ostarella: (Writing)
ostarella ([personal profile] ostarella) wrote2010-03-20 09:44 am
Entry tags:

Fanfiction snobbery

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...

[identity profile] ostarella.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
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: (Default)

[personal profile] beckyblack 2010-03-20 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't I know it. :D Though that's almost encouraging at times, makes you think "well if that dross can get published..."

[identity profile] billy-shriner.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
yeah... I'm kinda relying on my dross getting published :-P