Fanfiction snobbery

[ostarella]

I've once more been exposed to the "fanfiction isn't real writing" thing. And from a couple different directions. And while sitting quietly fuming, I found myself wondering why these nay-sayers don't make the same statement about television writers. You know, the ones that take "pre-determined" characters in a "pre-determined" setting with "pre-determined" circumstances and grind out a new script every week. How can that possibly be called "real writing"? Sure, they may throw in an OC now and then, or put the canon characters into a new situation, or delve more deeply into a canon character's psyche - but that's not "real writing". They didn't, after all, come up with these characters themselves. They didn't set up the premise by themselves. They're just taking what the original writer(s) made and taking it somewhere else. And with the added caveat that other people can come along and make them change things, or toss it all together - so they don't even have complete creative control over their "not real writing".

But nobody says television scripts aren't real writing. So apparently the only difference is that "real writers" are hirelings and fanfic writers do it for love.

How odd...

Comments

[beckyblack]

Yeah, I've often made that association myself. They never seem to "get" that one though.

I think the snobs are gonna have to brace themselves, because with the explosion of fanfic thanks to the Internet a lot of new writers are going to get their start writing that way.

I know in the genre my novel is in, m/m romance a load of the prominant writers are former slash fanfic writers and more than one of the books is a "fanfic with the serial numbers filed off". It's quite possible that's one reason that genre has taken off the last few years, slash readers wanting original stories to read too and good slash writers thinking "It's time I started getting paid for this stuff!"

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

Well, I know one thing - I will put a lot of fanfic up against "published" works any day of the week. Sure, there's a lot of crap out there in fanfic world - but the same can be said for bookstores.

[beckyblack]

Don't I know it. :D Though that's almost encouraging at times, makes you think "well if that dross can get published..."

[billy-shriner.livejournal.com]

yeah... I'm kinda relying on my dross getting published :-P

[billy-shriner.livejournal.com]

Well, I suppose if they look at some of the tripe that does get put out... I could understand, yet, some writers, like ourselves have used Fanfiction to find ourselves.

And it can be hard work trying to make sure that the characters sound / act like the characters from the show. And if we can do that well, and our readers are gripped with the story etc. etc. etc. then what is not 'real' about the writing.

In fact... huh? What is 'real' writing FFS? It's all writing... its how well that it's done - isn't it?

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

In fact... huh? What is 'real' writing FFS? It's all writing... its how well that it's done - isn't it?

Of course it is - it's still creativity and imagination. Some people just need something to sneer at to make themselves seem more important.

[beckyblack]

It's not as if it's even technically anything new. People have always written stories based on previous stories, existing characters from legends and folk tales etc, or their own version of a story from another culture. There's no sign of anyone stopping writing about King Arthur anytime soon. Is The Magnificent Seven nothing but an unimaginative rip-off of The Seven Samurai? People want to see more of good stories and good characters.

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

Oh hell no - not new at all. Only difference is we use the internet to move around the world telling stories of TV shows and movies, instead of donkeys to go from village to village telling stories of Hercules and Ulysses.

[panthology.livejournal.com]

Well put, m'dear! Very well put.