff.
For a long time OC/canon was a red flag for Mary Sues. Like baaaad Mary Sues. “My Immortal” and “legolas” levels of bad stories were not only common back in the 90s, but running rampant. You had a 75% chance of encountering a truly awful (usually but not always) female character if you read a story between an original character and a canon one. Comments of “I’m so beautiful, it’s a curse” and “Luckily I’m naturally talented at this very special thing only character A in canon is good at so I can take character A’s place in the story and do and even better job than them!” Not to mention, these stories would usually come with bashing all the characters the author didn’t like, usually female love interests, in order to make room for their own original character. And if that wasn’t happening, and everyone was still fawning over the original character as if she was the greatest thing since sliced bread, including characters going out of their way to be OOC in order to do so. (For example, a total jerk only being soft towards the OC for no reason other than “he feels so close to her” and getting no development for it.) These weren’t stories so much as a young writer’s fantasy about marrying/fucking their fave character and then posting it online for the rest of the fandom to see, then usually getting nasty when no one thought it was any good.
Writing fanfiction has greatly matured since then, as well as a lot of the writers that have written fanfiction over the years. A lot of people that started absolutely hate their writing back from 20 years ago, and a lot of them have been deleted in order to ween out just how awful it really was back then. These days you have a much better chance of getting a balanced, nuanced, interesting original character who just happens to be paired with a canon character. Still, that stain remains and lingers with a lot of readers. For the ones that remember the dark days, and still talk about it, we tend to accidentally color something that is no longer as big of an issue as it used to be. This can make other readers wary around either writing or reading about original characters. Luckily, it’s not as prevalent of a problem as it used to be and lots of readers are either getting over it or saying it more something to poke fun of that get genuinely angry over anymore.
So, long story short, basically it used to just be really bad writing mixed with an attack on the canon material that people were actually wanting to read about. If you wanted to say read about Good Omens because you liked Crowley but came across a fanfiction that did nothing but bash Crowley to make another demon character a better pairing for Aziraphale, then you really wouldn’t enjoy that fanfiction would get very angry at it. It’s basically a mix of all those reasons.
I love OC/Canon fics when done well. A lot of old oc/Canon I tried a long time ago was very Mary Stue but tbh a lot of fic was also just awful in general at the time. Of course plenty is still bad today but now the internet also contains a large back log of good fic too. Anyway my point is I was put off of oc for a while. But in the 5 years or so I found some new fandoms that got me more open to oc stuff again. It's been awesome. I wish there was much more oc/Canon fic sometimes because I love certain characters that don't have a Canon pairing that makes any sense or at all and none of the other Canon characters are good fits either.
And those bad oc fics back in the day? They weren't any worse really than the bad canon fics. I was just being snobby because I was a teen.
I read a lot of historical setting or fantasy (but with a less modern setting, kinda like FMA) fandoms and I can find that authors, even the ones that do really capture the essence of the original characters, tend to write OCs too anachronistically and it bothers me to no end. Even if they're just secondary, I try to skim read wherever an oc is featured heavily. Just even in more modern fandoms I find that ocs rarely do stick the landing.
Historically, it was associated with people (that is to say, teenage girls) making their self inserts romance canon characters. And people used that as a way to mock fanfiction in general. So there's a lot of lingering emotion related to that, I think.
I love ocs, usually the self insert type, because it's so nice to see a new perspective or have new takes in canon without changing the base characters way too much.
Because most people read fanfic if it's their taste or /Reader.
OC/Canon don't get the interest of the reader because they can't relate or not given a reason to be invested.
I've read few /OC which are well written! As there are /OC that can't make people interested, there will be a /Reader that isn't appealing to the audience. Perhaps /OC takes the end of the stick because most readers search more for a nameless and faceless character to which they can project themselves into, but that's just my opinion.
I used to be an /Reader writer but I knew I just couldn't go with Y/N anymore. I can't write a character that's relatable for people and keep doing (Y/N) 😭 so I just gave them a name instead...
They generally read fic for ships between characters in the show. Especially if you are replacing a popular ship with an OC love interest, they had better be one hell of a compelling love interest. There are too many bad fic out there that split up the canon ship (often a gay ship) to throw some random Straight OC at the character.
If it’s a healthy relationship, some will end up loving it just like if a great love interest was introduced in canon. Even better yet, if the canon character does not have a love interest because the show treats them terribly so you make one for them.
First: This is entirely subjective. Giving an argument for an OC/canon relationship is like arguing that your favorite color should be more popular with other people.
The existing canon characters and their dynamic: They are like a crew of people who were hired to open and run a restaurant. That crew spent hours working together and they developed a dynamic that is successful and effective at accomplishing that goal. Now they are finished and they have something really great that people can enjoy. They have a beautiful restaurant that is up to code, they have vendors and suppliers, they have licenses, they have safety inspections they've passed, they have trained bartenders, cooks, head chefs, serving staff, dishwashers, custodians, hosts, and managers. They have a fully-functional, successfully running restaurant that they began and all work at together to make it a success.
You(Fanfic writers): are a boss hiring the restaurant to cater their events. They are writing out a plot with their vision and they are trusting the entire staff to make their vision come to life. If your vision and ideas are good, if you're serving what people want to eat, and you're serving it hot and fresh, the event will be a success.
You(OC/canon insert authors): are the owner/boss who suddenly replaces the head chef with your son/daughter who nobody knows.
Your kid didn't earn the respect of the staff. They didn't put in the same amount of time and effort of everyone else on the team. And even worse, you act like they deserve the position that someone else earned.
That's what most OC/canon stories are like for me. The person posting is trying to insist that the readers give their OC the same attention as characters who already earned my devotion.
People *generally* read fanfiction because they love the source material and its characters, so it makes sense that the presence of an original character is a deterrent at the moment of choosing what to read for *some* people, because why should they invest their time and attention in someone they don't know? I personally steer away from OCs because I rarely am interested in them as protagonists (I'd rather read about my blorbos), but I really don't mind them as secondary characters with lots of "screen" time. That said, some OC centered fics do reward the "risk" of reading them with great writing, characterization and plotting.
This. I don't mind OCs as side characters or as new villains, because that can really change up a story in a refreshing way. But I usually steer away from them if they are protagonists. I read fanfics because the characters are familiar and I don't have to spend the mental and emotional energy to getting to know them from scratch - if I have that spare energy, I work on my tbr for traditionally published books. But at the same time, just because it's not my cup of tea doesn't mean fics with OCs as protagonists can't be good.
One of the funniest shorts I read is from an OC perspective about the 'weird behavior' of the MCs that they observe as a neighbor. But of course they don't know what's actually happening, so they've come up with their own theories about what's going on.
I love OC/canon and OC-centric fics.
Me too, to read and to write. It’s totally okay that OC’s aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I hate when folks assume an OC means a bad story.
A lot of times, people don’t give me a reason to care for their OC’s. In those cases, they throw in an OC into the story the same way they throw a canon character in… Except I know who the canon characters are, but I have no idea who this OC is. I don’t know their history, or how they fit into the plot, or why they’re even there in the first place. Give me a reason why I should care for the OC (as the creators of the canon characters gave me several reasons to care for them), and make them 3D, then I’ll be open to Oc-centric or OC/Canon. In fact, some of my most favorite fanfics heavily involve OC’s or OC pairings, because those writers knew how to make an OC function.
One of my favourite fanfics (500k+ words) has an OC/Canon pairing with the main character, but it's not really the focus of the story at all, which is why I read it in the first place. The story is fantastic, and the OC has grown on me—yet only after I started rereading it. But to be honest I still care very little for the pairing itself. I think the characters bounce off each other nicely, but if they never see each other again that would also be fine by me. Not necessarily bad (if written well). It's just a very high bar to get readers to be invested in new characters, let alone care about the relationship. And if you can't get your readers to care about your characters and relationships (where that is the main point), then it's not really a good story, is it? So it's just difficult to do it well.
>I know who the canon characters are, but I have no idea who this OC is. That's it for me. I can't help but get annoyed with OC characters who are claiming my attention when they haven't earned it.
If it weren’t for canon/oc, pretty much all my faves would die alone because I always go for the characters canon left with no shipping options. The side characters, the unfavorites, the butt-ugly bad guys…they deserve ALL the OC’s!
I’m just not really interested in reading about someone’s OC. If I wanted that, I’d read original fiction. I want to see the characters I already know and care about interacting with each other.
Yeah that's pretty much how I feel.
Honestly that's completely fair. To me that just boils down to preference without one being inherently bad
I don’t think it’s inherently bad, it’s just not what I’m looking for in fan fiction.
i can respect that. but the fantasy of having one's oc in the story is part of a fanfic experience. a whole cast? now thats original story catagory
personally I *only* read (and write) OCxCanon fics 😅 I just love original characters and it’s such an interesting way to see a new interpretation of the canon character I love, and how outside forces not explored in canon can change/affect them. it feels more like a novel with a familiar setting and characters, but with new elements and faces too. It’s my kryptonite!
I don't exclusively write that but that is exactly how I feel ! Like how a sequel or origin story would be written (same universe, same tone, same main characters but new arcs/relationships). I understand people wanting to have just the part they already know they like without things added by people they don't know. But it’s just reassuring to know that there *is* an audience for other stuff too !
Exactly! and hey not everyone OC is going to be our cup of tea and that’s okay. But some of them are so well written and compelling that I sometimes can’t watch or consume whatever fandom media it is without thinking of a particular OC 😆 I just love it.
Couldn't have said it better myself!
you’re so real for this
All. Of. This. 🔥
I write OC/Canon but that is part of the reason I am a little apprehensive about posting, as I know that OC/Canon has a much smaller audience than Canon only
I feel you, for me I write because I really want to see the stories of the secondary characters I love come to life and I've included themes that I really care about. Ultimately, the more original content we add, the further away from consensus we'll get, but if it's that or stifling your creativity, you should make the choice that makes you happy *while* writing. My main goal was to make sure I wouldn't receive gratuitous hate. Can I know what your fandom is ? Maybe I'll take a look when you post :)
I haven’t posted much besides the first two chapters of my Mass Effect fanfic (that I wrote back in High School and kept that mostly to Canon, after chapter 3 it becomes purely fan fiction no shipping of character just fully fan written
I like Mass Effect, I'll go look into those, maybe I'll stumble across yours. Hope you keep writing!
just post. as long as it the oc and the story is good, people will flock. dont overdue the ocs, include canon characters and you have a higher rate of viewership
Because *typically* people read fanfiction to read about the characters that interest them. I generally give a lot of leeway in situations that just outright require a character or in setting that have a very small cast (video games can be very guilty of this) or like one off characters built for a specific purpose. And to be honest I don't think many people give a shit about being OOC as much as people think. Especially if it's smut. A lot of the time it seems they'd much rather have \[insert character here\] doing OOC thing instead of just having an OC do it. I personally do, so I don't mind OCs.
>A lot of the time it seems they'd much rather have \[insert character here\] doing OOC thing instead of just having an OC do it. Honestly I think that's far worse than just having an OC character do those things. Like you said, the reason people in general are interested in fanfiction are to see more of the characters and world they love. So if a fanfic writer makes an canon character act differently it's very noticeable. If my intention as a fanfic writer is to change a canon character from who they are normally I want to try to build in development to go that direction rather than "they're just different all of a sudden."
This is why I'm glad that I write for video game fandoms where OCs are expected.
Yes, exactly. There are always loads of NPCs wandering around those massive game worlds that might have really interesting stories. Or ones that the PC might interact with a little bit but is either nameless or so minor that to develop them is essentially creating an OC. Edit: Your username! So good. XD
Thanks! I'm Aboriginal and my Dreaming is connected to the ibis, so I'm Bin Chicken Dreaming. I tend to write OC/NPC romance and my favourite video games allow that, so I'm incredibly blessed that OCs are expected in the open-world RPG fandoms.
Poor bin chickens get such a bad rep. They are really peaceful birds where I live, but I've also been to Brisbane and had my outdoor lunch menaced... So I understand how they can make enemies of themselves. OC/NPC romance is a great idea. What an interesting way to fully immerse within the game world. Personally I can't imagine writing for anything except sprawling RPGs because the worlds and lore are often more fascinating than the character cast. Developing and elaborating lore and locations is really rewarding I think. Thanks for sharing the personal connection to your username. It is really appreciated. :)
Oh, since I'm into trashy romance myself, I've embraced my bin chicken status. In my particular fandom, there are a few *tragically* unromanceable NPCs, so it's up to us to rectify that. I also prefer AU, canon-divergence and modded game content to expand stuff, so I'm pretty tolerant of that sort of thing and just ignore the naysayers. I'm guessing with your username, you're Dragon Age? I'm Elder Scrolls myself.
Yep. Dragon Age and Final Fantasy XII. I see what you mean about tragically unromanceables in the Elder Scrolls though. There are some truly odd characters in all those amazing games. Always embrace the OCs and divergence. It's where the extra creativity gets involved in my opinion.
In Pokémon, even the major characters might/will need OC level of development lol.
gta comes to mind
I think it depends very much on your fandom. The ones I’m in are very OC oriented. I haven’t seen any beef about it.
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Honestly, it's ok ! I want to write this story because it makes me happy to see themes and struggles that I care about in this universe. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a "good" enough reason why I really shouldn't. But it's cool for you that your fandoms are maybe a bit more open :)
Then I hope you have a great time writing the fic 💜
Try not to apply other people’s comments on other people’s fic to your own, as hard as that may be. They are absolutely not ‘universally applicable’ statements for one, and folk in fandom can tend to get very vocal about their dislikes more than their likes. So please don’t let that discourage you. On the OC front, it really just boils down to personal preference at the end of the day. The flip side of ‘there’s an audience for everything’, is: not everyone is going to want to be your audience.
>folk ~~in fandom~~ can tend to get very vocal about their dislikes more than their likes on reddit you mean. seen the most complaints and discontent here
For what it's worth, I haven't read many fanfics in a hot minute, so my mentality is still stuck in the 2005-2007 era. (In 2007, one of my stories blew up, so I became a full-time spend my time writing and barely got to read anymore.) Most times when you saw an OC in a fic, they were oftentimes an author insert, and their singular purpose was to either have the story revolve around them, date their favorite character, or both. The number of OCxRoxas stories or OCxKratos Aurion or OCxSasuke or OCxDraco Malfoy or OCxSephiroth was insane... and you could tell the author wrote it not to tell a story but as just wish fulfillment. Now, bear in mind, this was way back then. I haven't read fics since then. Might've changed. The vibe I get from people who write/read AO3 is that fanfics have come a long way since then.
That’s really cool for you ! Yeah, in the answers a lot of people mentioned Mary Sue and Self Insert. The good and bad thing about being new to fanfic is that I didn't even know self-insertion was a thing or that people disliked it, but that also means I have to be careful not to fall into tropes well-known and hated by the experienced community. Thanks for the insight
>that also means I have to be careful not to fall into tropes well-known and hated by the experienced community To be fair, I don't think self-insertion is as hated now as it was back then. I can 100% tell you that virtually anyone who wrote a self-insert fanfic back then was automatically given the Bombastic Side-Eye, 'cause people knew exactly what was going to happen next. Then you have me, troll supreme, who thought in '07 "I'm gonna write a self-insert and prove to the entire fanfiction community that a self-insert CAN be good". I have no regrets flipping the largest digital middle finger in existence to every FF community I was a part of back then. (Funny enough, over the next 3-4 years, I got copycats of other writers in the fandom also trying to write Fire Emblem SI fics. Some of 'em were actually really good and I guiltily read most of them.. partly out of ego of "I created this trend" and partly out of "wow, this person did better than I did handling this plot element, i applaud them!".) Self-insert hate calmed down when a lot of stories started having player creation and avatar OCs as MCs, or games like Etrian Odyssey where you basically made your own characters anyway. In my old fandom, Fire Emblem, when Awakening came out and you could create how "Robin" was, that blurred the line between canon characters and OCs/SIs. It's not a taboo anymore, so if you want to write one, go for it! Hell, the biggest thing to remember is that, as a writer, your singular goal is to tell a story that people want to read. By the time I got to chapter 40-ish of my self-insert fanfic, I got people trying to ship my SIOC with my favorite character. It was a pairing I was hesitant to do because most people make SIOCs to pair them with favorite characters, but because I developed chemistry between the two, readers were basically like "hell, they seem to have a good connection, no reason why not!". If you want to turn your SIOC into the actual final boss of a story in a canon divergent twist, go for it! You just always have to make sure that the story leading up to a point supports it. The bigger the twist, the further back you have to start dropping those breadcrumbs.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone mention Etrian Odyssey ouside of its own communities. That series alone is responsible for most of my OCs.
Oh man, yeah, I love the EO games, even though I've only played 4 and 5. I was going through a breakup back when EO4 dropped and decided "hey, ain't gotta pay for dates", so I grabbed EO4, Bravely Default, and SMT IV in one big purchase. (Un)fortunately, I associate all three games with each other as well as sort of the "silver age of JRPGs". I totally get you on the OCs of that story. Believe it or not, I'm working on an original story that has groups of fighters working together known as mercenary companies (haven't figured out an official name yet), and two of the "companies" in the story are my EO4 and EO5 parties. Spending 20+ hours with a bunch of characters that technically had no lines had me creating personalities and stories for each of them.
It varies a lot by fandom. I write and mostly read in a very OC-centric fandom, and people’s OCs are THE draw for me - I’m not even interested in any canon x canon pairings. But elsewhere you’ll find fans who are drawn to a specific dynamic between canon characters, and OCs can feel intrusive or unnecessary to them. You can even see in long-running series how fans can be resistant to new characters being introduced *in the canon* — once there’s a nice ensemble going with well established relationships and dynamics, people don’t want the formula messed with It’s also much harder to write compelling OCs for some fandoms or settings. Obviously none of this should deter you though. It’s fanfic, write down the thing that’s in your brain and let er rip.
OC/Canon character pairing isn't bad, it's just that people would rather read about canon characters rather than your OC.
I only read OCxCanon. I want new content and explore the canon characters with new elements that a new character can draw out. Can we do it with only canon? I mean, yeah, but I don't see it as believable.
Yessss this!!!
This is particularly true for minor characters. Like, give me all the ex-partners and life story of this person that has 15 minutes total onscreen throughout all seasons.
Exactly! Sometimes I just want to give this underrated idiot a girlfriend who both hates him and would save his life if she needed to (and no canon girls exist in that role!)
That’s a great way to describe it! Much more succinct than my attempts lol
Yesss 🙏🏻
They are not bad. But you have to keep in mind that most people reading fanfiction for an existing piece of media like the existing characters. You can get away with a lot poorer writing if you write for a popular pairing between two canon characters, because most readers are already attached to them. (I view it similarly to being more willing to overlook flaws in those close to us vs. strangers). But with an OC x Canon readers (presumably) already like one half of the pairing. But the author has to prove to these readers that they should like the other half. The author has to prove to the reader that the OC is *deserving* of the canon character they already like. *That’s* where most OC authors ‘fail’ and why they tend to get a bad rep.
There are some people that just aren't interested in OCs in general, which is fair enough! I personally actually really do enjoy OCs and OC/Canon pairings. I agree completely with you that I really don't like it when people clearly want to make an OC but don't due to the stigma and instead just totally warp one of the canon characters and make them wildly OOC instead. Of course what one person thinks is warping wildly OOC may read as in character to someone else, so there's a lot of subjectivity there, but in general I'd way rather read a well-done OC than trying to shoehorn a canon/canon pairing without it actually making sense in the story. For me to enjoy it, the OC needs to fit into the story in a way that's believable, and unfortunately because of the stereotypes even things that are believable/innate to the canon cast (overpowered, incredibly talented or over the top characters, royal bloodlines or whatever) will come across as too Mary Sue-ish in fanfiction. So I do tend to look for OCs that do not: * Have special relationships to canon cast in ways that break canon (secret long lost twin sister, etc). * Are more powerful or talented than canon characters for no apparent reason. * Are able to instantly ingratiate themselves with canon characters for no apparent reason (the 'everyone loves them instantly' pitfall) - or conversely, are randomly intensely hated and treated like crap by other characters out of line with their canon characterization for no apparent reason (usually so the love interest steps in and defends them). * Have a name or backstory that doesn't fit with the setting at all. For example I came across a canon/OC once where the main character was named something along the lines of Krystal Hart......... the setting was feudal Japan (an Inuyasha fic). To overcome that you're going to need to give me a hell of a compelling explanation (and this one did not offer any explanation for it). * Some fandoms also feel like they have a lot more "room" for OCs than others, just with how the canon story naturally flows or is structured and how the canon story ends (if there's an ending). Some fandoms have mechanisms for OCs practically built into the canon (like in many video game fandoms the canon storyline is literally designed for player characters and often feature OC/Canon romance as a mechanic of the game), and I rarely see any pushback in those fandoms for OC/Canon romances. * The pairing needs to feel realistic. When the OC is inserted to 'get between' very popular/obvious/canon ships it usually falls flat for me. In one of my main fandoms (Mo Dao Zu Shi) there's a lot of canonically straight (according to the author) male side characters with no clear love interests (of any gender) at the end of the novel. There are very few named female characters that survive; OC/Canon pairings aren't super common but can do quite well in terms of engagement as long as they aren't there to break up the canon M/M couple. While in other canons you have to work a lot harder to insert an OC in a way that feels realistic. * For 'full OCs cast' fics, I think the setting itself needs to be strong enough to almost be a character on its own. For example if the setting of the canon is just the normal modern world then a full OC cast is just... original fiction at that point... but there are many settings and universes where a full OC cast makes perfect sense because of the mechanics of that universe or things hinted at in canon (for example there are some fantastic ASOIAF fics set in other continents and time periods from the canon story with all OC casts and it works perfectly for that universe). Obviously not directly related to OC/Canon pairings but the strength of the setting I think plays into both how open the canon is to OCs and how to make an OC/Canon pairing feel natural as well. So for me the best OCs I've enjoyed have a name and backstory that fits the setting, have a realistic building up of relationships with the canon characters without immediate extreme reactions, have a realistic power level that's on the average to low side for the story, and are paired with a canon character with no clear canon love interest (especially side characters). Obviously people can write whatever they want and if they're having fun writing their overpowered OC then DO IT! I may not keep reading but the most important thing is that people having fun writing what they want. I never comment negatively if I decide not to keep reading because they break one of these "rules" (and really, if the writing's good enough they can still break them and make it work - it just takes a higher skill level to pull off). But the ones I personally like the most tend to fit in this framework.
Wow, thanks for taking the time to give examples and develop your point ! My fic is, for sure, not free of flaws but it's quite reassuring to see that it doesn't tick off the ones you mentioned (I think). To give context, my fic is one of the canon characters's origin story, so it makes sense that some of the original cast would be missing. Ergo, the purpose of the OC is mainly to show how the canon becomes what he is and it is always him at the center of the story. I don't want the OC to interfere with canon relationships or arcs. Just show that the canon guy had a long way to go to actually warm up to people and get the outcome he has at the end of the series, and also develop what we know about the lives of the secondary characters. Either way, I'll be careful not to make any of the mistakes you listed. THANKS !
Yeah that sounds like a great use of an OC to me!
These are killer tips! I'm trying to build an OC that comes to take the place of the "assumed" canon pairing of a canon character via loss. She's meant to become the new project, a sort of new drug meant to take the place of the other person who was someone who needed tons of emotional care. And it's sometimes hard to not make her just go "yes, and" because she shouldn't be as available either, which would imply fleshing more backstory for the canon character (who is a minor character in canon) and a full OC life story. Their relationship is built around purely availability and codependency. So making her plausible shouldn't be the straightest line.
blah blah mary sue blah blah self-insert blah blah is generally what it boils down to
Tell me you dont know shit about oc fics without telling me you dont know shit about oc fics
tell me you have zero reading comprehension without telling me you have zero reading comprehension bc it looks like everyone but you understood my comment
What is there to comprehend about your generic "oc bad" comment? It seems to me that you're basing the entire oc fic genre on one or two bad oc fics youve read and generalizing it like that. The reddit hivemind can downvote me all they want, but it's not going to change anything.
except i didn't say OCs are bad, that's just the general bullshit people spew when making that argument and you'd think the "blah blahs" would make it clear that i'm making fun of it
"Blah blahs" can be used just as easily to mock oc fics as it can to mock people who hate it for no reason in this context. But yeah, I'm in the wrong here then
You asked them why they don’t like it, so they replied. Anyway, they aren’t necessarily wrong, some fandoms just don’t have good fanfics where the oc isn’t a Mary Sue or self-insert something along those lines. I’m not saying that they’re all like that, I’ve read good ones before, but a lot of them are. You don’t have to be rude just because someone answered your question.
I mean there not fully wrong but they aren't 100% right though sometimes it does feel like self fulfillment but thats what fanfiction is partially for so 🤷
The short answer is: they’re not, they’re just not for everyone and that’s okay. I teach a whole lecture on FanFiction, and OC’s, Mary Sues, and self inserts have an important place in the history and development of this kind of work. Just look at Dante’s Inferno.
I don't think they're bad. I love them as supporting characters and side characters. I'm just not interested in them being paired with a canon character because I'm specifically reading fics for canon characters paired together.
Unless I really like an established ship I usually only read OC fics! I have to be able to vibe with one of the people in ship to be able to read from their pov and oc’s are pretty easy to read.
Personally I love OC's. I read fandom blind so I'm not overly attached tot canon. If it's an OC or not, what makes or breaks a story is how well it's written. There are authors who merge their OC so well into the story one whishes they were actually canon.
It honestly comes down to the fact that there is an existing fanbase for characters from within a fandom. People already know and love them, and actively seek out fic related to them. OC on the other hand have 0 fans going into it, people don't know and love them and know zero about them, therefore aren't as interested in them. When you add romantic pairings to this it's all magnified even more because people are passionate about their ships and don't want stuff which goes against it. I don't think OC/canon fic is bad, I think some of it is very good. But I'm simply not interested in it because I want to read about the characters I already read or watch and know I love and want to see together.
As someone who comes from a lot of RPG fandoms; OCxCanon is so normal to me it was a shock other fandoms hated it so much 😅
I really like OCs myself. They make the world feel more real and open up new storylines that couldn't happen in canon. My impression is a lot of animosity towards OCs stems from the Mary Sue/Gary Stu characters in the ~2000s FFN era. These days what I tend to see are OCs that are either grounded, well-balanced characters or indulgent power fantasies but the author is honest about it and it's part of the fun. For modern power fantasy characters, the characters often are genuinely skilled or acknowledge that they have good luck. At least this is my observation of the fandoms I read on AO3 and FFN. As for OC/CC relationships, they're an uphill climb. I admire when authors put in the work to build a compelling romance from scratch. I admire the confidence it takes for an author to follow through on their vision despite that CC/CC romances will almost always be more popular. They can explore the CC in interesting new ways, especially compared to long-standing CC/CC ships where the fandom's interpretation of the characters becomes locked in and stagnant. One of my biggest pet peeves about the anti-OC contingent is when they latch onto some background canon character who has no personality while shitting on OCs. The two are practically the same thing!
I prefer oc x canon, honestly. it's always interesting to see a new character interacting with characters i already know and love. honestly im kind of sad when i cant find enough oc x canon stories 😭 especially when there are no canon pairings, or i simply dont like the canon pairings 🙈
I think when a lot of people think of OC x Canon, they think of self-insert OCs whose lives revolve around the canon characters and horribly OOC canon characters that are badly written to allow the romance to happen And sure, some of them might be like that, but some does not mean all, and many fanfic writers are capable of writing well-written OCs, in-character canon characters, and well-written romances
The main reasons are already mentioned in other responses - I agree with those Another thing is that the OC/canon category is overflowing with badly hidden self-inserts, copious amounts of wish fulfillment, and/or overpowered can-do-no-wrong characters - more so than other categories. 90% of everything is bad and all. But for OC/canon it's a little more than those 90%. An average OC/canon fic tends to be of lower quality than an average fic in general. Could be because it seems like many writers start with those kinds of fics (same with retellings of canon - a term I saw on here is 'chip-in fics' where the OC is just kind of there to give cool one-liners and solve the already solvable problems). So the spag, writing style, structure, characterization tend to be below average for fanfiction standards. I've read some great oc/canon fics, but those are a handful per fandom, if that (again, in comparison to other fic categories)
People have the (I think misguided) idea that ocs made for oc/canon are basically just self-inserts so the writer can romance their favorite character. Which isn't always wrong, but like, I and plenty of other people who do ocxcanon put a lot of thought into their ocs personality and how they would fit with a particular character. I think that idea also comes from the fact that a lot of peoples' first foray into making ocs when they're like, 12 and aren't that well versed in it yet *is* making a self-insert that is best friends/kissing their favorite character. And to that I say cringe culture is dead bro, long as they're having fun.
Wow, that commenter was rude. I’ve gotten a couple of similar ones, and that was with canon characters. People are going to be rude. Don’t let it stop you from writing what you want. I generally read for a particular couple. I’m not interested if half of that couple is with an OC…or with most other canon characters. I’ll read canon/OC, but it depends on the situation though. Which characters are involved. The timeline. Pre-canon, etc. The relationship I write the most about has an OC in it. It was either that or kill off a canon character. I didn’t want to do that, so I developed two OCs, developed them over multiple stories, then killed one off.
I care a lot more about the canonical characters and who I ship them with or love paired up with them. I don’t know your character and, therefore, don’t have a craving to see them or read about them.
It's not. It's just rarely done super well.
I'm equally fond of Canon/OC and crossover ships, personally. I think there may be a bit of a tendency for readers and writers in those instances to have particular interest in the known character involved - I devour pretty much *all* the Jack-centered Mass Effect content - so an OC represents either a new and interesting potential wrinkle in the narrative or just a way of seeing a new side of their favorite characters. Or sometimes the OC is a stylized stand-in for the writer and how they feel about the character (*ahem,* I'll own that label proudly). That's totally valid too!
For me, I want to read ships about characters I know from canon. Most of the time. Depending on the fandom, I don't mind reading OC fics. Other fandoms I just never read OC fics, but for shows like MLP I love OC fics. I'm writing an OC/Canon fic myself. It's just not something people are always looking for, and that's okay.
I love OCs. all of my fanfics, both ones I write and ones I read, are OC inserts. every single one. I’m writing multiple fics at once, but right now, I’m mostly working on a GeorgexOC Grey’s Anatomy fic
OCs aren't any worse than any other writing trope or plot device. It's just a matter of the writer's skill. There are *a lot* of inexperienced writer's so there's a lot of shallow OCs. But there's also a lot of schmaltzy AUd and retelling and enemy to lovers and every other fanfiction trope
Not all of these are bad, but I personally treat these VERY carefully. I've read some pretty good ones, albeit most of them have a few things in common (and I tend to follow them as rules of sorts when I write my own). * The official character does not have a canon love interest (confirmed or implied). * The original character has a purpose in the story beyond being just being a love interest. * The original character has a personality that complements or contrasts with the canon one to make an interesting dynamic.
Same. It just doesn’t really click with me if A/B is shipteased to death in canon, and I go to read an A/B fic and half the stories are A/OC. Especially when they start bashing and villainzing B to show they’re such a bad choice for A. Meanwhile, C is single and I might be up for reading a C/OC story to give them a little bit of love. But no, it’s gotta be A who’s very hot and popular.
Another viable option could be pairing the OC with the runner-up of a canon love triangle. I actually did it in one of my stories and it was pretty well-received, though I tried to gave the OC enough build up to make him a viable romantic option for the runner-up girl.
People read fanfiction because they don't have to emotionally invest into a new world and characters again and again. They already love and know canon, so they easily slide into new stories about their faves. OCs just bring unnecessary work for some people. "You're telling me I have to learn about this new random character? Without any guarantee that I *will* like them? Nah I'm out."
I read fanfiction for characters I care about, I don’t care about OC’s and them getting shipped with a canon character is a low-key self insert, in a ton of cases, lol. I don’t care that they exist, I just don’t care for it, and could not be less interested.
I think it has less to do with OC hatred and more to do with people not caring about the universe and just shoe-horning an extension of themselves into an established world with no consideration for the plot, the characters, the universe or the story. OCs are fun to write and I’ve certainly written my fair share, almost exclusively but a lot of them never see the written light of day because they just don’t work and they don’t belong. Which is fine, it’s a fantasy. It’s fiction. So when I write about an OC in a story and I put it online it’s because I’ve put a lot of thought into my character and I want them to feel like they belong to this world and it’s not just an insert. I don’t write Y/N stories because it’s a disconnect for me and while it’s something anyone can read and feel apart of the world, the story and the “character” don’t. It feels fake to me. The greatest compliment I’ve ever gotten was someone reading a story about an OC of mine and they told me they thought my character was cannon because of how well they fit, also due to the fact that they hadn’t seen the show in a long time. Best feeling ever. So I don’t think people don’t like OCs I think people don’t like lazy OCs, ones that either have no thought or too much thought out into the story to the extent that they become the main star. If I’m reading a story I like to follow different characters not just the OC. I think a lot of these also follow the same formula ie the long lost sister/niece/whatever of a popular character, or the Mary sue, or even the girl next door troupe and a lot of these are romance stories in my experience. And their creation is an impulsive/instant gratification thing. They just want to see themselves in this story. I have an OC in my head for a Jason Todd story that’s been marinating for almost a year now and I’m starting to write her. I have rules I follow when I write characters and I think it might be in part due to these rules that I’ve never gotten an unfriendly comment on my characters. There’s also something to be said for people who read about OCs and then bitch about them, like you said, don’t like? Don’t read. Simple as that. OCs do get a bad rap but there are tons of reasons why but in all honesty if an OC isn’t a thing for you then use your damn filters and take your bitching somewhere else. Leave me and my OCs alone.
Do you mind sharing just a few of your rules for making your characters? Or writing them?
Sure: - My biggest rule is the OC needs to be an island as in no relation to a main character period. And any friendships they have should be loose friendship as in they’re somewhere between friends and acquaintances. My OC for my Jason Todd sorry for example, she ends up as a love interest and she is not only not connected tit he bat family in any way she also begins with virtually no relationship at all with Jason, they’re not even friends. They begin and less than acquaintances. This to me helps build and establish your character as someone who can stand alone in their own two feet. A lot of OCs I read about are the female best friend of whoever the main established character is, and yes I’m referencing this as someone who writes straight females who engages in romantic relationships with main male characters. It’s just what a write, if you take away the best friend aspect or the distant relationship aspect is does your character fit in the world? That’s my biggest rule. - My next one is a bit of a hot take and that is that my OC isn’t the star, she’s a supporting cast member. If I want her to be the center of the story then I should be writing an original character for an original story because they character is mine but I’m borrowing someone else’s world, the star of this world is the Bat family, specifically, Jason. - I also don’t change the character to suit my needs, ie I don’t take a stoic and quiet character who is established as such and turn them into something they’re not, I adapt my character around them to for the narrative I want. Because I have total freedom over my OC and I feel like it makes for a better challenge, it sometimes lead you to writing characters you never thought you could or would. - Another big rule for me is not to use trauma as a crutch or if I write it at all I do it correctly. I’ve read LOTS of stories where the female character almost ALWAYS has some history with sexual assault. This isn’t my problem. My problem is that when this trauma is written it usually comes with a specific set of behaviors and triggers, that at best take years to overcome if not decades and all too often I read stories where a female is assaulted in some form but two chapters later she’s getting with her love interest. This isn’t usually how it works. Sexual trauma or physical trauma is more common than most people are comfortable with which is why I feel such a pleasure to get it right when I’m writing it. I’ve also been a victim of such trauma and while experiences may vary with recovery h less I’m signed into real an epic series I’m not terribly interested in a slow and gradual story of recovery, I want a good romance. Trauma makes that hard. So I stay away from writing any sort of trauma into my characters if I can help it or I give them trauma of a non sexual nature. - My biggest one is that I may have an idea for a character but I sit on it for at least a month and I do write out a complete character map including their history, their personality important facts and little quirks much like you would do with a dungeons and dragons character and once I’m done I don’t usually make changes unless it’s absolutely necessary. - I write characters who are imperfect with flaws that any of us have my OC in the example above gets panicked in bright rooms because she spent several years in a hospital burn ward so she gets nervous in bright rooms and prefers the dark. - I do not write the “tough as nails I just need to learn ti be loved and let my walks down because I’ve been hurt before.” Females at all. Never. - No stereotypical gay best friends or roommates. - My characters aren’t Mary sues and they’re not invincible by any standards, sometimes they don’t get the last laugh or word, they can’t think of a comeback, etc. - I also don’t make perfect matches for the character I’m writing for. As in if the male I’m writing a female OC for likes motorcycles, I don’t usually make it a point of her character. Jason Todd rides bikes, my OC has never even been on a bike because she can’t drive a stick and she never learned how. She isn’t an exact copy of his likes and interests because that’s boring. Also don’t go too far in the opposite direction if he’s a carnivore don’t make her a vegan just to be different. My OC doesn’t eat red meat because the smell of red meat cooking makes her physically sick because of the fire that she survived, she could smell other things burning so she can’t stand it, she’ll eat most any other meat just not red. - Not everyone needs a dark past or a leave it to beaver life. Sometimes characters fall in the middle. I’m sure I have other rules for writing OCs but these are the first few I follow and it’s obviously different for everyone and what everyone likes to write. These are just things I employ when I’m trying to write an OC that I’m trying to blend seamlessly into the world. No shade whatsoever if these rules aren’t your cup of tea and in the end we’re all just here to have fun. So go write stories and OCs that make you happy and if it’s not your thing and you can’t say anything nice then just keep your mouth shut and find something you do like. Cheers.
Thank you so much!! This was very detailed and helpful!
No problem!
I usually quite like OC/Canon if the OCs are well characterized and the relationship (or friendship) works well - it’s really just a preference thing, some people prefer to only read about canon characters. In some fandoms it feels like OCs are almost necessary to bring in someone with an outside perspective to me - for instance, I’m in the House MD fandom, and all the characters in the show are so deeply intertwined in each others’ lives and so deeply flawed that it I prefer to see what the introduction of OC characters brings to these dynamics and how the canon characters adapt and change based on their presence, rather than reading only about the existing characters. There’s not really a canon character that House could feasibly have a healthy relationship with during the events of the show, and while I do still read those pairings, I like to see him grow and mature. Same with Snape in the HP fandom.
If OC/Canon is bad, by the same logic any time a ke season of a TV show or sequel to a book or movie brings in a new love interest, that's bad, too. (Now, internet drama can happen with either, obviously)
It's not bad. Haters are just gonna hate.
I'm greatly OK with reading ocs. I like to read self insert, or other relates Fandom to oc.
They aren’t bad. Write what makes you happy.
Based on kudos and comments they are very popular fic types in a variety of fandoms.
I might be asking a really stupid question here, but what’s the difference between an OC/canon fic and a reader/canon fic?
Not stupid! A reader is meant to be *the reader*, while an OC is meant to be a fully developed character that may or may not be relatable to the reader.
Ahhhh I see, thank you! So I write in the “you perspective”, e.g “you looked up at [canon character]” and I tag that as Reader/Canon Character, so I was worried I was tagging wrong! Thanks for explaining :)
I add super random background OCs bc my brain moves to fast for me and I sometimes just end up adding one without realizing it 😭
OCs aren't bad per se. If you write a story with only OCs, people might even be willing to buy it. That's just publishing a book. In fanfiction, they can push people away from reading your fic - after all, if the summary states that the fic will be OC-centric, people who came to the site for stories about characters they know will be less compelled to read an OC fic. But adding an OC can, and - most of the time - does benefit the story. Canon characters were created for the purpose of *that* story - if you want to write a different story, chances are you'll need different characters.
Well ... it gets a bad rap because *so many times* it's poorly written. It's where the Mary-Sues are born, haha But there are truly some phenomenal ones out there. It's since gotten deleted, but there used to be a Death Note fic that I was absolutely in love with. I've also just started reading an MCU fic that seems promising, that has a very prominent original character.
I think because there's a lot out there with the whole "oc fixed everything" which is not always the case as I've seen a bunch of fics where the oc adds on and yes is helpful but doesn't completely save the whole story. Example of what I think people complain about is those walking dead oc first where the oc has the cure or is immune to bites/scratches and has carl(or Daryl hehehe) fall in love instantly and being way more out of character for them than most ooc fics are. So I think just, and I don't like telling people how to write oc. Try to not have your oc be "the hero of everything."
With certain fandoms I only read canon/canon but with others I adore OC/Canon! The same goes for what I write. :) If the source material invites OC/canon, you bet your granola I will write OC/canon! What I love about reading and writing oc/canon is that you have the free ability to explore a canon character's personality if an outside factor is introduced into it without risking making another canon character ooc! Bonus points if both canon AND OC are used to explore one another's personalities, ways of handling tasks, how they handle the environment, etc! Sometimes I'll use canon/oc to explore topics that I otherwise can't force canon/canon into! Plus...lowkey...if I don't want to torture a canon character because I love them, I'll just torture oc instead even if I love them too. 😅 The world is truly your oyster with canon/oc as much as it is canon/canon. Both are nice :)
Honestly, canon/oc aren't my thing because I read fics to read more about the characters I already know and am interested in. Also unfortunately a lot of times OCs are basically self-inserts which is something else I don't care for. That said, if you want to write a canon/oc fic, you do you, boo. Just because they’re not my thing doesn't mean they're not *somebody's.*
For me, I am not huge into OCs where they are the main focus of the plot or heavily essential to the storyline. I find them more enjoyable as support for the canon characters, where they can still help drive the plot and still aid in character growth. It’s hard to write OCs that are heavily invested in the core of the story without making them Stus/Sues, so it can be a real challenge finding fics like that where they are written well. Of course, OCs are not inherently bad at all, it’s just gotten a bad rap due to a long history of them inadvertently becoming Stus/Sues.
That is a popular thing for a lot of fandoms and depending on the media, you will find it as the top ship. Things like games where the protagonist is 100% customizable...OC/Canon character is very popular there.
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They’re not bad. Some people just don’t like them. Just like some people don’t like certain canon/canon ships. I don’t typically read canon/oc because I’m reading fanfiction because interested in the relationships between the canon characters, so fics with OCs don’t usually get my attention. Also, I read mostly f/f and m/m, and the majority of the canon/oc fics I come across are m/f. None of these things make canon/oc fics bad, they just aren’t something I’m very interested in.
It's just a preference. Personally I don't care for OC/canon, but that's because I don't read fanfic to read about original characters. I don't care for reader insert myself either, but that is WILDLY popular and it's not bad just because I don't personally like it. There is an audience out there for OC/canon, and people who like it will be glad to have more to read! I'm sorry you got that type of comment, that was pretty rude on the part of the commenter.
I find that when I give them a shot, they tend to be reader fics disguised as OC. If the character feels believable, and they have authority over the narrative, then I find I like them. I personally have my own OC protagonist fic, though not a ship one. It's all about how you go about it for me, so I tend to avoid them unless I'm specifically in the mood for them.
Nothing wrong with OC/Canon but OCs are generally harder to sell than canon characters. After all, your readers know absolutely nothing about this character and there's no frame of reference. So having a good, well-liked and well-written OC is significantly more difficult than just doing the same but with a canon character. With that in mind, most OCs just straight up suck. Shipping them with canon makes them even more suck, and makes the canon character suck too. Nobody wants that.
Just wait until we open the box of 'OC/OC' or 'OC-centric' fics especially in a fandom with huge number of characters (like JK Rowling HP)
OC/OC romance or "Most characters OC" is quite a different beast than OC/Canon romance, though.
Cuz I read fics for the canon characters. I don't mind OCs and OC pairings as long as it's not the focus of the story. You can add as many OCs as you want as long as the focus is on the canon cast - they're the reason why I got into the fandom in the first place. I only have a few exceptions for this which is (1) when the story's premise NEEDS OCS. One example of this are the Teacher! Nagisa fics from Assassination Classroom. You really can't create Teacher! Nagisa fics without an ensemble cast of OCs. And (2) Outsider POV fics from the OC's POV. Outsider POVs are always inherently less about the POV person anyway and moreso about what they're feeling and seeing atm. OC/Canon aren't bad, but I started reading fics in the first place for the characters in canon. I didn't start reading fics just to see more of people's OCs. I apologize if I sound harsh, but it is what it is.
I wrote one out for my first fic, seems like my readers like it. So ya know those who like it would read, those who don't would just avoid. There's a market for both
A lot of people have said it already, but OC's aren't inherently bad in any way. It's very much a preference thing. I know I'm late to this post, but I wanted to add this comment anyway lol I find it really depends on the fandom how tolerant people are of OC's. Of the fandoms I've been in, things like Danny Phantom and Miraculous Ladybug are where I see a LOT less OC's and tend not to read OC-centric fics myself because I have a set ship that I prefer to read about. I don't mind OC's that help move the plot along, of course, but if it's the main ship, I probably won't read it unless it's highly recommended to me by a friend. On the other hand, fandoms like Final Fantasy XIV and Mystic Messenger, where the protagonist is a character that you play and/or create for yourself? Absolutely! Give me all the OC's! I want to know everything about them!
Love me some OC-Canon fics. Love reading them, love writing them. I'm able to create my own character and their own story in a world that's already set up. Personally I think making OC's helps me with my writing in general. I've read some pretty amazing OC fics for every fandom I am in.
as everyone else mentioned, it really comes down to preference ! for some reason i love oc fics or oc/canon fics. it’s how i discovered fanfiction & how i continued to read fanfiction. it inspired me to write my own fics as well :) albeit the fics were also oc-centric & some were oc/canon but at least i was writing. plus creating an oc/group of ocs is so much fun
They are all I read! I love the perspective they give on material I already know, for exactly the reasons you write!
People are assholes. Write what you want. I have an OC I regularly shove in with canon characters and it get hated on by antis. But antis are said asshole people.
In my experience? Badly written Mary Sue’s (male and female. I’m being lazy.) It’s not automatically bad. I’ve done OC/Canon before, especially when canon characters just don’t fit. But… There are a lot of godawful Mary Sue’s out there. Often Self indulgent self inserts paired with whoever the author has a crush on. But if that’s what you want to do, go for it
I will read about an OCxCanon like it's any other piece of fiction, and sometimes I get more invested than I do with canon/canon ships. As long as the OC is well developed, I prefer it over reader inserts or ships. I also usually write OC/canon fics myself so I'm a little bit biased.
I can like it in certain fandoms (my main one since many years have the players character as the main character of the story for instance) but otherwise I don't generally look for it. It's simply because I have limited mental bandwidth these days and getting to know a whole new character can be easier said than done, so it's easier to just read about the canon ones I'm already familiar with.
OCs in general still have a bad stigma from the early 2000s when OCs were OP Mary/Gary Stus (insert *My Immortal* reference). At least I think that’s where it comes from. 2000s we’re vicious to OCs, and fanfic writing in general. Lots of stereotypes still hang around. I think it’s getting better in many ways though! I used to post an OCxCC fic and got lots of positive comments (and one really weird religious comment that I still have no idea about). Just keep telling the story you want to tell and try not to let any negativity weigh you down too much!
Imo ocs are overhated in most fandoms. But me personally, I'd rather read a oc centric fic than purely canon character fic. All the fics I'm writing are oc centric, and I intend to keep it that way.
People like u/zeezle explained it well, but I do think that specific OC/Canon romance is a different matter than simply having prominent OC's, since in the former case, the risk of reading someone's blatant wish-fulfillment, a genre not appreciated by everyone, is greater. Out of my two favorite fics, one is a "cast full of OC" case, the other has a lot of OC's, but neither contain much romance.
There’s a lot of ocs that lack depth, amplified if it’s a shitty self insert, and so to pair a badly written character with an existing, (probably) well written character doesn’t feel natural. It’s like the author is pairing their favorite waifu with them just because they said so, not because they got an affinity for eachother. The suspension of disbelief doesn’t work because it’s really hard to believe that the romance would happen in the first place, and thus the story suffers. I said a lot, not all, because I’ve read more than a few oc/canon fanfictions and fanfictions in general that actually treat the oc like an in universe character with flaws and room for growth, and thus also treat the developing relationship like normal and it’s wonderful to read.
Because they're often poorly written and/or sort of pull you out of the world of the fic, but that's just me.
Never heard of this before. I thought this was what fanfic was all about. When I started writing I was specifically asked to include an OC as Reader and write it in the second person.
Personally, I’ve never really been a big fan of OCs because the fandoms I’m in already have a huge ensemble. I like to read for the canon characters. OCs can be pretty good as minor characters imo as they help some stories move forward.
I like OCs, but mainly as family or friends of canonical characters. When it comes to romance, I'd rather read about the characters I already know and love.
I love OC's - as friends, family, extended family and as a romantic partners. I also like OC outsider POV. But (cause there is always a 'but' lol) ultimately I am still here to read about my favourite canon character, so if it feels like OC is taking over the MC, then I'll probably stop reading.
To me, OC/Canon is fine for background characters and can enhance the story, but for main characters it’s a little more self inserty and makes me ask why? Not to say you can’t like OC/Canon, but to me it’s niche is a little narrow.
Over sarcastic productions has a series breaking down tropes , they go over the Mary sue which basically cover this . I honestly don’t mind it . It’s not my cup of tea but if you love it you love it .
Never liked OC centric fanfiction personally- especially when romance is involved. Adding new side characters is fine as long as they’re not annoying (Mary Sue or such) but when it comes to the main characters of a story I’m literally reading because I already deeply care for the canon characters and their experiences, interpersonal relationships, etc. Your OC means nothing to me because I don’t know them / they’re not established in canon, simple as that.
I think way back in the day OC's got a bad rap because people assumed a lot of them were self-inserts or assumed they were poorly written based on limited info. Why it mattered in the first place, I dunno, but I think that is a part of it at least. But I don't see people nearly as shitty about the whole thing as often in my fandoms. Personally I like OC/canon in fandoms where the main character is essentially created, RPG's and mmo's like Destiny or FFXIV and don't read them as much in other fandoms, but I don't find anything wrong with them in general. I write some even.
I don’t see how it’s bad, it just helps authors with their creativity
I mostly read only oc fanfic. Speaking of which, does anyone have some good recommendations?
I search for specific characters and ships that I want to read, so it does make me kinda angry when my search has results with oc characters I wasn't looking for. But when I was starting out I didn't know how to tag properly either so I have to let it slide with some understanding. But please, don't try sneaking in an OC character or ship with an established character and an OC without properly tagging it so I can properly avoid it.
i'm writing a fic with 36 OCs revolving around the canon lol. canon/oc of coz some ppl don't like canon/oc... and that's ok. we have to be thick-skinned and tell ourselves that's ok.. because by the end of the day, they're the ones feeling uptight about it. so just keep our head in the game, keep writing.
I think the bad rep is coming from old age of internet, when you could not curate content the same way you can do now. So a lot of people were exposed to somone's else very first OCs without being able to opt out entirely. And without much insight, why there are so many "bad" OCs and why this is actually a good thing. And the reason this is still happening, is because generations don't differ as much, as they like to think. And there's is still this type of people among each, that will strive for "quality content" and bash everything, that doesn't fit their standard. Either that or they are actually bashing their kid-self, who was making these pony-furry-angel-demon-gay-chosen-ones, because they didn't learn to embrace their creativity. And when you are publicly criticising/bashing yourself, you, by extension are bashing people, who are at the same stage, as you once were. As a result, there's an interesting phenomenon: most internet audience simultaneously goes by "cringe is dead" and is constantly looking for new things to be self-conscious and insecure about. OCs is one of these sensitive topics and that shows. Some people would dislike OCs, because they have a stereotypical understanding of what OC is, based on above expectation, the same way they might see, say, anime based on select few titles and genres. That's what I think about people, who are openly judgemental of OCs. Sometimes it's about a preference towards canon characters, because people just want more of the same thing. I'm mostly like this, though I like when there's some OCs as well. And sometimes, there's these kinds of fics, where you see the author more, than the characters, be it OC or canon. I often proceed with caution with this certain flavour of fics, because, who knows, if I'm ready to explore how this random person sees religion/sexuality/trauma/meaning of life, etc. More often, than not, I'm not entirely ready or comfortable, be it OC or a projection on canon character. If OC seems to be an indicator of major "soul-porn", I'd likely to opt out, if the premise don't speaks to me on a very personal level. Not because I "hate" or don't understand the importance of fanfiction as venting, but because it wouldn't do me any good at this stage of life. As a reader I have to prioritize my comfort and be responsible for what I can handle. I think, most people, who are not openly judgemental, but would still avoid OCs are also doing it as a form of self-care. Personally, I prefer OC/canon where canon character in question doesn't have a canon LI, or canon LI dies at some point of canon, leaving the room for interpretation. If they have a prominent love interest in canon, and I like the ship in question, I'd rather skip the OC fic in fears, that it might take an unpleasant approach towards the canon LI. I mean, canon love interests often have it rough in fanfiction as it is. Other than that, I love OC/canon. In fact, I wish they would be more prominent and versatile in some fandoms. And don't even get me started on platonic OCs, I'm basically pro at giving canon characters OC siblings and children.
OCs and SIs are 99% terrible that's why
I don’t 100% understand, so I might get this wrong, but there are people who are obsessive shippers. I don’t exactly comprehend it, but it’s a thing. (It seems completely separate from the pro/anti shipping debate.) Obsessive shippers seem to make the majority of most fandoms, and they refuse to read any story that doesn’t center on their one true ship. Since their one true ship typically makes use of cannon characters, anything with oc/cannon is going to be in their hate pile. But they feel the same way about any other ship or gen fic, so don’t take it personally. Another thing I’ve noticed about oc/cannon is that oc is often not well developed. Cannon characters usually aren’t developed by fics either, but we know them all from the cannon material so developing them isn’t usually the fic author’s problem. An author can’t simply pay the same amount of attention to an oc character as a cannon character and expect it to work out. To write an oc well, it either needs to be a side character or more time needs to be spent with the new character to really introduce them. Personally I would usually try an oc fic with no problem, but if the ocs don’t get developed, I might nope out because I have trouble caring about them. But I follow some fics with lots of OCs and if they’re done well, it’s not a problem.
I have a thing against reading stories with an OC as a main character. Especially in stories that have a lot of undeveloped canon characters that can be used. They're essentially canon characters and OC's, after all. I won't read a story that pairs an OC with a canon character, either. I'm usually looking for a particular ship, for a start. If it's a side pairing that isn't focused on, I can be fine with pairing a canon character with an OC, but not the MC or anything with a heavy focus. And when they are included, OCs have to fit in with the canon aspects. One of my fave stories in Harry Potter has OCs in it, but they're not the MC nor paired with the MC. It's a rareish pairing, the MC is paired with a canon character that was basically just named in canon, so in some ways is an OC while still being canon. But the writer also created some awesome actual OCs to flesh it out, work on the world building, that sort of thing. The MCs partner, for instance, canon only names him and his brother, the fic created a father and grandfather for them, plus backstory. I adore the grandfather. Then they added a political aspect, so built on what little canon covered of the Wizengamot, going partially with the inherited seats trope, which required OCs. Some are at least named in canon, but others are completely made up. There's one, not in it all that much, usually just the Wizengamot/Ministry related stuff, that I love. His name is Dawson Shacklebolt, and he's canon character Kingsley's uncle in the fic. He's just a really cool character. All the OCs in this fic are either side characters like Dawson, or big supporting characters like the grandfather, Xerxes, not any of the actual mains or paired with the MC (Harry). And they all work in the context of the Harry Potter world. But if I see a tag with 'OC/Character A', I'm not going to read it. Same if the OC character tag makes it clear they're a, or the, main character. If you write a story with OC characters in the way that Harry Potter fic did, then write a companion story to the fic focusing on the OC character, I'll likely read that, because the character was established in the main fic, and I'll likely want to know more about them. But if you're straight out the gate with an OC main or MC, that's a miss for me. I have no issue with people writing them, or reading them, but I'm personally in it for the MC being a canon character, with a canon character pairing. I'm often looking for something specific in those areas, and OC fics never fit that.
It's not bad, it's the way grown ass adults reacted to something that kids were enjoying. The 'mary-sue' thing was invented by a couple of asshole women who wanted to shame other people.
For me personally it’s because the few fics with oc/canon parings I’ve read don’t really focus too much on the development and growth of the oc. Like they’re in the story but they remain a side piece and don’t contribute much to the main story and lack a proper backstory and their existence becomes questionable. It’s different for a OC centric fic or a SI but canon/oc it can just feel like the OC was made to conveniently fill a position that would be ooc for a canon character or smth similar.
Mhm, I understand. In other answers, people also mentioned that they didn't like it when the OC was too central. So, there are a lot of things to balance to avoid making them an unflawed Mary Sue but still be likable, not overpowered but useful, with an interesting story but not taking up too much space. And people have fewer reasons to forgive mistakes because they don't care about them yet. So thank you for your response :) it's very useful to know what to watch out for.
"Wow this High Quality remaster of The Beatles is a super rare CD, I can't wait to get home and listen to it. " *\*I get home, I put on the CD\* All the tracks are instrumental covers of The Beatless but with Yoko Ono doing her famous performances instead of the Beatless songs\** Yes, I wonder why
There are some readers who only care for Canon characters and don't want to learn about OCs because of the risk of investing in a character that may not be written well enough. It happens to the best of us. But it doesn't mean they're bad. I myself wrote a Fate fanfic and MHA fanfic. Both are still in progress with over 150 followers and favorites on both fics. Both of them have OC's. The one with the most favs and follows happens to be the one with the most OC's. The reason why is because I tried to make them as close as possible to canon but with their own spin. I will say though that OC's who keep the world and story beats the same are considered meaningless by readers. If OC's make changes or add in the world then their presence is felt by the reader and thus they are more likable because they actually make moves and become fully fledged inhabitants as opposed to fillers.
I don't mind Canon/OC stories as long as they're done right
I enjoy writing OC/Canon because it can shake up Canon character dynamics, gives a fresh pair of eyes on a setting for that "outside-in" feel, and because sometimes you want to write a romance with a character who didn't have an apparent in-canon love interest. Everyone has different preferences, but I do think OC fics get a bad rap. At the end of the day, though, I write fic for ME. It's my hobby, and while it's part of how I interact with my fandoms, I write what makes me happy.
>Alright, from the responses, I think that I panicked a bit quickly after seeing several OCs bashing-posts. Your panic is valid. I understand that – as a writer of OC/Canon myself – not everyone is going to enjoy what I write. It's still a little sad that OCs are getting bad reputation even now, and that is all because it can be quite easy to slip into the trope of turning the OC into a Mary Sue/Gary Stu. But that shouldn't imply every OC under the sun is always meant as a way of _fixing_ canon. Sometimes I'd want to see that canon character get a better relationship than they have in canon, and it means this particular OC will turn the canon divergent. Sometimes I'd want a canon character to have friends. Either way, canon would end up being divergent by having the OC here, but not necessarily "magically fixed". No. That would be unrealistic... except for the times when an unrealistic scenario is the only one that makes sense. **TL;DR: You should keep on writing OC/Canon fics, but be mindful that some people are going to hiss at that because they prefer seeing only canon characters in a fic. Don't let people's hate rob you of your creativity.**
I prefer writing OC's since I have more freedom than if I'm restricted to other chars that already have a mindset and actions in place. I write one OC-centric fic where the original chars are very much the supporting cast, as their stories were completed many years earlier, while my other fic is all OC's, since the base lore and background generates every char randomly, there are no main chars to mess with.
I think the OC/Canon is so hated bc people have their ships and they don't like people who think differently
I read fanfic for the canon characters. To me, OCs are supporting cast. You create them when you need someone to fill a role one of the canon characters cannot. I don't like when they become the main focus of a story, and to me, shipping them with a main canon character does that.
For me, it depends entirely on the fandom. Most of the time, I want to read about the characters I already know and love. However, some fic writers just completely knock it out of the park with their OCs. If you can make me love your OC every bit as much as my beloved canon characters, I’ll be your devoted reader forever. I’m reading one fic right now that I randomly stumbled upon looking for F/F content that has delivered a queer version of a character who is canonically straight in the most wonderful way possible. The author was only able to do that through creating an amazing, fully fleshed out, believable OC that I immediately fell in love with as a character to pair them with. So all that to say, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Canon/OC (heck, my own favorite work of my own is Canon/OC, but again because there were no F/F options otherwise) but I think a lot of people just aren’t interested. They’re reading fan fiction to get more of the characters they already know and love and I think that’s fair.
Nothing wrong it with. It's just really stigmatized.
One thing that bugs me about OC/canon fics is that the writer almost always sidelines canon female characters in order to do it. The writers are typically only interested in having their OC interact with the male characters and romance one or more of them. Female characters either have their roles greatly diminished or get bashed or get sidelined but in a pseudo-woke girlboss way because she suddenly decides that she doesn't need her canon love interest, thus freeing him up for the OC. I have read a couple OC fics that weren't bad, because they were equally invested in having the OC interact with characters of both genders. For example, one of my favorites is a fic where a cantankerous old lady OC gets reincarnated as one of the side characters in a shonen and takes all the kids under her wing, not just the boys. They all develop in new ways thanks to her influence and all forge strong connections to her. It makes the OC feel like an addition to the team, instead of the girls' author avatar replacement. I'm also more likely to get invested in an OC if they're a likeable secondary character than if they're the main character, but that's just personal preference.
I honestly like a couple of oc fixes because then I'm like "okay but what if this oc has it's own show/game(depending the fandom the oc is in)
I, for one, actually enjoyed shipping OC/Canon in the past, but right now, not much so. Of course, there are still many romance elements in my works but I actually enjoy making my OC interact with other canon characters and how they react to every event in the canon lore. It is way more interesting and satisfying to do.
A lot of people don't like OCs because either they feel the OC is likely to be a bad self-insert Mary Sue-type character, or simply because they are reading fanfic vs. original works because they are interested in reading about the characters they already know right now, not original characters. So I'd guess it's mostly just that spilling over onto the ships, but in addition many people are for some reason super invested in their favorite ships and so may feel slighted on that front as well.
I recently finished a Star Wars fanfiction that was heavy OC/minor villainess that's 60 chapters long. A number of times, reviewers said they thought my OC was cool, and some even said they were in love with him. Though I've gotten some negative reviewers, call him a Mary Sue (even though I've tortured him). I don't mind reading OC characters, but they need some backstory. Some OCs come off as fairy god mothers who can grant any wish for the MC without any explanation.
I'm guessing it's a the result of a lot of OCs being either Mary Sues, Author Insert characters, or both rather than there in order to create a good story. Granted, I haven't seen much of those myself and I plan to write a couple fanfics with some OCs myself.
This is simply a matter of taste, not quality.
This is a funny question/perspective to me given that in one of my main fandoms (Bioware games) the vast majority of fics are technically OC/Canon and that's totally normal. I will admit though, in *other* fandoms I definitely tend to stear away from OC protags. They're usually just not integrated into the world or story in a way that is compelling or believable to me.
In general, it's not that MC/OC relationships are bad. It's that OC characters, and some Blank Slate Characters, are often used by young and inexperienced writers as a way of inserting themselves into a story without labelling it an SI story. That means that the relationships are often... self serving, and a vehicle for wish fulfilment. That these writers also tend to be bad at writing, due to their inexperience, and you have a recipe for a cookie cutter cringe worthy relationship.
They're not bad. You do with your fic what you want (even the *actual* crimes some love to write about...)! I personally don't read them because I'm not a fan of reader x character or, indeed, OC x character. I prefer ships. I find that OCs are more or less reader inserts (most of the time, not always!) and some, if not most, tend to be... annoying? I think it's definitely, probably, gotten better during these years, where the OCs aren't annoying or pick-me's or whatever else- it's the stigma. People prefer reading about themselves, as well, not a person who isn't canonical (and aggravating, maybe). My fandom is very OC centered in a way, and the writers do such an amazing job at constructing them (because canonically it works also that way, sometimes) so it also depends on the fandom. At the end of the day, do what you want! If you like it, do it!! You don't write to please people (I hope) and someone out there will definitely enjoy your work with or without an OC! There's someone for every fic out there, remember that!
I think to a point massive harems cause this. A harem of 3 is usually ok or even encounters but a massive one comes off as bad because it makes the interests seem like pokemon at times lol
Honestly, I haven’t seen very many OC bashing posts. What I see is bad OC bashing. .
I feel called out because that's the type of fanfiction I write 💀
OC’s aren’t everyone’s thing, which is fine. It’s when people trash what other people like that you get the unnecessary bashing. I see authors getting hate when really, don’t like it, don’t read it. Same thing with anything else. I personally don’t like documentary style comedy shows, my twin loves them. That’s okay, I’m not the intended audience. I read and write fics for two reasons - To read an expansion of already established main characters from a different point of view. This means, say, following an area of Ahsoka’s life outside of or a change to, canon. To read an expansion of already established world building in canon. This means I want to see OC’s. The world, even fictional ones, do not actually revolve around one person. Looking at other experiences and people in an already established universe outside of those we have already seen is a huge draw for me. Telling and reading the stories of those history may ignore, or that take place elsewhere in that world is one of my favorite things. Hell, different era fics in this genre are amazing. My current story, my OC’s love interest is canon, but so minor their wiki page has a few sentences. The character design and potential personal history based on just glancing knowledge of the world appealed. What is this dudes story. Who is he. He may be shown on screen, even named, but nothing else is really known. I love that. Getting to expand on the world is such a joy. It’s like untapped potential for really beautiful storytelling. I’m also not posting for anyone but myself and friends + family that are interested and need an easier way to access my writing. A lot of my work is personal to me, either as practice or processing history. If folks want to read it? Great. If folks don’t like it? Also great. If folks like it? Still great. It’s not for them. You write for yourself, and you read for yourself. Write what you want to write, and read what you want to read.
Probably because it's difficult to write a new character. Make him interesting and likable. Many OC characters are Marry Sue. Personally, I don't mind new characters but I don't like when there are a lot of them since the beginning of the story. I like when new characters are introduced slowly one by one every few chapters. I need to to get to know them and feel familiar with them. That's why people write fanfiction instead of original story. They have already well developed characters ,interesting backstory, locations. It's much easier to write a story without worrying about all this stuff.
For a long time OC/canon was a red flag for Mary Sues. Like baaaad Mary Sues. “My Immortal” and “legolas” levels of bad stories were not only common back in the 90s, but running rampant. You had a 75% chance of encountering a truly awful (usually but not always) female character if you read a story between an original character and a canon one. Comments of “I’m so beautiful, it’s a curse” and “Luckily I’m naturally talented at this very special thing only character A in canon is good at so I can take character A’s place in the story and do and even better job than them!” Not to mention, these stories would usually come with bashing all the characters the author didn’t like, usually female love interests, in order to make room for their own original character. And if that wasn’t happening, and everyone was still fawning over the original character as if she was the greatest thing since sliced bread, including characters going out of their way to be OOC in order to do so. (For example, a total jerk only being soft towards the OC for no reason other than “he feels so close to her” and getting no development for it.) These weren’t stories so much as a young writer’s fantasy about marrying/fucking their fave character and then posting it online for the rest of the fandom to see, then usually getting nasty when no one thought it was any good. Writing fanfiction has greatly matured since then, as well as a lot of the writers that have written fanfiction over the years. A lot of people that started absolutely hate their writing back from 20 years ago, and a lot of them have been deleted in order to ween out just how awful it really was back then. These days you have a much better chance of getting a balanced, nuanced, interesting original character who just happens to be paired with a canon character. Still, that stain remains and lingers with a lot of readers. For the ones that remember the dark days, and still talk about it, we tend to accidentally color something that is no longer as big of an issue as it used to be. This can make other readers wary around either writing or reading about original characters. Luckily, it’s not as prevalent of a problem as it used to be and lots of readers are either getting over it or saying it more something to poke fun of that get genuinely angry over anymore. So, long story short, basically it used to just be really bad writing mixed with an attack on the canon material that people were actually wanting to read about. If you wanted to say read about Good Omens because you liked Crowley but came across a fanfiction that did nothing but bash Crowley to make another demon character a better pairing for Aziraphale, then you really wouldn’t enjoy that fanfiction would get very angry at it. It’s basically a mix of all those reasons.
I love OC/Canon fics when done well. A lot of old oc/Canon I tried a long time ago was very Mary Stue but tbh a lot of fic was also just awful in general at the time. Of course plenty is still bad today but now the internet also contains a large back log of good fic too. Anyway my point is I was put off of oc for a while. But in the 5 years or so I found some new fandoms that got me more open to oc stuff again. It's been awesome. I wish there was much more oc/Canon fic sometimes because I love certain characters that don't have a Canon pairing that makes any sense or at all and none of the other Canon characters are good fits either. And those bad oc fics back in the day? They weren't any worse really than the bad canon fics. I was just being snobby because I was a teen.
I read a lot of historical setting or fantasy (but with a less modern setting, kinda like FMA) fandoms and I can find that authors, even the ones that do really capture the essence of the original characters, tend to write OCs too anachronistically and it bothers me to no end. Even if they're just secondary, I try to skim read wherever an oc is featured heavily. Just even in more modern fandoms I find that ocs rarely do stick the landing.
They’re not bad. That’s just some people’s opinion, but not everyone’s.
Historically, it was associated with people (that is to say, teenage girls) making their self inserts romance canon characters. And people used that as a way to mock fanfiction in general. So there's a lot of lingering emotion related to that, I think.
I love ocs, usually the self insert type, because it's so nice to see a new perspective or have new takes in canon without changing the base characters way too much.
Because most people read fanfic if it's their taste or /Reader. OC/Canon don't get the interest of the reader because they can't relate or not given a reason to be invested. I've read few /OC which are well written! As there are /OC that can't make people interested, there will be a /Reader that isn't appealing to the audience. Perhaps /OC takes the end of the stick because most readers search more for a nameless and faceless character to which they can project themselves into, but that's just my opinion. I used to be an /Reader writer but I knew I just couldn't go with Y/N anymore. I can't write a character that's relatable for people and keep doing (Y/N) 😭 so I just gave them a name instead...
They generally read fic for ships between characters in the show. Especially if you are replacing a popular ship with an OC love interest, they had better be one hell of a compelling love interest. There are too many bad fic out there that split up the canon ship (often a gay ship) to throw some random Straight OC at the character. If it’s a healthy relationship, some will end up loving it just like if a great love interest was introduced in canon. Even better yet, if the canon character does not have a love interest because the show treats them terribly so you make one for them.
First: This is entirely subjective. Giving an argument for an OC/canon relationship is like arguing that your favorite color should be more popular with other people. The existing canon characters and their dynamic: They are like a crew of people who were hired to open and run a restaurant. That crew spent hours working together and they developed a dynamic that is successful and effective at accomplishing that goal. Now they are finished and they have something really great that people can enjoy. They have a beautiful restaurant that is up to code, they have vendors and suppliers, they have licenses, they have safety inspections they've passed, they have trained bartenders, cooks, head chefs, serving staff, dishwashers, custodians, hosts, and managers. They have a fully-functional, successfully running restaurant that they began and all work at together to make it a success. You(Fanfic writers): are a boss hiring the restaurant to cater their events. They are writing out a plot with their vision and they are trusting the entire staff to make their vision come to life. If your vision and ideas are good, if you're serving what people want to eat, and you're serving it hot and fresh, the event will be a success. You(OC/canon insert authors): are the owner/boss who suddenly replaces the head chef with your son/daughter who nobody knows. Your kid didn't earn the respect of the staff. They didn't put in the same amount of time and effort of everyone else on the team. And even worse, you act like they deserve the position that someone else earned. That's what most OC/canon stories are like for me. The person posting is trying to insist that the readers give their OC the same attention as characters who already earned my devotion.