That's a really interesting point you have there. It's very true, too, romantic relationships aren't the only thing out there, and it does seem to kind of take over in fanfiction for some reason. *blinksu* Weird. Part of it, obviously, is the author writing what they wish would happen to them (hello Mary-Sue!), but even the ones who don't fall into that trap can get side-tracked.

I do enjoy gen-fics, or fics where they aren't consentrating on who's falling for who, and pairings are just on the side. They're *there*, and they're mentioned, and yes, they affect some of the character interaction, but it's not the point of the story. One of my favorite authors is Vathara, and all her fics are... well, I guess you could say action oriented, though there's plenty of depth to them. *grin* Not to mention that she's the Goddess of Cross-overs, 'cause I've yet to find anyone who could manage to mix that many 'verses together and make it work, with all the characters still IC. And she has *plot*, which not everyone gets, sadly.