childbirth as the ultimate token expression of love between two people.

This bugs me even in fics where I don't have to nail my disbelief to the ceiling to buy the concept of the pregnancy. Not to say that kid!fic can't be well-done, it's just that I see kids used as shorthand for domestic bliss a bit too often for my tastes.

As for RPF, I'm not sure I understand its appeal. It strikes me as being original fic or rewrites of popular movies/books/etc. with the various actors playing various roles while keeping their names, but I'm not sure that's an accurate perception on my part. I don't read RPF for reasons I won't go into at this point, but I'm curious to know if my interpretation is off the mark in any particular way.

Sometimes I read stuff that is really badly written/edited, but there is a good story or solid elements, and I wonder if it's worth an email or a comment that says "every typo or grammar issue throws me out of the story, please have someone beta your stories"

Since I stick to the AU's that are, yes, basically original fiction with the boys names and faces slapped on, there's that. The ones that summarize "after season seven of Supernatural wraps" I avoid. The appeal for me is the pretty faces that I know. It's different than the canon of Sam, Dean, and Cas turned into AU's in it's appeal, where even if they're wildly OOC, at the least I can still imagine their faces.

I just messaged miss capslock-too-good-for-a-beta. WhyTF declare that proudly? Maybe, yeah, it's the shit, but still, wtf?

Turns out they have other fic where the comments chastise for warnings and requesting they get a beta. Maybe I shouldn't have been so polite as to send a message privately.

Thank you, Juliebird! I like the distinction you draw between the two types or RPF. One (the original fictiony types) is simply not my cuppa tea in the same way pure schmoop is not my cuppa, while the other is more something I would actively avoid.

I have one writer I read purposefully despite her needing strong betaing and Americanising--janie tangerine. She's a really good author, spins a good tale, does good porn, but English isn't her first language, and you can tell it in her turn of phrase. But her spelling isn't that bad all told. Sometimes I want to say something to her, in the fangirliest of ways, but I never have.

Most other people, I say nothing. I'll plow through, but with less investment. But I don't understand why you don't get a beta, unless you're really that sure of yourself--and most people just shouldn't be. You don't write for a living, and many people who do? Get edited. Ain't no shame in that game.

I will point out incorrect facts sometimes, though. If your fic makes a big deal of Dean never having been to New Orleans, I'ma say something. The Impala has bench seats. Is an automatic. It's just a thing.

But if you don't know the word "rearview" you're on your own.

Turns out they have other fic where the comments chastise for warnings and requesting they get a beta. Maybe I shouldn't have been so polite as to send a message privately.

Oh, warnings kerfuffle. My favourite. Now I gotta go look.

I think the weirdest thing for me is that in RPS, the roles are often reversed -- where Dean is usually taking care of Sam in one way or another in fic, Jared is usually the one looking out for fragile, angsty Jensen in RPS.

It's sad that I can absolutely believe there are authors out there who refuse to edit, or get a beta. Pure artistes! Feel their pain, and their art!

serial:

AU RPF makes me want them to have made it in show AU instead. I don't like AU with actor's names on it. I just don't. Non-AU skeeves me entirely, and I won't do it.

okay, this is serial:

where Dean is usually taking care of Sam in one way or another in fic

From what I read about reading, isn't there a lot of raped and bottom Dean out there? Like, more battered and penetrated (obviously both are related, because...never mind) than with Sam?

Raped, like by other people? Maybe?

There is a whole lot of very toppy Sam, you're right, but there's equally as much Dean taking care of Sam, meaning giving him everything Dean thinks he needs.

I don't know -- maybe it's roughly equal, in terms of who's portrayed as the dominant caretaker. I'm also really particular about what Wincest I read, and I don't really do AUs, so there's a lot I don't know.

Lastly, everyone who writes professionally should *absolutely* be edited.