Fanfic ~ I don’t get it.
Posted: March 9, 2012 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: Bella Swan, fanfic, Harry Potter, out of character 6 CommentsWhat is fanfic? According to Dictionary.com it is:
- fiction written by fans of a TV series, movie, etc., using existing characters and situations to develop new plots.
- a work of fiction in this genre.
And according to the Collins World English Dictionary it is.
- Fiction written around previously established characters invented by other authors.
So, by both definitions, fanfic is where people take characters created by other people and have them do different things. In my experience, they are generally things that are out of character. To me this ruins the experience. I just don’t understand why you would want to make a person, any person, real or imaginary, do something they wouldn’t normally do.
Whether it’s to have Dudley be nice to Harry, and treat him as a person, or the shallow, lifeless Bella Swan venture into a BDSM relationship, it’s not something either character would do, even in their wildest dreams.
Now, if you want to create a character of your own you can give them any personality and history you want, and make their actions in character for them. Tell us their story. That I can get into.
Well, its a good platform for writers to practice their skills.
For me, my fanfics dont run out of the characters’ characteristics. I only write fan fictions that fits into a series, mainly to add more information about the characters of which the author did not go in to.
You can check it out at my blog and let me know what you think. Most ppl say my fan fictions fits very well into the worlds the author has already created.
See, part of my issue here is that what fanfic I’ve read has an entirely different feel to it. Yes, stories have feels to me. And the different feel to a fanfic stroy is just not something I care for.
The only exception to this rule of mine (because rules are made to be broken sometimes, right?) was when Anne McCaffrey let her son Todd co-write and then take over the Pern series. Yes, they still felt different, but still enough the same that it wasn’t a totally alien feeling like the fanfic I’ve read.
I think another part if my disenchantment with fanfic is that I see it as a waste of time. What little I’ve read, and I’m more than willing to admit, it has been very little, has left me disappointed. But even in the writing of it, why would I waste my time creating a story about someone else’s people, someone else’s friend’s, the voices in someone else’s head, when I can build my own friends and listen to my own voices?
Like i said earlier, fan fiction is a form of practice where you get to explore your own style. You see, no one would dare publish their originals online to get criticism, the fact that ppl are plagiarizing everything now a days makes you fearful that your work might be stolen. Hence, if you wanna improve your own flare, write ff and let ppl criticize your works. That is what I am doing with mine. Furthermore, it helps you improve your imagination.
Personally, i dont read fanfics, i just dont like them because like you said, its weird, especially when draco is in love with harry. I am more of the fanfic writer who uses fanfics as a platform for me to practice my skills. In that course, I gain a number of subscribers that may or may not purchase my original works when I publish them later on.
LOL I just commented on another blog that I don’t get Fanfic….
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one!
I’m not sure where you are getting your info, bbut good topic.
I need to spend sokme time learning much more or understanfing more.
Thanks for excellent information I was looking for this information ffor my mission.