Forum - View topicDo you read fanfiction?
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Polycell
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I wouldn't necessarily equate creation with being a good author; I'd say that an author who can take others' ideas and still create a good story is a good author in their own way. That said, a great author must of course also be a good creator.
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ZepysGirl
 Posts: 470 Location: NY, NY |
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I'm sorry you had that experience, and you're right, that's probably where your bias comes from. What you have to understand is that bad fanfic writers would still be bad original fic writers if given the chance (indeed, many are). The act of creating fanfiction does not just suddenly make them drop in quality. I think it's weird that you say "even the best fan fiction authors will never become professionals," when in fact there's a lot of examples of that happening. Cassandra Claire would be one of the top of my head, but there's many others. I've thought about this a lot, actually. I was even part of a study about it back in '08. I still hold to now what I thought then--- fanfic is not a lower form of creation than original fic, it's just got its own challenges. Original fiction is much more caught up with worldbuilding, establishing characters, and getting down to a clear story-arc type structure. Fanfiction doesn't have these limitations, so it will often focus more on character interaction than anything else. Since the audience is already familiar with the characters and setting, fanfic authors don't have the same restrictions that original fiction writers have. The reason why it seems like published fiction is inherently better than fanfiction quite simply boils down to the publication process. The books you see in stores have been picked over and edited extensively by that point, and you only ever see the best of the best. If you go to amateur self-publishing? The ration of good/crap starts to look a lot like fanfic levels. When you make the barriers to entry very low (anyone can get a fanfic.net account), you'll get a lot more crap. |
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EireformContinent
 Posts: 977 Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land) |
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Sorry, but I couldn't resist: from ancient times many professional authors built their careers on taking more than inspiration from previous works- Odyssey, Bible, mythology etc. What makes them different from ff writers? Or maybe Milton wasn't professional? Once I've read some prose that if were written in modern English with changed names would be called yaoi fanfic. But it was written in Middle Ages, in Latin and re-telling the relationship of David and Jonathan, so it was called literature.
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Jon182
Posts: 105 |
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@polycell
You’re quite right, creation doesn’t always equal quality ie. "Twilight". A good author is a good author. However no one would argue that without the original, there would be no fan fiction. @Zepysgirl you’re quite right, there are some professionals who were fanfiction writers. I should have clarified my comment. I meant that it’s more difficult to get established as a professional in North America, as a fanfiction author. For the vast majority of authors writing original works is a better mode of entry into the literary field(I think). It’s not like Japan where doujinshi and self published works.are sold alongside "official" work. I think characterization is part and parcel of world building, introducing characters etc. You could argue that focusing solely on characterization is a weakness of fanfiction. Too much characterization and you risk losing the forest for the trees. @Eireform I find it somewhat facetious to equate Milton’s "Paradise Lost" to "Naruto XSasuke". There’s a difference between inspiration and rip off, which may be hard to distinguish at times. The Bible, Odyssey etc. are classics and will continue to be viewed as such, fanfiction not so much. |
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EireformContinent
Posts: 977 Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land) |
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I didn't compare Milton and yaoi, but medieval slash ff to Bible that I had to read.
The Bible is obviously the classic, but what can be told about works taking from it? What is the difference between let's say "Red Tent" and ff about minor Potter characters. |
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Jon182
Posts: 105 |
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@Eireform, I know you weren’t comparing Milton with Yaoi directly, but you were trying to draw a comparison between him and fanfic writers.
Before I try to answer your question about the Bible and "The Red Tent", let me ask you a question. Do you think the reproductions of famous landmarks in Las Vegas are of equal standing/worth, when compared to the originals? Why or why not? |
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EireformContinent
Posts: 977 Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land) |
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spoiler[(On my private, personal level- I've seen lots of those old buildings and it was exciting, but seeing Las Vegas on my very own eyes would mean that I've travelled to America with enough money to see things known from TV and not worry about anything else. I've admired two towns from iron lattice towers(original and copy) and I'd appreciate opportunity to climb two more.)]
As a hobbyist historian I'd say that they aren't that old and don't bring any informations about past, so nobody would give a dime to preserve them. But since they had never been intended to be anything more than an entertainment- lots of people find them more interesting, than let's say Old Prague. We have to deal with that. The same goes for literature- it's primary an entertainment. As a person who had read classics from all continents I say that only culture and history freaks like myself would enjoy them. Language stiff as a wooden leg, plots that turned into clichés, values dissonance greater than distance from here to Las Vegas- large, empty castles where the cold wind blows. So it seems OK to maybe not stand on the shoulders of giants, but take some bricks (especially since we talk about intellectual property this won't ruin the original) and use them to build a smaller, but cosy homes where modern people feel comfortable. Red Tent didn't mean to stand on equal terms with holy book, but just make a decent, interesting story. Various versions of Ramayana didn't compete with original, but marched their own ways. Mists of Avalon and Once and Future King for Arthurian Legends, Fables for fairy tales- they are kind of ffs. Are tons of books commissioned by Lucasart more valuable than best stuff on ff.net, because they were printed? So I ask why they are considered literature, while we deny the same for copyrighted others? |
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Jon182
Posts: 105 |
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I feel we are heading out to deeper waters here, when we start to talk about value and art, we might as well start talking about Plato’s "forms". It’s difficult to establish what is, or is not "literature" without sounding like an elitist snob.
In my opinion what distinguishes "literature" from fan fiction, is the way in which the author handles their subject matter. The author of the original had to go through many hardships to create the material, had something they wanted to say and are more personally involved in their works. To use a very broad example, the writer of Naruto had no idea that his work would be successful, he just had to do his best and hope everything turned out ok. Whereas fanfiction authors, it could be argued, already have a built in audience. As for your assertion that classics are dusty and dry, I would strongly disagree. The reason classics become "classics" is due to the fact that they have some enduring quality, something ubiquitous, that makes them stand out. In the "Epic of Gilgamesh" for example we see man’s struggle with mortality, death and immortality, something that many people can relate to...even though the original was written many thousands of years ago. |
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Haterater
 Posts: 1727 |
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I read it, and it really depends if it has my interest. Couples that would never be, alternate scenarios, humor, and if they nail good characterization in their stories. Problems I encounter are how one writes and "fan words." Other than that, I don't see a problem with fan fiction. Especially if it helps one grow to be a good author.
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EireformContinent
Posts: 977 Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land) |
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Jon182
(Tries to fit the first sentence to Twilight series- O.My.God.) My point is that many people, whose professionalism is never questioned, do exactly the thing you describe- appeal to already existing audience. If Milton is too heavz for that discussion, let's take maga examples-Sangokushi, Tenchi wo Kurau, Sōten Kōro, Ryūrōden. All are based on the same influential classic (veeery loosley based on a true story), well known to everyone who had attended school in China and Japan. First two are basically re-tellings, third takes "villainous POV" , fourth is about modern teenagers in world of the book. And it's acceptable to call them respectable comics and nobody rises questions about using already existing setting as a base. |
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Jon182
Posts: 105 |
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Haha...I guess you’ve forced the elitist snob in me to the fore, you obviously know of my distaste for "Twilight". I would argue that the general populace, never very literate to begin with, has sunk to all new depths with their infantile and imbecilic taste ie."Twilight", "Fifty Shades Of Grey" etc. You could
hardly consider these works to be literature with a capital."L". For the sake of argument though, I would have to say that everything I said about original work applies to "Twilight", at least more than a fanfic of "Twilight". I hope you can see the difference between inspiration and well..theft. I wouldn’t mind discussing Milton, but I don’t want to make this forum into my own personal soapbox. i will acknowledge that there is a place for fanfiction, and I’m sure that it is entertaining. I’ve enjoyed our discussion, but I will take this opportunity to bow out, if you wouldn’t mind. |
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iamalive
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I marked "checked some out once". But I don't plan on checking out any more, because they don't give you that epic feeling that you get when you watch anime, or read manga. That's just my opinion, though.
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OldCharlieStoletheHandle
 Posts: 1288 Location: Mastic Beach, NY |
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I picked "checked some out once" because, if I remember correctly, NewType USA used to occasionally publish fan-fiction and I think I read one there, and I was not impressed. I have enough trouble finding the time to watch all the anime and read all the manga I have backlogged, I don't want to spend any time on fan-fiction.
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AngelicSakuko
 Posts: 59 Location: South Australia |
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I do read fanfiction quite regularly, but it doesn't tend to be anime-related. I have a hard time finding a lot of male anime characters attractive because so many of the "attractive" ones are extremely feminine, which doesn't do it for me. However, I did stumble upon an excellent Itachi/Sakura fanfiction once. Any character voiced by Crispin Freeman (whom I met last year!!! C
 gets my vote.
I'm a shameless reader of Doctor Who fanfiction, though. The Doctor is the epitome of what my perfect man would be. |
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Jedi Master
 Posts: 400 |
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I read this stuff a lot back in my younger days. Some of it was epic. Most of it was stupid. But the epic ones made the search worthwhile.
I haven't looked into fanfiction in years. Maybe I'll look into it again. |
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