Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Long and Short Review Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge, where bloggers write on a common theme every Wednesday. This is my second year participating. Today’s topic are my thoughts on fan fiction.
I have really mixed feelings about fan fiction. Let me list them out, see if you can help me decide.
PRO
- Shows a deep love for, and relationship to, the world an author’s created. There is no higher praise.
- It allows us to play with what if scenarios and try out ideas that also play out in that world. As a serious reader of several series, I don’t always agree with the authors choices, and because I’m invested, I wouldn’t mind seeing it move another way.
- It builds community and connection around these worlds, which help people feel as if the belong somewhere in the crazy chaotic, wider world.
- It allows the worlds to live beyond their authors, and if those worlds promise some type of hope (e.g Star Trek), it serves a greater good to keep those worlds alive and active.
CON
- It is the author’s creation, and shouldn’t the author have ultimate say on it?
- Sometimes, it feels as if these created worlds and the people in them take the place of the real ones, so our short time on earth is spent hiding in a made up world rather than living our best lives and fixing what isn’t working, when our world needs a lot of fixing.
- Yes, there are times I just want to scream at someone to get their own life and trust their own creativity – to create their own worlds, to add something new, not just a variation or tweak to something that already exists, to go out and do good for real.
See, good and bad! Where does the balance fall?
Please visit the other bloggers participating in the Long and Short Wednesday Blogging Challenge. I always enjoy learning from them and with them.
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I knew someone who used fan fiction to build their writing skills and has since began publishing his own books. But, yes, balance is key to everything in life. 🙂
I remember a conversation with someone I had met through a fandom community. I’d asked if she ever thought of trying out some original work and her response was, “That’s what authors are for.” The disconnect there rather stunned me.
You do make good points though.
My post
I am generally in favor of fan fiction, and also mostly of the opinion that it isn’t as distinct from Fiction as most people like to think. The longer version of my answer is here.
First, Shari, I LOVE the fact that you made a PROS and CONS list…I do that A LOT myself…nicely done! You have VERY valid points on both sides!
A factor that I might introduce, is this: perhaps the enthralled reader wants to write, but lacks the self-confidence to do it, so they mimic writing style and/or continue a beloved story to build courage???
Just my thoughts…I’ve SO been there. My writing style is a mish-mosh of writers and styles that I love, evolved to make it my own…
I have mixed feelings about this as well. Have not written any fanfic myself since I was a teenager… too many other stories in my head. My thoughts are here.
I see fan fiction as a way to improve writing skills. There is a downside where there a lot of weird fan fiction out there. Some people take fan fiction way too far.
I love fanfic, love the challenge of taking the characters and writing them in a way that is still recognisable to the reader, even when I put them in completely different scenarios. I’ve been writing for over 20 years and can’t see myself ever stopping, nor do I have any interest in writing original fic, that doesn’t sound as fun to me. And most of the fandoms I’m in, the original creators encourage fanfic which is just a win/win all around (though I have been in fandoms where it’s not looked on so fondly and, like many a fic writer, received a C&D demand from Anne Rice’s people)