Okay, so I'm a huge defender of the idea that any reading is reading and counts as reading. Any time I'm not getting through as many books as I used to I remind myself that I'm still reading. Some days I'm sitting down and reading a 100 page thesis paper. Some times I'm reading nothing but articles. In the past I consumed a whole lot of fanfic. All of it counts. Just because you're not reading classic literature does not mean you're not reading. This is very important and a message I often share with people because everyone is reading more than they realize on a daily basis.
So, fanfic. I will admit up front I can't remember that last time I read any. I've been working too much and have had very spotting access to the internet but even before that my reading of fanfic was on the decline. It was something that was hugely important to me when I was younger but not something I need so much now.
I came into fanfic through Harry Potter, as many people my age did. Why I always tended to seek out fanfic was because I was disappointed in the source material. It's not always that there was something necessarily bad or bothersome but there were just so many interesting possibilities that weren't being explored.
With Harry Potter my big thing was the treatment of the Slytherins. JK Rowling would say that not all Slytherins are bad or that not all Slythrins are Death Eaters and not all Death Eaters are Slytherin but never really showed that. I had these soaring high hopes for Theo Nott, a character full of potential, and then nothing came of it.
I often say that my least favorite thing about Harry Potter was Harry himself and it's that idea that lead my to fanfic. This was such an interesting world that we were seeing from such a limited view. That's how I approached fanfic in most of the fandoms I found myself in down the line. The canon was interesting but there was always that lingering question of what if. For me, that's what fanfic is about. Exploring the possibilities.
As for novel length fics, I'm a fan. They're often what I seek out because I'm often looking for something that really dives into the divergence from canon and shows how they got from point A to point B. Switch is very much in that vein and I love it. Confession: I still haven't read it to the end. Every time I go to reread it I start from the beginning and I don't want it to end so I just don't let it. One day I'll do it but that day has not yet come.
I totally agree. Any reading is still reading, whether it's novels or fanfic or academic texts or whatever. Personally I'm not a big fan of "the classics" myself. Most of them are (in my opinion) outdated, boring and in a style that I can't appreciate. At some point I realized that other people's opinion of what was worth reading didn't have to be my opinion, so now I just read all the fanfic I want and I keep picking up new Victorian-era mystery novels because that's what I like. As long as you're reading, you're doing it right. *g*
HP was one of my first fandoms, and I totally agree with your Slytherin comments. Everything in the books shows us that Slytherin is the "evil" house, and JKR saying "no, they're not all bad" didn't really help. Fanfic was the obvious choice.
For me, that's what fanfic is about. Exploring the possibilities. Exactly! I often wonder how people consume a thing (book, movie, show, anything) and don't end up wondering about all the other possibilities. I once asked someone "don't you wonder what happened to (minor character who got dropped halfway through the movie)?" and their answer was "no, why would I? that character is not what the movie was about". I didn't know what to say to that because I can't watch anything without imagining what happens next, what happened in between, what could have happened if...
Minor characters are my absolute favorites. It's that concept of everyone you pass has a complex story you're not seeing. That story could be fascinating. Maybe it's one we'd rather be watching.
"consume a thing (book, movie, show, anything) and don't end up wondering about all the other possibilities"
For me, it totally depends on the book/movie/thing. Some I totally do, especially if the show gets canceled before things get really established (Looking at October Road :( ). But other times, things ended well and I don't think things needed to be resolved (Like the book Roses)
It's not even about resolving issues that are left unaddressed or that I feel should have been handled differently. My mind automatically starts coming up with AUs and what-ifs, imagining missing scenes and thinking about what things look like ten/twenty/fifty years from canon. I don't even do it on purpose, it just happens. And sometimes I shrug it off and think "okay, but not that interesting" and sometimes I go and find myself some fanfic.
Okay, so I'm a huge defender of the idea that any reading is reading and counts as reading. Any time I'm not getting through as many books as I used to I remind myself that I'm still reading.
I often work with middle-schoolers and this is my belief too. I know it's not a lot of teachers' beliefs though. Getting a middle schooler to read for fun is harder than keeping cats in a line, especially for boys. I'm always so annoyed they don't make the Harry Potter series part of the curriculum. The kids gobble those down, and they're FULL of examples of literary elements that age is learning - like foreshadowing, alliteration, etymology, etc.
I kinda wish when I was a kid I'd also have been introduced to writing fanfiction. I think that would get a lot more kids interested in writing as well. It's really hard to use your original imagination, but these guys are already tapping in with their inner stories from their shows or videogames. Then as they get older, like 8th or 9th grade, start phasing them more into pure original creative writing.
Agreed completely on the dissatisfaction of canon. In my case, at least on the why I write-side, it's more a LACK of canon. My absolute favorite character had less than two minutes of screen time, across the board, with about a half hour of actual mentions... and that was it. She had an ENTIRE life that was just glossed over (whether for time or just a lack of interest on the part of the writers) and was a clear catalyst for the actions of a main character. So, in an effort to figure out WHY he did this or that, the door was open to who she was...
For me, fanfic is the way to explore this entire universe that was more than just the six hours that fit between commercial breaks. ♥
I'm totally with you on this. Some characters are introduced and then the writers do nothing with them. That's especially a problem with big ensemble shows, I've found. I have definitely put a lot more thought into some characters than the official creator ever did, thank you fanfic!
I had to go so far as to start recording the horrible Lifetime Christmas movies the actress who played her was in, solely so I could see/hear how she spoke (on the off-chance she actually had a speaking role). All she got in canon was one scream and a fuzzy death scene.
Now that you mention it, I'm realizing that my engagement with fanfic coincided with my drift away from reading books. Hmmm. I guess there was a time when fanfic was more appealing, certainly more soothing (as I mention in my post below, I found fandom and fanfic during tough personal times). There's such great ease in already knowing the characters, being able to picture them, yet with the sense of anticipation of what they will "get up to" thanks to the writer's imagination.
I totally had the same happen. Also with fic it's just easy to tumble down the rabbit's hole and keep on going forever. I tend to go on a binge of certain fandoms.
With books (unless it's a series) you get to the end and that's it. No more. You have to go out of your way to not only find something else but finding something similar. It's more difficult and even then it may have a similar feel but it's entirely different characters so if you want those old characters back that's just not going to happen.
Just because you're not reading classic literature does not mean you're not reading.
This so much. I did so much reading of textbooks and notes for school and I am 5 books behind my book goal for the year. It makes me feel like I haven't read anything when I've been doing nothing but reading all year.
Thanks for the fic rec! But woah, 230k in only three chapters. That makes it a bit difficult to read and keep your place.
Yeah, one particular class in college made me have this realization. I've always been a big reader but I noticed I wasn't getting through near as many books. Then it hit me that I was reading hundreds of pages of essays and such a week for my media studies class alone.
Any time I'm not getting through as many books as I used to I remind myself that I'm still reading. Some days I'm sitting down and reading a 100 page thesis paper. Some times I'm reading nothing but articles. In the past I consumed a whole lot of fanfic. All of it counts. Just because you're not reading classic literature does not mean you're not reading. This is very important and a message I often share with people because everyone is reading more than they realize on a daily basis.
this is such a nice sentiment. i don't read as much as i used to and i really get down in the dumps because of it, but this is such a positive way of looking at things. i'll need to keep it in mind!
Okay, so I'm a huge defender of the idea that any reading is reading and counts as reading. Any time I'm not getting through as many books as I used to I remind myself that I'm still reading. Some days I'm sitting down and reading a 100 page thesis paper. Some times I'm reading nothing but articles. In the past I consumed a whole lot of fanfic. All of it counts. Just because you're not reading classic literature does not mean you're not reading. This is very important and a message I often share with people because everyone is reading more than they realize on a daily basis.
So, fanfic. I will admit up front I can't remember that last time I read any. I've been working too much and have had very spotting access to the internet but even before that my reading of fanfic was on the decline. It was something that was hugely important to me when I was younger but not something I need so much now.
I came into fanfic through Harry Potter, as many people my age did. Why I always tended to seek out fanfic was because I was disappointed in the source material. It's not always that there was something necessarily bad or bothersome but there were just so many interesting possibilities that weren't being explored.
With Harry Potter my big thing was the treatment of the Slytherins. JK Rowling would say that not all Slytherins are bad or that not all Slythrins are Death Eaters and not all Death Eaters are Slytherin but never really showed that. I had these soaring high hopes for Theo Nott, a character full of potential, and then nothing came of it.
I often say that my least favorite thing about Harry Potter was Harry himself and it's that idea that lead my to fanfic. This was such an interesting world that we were seeing from such a limited view. That's how I approached fanfic in most of the fandoms I found myself in down the line. The canon was interesting but there was always that lingering question of what if. For me, that's what fanfic is about. Exploring the possibilities.
As for novel length fics, I'm a fan. They're often what I seek out because I'm often looking for something that really dives into the divergence from canon and shows how they got from point A to point B. Switch is very much in that vein and I love it. Confession: I still haven't read it to the end. Every time I go to reread it I start from the beginning and I don't want it to end so I just don't let it. One day I'll do it but that day has not yet come.
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HP was one of my first fandoms, and I totally agree with your Slytherin comments. Everything in the books shows us that Slytherin is the "evil" house, and JKR saying "no, they're not all bad" didn't really help. Fanfic was the obvious choice.
For me, that's what fanfic is about. Exploring the possibilities.
Exactly! I often wonder how people consume a thing (book, movie, show, anything) and don't end up wondering about all the other possibilities. I once asked someone "don't you wonder what happened to (minor character who got dropped halfway through the movie)?" and their answer was "no, why would I? that character is not what the movie was about". I didn't know what to say to that because I can't watch anything without imagining what happens next, what happened in between, what could have happened if...
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For me, it totally depends on the book/movie/thing. Some I totally do, especially if the show gets canceled before things get really established (Looking at October Road :( ). But other times, things ended well and I don't think things needed to be resolved (Like the book Roses)
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I often work with middle-schoolers and this is my belief too. I know it's not a lot of teachers' beliefs though. Getting a middle schooler to read for fun is harder than keeping cats in a line, especially for boys. I'm always so annoyed they don't make the Harry Potter series part of the curriculum. The kids gobble those down, and they're FULL of examples of literary elements that age is learning - like foreshadowing, alliteration, etymology, etc.
I kinda wish when I was a kid I'd also have been introduced to writing fanfiction. I think that would get a lot more kids interested in writing as well. It's really hard to use your original imagination, but these guys are already tapping in with their inner stories from their shows or videogames. Then as they get older, like 8th or 9th grade, start phasing them more into pure original creative writing.
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For me, fanfic is the way to explore this entire universe that was more than just the six hours that fit between commercial breaks. ♥
Erin // Clubs
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I'm totally with you on this. Some characters are introduced and then the writers do nothing with them. That's especially a problem with big ensemble shows, I've found. I have definitely put a lot more thought into some characters than the official creator ever did, thank you fanfic!
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With books (unless it's a series) you get to the end and that's it. No more. You have to go out of your way to not only find something else but finding something similar. It's more difficult and even then it may have a similar feel but it's entirely different characters so if you want those old characters back that's just not going to happen.
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This so much. I did so much reading of textbooks and notes for school and I am 5 books behind my book goal for the year. It makes me feel like I haven't read anything when I've been doing nothing but reading all year.
Thanks for the fic rec! But woah, 230k in only three chapters. That makes it a bit difficult to read and keep your place.
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I agree with you full-heartedly! :)
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Any time I'm not getting through as many books as I used to I remind myself that I'm still reading. Some days I'm sitting down and reading a 100 page thesis paper. Some times I'm reading nothing but articles. In the past I consumed a whole lot of fanfic. All of it counts. Just because you're not reading classic literature does not mean you're not reading. This is very important and a message I often share with people because everyone is reading more than they realize on a daily basis.
this is such a nice sentiment. i don't read as much as i used to and i really get down in the dumps because of it, but this is such a positive way of looking at things. i'll need to keep it in mind!
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