Just a question regarding fanfiction

[Lilmizflashythang]

I was reading in the blog side of the site, and ran across an entry on fanfiction. Forgive me if you've already discussed this here, but I'm curious.

How many of us has actually written any fanfiction, and what are your beliefs about it?

I'll start. I have written fanfiction, and read quite a bit of it. But, I've noticed a trend. People who've written a lot of fanfiction, start out great but end with so many errors in their writing. Some of them are changes in words they've used all throughout their stories. Like changing miracle to miracal. Even in my writing, I had wasted away--for lack of a better description. When I decided to start my own original works, I had to re-learn the basics. Therefore, I find fanfiction to be detrimental to the aspiring author's mind and abilities.

What do you think.

 

[Jake Reynolds]

I think it can be an interesting exercise, but lacks the investment of one's own creation. When one has no drive to ever be published (I'm assuming most fanfics aren't, save for franchise novels which are usually commissioned to already established writers), one has no drive to learn about the craft of writing. If there is never going to be a potential agent or publisher to satisfy, then there is no rule set to drive quality. I have learnt far more about writing since 'getting serious' about it.

Fan Fiction to me seems to be a lazy distraction because someone likes the idea of being a writer but can't be bothered with the 'hard' stuff. If you ever 'can't be bothered', then you should focus on your day job, because unless you love even the moments you hate, you'll never love it enough to succeed.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

...

Fan Fiction to me seems to be a lazy distraction because someone likes the idea of being a writer but can't be bothered with the 'hard' stuff. If you ever 'can't be bothered', then you should focus on your day job, because unless you love even the moments you hate, you'll never love it enough to succeed.

Excellent words of wisdom there Dubrech.

I fancy the problem with fan fiction is that, since the fan has no concept of the original thought processes of the invented characters, there is no way to develop them. So such a writer is left wallowing in the already known, without direction or purpose.

The only way to go would be a complete personality change where say the most evil blood thirsty murdering scum of a character suddenly finds god and changes overnight. That way the memories can be trawled out in the new fiction, but the character can be explored in the internal conflict and restraint of his new role. Whether he succeeds in controlling his raw emotions would be part of the discovery of the plot of course

This would be interesting although if the original author kills off the character in the next book where would it leave the fan.

Of course, the old plagiarism word is ready to rear its ugly head at any time. Therefore I can't see it getting a publishing deal from any credible publisher.

In which case - What's the point?

As Dubrech said. Effort would be better expended banging one's head against one's own wall IMO.

 

[GreenKidx]

I have to humbly disagree with you gents. I am actually still quite fond of fanfiction. In my experience people, authors and readers both, usually turn to fanfiction to exercise some unsatisfied need left by the canonical work. Most often these are dreamy eyed teens and preteens who are actually quite passionate about their fanfiction stories. They simply lack the experience and skill to produce higher quality work. That being said if you were to really look through one of the larger fanfiction sites you'll find some pretty impressive works.

In addition if you check out fictionpress.com, which is all original stuff, you'll find some(ALOT) of craptastic stuff! Stuff that would make our poor Crispy cry!

 

[Anne Martin]

I replied "no," but I have written a piece that used someone else's protagonist, just because I wanted to torture her. Not true fanfic, though.

I've read a fair amount of fanfic, but I find that it is rarely true to the characters, and puts them in situations the original author would never consider (often slash, as in Harry Potter). I don't see the attraction, reading or writing.

Personally, I have too many ideas of my own to play with someone else's. I can see a beginner writing fanfic just to get started, but they should graduate to their own stories sooner rather than later.

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

Greeat comments everyone. Greenkidx, I think fictionpress has it's problems because the writing is just the first draft. Instant gratification.

 

[Hex]

I can imagine writing fanfiction when I was younger (love-struck teen or pre-teen) - sometimes it's so hard to let other people's characters go when you feel like you know them so well. And there are books that make me want to write.

I haven't though, and I don't read it because other people's visions of what happens to characters I love don't have any relevance for me (unless they're the original author's, of course). I have read a couple of Jane Austen 'sequels', and they've felt... a bit strange and sort of lacking because however wonderful the author is, she's not actually Jane Austen.

I used to hate it when other people read the books I loved. Well, I didn't mind as long as they didn't want to talk about them. Nothing killed a world faster for me than someone else telling me how they interpreted it. Sharing fanfiction with other people, I don't understand at all.

 

[anthorn]

I don't do fanfiction. Although I can understand people wanting to write an authors characters, to me it reeks of lazyness and lack of imagination.
Not a knock on people who started off on FF and worked their way up to proper work.

 

[Spy_on_the_Inside]

I actually have written fanfiction in the past. You might not be able to use your own characters, but it's a great way to practice and develop style. Writers need to practice their craft, just like musicians and actors, and if you want to be truly great, you need to practice A LOT.

After I practiced with fanfiction after a while, I actually became ashamed with how little I knew about grammar and writing style. It goes to show you that a high school education, no matter how advanced, is not enough on its own to be able to write a story worthy of being published.

There are many ways to practice writing, and I suppose this was just the method I chose.

 

[Sapheron]

I've done it. I'm a member of the Black Library forums (or whatever they're called now) and write stories set in Warhammer 40K and fantasy. I like the settings, there's plenty of freedom within them, and I just enjoy it.

Writing within set boudaries, I can't help but think, might have helped a problem I used to have with changing my setting too much as I went along. Internal consistancy has improved steadily, and I rate fan fiction writing as a part of it; people really beat you for it in that particular field.

 

[Malloriel]

I haven't finished a fanfic piece, so I can't say yes. Additionally, the only setting that ever inspired me to even want to write fan fiction was that of Labyrinth. I still want to see the original idea through, and a musical piece by David Lanz just recently (as in within the last year or so) inspired a scene that could have been from the early days of Jareth's life.

Then there's World of Warcraft. Like Saphaeron, I like the idea of writing within set boundaries, and while I'm perfectly capable of developing my own, and have been for ages now, there was something alluring about what the creators at Blizzard put together. The information you get by playing WoW alone is just a hint of the history and stories lurking behind the scenes. I was role playing at the time, and liked to put together histories for the characters I played that fit within what was pre-established, rather than running rampant with whatever sounded cool and illustrious at the time. One character in particular began to stand above the rest, and what with Blizzard's yearly writing competition, I decided to write her story. Because it's more the use of a pre-established setting with original characters, I think it sits more on the fringes of fan fiction, but the desire is there, so I have to fess up.

 

[Nik]

I will NOT write fan-fiction because I don't know any of the sub-genres well enough to be convincing.

Against that, when I've had a fun idea, written a short or short-short story about it, then had no wish to take the multiple implications further, I've invited other writers to 'play in my world'.

I got one excellent contribution to my 'BigBadBugs' scenario, and a second may be pending.

Previously, I surprised myself by writing a quirky, novel-length adventure set in my own 'Bete Noir' plausible-vampire world...

I've avoided fan-fic cross-overs since being severely 'flamed' for suggesting a re-work of Star Wars, where-in a misplaced Convention rock-tug skipper and his adolescent Sanku associate are mistaken for Solo & Chewbacca in that cantina...

 

[slack]

I could see myself using a familiar setting and populating it with new characters, but I think what would bother me most is after all that hard work of crafting a good story I'd still end up with something slightly derivative. So that is why I generally keep to original ideas.

 

[MstrTal]

Well I have never written fan fiction per-say but I written scripts for paintball scenario games. I would have to immerse myself in some story, world, book, television show, cartoon, movie or something else and then write a story or story arch derived off of it and centered around some kind of conflict that two large opposing sides could then battle out. Think of it as a reenactment or LARP with a central story, theme, plot and characters as well as lesser background characters that gets mixed with a pick your own path book.

So in a way I have written fan fiction of a sort. Multiple times and been payed in trade.

 

[Pyan]

Haven't actually written any, but I do beta reading, critique and editing on another site to this. Specific characters from a classic TV show, plus crossovers.

People who've written a lot of fanfiction, start out great but end with so many errors in their writing.

Agreed - which is one of the reasons I enjoy beta-ing. Such a lot of fanfic is written by people who want to write about their favourite characters, but were never taught grammar, spelling or punctuation at school. They want to write, but feel they can't because they don't know the rules. Using familiar characters that they love adds confidence, if nothing else.

Fan Fiction to me seems to be a lazy distraction because someone likes the idea of being a writer but can't be bothered with the 'hard' stuff.

Mmm! Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was capable of learning, or even wanted to learn the "hard stuff"?

Most fanfiction authors I've ever talked to don't want to be writers, and don't want to make money from writing. They enjoy putting well-loved characters in new places, redressing wrongs done to them by the original author or screenwriter, and like reading other ff author's takes on their favourites. It's a hobby. Doesn't hurt anyone.

BTW, the implication in your statement, that writing is only "valid" if it uses original plots, characters and settings, would rule out quite a few classical authors. You could put up quite a good case for Shakespeare writing fanfiction. Certainly a lot of his plays are heavily based on earlier works: today we'd say they were ripped off, tweaked and sheer plagiarism.

You might not be able to use your own characters, but it's a great way to practice and develop style. Writers need to practice their craft, just like musicians and actors, and if you want to be truly great, you need to practice A LOT.
After I practiced with fanfiction after a while, I actually became ashamed with how little I knew about grammar and writing style. It goes to show you that a high school education, no matter how advanced, is not enough on its own to be able to write a story worthy of being published.

Exactly.