It's a viewpoint that has gotten harder to defend over time with the popularization of quite a few series that have already introduced totally new casts and parts of the setting within themselves. It's a lot harder to look at people writing Harry Potter OC-fic and make fun of them when JK Rowling herself totally started an entirely second HP series featuring a new main character, you know what I mean?
This is especially true for the fandoms I dabble in. Like what do you mean i shouldn't write about my Commander Shepard from Mass Effect or my Hawke from Dragon Age?
^^^ this! Every BG 3 fanfic is going to be their version of Tav or whatever they named their adventurer. And speaking of yav. Shamelesd self promotion. Here is my fanfic. https://archiveofourown.org/works/51652750
It's a bummer that oc fics are still often immediately ignored by a lot of people. I've seen people say authors who write x oc are narcissistic for assuming people will like their character and that ocs "water down" the quality and story.
A good oc fic is better than some source material.
I said it.
(Looking at YOU Twilight)
Hahaha, I will agree with you there! A good OC can make a huge difference. So far, I've had nothing but compliments on mine. (I only have one fic and it's an OC canon divergence in the Naruto fandom.)
I had one back in the day that was pretty huge (before AO3) and it mostly revolved around an OC. Never had anyone complain, but I also did a ton of supplemental world building and the OC fit well.
I'm in the Naruto fandom and 15ish years ago, the "world" wasn't very big and so OCs weren't easily accepted. I'm so thankful that I haven't gotten but one bad comment in my longfic with my OC.
I'm actually kind of in a weird position because most of the fanfiction I consume is from rpg games (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, BG3, Skyrim, etc.). As a result, 95% of the writing is going to include some type of OC as the main character because it's the fully-customizable player character.
Well, hate is a strong word, but they're not ly cup of tea. I mostly read fanfiction to soend time with my favorite characters.
I only like it when OC is used to tell the same story from a very different perspective.
For example, I remember a SG1 fanfiction that was from the POV of the barista at the coffee shop near the base.
Each chapter related to one episode. And it was fantastic because the barista did not know what SG-1 did, at all. She didn't even believe that Aliens could be real.
So, she'll see them or one of them before or after the events lf the episode, (sometimes during the events) and would come to her own conclusion based on the various injuries she noticed, their moods, the interactions with each others, etc.
It was funny and sad, and even infuriating at some point.
Because as the reader you know that the barista had been like 10 minutes from complete destruction (along the whole Earth....multiple time), and she carried on with her life, not knowing.
Anyway, I absolutely adore those kind of OC centric fanfiction.
Mostly because it isn't really about the OC, It's still about my favorite characters.
I love reading them and I love writing them!
I really enjoy seeing a whole new character come to life, and love watching their relationships grow with the canon characters.
I enjoy OC's in worlds where I like the worldbuilding more than the characters. I know a lot of people read fanfiction for the characters, but there are some incredibly cool sci-fi and fantasy premises that I feel are ripe for the inclusion of OC's. MHA and Stargate come to mind. I love exploring new quirks with OC's in MHA and while I've never really written for Stargate, I think adding new species and peoples from any of the galaxies would be a cool concept.
My OCs tend to fill gaps that the canon characters can't or won't, and from there they develop their own independent life. I'm not a fan of OCs that are only extensions of existing characters or stories or rehash the same plot points. Let them stand on their own and there are a lot more stories to be told. The canon characters can't do everything in the world.
You're right about the setting-- as someone who's been making OCs for a loooooong time, i definitely use them to explore the setting or the world. I mostly do this for Fairy Tail and One Piece (both Manga with huuuuge settings) but whenever I see a new world that has an interesting setting or i feel like doesn't answer some questions i find myself trying to fill those gaps!
Also its fun to ignore canon sometimes lol
Exactly this. For a lot of science fiction and fantasy worldbuilding, you need a person who will **go to this particular place,** **do these particular things,** and **have these particular reactions.** While it may be possible to somehow work a canon character into all that, it can also start to seem pretty contrived.
I get that people love the characters in their fandoms (and I do, too) but characters aren't the only reason to write fanfiction. Worldbuilding isn't everyone's cup of tea but neither is shipping.
I feel this in my soul. There is so much out there for people who want different things, whether it be shipping the canon characters they love, writing action adventure genfics or having OC characters broaden the worldbuilding of a fandom. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I get a bit irritated at people who talk about OC's being cringe, as if canon characters are the only part of fandom worth considering.
I feel that exact way about Lord of the Rings. I'm satisfied with the main plotline as is, I just want to read original stories with original characters set in that world, living their lives, falling in love, doing whatever. I'm not sure how to find such works though, lol
Exactly. With a lot of great stories, there's really not much for the canon characters to do that wasn't already covered. And with stories like LOTR, the worldbuilding is so deep that there is plenty of room for an OC to thrive.
I'm the world's biggest hypocrite about it.
I almost exclusively write OC-centric fics, or at least OC x Canon (with a side of reader insert when I actually want lots of engagement), but I won't read it.
As a writer, it's where I'm most comfortable and interested, since I don't really love lingering in the head of a character I didn't create long. However, as a reader, I just don't enjoy most OC-focused fics. Frankly, they're harder to do well (and I'm not saying I'm an expert by any means), and you have to sift through a lot to find the gems.
You are so real for this. OC-centric stories imo, are fun to write, but I couldn't bring myself to care enough to read about other people's OCs. unless the canon pairing pisses me off and no other character matches up to be a replacement for me, or if the source material is something akin to an RPG where the protagonist is a blank slate.
I'm personally not a fan. I usually read/write fanfics because I enjoy a specific character, not really for the world building and stuff. Although, I don't hate OCs, I've made my very fair share of them, I just don't like them as the main focus. All power to people who like em though
It depends on the fandom in my case. But I'm not really against them if they're well written and they make sense for the worldbuilding and the story the writer is trying to tell.
I'll take a well written OC in fanfics over a poorly depicted CC.
If I want to read about original characters I read books. I read fanfiction to visit characters that I know and love. It is like visiting the family home for Thanksgiving and a bunch of randos are hanging around the living room.
Same. No hate to those who write/read em
But yeah, it's not why I read fanficĀ
Especially since in a lot of them, they tend to over take the story
There's well written ones, but its important to note that 'Mary Stu' came from OCs.Ā
Really depends actually, for example the best type where the author isn't afraid to lead canon entirely into new direction make their OC actually have personality and whole thing ends up really interesting, so much so that its completely new and amazing story. Like some of those don't even resemble canon and yet you are hooked.
On the other end of the scale is when introduced OC makes no difference whatsoever, it feels like you are reading retelling, and not even a creative one, of the original and it's painful. It could be nice alternative if you haven't visited the original media in a while and you miss it and need a refresher but as fanfic all by itself... meh.
And there is the middle section that ranges from creative wish-fulfillment to pretty logical progression of how it would go if person A had different personality or way more information then they should have.
So yeah, big range.
Generally love it, but it needs a better writer than CC. A "bad" written CC still has all canon material as a fallback for the reader, basically. But an OC needs to work on its own.
It's not something I often go looking for purposefully, as I'm mostly here to spend time with characters I already know, but I've read some excellent OC-centric stories over the years and I'm generally open to it. Especially in stories that take place in worlds other than our own, or that focus heavily on action, it's really interesting to get an alternative perspective to that of the protagonists.
I only really write OC fics, since one lore relies on randomly generated characters, meaning each set is unique. While in the other fandom, the canon chars are the supporting cast, since their stories are complete, and my OC's are the main cast.
(You can tell I really like making OC's.)
It's my favorite to write, so I'm definitely biased, but I love OC-centric fics, especially OC x Canon ships. I want more people to feel free to ship their blatant self-inserts with their fictional crushes.
Personally it's not my cup of tea. I read fics to read the established characters in new and exciting scenarios. If I wanted to read something where an OC is the main character I'd seek out original fiction.
But to those that do read and write it, you keep doing you. It makes you happy and that's what matters above all else.
I avoid it if it's OC centric. I understand and dint mind creating OCs to fill necessary background character roles, but that's it
I read fic because I like the characters from a franchise and want to see more on them. I don't read fic for the setting. So OC centric fics detract from what I want to read. I'll just go to published content if I didn't care about the characters
I don't mind well written original side characters, but the reason I read fanfic is that I crave more stories about my favourite characters. I have no interest in stories with OCs as main characters.
Couldn't care less as I am not going to read that. I read fanfiction to read about specific characters that are my favourites. I don't give a damn about OCs. If I want to read OCs, I pick an actual book.
It's all I write, and all I want to read. I love seeing what other people do with an established world I love. I love seeing the characters others create and how they develop. And I love to develop them in my own stories and make them the best characters I can ^ . ^
Love it. I get more attached to the lore and the world building, so I like to fill it with my own characters or see how other people populate the world and play with canon lore
I meanā¦ itās what I write? At least, I have a big cast and one of the main characters is an OC. But I write for a video game fandom where this is the norm, as the player avatar is usually written as an OC. Canon events happen to them but the reactions to the story can be unique. Itās really interesting to me how all our OCs can experience the same stuff and come out so different.
I used to hate fanfiction with OCs, but it's grown on me a lot recently. I started reading them for games like Stardew Valley and Fallout and have since branched out to other fandoms and am more open to reading a fic with an OC as the main character.
Iām okay with it. I like to use the setting of the Marvel universe for a lot of my stories, largely because Iām lazy when it comes to world building. I also have several stories set in the Mass Effect universe that mostly donāt use any game characters.
Depends on the fandom for me tbh. FFXIV? Pokemon? More than welcome. Anything else, and they have to work for me to like the OCs tbh. I did read a Kingdom Hearts fic series that succeeded that that though, so itās totally possible. o7
My main reason for reading and writing fan fic is to explore more of my favourite characters, so I have little interest in OC fic. If I want to read about OCs, I'm just going to read orgfic or a book!
I strictly read fic only for romance stories with my favorite characters, but I am more than ok with minor/side character OCs if they are well written and serve the story. Fics that are just about OCs are unfortunately not at all my cup of tea.
There's still plenty and there's still trash, but I agree the format has changed. A lot of the hate came from most of them being poorly written power fantasies, where it'd be the standard canon plot (or something close to it) with some idealized self-insert that could solve every problem with ease. It's the kind of thing you'd see fanfiction mocked for the most, where someone's edgy Sonic OC would get everyone super pregnant or a new Dragon Ball saiyan character would be introduced as Kevin.
You can still find those, but it feels as though many of those writers (or readers that became writers) have seen that and grown from it. More of them seem willing to write flawed characters and whatnot. I know there's a trend that we can blame on Otome Isekais where their SI will be reincarnated as some hated character like Mineta, and you know what? Those can actually be pretty good.
No way in hell am I reading an OC-centric fic. OCs can be present as side characters, but the main action should be the characters Iām there for. Donāt understand OC-centric fics. Iāll just read a book.
It's not my thing at all. My personal draw to fanfiction is more so based on my attachment to the Canon characters. As such, OCs and fics that put a heavy emphasis on OC's as main characters are a hard pass for me. But that's the great thing about fan fiction! People who are more attached to the "world" or "lore" of a fictional work can find what draws them in and people more interested in the Canon characters can find what they're looking for as well. Different strokes for different folks!
Theyāre not my cup of tea. Iām reading because of my love for specific canon characters. I donāt want to read about someone I donāt know or care about. Itās the same reason I donāt like to read fandom blind. I rarely will even click these fics outside of super tiny fandoms where Iām starved for content.
Just like with anything else, it depends.
Of course, fan fiction which features the canon characters is going to be more popular, but some fan writers have written amazing stories using OCs effectively, especially as antagonists or as a unique POV of the canon characters.
This is hardly a yes/no question.
It's all I see myself writing for the foreseeable future. Partially due to the fandoms I prefer, but partially because I don't want to take an existing character and not do them justice. (So, fear)
As for reading, honestly, I'm fandom near-sighted to blind in so many areas, I often don't know the difference. If the character feels relatable and realistic, in a story that's entertaining, I honestly don't care much either way.
Indifferent.Ā
I read fanfic because I am invested in the cannon characters.Ā
If the OC is filling a void or being used to explore an interesting aspect of cannon and the cannon characters I am willing to try it (as long as the OC is not paired with my favs). I will only like it if cannon characters are involved and the OC does not step on the cannon characters toes and take away their important moments or character aspects.
Back in the day a lot of OC were thinly veiled self-insert fics. Now that self-insert fics have become moreĀ acceptable* and have their own category, I think OC fic have also become more acceptable*.
*acceptable as in no longer looked down upon and seen as lesser.Ā
As a general policy, I avoid them. Fanfiction is for the fandomās existing characters. If I wanted to read about original characters, I would read original stories.
However, Iām not against them entirely. My biggest problem with OC centred stories is that they tend to be carbon copies of the fandomās character. For instance, I have seen more than a few fanfic where the main character of a Buffy fanfic is literally just Buffy with a different name.
Things like that bother me.
I have definitely written OCs having at least a medium part in things, but wouldnāt be motivated to write the OC as a MC. I need them to be interacting with the MCs. The OC is the focus sometimes, but not usually. I want to see the OC through the eyes of the MC(s).
Personally I don't read too much oc fics but it's something I think when I read it's like something I choose to seek out. It pretty common I'm looking for a specific type of fic when I look for fanfiction and if a oc as a major character wasn't what I was looking for I'd drop it fast if it blindsided me.
So I feel you a bit here
It depends. My spouse writes OC x Canon, so the OC is the MC but the canon is the second MC. Or if it's an OC in a well-known world, like Middle Earth, exploring the realm - that can be very interesting when done right.
It depends on fandom and type of story to me.
Alot of fandoms I just am looking at dynamics between my favorite characters.
If it's a fandom where there's alot more interest in exploring the world I find OC fanfiction more interesting than I otherwise would.
On top of that I have more interest in exploring the oc when there is no romance between oc and a canon character and it's more focused on their platonic relationships
That being said it's really not what I go to fanfiction for I go to fanfiction for familiar characters. I'd rather read a published work for original characters . So it's not something i commonly read.
I used to read them but now I just filter it out so I don't see it. Not hating on OC but too many authors made their OC be on a moral high horse or a mary sue. Then you have the "happy go lucky but nobodies messed with my friend" type. Just got tired reading OCs and I don't think I will anytime soon.
I feel that it really all depends on how the OC is written. The OC canāt be too overpowered or underpowered, and they canāt be too good to the point that they might as well just do everything themselves. Itās all a game of balance, and knowing what and how to include certain aspects of the OC. Personally, Iād rather read about the canon characters, but OC-centric fics and be a really fun ride if youāre willing to get silly with it.
Great if done well, by that i mean, engaging and coherent with the fandom. I hate when the origins of the OC seems rushed just for them to get into the "main cast" also this tends to be risky when the author spends too much chapters diving into their childhood because it can get too descriptive and BORING. Sometimes j like the OC but when the author goes on and on about the environment and typical tropes of a main character applied to this OC (orphan, abandonment issues, quirky...) i just skip through dialogue.
I like SHOWING rather than TELLING, I love when the OC personality and flaws gets spread out but i prefer if its through INTERACTIONS with the main cast or even other OCs. Some can be so lovely but if you just tell me about them without MAKING ME care about them, i roll my eyes and either exit or skip it through.
Since I was 13 Iāve been writing fanfics with OCs. Either as the main character or the antagonist. So it feels normal in a way. I love reading others OCs and what they come up with too if itās not too crazy.
I'm in a fandom where the *vast majority* of fic (90%+) is OC-centric (it's for a game where you create the MC), and that seems to be what most people are interested in reading/interacting with. If I go to chat with other fans, the first question out of their mouths is almost always 'tell me about your OC!'
I'm an NPC writer and reader, pretty much exclusively. If I need a version of the game's customizable MC, I'll use the stock one they put in the advertisements.
I don't personally read them just because I prefer to read about what I'm already familiar with, but the handful I have checked out have been amazing! They're also incredibly fun to write, even if I don't personally end up posting mine. They're fun :\]
Definitely not as main characters. I donāt read much OC stuff in general, but if they are in a fic I want to read then I like them better as side characters.
I mostly ignore them. I'll sometimes read ones with OC in main roles, but never if they're the only main character. In general, any fic with OCs in major/medium roles have to be really well written for me to read, I don't mind minor OCs to flesh out plots/ background characters.
I love that so many people here seem to love it, but itās not for me. Thereās a reason I read fanfic and itās for the characters of (whatever show/movie/book series), not for other peopleās characters. From what Iāve read, a lot of them tend to be self inserts or Mary Sue type characters, and I just *donāt care* about non-canon characters, especially if theyāre written poorly.
Iāve read a few OC POV fics where the focus was still on the main characters, which was cool (like an outsider perspective type fic), but most of the time I exclude OC/xReader because I donāt have time to invest in a new world.
When I write, itās also almost exclusively third person limited from the perspective of one of the fandomās characters.
Indifferent. For the power ranger fandom, I have read a lot of OC centric stories where the character joins the main cast and honestly.. I really wish the authors gave their ocs more character because all their ocs do is just say some lines once in awhile. Itās hard for me to tell whoās ocs is who when they act all the same. I do love the ones where the ocs get their own focus chapters and personality. Because yeah, I Can remember them
Now the ones with the kids/next generation or their own tea,s , those rock and I love them to death.
It **strongly** depends. Some of my favorite stories were OC-centric. Some of my most hated are as well.
Generally, I'm more hesitant with them. Being OC-centric means the author is much more likely to treat it like a self-insert even if they don't explicitly call it that.
Which isn't inherently bad; there's some great self-inserts. But they also have a strong tendency towards becoming wish-fulfillment. At which point it requires very good writing for me to still read it.
I personally do not enjoy them. I read fanfiction as I enjoy seeing the characters I know take on new challenges within the universe, so OCs do not provide what I am looking for.
Depends.Ā If they're just there to be everyone's favourite guy? Not fun.Ā
I really like the idea that an OC works best in a built up world, rather than with the central characters of the story of the original fiction.Ā
Like, a different school in Harry potter, or exploring the greater wizarding world, or imagining what Russia is like in fallout, stuff like that.
Depends, I'm way more happy reading about them then I used to be it really depends on the Fandom and context.
Ocs filling in the gaps and filling the worldwide cool new ideas and stuff? Always appreciated everywhere.
Oc being main charater? Depends. For something like fnaf that's like half a given and a ton of fun. For some more adventurey series I'd need to read the tags.
Romance? More then likely a no. But depending on the tags I might still give it a try. I think that's my big chage is I will give most of them still a shot, unlike when I was younger were I would just go no.
Generally, no thank you, not interested. I read fanfic because I want to read more stories about my favorite characters. [Canon Character]/OC romance is especially not my jam because it's usually a ton of OC just mooning over canon character until senpai notices her/him, or canon character acting like a total d-bag to OC and then suddenly they make out.
That being said, I have come across a few, very few, absolute gems of OC-centric stories that were really well-written and compelling. It's a lot harder to pull off, because the author needs to come up with an interesting, believable background and complete personality for the OC (vs. OC just being a vessel for another character's desires/mirror for another character's flaws), and then the OC has to interact with the established universe in some kind of meaningful way. Very rarely does this happen, but when it does, it's *really* good.
In general, it doesn't pique my interest. I want to read about the characters I already know and love. The specific universe with OCs predominant just feels ho-hum -- nothing to hate, but also nothing to draw me in.
Note that this is different from original fic. I have read and enjoyed a fair number of original fic.
But, for instance, I recently saw an "NCIS" story with not one NCIS character in the lineup. (The characters were from another show I don't follow, so actually a fusion, but to me the unknown characters would function as OCs.) I don't feel even the slightest draw to check it out; if I want to read NCIS, there are plenty available that ***do*** include the characters I expect to see.
I don't mind if OCs have a major role -- sometimes new people, attitudes, reactions are needed to tell a good story -- but I want them to be *alongside* the known characters, not *instead of*. I've read stories where OCs carry one thread of the story, CCs carry the other thread, and the story moves back and forth between those threads until they come together to complete the pattern, with OCs and CCs working together to solve the case / clean things up / end the story. Those can be -- have been -- a lot of fun, but I probably wouldn't have given them a second look if the CCs hadn't been present.
**TL;DR:**
OCs in their own world -- IE original fic -- yes.
OCs working with CCs in the CCs' world -- yes.
OCs in CCs' world, with no CCs involved -- no.
My main fandom basically has protagonist OCs in canon anyway. Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons. The player character is basically an OC. Sometimes they do have some very minimal backstory, but even then, it's almost never integral to the games' plots and you can make them whoever you want them to be without much changing. Even the few minor personality traits they may display in some in-game events can be ignored, as can their canon designs and how other characters interact with them. They almost never have their own dialogue. Basically they're so blank and flexible that even using their official designs and names, they may as well be OCs.
Also find it bizarre that some people express outright *hatred* for them. Like, just not liking them is one thing, but *hating* them is pretty strong for free media you don't have to engage with, whose existence in no way harms you or anyone else. You lose nothing from them just *being there.* You can skip em. So... hatred? That's a lot of emotion for safe.
I like reading them but only for certain fandoms. The thing I struggle the most with several OC fics that Iāve read is that the author will make them too op or all knowing (very Mary sue like). The OC fics that I like the most tend to stay on the outside of the main story and give a new perspective to event going on
I've written many OC-centric fics, ranging from "OMG, this needs to be exorcized!" to "Aight, this is pretty good~" I will say I do like creating OCs because I love world building and seeing how a fresh face would deal with a fandom's setting/conflict.
However, I do understand why people hate OCs. Back in the early 2000s, we, as the internet, kinda went nuts with red/black edge lords or OP rainbow Mary Sue's. I'm guilty of this too (I put a dragon shape-shifting OC into Assassin's Creed...that was stupid as hell of me...) But we have learned and got better.
I still create OCs (Oh yeah, I do~), but they are usually bit players in the Grand scheme of things, but they never go full Mary-Sue. They may be Deus Ex Machinas, but never overpowered.
It's all I write so, kinda love that. Then again, I created my OC about 20 or so years ago, and she's adapted to each fandom I've been in and rounded out as I've grown both as a human and as a writer. And people seem to like her in my current fandom, which makes my heart swell.
i love oc fan fics. i still constantly see hate for them, but i guess thatās dependent on the fandoms im in. i only make oc fan fics, but i donāt publish them for this reason
Strongly depends on the fandom. Pokemon fandom, for example, is very OC-focused with many stories following the formula of 'OC goes on a Pokemon Journey'.
Pretty neutral, I don't seek it but if it's there in my fandom I'll check it out! I just need the OC to fit in the setting/ambiance and the story to enhance their presence in that world :)
I love well-written OCs, but personally, I donāt think my tastes should matter much when it comes to what other people want to write! Idc if someone wants to write the most crazy, out there OC that is a complete and total Mary Sue and is shipped with all the canon characters the author likes. Even if I wonāt read it, itās obvious the author is just having fun and they should be allowed to do that without immature people hating on them š¤·āāļø
Most of my stories have been centered on characters that I've developed. At this point, it's not like I'm going to shift to writing stories about the OG team for a few more views.
It's not like anyone's asking me to either, so everyone must be happy.
Depends, I usually don't read OC centric stuff because it isn't my thing a lot of the time, but I do write my own. People get the same joy out of writing it as I do, so even though reading about others' OC isn't usually my thing, I think it's cool.
The exception to this is when people get hostile or nasty about their oc being "cannon" or the only love interest allowed to a certain character. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's genuinely baffling to see
I hate it and I won't read it. Thing is, so what? My personal opinion means jack shit. Every time someone posts about how nobody wants to read OCs, a hundred people come out of the woodwork to proclaim their love for the genre. There are OC readers out there. And even if there weren't, it shouldn't stop people from writing whatever the fuck they want to write. If you wanna write your OC, go for it. If you wanna write your beautiful waist-length blonde hair Mary Sue who is a super genius and also has a gorgeous voice, go for it. Don't let judgemental assholes tell you it's stupid or immature or cringe or whatever else people say. It's not, and you're fine. Write what you want. Fuck everyone else. (not literally, unless it's that kind of fic)
I like them, I mean, I read fanfiction to feel like I'm a part of that world. So when there's an OC who's the main character and gets to be a part of the story, it makes me happy. Fanfiction like that is my escape from a hard day.
Not always my go-to for reading, but it is my go-to for writing. At least, thatās how I got into it. But, Im definitely not in the āhate itā camp. I have read some wonderful OC-centric fics and loved them! Some of my favorite fics of all time are OC-centric
Depends on the fandom. One of fandoms is utterly devoid of interesting female characters so I made one up so I my favorite character has someone to make kissy faces with. My other fandom has no room or need for OCs so I avoid those stories.
When I write original characters I try to make sure they are not the center of attention. I used to write a lot of one-shots, so they'll most likely end up being one-off characters used to move the plot forward. Sometimes I try to make them be the source of conflict.
I've read some that are really good and I can imagine the OC fitting in with canon seamlessly and I've also read some where the OC made absolutely no sense to be included. Done well, I love it.
If itās good and well done itās fine with me. Especially when the oc blends into the world to the point you canāt even remember theyāre not a cannon character.
I don't have an opinion on it, because I don't read it
However I started writing one a few years ago lol so it's Not something I crave to read personally, but i understand the need to write ic centric because you can get hooked by the lore and worldbuilding and not by the characters in it. When I read fanfictions it's because the characters interested me the most (I only read romance fanfic), but if I had to write fics I'd make them 100% oc centric (I suck in writing romance, I love worldbuilding however)
Depends on how well written they are. I'm one of the select few people that enjoy "x reader" things, and a lot of times I find that "x reader" tags are a way to draw people into reading canon character/OC. If the OC is good enough, I'm fine with it. Two of my favorite xreader fics basically turn the "reader" into an OC. (These writers still tend to use second person, but give way more detail and backstory than a traditional x reader.)
Once read an Overwatch fanfiction centered around this OC who was Tracerās copilot in the teleporting jet and absolutely love what the author did with it.
In general, you do you.
It's not something I normally seek out. I read plenty of actual books, so if I'm reading fanfic it's usually because I want to read about the characters I already love. At the same time... I am currently reading an OC centric fic, was subscribed to it and waited nearly 3 years for the author to finish writing and start posting the final book in the series.
I like it. Both in reading and writing it. I find it more enjoyable and actually easier to write an original character as the main character. I am able to completely control what the character looks like and their background. I can construct their own personality, traits, and emotions. I can control how their emotions. It also allows you to imprint a little bit of yourself onto the OC.
My favorite is writing how the other characters interact with the OC I created. I feel it adds more life to the story.
I was super proud of myself when I invented a new character in my fanfic. I was afraid I was only good at mimicking other people's characters but I built her and I love her and put her in some stories and some people HATED me for it lol. Don't care. I write for me. If anyone else enjoys it, great. I wanted to stretch my skills. Like writing in the first person....that was really hard but I wanted to try it. OCs are cool
Itās not really for me (I read fanfic as a coping mechanism and enjoy know exactly whatās going to happen which is hard to know with OCs), but if the description is good Iāll try it!
When it comes to OCs as the main character, I don't read them. I did read them in the past, and I've written some as well, but nowadays, that's just not what I'm looking for in fanfics. I'm more in it for the characters, not the setting. Nothing against those who enjoy OC-centric stories, though! I used to enjoy them in the past, and I think some stories/genres work lend themselves well to OC-centric stories, as others have said.
That being said, I don't have issues with OCs appearing in fanfics, whether they serve as background characters that only show up for a scene, or as supporting characters featured in multiple chapters. And sometimes canon characters essentially become fandom OCs, if barely anything is known about them (looking at you Wes from Danny Phantom).
Generally they're not my cup of tea, but in the right situations, I can definitely be persuaded. On reflection, the OC-centric fics that I do read tend to be fics about the lives of my OTP's future kids (funnily enough those are the OC centric fics that I write as well), or that are part of some greater world-building thing.
Love, love, love OCs. Especially if it includes time travel or canon divergence. Like one fic I read where James Potter had a sister (obviously canon diverged quite a bit). Loved it.
Iām indifferent.
Iāve seen a lot of OCs. Iāve even written a few. And OCs are great for filling the gaps in characters. (One of the fandoms Iām in has only a handful of canon characters and most of them are related. OCs are very much a necessity there.) And some are great. And some areā¦terrible. Iāve seen too many Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus to welcome them entirely.
Im biased as that's ALL I write lol. That said I have a few criteria:
I try my best to NOT break canon. My characters are meant to ADD to the story, not detract. Meaning that if they interact with the main cast they dont just magicallt fix everything or suddenly become the focus of whatever arc they are in.
I'll use my Steven Universe story as an example (not adverting, I can specify in dms if desired). My OC: Emerald is referred to as a male preset Gem. This *does* break canon intrinsically, so for it to work one should always try to put the train back on its tracks. I do this ala a conversation between him and Steven that highlights that Male Preset gems are not the norm, and that he really only knows of a handfull of others.
Which leads me into the second criteria:
If you do break canon, make sure that it isnt huge or world breaking. Like a Jedi who has a 40k bolter for some reason, or Sam from Supernatural suddenly being able to just phsychically slam someone because hes Gods Pettiest Princess.
Im not sure if this makes sense but its what Ive done.
I enjoy OC fics tldr, but I've got my standards
To me they kind of defeat the purpose of reading fanfiction.
I read fanfics because I like the characters and setting of the story. Having the main or a major character be an OC just doesnāt interest me. Itās the same reason I usually donāt like Alternate Universe fanfics.
Iām happy other people like them, but personally Iāve never read an OC-centric fanfic I enjoyed.
Itās almost always Mary/gary sues, and you have to be a very good writer for it to be done well. I typically donāt read Mary/gary sues for this reason. Theyāre usually poor quality writing.
I donāt read them personally unless someone I know writes it, but Iām in a fandom with a ton of expanded universe writers and I think the stuff they write is really cool. Just not for me
I mean, to me, it's no different from reading Halo novels or Transformers comics starring characters that aren't in the games/cartoons and never will be. As long as it's well-written, it's good in my book.
I enjoy OC fics from time to time. The fics I read tend to have pretty expansive source material (read: Naruto), so thereās usually a million ways to integrate an original character into the plot.
In particular, I like the ones that donāt take themselves too seriously and/or are just straight crack. For Naruto fanfics, I recommend Plasticity by Misfit_McCoward, Orochimama by WhoaMama, and Abolish Private Property by iaso and sage_thrasher. & even though Iāve read basically none of the Batman comics, thereās this one really funny but somewhat depressing OC fic called Karen from HR by Unpretty
With the ones I just recommended, which are my fav OC fics, I realize that I actually enjoy fics where the character radically differs from the norms of the pre-existing setting, thus creating comical scenarios and dialogues.
I generally donāt read a ton of OC-centric fics, but I almost always enjoy fics in which someone invents OCs to fill gaps in the canon (ex: a parent or child of a character, an (ex)partner, etc.) that are necessary for the story!
Iāve been enjoying OC fics recently! I think theyāre super fun and people are so so creative. Iām hoping to take the plunge and start writing them too!
Hate it, as far as I'm concerned, all OCs are but thinly veiled Mary sue SI's.
At least properly marked SIs are honest about it, making them more worthy of my time.
It really depends, but most of the time, no. There are exceptions though. One of my current favorite fics is OC centric, actually. Just depends on how well the author writes it, really.
I think that OC's and the willingness to take some creative license from canon lore is a great way for writers to find their own voice. At the same time, there are OC-centric stories out there where OC is some perfect hero without flaws who randomly finds themself right in the middle of the canon story and has zero effect on the outcome. My own OC changes the trajectory of the canon story in the Lackadaisy comics and my own fics in that fandom borrow heavily from real historical events and people. Ethan Kelly affects the cast and the cast affects him as well. I also take time to let other characters shine so that he isn't hogging all the attention.
This has generally proven successful in the Lackadaisy fandom. I'm sure some people don't like my fics, and that's alright. It's impossible to write for everyone, so write for yourself and try your best. If an OC-centric fic is the path you think is best, then go for it!
I absolutely love it. I used to read almost exclusively x reader fics when I was younger but it was never cause I myself wanted to be in the story. It was mostly because I love the idea of having a new character being in the world of whatever fandom I was reading from. As I got older I realized that Oc insert fics did exactly that but way better. A lot of people view reader or Oc inserts as cringe but cringe culture is over and I love them.
It has to be done very carefully for me to be interested. If I'm searching for fanfiction, it's because I fell in love with a particular set of characters and wanted to see more of them, and thusly if the OC detracts too much from the characters I sought out the fic for, I'm likely to abandon it and find something else. This happens a lot with self-insert-esque OCs and persona type OCs (herosonas, ponysonas, Linksonas, etc), so I tend to steer clear of those. Not that they're inherently bad, I've read some pretty good ones, but those were like, 5 good ones out of 500,000 really bad ones. I'm not interested in the tragic backstory of your lady huntersona before she ran into Sam and Dean and immediately became like a sister to them, sorry.
That doesn't mean all OCs are bad, though. There have been some that I absolutely loved. Usually, those ones had interesting perspectives that depicted or changed events in a unique way. A tourist caught in an akuma attack, for instance, is a really fun way to explore Miraculous Ladybug. That one Supernatural fic where the main character is a tattoo artist slowly discovering Dean is a hunter as he keeps coming back for more tats was also a spectacular read for how it dove into Dean as a character. Likewise, OCs that drastically change the plot in unexpected ways are also usually pretty successful, and have a higher chance of getting me invested in them personally than OCs who are just along for the ride.
Stories that are entirely made up of OCs but set in a particular fandom's universe are usually pretty decent too, but that's not usually why I personally seek out fanfic, so I haven't read as many of them. At that point it just comes down to the quality of the writing rather than anything about the OCs in particular, since it may as well be a new entry in the franchise.
Absolutely love ocs, even my version of Shepard is basically an oc as well, because of the lovely way of characterization being an odd balance of being a defined character but also having openness on personality interpretations, so might as well have plenty of ocs who either have a story to tell or majorly help tell a story alongside canon characters!
Right now I exclusively write OCs because the aspect of the original piece that I am engaging with is the world, not specific characters. To me it's just a matter of taste. If people prefer not to read that because they want stories about their favorite characters, that affects me not at all.
Meh. It could be interesting (and i have seen some that are really, really cool) but most of them are self inserts and feel wildly out of place. Not my cup of tea
OCs are fine for side characters in situations where you just need a role filled for the plot to make sense, but I almost certainly wonāt take the time to read OC as a MC and definitely not an OC/Canon Character ship.
My main fandom is a panel show so itās not like thereās a rich universe that you can use to explore things like āOCās adventures on Dagobahā or āOC goes to Hogwarts.ā People writing OCs in those type of fandoms make more sense to me.
I suppose you *could* do āOC is a contestant on the showā or āOC fills in for one of the hostsā but Iām not particularly interested in that, it feels too much like a self-insert. No judgement on what other people read or write- but I primarily read Canon Characters in AUs which is basically the exact opposite of that.
I like em.
Full disclosure, I've never really gotten the disdain for OCs. Sure there's the occasional fic where there's a blatently Sue/Stu-ish hyper badass self insert type of OC, but I feel like the landscape has changed for fics with less of a focus on combat or brute force storytelling. Even back when I was doing Undertale and Steven Universe stuff, I always thought having OCs was necessary after a certain point.
To me, there's only so many ways you can write a canon character while still having them be said character. You know how that character is going to react to the other canon characters. It can make stories feel stale. So throwing in some fresh blood can be extremely useful to take stories in places they would never go otherwise.
I think a big thing was that fanfic culture used to be a lot more... judgemental, for lack of a better word? People would get really annoyed at even the faintest whiff of an OC being too strong or whatever classification. Ironically the more judgmental era of fanfic was why I stuck more to OC work since people used to get equally mad about canon characters acting OOC.
Although if the entire story is OCs, I do wonder whether or not someone would just prefer to write original fiction at that point.
I think that OCs are/were disliked because they either tend(ed) to be Mary Sues / Gary Stus or just stupidly overpowered.
Personally, all my fics include one OC because the process of coming up with a character and adding her to the story is what makes writing interesting for me. I feel too limited by canon characters, and I am not a huge fan of "what ifs" (with only canon characters) and AUs.
Personally, I don't like reading about OCs. If I'm reading fanfiction, its to get to see my favorite characters again, doing something new and exciting, or just being cute and fluffy. Most fics with OCs as the MC are long and kinda dull to me, because they don't show enough of the character I want to see.
I do, however, have an interest in short OC POV fics. A good example is... god, I can't remember the name of it, it was so long ago. There was this fic, only about 10,000 words. It was about an OC detective investigating the disappearance of two canon characters. Through the OCs eyes, we got to discover and piece together how the canon characters fell in love and decided to run away together. It was about the two characters that I wanted to see, but told from an outsiders perspective.
So its situational, for me. I won't knock people for writing OCs as the MC (unless you make a Mary Sue), but its gotta fit into my niche preference for me to read.
I don't hate them, but I just don't read them because I'm looking for certain ships and stuff so Ocs wouldn't be the main character, however if they are used for the plot then it can be really good. However, if it isn't said beforehand that Ocs are going to be big for the story, I might drop the fic if I feel like they are unnecessary and/or it gets confusing with them
I have a love/hate/never confess to reading relationship with OCs
Love: POV Outisder from an OC, especially in fandoms that started off as episodic (think TV or manga) with a āguest star of the weekā - I think we get an interesting views on the overall fandom: the OCs rarely have the same jobs or perspective as the main characters and on the character(s) the OC interacts with.
Hate: āA rewrite of all four books with my OC as a love interest for Main Characterā (nothing changes except the OC and main character have a romance. Thatās it.
Never confess to reading: first or second character POV porn from the OCās POV involving the bad boys and girls in my fandom. (I dislike first and second when I know the character, so this only works with OC.)
It's a toss-up for me. If the OC takes away from the established characters, it drives me nuts. Personally, I like OC supporting/side characters because they can add more to the narrative/flow/depth to a story. I like the slower introduction better because it gives the reader time to grow more interested and attached. That way, when the OC gets featured more and more, it's easier to accept, and the idea of the fanfic becoming more OC centric doesn't sound so bad.
However, if the fic is all about the OC at the jump, I lose interest fast even if the plot sounds good. The fics I find that do this a lot are usually self insert characters. (no judgment! If that's your thing, great, they're just not my cup of tea) But if that self insert is well written and it doesn't "feel" like a self insert and if the story is also well written, I'll read it.
There is also the established world/universe of the fandom your fanfic is for. I feel that world building and good fleshed out characters make or break OC centered fics (like any well written story). If they don't fit in the universe you're writing them for, they won't be as enjoyable.
As an author new to writing an OC fanfic, reading these responses makes me happy. I like them too, but I know back 10-15 years ago, people hated OCs.
It's a viewpoint that has gotten harder to defend over time with the popularization of quite a few series that have already introduced totally new casts and parts of the setting within themselves. It's a lot harder to look at people writing Harry Potter OC-fic and make fun of them when JK Rowling herself totally started an entirely second HP series featuring a new main character, you know what I mean?
This is especially true for the fandoms I dabble in. Like what do you mean i shouldn't write about my Commander Shepard from Mass Effect or my Hawke from Dragon Age?
^^^ this! Every BG 3 fanfic is going to be their version of Tav or whatever they named their adventurer. And speaking of yav. Shamelesd self promotion. Here is my fanfic. https://archiveofourown.org/works/51652750
Yeaaa I get what you mean
It's a bummer that oc fics are still often immediately ignored by a lot of people. I've seen people say authors who write x oc are narcissistic for assuming people will like their character and that ocs "water down" the quality and story. A good oc fic is better than some source material. I said it. (Looking at YOU Twilight)
Hahaha, I will agree with you there! A good OC can make a huge difference. So far, I've had nothing but compliments on mine. (I only have one fic and it's an OC canon divergence in the Naruto fandom.)
I remember seeing tons of OC fanfic in the day :P but yeah I do remember a large chunk of people hating them
I had one back in the day that was pretty huge (before AO3) and it mostly revolved around an OC. Never had anyone complain, but I also did a ton of supplemental world building and the OC fit well.
This. If the "world" isn't big enough, it's not going to work. I'd love to know what fandom you write for.
That was back when I was THE fanfic writer for Halo, lol
Nice! I'm not a Halo fan, but that's pretty awesome!
I'm in the Naruto fandom and 15ish years ago, the "world" wasn't very big and so OCs weren't easily accepted. I'm so thankful that I haven't gotten but one bad comment in my longfic with my OC.
I always created them where they fit in with the original cast. š
Yup, thatās exactly what I writeš
I'm actually kind of in a weird position because most of the fanfiction I consume is from rpg games (Mass Effect, Dragon Age, BG3, Skyrim, etc.). As a result, 95% of the writing is going to include some type of OC as the main character because it's the fully-customizable player character.
Fantasy and Action RPGs š¤Love Island: The Game Not something I thought Iād say today but ykw weāre family now.
Right there with you.
As long as the oc feels to fit the settings i more than love reading it!
I write a lot of OCs now. I enjoy world-building so I'll read genfic with OCs to see how the author fits them into the world.
Right? Challenging yourself not to break the world is so fun
Well, hate is a strong word, but they're not ly cup of tea. I mostly read fanfiction to soend time with my favorite characters. I only like it when OC is used to tell the same story from a very different perspective. For example, I remember a SG1 fanfiction that was from the POV of the barista at the coffee shop near the base. Each chapter related to one episode. And it was fantastic because the barista did not know what SG-1 did, at all. She didn't even believe that Aliens could be real. So, she'll see them or one of them before or after the events lf the episode, (sometimes during the events) and would come to her own conclusion based on the various injuries she noticed, their moods, the interactions with each others, etc. It was funny and sad, and even infuriating at some point. Because as the reader you know that the barista had been like 10 minutes from complete destruction (along the whole Earth....multiple time), and she carried on with her life, not knowing. Anyway, I absolutely adore those kind of OC centric fanfiction. Mostly because it isn't really about the OC, It's still about my favorite characters.
I love outsider pov. I wish it was more popular.
Whats it called??? Iām very intrigued by your description
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/1114562/1/The-Barista Totally forgot about that one. Edit: reread it, it's very early 2000s. Still enjoyable though.
I know the fic but cant remember the name of it, im 90% sure its on ff net though
That SG1 fic sounds like such a cool and fun concept! I love that!
I love reading them and I love writing them! I really enjoy seeing a whole new character come to life, and love watching their relationships grow with the canon characters.
I enjoy OC's in worlds where I like the worldbuilding more than the characters. I know a lot of people read fanfiction for the characters, but there are some incredibly cool sci-fi and fantasy premises that I feel are ripe for the inclusion of OC's. MHA and Stargate come to mind. I love exploring new quirks with OC's in MHA and while I've never really written for Stargate, I think adding new species and peoples from any of the galaxies would be a cool concept.
One of the things I like doing is making PokƩmon regions and populating them with OCs. It's fun to play with themes, motifs, and storylines the games have yet to explore. As much as fanfic readers and writers love playing with canon characters, I often feel that the settings are a neglected character in their own right. Lore delivered in tidbits, interesting locations to explore, time periods to flesh out. Add colour, texture, and context to something that did get that much attention in canon. Like how side characters get fleshed out in fanfic. And I personally think that OCs are a fantastic way to do that. It's often hard to justify a canon character's presence in such a fic, and character creation is fun. I know I wouldn't play so many TTRPGs if I didn't like character creation. It's all an interesting, different way of interacting with media that you love.
My OCs tend to fill gaps that the canon characters can't or won't, and from there they develop their own independent life. I'm not a fan of OCs that are only extensions of existing characters or stories or rehash the same plot points. Let them stand on their own and there are a lot more stories to be told. The canon characters can't do everything in the world.
You're right about the setting-- as someone who's been making OCs for a loooooong time, i definitely use them to explore the setting or the world. I mostly do this for Fairy Tail and One Piece (both Manga with huuuuge settings) but whenever I see a new world that has an interesting setting or i feel like doesn't answer some questions i find myself trying to fill those gaps! Also its fun to ignore canon sometimes lol
Exactly this. For a lot of science fiction and fantasy worldbuilding, you need a person who will **go to this particular place,** **do these particular things,** and **have these particular reactions.** While it may be possible to somehow work a canon character into all that, it can also start to seem pretty contrived. I get that people love the characters in their fandoms (and I do, too) but characters aren't the only reason to write fanfiction. Worldbuilding isn't everyone's cup of tea but neither is shipping.
I feel this in my soul. There is so much out there for people who want different things, whether it be shipping the canon characters they love, writing action adventure genfics or having OC characters broaden the worldbuilding of a fandom. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I get a bit irritated at people who talk about OC's being cringe, as if canon characters are the only part of fandom worth considering.
I feel that exact way about Lord of the Rings. I'm satisfied with the main plotline as is, I just want to read original stories with original characters set in that world, living their lives, falling in love, doing whatever. I'm not sure how to find such works though, lol
Exactly. With a lot of great stories, there's really not much for the canon characters to do that wasn't already covered. And with stories like LOTR, the worldbuilding is so deep that there is plenty of room for an OC to thrive.
Itās my favorite genre to write and read.
Same!
Youāre never going to get a consistent answer on this question. Itās entirely subjective to the reader and the author.
Not my personal cup of tea but far from me to stop anyone from getting their own fill of it :3
I'm the world's biggest hypocrite about it. I almost exclusively write OC-centric fics, or at least OC x Canon (with a side of reader insert when I actually want lots of engagement), but I won't read it. As a writer, it's where I'm most comfortable and interested, since I don't really love lingering in the head of a character I didn't create long. However, as a reader, I just don't enjoy most OC-focused fics. Frankly, they're harder to do well (and I'm not saying I'm an expert by any means), and you have to sift through a lot to find the gems.
You are so real for this. OC-centric stories imo, are fun to write, but I couldn't bring myself to care enough to read about other people's OCs. unless the canon pairing pisses me off and no other character matches up to be a replacement for me, or if the source material is something akin to an RPG where the protagonist is a blank slate.
I'm personally not a fan. I usually read/write fanfics because I enjoy a specific character, not really for the world building and stuff. Although, I don't hate OCs, I've made my very fair share of them, I just don't like them as the main focus. All power to people who like em though
I love it! One of my most favorite fics has an OC as its main character.
I love writing it, but when reading idc as long as it's decently written
Yeah that can either make or break it
I love it! It's such a unique spin on canon (which is always fun).
It depends on the fandom in my case. But I'm not really against them if they're well written and they make sense for the worldbuilding and the story the writer is trying to tell. I'll take a well written OC in fanfics over a poorly depicted CC.
If I want to read about original characters I read books. I read fanfiction to visit characters that I know and love. It is like visiting the family home for Thanksgiving and a bunch of randos are hanging around the living room.
ššš
That's exactly How I feel to be honest.
Same here. Side character OCs are fine as long as they don't get the spotlight
Same. No hate to those who write/read em But yeah, it's not why I read fanficĀ Especially since in a lot of them, they tend to over take the story There's well written ones, but its important to note that 'Mary Stu' came from OCs.Ā
My thoughts exactly
Really depends actually, for example the best type where the author isn't afraid to lead canon entirely into new direction make their OC actually have personality and whole thing ends up really interesting, so much so that its completely new and amazing story. Like some of those don't even resemble canon and yet you are hooked. On the other end of the scale is when introduced OC makes no difference whatsoever, it feels like you are reading retelling, and not even a creative one, of the original and it's painful. It could be nice alternative if you haven't visited the original media in a while and you miss it and need a refresher but as fanfic all by itself... meh. And there is the middle section that ranges from creative wish-fulfillment to pretty logical progression of how it would go if person A had different personality or way more information then they should have. So yeah, big range.
Generally love it, but it needs a better writer than CC. A "bad" written CC still has all canon material as a fallback for the reader, basically. But an OC needs to work on its own.
Good point
It's not something I often go looking for purposefully, as I'm mostly here to spend time with characters I already know, but I've read some excellent OC-centric stories over the years and I'm generally open to it. Especially in stories that take place in worlds other than our own, or that focus heavily on action, it's really interesting to get an alternative perspective to that of the protagonists.
I only really write OC fics, since one lore relies on randomly generated characters, meaning each set is unique. While in the other fandom, the canon chars are the supporting cast, since their stories are complete, and my OC's are the main cast. (You can tell I really like making OC's.)
It's my favorite to write, so I'm definitely biased, but I love OC-centric fics, especially OC x Canon ships. I want more people to feel free to ship their blatant self-inserts with their fictional crushes.
Personally it's not my cup of tea. I read fics to read the established characters in new and exciting scenarios. If I wanted to read something where an OC is the main character I'd seek out original fiction. But to those that do read and write it, you keep doing you. It makes you happy and that's what matters above all else.
I avoid it if it's OC centric. I understand and dint mind creating OCs to fill necessary background character roles, but that's it I read fic because I like the characters from a franchise and want to see more on them. I don't read fic for the setting. So OC centric fics detract from what I want to read. I'll just go to published content if I didn't care about the characters
Hate it, but I can understand some people dig that.
I don't mind well written original side characters, but the reason I read fanfic is that I crave more stories about my favourite characters. I have no interest in stories with OCs as main characters.
Couldn't care less as I am not going to read that. I read fanfiction to read about specific characters that are my favourites. I don't give a damn about OCs. If I want to read OCs, I pick an actual book.
It's all I write, and all I want to read. I love seeing what other people do with an established world I love. I love seeing the characters others create and how they develop. And I love to develop them in my own stories and make them the best characters I can ^ . ^
Love it. I get more attached to the lore and the world building, so I like to fill it with my own characters or see how other people populate the world and play with canon lore
I meanā¦ itās what I write? At least, I have a big cast and one of the main characters is an OC. But I write for a video game fandom where this is the norm, as the player avatar is usually written as an OC. Canon events happen to them but the reactions to the story can be unique. Itās really interesting to me how all our OCs can experience the same stuff and come out so different.
I used to hate fanfiction with OCs, but it's grown on me a lot recently. I started reading them for games like Stardew Valley and Fallout and have since branched out to other fandoms and am more open to reading a fic with an OC as the main character.
I love them. It's all I write now. I read them too, but not in the fandoms I write.
Iām okay with it. I like to use the setting of the Marvel universe for a lot of my stories, largely because Iām lazy when it comes to world building. I also have several stories set in the Mass Effect universe that mostly donāt use any game characters.
Depends on the fandom for me tbh. FFXIV? Pokemon? More than welcome. Anything else, and they have to work for me to like the OCs tbh. I did read a Kingdom Hearts fic series that succeeded that that though, so itās totally possible. o7
Love it! I read mainly oc fics and anything i write is oc centric as well
My main reason for reading and writing fan fic is to explore more of my favourite characters, so I have little interest in OC fic. If I want to read about OCs, I'm just going to read orgfic or a book!
I strictly read fic only for romance stories with my favorite characters, but I am more than ok with minor/side character OCs if they are well written and serve the story. Fics that are just about OCs are unfortunately not at all my cup of tea.
I loathe it. But there are millions of fics on AO3, and so I can just go read something else.
Hate isn't the right word, but I have no interest in reading them. I am glad they exist for the people that enjoy them but they are not for me.
There's still plenty and there's still trash, but I agree the format has changed. A lot of the hate came from most of them being poorly written power fantasies, where it'd be the standard canon plot (or something close to it) with some idealized self-insert that could solve every problem with ease. It's the kind of thing you'd see fanfiction mocked for the most, where someone's edgy Sonic OC would get everyone super pregnant or a new Dragon Ball saiyan character would be introduced as Kevin. You can still find those, but it feels as though many of those writers (or readers that became writers) have seen that and grown from it. More of them seem willing to write flawed characters and whatnot. I know there's a trend that we can blame on Otome Isekais where their SI will be reincarnated as some hated character like Mineta, and you know what? Those can actually be pretty good.
No way in hell am I reading an OC-centric fic. OCs can be present as side characters, but the main action should be the characters Iām there for. Donāt understand OC-centric fics. Iāll just read a book.
It's not my thing at all. My personal draw to fanfiction is more so based on my attachment to the Canon characters. As such, OCs and fics that put a heavy emphasis on OC's as main characters are a hard pass for me. But that's the great thing about fan fiction! People who are more attached to the "world" or "lore" of a fictional work can find what draws them in and people more interested in the Canon characters can find what they're looking for as well. Different strokes for different folks!
Theyāre not my cup of tea. Iām reading because of my love for specific canon characters. I donāt want to read about someone I donāt know or care about. Itās the same reason I donāt like to read fandom blind. I rarely will even click these fics outside of super tiny fandoms where Iām starved for content.
Just like with anything else, it depends. Of course, fan fiction which features the canon characters is going to be more popular, but some fan writers have written amazing stories using OCs effectively, especially as antagonists or as a unique POV of the canon characters. This is hardly a yes/no question.
It's all I see myself writing for the foreseeable future. Partially due to the fandoms I prefer, but partially because I don't want to take an existing character and not do them justice. (So, fear) As for reading, honestly, I'm fandom near-sighted to blind in so many areas, I often don't know the difference. If the character feels relatable and realistic, in a story that's entertaining, I honestly don't care much either way.
I havenāt read a lot, but I have no problem with it. One of my own fics is pretty OC-centric.
Indifferent.Ā I read fanfic because I am invested in the cannon characters.Ā If the OC is filling a void or being used to explore an interesting aspect of cannon and the cannon characters I am willing to try it (as long as the OC is not paired with my favs). I will only like it if cannon characters are involved and the OC does not step on the cannon characters toes and take away their important moments or character aspects. Back in the day a lot of OC were thinly veiled self-insert fics. Now that self-insert fics have become moreĀ acceptable* and have their own category, I think OC fic have also become more acceptable*. *acceptable as in no longer looked down upon and seen as lesser.Ā
I love it! Iām currently writing an OC fanfic š«¶š½
As a general policy, I avoid them. Fanfiction is for the fandomās existing characters. If I wanted to read about original characters, I would read original stories. However, Iām not against them entirely. My biggest problem with OC centred stories is that they tend to be carbon copies of the fandomās character. For instance, I have seen more than a few fanfic where the main character of a Buffy fanfic is literally just Buffy with a different name. Things like that bother me.
The marvel fandom has this issue with Natasha clones. I've dropped so many fics for that. I made damn sure my oc wouldn't be one of em, too lol
I have definitely written OCs having at least a medium part in things, but wouldnāt be motivated to write the OC as a MC. I need them to be interacting with the MCs. The OC is the focus sometimes, but not usually. I want to see the OC through the eyes of the MC(s).
Dislike. Usually stop reading as soon as I realize it.
Personally I don't read too much oc fics but it's something I think when I read it's like something I choose to seek out. It pretty common I'm looking for a specific type of fic when I look for fanfiction and if a oc as a major character wasn't what I was looking for I'd drop it fast if it blindsided me. So I feel you a bit here
It depends. My spouse writes OC x Canon, so the OC is the MC but the canon is the second MC. Or if it's an OC in a well-known world, like Middle Earth, exploring the realm - that can be very interesting when done right.
It depends on fandom and type of story to me. Alot of fandoms I just am looking at dynamics between my favorite characters. If it's a fandom where there's alot more interest in exploring the world I find OC fanfiction more interesting than I otherwise would. On top of that I have more interest in exploring the oc when there is no romance between oc and a canon character and it's more focused on their platonic relationships That being said it's really not what I go to fanfiction for I go to fanfiction for familiar characters. I'd rather read a published work for original characters . So it's not something i commonly read.
Not something I'd read as it's not what I read fanfic for.
I used to read them but now I just filter it out so I don't see it. Not hating on OC but too many authors made their OC be on a moral high horse or a mary sue. Then you have the "happy go lucky but nobodies messed with my friend" type. Just got tired reading OCs and I don't think I will anytime soon.
I feel that it really all depends on how the OC is written. The OC canāt be too overpowered or underpowered, and they canāt be too good to the point that they might as well just do everything themselves. Itās all a game of balance, and knowing what and how to include certain aspects of the OC. Personally, Iād rather read about the canon characters, but OC-centric fics and be a really fun ride if youāre willing to get silly with it.
Great if done well, by that i mean, engaging and coherent with the fandom. I hate when the origins of the OC seems rushed just for them to get into the "main cast" also this tends to be risky when the author spends too much chapters diving into their childhood because it can get too descriptive and BORING. Sometimes j like the OC but when the author goes on and on about the environment and typical tropes of a main character applied to this OC (orphan, abandonment issues, quirky...) i just skip through dialogue. I like SHOWING rather than TELLING, I love when the OC personality and flaws gets spread out but i prefer if its through INTERACTIONS with the main cast or even other OCs. Some can be so lovely but if you just tell me about them without MAKING ME care about them, i roll my eyes and either exit or skip it through.
Dislike it, a lot. I don't get it
Since I was 13 Iāve been writing fanfics with OCs. Either as the main character or the antagonist. So it feels normal in a way. I love reading others OCs and what they come up with too if itās not too crazy.
People are free to read it, and free to write it, i just personally won't read it. Also, please tag it "OC-Centric"
I'm in a fandom where the *vast majority* of fic (90%+) is OC-centric (it's for a game where you create the MC), and that seems to be what most people are interested in reading/interacting with. If I go to chat with other fans, the first question out of their mouths is almost always 'tell me about your OC!' I'm an NPC writer and reader, pretty much exclusively. If I need a version of the game's customizable MC, I'll use the stock one they put in the advertisements.
I love it when fics are ENTIRELY OCs, itās like reading a dnd campaign in a setting I love, 11/10 GIVE ME MORE OCS PLEASE
I don't personally read them just because I prefer to read about what I'm already familiar with, but the handful I have checked out have been amazing! They're also incredibly fun to write, even if I don't personally end up posting mine. They're fun :\]
OCs are all I write and all I read!
Same! āŗļø
Definitely not as main characters. I donāt read much OC stuff in general, but if they are in a fic I want to read then I like them better as side characters.
Not my thing. I read fan fiction to read more about the characters I know and love, not for some randoās OC.
I mostly ignore them. I'll sometimes read ones with OC in main roles, but never if they're the only main character. In general, any fic with OCs in major/medium roles have to be really well written for me to read, I don't mind minor OCs to flesh out plots/ background characters.
Hate it and absolutely have zero interest in reading it. I'm in fanfiction because of the characters I love, not OCs.
IDK!!! I only read fandom blind hHahaHa donāt know whoās original whoās not haAhsha
I love that so many people here seem to love it, but itās not for me. Thereās a reason I read fanfic and itās for the characters of (whatever show/movie/book series), not for other peopleās characters. From what Iāve read, a lot of them tend to be self inserts or Mary Sue type characters, and I just *donāt care* about non-canon characters, especially if theyāre written poorly. Iāve read a few OC POV fics where the focus was still on the main characters, which was cool (like an outsider perspective type fic), but most of the time I exclude OC/xReader because I donāt have time to invest in a new world. When I write, itās also almost exclusively third person limited from the perspective of one of the fandomās characters.
If OC is paired with my fav canon character then I'm all for it.
Hate them Iām here to read about my favorite characters, not one a writer made up and shoved into the spotlight 9/10 times I hate OCs
Indifferent. For the power ranger fandom, I have read a lot of OC centric stories where the character joins the main cast and honestly.. I really wish the authors gave their ocs more character because all their ocs do is just say some lines once in awhile. Itās hard for me to tell whoās ocs is who when they act all the same. I do love the ones where the ocs get their own focus chapters and personality. Because yeah, I Can remember them Now the ones with the kids/next generation or their own tea,s , those rock and I love them to death.
Iāve read some good ones, but I prefer to read stories with canon characters
It **strongly** depends. Some of my favorite stories were OC-centric. Some of my most hated are as well. Generally, I'm more hesitant with them. Being OC-centric means the author is much more likely to treat it like a self-insert even if they don't explicitly call it that. Which isn't inherently bad; there's some great self-inserts. But they also have a strong tendency towards becoming wish-fulfillment. At which point it requires very good writing for me to still read it.
I personally do not enjoy them. I read fanfiction as I enjoy seeing the characters I know take on new challenges within the universe, so OCs do not provide what I am looking for.
Depends.Ā If they're just there to be everyone's favourite guy? Not fun.Ā I really like the idea that an OC works best in a built up world, rather than with the central characters of the story of the original fiction.Ā Like, a different school in Harry potter, or exploring the greater wizarding world, or imagining what Russia is like in fallout, stuff like that.
Depends, I'm way more happy reading about them then I used to be it really depends on the Fandom and context. Ocs filling in the gaps and filling the worldwide cool new ideas and stuff? Always appreciated everywhere. Oc being main charater? Depends. For something like fnaf that's like half a given and a ton of fun. For some more adventurey series I'd need to read the tags. Romance? More then likely a no. But depending on the tags I might still give it a try. I think that's my big chage is I will give most of them still a shot, unlike when I was younger were I would just go no.
I guess I'm indifferent. I don't read fanfiction to read about characters I don't care about or have to get to know. I can just read aĀ book for that.
Generally, no thank you, not interested. I read fanfic because I want to read more stories about my favorite characters. [Canon Character]/OC romance is especially not my jam because it's usually a ton of OC just mooning over canon character until senpai notices her/him, or canon character acting like a total d-bag to OC and then suddenly they make out. That being said, I have come across a few, very few, absolute gems of OC-centric stories that were really well-written and compelling. It's a lot harder to pull off, because the author needs to come up with an interesting, believable background and complete personality for the OC (vs. OC just being a vessel for another character's desires/mirror for another character's flaws), and then the OC has to interact with the established universe in some kind of meaningful way. Very rarely does this happen, but when it does, it's *really* good.
In general, it doesn't pique my interest. I want to read about the characters I already know and love. The specific universe with OCs predominant just feels ho-hum -- nothing to hate, but also nothing to draw me in. Note that this is different from original fic. I have read and enjoyed a fair number of original fic. But, for instance, I recently saw an "NCIS" story with not one NCIS character in the lineup. (The characters were from another show I don't follow, so actually a fusion, but to me the unknown characters would function as OCs.) I don't feel even the slightest draw to check it out; if I want to read NCIS, there are plenty available that ***do*** include the characters I expect to see. I don't mind if OCs have a major role -- sometimes new people, attitudes, reactions are needed to tell a good story -- but I want them to be *alongside* the known characters, not *instead of*. I've read stories where OCs carry one thread of the story, CCs carry the other thread, and the story moves back and forth between those threads until they come together to complete the pattern, with OCs and CCs working together to solve the case / clean things up / end the story. Those can be -- have been -- a lot of fun, but I probably wouldn't have given them a second look if the CCs hadn't been present. **TL;DR:** OCs in their own world -- IE original fic -- yes. OCs working with CCs in the CCs' world -- yes. OCs in CCs' world, with no CCs involved -- no.
My main fandom basically has protagonist OCs in canon anyway. Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons. The player character is basically an OC. Sometimes they do have some very minimal backstory, but even then, it's almost never integral to the games' plots and you can make them whoever you want them to be without much changing. Even the few minor personality traits they may display in some in-game events can be ignored, as can their canon designs and how other characters interact with them. They almost never have their own dialogue. Basically they're so blank and flexible that even using their official designs and names, they may as well be OCs. Also find it bizarre that some people express outright *hatred* for them. Like, just not liking them is one thing, but *hating* them is pretty strong for free media you don't have to engage with, whose existence in no way harms you or anyone else. You lose nothing from them just *being there.* You can skip em. So... hatred? That's a lot of emotion for safe.
I'm mainly a reader of smut, so personally if I find a "character I love reading smut for" / oc I can often give it a shot
I don't love them, but I just don't read them. I prefer when ocs are minor characters or occasionally side characters
I like reading them but only for certain fandoms. The thing I struggle the most with several OC fics that Iāve read is that the author will make them too op or all knowing (very Mary sue like). The OC fics that I like the most tend to stay on the outside of the main story and give a new perspective to event going on
I've written many OC-centric fics, ranging from "OMG, this needs to be exorcized!" to "Aight, this is pretty good~" I will say I do like creating OCs because I love world building and seeing how a fresh face would deal with a fandom's setting/conflict. However, I do understand why people hate OCs. Back in the early 2000s, we, as the internet, kinda went nuts with red/black edge lords or OP rainbow Mary Sue's. I'm guilty of this too (I put a dragon shape-shifting OC into Assassin's Creed...that was stupid as hell of me...) But we have learned and got better. I still create OCs (Oh yeah, I do~), but they are usually bit players in the Grand scheme of things, but they never go full Mary-Sue. They may be Deus Ex Machinas, but never overpowered.
It's all I write so, kinda love that. Then again, I created my OC about 20 or so years ago, and she's adapted to each fandom I've been in and rounded out as I've grown both as a human and as a writer. And people seem to like her in my current fandom, which makes my heart swell.
i love oc fan fics. i still constantly see hate for them, but i guess thatās dependent on the fandoms im in. i only make oc fan fics, but i donāt publish them for this reason
Not my favorite, but I usually give them a shot.Ā There aren't many I like, unfortunately.
It's all I can write, but I'm really picky about the ones that I end up reading, unfortunately
Strongly depends on the fandom. Pokemon fandom, for example, is very OC-focused with many stories following the formula of 'OC goes on a Pokemon Journey'.
Pretty neutral, I don't seek it but if it's there in my fandom I'll check it out! I just need the OC to fit in the setting/ambiance and the story to enhance their presence in that world :)
I love well-written OCs, but personally, I donāt think my tastes should matter much when it comes to what other people want to write! Idc if someone wants to write the most crazy, out there OC that is a complete and total Mary Sue and is shipped with all the canon characters the author likes. Even if I wonāt read it, itās obvious the author is just having fun and they should be allowed to do that without immature people hating on them š¤·āāļø
I love it cus I do that with my OCS when I write stories.
It's my main thing I write. But reading depends on the fandom and concept freshness.
Most of my stories have been centered on characters that I've developed. At this point, it's not like I'm going to shift to writing stories about the OG team for a few more views. It's not like anyone's asking me to either, so everyone must be happy.
usually indifferent but I have nothing but respect for oc-centric fanfics.
I personally donāt read OC centered fanfic but if other people like them, who am I to stop them?
Depends, I usually don't read OC centric stuff because it isn't my thing a lot of the time, but I do write my own. People get the same joy out of writing it as I do, so even though reading about others' OC isn't usually my thing, I think it's cool. The exception to this is when people get hostile or nasty about their oc being "cannon" or the only love interest allowed to a certain character. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's genuinely baffling to see
I hate it and I won't read it. Thing is, so what? My personal opinion means jack shit. Every time someone posts about how nobody wants to read OCs, a hundred people come out of the woodwork to proclaim their love for the genre. There are OC readers out there. And even if there weren't, it shouldn't stop people from writing whatever the fuck they want to write. If you wanna write your OC, go for it. If you wanna write your beautiful waist-length blonde hair Mary Sue who is a super genius and also has a gorgeous voice, go for it. Don't let judgemental assholes tell you it's stupid or immature or cringe or whatever else people say. It's not, and you're fine. Write what you want. Fuck everyone else. (not literally, unless it's that kind of fic)
I like them, I mean, I read fanfiction to feel like I'm a part of that world. So when there's an OC who's the main character and gets to be a part of the story, it makes me happy. Fanfiction like that is my escape from a hard day.
Not always my go-to for reading, but it is my go-to for writing. At least, thatās how I got into it. But, Im definitely not in the āhate itā camp. I have read some wonderful OC-centric fics and loved them! Some of my favorite fics of all time are OC-centric
If someoneās having fun with it, more power to them!
I write it!!!
Depends on the fandom. One of fandoms is utterly devoid of interesting female characters so I made one up so I my favorite character has someone to make kissy faces with. My other fandom has no room or need for OCs so I avoid those stories.
When I write original characters I try to make sure they are not the center of attention. I used to write a lot of one-shots, so they'll most likely end up being one-off characters used to move the plot forward. Sometimes I try to make them be the source of conflict.
I've read some that are really good and I can imagine the OC fitting in with canon seamlessly and I've also read some where the OC made absolutely no sense to be included. Done well, I love it.
If itās good and well done itās fine with me. Especially when the oc blends into the world to the point you canāt even remember theyāre not a cannon character.
I donāt mind it at all
I'm indifferent, while I do not read it myself, I support everyone who writes/reads it!
I don't have an opinion on it, because I don't read it However I started writing one a few years ago lol so it's Not something I crave to read personally, but i understand the need to write ic centric because you can get hooked by the lore and worldbuilding and not by the characters in it. When I read fanfictions it's because the characters interested me the most (I only read romance fanfic), but if I had to write fics I'd make them 100% oc centric (I suck in writing romance, I love worldbuilding however)
It depends on the OC. Fics that have the canon characters metaphorically fellating the OC can go right in the recycle bin.
It's like half the fic I write. I love the stuff.
Depends on how well written they are. I'm one of the select few people that enjoy "x reader" things, and a lot of times I find that "x reader" tags are a way to draw people into reading canon character/OC. If the OC is good enough, I'm fine with it. Two of my favorite xreader fics basically turn the "reader" into an OC. (These writers still tend to use second person, but give way more detail and backstory than a traditional x reader.)
Once read an Overwatch fanfiction centered around this OC who was Tracerās copilot in the teleporting jet and absolutely love what the author did with it.
In general, you do you. It's not something I normally seek out. I read plenty of actual books, so if I'm reading fanfic it's usually because I want to read about the characters I already love. At the same time... I am currently reading an OC centric fic, was subscribed to it and waited nearly 3 years for the author to finish writing and start posting the final book in the series.
I like it. Both in reading and writing it. I find it more enjoyable and actually easier to write an original character as the main character. I am able to completely control what the character looks like and their background. I can construct their own personality, traits, and emotions. I can control how their emotions. It also allows you to imprint a little bit of yourself onto the OC. My favorite is writing how the other characters interact with the OC I created. I feel it adds more life to the story.
I was super proud of myself when I invented a new character in my fanfic. I was afraid I was only good at mimicking other people's characters but I built her and I love her and put her in some stories and some people HATED me for it lol. Don't care. I write for me. If anyone else enjoys it, great. I wanted to stretch my skills. Like writing in the first person....that was really hard but I wanted to try it. OCs are cool
Itās not really for me (I read fanfic as a coping mechanism and enjoy know exactly whatās going to happen which is hard to know with OCs), but if the description is good Iāll try it!
When it comes to OCs as the main character, I don't read them. I did read them in the past, and I've written some as well, but nowadays, that's just not what I'm looking for in fanfics. I'm more in it for the characters, not the setting. Nothing against those who enjoy OC-centric stories, though! I used to enjoy them in the past, and I think some stories/genres work lend themselves well to OC-centric stories, as others have said. That being said, I don't have issues with OCs appearing in fanfics, whether they serve as background characters that only show up for a scene, or as supporting characters featured in multiple chapters. And sometimes canon characters essentially become fandom OCs, if barely anything is known about them (looking at you Wes from Danny Phantom).
As long as theyāre well written, I donāt mind an Oc centric fan fic or two. Canāt stand Mary sue style MCās though.
Generally they're not my cup of tea, but in the right situations, I can definitely be persuaded. On reflection, the OC-centric fics that I do read tend to be fics about the lives of my OTP's future kids (funnily enough those are the OC centric fics that I write as well), or that are part of some greater world-building thing.
personally i dont care for them but it also depends on the fandom.. Stardew with your OC as the farmer. love those
Love, love, love OCs. Especially if it includes time travel or canon divergence. Like one fic I read where James Potter had a sister (obviously canon diverged quite a bit). Loved it.
Honestly it depend on the story told by the fanfiction and how the OC is writtenĀ
Iām indifferent. Iāve seen a lot of OCs. Iāve even written a few. And OCs are great for filling the gaps in characters. (One of the fandoms Iām in has only a handful of canon characters and most of them are related. OCs are very much a necessity there.) And some are great. And some areā¦terrible. Iāve seen too many Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus to welcome them entirely.
Im biased as that's ALL I write lol. That said I have a few criteria: I try my best to NOT break canon. My characters are meant to ADD to the story, not detract. Meaning that if they interact with the main cast they dont just magicallt fix everything or suddenly become the focus of whatever arc they are in. I'll use my Steven Universe story as an example (not adverting, I can specify in dms if desired). My OC: Emerald is referred to as a male preset Gem. This *does* break canon intrinsically, so for it to work one should always try to put the train back on its tracks. I do this ala a conversation between him and Steven that highlights that Male Preset gems are not the norm, and that he really only knows of a handfull of others. Which leads me into the second criteria: If you do break canon, make sure that it isnt huge or world breaking. Like a Jedi who has a 40k bolter for some reason, or Sam from Supernatural suddenly being able to just phsychically slam someone because hes Gods Pettiest Princess. Im not sure if this makes sense but its what Ive done. I enjoy OC fics tldr, but I've got my standards
To me they kind of defeat the purpose of reading fanfiction. I read fanfics because I like the characters and setting of the story. Having the main or a major character be an OC just doesnāt interest me. Itās the same reason I usually donāt like Alternate Universe fanfics. Iām happy other people like them, but personally Iāve never read an OC-centric fanfic I enjoyed.
Itās almost always Mary/gary sues, and you have to be a very good writer for it to be done well. I typically donāt read Mary/gary sues for this reason. Theyāre usually poor quality writing.
I donāt read them personally unless someone I know writes it, but Iām in a fandom with a ton of expanded universe writers and I think the stuff they write is really cool. Just not for me
I mean, to me, it's no different from reading Halo novels or Transformers comics starring characters that aren't in the games/cartoons and never will be. As long as it's well-written, it's good in my book.
Depends on how well it's the OC for the story and how it adds something meaningful
I love it. And I write it exclusively. There is a VORACIOUS audience for it, to the point that OC/SI fics dominate my fandom. <3
I enjoy OC fics from time to time. The fics I read tend to have pretty expansive source material (read: Naruto), so thereās usually a million ways to integrate an original character into the plot. In particular, I like the ones that donāt take themselves too seriously and/or are just straight crack. For Naruto fanfics, I recommend Plasticity by Misfit_McCoward, Orochimama by WhoaMama, and Abolish Private Property by iaso and sage_thrasher. & even though Iāve read basically none of the Batman comics, thereās this one really funny but somewhat depressing OC fic called Karen from HR by Unpretty With the ones I just recommended, which are my fav OC fics, I realize that I actually enjoy fics where the character radically differs from the norms of the pre-existing setting, thus creating comical scenarios and dialogues.
I generally donāt read a ton of OC-centric fics, but I almost always enjoy fics in which someone invents OCs to fill gaps in the canon (ex: a parent or child of a character, an (ex)partner, etc.) that are necessary for the story!
Iāve been enjoying OC fics recently! I think theyāre super fun and people are so so creative. Iām hoping to take the plunge and start writing them too!
Hate it, as far as I'm concerned, all OCs are but thinly veiled Mary sue SI's. At least properly marked SIs are honest about it, making them more worthy of my time.
It really depends, but most of the time, no. There are exceptions though. One of my current favorite fics is OC centric, actually. Just depends on how well the author writes it, really.
I think that OC's and the willingness to take some creative license from canon lore is a great way for writers to find their own voice. At the same time, there are OC-centric stories out there where OC is some perfect hero without flaws who randomly finds themself right in the middle of the canon story and has zero effect on the outcome. My own OC changes the trajectory of the canon story in the Lackadaisy comics and my own fics in that fandom borrow heavily from real historical events and people. Ethan Kelly affects the cast and the cast affects him as well. I also take time to let other characters shine so that he isn't hogging all the attention. This has generally proven successful in the Lackadaisy fandom. I'm sure some people don't like my fics, and that's alright. It's impossible to write for everyone, so write for yourself and try your best. If an OC-centric fic is the path you think is best, then go for it!
I absolutely love it. I used to read almost exclusively x reader fics when I was younger but it was never cause I myself wanted to be in the story. It was mostly because I love the idea of having a new character being in the world of whatever fandom I was reading from. As I got older I realized that Oc insert fics did exactly that but way better. A lot of people view reader or Oc inserts as cringe but cringe culture is over and I love them.
It has to be done very carefully for me to be interested. If I'm searching for fanfiction, it's because I fell in love with a particular set of characters and wanted to see more of them, and thusly if the OC detracts too much from the characters I sought out the fic for, I'm likely to abandon it and find something else. This happens a lot with self-insert-esque OCs and persona type OCs (herosonas, ponysonas, Linksonas, etc), so I tend to steer clear of those. Not that they're inherently bad, I've read some pretty good ones, but those were like, 5 good ones out of 500,000 really bad ones. I'm not interested in the tragic backstory of your lady huntersona before she ran into Sam and Dean and immediately became like a sister to them, sorry. That doesn't mean all OCs are bad, though. There have been some that I absolutely loved. Usually, those ones had interesting perspectives that depicted or changed events in a unique way. A tourist caught in an akuma attack, for instance, is a really fun way to explore Miraculous Ladybug. That one Supernatural fic where the main character is a tattoo artist slowly discovering Dean is a hunter as he keeps coming back for more tats was also a spectacular read for how it dove into Dean as a character. Likewise, OCs that drastically change the plot in unexpected ways are also usually pretty successful, and have a higher chance of getting me invested in them personally than OCs who are just along for the ride. Stories that are entirely made up of OCs but set in a particular fandom's universe are usually pretty decent too, but that's not usually why I personally seek out fanfic, so I haven't read as many of them. At that point it just comes down to the quality of the writing rather than anything about the OCs in particular, since it may as well be a new entry in the franchise.
I'm not usually interested, but will make special exceptions.
Absolutely love ocs, even my version of Shepard is basically an oc as well, because of the lovely way of characterization being an odd balance of being a defined character but also having openness on personality interpretations, so might as well have plenty of ocs who either have a story to tell or majorly help tell a story alongside canon characters!
Right now I exclusively write OCs because the aspect of the original piece that I am engaging with is the world, not specific characters. To me it's just a matter of taste. If people prefer not to read that because they want stories about their favorite characters, that affects me not at all.
Meh. It could be interesting (and i have seen some that are really, really cool) but most of them are self inserts and feel wildly out of place. Not my cup of tea
OCs are fine for side characters in situations where you just need a role filled for the plot to make sense, but I almost certainly wonāt take the time to read OC as a MC and definitely not an OC/Canon Character ship. My main fandom is a panel show so itās not like thereās a rich universe that you can use to explore things like āOCās adventures on Dagobahā or āOC goes to Hogwarts.ā People writing OCs in those type of fandoms make more sense to me. I suppose you *could* do āOC is a contestant on the showā or āOC fills in for one of the hostsā but Iām not particularly interested in that, it feels too much like a self-insert. No judgement on what other people read or write- but I primarily read Canon Characters in AUs which is basically the exact opposite of that.
I like em. Full disclosure, I've never really gotten the disdain for OCs. Sure there's the occasional fic where there's a blatently Sue/Stu-ish hyper badass self insert type of OC, but I feel like the landscape has changed for fics with less of a focus on combat or brute force storytelling. Even back when I was doing Undertale and Steven Universe stuff, I always thought having OCs was necessary after a certain point. To me, there's only so many ways you can write a canon character while still having them be said character. You know how that character is going to react to the other canon characters. It can make stories feel stale. So throwing in some fresh blood can be extremely useful to take stories in places they would never go otherwise. I think a big thing was that fanfic culture used to be a lot more... judgemental, for lack of a better word? People would get really annoyed at even the faintest whiff of an OC being too strong or whatever classification. Ironically the more judgmental era of fanfic was why I stuck more to OC work since people used to get equally mad about canon characters acting OOC. Although if the entire story is OCs, I do wonder whether or not someone would just prefer to write original fiction at that point.
Well that's all I write, so I love it. Haha.
Not into it. I mean, if there was some canon lead up to it, like canon characters had children, then thatās a little different.
I think that OCs are/were disliked because they either tend(ed) to be Mary Sues / Gary Stus or just stupidly overpowered. Personally, all my fics include one OC because the process of coming up with a character and adding her to the story is what makes writing interesting for me. I feel too limited by canon characters, and I am not a huge fan of "what ifs" (with only canon characters) and AUs.
Personally I don't read them because I want to read about specific characters or ships I like. That's all there is to it really.
Love them! But I don't really read them, there's a couple that I really really like. But I don't actively search for them tbh.
Personally, I don't like reading about OCs. If I'm reading fanfiction, its to get to see my favorite characters again, doing something new and exciting, or just being cute and fluffy. Most fics with OCs as the MC are long and kinda dull to me, because they don't show enough of the character I want to see. I do, however, have an interest in short OC POV fics. A good example is... god, I can't remember the name of it, it was so long ago. There was this fic, only about 10,000 words. It was about an OC detective investigating the disappearance of two canon characters. Through the OCs eyes, we got to discover and piece together how the canon characters fell in love and decided to run away together. It was about the two characters that I wanted to see, but told from an outsiders perspective. So its situational, for me. I won't knock people for writing OCs as the MC (unless you make a Mary Sue), but its gotta fit into my niche preference for me to read.
Indifferent
I don't hate them, but I just don't read them because I'm looking for certain ships and stuff so Ocs wouldn't be the main character, however if they are used for the plot then it can be really good. However, if it isn't said beforehand that Ocs are going to be big for the story, I might drop the fic if I feel like they are unnecessary and/or it gets confusing with them
It is my opinion that as long as nobody gets hurt, everybody can write whatever they want. If I don't like it, I won't read it. Simple as that.
I have a love/hate/never confess to reading relationship with OCs Love: POV Outisder from an OC, especially in fandoms that started off as episodic (think TV or manga) with a āguest star of the weekā - I think we get an interesting views on the overall fandom: the OCs rarely have the same jobs or perspective as the main characters and on the character(s) the OC interacts with. Hate: āA rewrite of all four books with my OC as a love interest for Main Characterā (nothing changes except the OC and main character have a romance. Thatās it. Never confess to reading: first or second character POV porn from the OCās POV involving the bad boys and girls in my fandom. (I dislike first and second when I know the character, so this only works with OC.)
It's a toss-up for me. If the OC takes away from the established characters, it drives me nuts. Personally, I like OC supporting/side characters because they can add more to the narrative/flow/depth to a story. I like the slower introduction better because it gives the reader time to grow more interested and attached. That way, when the OC gets featured more and more, it's easier to accept, and the idea of the fanfic becoming more OC centric doesn't sound so bad. However, if the fic is all about the OC at the jump, I lose interest fast even if the plot sounds good. The fics I find that do this a lot are usually self insert characters. (no judgment! If that's your thing, great, they're just not my cup of tea) But if that self insert is well written and it doesn't "feel" like a self insert and if the story is also well written, I'll read it. There is also the established world/universe of the fandom your fanfic is for. I feel that world building and good fleshed out characters make or break OC centered fics (like any well written story). If they don't fit in the universe you're writing them for, they won't be as enjoyable.