Here's a meta question re: fanfic.

[lenadances]

I am having a weird feeling about fanfic these days. I keep reading all this stuff that goes dramatically AU, and/or uses original characters, and I think, why the heck are we all still here? why still so dependent on other peoples' universes? I mean... so damn many of us are so damn good at this, sometimes a lot better than the source material

Comments

This is fascinating.

[jood]

For myself, I'm a fickle, reactive fic writer. I just wrote a wee George Weasley thing, and when I put it on my fic journal, I realized I hadn't published anything - not one word - in just over three years. Now I'm absolutely bursting with ideas and can't get them down fast enough.

Some of my favorite fics arose out of reactions to source material -- parodies of stupid plotlines, worst-case or best-case scenarios that the original writers would have never done themselves -- so my timing and interest were influenced by incoming stimuli.

I'm not great at creating characters - it's probably my biggest weakness as a writer - so I point what I can do passably at existing characters: examine motivations, create backstory, and fill plot holes. I've often thought of my own writing as narrative spackle. I doubt my readers would argue the point.

I think a group-spawned universe concept is extremely cool, but I know that even among the most civil of pals, there will be disagreements over events that belong in canon -- having the opportunity to affect it would probably create a bit of a sense of entitlement - and that could be a bit of a sticky point. Worse, folks who don't have control over canon might feel left out and marginalized. It's like creating an instant cadre of BNFs, and everybody (secretly) hates BNFs.

After which, there would be the issue of whether the issue of canon compliance would be relevant or valid after the fact, once the universe is set and the writing commences.

I think the very fact that as fanfiction writers we don't have any control over the source material is actually liberating, because we can then decide to write inside or outside that universe. Being so close to the source, though, could be really frustrating to those without the power to influence canon.

So...how does one create a universe in which to write that doesn't depend on canon events/characters/environments?

OOOOH.