Part of the gang?

[Nittanylizard]

I was thinking that you often see original characters who range around the 13-15 age bracket, especially when they are female (imagine that ), and they always seem to meld right in with the gang. But realistically, even Ponyboy says that the only reason he's part of the gang, at his age, is because he is Darry and Soda's brother and he keeps his mouth shut good.

So aside from the obvious answer that these characters are usually author-insertions, why does the original character automatically have to want to be part of the gang? There are other people involved in all of their lives, yet the particular set of people in the book is always introduced as pretty close to the only ones that have any impact on each other. I mean, I can see Steve and Two-Bit and Soda having lots of other friends, and maybe even seeing the "gang" in a different way, and maybe not as black-and-white, as Ponyboy does (he's shy and doesn't have tons of close friends at school). Maybe if you asked Steve, there would be a couple of other guys included in what he considers his gang (and maybe Ponyboy wouldn't even be on his list). This could be a good way to introduce the canon characters from an entirely different perspective.

There's also big potential to build a relationship between Ponyboy and another character (he clearly had some sort of friendship with Mark from TWT,TIN, and did stuff with him outside of school) without involving anyone other than maybe his brothers.

Anyone else craving some alternate-perspective kinds of fics? ;D

[xolilkelox1]

This is a good point I would like to see Ponyboy hanging out with some other then the boys in the original gang. Post book I could see ponyboy straying away from the gang and hanging out with other boys. He even says that he is friendly with Curly Shepard so maybe Curly introduces him to other boys and I would like to a fic involving Mark from "That Was Then This Is Now".Plus it could also add conflict with Bryon and Ponyboy since they didn't really get along. I also think that the only girl who would really be accepted by the gang or acquaintances with the gang would be Two-Bit's sister for the same reason Ponyboy is.

Good topic!

[Tensleep]

Good points. I fully agree with this outside friends theory. And honestly, I think you would see more of it, but this author insertion is probably a lot easier. And that 13-15 age rage is right around where they make us read the Outsiders in school. Interesting coincidence, no?

Now you've given me New story ideas. This is bad when you consider how many I have on the go.

[anotherillusion]

I think Pony would some friends outside of the gang, certainly.
I do like the idea of the gang seeing other people as perhaps in their group as well as they see the gang differently. That could be really interesting, Liz.
AI

[theinsider]

Yeah, it bugs me when ALL the teen characters in fics are 'part of the gang'. As was mentioned before, it wasn't really a gang so much as it was a bunch of friends who stuck together and stood up for each other. In my fics, I do my best to sort of disperse the gang. I hate it when people write like it's just 'the gang' and nothing else.

[Jay]

A lot of writers just don't understant that the gang isn't ALWAYS together, ALL the time. They'd have other friends in school, out of school, around parties, other parts of town etc.

[missmouse]

I think that in the entire book, the gang were together, as in ALL of them, once.

Yet it seems that in every fanfiction, every single one of them is there every single scene.