Here's my own 3 yen on this question... I'll try not to rehash what
others have said.

* I tend to think of FFML as a sort of writers' workshop. When I look
for something to read, I'm not so much looking for something great as I
am for a writer with potential; someone who genuinely *wants* to work
towards writing better stuff. How a writer reacts to negative C&C
(whether mine or others') is an important indicator. Ones who flame,
whine, or just ignore negative comments, are not likely to get read by
me next time.

* Staying true to the spirit, if not the letter, of characterizations is
important to me. And if an author changes the characters, I want it to
be in a way that makes them *more* complex and interesting, rather than
less.

One main reason I'm reading Ranma fics in the first place is that I like
the Ranma characters; I want to see writers do right by them. That
doesn't mean not to make them suffer; it *does* mean that the story
should bring out the best in the characters -- and the worst. People who
write their favorite character as a saint and her rival as a violent
maniac are doing a disservice to *both* characters, IMO.


Gary Kleppe
http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics