StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Sidewinder wrote:In some of my alternate universe stories, I removed traits that I found undesirable for the protagonist and antagonists, e.g., Silverbolt's fear of heights (as mentioned here) and Starscream's stupid tendency to whine, "I should be leader!" in front of other Decepticons-- including Megatron, the very person he's scheming to overthrow!

Is it okay to do so? How about stories set in the canon universe? Have other fanfic writers on this board done so?

Edward Yee wrote:Do not arbitrarily remove, but ease them out seems to be the best method. With Star Trek, though, it seems easier to momentarily "forget" about certain bad traits.

GrandMasterTerwynn wrote:Generally, I agree with the others who have posted on the subject. You should not arbitrarily remove traits from established characters. If you do so, you'd might as well change their names as well. Writing a story about how they're trying to get over the aforementioned annoying traits can be good, but one has to consider just how deeply embedded these traits might be in that character's psyche. Sure you might be able to cure some character of his fear of heights, but if he was a rude, arrogant jerk with the power to incinerate anyone who told him that he was a rude, arrogant jerk; chances are fairly good that he'll probably still be a rude, arrogant jerk at the end of the story.

'Optimus...' The voice echoed in the Red Storm's head, like distant thunder.

'Who...?' Optimus focused his optics, seeing only darkness. His integral processor ran a diagnostic of his radar and sonar as he lowered and raised his shutters. The sensors were functional, but he sensed nothing... an infinite void. 'Where am I?'

'Optimus, this world is wrong... it must be fixed... give me the Matrix, so I can fix it...'

'What do you mean, the world is wrong?' Rainbow lights surrounded the Red Storm, forming an image of another world. 'What?!' He watched an Autobot with his visage-- Optimus Prime, the Autobot Commander he could've been-- stand in the Temple of Vector Sigma, facing the Aerialbots. Alpha Trion-- the last Autobot minister of the Temple, before Optimus captured it to support Dion's propaganda campaign-- had used his own power supply to reactivate the supercomputer; his body laid on the floor, nothing more than scrap metal.

"He gave himself up just so we could have some jets?" said Blaster, the Autobot communications specialist. "That's nuts!"

"No, one Autobot gave his life so that six could be born," said the Prime, referring to legends that Vector Sigma was an incarnation of Primus, a medium through which the God of Creation gave life to the Transformers. "He made a choice-- the kind of choice I hope they'll be able to make when the time's right." The Decepticon Optimus watched the Autobot Optimus turn to the supercomputer. "Vector Sigma! Give these machines personality worthy of him who created me. Let them think for themselves-- to grow in knowledge and wisdom-- and let them always value freedom and life, wherever they find it!" Confusion filled the Red Guards Commander's CPU as the Prime faced the Aerialbots. "Welcome to the Autobot team! I am Optimus Prime, and we welcome you Aerialbots."

"Uh, hi! I used to be a courier ship, but, um, now I think I'm... Silverbolt?"

'My enemy?' The Red Guards Commander was too confused to express rage or hatred.

'I wasn't built to be your enemy, to fight against you. I was built to fight for you, and you were built to lead the Autobots to victory.'

'No... the Autobots are cowards and weaklings, unwilling and unable to be conquerors... they deserve to be conquered.' Optimus, a loyal Decepticon, shared Megatron and Shockwave's views.

'You didn't see them that way.' An image of another Earth replaced the other Cybertron.

The Prime looked into Silverbolt's optics, sharing the Aerialbot's fear. "Silverbolt, what happened to you out there?"

"I... I don't know. I just couldn't take being that high in the air," answered the Aerialbot.

"Any ideas as to why?"

The Decepticon's anger at the Autobot burned away his confusion. 'You should've asked Soundwave to scan the new soldier's mind to know his weaknesses!' Optimus once endured this painful process to prove his loyalty.

"Well, back on Cybertron, I was just a low-level cargo transport," explained Silverbolt.

Anger became hatred. 'You should've reprogrammed him to overcome this weakness!'

"Silverbolt, I've got an idea: I'm making you commander of the Aerialbots. It'll give you something else to worry about instead of your fear of heights," claimed the Prime. "Now go on, join the others."

'You demonstrate your incompetence by giving these responsibilities to this incompetent fool! You don't deserve to exist!' cursed Optimus.

'You deserve to be him. You will be him.'

Rainbow lights blinded Optimus as telepathic energy surged through his spark. "Ahhhh!"

Sidewinder wrote:Before you cry, "Foul!" over what I did, think about the bad traits Kevin J. Anderson arbitrarily added to Luke Skywalker in the 'Jedi Search' trilogy and 'Darksaber'.

The Aliens wrote:

Sidewinder wrote:Before you cry, "Foul!" over what I did, think about the bad traits Kevin J. Anderson arbitrarily added to Luke Skywalker in the 'Jedi Search' trilogy and 'Darksaber'.

Unfortunately, those arbitrary traits are now part of the character, and unelss you're writing AU, where your timeline supercedes KJA's, that's the character. In my opinion, you have to try to remain as consistent as possible with that portrayal of the character so long as you're writing in that universe.

Sidewinder wrote:I guess it's a good thing all of my stories have been AU so far. Remind me to AVOID writing in the canon universe and having to deal with such bullshit.