meta: on comparing fanfiction to "real writing"
I was talking to a friend of mine and I pointed out what I thought to be a particularly well-crafted and beautiful sentence, and while she did say it was well-crafted, her immediate response was that it was "awfully pretentious for a fanfic." I'm going to leave her anonymous, because I don't want her to be throttled by the fanfic writers out there (I already did it, there's no need for you to) and also because she didn't mean for it to come out the way it did.
And my response, once I got past the initial "grrr" at the concept that fanfic isn't "real writing", was to ask her who says fanfiction shouldn't be pretentious? Who says fanfiction shouldn't be well-worded and well-crafted and as beautiful and complicated and twisted as Jack Kerouac or William S. Burroughs. If you read one of their books now you might come away thinking it's pretentious. Or, if you're like me, a self-professed word whore, you'll come away breathless at how beautiful it was. There was a time when words were appreciated, not compulsory. People used words as daggers, as kisses, as caresses, not just as a means to an end. Now I look around the internet and I see OMG and LOL and XD and I think, God. Does no one appreciate real words anymore?
And don't get me wrong. You will see me using OMG and LOL and BTW. (Also, squee, which isn't even a word.) I once told myself I'd never fall into that trap, but I have. Sometimes it's just fitting.
ETA: For a more balanced argument on my condemnation of OMG and the like, please read this thread before you take offense and defend the usage of OMG and LOL and XD. I was in 'rant mode' when I wrote this, and while I think it's pretty fair, I didn't expand as well as I perhaps should have, and DID in responce to penm in that thread. [/edit]
I just hate that the prevailing fast-food mentality of this nation (I am speaking mostly of America; the Brits, as an example, still know the power of words it seems) has become so fucking commonplace that I don't even know if books will make it in the merger. Everyone wants everything here, now, immediate. And words don't fit into that. They want it in the least amount of words. They want to just fucking GET to it.
I've had a few people tell me "I don't usually read the prose, I usually skip to the dialogue, but I read every word of this and loved it." Now, that is a huge, wonderful compliment. But. That's just another symptom, isn't it? Just another sign of exactly what I'm talking about.
I know, for a FACT, that there are people like me out there. Many of you, if not most, on my f'list are like that. You yourselves are writers, you most likely DO appreciate the value of words. I just find it really, really depressing that that's not the predominant opinion any more. The majority of people say see ya instead of I'll see you later. They say bye instead of goodbye. They say TV instead of television, and AKA instead of also known as, TMI instead of too much information. Hell, dude, they say info instead of information. And I'm talking in real LIFE, with the spoken word, much LESS in writing... In emails, in letters, etc etc etc.
And I find that depressing, because that's why shitty movies make the most money. Because good writing isn't as exciting, it's not as immediate; it's not as here-now-fast-hard-WOW. That's why Vin Diesel and Tom Cruise and Hollywoodized Movies make all the money, as opposed to Mark Ruffalo and Sam Rockwell and all those wonderful indie flicks you never fucking even HEAR about. That's why Mark Ruffalo and Sam Rockwell will continue to be under appreciated and unknown, because they choose projects that are well written, that are substance over style, and are therefore less widely known.
I'm aware that right now I might sound condescending, or pretentious, or insulting. I don't really care all that much, but I'm aware I might sound that way. But you should probably realize that there are few things that mean more to me than words and their meaning and how they're used.
I'm a WRITER. It's what I DO. I write. I'm so attached to my writing that if I can't write, sometimes I will cry. It defines me. It's not just something I do on occasion; it's not just this thing I have a knack for. It's this thing I have to do, because I would go insane if I couldn't. It's my catharsis. It's my therapy. It's what helps me sort out in my ever jumbled mind what I really think. I feel a though writing is my calling, and I don't use that word lightly. I don't throw that out haphazardly.
And to sit back and think "my dream is to be a published, honest to God author" and immediately follow that with "but hardly anyone will read it because I don't do style over substance" is incredibly depressing to me.
And that, all of that, is why the concept that fanfic is not the same as, or is in fact less than, "real writing" really offends me. Because I can't speak for everyone, but I spend just as much time with, pour just as much of my soul into, writing essays as I do writing original fiction as I do writing prose as I do writing novels as I do writing screenplays, and yes... YES... as I do writing fanfiction.
And this concept may well have been born out of the abundance of shitty fic out there, but still. There are those of us who write well, and do so while writing fanfic. Everything I am goes into my writing, no matter what the medium. Now, granted, not as much goes into writing bullshit posts on this thing about my day, or emails, or whatever, but... Those things that I care about? That I take my time writing and rewriting and pouring myself over? Yes. Just as much thought goes into "real writing" as goes into writing fanfiction for me.
Now. If I could just get better at grammar. Because my grammar still sucks. Oh, I'm good at the big things, but the small things, the homophones and typos and using whose versus who's (which I think I finally figured out) and breathe vs breath (which, hopefully, I've figured out as well) still trips me up. Fuck grammar man. I hate you, you essential part of writing, you!
Which brings me to this... the point of this post... before I started rambling about the decay of word usage in society... The Poll.
Before you take the poll, let me clarify a few things.
1) When I say "real writing" I mean well written fiction novels, well written essays, well written autobiographies, etc, etc. Things that aren't written by fans for fans. Things that are written to be made into novels, or movies. Jack Kerouac, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, Nick Hornby, Cameron Crowe, Kevin Smith, etc. And hell, if you consider Danielle Steele to be in this category, feel free to. I'm not fond of her, but I'll give you that she's an excellent writer.
2) Every time I say fanfiction, I'm talking about GOOD fanfiction. Not the schlock that dominates ff.net (not that there aren't good stories there, just that the ratio of good to bad is horrid over there) but the good, well written fanfic. It's up to you to decide what is good fanfic or not, I'm not pointing anything out.
3) When I say stylistic and crafted, I'm talking about those times when people write second person point of view, or when they write in the style of other famous authors. Or just, structured in particular ways that aren't of the "norm." isagel wrote Not Less Than Everything(Smallville) in the style of (or, in an homage to) TS Eliot, and yes, I am pointing out her fic in particular because it is extremely stylistic, and incredibly well crafted, and in my eyes, beautiful.
Poll Fanfic Reading/Writing Poll
ETA: If you respond to any of the questions as "less" or "more" please do respond. I'd like to hear why. That's why I made this post.
And my response, once I got past the initial "grrr" at the concept that fanfic isn't "real writing", was to ask her who says fanfiction shouldn't be pretentious? Who says fanfiction shouldn't be well-worded and well-crafted and as beautiful and complicated and twisted as Jack Kerouac or William S. Burroughs. If you read one of their books now you might come away thinking it's pretentious. Or, if you're like me, a self-professed word whore, you'll come away breathless at how beautiful it was. There was a time when words were appreciated, not compulsory. People used words as daggers, as kisses, as caresses, not just as a means to an end. Now I look around the internet and I see OMG and LOL and XD and I think, God. Does no one appreciate real words anymore?
And don't get me wrong. You will see me using OMG and LOL and BTW. (Also, squee, which isn't even a word.) I once told myself I'd never fall into that trap, but I have. Sometimes it's just fitting.
ETA: For a more balanced argument on my condemnation of OMG and the like, please read this thread before you take offense and defend the usage of OMG and LOL and XD. I was in 'rant mode' when I wrote this, and while I think it's pretty fair, I didn't expand as well as I perhaps should have, and DID in responce to penm in that thread. [/edit]
I just hate that the prevailing fast-food mentality of this nation (I am speaking mostly of America; the Brits, as an example, still know the power of words it seems) has become so fucking commonplace that I don't even know if books will make it in the merger. Everyone wants everything here, now, immediate. And words don't fit into that. They want it in the least amount of words. They want to just fucking GET to it.
I've had a few people tell me "I don't usually read the prose, I usually skip to the dialogue, but I read every word of this and loved it." Now, that is a huge, wonderful compliment. But. That's just another symptom, isn't it? Just another sign of exactly what I'm talking about.
I know, for a FACT, that there are people like me out there. Many of you, if not most, on my f'list are like that. You yourselves are writers, you most likely DO appreciate the value of words. I just find it really, really depressing that that's not the predominant opinion any more. The majority of people say see ya instead of I'll see you later. They say bye instead of goodbye. They say TV instead of television, and AKA instead of also known as, TMI instead of too much information. Hell, dude, they say info instead of information. And I'm talking in real LIFE, with the spoken word, much LESS in writing... In emails, in letters, etc etc etc.
And I find that depressing, because that's why shitty movies make the most money. Because good writing isn't as exciting, it's not as immediate; it's not as here-now-fast-hard-WOW. That's why Vin Diesel and Tom Cruise and Hollywoodized Movies make all the money, as opposed to Mark Ruffalo and Sam Rockwell and all those wonderful indie flicks you never fucking even HEAR about. That's why Mark Ruffalo and Sam Rockwell will continue to be under appreciated and unknown, because they choose projects that are well written, that are substance over style, and are therefore less widely known.
I'm aware that right now I might sound condescending, or pretentious, or insulting. I don't really care all that much, but I'm aware I might sound that way. But you should probably realize that there are few things that mean more to me than words and their meaning and how they're used.
I'm a WRITER. It's what I DO. I write. I'm so attached to my writing that if I can't write, sometimes I will cry. It defines me. It's not just something I do on occasion; it's not just this thing I have a knack for. It's this thing I have to do, because I would go insane if I couldn't. It's my catharsis. It's my therapy. It's what helps me sort out in my ever jumbled mind what I really think. I feel a though writing is my calling, and I don't use that word lightly. I don't throw that out haphazardly.
And to sit back and think "my dream is to be a published, honest to God author" and immediately follow that with "but hardly anyone will read it because I don't do style over substance" is incredibly depressing to me.
And that, all of that, is why the concept that fanfic is not the same as, or is in fact less than, "real writing" really offends me. Because I can't speak for everyone, but I spend just as much time with, pour just as much of my soul into, writing essays as I do writing original fiction as I do writing prose as I do writing novels as I do writing screenplays, and yes... YES... as I do writing fanfiction.
And this concept may well have been born out of the abundance of shitty fic out there, but still. There are those of us who write well, and do so while writing fanfic. Everything I am goes into my writing, no matter what the medium. Now, granted, not as much goes into writing bullshit posts on this thing about my day, or emails, or whatever, but... Those things that I care about? That I take my time writing and rewriting and pouring myself over? Yes. Just as much thought goes into "real writing" as goes into writing fanfiction for me.
Now. If I could just get better at grammar. Because my grammar still sucks. Oh, I'm good at the big things, but the small things, the homophones and typos and using whose versus who's (which I think I finally figured out) and breathe vs breath (which, hopefully, I've figured out as well) still trips me up. Fuck grammar man. I hate you, you essential part of writing, you!
Which brings me to this... the point of this post... before I started rambling about the decay of word usage in society... The Poll.
Before you take the poll, let me clarify a few things.
1) When I say "real writing" I mean well written fiction novels, well written essays, well written autobiographies, etc, etc. Things that aren't written by fans for fans. Things that are written to be made into novels, or movies. Jack Kerouac, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, Nick Hornby, Cameron Crowe, Kevin Smith, etc. And hell, if you consider Danielle Steele to be in this category, feel free to. I'm not fond of her, but I'll give you that she's an excellent writer.
2) Every time I say fanfiction, I'm talking about GOOD fanfiction. Not the schlock that dominates ff.net (not that there aren't good stories there, just that the ratio of good to bad is horrid over there) but the good, well written fanfic. It's up to you to decide what is good fanfic or not, I'm not pointing anything out.
3) When I say stylistic and crafted, I'm talking about those times when people write second person point of view, or when they write in the style of other famous authors. Or just, structured in particular ways that aren't of the "norm." isagel wrote Not Less Than Everything(Smallville) in the style of (or, in an homage to) TS Eliot, and yes, I am pointing out her fic in particular because it is extremely stylistic, and incredibly well crafted, and in my eyes, beautiful.
Poll Fanfic Reading/Writing Poll
ETA: If you respond to any of the questions as "less" or "more" please do respond. I'd like to hear why. That's why I made this post.