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I was thinking about fanfiction today. This is what happens when I do that: I write articles. Here's one, rough draft only.
THE TWIN CAMPS OF FANFICTION
I don't read a lot of fanfiction. Frankly, I find the discussions about fanfiction to be far more entertaining, and besides that, I have a hard time justifying the time it takes for me to sift through the drek and get to the real gems. However, I do enjoy checking out different authors and seeing how they relate to their stories.
DISCLAIMER
Before I actually go into this rambling observation/rant, I would like to point out that I am a semi-decent writer and self-professed Grammar Nazi. I am also a member of the Godawful Fan Fiction Message Board. Anything you may read here is strictly my opinion, and I post it here because I enjoy jabbering on about whatever happens to be on my mind at the moment. This is not intended to offend. If your opinions coincide with mine, good for you. If not, please feel free to argue with me in a reasonable, logical, correctly-spelled and grammatically-correct manner. Thank you.
END OF DISCLAIMER
As I was saying before I so rudely interrupted myself, fanfiction authors tend to intrigue me even more than fanfiction itself. They write for so many different reasons, and they have so many different opinions about their craft and their fellow fanfiction practitioners. Their ages range from around nine years old to far into the double-digits (I'm far too polite to say how far). They come from all walks of life, from all over the world. It is, therefore, very difficult to make generalizations about them, but I have noticed that their attitudes toward fanfiction and writing in general tend to divide them into two distinct "camps."
In the first corner...
The first "camp" is the "It's Just a Story!" camp. These authors tend to write "just for fun." The canon of their chosen fandoms matters little to them. They tend to have a crush on one or more particular characters from their fandoms, and said characters feature heavily in most of their fanfiction. Characterization, like canon, appears to be optional, as do grammar and spelling. Also, those of the "It's Just a Story!" campenjoy travelling in packs, so at the slightest perceived insult to one of them, they all go after the offender.
I am not saying that all of the "It's Just a Story!" camp are bad writers. They do have a penchant for writing "Mary Sues" and Self-Insert fiction, but not all of these are bad.
The tough part of dealing with the "It's Just a Story!" camp (and the trait that characterizes this particular group) is their reaction to any criticism, constructive or destructive. While I agree that "U suk!" is not helpful and deserves to be ignored, some fanfiction authors (and just regular writers) feel obligated to help out other writers by leaving comments on how their work might be improved. These comments range from extremely tactful to downright rude, but most of them refer to the story, not the author. However, many authors of the "It's Just a Story!" camp respond in exactly that way: "But...but...it's just a story!" For them, any criticism of their story is a deep personal insult, crushing their creativity beneath its repressive heel. Some members of this camp can be more vindictive than others--some just ignore critical reviews and go on doing what they were doing, while others respond a bit more violently. I've heard stories of stalkings, death threats, etc. Of course, those who threaten are very seldom able to back up their words with deeds, but it just goes to show how attached they are to their stories.
And in the other corner...
The second campis the "Critical Canon" camp. For the members of this camp, canon is everything. They have a reputation for spending hours researching their chosen fandom, reading the books/watching the movies over and over again, picking out those important details of characterization and setting that gives their stories consistency with the original work. Spelling and grammar tend to be near rule-perfect for the most part. Many writers in the "Critical Canon" camp have a beta-reader read through and edit their stories to catch any errors that the writers may have missed. When they receive criticism, they tend to take it seriously and use what they can to improve their writing. If they do things a certain way, they usually have a well-thought-out reason for doing so.
On the flip side, I'm not saying that all "Critical Canon" writers are good writers. They do tend toward obsessiveness, but they obsess about making their stories the best they can be. Some achieve this goal with more success than others.
The main failing in the "Critical Canon" camp is the tendency to feel superior. It's very easy to expect people to know everything you know and agree with your every opinion. Occasionally, a "Critical Canon" author is brought up short by the idea that he/she is being "mean" in his/her reviews. This is not always the case, of course: Some authors do believe that any criticism if their precious works is horrific, devastating cruelty. However, "Critical Canon" authors sometimes have to look at who they're talking to and adjust their harshness accordingly.
In Conclusion:
While I enjoy some "serious" fanfiction, I have a tendency towards fluff. However, if said fluff is not well-written, I don't care to read it. I think I reside somewhere between the "It's Just a Story!" and "Critical Canon" camps. Canon is important to me, but I don't mind reading "What If?" or Alternate Universe stories. I don't mind reading about canon characters in unusual situations, as long as the characters stay in character. I don't even mind the occasional Self-Insert story, as long as the author cares enough to take the time to write it well.
I think this is what pitches my little metaphorical pavilion closer to the "Critical Canon" camp. "Critical Canon" authors seem to really care about what they write, in that they work hard on their stories before posting them. They spellcheck, they work on their grammar, they do their best to keep canon characters in character. They show respect for the original work. I'm not saying that all their work is squeaky-clean and typo-free (typo-free would take a miracle), but they do their best. And I, The Reader, appreciate that immensely.
Well, I think I've rambled enough. This rant-thingy has turned out to be much longer than I expected, and I actually have an idea for a fanfiction bumbling around in my brain...we'll see if I let it out. *wanders back into her metaphorical pavilion*
THE TWIN CAMPS OF FANFICTION
I don't read a lot of fanfiction. Frankly, I find the discussions about fanfiction to be far more entertaining, and besides that, I have a hard time justifying the time it takes for me to sift through the drek and get to the real gems. However, I do enjoy checking out different authors and seeing how they relate to their stories.
DISCLAIMER
Before I actually go into this rambling observation/rant, I would like to point out that I am a semi-decent writer and self-professed Grammar Nazi. I am also a member of the Godawful Fan Fiction Message Board. Anything you may read here is strictly my opinion, and I post it here because I enjoy jabbering on about whatever happens to be on my mind at the moment. This is not intended to offend. If your opinions coincide with mine, good for you. If not, please feel free to argue with me in a reasonable, logical, correctly-spelled and grammatically-correct manner. Thank you.
END OF DISCLAIMER
As I was saying before I so rudely interrupted myself, fanfiction authors tend to intrigue me even more than fanfiction itself. They write for so many different reasons, and they have so many different opinions about their craft and their fellow fanfiction practitioners. Their ages range from around nine years old to far into the double-digits (I'm far too polite to say how far). They come from all walks of life, from all over the world. It is, therefore, very difficult to make generalizations about them, but I have noticed that their attitudes toward fanfiction and writing in general tend to divide them into two distinct "camps."
In the first corner...
The first "camp" is the "It's Just a Story!" camp. These authors tend to write "just for fun." The canon of their chosen fandoms matters little to them. They tend to have a crush on one or more particular characters from their fandoms, and said characters feature heavily in most of their fanfiction. Characterization, like canon, appears to be optional, as do grammar and spelling. Also, those of the "It's Just a Story!" campenjoy travelling in packs, so at the slightest perceived insult to one of them, they all go after the offender.
I am not saying that all of the "It's Just a Story!" camp are bad writers. They do have a penchant for writing "Mary Sues" and Self-Insert fiction, but not all of these are bad.
The tough part of dealing with the "It's Just a Story!" camp (and the trait that characterizes this particular group) is their reaction to any criticism, constructive or destructive. While I agree that "U suk!" is not helpful and deserves to be ignored, some fanfiction authors (and just regular writers) feel obligated to help out other writers by leaving comments on how their work might be improved. These comments range from extremely tactful to downright rude, but most of them refer to the story, not the author. However, many authors of the "It's Just a Story!" camp respond in exactly that way: "But...but...it's just a story!" For them, any criticism of their story is a deep personal insult, crushing their creativity beneath its repressive heel. Some members of this camp can be more vindictive than others--some just ignore critical reviews and go on doing what they were doing, while others respond a bit more violently. I've heard stories of stalkings, death threats, etc. Of course, those who threaten are very seldom able to back up their words with deeds, but it just goes to show how attached they are to their stories.
And in the other corner...
The second campis the "Critical Canon" camp. For the members of this camp, canon is everything. They have a reputation for spending hours researching their chosen fandom, reading the books/watching the movies over and over again, picking out those important details of characterization and setting that gives their stories consistency with the original work. Spelling and grammar tend to be near rule-perfect for the most part. Many writers in the "Critical Canon" camp have a beta-reader read through and edit their stories to catch any errors that the writers may have missed. When they receive criticism, they tend to take it seriously and use what they can to improve their writing. If they do things a certain way, they usually have a well-thought-out reason for doing so.
On the flip side, I'm not saying that all "Critical Canon" writers are good writers. They do tend toward obsessiveness, but they obsess about making their stories the best they can be. Some achieve this goal with more success than others.
The main failing in the "Critical Canon" camp is the tendency to feel superior. It's very easy to expect people to know everything you know and agree with your every opinion. Occasionally, a "Critical Canon" author is brought up short by the idea that he/she is being "mean" in his/her reviews. This is not always the case, of course: Some authors do believe that any criticism if their precious works is horrific, devastating cruelty. However, "Critical Canon" authors sometimes have to look at who they're talking to and adjust their harshness accordingly.
In Conclusion:
While I enjoy some "serious" fanfiction, I have a tendency towards fluff. However, if said fluff is not well-written, I don't care to read it. I think I reside somewhere between the "It's Just a Story!" and "Critical Canon" camps. Canon is important to me, but I don't mind reading "What If?" or Alternate Universe stories. I don't mind reading about canon characters in unusual situations, as long as the characters stay in character. I don't even mind the occasional Self-Insert story, as long as the author cares enough to take the time to write it well.
I think this is what pitches my little metaphorical pavilion closer to the "Critical Canon" camp. "Critical Canon" authors seem to really care about what they write, in that they work hard on their stories before posting them. They spellcheck, they work on their grammar, they do their best to keep canon characters in character. They show respect for the original work. I'm not saying that all their work is squeaky-clean and typo-free (typo-free would take a miracle), but they do their best. And I, The Reader, appreciate that immensely.
Well, I think I've rambled enough. This rant-thingy has turned out to be much longer than I expected, and I actually have an idea for a fanfiction bumbling around in my brain...we'll see if I let it out. *wanders back into her metaphorical pavilion*
