5 Things I Wish People Knew About Fanfiction
After my last post, where I talked about an article that did nothing except forward some terrible stereotypes about fanfiction, I decided to discuss some things about fanfiction that not many non fic writers and readers know.
Such as….
1. Fanfiction is an incredibly fun hobby
Because of the legality of it, fanfiction will always be nothing more than a hobby. But oh what a hobby it is. If you write fanfic, it allows you to take something that you love and inject your own creativity into it. If you read fanfic, it lets you delve more into the world and minds of your favorite characters and stories, providing a nearly never- ending supply of new adventures.
2. Writing fanfic can be a challenge
Anything not completely AU requires research and unlike those who are actually paid to write these stories, we don’t have a “bible” (a term used more often in television for the guidebook that contains every fact about the show) to help us. Instead, us fic writers have to do things like watch episodes over and over, gleaning any clues we can about the characters and memorizing facts about their lives. What’s the birthday of one of the characters in our fic? Well if that info doesn’t happen to be in some wiki somewhere, we may have to try and remember an episode where it was mentioned, pull out our trusty DVD and watch it again to find out.
3. A lot of fanfic writers write gen fics, not just wildly AU, slash or overtly sexual ones
First off, I don’t want to insult anyone who DOES write those kinds of fics, but when trying to take away the stigma often associated with fanfiction, I can’t help but to address the most common problems people have with it. I have spoken to at least a couple people who were disgusted when I told them I wrote fanfic. When I asked why, it turned out they assumed that it was all about me writing some odd sexual fantasy, or romantically pairing straight characters into gay relationships. In other words, they thought I was changing characters they loved, or taking a canon storyline and throwing it out the window. The idea that many (if not most) fics are simply generic stories, ones that could easily be another episode in a series or a short tie-in novel (when was the last time you ever heard of anyone being shocked to find out someone wrote a tie-in novel?), hadn’t even crossed their mind. So I’d just love to get that idea out there more.
4. Not all fanfic writers and readers are teenagers
Again, not that there’s anything wrong with being a teenager. Believe me, there are days where I wish I still was, but alas those days are pretty far behind me. But I think if more people realized that fanfiction writers (and readers) came in all shapes, sizes, ages, sexes, and income brackets, that’d be one less stereotype to battle. If a person knew that there were people like themselves writing and reading fanfic, maybe they wouldn’t find it as strange of a hobby.
5. Reading fanfiction is terribly addicting
Whether your penchant is for gen fics that simply read like another chapter in the continuing saga of your favorite story, or if you enjoy reading fics that take things in a whole new direction, reading fanfiction can take over one’s life pretty fast. With the ability to download fic onto electronic readers, we can pretty much read it anywhere or anytime, just like our favorite novels. There’s nothing quite like finding a new genre to love or a new author whose stories capture the characters in a way that is close to your heart. Once that happens, it’s all over. You will simply have to learn to live with the dreaded condition known as fanfiction addiction. Sadly there is no cure….except for more fanfic!
And now once again, I toss it out to you guys. Is there anything you wish other people knew about reading or writing fanfiction?
Got a fanfiction issue, question or problem? I can help! I am now offering fanfiction consultating/coaching services to anyone, in any fandom, writing any type of story. If you’re interested in a consultation, just email me at Moki@mokisfanfictionblog.com to get a free evaluation and find out what I can do for you.
Want to know every time I add a new post? Be sure to subscribe to Moki’s Fanfiction Blog!
More on Moki’s Fanfiction Blog…
Is Fanfiction Better Left in Cyberspace?
Fanfiction Writing Tips: How To Get More Constructive Reviews
Hurt/Comfort Fanfiction, Why Do We Hurt The Ones We Love?
Real Person Fiction / Real Person Fanfiction (aka “RPF”)
I was out and about on the internet looking for fanfiction news and came across this great article at ology.com. It’s about a form of fanfiction called “real person fiction” which I myself haven’t read much but find interesting. I especially enjoyed the quote from Ian McKellan and his opinions on fanfiction in general.
To read the article on the ology site, go HERE
Fandom Friday: Real Person Fiction
by Natalie Zutter
Happy Fandom Friday! Each week, I highlight an aspect of the various fan communities that have sprung around mostly movies and TV shows, but sometimes books, games, or even just memes, if the level of dedication is awesome enough.
Over the summer, Jack took you through some of the Web’s most surprising fan fiction communities, like depressing 30 Rock fic; and of course we know about the scandals involving NSFW Harry Potter and Gummi Bears fic. But what if I told you that this odd merging of fandom and creativity has also touched the celebrity culture?
A lesser-known realm of fanfiction is RPF, or Real Person Fiction. Though the fics may still deal with plot elements of entertainment like Lord of the Rings or WWE, the protagonists are the actors/celebrities themselves. It’s a behind-the-scenes peek constructed by fans who think they have a handle on the emotional turmoil that actors or singers may experience—or who are willing to convince themselves that these love affairs happen all the time in showbiz.
Yes, they’re usually sex fics, dealing with performers’ insatiable attraction to their co-stars. In a sense, it’s the flipside of the showmance issue: Rather than allowing actor couples to present a thinly-veiled version of their romance in the movies, fans beat them to the punch by writing about real or imagined couples. Subtext is a major factor, with consumers reading into their favorite stars’ on-screen performances (or even just on-set photos and blurbs in magazines) in order to conceive of this reality.
RPF often finds its source in speculation on the on-set lives of certain performers. A few years ago, a Hugh Laurie/Jennifer Morrison community popped up on LiveJournal, receiving a lot of backlash from the House community; fan fiction authors usually disdain RPF, finding it too invasive. The community, which still exists, is called Guilty Euphoria; it’s as if they knew the negativity they would incur.
Another name for RPF is RPS, Real Person Slash. This offshoot isn’t surprising, since a lot of fanfiction is slashy, playing with subtext to present a more sexual/romantic take on the bonds forged in performance. RPS became more prevalent when the Backstreet Boy and *NSYNC were popular. Young men traveling together, presenting some cohesive image of the perfect guy? Yeah, I can see room for interpretation.
There are, of course, legal issues inherent in this kind of writing, but as long as authors include a disclaimer in their stories, they seem to be protected from slander and libel. Fanfiction.net forbid RPF in 1998. For the most part, celebrities ignore the trend, but Ian McKellen did respond to a fan’s question regarding the subject:
From: Saathi QueenB@trust-me.com
Q: My fellow yahoogroup members and I all respect you, the cast, crew, and movie itself. Most of us indulge in a hobby called ‘fanfic.’ A great deal of us write (or read) ‘slash,’ and a few members write ‘RPS’ (Real Person Slash.) What are your thoughts on such things? Do you consider them slanderous to your good character and/or to the good character of any actor/movie/etc?
A: I am not well acquainted with slash but find nothing harmful in sharing fantasies about favourite characters or their interpreters. Within the context of such sites even Real Person stories seem unobjectionable as they are clearly fictional.
I was going to link to a handful of fics, but due to their NC-17 nature I’m uncomfortable posting them here. I’ll just say, check out Archive of Our Own (which will be getting its own Fandom Friday entry soon), because there are several that actually do a good job at guessing at the dynamics of acting with someone else.
But remember—it’s just guessing.
Got a fanfiction issue, question or problem? I can help! I am now offering fanfiction consultating/coaching services to anyone, in any fandom, writing any type of story. If you’re interested in a consultation, just email me at Moki@mokisfanfictionblog.com to get a free evaluation and find out what I can do for you.
Want to know every time I add a new post? Be sure to subscribe to Moki’s Fanfiction Blog!
More on Moki’s Fanfiction Blog…
Latest NCIS fanfic “The Cavalry Rides Again” – chapter 13
Moki’s Latest Supernatural fanfic “Black Cat” – Final Chapters!
Is Fanfiction Better Left in Cyberspace?
Show Me, Don’t Tell Me: The Importance of Visual Imagery in Fiction
Fanfiction Writer to Entertainment Writer: My NCIS: Los Angeles & Supernatural Interviews from Comic Con
Misha Collins of Supernatural at Comic Con 2011 - photo by Michelle Carlbert
Fanfiction Writer to Entertainment Writer: My NCIS: Los Angeles & Supernatural Interviews from Comic Con
Hey folks!
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted but once you see what I have been up to recently, I have a feeling you may forgive me…..maybe.
As I posted a few months ago, I’ve been working really hard getting my freelance writing career off the ground (again, a big thanks to all my fanfiction fans for all the support that helped me to get to this point).
Last month I experienced something, well, rather surreal. Writing as I do for Daemon’s TV, I’ve gotten somewhat used to getting to be a part of all of my favorite television shows. But when I went to Comic Con in San Diego a few weeks ago, I got to experience it on a whole new level.
As many of you know, I have written fanfiction for both Supernatural and NCIS. So to get the chance to interview the casts of both Supernatural and NCIS: Los Angeles was a dream come true. If someone had told me two years ago when I got laid off of a corporate job that not only would I have been writing full time as a career but also getting the chance to sit down and talk to some of the people who create and play characters that I’ve written fanfiction about……well I’m pretty sure I would’ve thought they were nuts.
But that’s precisely what happened, and in case you don’t believe me, here are some videos to prove it. Also, I have new updates to my current Supernatural and NCIS WIPs on fanfiction.net so stay tuned!
More from Moki’s Fanfiction Blog…..
Moki’s Supernatural Fanfiction Story: “Blood Brothers” – chapter 4
Moki’s NCIS Fanfiction Story: “The Cavalry Rides Again” – chapter 16
Article – “5 Things I Wish People Knew About Fanfiction”
Moki’s Supernatural Fanfiction Stories and Recs
Moki’s NCIS Fanfiction Stories and Recs