How does everyone feel about Fan Fiction?

MandiKenendy · Post by **MandiKenendy** » 07 Apr 2013, 17:01

I'm an avid reader but only read novels at the weekend or during the holidays when I have time to really get into them. During the week, when I only have a short amount of time to read, I read Fan Fiction.

I know that some people don't like fanfic because they don't like the idea of people using other people's characters and I was wondering how people felt about it.

Personally, if I really enjoy a book (or a film) then the first thing I do is go out and try and find fanfic about it.

d0dridge · Post by **d0dridge** » 08 Apr 2013, 16:07

I haven't really read much from it. The only reason I read any was because Time Magazine had a feature about Harry Potter Fan Fiction years ago. So I ended up reading a few of the recommended ones from that article. Some of them were surprisingly good.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 08 Apr 2013, 16:09

d0dridge wrote:I haven't really read much from it. The only reason I read any was because Time Magazine had a feature about Harry Potter Fan Fiction years ago. So I ended up reading a few of the recommended ones from that article. Some of them were surprisingly good.

@d0dridge
I don't know what your avatar is but it gives me the heebie-jeebies

d0dridge · Post by **d0dridge** » 08 Apr 2013, 16:19

It's just two of my ferrets that curled up and fell asleep on a blue towel. They crash and burn after they are running around for a bit. The photo may or may not have been a wee bit staged.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 08 Apr 2013, 16:27

d0dridge wrote:It's just two of my ferrets that curled up and fell asleep on a blue towel. They crash and burn after they are running around for a bit. The photo may or may not have been a wee bit staged.

Keep them away from my lovely swan please

MandiKenendy · Post by **MandiKenendy** » 08 Apr 2013, 17:08

d0dridge wrote:I haven't really read much from it. The only reason I read any was because Time Magazine had a feature about Harry Potter Fan Fiction years ago. So I ended up reading a few of the recommended ones from that article. Some of them were surprisingly good.

I'm still surprised by how good some of them are. I read a series about the Fast and the Furious that was so good I made the characters that way in my head and am now always disappointed by the films!

Zepher07 · Post by **Zepher07** » 09 Apr 2013, 08:38

I love fanfiction; both reading and writing it. As an aspiring writer, I find that it is a good way to cut my teeth, so to speak, and improve my skills. I also love to take a story further. We have all had that moment with a series or movie where we want to scream "Give Me More!" Fanfiction really satisfies that hunger. And as you said MandiKenendy, some of them are really well written. I think some writers tend to enjoy it when people want to play with their characters. It means that their book, or whatever, caught their audiences attention and imagination. By the way, I totally do the same thing you do. I see a movie or a tv series and instantly go to fanfiction. I don't do it so much with books though and I'm not really sure why.
P.S. Awesome quote. I love C.S. Lewis.

MandiKenendy · Post by **MandiKenendy** » 09 Apr 2013, 09:05

That's what I love about it as well. When you're not ready to say goodbye to characters, you can read more and more about them. I love the way it lets you explore the characters in different situations. I know some authors get funny about it - Anne Rice got very upset about people using her characters in stories but I think I'd find it flattering.
My friend put that quote up on facebook and I just loved it. I love C.S. Lewis - I've read the Chronicles of Narnia so many times.

Zepher07 · Post by **Zepher07** » 09 Apr 2013, 09:46

I know. I heard that about Anne Rice and I thought it was silly. Her books are so iconic of the genre that it's a shame that she doesn't allow people to interact with it in their own way. I would totally be flattered if someone loved my characters or stories so much that they didn't want to let them go right away. Heck, I might even join in and read what others thought to do wth my world. I love that type of creativity and find different viewpoints so fascinating.

TheWriter · Post by **TheWriter** » 09 Apr 2013, 18:48

I'm of two minds on fanfiction. As a writer, I love it. I don't have to make up the characters or the setting, and I don't have to make it good. (It's not like anyone's going to see it anyway...) As a reader, I'm picky-characters have to stay in-character, not a fan of Mary-Sues, etc.

DATo · Post by **DATo** » 10 Apr 2013, 03:54

I feel that anything that makes people happy and is not illegal should be tolerated, but I personally do not read 'fan fiction' because I know it did not spring from the mind of the original creator. Imagine someone borrowing your children and then going on an outing and pretending to others that THEY are the parents. Now in itself that doesn't do anyone any harm but wouldn't you still feel a sense of resentment? One of my favorite characters in literature is Sherlock Holmes, and I have always bristled whenever anyone has attempted to parrot Doyle's characters and style of writing. There was only one Arthur Conan Doyle and no one has ever come close to capturing the magic of his writing. Every time they try it feels forced and phony. If a writer is worth being published they should be able to become successful using their own creativity in my opinion. An exception to this would be the Jasper Fford series of books because the intent of the author is simply to parody the characters in his OWN style which approaches an almost unique genre of writing. If Sherlock Holmes appeared in a Jasper Fford book I would not be offended at all mainly because I know he is not trying to capitalize on Doyle by pretending to BE him.

MandiKenendy · Post by **MandiKenendy** » 10 Apr 2013, 05:37

TheWriter wrote:I'm of two minds on fanfiction. As a writer, I love it. I don't have to make up the characters or the setting, and I don't have to make it good. (It's not like anyone's going to see it anyway...) As a reader, I'm picky-characters have to stay in-character, not a fan of Mary-Sues, etc.

I don't enjoy Mary-Sues either but I do like it when the characters are put into AU's and you see them in completely different worlds.

-- 10 Apr 2013, 05:41 --

DATo - just curious. How did you feel about the new BBC modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes and the American show Elementary? I really enjoyed Sherlock but I'd never read the books until after and I was wondering how people who really loved the books felt about them?

TheWriter · Post by **TheWriter** » 10 Apr 2013, 11:07

I love the books, and the BBC show. Did not care one bit for the American version, though.

Zepher07 · Post by **Zepher07** » 10 Apr 2013, 12:30

One of the main reasons I am studying to become a teacher is because I am fascinated by the varying perspectives people have. I once did an activity where several groups of elementary school students would come to me one by one and try to solve the math problem I had waiting for them. The math problem was the same each time but almost every group used a different method of solving the problem. I veiw fanfiction the same way. Everyone has their own unique perspective on a story or a character. Even Doyle himself played with different perspectives of his character. He usually had Watson tell the Sherlock Holmes stories but there are two with Holmes as the narrator and two that are narrated in the third person. Doyle had even done parodies of his own characters.

Fanfiction writers do not claim to be the parents of the original material and most of us do our best to show respect for the originals. The thing is, once a writer has published their story they have little control over how it is percieved. They have given it to the world and it seems silly to forbid others to play with it. That's like setting the best ice cream sundae in front of someone and forbidding them to eat it. That being said, I do respect those writers who do not want fanfiction of their work and would not go against that wish. I realize some do not view fanfiction the way I do.

On the new incarnations of Sherlock Holmes, I am loving them. Although, I didn't even attempt to watch Elementary because the commercials did not interest me. For some reason I felt that the creators did not understand the character of Sherlock Holmes and were possibly just jumping on the bandwagon to make money. Alright that seems a bit scathing since I have only seen the commercials so I am open to the idea that I might be wrong. I loved the Robert Downey Jr. movies because they were just a ton of fun. The first one actually inspired me to read the originals which for some strange reason I hadn't before. I've loved Shelock Holmes since I was young even though I had never read them or saw the famous tv versions. I've always known of the character though I have no idea how. Anyway, I've recently watched the BBC version and I am now addicted. I just can't get enough of Sherlock Holmes and all of this renewed interest makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.

Wow, that was long! What can I say? I'm passionate.

lady_charlie · Post by **lady_charlie** » 10 Apr 2013, 20:27

I had never heard of this - fan fiction. I promise to google this immediately.
I do sometimes like books that use famous people or characters, like the Nicolas Flamel series that had Joan of Arc and tons of other people in it you have heard of.
Someone asked me if the author got JK Rowling's ok to use Nicolas Flamel but we had already figured out that Flamel was an actual person. I also like Percy Jackson, for example - a new twist on old stories.