The Case of the Dead Plot Bunnies
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| Title: | full title: "The Barby Returns -- The Case of the Dead Plot Bunnies" |
| Creator: | Dee Beetem |
| Date(s): | probably 2001 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | |
| Topic: | fanfiction |
| External Links: | The Case of the Dead Plot Bunnies, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Case of the Dead Plot Bunnies is an essay by Dee Beetem.
It discusses "The Usual Suspects: Three Common Plot Killers"
- Gratuitous Acts of Villainy
- Deus Ex Machina
- Wussing Out on the Good Fight
Excerpts
Just the other day I got to read a fanzine that I’d long been anticipating. I discovered to my pleasure that the writer’s characterization was good. The dialogue and settings were well done. And the premise was very appropriate, true to the ‘flavor’ of one of my favorite series. Why, then, did I ultimately find the novel to be disappointing? I was disappointed because a story ultimately rises and falls on its plot, and unfortunately, this story contained three major plot killers. I know that we fans care most about the characters—the guys (and rarely gals) whom we love. But even with fan fiction, the reader still winds up asking the question, "Wow! What happens next??? " If the reader stops asking that, the story has lost its purpose—and all the angst and hurt/comfort in the world won’t be able to save it.
Was anybody besides me frustrated when after seasons of buildup, Babylon 5’s Shadow War finally culminated with the Vorlons and Shadows being sent to their rooms after a scolding? What was Straczynski thinking of? Compare this to The Lord of the Rings, where Frodo and Sam finally defeated Sauron at the very Cracks of Doom—at the cost of one of Frodo’s fingers. For the fan writer who really doesn’t want to deal with fight scenes, there are always Mountain Cabin stories. (Although even there, I think that Our Heroes would probably wind up arguing over the last bag of Cheetos.)