My first Joker review
Oct. 17th, 2009 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tinhuvielI've begun to post my Date Series to Fanfiction.net. Why? Why not?
I began the process yesterday, posting in chronological order, beginning with 'The Nurse's Date.' I just got my first review. I feel really good about it.
I don't normally do this. I read this story for the first time yesterday and decided not to review it because I didn't know what to think of it. It's so very decidedly different from ANYTHING I've ever read. Coming back today, however, and seeing that it still had no reviews, (and not being able to get this story out of my mind,) I thought I'd throw in my two cents and tell you what I think. So here we go. First off, your writing is very good. Exceptionally so. You are clearly intelligent, that much is sure. I found absolutely NO typos, no grammar mistakes, and no errors of any kind to speak of. That says a lot, especially if you take into consideration the length of this story. Secondly, I want to address the reason why I think you haven't received any reviews yet. And this is just MY opinion, certainly not fact, so if you disagree at all with what I am about to share with you, please, tell me. Alright, so, I think the reason why you haven't received any reviews is because your portrayal of the Joker, (which is frighteningly accurate and extremely well written, I might add,) is TOO Joker-ish.
Now you may be asking yourself, what? How can that be? But hear me out. Most of the writers/readers of the Batman Begins/The Dark Knight category are not used to the Joker being so in character, so evil and vile, so overall just very, very heartless and so incredibly different from anybody’s written interpretation of him yet. Basically, what I am trying to say here is that I think people don’t WANT to accept your interpretation of the Joker. They KNOW your Joker is in character, and I think that’s what scares them. They don’t want to think that the Joker acts the way he does (like he does in your story,) but he really does. Most authors who read in the BB/TDK category would rather read the softer, more watered down version of the Joker. The kind you will most commonly find in the stories archived in the BB/TDK category. Does any of this make sense? It’s so hard to WRITE what I am trying to tell you, but I am doing my best. What I am saying is that your Joker is a little ahead of the curve. Like I said before, people don’t want to accept your portrayal of the Joker because it is too perfect, too frighteningly real and too evil. But the thing is – that is EXACTLY the way he is supposed to be! *I* don’t mind that kind of Joker, at all. In fact, I prefer it. The watered down Jokers are not the REAL Jokers. Even in my own writings I know I am guilty of creating a “watered down” version of the Joker. Because, let’s face it, most of the plot lines and situations that writers create for the Joker are not really plotlines and situations that the Joker SHOULD be in. You know what I am saying? Like, you know the typically overused plotline where a random young girl is at Harvey Dent’s fundraiser party and the Joker crashes it, uses her as a shield to escape the party after causing some “havoc” and then suddenly notices that she’s very beautiful and wants to have “some fun with her.” No. That’s not how it works. The Joker would KILL you without second thought. That is just an example of a plotline that you can’t fit the Joker in, no matter how many authors try to make it “work.” Your portrayal of the Joker is downright phenomenal. He’s dirty, he’s cruel, and he’s sadistic and completely heartless. I honestly think that people have a hard time excepting this, because they’d rather read about a Joker who is “watered down,” a Joker who is a little less sadistic, a little less dirty. A Joker who kidnaps beautiful women so he can take them back to his lair and have passionate romantic sex with them and then have this beautiful girl fall in love with him. This is why YOUR portrayal of the Joker is so amazing. For whatever reason, the Joker decides that he wants to date this nurse, Janet. She’s bulky and overweight, and just overall unappealing to the naked eye. And yet the Joker seduces her, has sex with her, and then one night kills her. Honestly, the thing that appeals to me most about this situation is that you created an OC that no one has created before. I mean, let’s not skirt around the facts here: she’s freaking 250 pounds, middle aged, single, working in a hospital, and has the type of hair that ‘was at one of those awkward lengths where you couldn’t do much with it but wash it and hope for the best.’ THAT, my friend, is quite the OC. Not your general slim-figured little vixen in the slinky and (conveniently enough) purple dress at Harvey Dent’s fundraiser party. You know another thing that probably bothers other readers? The fact that the Joker forcibly raped a MAN. People don’t like to think that the Joker would . . . be like that. And you know what? He is. He doesn’t care what you think. He doesn’t care what I think. He doesn’t care what anybody thinks. He just . . . does things. No rhyme, and no reason. He just does. If he wants to rape a man and not a woman, he will. That doesn’t mean he’s gay, of course, if just means that he’ll do whatever he feels is necessary to prove his point. Or maybe he’s not trying to make a point at all? Either way, I think for whatever reason, people have a problem with the Joker raping a man. It just doesn’t sound appealing, I guess. And honestly to me, it doesn’t. But that’s exactly the thing. The Joker isn’t trying to appeal to anyone. Why should he be? To end then, (there is so much more I think I’d like to say, but I’ll spare you the grisly details,) I thought this was an excellent piece of work. Some of the dialogue lines from the Joker were slightly out of character, you know, seemed a little off kilter, (specifically towards the end,) but other than that, I thought this was a well written piece of work. Certainly unique, that’s for sure. Great job. Most Sincerely,[name withheld by moi]
P.s. I would really love to hear back from you if you had anything you wanted to say about the things I’ve mentioned above. I’m interesting in knowing your opinions on the topics I brought up.
I began the process yesterday, posting in chronological order, beginning with 'The Nurse's Date.' I just got my first review. I feel really good about it.
I don't normally do this. I read this story for the first time yesterday and decided not to review it because I didn't know what to think of it. It's so very decidedly different from ANYTHING I've ever read. Coming back today, however, and seeing that it still had no reviews, (and not being able to get this story out of my mind,) I thought I'd throw in my two cents and tell you what I think. So here we go. First off, your writing is very good. Exceptionally so. You are clearly intelligent, that much is sure. I found absolutely NO typos, no grammar mistakes, and no errors of any kind to speak of. That says a lot, especially if you take into consideration the length of this story. Secondly, I want to address the reason why I think you haven't received any reviews yet. And this is just MY opinion, certainly not fact, so if you disagree at all with what I am about to share with you, please, tell me. Alright, so, I think the reason why you haven't received any reviews is because your portrayal of the Joker, (which is frighteningly accurate and extremely well written, I might add,) is TOO Joker-ish.
Now you may be asking yourself, what? How can that be? But hear me out. Most of the writers/readers of the Batman Begins/The Dark Knight category are not used to the Joker being so in character, so evil and vile, so overall just very, very heartless and so incredibly different from anybody’s written interpretation of him yet. Basically, what I am trying to say here is that I think people don’t WANT to accept your interpretation of the Joker. They KNOW your Joker is in character, and I think that’s what scares them. They don’t want to think that the Joker acts the way he does (like he does in your story,) but he really does. Most authors who read in the BB/TDK category would rather read the softer, more watered down version of the Joker. The kind you will most commonly find in the stories archived in the BB/TDK category. Does any of this make sense? It’s so hard to WRITE what I am trying to tell you, but I am doing my best. What I am saying is that your Joker is a little ahead of the curve. Like I said before, people don’t want to accept your portrayal of the Joker because it is too perfect, too frighteningly real and too evil. But the thing is – that is EXACTLY the way he is supposed to be! *I* don’t mind that kind of Joker, at all. In fact, I prefer it. The watered down Jokers are not the REAL Jokers. Even in my own writings I know I am guilty of creating a “watered down” version of the Joker. Because, let’s face it, most of the plot lines and situations that writers create for the Joker are not really plotlines and situations that the Joker SHOULD be in. You know what I am saying? Like, you know the typically overused plotline where a random young girl is at Harvey Dent’s fundraiser party and the Joker crashes it, uses her as a shield to escape the party after causing some “havoc” and then suddenly notices that she’s very beautiful and wants to have “some fun with her.” No. That’s not how it works. The Joker would KILL you without second thought. That is just an example of a plotline that you can’t fit the Joker in, no matter how many authors try to make it “work.” Your portrayal of the Joker is downright phenomenal. He’s dirty, he’s cruel, and he’s sadistic and completely heartless. I honestly think that people have a hard time excepting this, because they’d rather read about a Joker who is “watered down,” a Joker who is a little less sadistic, a little less dirty. A Joker who kidnaps beautiful women so he can take them back to his lair and have passionate romantic sex with them and then have this beautiful girl fall in love with him. This is why YOUR portrayal of the Joker is so amazing. For whatever reason, the Joker decides that he wants to date this nurse, Janet. She’s bulky and overweight, and just overall unappealing to the naked eye. And yet the Joker seduces her, has sex with her, and then one night kills her. Honestly, the thing that appeals to me most about this situation is that you created an OC that no one has created before. I mean, let’s not skirt around the facts here: she’s freaking 250 pounds, middle aged, single, working in a hospital, and has the type of hair that ‘was at one of those awkward lengths where you couldn’t do much with it but wash it and hope for the best.’ THAT, my friend, is quite the OC. Not your general slim-figured little vixen in the slinky and (conveniently enough) purple dress at Harvey Dent’s fundraiser party. You know another thing that probably bothers other readers? The fact that the Joker forcibly raped a MAN. People don’t like to think that the Joker would . . . be like that. And you know what? He is. He doesn’t care what you think. He doesn’t care what I think. He doesn’t care what anybody thinks. He just . . . does things. No rhyme, and no reason. He just does. If he wants to rape a man and not a woman, he will. That doesn’t mean he’s gay, of course, if just means that he’ll do whatever he feels is necessary to prove his point. Or maybe he’s not trying to make a point at all? Either way, I think for whatever reason, people have a problem with the Joker raping a man. It just doesn’t sound appealing, I guess. And honestly to me, it doesn’t. But that’s exactly the thing. The Joker isn’t trying to appeal to anyone. Why should he be? To end then, (there is so much more I think I’d like to say, but I’ll spare you the grisly details,) I thought this was an excellent piece of work. Some of the dialogue lines from the Joker were slightly out of character, you know, seemed a little off kilter, (specifically towards the end,) but other than that, I thought this was a well written piece of work. Certainly unique, that’s for sure. Great job. Most Sincerely,[name withheld by moi]
P.s. I would really love to hear back from you if you had anything you wanted to say about the things I’ve mentioned above. I’m interesting in knowing your opinions on the topics I brought up.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-18 06:40 pm (UTC)But other than that, that's one hell of a review! :D
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Date: 2009-10-18 07:43 pm (UTC)