What do you think of fanfiction?

I utterly despise it.

I know I'll offend a lot of AWers with that statement. I'm prepared for that.

It's theft of intellectual property.

I don't see the harm if it's for fun only. Not my thing personally. I've really never read any that was any good (by professional standards).

The thing I don’t get with fan fiction writers is, some of these people are good. Really good. So what do they get out of writing about other people’s worlds and characters when they could be creating their own original stuff that may stand a chance of publication? I know publication isn’t every writer’s goal, but the whole fascination with writing, for me, is the kick I get out of creating my characters from scratch and knowing I bought them into existence.

Having said that, if I’m ever fortunate to get published and have fan fiction written about my characters, I know there’s a good chance I’d be hugely flattered by it

Not a fan. And I agree with the above poster. Many who write it are really potentially good. I'd rather see them writing their own stories.

I'm not fan of them but I can read few if they are friend's.

Fanfiction is fun. It's a social activity that fosters community within the fandom. It's an easy first step for new and/or young writers who don't yet have the confidence to tackle original fiction. It encourages confidence: the instant audience is validating.

While some people may prefer to stay within the comfort zone of fanfiction, which may not be good for their writing development as a whole, I know that a lot of good fanfiction writers have now sold their original fiction. Fanfiction built their enormous platforms. (I've bought at least two books by two different authors based on their fanfiction.)

Fanfiction is also fun to read when done well, and fun to mock when done badly.

So I'm happy with fanfiction, comfortable in fandom and in the highly unlikely circumstance that anyone would ever want to write fanfiction about my work, would take it as a compliment.

In my early twenties, I wrote fanfic using comic book characters mingled with my own. It was just something fun to do. I was also writing other things on the side with my own characters and worlds. Some of those characters I created for the fanfic could become useful one day, and one in particular I've thought of writing a book for her.

Tepelus said:

In my early twenties, I wrote fanfic using comic book characters mingled with my own. It was just something fun to do. I was also writing other things on the side with my own characters and worlds. Some of those characters I created for the fanfic could become useful one day, and one in particular I've thought of writing a book for her.

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My fourth novel is based on an unfinished fanfiction I wrote a few years ago, which in turn was based on some roleplaying I was doing at the time. I was using original characters anyway, so I just rewired the setting (slightly), the antagonists (moderately) and the plot (dramatically). Fun experience.

I don't really read much fanfic, but I can't say I'm opposed to it if it's a fresh spin on an old character. I wrote a short story about Winnie the Pooh and his friends getting stoned in The Hundred Acre Wood in high school, but if I remember right, I only wrote it to piss my mother off. It worked.

All my writing is fun, so I don't need to do fanfic for fun or practice. If writing was not fun, I would stop...

I have read some good fanfic and I especially enjoy the Conan stuff floating around, like Jordan's 'Conan Cronicles.' By the same token, I have not enjoyed any of the Star Wars or Star Trek stuff.

Darklite said:

The thing I don’t get with fan fiction writers is, some of these people are good. Really good. So what do they get out of writing about other people’s worlds and characters when they could be creating their own original stuff that may stand a chance of publication? I know publication isn’t every writer’s goal, but the whole fascination with writing, for me, is the kick I get out of creating my characters from scratch and knowing I bought them into existence.

Having said that, if I’m ever fortunate to get published and have fan fiction written about my characters, I know there’s a good chance I’d be hugely flattered by it

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Being able to write well and being able to come up with original ideas are different. Not everyone can do both. It's the same in music.

I have not read much fanfiction myself, but I am aware of it. And fanfiction has been around for a really really long time.

Both my older sister (the research scientist in my family) and my mother buy media fanzines to sell on eBay. I know they have a lot of Star Trek, but also pretty lots of other TV shows and movies, too. Many of these fanzines fetch a fair price since they've been out of print for a long time, that is, predating what's online. A lot of the zines are from the 70s and people who read them can't get enough of them, despite the zillions of stories available online.

I equate fanzines/fanfiction with fanfilms you can view online. People make their own movies based on Star Trek or Star Wars and share them with the world. George Lucas is somewhere on record as saying he doesn't mind SW-based fanfilms because they help keep the spirit and interest alive in Star Wars, plus as long as nobody is asking for money, then it's okay. Same with Star Trek. Paramount is okay with fanfilms as long as no money is exchanged.

Fanzines are sold, however. How is that legal? I have no idea. But fanfiction, both good and bad, is available for free online.

My personal feeling is that fanfiction can help a writer write. You can learn a lot by writing just about anything, and it's good practice. As is stated above, some fanfiction writers have gone on to commercial publication. They honed their talents writing stories based on existing programs. Then, with practice, they honed their craft and got published. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

underthecity said:

Fanzines are sold, however. How is that legal? I have no idea. But fanfiction, both good and bad, is available for free online.

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It probably isn't, and this is why I don't like fanfiction. If you're going to write it just for fun, and you know the original author doesn't care, it's fine. But people sell this stuff, and that is messed up.

I've never belonged to a fandom in which fanzines are sold for money. The fandoms to which I belong(ed) have a very strong not-for-profit ethos. Profiting from your fanfiction is seen as unethical, and even peripherally profiting from your status in fandom (eg. Laptopgate) can be disapproved of.

What do you think of fanfiction?

I don't think of it at all.

... never tried it myself, but from what I've heard it sounds like a great way for writers to get the hang of writing as well as being a fun thing to do. All fanfic sites should be sanctioned by the original authors, though. They wrote the books so they're entitled to that, I feel.

Parametric said:

I've never belonged to a fandom in which fanzines are sold for money. The fandoms to which I belong(ed) have a very strong not-for-profit ethos. Profiting from your fanfiction is seen as unethical, and even peripherally profiting from your status in fandom (eg. Laptopgate) can be disapproved of.

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I'm not sure how many are still around, but my mother bought a few way, way back in the mid to late 70's. More info here.

But I'm not too crazy about it. Even if it's not for profit, the line is too thin. Keep it to yourself, circulate it amongst your friends, I don't care. Put it up on a website? You've crossed that line and tread into baleful territory. I don't care if so-and-so author or such-and-such writer turns a blind eye to it or requests you don't post your slash fic or whatever. Creating your own stories and characters is a lot more satisfying, having "cut my teeth" on fanfic yonks and yonks ago.

scarletpeaches said:

I utterly despise it.

I know I'll offend a lot of AWers with that statement. I'm prepared for that.

It's theft of intellectual property.

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This.

One can only hope...

I suppose there are ways around it, legally. As long as you're not making money, or somesuch. Some authors don't even mind. I would. I'd come down so hard on anyone who stole my characters, whether they meant it as a compliment or not.

Sometimes that which is immoral isn't exactly illegal. I see fanfiction as immoral.

There are lots of threads on this topic if you do a search.

When I was about seven I wrote a story about all my cuddly toys, including my much-loved Snoopy who was bought for me the day I was born. My mum said 'You can't write about Snoopy because someone else has already done that.'.

That was my one and only attempt at fanfic.