Animation Source Forums

I keep finding a disgusting number of stories on this site with couples cheating on each other- especially Balto and Jenna. So I want to ask the people who write them, WHAY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! If you're going to have characters cheat on each other, at least do it with your own. Cheating is totally outside Balto and Jenna's character, so having them do it is not only immoral, but very poor writing. Does anyone else feel this way? And if you who read this are one of these writers, will you at least say something for yourselves?

Uh, not to spam or anything, but, shouldn't this be in the rant section?

Anyways, back to the subject. I never really admired cheating, but I'm okay with it, except when it comes from Balto or Jenna. I doubt they'd ever do that, unless it was forceully or something like that. Anyone can easily tell in the movies, especially the first one how much they love each other. But, basically that cheating concept would come from a dumb guy, like Steele for example. Females or Males that only flirt, have fun and then cheat would be those who can just say that everything is a trophie and they can decide what to do with it. People just express themselves, saying what they'd think would happen. Actually, something that I'd prefer on this concept would be one thinking the other cheated, they punish that guy/girl, leave them behind, and then find out that the most probable thing is that they didn't do it, but are too stubborn to admit it. That would be some what more original, but I'm just saying.

Knowing this place, that might happen within the week.

About the fictional cheating business. Forums, especially fan sites like this one, go through phases. The general attitude of the crowd shifts from happy and positive at the creation of the community towards more lifelike situations and feelings in the middle of the community's life span, then finally towards more hateful and hostile feelings at the end of the community's existence. We're at DEFCON 3.

But, that's just me going off on a tangent.

Dakota, TikTak, you have hit the matter exactly that it is fanfiction. However, you veremphasize the fiction part. In my view, no sincere fan of Balto and Jenna would ever have them cheat. Integrity, honor, decency; these are the things that make them who they are. Take those away and they are nothing and no one. If this is over your head, then you are not the kind of people Balto was made for in the first place.

Actually, someone wrote a story like what you wrote, sorta. And as for this topic being a rant, you may be right. I have to admit I didn't realize there was a rant section, so I put it here. But I don't know how to move it now. *shrug*

Personally, i feel that having Balto or Jenna cheating on each other makes a suspensful story. All of us here love that Balto and Jenna got together after the first movie so, seeing that bond stretched and twisted up so much that it's nearly damaged beyond repair is a really good way(if only a little over used) to keep us interested and reading the fan fic. Of course, before you can acctually write one of these you have to come up with the answer to two question.
1) What causes Balto(or Jenna) to cheat on the other
and
2) How is this resolved between them(if it even is resolved)?

I havn't written one where Balto or Jenna cheat on each other, but i did write the fiction 'Kodi's Big Mistake' and the title alone gives it away. Kodi's 'big mistake' is he cheats. On Dusty.

To be honest I'm kinda neutral about the concept. If a writer feels it necessary to have a couple cheat on each other in a story then by all means write it, but if it's not revelevant to the story then it's just random more than anything else. It can be a good dramaitc device at times and i see why some fan-fic writers may want to use it, but if it happened without context then like I said it's just a random event which makes no sense.

If you want suspense in a story, it's perfectly plausible to have a situation where it seems like one of the characters is up to something underhanded (it doesn't even have to be cheating), and then have it turn out to be something innocent. It's more fitting for Balto and Jenna by far, and it still has the same tone of suspense- especially if you write it just so that it even seems to the reader like there really is something bad going on. You never know, I might just do that myself one of these daysw

I agree with you, there are WAY too many fics and people need to start writing something else. This particular plotline plus "steele returning" plus "jenna+steele" plus a buttload of other fanfics are over written and over written terribly.

However, I see nothing wrong with a plot of Balto "cheating" on Jenna (well, personally, I don't think dogs would even consider it cheating. even cartoon dogs. I mean look at real life dogs. They'll get whatever they can get and no one has much of a say in it.) Sure, Balto should have a legitimate reason for doing such a thing, but maybe he just felt himself not loving Jenna anymore (like Bambi and Feline in the novel "Bambi") or maybe the writer just didn't see Balto as such an innocent character, like maybe he was hiding something. Its the freedom of fandom that should make that okay (well, personally, I prefer reading well-written and thought out fanfics, but what can you do?).

If you're upset about the quality of the fanfics, I can understand. (people just need to take advantage of the tutorials given; its not that hard, people -_-) If you're upset about the quantity of fics having the same basic plot over and over again, I can understand. But if you're upset about fics about Balto cheating or Jenna cheating etc. then you're upset about half of what fandom is.

Just cuz they appear to disrespect the character, it doesn't mean they're not good fans and it doesn't mean they should be considered bad fans or not even fans at all. Say someone writes a fic and Balto dies, does that mean they hate Balto? No, it just means it played a role in their story. Its all about having different views on things.

If someone reads a fic about Balto cheating on Jenna, they should be more like "Whoa! I didn't think Balto would do that!" because after all, it is just fandom. Making a good character have antagonistic thoughts/actions is not necessarily degrading. It's just a form of creativity (poetic liscense, anyone?). Maybe not the best-liked or maybe it doesn't have a good moral, but its still the same. Besides, how interesting would it be if everyone got a happy ending? how interesting would it be if everything stayed the same? How interesting would it be if the bad guys always lost and the good guys always won? Not very.

EDIT: just so people don't "flip out" I don't support cheating in real life

Cat, your points are well-made. However, it seems to me that having Balto cheat on Jenna or vice-versa would be like having Steele be the good guy and Balto be the bad guy: it's just not gonna happen. The matter of Balto dying is another matter altogether, because death is a part of his nature as a mortal creature. Infidelity, on the other hand, goes completely against the grain of everything that he and Jenna are. Having it seem like one of them cheated provides all the advantages one might see in a story where they actually cheat, plus it adds the advantage of the reader following the "cheater's" search for justice. I am leery of recommending any particular writer, especially the one who comes most readily to my mind, but I will say that I have seen such stories and it is much more effective. And Cat, with all due respect, I think you know why I would be skeptical of your angle as to what should or shouldn't go in a story.

Ever hear of "thinking outside the box"? Its as much as an annoyance as it is a good thing in any fandom. And who said that cheating is against Balto and Jenna's nature? They were still fairly young in the movie. People change. Besides, the creators of Balto 2 went against the grain of everything that is Balto 1, so what does that tell you? That as long as its official, it makes certain things ok? Not really, cuz Balto 2 isn't okay with me and at least half of the Balto fandom. So even if the likeliness of Balto cheating on Jenna is slim to none, it doesn't mean people can't write about it or express their opinions. (I'm getting the biggest case of deja vu right now.) Now, I hate badly-written fanfics. But I can read something that goes completely against my beliefs and still think it a good story, and I see no reason why others can't. Oh, and your distrust of my opinons at this moment have nothing to do with past events, so you may as well leave those out of here while you're ahead. I'm just another author expressing my opinions right now. Not a "basher of Dragon Tamer for his opinions"

EDIT: If you want to email anyone who worked on Balto's movies and ask them yourself if its completely against his and Jenna's nature to cheat, then by all means go for it. If they say it is, then, I'll take back everything I've ever said here.

OK, I agree with Dragon Tamer. Notice that it's AGAINST THE LAW for a person to have two wives or husbands?! Having two mates is the SAME THING!
I understand that it's fan fiction but that doesn't mean 'write what ever you want on a KID'S SITE'. Do you really think that KIDS should be reading about dogs cheating on each other. ESPECAILLY dogs like Balto who are probably one of their favorite characters in a lot of diffrent things? Kids most likly want their dogs to be like Balto because he REALLY did save a town! Kids will most likely be CRUSHED to read about Balto being disloyal or Jenna hurting him. Some kids won't pay ANY attention to the rating, you know!

Well if it's any consolation to all those who object the fan-fic I'm writing right now doesn't have anyone cheating at all. It's very wierd but no cheating.