Fan Fiction

[AliceRose]

Good old fanfiction ... yes, I have some great memories and from time to time I still indulge myself. There's some great stuff out there, and then there are works which just make you groan in agony. It's actually funny that some people see fanfictions as child's play, considering that many authors started out there with their career. Take Cassandra Clare for example.

This, for me, is where the problem lies. In my opinion, Cassandra Clare relies way too heavily on other people's style of writing... J. K. Rowling's, mainly, with a dash of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Fanfiction is entertaining to read online, but when something that was originally fanfiction becomes a published work, it's hard to distinguish whether that can be classed as plagiarism, just with a few name changes.

[Zain]

I get your point. Personally, I see where you are coming from, especially with cases like Shades of Grey, which really were fanfictions that got a make-over for publishing. I just don't think that this should be the prime examples of fan fictions.

I believe that fan fiction is also about taking up a concept and choosing a different perspective than the original author to look at it. Going with Harry Potter: if an author writes about a boy that lives with his next of kin after his parents' death and gets severely neglected to abused by them - it's a HP fan fiction, too. One that takes up a concept presented by the original author and explores it from a different angle. She chose to make hints but Rowling never truly dealt with the implications. If a fan fiction writer does, it surely cannot be "stealing". It's inspiration offered by another's work.

But of course there are cases that are more ambiguous than the example above.
If I write a story that features a boy growing up with his aunt and uncle because his parents were killed, that suddenly finds out that his parents set up trust fund for his scholarship and leaves home for school abroad: Is that the use of a concept, or is it a copyright issue? I believe in the first. Because an author uses a pool of ideas, and you have rights to your writing, but not to all of your ideas. I am allowed to name my character John Doe, just like everybody else. It doesn't matter who else named their protagonist John Doe. Or who else wrote about an orphan living with his next of kin. It's overuse that justifies the call on copyright infringement. If I introduced magic in the setting above, it then would be too
much of a rip-off. And that's what I think is the main problem with writing in general: when does a mere hommage end, and when does a copyright infringement begin? Because lots of works contain an hommage. And it's probably the biggest thumbs-up an author can get, to be awarded an hommage by another writer. Well, if it's done in a clever and original way, I suppose^^

Of course I don't claim all fan fiction are fit for publishing. Not even all the good ones. but I remember some very creative, very well-constructed ones which were loosely enough based on their fandoms that would fit the bill. Just because they were published for a specific target group doesn't make them less worth. They are part of literature. And I don't think it's fair to look down on them in general.

[Jon-Ross]

I haven't really been a fan of fan fiction. When I heard 'Fifty Shades of Grey' was a fan fiction, I was amazed. I haven't read them, but it was interesting to find that this book was.

[BRAINYCHIC]

I write tons of fan fiction (well at least i think that is the appropriate term). In my stories cute tv characters are my secret boyfriends. it is a secret beause they don't know we are dating!!

[jsinard42]

I don't write as much as I used to but I write for The Virals by Kathy Reichs and a few other YA series. If you decide to post your story anywhere make sure you are detailed in your descriptions. Readers tend to be nice but as was mentioned before they can turn rabid over whether a story is canon. Just make a note if it's AU or anything like that.

[whybark]

Fan involvement is truly the measure of how success full a book and author are.

[Ibanezakame]

I am Fender a.k.a. me, although I don't have time to write much this time of year.

-- 09 Oct 2013, 14:03 --

I am Fender a.k.a. me, although I don't have time to write much this time of year.

[aaronhattle]

I used to write some fanfiction when i was younger, but I kind of outgrew it. Fanfiction is neat and all, but I don't think you can really grow as a writer if you aren't creating your own original works. Fanfiction's usefulness ends at a certain point in a writer's growth.

[jhollan2]

I'm a fanfiction addict. I love seeing how people can write so many diverse story lines and characterizations all stemming from the same source. To those who feel like it is plagiarism, or somehow less worthy of attention because it is based on the works of someone else: there are no new ideas. Every story that is told is a retelling of a story that has already been told. Human nature stays the same and so many great stories would never have been written if the author was too afraid of copying another writers work to take a chance. I think that fanfiction is a great way for writers to start out, like a story with training wheels. The characters are already there, the world has been built, the plot is yours to play with. Not that it isn't difficult, but the pressure is off because so much has already been done. I use it as a bit of a warm up, if I haven't written in a while, or a way to play with voice and edgier topics.

[Dream Catcher]

I tried fan fictions. I ended up changing everything into an original anyway, but it got me started.

[shrey]

If you guys like fanfictions follow @hoofanfics on Instagram we love fanfictions!

[ACanadianWriter]

I've written fan fiction before. This past NaNoWriMo I wrote a Mega Man fan fiction

[inksomniareads]

I do! Well, I used to. I haven't written much of anything in a while, whether fan or otherwise. For a long time fanfic was all I did write. I'm tempted to convert one or two over to original novels and seeing where they go, but, I just can't seem to get around to it.

[MelMariah]

I feel like people look at fan fiction as training wheels only.
For me, it's not solely based on improving my writing skills. I just love it because I'm usually writing on something I absolutely love and couldn't be happier to try and involve myself greatly in a TV show (for example) that I love.

[MatthewAlexander]

Oh my gosh, I used to write so much fanfiction (my username was write4evr on all the sites I used, I believe XD). It's so much fun; simple and exciting. My tip for you would be to just have fun with it. Fanfiction is about doing whatever you want with your favorite characters, so just enjoy it.