(no subject)
Jan. 4th, 2019 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Feel foolish for posting this...but, here's my fandom stocking. I never did it before for several reasons.
I write a lot of fiction, and have an insane number of ideas for original fiction -- but when it comes to fanfic? Nothing. I tried writing it once or twice, when I was obsessed with a character in a series. But I admittedly struggled with it.
I take after my father in this respect, I prefer to create my own characters and fiddle with them. I feel very uncomfortable playing with someone else's toys...it makes me itchy. That is not to say I have problems with others doing it. I don't. I actually like watching and seeing other's takes on things and how they play with the toys and concepts. It makes the art less static.
I like reading fanfic, just don't enjoy writing it. (It may well be that I feel less self-conscious writing my own characters, when you play with someone else's established characters and world...people tend to have very strong opinions on how those characters and world should be conveyed.)
That said? I'm not a stickler for canon like some. I actually like to see all the possibilities. Even if it appears to be counter-to-the-character or story. I don't need it to be consistent to the world. It can be Everyone's All Human, AU, etc. (I'm a bit leery of Real Person Fanfic...unless the people are dead...because that can hurt an actual person, if they happen upon it.)
This may explain why I have a weakness for the long serialized format -- as seen in daytime soaps, superhero comics such as the X-men, and to a degree Doctor Who...where you have multiple writers taking turns playing with the with the same characters, but looking at those characters from a myriad of angles. In fanfic, you get the same thing -- you can see say the story of MacBeth from 100 different perspectives. I don't really understand why (certain) published writers despise fanfic. I sort of love it.
I don't see it as copyright infringement at all. You aren't stealing someone else's idea, you are borrowing and re-interpreting their ideas in a whole new way. You're looking at it from another perspective or point of view. I mean it's sort of interesting that someone could see the Harry Potter story through the perspective of Draco Malfoy and maybe see him as the hero. Or see the Buffy story from Giles perspective or Spike's. Or look at Star Trek through the eyes of the Klingons. It's also fascinating that one person may see a subtextual romantic relationship between say Spock and Kirk or Spike and Angel, while another would see it between Buffy and Faith.
Reading is all about diving into a point of view other than our own. And fanfic does that -- it makes you see the television show, book, characters, etc from a point of view other than your own and the original creators -- and that's wickedly cool. I remember when I first discovered the world of fanfiction (I really didn't know people actually shared their fanfic until 2001), and it blew me away. I printed reams off. Reading stories on subways and commutes. And not telling anyone what I was doing. It felt taboo somehow -- I was working as a rights and permissions manager in the publishing industry at the time -- and at that time, everyone was afraid the internet was going to infringe their copyright and steal their content. (Sigh. It did. But not in the way they thought.)
2. Feeling better today. Got sleep. It's a wonderous thing. Sleep. Also, found a doctor and set up a physical for Jan 31, which unfortunately requires that I take the day off. I gave up. Since I have to fast -- I figure I might as well take the day off and see the doctor at 1PM. Less time fasting, and less likely to faint.
Receptionist: What's your name and number?
I give both.
Receptionist: We already have you scheduled for an appointment on Jan 31 at 2PM.
ME: Wait. What? I didn't do this.
Receptionist: You did it on Wed.
Me: Can you move up to another date?
Receptionist: I have a 4PM appointment on the 8th...
Me: Eh, cancel the 31, and I'll get back to you -- I'm going to see if I can get a 5PM with someone. I'm really hunting for a doctor who can take me later.
Receptionist: I totally get it.
ME : So a ghost is making doctors appointments for me and not telling me about them.
Cubical Mate: It's better than getting ghostly meeting notices.
I call more doctors and either don't get through or do, and the earliest they can see me is Feb and/or all before 4Pm. Several don't work past 3Pm or 1PM. Honestly I want Doctor's hours.
Receptionist: I just spoke to you today. Did you change your mind?
Me: I gave up. Getting a doctor's appointment in this city is akin to pulling teeth.
Receptionist: Yep. And getting on a schedule close to impossible -- they keep pushing it further and further out. I've got the 31st at 1, if you want it.
Me: Okay. Do I have to fast?
Receptionist: Yes. But you can have egg whites (bleargh) or vegetables. No fruit, no grains, no proteins. No chicken broth.
Me: Lovely. I'll take it. And just take the day off work. [Decided to follow the ghost's advice. Apparently the Universe wanted me to make this appointment, or I already did it subconsciously, so...)
I miss the days in which I could get an appointment with doctor's after work.
I write a lot of fiction, and have an insane number of ideas for original fiction -- but when it comes to fanfic? Nothing. I tried writing it once or twice, when I was obsessed with a character in a series. But I admittedly struggled with it.
I take after my father in this respect, I prefer to create my own characters and fiddle with them. I feel very uncomfortable playing with someone else's toys...it makes me itchy. That is not to say I have problems with others doing it. I don't. I actually like watching and seeing other's takes on things and how they play with the toys and concepts. It makes the art less static.
I like reading fanfic, just don't enjoy writing it. (It may well be that I feel less self-conscious writing my own characters, when you play with someone else's established characters and world...people tend to have very strong opinions on how those characters and world should be conveyed.)
That said? I'm not a stickler for canon like some. I actually like to see all the possibilities. Even if it appears to be counter-to-the-character or story. I don't need it to be consistent to the world. It can be Everyone's All Human, AU, etc. (I'm a bit leery of Real Person Fanfic...unless the people are dead...because that can hurt an actual person, if they happen upon it.)
This may explain why I have a weakness for the long serialized format -- as seen in daytime soaps, superhero comics such as the X-men, and to a degree Doctor Who...where you have multiple writers taking turns playing with the with the same characters, but looking at those characters from a myriad of angles. In fanfic, you get the same thing -- you can see say the story of MacBeth from 100 different perspectives. I don't really understand why (certain) published writers despise fanfic. I sort of love it.
I don't see it as copyright infringement at all. You aren't stealing someone else's idea, you are borrowing and re-interpreting their ideas in a whole new way. You're looking at it from another perspective or point of view. I mean it's sort of interesting that someone could see the Harry Potter story through the perspective of Draco Malfoy and maybe see him as the hero. Or see the Buffy story from Giles perspective or Spike's. Or look at Star Trek through the eyes of the Klingons. It's also fascinating that one person may see a subtextual romantic relationship between say Spock and Kirk or Spike and Angel, while another would see it between Buffy and Faith.
Reading is all about diving into a point of view other than our own. And fanfic does that -- it makes you see the television show, book, characters, etc from a point of view other than your own and the original creators -- and that's wickedly cool. I remember when I first discovered the world of fanfiction (I really didn't know people actually shared their fanfic until 2001), and it blew me away. I printed reams off. Reading stories on subways and commutes. And not telling anyone what I was doing. It felt taboo somehow -- I was working as a rights and permissions manager in the publishing industry at the time -- and at that time, everyone was afraid the internet was going to infringe their copyright and steal their content. (Sigh. It did. But not in the way they thought.)
2. Feeling better today. Got sleep. It's a wonderous thing. Sleep. Also, found a doctor and set up a physical for Jan 31, which unfortunately requires that I take the day off. I gave up. Since I have to fast -- I figure I might as well take the day off and see the doctor at 1PM. Less time fasting, and less likely to faint.
Receptionist: What's your name and number?
I give both.
Receptionist: We already have you scheduled for an appointment on Jan 31 at 2PM.
ME: Wait. What? I didn't do this.
Receptionist: You did it on Wed.
Me: Can you move up to another date?
Receptionist: I have a 4PM appointment on the 8th...
Me: Eh, cancel the 31, and I'll get back to you -- I'm going to see if I can get a 5PM with someone. I'm really hunting for a doctor who can take me later.
Receptionist: I totally get it.
ME : So a ghost is making doctors appointments for me and not telling me about them.
Cubical Mate: It's better than getting ghostly meeting notices.
I call more doctors and either don't get through or do, and the earliest they can see me is Feb and/or all before 4Pm. Several don't work past 3Pm or 1PM. Honestly I want Doctor's hours.
Receptionist: I just spoke to you today. Did you change your mind?
Me: I gave up. Getting a doctor's appointment in this city is akin to pulling teeth.
Receptionist: Yep. And getting on a schedule close to impossible -- they keep pushing it further and further out. I've got the 31st at 1, if you want it.
Me: Okay. Do I have to fast?
Receptionist: Yes. But you can have egg whites (bleargh) or vegetables. No fruit, no grains, no proteins. No chicken broth.
Me: Lovely. I'll take it. And just take the day off work. [Decided to follow the ghost's advice. Apparently the Universe wanted me to make this appointment, or I already did it subconsciously, so...)
I miss the days in which I could get an appointment with doctor's after work.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-05 04:02 am (UTC)Concerning the first part I'm kind of the opposite. I'd rather write it than read it. And it's because of what you put in the parentheses. I'd write fanfic for myself, but can't think why anyone else would want to read it. I've read fanfic for people who wanted an opinion and I try hard to ignore what I think should happen with the characters as I understand them. But when it drifts too far from the way I see the original, I just don't want to deal with it. I'd always suggest would-be fanfic writers to start with their own characters, even in someone else's universe, and then I'd be fine with whatever. But, of course, then *they* worry about who else would want to read it.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-05 04:14 pm (UTC)I guess I'm just curious about the other person's take on the story or how they would write it?
Perception fascinates me. How fifteen people can watch the same television show at the same time, yet write fifteen different takes on it -- as if they saw fifteen different shows?
I'm always curious to see how someone else looked at something differently and/or similarily to the way I did. Fanfic is a great way to see that.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-05 06:20 am (UTC)For me, the down side isn't the possible rejection by fellow fans. The downside is, quite simply, that the work really isn't your own. It's your interpretation of somebody else's vision. Some people are okay with that. I always feel a nagging sense of guilt that I should stop piggybacking on another franchise and do the damn work...
no subject
Date: 2019-01-05 03:57 pm (UTC)Personally, fanfic for me is a way of doing serious character work without the pain of doing actual world-building. You have the luxury of playing with somebody else's toys, toys that took a long time and a lot of effort to build.
You also don't have to worry too much about describing the characters, or developing them too much. Your audience already knows what they look like and their backstory. Fanfic gives a lot of writers room to play with various what-if scenarios and plots, without having to create a character, backstory, and a world for them to play in (if it's fantasy or sci-fi). I've read a lot of Everybody's All Human and AU fanfics in my life time -- and in those, the writer is able to play with what-if scenarios, and plots, without worrying about creating a character -- they do the character work, but exposition isn't required.
The downside is, quite simply, that the work really isn't your own. It's your interpretation of somebody else's vision. Some people are okay with that. I always feel a nagging sense of guilt that I should stop piggybacking on another franchise and do the damn work...
Yeah, that was my difficulty as well. Probably didn't help that we were both in the field of rights and permissions for several years. (And during the 1990s/00s when fanfic wasn't cool.)I even felt guilty reading fanfic back in the early 00s for those reasons. (Didn't know it existed before then - well not as a shared commodity at any rate). (I'm over that now.)
Also, you're taking a lot of short-cuts. So it seems like cheating somehow...you don't have to build a world, you don't have to create the characters or come up with names for them. (It's always coming up with names for things and people that makes me crazy. I also have a tendency to forget names...which doesn't help.)
Although...I have read a lot of fanfic in which the writer develops a new character, or new aspects to the world or a new world entirely and throws the established characters into it. There really are no rules when it comes to fanfic writing -- except do not publish for money unless you have permission first.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-05 12:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-01-05 03:42 pm (UTC)