Do you ever read FanFic?

Bartholomew · Dec 11, 2007

There are umpteen trillions of fan-fic writers, all busily making Luke do the nasty with Chewy, and giving Kirmet T. Frog a cameo--its a fact. So I'm just curious--with so many people out there writing fan fiction, how many people read it?

Do you?

Is it any good? Why? Why not?

scarletpeaches · Dec 11, 2007

No, never. It's intellectual theft, unoriginal, a lazy way of writing and shockingly bad. How do I know if I've 'never' read it? I've tried reading the first few sentences of a few pieces and the writers' command of the English language was so lamentable I'd rather, as Bart said, peel my eyeballs than continue.

kellysarah · Dec 11, 2007

I used to read (and write) it a lot when I was younger, mostly Buffy etc. I actually wrote fanfic even before I knew what it was. I wouldn't ever write or read fanfic if the original author eplicitly said they were against it though, such as Laurell K Hamilton. As far as I'm aware, the creator of Buffy is aware of the fanfic surrounding his universe and doesn't mind at all, so I'm OK with that. I don't write it anymore though, as I feel the need to create my own stuff instead.

Claudia Gray · Dec 11, 2007

I read a couple of fic stories a week, I'd say. I continue to write fanfic in my spare time, although now that I have original books to finish, that spare time is shrinking.

Sheryl Nantus · Dec 11, 2007

read it when the mood takes me; write it when the mood takes me...

a lot of crap out there, but each to their own - no one's getting hurt and as long as people are having fun... it's all good.

sunna · Dec 11, 2007

I read it every now and then, as Sheryl said, when the mood takes me. Most of it is indeed pretty bad, I will agree...but a small percentage of what I've come across is actually quite, quite good.

And some of it's just frickin hilarious.

DonnaDuck · Dec 11, 2007

sunna7kore said:
And some of it's just frickin hilarious.

More often than not it's unintentionally so! While I agree that the majority of what's out there is nothing short of a slaughter of the English language and more times they're just a Mary Sue does Dallas rip-off but there is stuff out there that's good and turns out to be a great read. There's also the stuff that starts out good and then you see the writer get lazy and it starts to suck. You'd have to wade through a lot of crap before you get to anything good but it is out there. I stick to one fandom in particular and don't read outside that only because I just don't want to. I read some of it and usually the crap can be weeded out quite quickly and i do write it. Not a lot but I have some pieces out there.

blackpen · Dec 11, 2007

Used to read HP fanfic ALL the time.

C.bronco · Dec 11, 2007

I don't think I'd really opt to peel my eyeballs, but the truth is that I have never encountered fan-fiction. I will admit, though, I am sorely tempted to see what this is all about: http://media.ford.com/print_doc.cfm?article_id=23459

I did give Ben Franklin and Agents Scully and Mulder a cameo during a dream sequence, but I believe that's less fan-fiction and more incidental.

geardrops · Dec 11, 2007

To everybody who hates fanfic: article defending it.

It's a useful tool. Don't knock it too hard. Getting pissed at developing writers who write fanfic is like getting pissed at developing musicians who cover songs. You have to start somewhere.

DonnaDuck · Dec 11, 2007

dempsey said:
It's a useful tool. Don't knock it too hard. Getting pissed at developing writers who write fanfic is like getting pissed at developing musicians who cover songs. You have to start somewhere.

Excellent analogy! I would have never thought of it that way.

Fanatic Rat · Dec 11, 2007

I read it from time-to-time, and write some of it occasionally. I admit, a lot of it is bad, but there are some gems. And I think, if written correctly, it isn't just some lazy way of writing.

Storyteller5 · Dec 11, 2007

I don't abhor fanfic to the point of peeling eyeballs. I don't read it simply because I've never been exposed to it much. I have such a long list of published books and things I want to read that I don't have time to search out fanfic to peruse.

Velma deSelby Bowen · Dec 11, 2007

I read it occasionally. Some is quite good, and I try to encourage those writers to create original worlds and write more elsewhere. Some is... well, there are some people out there with creative ideas of what a human body can do; and there's some that's just jaw-droppingly horrid.

Bartholomew · Dec 12, 2007

I read it every blue moon, mostly because someone I talk to on MSN or IRC a lot wrote it. I don't go out looking for Fan Fic, and I'm not even sure where to find it.

TrickyFiction · Dec 12, 2007

I've seen it and thought, what's this? So, I read a couple stories. I didn't like it. I can't quite pinpoint why. I miss the voice. I miss the "real" story. It feels off, even when it's good.

That said, the first lil' novel I ever attempted to write could probably be called fanfic of a work in the public domain. So, I understand why people write it. And, what is fanfic, really? I loved Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Does that count as a fanfic of Hamlet? I don't know.

scarletpeaches · Dec 12, 2007

dempsey said:
To everybody who hates fanfic: article defending it.

It's a useful tool. Don't knock it too hard. Getting pissed at developing writers who write fanfic is like getting pissed at developing musicians who cover songs. You have to start somewhere.

Yes, you have to start somewhere. Inventing your own, original material would be better than copying someone else's.

And I don't like cover versions, either.

Voyager · Dec 12, 2007

I started out writing Silmarillion fanfic. I learned a great deal playing in a world I love and I enjoyed it a lot. Even won some awards.

poetinahat · Dec 12, 2007

I've read it twice, that I know of:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Jonathan Segal Chicken

Rolling Thunder · Dec 12, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
Yes, you have to start somewhere. Inventing your own, original material would be better than copying someone else's.

And I don't like cover versions, either.

Well, you haven't experienced -real- music then, SP. Unknown bands have come up with some incredible renditions of known music. Some are so good they have ruined the originals for me. Everytime I hear 'War Pigs' I just shake my head, knowing it could have been so much better.

Although I don't read fanfic I might give it a look after reading the link Dempsey provided. What are you going to do if your work ends up in that same situation some day, Scarlet?

Voyager · Dec 12, 2007

That's my goal, RT, I want the world to fanfic me!

sunna · Dec 12, 2007

dempsey said:
To everybody who hates fanfic: article defending it.

Great article. Thanks for posting that.

Voyager said:
That's my goal, RT, I want the world to fanfic me!

Right on. Even if it were the worst tripe ever to hit a page, I think I'd probably be at least a little flattered if something I wrote inspired other people to take the characters and/or the world and run with it. (stingy caveat: as long as they weren't making money off it

)

At the absolute worst, I'd be appalled and amused at the pairings I never thought of and the inevitable crossovers with Star Trek TOS.

MelodyO · Dec 12, 2007

For any of you who are curious about fanfic, the trick is to find some people or communities with the same tastes as you (I went to Live Journal), and look for their fanfic recs. Then, instead of having to wade through the ocean of dreck and squick out there, you can find fanfic writers who are just as, and often more so, talented than many published authors. It's just like reading the reviews before you go searching for a good book at the local bookstore. Not necessary, but oh so helpful. I'm sure you could name just about any fandom going and someone on AW would admit to being part of that fandom.

DonnaDuck · Dec 12, 2007

I'll be the first to say it. I'm part of the Lost Boys fandom. There you go! I've also written for HP but I lost my drive after reading the last book so I'm just focusing on TLB as of late.

geardrops · Dec 12, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
Yes, you have to start somewhere. Inventing your own, original material would be better than copying someone else's.

What does a first time writer, first time, straight out of the box, has up against them?

(1) Basic rules of English

(2) Plot

(3) Cohesive storyline

(4) Proper characterization

(5) Creating all of the characters

(6) Creating a believable, realistic world

(7) Storytelling ability

(8) Writing Style

(9) I could keep going

Wouldn't it be nice to knock a few of those out? Just until someone gets on their feet?

I'm not saying "Let's all praise fanfic." I'm just saying go easy on it.

And I happen to like covers.

poetinahat said:
I've read it twice, that I know of:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Jonathan Segal Chicken

... you're amazing.

Do you ever read FanFic?

Do you read fan-fiction?

Yes. Religiously.

Every so often, sure.

Not often.

I read one, once. Maybe twice.

I'd sooner peel my eyeballs.

Comic guy

Holding out for a Superhero...

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Who?

Ribbed for your pleasure.

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