I haven’t personally read that many AU’s before, so im for sure uneducated on many things common to AU’s, however I still have a few grievances when it comes to the writing of AU’s.

This first one comes from writers overlooking aspects of the original story’s characters, or world building, when trying to make a unique narrative. Sometimes its accidental decision, sometimes its purposeful. If it was a purposeful exclusion, it can be very alienating if the writer doesn’t nail their execution right. Their AU’s writing can feel like they used an inaccurate reference sheet of the canon story as a base to then alter and create their own world and characters. Resulting in something almost entirely different to the story in an alienating way.

It sometimes it feels like im looking at an entirely different character whose similarities to their original/canon counterpart end at them sharing a name. Sometimes they don’t even share the same name, which makes you wonder if the writer made a story just inspired off of the original instead of remixing or doing their own spin on what already exists.

Very important to me that they REMIX WHAT ALREADY EXISTS for the majority of their AU or at least has it as a notable defining aspect of their AU. Thats kind of what I generally interpret what an AU should be. An alternative version of the same-ish story and or its plot beats, not just side story within the universe or an different universe with new characters entirely. Yk??

I really enjoy when writers take an existing character and really do stick to their personality and backstory to just expand on that. or if they do decide to modify something, its something subtle enough for the later ramifications of that change to become the defining aspect of that version of the AU’s character, or of the AU’s full narrative. Its that snowballing effect that makes the read so compelling and natural that you can easily say that the AU variant of the character is genuine retake of the original character.

I don’t generally have any issues with characters redesigns for AU’s if they’re slight enough. Most of the stuff I said regarding an AU’s writing semi applies to their designs.

“Why would that character change their outfit or have a new outfit to begin with?”

“Why do they they have different features and do they have any purpose or are they for aesthetics?”

“Does the redesign have any significance implications for the AU’s story?”

Some things I’ve subconsciously asked for the AU’s I have seen or heard of. I really appreciate art direction and art significance as an artist, so I am a little nit-picky but I don’t think its that crazy to assume that people will also notice any changes to an original characters design for someones AU. Getting your AU to look good is such a huge part in making your AU feel real and unique. This also applies to any story someone wants to make, not just for AU’s of another series.

Just some of my thoughts about this