I've been following the discussion about canon with interest. I know I'm one who prefers fic that follows canon but I've come to realize that what I really prefer is fic that follows characterization. Which is not to say a character can't be written as deviating from their primary traits, but when they do I want a story that explains to me why. Even Joss (et al) did it directly with "The Wish". Few of the characters were anything like we'd come to expect but we knew why. In "When She Was Bad" Buffy came back to town as an 'uber-bitch' but by the end of the episode we, again, knew why.
I grew up reading comics during the 'Silver Age'. And I can definitely say that I preferred a story that was directly labeled "imaginary" to one that (to me) essentially erased everything because it was a dream. (I once read a four-book series of BtVS novels that went to some very interesting places only to press the reset button at the end to happily tell us it never happened). Imaginary, "what if" or alternate universes more or less announce that what I'm about to read is an exploration that wouldn't/couldn't happen in the official story. But even there, it's really characterization that I still look for, or reasons why. And for some reason, heh, "Buffy was mean to Spike this week so I wrote her as an weak, ugly bitch" isn't going to convince me to read. And, heheh, if it's "Xander and Spike get together for hot sexxoring" then that scene's gonna need a few reams of story showing how those two, Xander in particular, got to that point. (I suggest an alternate universe where they don't instinctively hate each other on first sight).
There are so many story possibilities that aren't/can't be in canon. Anything in the Buffy or Angel series that happened over the summer isn't in canon, for example, because there is no canon about it other than a detail or two. Hank buys Buffy lots of shoes between s1 and s2, the Scoobies bury the Master's bones during that same summer, somehow Buffy ends up waitressing between s2 and s3, Willow begins some serious training between s6 and s7, etc. But if the story is suppose to fit in between the known canon events, then it's the characterization that still remains the issue for me.
Sorry for babbling on, but thinking about it this time clarified some thoughts about the difference between 'canon' and 'characterization' for me.
No, thank you for taking the time to write this, you have managed to pinpoint how I feel about fanfic and canon.
The only criteria I have regarding a fanfic is does the characterization work? Do their motivations fit the characters they are based on? Or do they merely look the same as these characters and just happen to have the same names?
I've tried fanfic in which halfway through, I'm thinking, okay, no, Buffy would never do that. Spike would never say that. Xander does not act that way. And I can't imagine Willow acting like that. As you may have figured out from all those essays I wrote - I'm a character girl. It's the most important thing to me when I read a fanfic. If I don't find the writer's depiction of the character believable? I'm gone.
One of the reasons I'm so psyched about ATS S6 with Brian Lynch at the helm, is he is the only writer outside of the ones who wrote the tv shows, that I feel gets the ATS universe and had the characterization of Spike down cold. (The fact that Joss Whedon and Tim Minear agree with me, validates that.) I'm incredibly anal about that.
I'm even critical of the original writers when it comes to characterization - for example in Whedon's S8 Buffy, he has Buffy say a few things that she just would not say, unless she's merely spent far too much time with Xander. It took me out of the story. Sure the reference was cool, but I couldn't imagine the character saying it. If that makes sense.
Until I read your post, I didn't realize that this is what I care about - when it comes to canon. I could care less about the little details of the universe - or timeline - like whether or not Sunnydale still exists or who died in the alley, or if everyone is human. What matters to me is are these the characters I came to know or could they be anyone? The main problem with the Everyone is Human AU fanfics is the characters often feel hollow or like paper dolls, and the plots feel like romance novels I've read. Also too many fanfic writers make Buffy weak - they remove her strength...and that doesn't work for me. For me, Buffy was a tough customer, she could handle herself and never needed to be saved, she saved the guys, not the other way around. So many female fanfic writers for reasons that escape me seem to want to change that, flip it.
When I wrote her - I tried the first round to kill her off, but when I went inside the character, I realized it didn't work. This is a character who can find a way around problems, who is proactive and inventive.
So yes, I agree, it's not canon as far as the plot goes that I worry about, it's canon as far as "who" the characters are. Thank you for helping me figure that out.
This is why I liked discussing things on fanboards and online - it helps one figure things out.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2007-05-01 08:10 pm (UTC)I grew up reading comics during the 'Silver Age'. And I can definitely say that I preferred a story that was directly labeled "imaginary" to one that (to me) essentially erased everything because it was a dream. (I once read a four-book series of BtVS novels that went to some very interesting places only to press the reset button at the end to happily tell us it never happened). Imaginary, "what if" or alternate universes more or less announce that what I'm about to read is an exploration that wouldn't/couldn't happen in the official story. But even there, it's really characterization that I still look for, or reasons why. And for some reason, heh, "Buffy was mean to Spike this week so I wrote her as an weak, ugly bitch" isn't going to convince me to read. And, heheh, if it's "Xander and Spike get together for hot sexxoring" then that scene's gonna need a few reams of story showing how those two, Xander in particular, got to that point. (I suggest an alternate universe where they don't instinctively hate each other on first sight).
There are so many story possibilities that aren't/can't be in canon. Anything in the Buffy or Angel series that happened over the summer isn't in canon, for example, because there is no canon about it other than a detail or two. Hank buys Buffy lots of shoes between s1 and s2, the Scoobies bury the Master's bones during that same summer, somehow Buffy ends up waitressing between s2 and s3, Willow begins some serious training between s6 and s7, etc. But if the story is suppose to fit in between the known canon events, then it's the characterization that still remains the issue for me.
Sorry for babbling on, but thinking about it this time clarified some thoughts about the difference between 'canon' and 'characterization' for me.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-02 12:10 am (UTC)The only criteria I have regarding a fanfic is does the characterization work? Do their motivations fit the characters they are based on? Or do they merely look the same as these characters and just happen to have the same names?
I've tried fanfic in which halfway through, I'm thinking, okay, no, Buffy would never do that. Spike would never say that. Xander does not act that way. And I can't imagine Willow acting like that. As you may have figured out from all those essays I wrote - I'm a character girl. It's the most important thing to me when I read a fanfic. If I don't find the writer's depiction of the character believable? I'm gone.
One of the reasons I'm so psyched about ATS S6 with Brian Lynch at the helm, is he is the only writer outside of the ones who wrote the tv shows, that I feel gets the ATS universe and had the characterization of Spike down cold. (The fact that Joss Whedon and Tim Minear agree with me, validates that.) I'm incredibly anal about that.
I'm even critical of the original writers when it comes to characterization - for example in Whedon's S8 Buffy, he has Buffy say a few things that she just would not say, unless she's merely spent far too much time with Xander. It took me out of the story. Sure the reference was cool, but I couldn't imagine the character saying it. If that makes sense.
Until I read your post, I didn't realize that this is what I care about - when it comes to canon. I could care less about the little details of the universe - or timeline - like whether or not Sunnydale still exists or who died in the alley, or if everyone is human. What matters to me is are these the characters I came to know or could they be anyone? The main problem with the Everyone is Human AU fanfics is the characters often feel hollow or like paper dolls, and the plots feel like romance novels I've read. Also too many fanfic writers make Buffy weak - they remove her strength...and that doesn't work for me. For me, Buffy was a tough customer, she could handle herself and never needed to be saved, she saved the guys, not the other way around. So many female fanfic writers for reasons that escape me seem to want to change that, flip it.
When I wrote her - I tried the first round to kill her off, but when I went inside the character, I realized it didn't work. This is a character who can find a way around problems, who is proactive and inventive.
So yes, I agree, it's not canon as far as the plot goes that I worry about, it's canon as far as "who" the characters are. Thank you for helping me figure that out.
This is why I liked discussing things on fanboards and online - it helps one figure things out.