Fanon

[ostarella]

Pam posted a great article on fanon versus canon:

http://ljconstantine.com/column14.htm

I have to agree whole-heartedly with the author's opinion that fanon is dangerous. When I first started writing, it was after many years without seeing TAT, and after reading many, many fanfics that relied on fanon - and consequently there are now pieces of my earlier stories (and indeed, characterizations of some secondary characters) that I would dearly love to hide under a rock. Not that fanon-based stories are *bad* - but there were certain characteristics of the guys and the perirpherals that the fanon authors liked that I don't - and had I realized those were fanon versus canon, I wouldn't have adhered to them. Which is one reason I started writing "Their World" - it was a way for me to make sense of the some of the glitches in canon and yet make sure people understood where canon ended and speculation began. (Which reminds me, I need to get back to work on that...)

Anyway, maybe that's why I'm such a stickler (aka "pain in the ass") when it comes to things such as the priest at the orphanage, BA's real name, and character "surprises" in fanfic - if it goes completely against canon, you better be able to explain it believably - and you'd better do it in the story.  ;-)

Comments

[beckyblack]

It's a good article that one. I've read it before.

I don't think fanon by itself is dangerous, only if it's used without awareness that it is fanon. Or if it gets to the point where it's so widespread that someone will tell you your story is "wrong" if it doesn't use it.

Some fanon ideas are fine and useful, and great for filling out the backstory in a show from that era when the backstory can be kind of scant and contradictory. But it's always optional.

And when it comes to characterisation, well fanon should support and explain the canon characterisation. It should come from an interpetation of that, it shouldn't change it. Of it does then you're using non canon elements, and a non canon characterisation, which at the very least is then AU.

My favourite one to cite is always their treatment in the prison camps. It's fanon that they were tortured, and I think that's perfectly reasonable. That did really happen to real people. And it's fine to suggest that the effects of that contributed to Murdock's breakdown. Again, reasonable. It's even fine to give the rest of the guys a nightmare now and again and some bleak moments late at night when they think about it, that kind of thing.

But on the other hand, you can't have any of them suffering full-on PTSD symptoms in stories set at the time of the show - suddenly having a flashback in the middle of a mission for instance - and suggest that this is routine and been going on since the '70s. That would get someone killed!

Sure you could do a story where PTSD symptoms do suddenly recur years later, but the story would have to be about that. The team would probably stop taking missions, or taking that person on missions until they got it sorted out. In fact that could be an interesting story. (It's going on my bunnies list!) But to take the reasonable idea the the guys were tortured in the camps and turn it into an unreasonable characterisation doesn't work.

The way some ideas latch on big in fandom and get loads of stories written about them is why I'm usually cautious of reading fanfic of shows that are still running. It starts to mess with my head a bit and changes my interpretation of the characters, when really while it's still on I should be concentrating on the canon and my own interpretation of them.

Not that I'm saying this is a hard and fast rule. I mean I've written Torchwood fanfic and that show is still running. But then the canon messes with your head in that one, so what the hell?! :D

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

I don't think fanon by itself is dangerous, only if it's used without awareness that it is fanon.

Agreed - but on the other hand, how many authors put in a warning that their story is based on fanon? And then there's fanon that some authors insist is canon and others insist is truly fanon - Father Magill is my favorite example of that. He's *never* in the show - and yet the priest who is (Father O'Malley) is basically ignored in fanfic. This is also one of the things I would change in my earlier stories - and may yet, who knows? LOL

[beckyblack]

Ah, of coure, Magill comes from the novelisation, doesn't he? Is that fanon, or something slightly different? The novelisaton was authorised and presumably commission, but it's not canon either.

I don't think that's a big enough deal to merit a change though. Face was clearly attached to the old priest he was visiting in the pilot episode, his name has been adopted as Magill, from an at least authorised if not canon source. It's not something that would bother me enough to go and change the character in old stories I'd done.

Of course I sometimes forget that lots of the readers won't actually know what is fanon and what is canon, the way the writer more lilely does. Not everyone has the DVDs, or watches them as much as some of us nutters. :D So they may assume that some idea everyone is using is canon. Hmm...

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Magill comes from one of the novels - not exactly fanon, as you say, but considering how the books slaughtered canon, and the fact that they were not as "available" to people as the televised episodes, I don't consider them at all "official" - more like "authorized fanfic".

So they may assume that some idea everyone is using is canon.

Exactly my problem when I first started writing, when eps on TV were hit or miss and the DVDs weren't out there. And just being new to fanfic in general, one has some strange ideas about what's "acceptable" and what isn't. ;-)

[beckyblack]

Yeah, Magill comes from one of the novels - not exactly fanon, as you say, but considering how the books slaughtered canon, and the fact that they were not as "available" to people as the televised episodes, I don't consider them at all "official" - more like "authorized fanfic".

Sounds fair. I still can't get over that passage you sent over to me from the Till Death... adaptation. Good grief!

Exactly my problem when I first started writing, when eps on TV were hit or miss and the DVDs weren't out there. And just being new to fanfic in general, one has some strange ideas about what's "acceptable" and what isn't. ;-)

The DVDs did change everything. Hah, the early days in fanfic can be a strange and scary experience. :D

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

the early days in fanfic can be a strange and scary experience

Sometimes they still are... ;0