These are just my random rants about repeated stuff I find in Newsies fanfics that irritate the heck out of me. Please take no offense to them since I have done a couple myself :D
1* What is up with newsie names like Enchanted, Destiny, Satin, or whatever else writers come up with? ((If those are anyone's handles...no offense! It's just annoying in fics.)) Those are unreal and irritating names. Real names like Ashley, Caitlin, Madison, and other names like that may be popular now, but back then, they weren't even used or didn't exist as names. Ashley was actually a boy's name back then! Some newsie names writers use like Faith or Daisy or even Jewel were real names and not just a nick. I have more on this subject on another page.
2* "She was beautiful"...every time I read that in a fic, I cringe! Not every girl that comes along is beautiful. I doubt that was the only thing on the newsies' minds too. It seems also that there aren't any ugly girls in fics. When I say ugly, I mean buck teeth, huge glasses, coarse hair. People in 1899 didn't get to go to the beauty shop and get beautified for the day.
3* Blondes. They seem to litter fics! People couldn't buy a box of hair color and bleach their hair like too many people do these days. I doubt there were over 5% of blondes back then because natural blonde hair is rare. If you're character is going to have blonde hair, make sure you say it was bleached by sun exposure...although they use to wear they're hair in buns or under hats back then.
4* "He pulled off her hat and her hair came cascading down". Say WHA'?! One of my biggest pet peeves. I highly doubt a girl will be able to keep all her hair under her hat and not have it fall out. Trust me, I can't do it so how can other peeps too. Women wore they're hair in buns mainly or braids or a braided bun. lol! Usually younger girls let they're hair hang though.
5* Another big pet peeve. Count how many of Blink's eyes you can see in the movie. How many? One. Reason: he's wearing an eye patch! So if he looks at something, say he looked at it with his eye.
6* What's up with the newsie name "Angel" in every other fic? It's MORE than over used so please don't use it!!! Not unless it's for a newsboy because that's kind of interesting.
7* Girls disguised as boys...it's old. I've never used that plot, thank goodness. It's only good if it's written uniquely. Or even better, have the newsies never find out the new boy was a girl and let her go on her merry way.
8* There's TOO many Spot fics. TOO MANY! Ya hear? Especially ones where he falls in love...gesh. It's all right if it's like this really a intriguing, suspenseful fic where Spot is fighting for his territory or something. Those kind can dig deep into his character and Brooklyn. But, no Spot meets girl fics...blah. I admit I've written like one of those, good thing I was a new Newsies writer back then :P
9* The lesser newsies need recognition!!! It's rare to see a fic about Jake, Pie Eater, Snoddy, Itey, Snitch, Specs, Boots, and Snipeshooter. There's been an okay ((not that good, but okay)) amount of Bumlets, Skittery, Dutchy, David, and Crutchy fics ((but we need more)). Then there's a whole ton of Spot, Jack, Mush, Blink, and Race fics ((which I don't mind but other characters are in the movie too)). Heck, I'd even like to see a Les fic here and there, and I don't even like Les. The only newsie who I really don't care to see a fic about is Swifty! I've never liked him for some reason...probably his hat :D
10* More complains about girls in fics. This time it's the rich girl who runs away and is found by a newsie. AHHH!!! Please stop that.
11* New York Accents. There's actually different accents for the different boroughs. I don't know which is which, oh well. But some writers lay on the accents a little TOO much. It gets irritating and hard to read. Don't lay on the accent so much. One time, I emailed a writer and told her to tune it down. She got all mad at me for it. *shrugs* Her decision to make her fic so unreadable. I use to write in an accent, but it gets tiring so I don't use it.
12* I personally don't believe in this "Mary Sue-ism" thing that people talk about, but I know what it is. A writer putting themselves as the character. I admit, I've done that about a dozen times but mainly in comedies ((because I have a sense of humor :P)) and listee fics. I don't have a problem with writers putting themselves as the girl character or love interest. BUT!!! the big BUT here, please don't be in EVERY fic you write!!! It gets old very quickly. And one more thing, listee fics don’t count as Mary-Sue. Why I think that? Because it’s a listee fic…those get pardoned since it’s classified as…DUN DUN DUN…a listee fic!
13* Repeat after me: Spot lives in Brooklyn. He does not have to be in every fic. I doubt he visits Manhattan everyday.
14* I like to read comedies. I like to write comedies. Comedies that are random scenes that last a second do not work though. I've read about half the percentage of Newsies comedies that are skillfully and cleverly written. The other half is bumbling randomness that just isn't really funny. Surprisingly, you have to have a structure behind your comedies. For good references to the better half of comedies, go to "The Truth Behind Denton's Bowties", "Newsies in Tights", and "Rainbow Connection".
15* Now back in the olden days, men did not put their arm around a lady’s waist. This seems to be a frequent in all fics. They use to offer ladies’ their arm instead of circling it around her waist. It wasn’t proper to - let’s say - touch that way in public.
16* Urg. Amnesia. It’s an abundant storyline in many fics. I admit, I have used it before! But, it’s just used too much. Not every girl who meets the newsies have amnesia!
17* Why does a new character - boy or girl - always "sell better than Jack"? It’s in ever dang fic!
18* Somehow a character always finds "hidden talents" and it’s something amazing or common like singing or playing an instrument or whatever else. I can’t think of anymore examples right now.
