Fan fiction is a good thing.

[kippurbird]

Why I think everyone should write fan fiction.
An Essay.


Fan Fiction is a controversial subject in the writing world. Published writers say that it's an infringement on their writerly rights and creations. Would be published writers say that it's a cheap substitute to real writing. It's fraught with bad, terrible and disgustingly horrifying writing. However, I think that fan fiction is a fantastic idea for the beginning writer to do.

One of the most difficult things to do in writing is the creation aspect. The creation of characters and then writing them so that they're not some sort of flat creation. World building is also difficult for the beginning writer. All of these things take away from some of the more basic craft things that a writer needs to learn: plot, story telling and dialog. And this is why fan fiction is a good thing to write.

Fan fiction has everything that a writer needs. Characters, a world to put them in. The characters have their motivations and there is even a history of the world. It leaves the writer room to work on other aspects of their craft, the creation of a plot, coming up with smooth story telling techniques and writing believable dialog. They know how a character is supposed to act. What they like and dislike all ready. All they need to do is keep the character in character.

Of course, this is the biggest problem with a lot of fan fiction writers. They don't see writing fan fiction as an exercise in becoming a writer, in fine tuning their craft but instead as a way to write out their fantasies. They don't see the need to keep the characters in character, but instead want to use them to be original characters in their own stories. They don't understand what fan fiction is really about. The writing of stories in someone else's world, but instead think that it is just a template for their own fantasies. They use the characters and the dressings of the world and then go off on their own tangents that don't fit the world. The craft of writing isn't important to them.

Instead they have an idea and they write it, without realizing that they have to see if it actually can work in the world that they're writing in. They force the characters into positions that they can't be in. They then expect to be patted on the back for writing something.

But I digress. I think that if a person really is serious about the craft of writing and interested in becoming a better writer, writing fan fiction is a good exercise for them. They have a model that they need to mimic, something that is difficult to have in writing original fiction. In other arts, like painting when you're learning how to paint, you have models and exercises to copy. But writing so much of it you have to create on your own that if you don't have a good character, then the rest of your story falls flat. But if you're using someone else's character, then you're free to work on other aspects of your writing. And when it's done, you can compare your writing, the way you wrote the world to the original text and see what you did right and what you did wrong.

It makes you learn how to keep a character in character. It makes you have to follow certain rules for a world. It requires discipline to write good fan fiction. You can't write whatever you want and so you have to really think about what you're writing and why. Why are you making a character do this? Is this something they would really do? Is this a plausible use of something in this world? Does it contradict other set down rules?

This is one of the reasons that I enjoy writing fan fiction. I have a ready made world to play in, and I get to work on things like character and story. I don't have to worry about creating a new culture or wondering if this fits into my world. It's all already there. I just have to make sure I'm using everything correctly. It's a good writing exercise.


On an utterly unrelated side note, I'm curious as to the sort of fan fiction that'll be created when my works get published. I can look at what I have written now and extrapolate what sort of things Sue Authors would take advantage of, but for the more serious writers, I'm not so sure what they'll do, and that's something I'm curious to learn about.

Comments

[millenium-king.livejournal.com]

I couldn't disagree more. Fan fiction is an exercise in futility. It's for people without the will, imagination and determination to write their own world. None of the greats wrote "fan fiction." Neither should anyone else.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

And I disagree with your disagreement.

For starters I certainly think that a Connecticut Yankee in King Author's Court could be considered fan fiction. Also, all the novels written about Star Trek, Star Wars, Forgotten Realms and other Novelizations could definitely be considered fan fiction. And the authors of those also write regular novels.

Also, it takes a considerable amount of effort to write in someone else's world. You can't make up things willy nilly. You have to be extremely disciplined and know everything about the characters and the world you're writing in to write a good piece of fan fiction.

It allows for plenty of imagination. For my own examples, I'm writing a crossover of the Justice League and Lord of the Rings. That takes a lot of will and determination as well as imagination to do. After all I have two completely separate worlds and I'm trying to join them together in a cohesive way while keeping true to the rules of both worlds and their authors. It took a lot of imagination to come up with a story that would work, to get the Green Lantern and the Flash into Middle Earth.

And then there's the rewrite of Eragon that I'm doing. Which takes a different sort of writing and imagination, because I'm reinterpreting the characters and events and trying to keep it cohesive.

If anything, as I said before, fan fiction is an excellent writing exercise because you have to use your imagination and will to come up with stories that take place in that world but aren't told by the author. Such as how did Harry's parents finally get together, or how did Thranduil react to meeting Gimli? Only a talented writer could pull such a thing off and have it be believable and work with in the already created world.

[millenium-king.livejournal.com]

"Incidentally, though they may not be considered greats, there are a LOT of sequels to "Pride and Prejudice" (and in one case, a book from Darcy's PoV) written by several different authors. These are all currently still in print. We have them at my Borders store. (Why anyone thought there needed to be a sequel to that book, I don't know, but they do exist. I think there are at least five of them.) Other people have written more Sherlock Holmes stories. I don't know how good they are, but they are there. There are also books like Wicked, which could technically be called fan fiction of The Wizard of Oz."

I think the operative term here is "not be considered greats." Every hack writer in the world (including their king, Robert Jordan) who has tried to get famous on someone else's coattails should be beaten to death with their own tripe. Imitations are NEVER EVER EVER as good as the original. Don't even get me started on the scumbags who ripped off Robert E. Howard, Arthur Conan Doyle and H. P. Lovecraft. Or that self-righteous woman who was so filled with hubris that she thought she could write a sequel to _Gone With the Wind_ (It's called _Scarlet_ and it's a travesty of epic proportions).

Here's my final opinion Kippur: No one will remember you for writing fanfics. But if you take all that energy you're wasting in trying to ape someone else's work you could create something stunningly original of actual importance which will be remembered fondly.

And dove, I'm not a troll. My horns aren't even that big. So there.

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

Who is famous for what they created in LEARNING to do something? Is Leonardo da Vinci famous for the paintings he created when he was just starting out? Of course not, he's famous for the works he created later in life, when he had become a skilled artist.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Good analogy! :)

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :-)

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

What about Mark Twain then? Is he a hack writer? Or Neil Gaiman?

Here's my final opinion Kippur: No one will remember you for writing fanfics. But if you take all that energy you're wasting in trying to ape someone else's work you could create something stunningly original of actual importance which will be remembered fondly.

Obviously you haven't been paying attention to my journal very well. If you had, you would know that I have an extensive world created that is utterly separate from any fan fiction and have at least four novels planed, one written on in the midst of being written for that world as well as numerous other stories in it.

I also have a comic book series that a publisher is interested that also takes place in a completely original world.

I've written lots of short stories as well.

I don't try and ape someone's work, I try and explore their world because I'm interested in their characters and the story possibilities. And I do it as a writing exercise. It's not easy to write in someone else's world.

If you think it's so easy you should try it sometime.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

What about Mark Twain then? Is he a hack writer?

I've never read 'Last of the Mohicans' but I still love Mark Twain's essay-rant about how that book sucked. It amused me. XD

don't try and ape someone's work

Would you say that Paolini does that? I'm curious now. :)

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I've never read 'Last of the Mohicans' but I still love Mark Twain's essay-rant about how that book sucked. It amused me. XD

I read it and it sucked muchly. Mark Twain's essay was pure love in regards to it.

Would you say that Paolini does that? I'm curious now

I'd say, yes, he does, but he tries and window dress it so it doesn't look like it. Like painting over the stripes of a Zebra.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry then. I was mistaken about you being a troll. I made crass assumptions based on the amount of ire you exuded and the brevity of your post. :)

However, that said, it doesn't sound to me as if Kippur is suggesting that people only write fan fiction. She is suggesting that there is nothing necessarily wrong with it and that it can be a learning experience. For a starting writer, who has the sense to work with the boundaries the original gives them, this can be very good.

As for my semi-misguided comments regarding some of the published books that are based on other published books, I was simply trying to point out that this sort of thing could get published and that people would buy it. I think it is too pervasive in our culture to simply say "No one should do it." I think what should be said is "Get it right."

The other thing that I've noticed is that most people who write fan fiction tend to do it for a hobby. They don't seem to care if they get published. Or if even if they do, even if they have some things published, they still use it as something fun to do.

Who knows? Perhaps some of the current authors we admire have fan fiction, that they have written, in a binder or notepad somewhere. Though plausibly not Tolkien, since we have his son to thank for showing us most of those. Though... would the Green Knight be considered as a rewriting of an older tale? I don't recall.

[lavendergaia]

I've been reading your posts for a while and love them. I just had to finally comment on this one.

There is an entire multi-million dollar industry based almost entirely on fanfiction. They're called comic books. 99% of comic book writers write fanfics. The work they come out with is not their own characters, but the characters of Stan Lee, Bob Haney, Chris Claremont, Marv Wolfman and other creators. What they do is take pre-established characters in a pre-existing world and write their own stories concerning them. Whether or not they are giving the character a boost or sticking to a tried and true method, it is just fanfiction. The only difference is that they get paid for it.

Almost no one gets to write their own characters in comics, and if they do, it's because they've written something else first and shown that they can do justice to good characters, which is how a lot of people move from fanfiction to original fiction. If a writer is very good and very lucky, they get to write their character separately, maybe in a mini-series or their own comic. And they know they've hit the big time if someone else wants to use their character, which would be even more fanfiction.

While they may not be one of the "greats," a lot of well-known mainstream authors write fanfiction. Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly) writes comics. He does get to write his Buffy characters for Dark Horse, but his work for Marvel's X-men is completely fanfiction and he's more than happy to do it.

That's not even talking about movies based on books or comics, or novelizations based on movies, or even books based on comic book series and television shows. All of those are simply glorified fanfiction, but it doesn't make some of them any less well made. It's still not their characters or worlds being published, but it is their work. There's also no need to discount amateur fanfiction, which is usually done for fun and may even be better than their published counterparts.

Just because writers don't own the original doesn't mean that they didn't put a great amount of love and effort into the work and that they don't have a great imagination of their own. You have to have a good imagination to take characters that have been around for over 70 years and put them in a new situation in order to continue to thrill readers who have seen it all. That's the mark of a true original: taking something that's been done a thousand times before and doing it in a new and fun way.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

I agree with Kippur, for all the reasons that were previously stated. Fan fiction is a good tool for learning, particularly if the person doing the writing is trying to keep things as close to the original as possible. Besides, most people at a young age do start out writing homages or fan fiction, even if they don't know what fan fiction is.

The problem is when these authors do use fan fiction as a means of being lazy. They steal the character's names and the name of the world they're in... then the author writes whatever they feel like, using those trappings. This doesn't usually teach them anything because they often don't care about grammar, spelling, style, or any other aspect of writing that takes time and effort to get better at. They simply want to get a pat on the head from the rest of the community, by following the average of everything else they have seen (which is also why a lot of bad fan fiction looks the same, I think.)

Sometimes they alter things enough that EVERYTHING becomes an original product but after that it is no longer fan fiction. There's nothing wrong with that, necessarily, so long as they understand this fact.

Incidentally, though they may not be considered greats, there are a LOT of sequels to "Pride and Prejudice" (and in one case, a book from Darcy's PoV) written by several different authors. These are all currently still in print. We have them at my Borders store. (Why anyone thought there needed to be a sequel to that book, I don't know, but they do exist. I think there are at least five of them.) Other people have written more Sherlock Holmes stories. I don't know how good they are, but they are there. There are also books like Wicked, which could technically be called fan fiction of The Wizard of Oz.

Also, in Japan, a lot of fan comics are published every year and it isn't considered illegal. In fact, the industry there LOOKS at the people who do fan comics, in an effort to find the next big name. CLAMP did it that way and so did a number of others, I think.

However, I'm almost certain this person who I am replying to is a troll. I just felt like typing up a lot of words because I can. :3

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

Another good example. *nods* CLAMP started out doing doujinshi, basically fanfic, but they've since gone on to produce well-respected original manga.

[starsong24.livejournal.com]

Some people don't WANT to write their own world. They're perfectly content to play in somebody else's sandbox. Partly because they already identify with the characters.

the fan fiction

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with millenium king. I always felt fan fiction was wrote by people whom either lacked the imagination to build their own worlds and characters, or were dissatisfied with the original writer's story, and took it upon themselves to change it, which I think is disrespectful to the original writer. (Fan of your Eragon/Eldest sporkings, btw)

Re: the fan fiction

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

And I've always felt that fan fiction was a way for a fan to further explore a world that she loved and express it in their writing. She wants to see more of the characters interacting or try and figure out what things the author left unsaid.

After all, wouldn't you be interested in what Lilly and James' first date was like? We'll probably never see it in the Harry Potter novels, but a talented writer could write a possible story where it works and everyone is in character.

It takes a certain amount of discipline to write fan fiction and not allow yourself to run all willy nilly away with it. This is the problem that many Sue authors have. They don't understand that you can't just write what you want when you're writing fan fiction. And this is why their stories suck. But when you find a good writer, it's like you've discovered something new about the characters that you didn't know and it increases your enjoyment and understanding of the characters and world.

Re: the fan fiction

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

In all honesty? It's hard to write fan fiction and it's hard to write original fiction, just in different ways.

With fan fiction, any author worth their salt is going to learn everything they can about their chosen fandom first. Then they look for things that give them sparks of ideas. Things that the author didn't discuss but which they can go into depth about themselves. Some things are harder to write fan fiction for than others. Things of a serial nature to begin with are MUCH easier because people built them with the idea of several stories being hung from several plot hooks in the first place. And they can ignore some plot hooks if they don't have the time to deal with them (but there is always the option there.)

It is in some ways harder for a fan fiction writer because they are not the original author. They don't know what the original author knew. They can only make a logical guess from what the author wrote and put things together like a puzzle. This is why good fan fiction is much harder to find.

Original fiction gives the most room for an author to play with. But this is also hard because they original author gets to decide where the limits are. They have to take the extra time to build everything from the ground up. It's the difference between renting an office and building one for your business to reside in. Original fiction is extremely satisfying but because of the time consumption, more people are willing to try fan fiction first (or second, after they hit a writer's block with their own world.) There is also a built in audience, when it comes to fan fiction.

Most fans who absolutely love something, wish they could find more of that same thing. Hence where the urge to write and read fan fiction comes from in the first place (usually.)

I personally don't think most people write fan fiction in an effort to change the original writer's work. When they do, sometimes it could be viewed as disrespectful. It might be a let down to the author too, sure. But people have their own opinions of things. Sometimes they're wrong. Sometimes they're right. (I, for one, resent Mary Sues in any fandom but I don't care so very much if someone writes an alternative pairing unless it's really stupid, disturbing, and poorly written.)

Incidentally, most TV shows are envisioned by one or two head writers and then most of the episodes may actually be written by other people. Would one view that as lacking in imagination? And what about rewriting a fairytale? Sometimes they suck but sometimes they're good. And couldn't those be viewed as fan fiction? :)

(That said, most fan fiction on the internet is just crappy, shallow romance MadLibs. But this is why we need more good fan fiction with thought and feeling put into them. And more general fan fiction too.) ;P

Re: the fan fiction

[starsong24.livejournal.com]

It's hard to write fan fiction and it's hard to write original fiction, just in different ways.

You said it. I have difficulty with my original writing because of the background to what the characters are doing. Sometimes I find that my solutions don't make sense, and I have to rework it, leaving very little time for the actual story. In fanfic, I've found that my main problem comes with not altering a three-dimensional character. (There's one girl in the original who's a good worker, a good leader, and generally quite strong, butt prone to bouts of emotional weakness. It's hard to write her without making her seem a wuss, but she isn't one.)

What I enjoy is thinking about what might have happened between two defined events, or 'what if someone made this choice' stories.

Re: the fan fiction

[(Anonymous)]

Ok, ok. I understand why people write fan fiction. Good practice for writers. When I practiced drawing I used to re-draw pictures out of comic books and magazines. I guess that's sort of similar, but I just never found it very satisfying, as it was never my own. Fan fiction's the same for me. No matter how good the plot is, or how well-written it is, it just feels fake and unsatisfying. (of course there seems to be a whole fandom that disagrees with me) On a side note I love re-tellings of fairy tales. But maybe that's because fairytales belong to everyone, as no one knows who originally wrote most of them.

Re: the fan fiction

[(Anonymous)]

If you're used to reading the universe as the author set it down, of course fanfic may sound somewhat 'off'.

Re: the fan fiction

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

There is some difference between re-drawing a picture from an image in front of you and composing a new image, utilizing what you know about the character's looks and the world that they happen to live in. The latter is how most good animation (where they try to keep things on model) and comic books come into existence. :)

As for fan fiction, I personally feel that it depends on the original that people are writing from. Some things really don't work well for fan fiction. But I can understand the feeling that it would be fake, regardless of how easy it is to write new material for. It isn't being written by the author, so it isn't canon. And the fan fic author's style may differ wildly from the original author's.

I am personally able to get past that feeling though. I don't go in expecting something exactly like what I read, watched, or played. If the story is well-written and the characters are in character, then I tend to enjoy it. If the story is poorly done, I don't finish reading it and move on (or I spork it, sometimes.)

On the other hand, I oddly enough don't care for most fairytale re-tellings. Not because I feel that they are fake but because most of the time, I feel there isn't much of a difference in the original and the re-telling. Or there is too much difference. It really varies with me.

I think the reason I feel this way is less because the re-tellings are bad but more because there are so many fairytales out there already and many of them are fairly similar. There are in fact at least two different systems for categorizing what kind of tale a certain fairytale follows the pattern of. :)

[ladyphoenixia.livejournal.com]

I've been reading fanfiction for a long time, and it amazes me the skill of some fanfiction writers. And through working with someone elses characters, they not only have that structure already in place for them, as you mentioned, but they begin to see the boundaries and issues caused by it. Which is often a spur into original fiction, when their imagination can't be constrained by someone else's rules anymore.

And i know of a few fanfiction authors who now have published novels. More power to them, I say.

And I find the same thing, I write my novel and occasionally wonder what the fan pairings will be. I can already see what the biggest slash pairing will be, if I were to ever have a fandom. Haha.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

And I find the same thing, I write my novel and occasionally wonder what the fan pairings will be. I can already see what the biggest slash pairing will be, if I were to ever have a fandom. Haha.

I think that's some of the funnest things I have when writing my stuff. Trying to figure out what the fans (if there ever are fans) will do to it.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine and I were sort of doing an original joint-writing project once (the story kind of fell to the wayside at some point and we still haven't picked it up again. I don't know if we ever will.) We did muse over the alternate pairing ideas, towards the end. Some of them made us giggle. :)

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Oh I've done an entire list of things that I think fan fic writers will do to my fandom.

If only I could remember where I put it...

[indescane.livejournal.com]

I'm a bored stalker who read through all your story entries one day. Incidentally, when your book comes out, I'll try and get my hands on it as soon as possible.

Apologies in advance if the html turns out screwed. I'm a noob.

Here.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Awww... I have my own stalker. *pets*

When my book comes out it will be all over my Live Journal so you'll know when to come and get it.

And thank you for finding that list. I had far too much fun writing it.

[indescane.livejournal.com]

*nuzzles your hand*

Yay! I'm looking forward to it lots. :D I hope it comes out in Australia, too.

[sonic-sues.livejournal.com]

On an utterly unrelated side note, I'm curious as to the sort of fan fiction that'll be created when my works get published.

You don't even want to know. Take a look at my site to see fanfiction in all its horror.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who promised to write me a piece of horrible fan fiction based on my first novel. I've also contemplated writing my own bad fan fiction by myself.

[millenium-king.livejournal.com]

It just sounds like you are in love with fan fiction. I've always considered fan fiction self-indulgent. How much more self-indulgent can you get than writing fan fiction about YOURSELF? I LOVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I apologise if I come across as hideously argumentative. It's this troll blood (it also helps me regenerate lost limbs, so it's a two-edged sword). I adore your Eldest sporkings, by-the-way.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I find fan fiction absolutely fascinating, truth be told, and have written several academic papers on the subject.

As for the writing of fan fiction based on my own works, it is only done as satire. I find the cliches and writing styles to be hilarious in how they're supposed to be taken seriously and it amuses me to make fun of it.

I'm glad you enjoy the Eldest sporking, I enjoy writing them.