Crossovers
Nov. 17th, 2007 12:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lyoreI've been thinking a bit about crossovers recently - writing them and reading them. Lucky you, I feel like sharing :)
I've seen crossovers get a bit of a bad rap, but I have to say I really like them* - I think it really gives the characters (and the author!) a chance to stretch their wings.
Consider when you have the observation of canon characters by characters of a difference canon. It gives the 'new eyes, new appreciation, new perspective' of an 'outsider POV' fic, but in this case it comes with an added bonus - because the observer isn't a cypher, their observations can shed just as much light on their characterisation as the characters they are observing.
And the same goes for character interactions - the way they respond to one another can through light on both characters, especially when you have a pair/group with strong similarities as well as distinct differences. Such interactions can make the differences and similarities in very apparent to the reader, without the author having to draw direct attention to it in the fic.
Plus, there's the fact that I love seeing the characters tossed out of their comfort zone, and I love seeing one set of characters I love meeting another set. Not to mention the technical challenges of getting the canon together in the first place - while it's easy(ish) in some cases (SG-1 get an alert about possible Goa'uld activity in a small town in California), it can be a lot harder to sell when one canon is set in, say, 21st Century earth and the other is in a galaxy far, far away (of course, sometimes this doesn't matter, depending on the fic).
*Done well - all of this applies to well done crossovers, of course. Done badly? I hate watching people mangle two sets of canon even more than I hate watching it done to one.
But that's just what I think - What about you?
[Poll #1090050]
I've seen crossovers get a bit of a bad rap, but I have to say I really like them* - I think it really gives the characters (and the author!) a chance to stretch their wings.
Consider when you have the observation of canon characters by characters of a difference canon. It gives the 'new eyes, new appreciation, new perspective' of an 'outsider POV' fic, but in this case it comes with an added bonus - because the observer isn't a cypher, their observations can shed just as much light on their characterisation as the characters they are observing.
And the same goes for character interactions - the way they respond to one another can through light on both characters, especially when you have a pair/group with strong similarities as well as distinct differences. Such interactions can make the differences and similarities in very apparent to the reader, without the author having to draw direct attention to it in the fic.
Plus, there's the fact that I love seeing the characters tossed out of their comfort zone, and I love seeing one set of characters I love meeting another set. Not to mention the technical challenges of getting the canon together in the first place - while it's easy(ish) in some cases (SG-1 get an alert about possible Goa'uld activity in a small town in California), it can be a lot harder to sell when one canon is set in, say, 21st Century earth and the other is in a galaxy far, far away (of course, sometimes this doesn't matter, depending on the fic).
*Done well - all of this applies to well done crossovers, of course. Done badly? I hate watching people mangle two sets of canon even more than I hate watching it done to one.
But that's just what I think - What about you?
[Poll #1090050]
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Re: here via metafandom
Date: 2007-11-19 07:13 am (UTC)Why am I writing this?
Do I really need all of these characters?
Yes, I think you've hit on the essence of it here. Crossovers present some unique challenges (the universe compatibility for starters, and the potential cast of thousands), and they are things the author needs to address (even just in their own mind) in order to develop their fic to their full potential (IMO, anyway).
It's interesting you mention Buffy/Supernatural - last night I was thinking about how I could resolve their canon compatibility issues. I think it's possible to come up with a workable theory.
The biggest problem with crossovers tends to be the desire to shove as many people into them as possible.
Yes. If the characters aren't adding anything to the storyline, do they really need to be there?
the Star Trek book Planet X which is a crossover with X-Men.
There is a Star Trek/X-Men crossover book? *boggles*
And I'll stop now.
No, by all means, continue! This is interesting :)
Re: here via metafandom
Date: 2007-11-19 11:43 am (UTC)Yes. If the characters aren't adding anything to the storyline, do they really need to be there?
Half the time I think minor characters are there just because the author thought it'd be neat for one scene in which they met someone else. See: X-Planet and Wolverine and Worf (whose name I have suddenly forgotten how to spell). If that's the only reason then please don't do it, unless it's a crossover dedicated to those two characters.
X-Planet does exist. Sadly. It was pretty awful.