Fanfiction

[briellejee]

I do not really like fan fiction, though I do suppose it can be considered a genre. I feel like a fan can never truly write in the same way of the original author and though at times what they say can be interesting, they give the original story a different meaning. I believe that each person has their own unique story to tell, so I don't necessarily think it is ethical to continue with somebody else's. However, I have been quite interested in books where the authors write about different authors meeting their own characters in a different (literary) reality!

I agree with you on what you said about continuing someone else's work and using and twisting their characters. It would be a breath of fresh air but it would destroy my views on my character. However, it was pointed out that fanfics are just for diehard fans who needed a little more of what the author intends to. I guess it would be okay as long as it stays inside the fan circle. Anyways, it's amazing! I have done that before too but it was for a college project. My team mates write their stories, and as the leader, I created a story where the characters of my team mates meet each other. It was fun!

[gen_g]

I do not really like fan fiction, though I do suppose it can be considered a genre. I feel like a fan can never truly write in the same way of the original author and though at times what they say can be interesting, they give the original story a different meaning. I believe that each person has their own unique story to tell, so I don't necessarily think it is ethical to continue with somebody else's. However, I have been quite interested in books where the authors write about different authors meeting their own characters in a different (literary) reality!

Your comments are very intriguing! Could you perhaps expound your opinion in which you mentioned about the ethics of continuing someone's story? Also, I believe you were referring to crossovers in your last sentence, as it is also a major part of fanfiction. Do you perhaps have any recommendations?

[Poppy Drear]

Fanfiction has a ridiculously wide range of quality, from shockingly well-executed dystopian My Little Pony stories to self-insert Sonic OC shipping. Every fanfiction author that publishes something, though, is writing just because they love to write, and I find that dedication really admirable. Just look at the longest work of fiction in existence, a massive behemoth of a Super Smash Bros fanfiction!

[Poppy Drear]

I do not really like fan fiction, though I do suppose it can be considered a genre. I feel like a fan can never truly write in the same way of the original author and though at times what they say can be interesting, they give the original story a different meaning. I believe that each person has their own unique story to tell, so I don't necessarily think it is ethical to continue with somebody else's. However, I have been quite interested in books where the authors write about different authors meeting their own characters in a different (literary) reality!

Your comments are very intriguing! Could you perhaps expound your opinion in which you mentioned about the ethics of continuing someone's story? Also, I believe you were referring to crossovers in your last sentence, as it is also a major part of fanfiction. Do you perhaps have any recommendations?

I think this is a really interesting discussion! You say "someone else's story," so you're saying that a story can belong to someone. Modern copyright law is really strict, but in my opinion, how can someone "own" a story? Does Shakespeare's theater company "own" Romeo and Juliet? Is there an expiration date on how long you can own a story before it becomes free reign? Does this only apply to the specific author of a story - if so, what about group-authored works, or franchises owned by corporations, like Star Wars?

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

Fan fictions are sometimes fun, but I am never very keen on those. Yes, they tend to outgrow the plot, they tend to be erotic quite often, they tend to be meaningless in some cases. Saying that, I must admit that I myself started writing a fanfic of Harry Potter, years before I even knew what a 'fanfic' means! I guess it is just our wishful thinking that gets portrayed in the fanfics, the things which could have happened and all that! I don't have any problem with fanfics, as long as they don't get too weird, which is, sadly, what I find in most cases.

[briellejee]

Fan fictions are sometimes fun, but I am never very keen on those. Yes, they tend to outgrow the plot, they tend to be erotic quite often, they tend to be meaningless in some cases. Saying that, I must admit that I myself started writing a fanfic of Harry Potter, years before I even knew what a 'fanfic' means! I guess it is just our wishful thinking that gets portrayed in the fanfics, the things which could have happened and all that! I don't have any problem with fanfics, as long as they don't get too weird, which is, sadly, what I find in most cases.

I'm glad that you didn't bash me on this one as you were a fanfic writer. Some replies thought i was implying that fanfic writers aren't as talented as published authors. Truth is they are, but in most cases, a lot needs polishing especially in their evolving plot. I agree with your last sentence. That's why I intend to find good ones through this forum. I really hope you won't stop writing fanfics if that's what you enjoy. We deeply need people like you who are open-minded in fanfics! xoxo

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

Fan fictions are sometimes fun, but I am never very keen on those. Yes, they tend to outgrow the plot, they tend to be erotic quite often, they tend to be meaningless in some cases. Saying that, I must admit that I myself started writing a fanfic of Harry Potter, years before I even knew what a 'fanfic' means! I guess it is just our wishful thinking that gets portrayed in the fanfics, the things which could have happened and all that! I don't have any problem with fanfics, as long as they don't get too weird, which is, sadly, what I find in most cases.

I'm glad that you didn't bash me on this one as you were a fanfic writer. Some replies thought i was implying that fanfic writers aren't as talented as published authors. Truth is they are, but in most cases, a lot needs polishing especially in their evolving plot. I agree with your last sentence. That's why I intend to find good ones through this forum. I really hope you won't stop writing fanfics if that's what you enjoy. We deeply need people like you who are open-minded in fanfics! xoxo

Ha ha.. Thanks but my so called 'fan fic' happened when I was about 10 years old (I made those up for a role-playing game with my friends) and the story showed strong resemblance to JK Rowling's main plot, albeit in a jumbled manner - so I eventually discarded those.
I agree with you that most fanfics need more polishing, the authors should always watch where they are going with the plot. But I personally don't find anything wrong with writing fan fics, since in my opinion it is a way to show your creative imagination. And I guess it takes a lot of talent because you are not writing something of your own invention, but something which has to fit into the original settings. The characters are not yours either, they have already been portrayed in a certain way, so you can not just make them do whatever you wish, they also have to fit in. Most importantly, there are other fans as well who might not share your views, your imagination, your portrayals of those characters which are their favourite, too! So there is always a chance that many people might not accept the fanfics. It's really a matter of personal choice, after all!

[briellejee]

Fan fictions are sometimes fun, but I am never very keen on those. Yes, they tend to outgrow the plot, they tend to be erotic quite often, they tend to be meaningless in some cases. Saying that, I must admit that I myself started writing a fanfic of Harry Potter, years before I even knew what a 'fanfic' means! I guess it is just our wishful thinking that gets portrayed in the fanfics, the things which could have happened and all that! I don't have any problem with fanfics, as long as they don't get too weird, which is, sadly, what I find in most cases.

I'm glad that you didn't bash me on this one as you were a fanfic writer. Some replies thought i was implying that fanfic writers aren't as talented as published authors. Truth is they are, but in most cases, a lot needs polishing especially in their evolving plot. I agree with your last sentence. That's why I intend to find good ones through this forum. I really hope you won't stop writing fanfics if that's what you enjoy. We deeply need people like you who are open-minded in fanfics! xoxo

Ha ha.. Thanks but my so called 'fan fic' happened when I was about 10 years old (I made those up for a role-playing game with my friends) and the story showed strong resemblance to JK Rowling's main plot, albeit in a jumbled manner - so I eventually discarded those.
I agree with you that most fanfics need more polishing, the authors should always watch where they are going with the plot. But I personally don't find anything wrong with writing fan fics, since in my opinion it is a way to show your creative imagination. And I guess it takes a lot of talent because you are not writing something of your own invention, but something which has to fit into the original settings. The characters are not yours either, they have already been portrayed in a certain way, so you can not just make them do whatever you wish, they also have to fit in. Most importantly, there are other fans as well who might not share your views, your imagination, your portrayals of those characters which are their favourite, too! So there is always a chance that many people might not accept the fanfics. It's really a matter of personal choice, after all!

I did fanfics for our English plays and projects. It is true that it is fun making them. As you've mentioned, one cannot simply go out of boundaries for the characters since they're not yours, which is for me, a good fanfic. But most works today is doing the opposite. I've seen a lot of them being altered in the writer's pleasure. For example, making them change their gender and overall their personality, which I am uncomfortable with. However, it is quite charming in a sense especially when the writer is good with its plot. But i do agree with you that it is a personal choice after all. We cant be all wanting the same things, right?

[briellejee]

Fanfiction has a ridiculously wide range of quality, from shockingly well-executed dystopian My Little Pony stories to self-insert Sonic OC shipping. Every fanfiction author that publishes something, though, is writing just because they love to write, and I find that dedication really admirable. Just look at the longest work of fiction in existence, a massive behemoth of a Super Smash Bros fanfiction!

I never doubted the dedication and talent these fanfic writers put in to their works. I know for a fact that some of them do it for free and are driven by their passion to write and for the story they've based their own works from. I, for one, havent had the fortunate experience of coming across a good fanfic and that's why I am open for suggestions. Also, since you're an avid fan of them, what do you think of fanfic as a genre?

[Shrabastee Chakraborty]

I'm glad that you didn't bash me on this one as you were a fanfic writer. Some replies thought i was implying that fanfic writers aren't as talented as published authors. Truth is they are, but in most cases, a lot needs polishing especially in their evolving plot. I agree with your last sentence. That's why I intend to find good ones through this forum. I really hope you won't stop writing fanfics if that's what you enjoy. We deeply need people like you who are open-minded in fanfics! xoxo

Ha ha.. Thanks but my so called 'fan fic' happened when I was about 10 years old (I made those up for a role-playing game with my friends) and the story showed strong resemblance to JK Rowling's main plot, albeit in a jumbled manner - so I eventually discarded those.
I agree with you that most fanfics need more polishing, the authors should always watch where they are going with the plot. But I personally don't find anything wrong with writing fan fics, since in my opinion it is a way to show your creative imagination. And I guess it takes a lot of talent because you are not writing something of your own invention, but something which has to fit into the original settings. The characters are not yours either, they have already been portrayed in a certain way, so you can not just make them do whatever you wish, they also have to fit in. Most importantly, there are other fans as well who might not share your views, your imagination, your portrayals of those characters which are their favourite, too! So there is always a chance that many people might not accept the fanfics. It's really a matter of personal choice, after all!

I did fanfics for our English plays and projects. It is true that it is fun making them. As you've mentioned, one cannot simply go out of boundaries for the characters since they're not yours, which is for me, a good fanfic. But most works today is doing the opposite. I've seen a lot of them being altered in the writer's pleasure. For example, making them change their gender and overall their personality, which I am uncomfortable with. However, it is quite charming in a sense especially when the writer is good with its plot. But i do agree with you that it is a personal choice after all. We cant be all wanting the same things, right?

Absolutely! Apparently even Rowling wanted different things than me. I used to have this belief that there would be something between Harry and Hermione. I was shocked after reading Prisoner of Azkaban, since it hinted at a possible future romance between Ron and Hermione instead. But once this was clear, I 'ALWAYS' rooted for 'Romione' and never really liked linking anyone else with Hermione.
While we are on this topic, I should also mention a fanfic which I liked. It is a fanfic of 'Midnight Sun' by PA Lassiter. Since Meyer never completed 'Midnight Sun' (as far as I know), the author wrote this version to continue the story. In my opinion it fits in very well, though I have not yet gotten around to read this author's other works, i.e. Edward's version of the next three books.

[Poppy Drear]

I, for one, havent had the fortunate experience of coming across a good fanfic and that's why I am open for suggestions. Also, since you're an avid fan of them, what do you think of fanfic as a genre?

I think not having the restrictions of traditional publishers makes it unique, for sure, but I wouldn't classify fanfiction as a genre in and of itself. It's simply too varied!

As far as finding good fanfiction goes, you really need to be aware of your personal tastes. I'd recommend finding some based on a piece of media you enjoy, and in a formal genre (romance, psychological horror, etc) that you like, if you're interested.

[gen_g]

I think fanfiction is great if you just can't get enough of a particular story or character. I remember reading a lot of fanfiction for Twilight when I was in high school. It really satisfied a need for more experiences with characters. Some of the fanfiction was very clever and I enjoyed it. As an adult, I haven't really delved into it. I guess that's because I have access to more books and it is so much easier than 15 years ago when we had dial up internet, I wasn't old enough to drive, and Kindles were not a household item

I definitely agree when you mention that fanfiction satisfies a need for more experiences with characters. I almost exclusively read fanfiction nowadays, as one advantage is that a great author is not confined to editor's deadlines/word count! Otherwise, I believe that just as there are lousy fanfiction out there, there are also many great ones - this is absolutely not to say that the quality is the only thing that matters.

[Mely918]

I seldom ever find a fanfiction that I like. I don't like how the authors often twist the story or rewrite characters. The only times I enjoy reading fanfic is if the writer stays true to the character(s) and plot.

[thaservices1]

When I think of fan fiction the first thing that comes to my mind are the shelves upon shelves of paperback Star Trek novels at any good sized library. I've sampled plenty of them over the years and some are pretty incredible works. If any of these Marvel or Harry Potter spinoffs approach the quality of those books then there should be a good bit of enjoyable reading to be had.

[palilogy]

When I was younger I enjoyed fanfiction - I used to search for it.
Following along to my favorite animes/mangas I would love for secret romance stories.
I would be so ashamed after reading I would dispose of the pages in a nearby stream below a mountain.