Why write fanfiction?

Lord of Light

Lord of Light

New member
I am more than certain I can write a better story on my own than going with another story that has already been written. And I also know that fanfiction, though it may be fun to write, does not encourage people to read the original books.(For example, I have a friend who won't watch[or read] the LWW or LOTR, yet he watches things like the Matrix and Star Wars, yeah, odd, I know) I can understand people wanting to write fanfiction, but seriously...if you have a good writing talent, don't waste it on something that will never get well known(except on a forum ;)) Use that talent and write something that you enjoy, using your own ideas, own nations, creatures, and names(if you can come up with new ones ;)). I don't think talent(for example, I quickly discovered my writing talent and am currently writing a novel) need be used on something so trivial. I write long things in this forum because of my love of writing. Now, I would continue, but I gotta get ready for work.
 
I have sometimes felt the same way; but then, I _have_ written some entirely original fiction, and gotten nowhere publishing it. I grant you that fan fiction, by definition, can't earn the author any money; but one thing it can do is get the writer's talents noticed.

But, you say, we should get our talents noticed with OUR OWN material. Sure, that's great when it works. Did you know that the famous sci-fi author Piers Anthony was someplace around MY age before he was able to get a book published? I am not too proud to build my resume by having fanfic of mine seen on a web community.

Still, I'm begging the question. What _particular_ merit is there in writing fan fiction particularly? Well, it provides a way for us fans to express what the originals mean to us...what themes are latent in them that could be brought out more into the light...and, as in my case (note the tiger graphic still there, shameless plug!), what else _could_ have happened in the favorite story-world.

To be sure, many fanfic authors just grab the original premise and reshape it in their own image, without caring about the spirit of the original writer. But Timbalionguy and I, collaborating in this area, have tried to preserve a spirit compatible with Mr. Lewis' idea and ideals.
 
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i think they are just fun to write. i write other things as well, but fanfiction is easier. i know the rules of the story and know that it is a story that i enjoy. it is something that i can write when i dont feel i have the time to write anything else. also, as an aspiring author, i love to have my stories read. i dont feel comfortable publishing anything i have written on the web but feel comfortable doing so with fanfic.


and, i do write and share my other stories, just not here.

ok, im done rambling.;)
 
I'm a published author.

I have won some awards in my day.

I write fanfiction.

Let's face it ... fanfiction is a way of loving another author's work by dancing with it. True you'll never get rich doing that...or even get paid...but it's not money we're after.
 
I don't really care for fan-fiction,but when I first started writing,thats all I did..I think it teaches you how to develop plots,and you then learn how to create your own characters,and their personal stories on your own.Its good for learning.:D
 
I enjoy reading fanfiction, especially fan creations that help to expand on a story or provide a possible outcome to a story's aspect that is left for the reader to decide upon. If the fanfic makes up something totally not true to the story's spirit or degrades the story, I don't enjoy that. I can't stop them from posting that, but sometimes fanfics are posted that aren't necessary. Mostly though, I like fanfictions.
 
DaydreamBeliever said:
I don't really care for fan-fiction,but when I first started writing,thats all I did..I think it teaches you how to develop plots,and you then learn how to create your own characters,and their personal stories on your own.Its good for learning.:D
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I totally agree, I am writing a Fan Fic right now and what it is doing for me is simply showing how weak I am in places and how I can inprove in others by comparing it to the writing of the original author. I am working on my own story but like DB said it is a good way to learn.
 
I started out with writing fanfiction too, but I have not written anything that belongs to another author's universe for quite some time now. :) I found that it helped me out with characterisations a great deal, because the characters were already familiar to me and I knew how they would behave in certain situations. I also grasped at concepts like plot-building more easily through writing and reading fanfiction.

Right now I am working, very tentatively still, on my first "real" novel. I have some experience in finishing certain stories and telling tales of well-known characters, so now is the time to produce a set of characters of my own and let them tell their stories.
 
When I began writing all I did was fanfiction. I've been developing my own storyline and world for a couple of years now, but I think that writing fanfiction when I was twelve and thirteen really helped me to develop characters, plots, etc. In a nutshell, I'm really just repeating what Solya said. ^^ :rolleyes:
 
For me(I am not saying this works for everyone) it was reading LOTR and the Chronicles of Narnia and many other series(one of which I will not mention because of the gory descriptions of the battle scenes) that sparked my imagination. But I let my imagination flourish by playing games like Guild Wars, Knight Online(which is somewhat pointless), and other games like Call of Duty 4(did you know the events in that happened to an extent?;)) Which lately, I have realized one thing in American schooling is not helping the imagination(if you want to know what, I'll see how many pms I get before I start a thread:))

To me, writing well comes after having unlocked the full power of the imagination.
 
The first story that I really embellished on was my fanfic. I told it to my sister and she told me that I should write it down, which I am now in the process of doing. I think it helps that there are already characters established and that there is a firm foundation already laid for a writer to go off of. I realized what you did, that I would never get published or earn any money off of it, but it was a jump pad into other places and it gave me a chance to 'practice' writing, if you get my meaning. Plus, it's really fun. :D
 
Attack of the Sues...

There's something to be said for flexing writing muscles, whether on fanfic or an original creation. One little known secret to writing well is...writing *LOTS*. Not to mention the fact that, when characters wake you up from a sound sleep, begging to be allowed to speak, the best thing to do is simply to humor them. I write because I can't help it. There are more than enough original ideas; but fanfic in particular is, as the badger says, a unique way of honoring an author's creations, and, just perhaps, drawing others into the world of the canon. Good literature doesn't come out of a vacuum, and it's almost impossible *not* to be influenced by the great books we read, whether that influence takes the form of fanfic or not.

Saying this, I am a stickler for authorial intent-and nothing drives me to pick up the ETPOD-(English Teacher's Pen of DOOOOOOM!) more quickly than a piece of fanfic that demonstrates little to no familiarity with the world created by the original author, or, worse yet, ignores it alltogether. The challenge of good fanfiction is that it not only holds together internally but mananges to make sense within the world of the canon at large.



 
Fanfiction is a great way to polish up one's writting skills in my opinion not too mention fire the imagination about characters and places one already knows and loves...
So many areas that can be explored that the official franchises books/comics/movies have not dwelled upon...

Well just my 2 cents on the subject anyway!:D
 
PunkMaister said:
Fanfiction is a great way to polish up one's writting skills in my opinion not too mention fire the imagination about characters and places one already knows and loves...
So many areas that can be explored that the official franchises books/comics/movies have not dwelled upon...

Well just my 2 cents on the subject anyway!:D
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^I am in complete agreement. I was about to say something similar, but PM pretty much covered it, and in a lot less space too. XD
 
well for me, I always loved writing and I needed an outlet to test it out- so I started writing fanfic for things I know, and trying out my ideas in an original story with my best friend...

plus, I like writing narnian stories too :D
 
I realize that a lot of people who write fanfiction are only beginning their journey to become a mature author. But all fanfiction gives you the opportunity to spend personal time with the characters and that is an important thing.

Better fanfiction can spread that enthusiasm and intimacy to other people as well. There are some pretty good works out there. if you know where to find them.

I flatter myself on posting a link to http://royalmagi.org if any of you should be interested. Since I've been successful as an author in totally original works, you might be curious to see how fanfiction can read if done by an experienced author.

For my materials, as well as for others, if you read it and like it, or if you have constructive criticism, please give feedback. One of the most discouraging things to a beginning author is shoot out works like rockets into the empty blackness of space and never hear back from them. So the inhabitants of Planet X may find the rocket someday and think it came from the gods and pattern their entire life and philosophy after it, but if they don't radio back, it might as well not have happened!
 
It's kind of like creative play. It lets you take the characters out of the toy box as it were and play with them yourself.

Also It's a great way to start anything. While you may enver publish it, you can certainly learn a few tricks of the trade by doing a fanfic such as character development, setting, dialogue and other useful devices. For example, some stories that I'd call fanfics were how I learned to develop female characters. As a guy I always struggled with writing good, convincing female cahracters. The FanFics were my testing grounds.

Many a writer has been born out of doing them. Ray Bradburry's first story that he wrote was a sequal to the first John Carter of Mars book ebcause he didn't have money to buy the second book and wanted to know how the story continued. CS Lewis even encouraged children to write, if you will, there own fan fics of Narnia, in hiopes that maybe some day they would create their own imaginary worlds too. A Fan Fiction may simply be the best way to get someone, especially a child, interested in writing.
 
I love writing fan fiction. I don't want to be an actual writer, I just enjoy using real people in my stories.

I like fan fiction, because it, for me at least, makes it easier to picture the characters and to see what I think they would do. If I wanted to be published, I wouldn't be doing fan fiction. But the fact is, I don't want to be an author, I want to write about something I enjoy.

Also, whenever I try to write an original, I feel as if it is too out there, as if I am completely going over board. (creating new worlds and such). That is why I write fanfictions.
 
What Inkling said.

Some people, myself included, love to write as a hobby but have no intention or goal to become a published author. Does that mean we're just supposed to stifle the writing itch? It's a bit elitist to say a fanfic author is wasting his/her time because he/she "should" be writing original work. Says who? If that's where a person finds joy, it's not a waste of time anymore than any fun activity. You don't complain that a person doing needlepoint is wasting time just because she's following a preconceived pattern.

I do agree that fanfic should respect the intent of the original author, particularly as fanfic itself is pretty much tacitly tolerated copyright violation that could get cracked down on at any time. I am vehemently opposed to material that is vulgar, obscene, or inappropriate for the target audience of the original work, and only the strictest self-reminder that I was once a young teen and wrote them too keeps me from wanting to string up every Mary-Sue writer by her sparkly toenails. Bad grammar and punctuation make me itch, and unfortunately the fanfic world is rife with them. However, you take the bad with the good, and there's a lot of really good writing out there. It's also a nice vehicle for meeting other fans of your favorite works and finally having someone to "have a good jaw" with about Narnia or you-name-it.
 
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