Spike In Fan-Fiction

Caustizer · **on:** October 12, 2009, 03:10:53 PM

One trend I've noticed a lot in fan fics is that there is not a lot of love for Spike, especially since he doesn't talk all that much. I admit I'm guilty of omitting him or discounting his presence a lot, but mainly because he rarely contributes to the plot. In the Big Freeze the Spike/Tippy plot was cute (Tippy was a boy here, but I think he was later changed into a girl) but it was not very interesting as a whole and didn't develop the Land Before Time storyline (everything went right back to the way it was).

Do other writers feel the way I do in that Spike doesn't really contribute to the Land Before Time that much?

I have nothing against his character, but sometimes I find the Spike based off-shoot of the movies and TV series to be annoying and unproductive.

Caustizer.

Malte279 · **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2009, 04:49:33 PM

I agree this is a sad trend and also an unnecessary one. It is quite likely that Spike's inability to speak is the main reason for this. Yet this does not disable Spike from playing an active part in a story. Telling parts of the story from his point of view, allowing him to communicate with expressions, sounds, and other means we see in the movie make it possible to integrate him quite a bit. Also it seems quite possible for Ducky do understand even more elaborate meanings of whatever Spike is "saying" than the others do (we do hear her interpret Spike's language on several occasions and she also seems to have a talent for the talk of Dinah and Dana). Ducky being the only one to understand more complex meanings of Spike's utterances in itself is another element that could create interesting or funny situations in a story.
Now apart from being unable to talk there is another thing that may turn fanfiction writers "against" him (even to the point of letting him die), namely that Spike is not an adventurer by nature. If friends need help he is the first one to go ahead (examples in LBT 4 and LBT 7 among other) but if there is a less strenous and less dangerous alternative he is more likely to go for that one. This however too might work for an interesting story element. By his peaceful and simpler nature he may sometimes end up as the only one not being caught up in a conflict and remaining able to see simple solutions where others do not. And even in cases where there are no simple solutions he may be a source of comfort through his simple, honest, good-natured self.

LBTFan13 · **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2009, 08:45:40 PM

I'm probably guilty of this a little too in my fanfics. I find Spike to be the hardest character to portray in a story mainly because of his inability to speak. I find myself kind of having him simply nodding or grunting or whatever, and I feel I should include him more, but I can never figure out how to.

I do agree that Spike does contribute a lot to the LBT story so I will take it upon myself to not exclude him.

Serris · **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2009, 09:17:00 PM

I am guilty of that too. It seems so...so out of character to have Spike delivering beatdowns to enemy dinosaurs. I give him some parts but they are usually Ducky related interactions or as a pack animal or as a source of comfort.

I'm trying to find some places where they take advantage of his tendency to find the easiest and fastest solution to everything.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2009, 09:22:01 PM

Spike is actually going to take the part of Yorick in my LBT/Hamlet retelling. So he's dead before the play even starts. Of course, so is Grandpa Longneck, and they won't be alone by the play's end.

Pangaea · **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2009, 12:32:08 AM

I really like Spike as a character, but I agree that he is very difficult to write for because he doesn't talk. In a conversation, he usually can't contribute much more than an occasional affirmative or disagreeing grunt or gesture. However, he still manages to maintain a significant role in virtually all of the movies (I thought that he was somewhat downplayed in LBT XIII, possibly because he had to share the screen with another mute characteróthe yellow belly Foobie), and I think it is by observing these that we can best come up with ways to include him in fanfics.

One thing I've noticed about Spike in the LBT movies is that he is often used as a "plot device" character, playing a brief but pivotal role at certain important turning points of the story. For instance, in LBT V, he was the first member of the gang to pick up the scent of the Big Water, and after they got there, he was the one who first spotted the island (and later confirmed the edibility of the native vegetation

). And in addition to deciding for the rest of the gang to follow Ali in IV, he was the first to approach and befriend Tickles and find the night flowers, and was responsible for the "defeat" of Ichy and Dil, by knocking the former into the latter's mouth. Giving Spike small but significant parts like these would probably be a good way to increase his presence in a story.

Spike also has a number of individual traits and abilities that can potentially be utilized by fanfiction writers, but often seem to be strikingly underused. After Chomper, Spike appears to have the best sense of smell among the characters, and seems to be quite observant. (As my examples from the previous paragraph demonstrate, he is often the first to notice and/or investigate things.) Also, while he appears fat and gluttonous, Spike has shown himself to be one of the strongest members of the gang, probably second only to Cera. (Notice that whenever the characters stack up to form a living tower, Spike is usually the one holding up everyone else.)

Finally, the TV episode "Through the Eyes of a Spiketail" is worth noting here, as it offered us an insight into how Spike's views the world. I personally quite liked how this was done (with the exception of Spike hearing the dialogue of the other characters as grunts and squawks similar to his own), and while others may disagree with me, I think that some of what was shown of Spike's perspective in this episode could probably be applied to his behavior in fanfics.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:03:57 AM

Spike just isn't many people's favorite character. He's subtle and just uninteresting if all you're looking at is the witty remarks and action packed scenes. When the polls actually worked on my website (I'm working on that), Spike had like 3 out of 465 votes when voting for your favorite character. If someone insists on killing off a member of the gang in their fanfiction (though I really don't understand why people do this), Spike would be the logical choice because of his low popularity rate. I for one would never read a fanfic where a member of the gang dies, but that doesn't change the fact that they're out there. I have to admit that if I absolutely had to axe a member of the gang, poor Spike would be out of luck. Theoretically speaking of course. I'd never axe anyone in an LBT fanfic except maybe sharpteeth.

Cancerian Tiger · **Reply #7 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:11:22 AM

Quote from: landbeforetimelover,Oct 13 2009 on 12:03 AM

I'd never axe anyone in an LBT fanfic except maybe sharpteeth.

Me neither <_<. Just the thought of it literally makes me sick. I just read LBTFan13's "New Fanfic" thread, and learning an important character will get whacked in "Revenge III" made my stomach turn and turned on the waterworks

. I just can't handle things like one of the Gang getting whacked. I'm tearing up again as I type this

. Don't mind me, though. I'm probably one of the most sensitive folks around :blink:.

Kor · **Reply #8 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:24:29 AM

Maybe Spike would do better if each char was given certain roles. Spike to notice certain things the others overlook, his sense of smell, if Chomper is absent from the group or it is set before the tv series, his strength, ect.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:43:45 AM

Spike is not an easy character to work with, I will admit. I don't hate him by any means. (How can I when he's in my Top 10 of LBT Characters?) I just find it hard to give him a role in my story.

To be honest, it's hard working with a character that hardly ever speaks. I'll try to get him involved more in the plot somehow, but I can't make any promises.

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2009, 10:57:00 AM

As with most people, I'm a tainted writer myself when it comes to incorporating Spike into the plot of a fanfiction piece. I try and put Spike in as much as I can making him give utterances and interactions where possible or by giving him an active part in scene that is action driven. But it is easy to leave the poor guy on the sidelines purely because he is probably the hardest character to make interesting when writing prose. Visually it's a slightly different story; it's not as difficult to represent his actions or method of communicating. On paper, as text, it's a greater challenge. I'm making an effort to get him involved in my latest fic but he's only just rejoined the gang so there is plenty of room for improvement me thinks. Spike can be a very deep character if he is given enough attention.

Pangaea · **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2009, 06:41:13 PM

^ Personally, I thought you did very well giving Spike an active role in your first BOSE story.

As for the new one, it seems to me that so far, most of the gang apart from Littlefoot haven't had much "page time" (could that be considered an acceptable fanfiction equivalent of "screen time"?

), so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt on that one for now.