[Arthur (PBS)] "It's a *Hobby*" (G)
Author's Note: Written for "Fic_promptly"'s author's choice, author's choice, fanfic Sue-Ellen, Fern & Muffy. Some of the comments are based on things that have been said to me about fanfic-writing.
Fern found Sue-Ellen sitting under a tree at the edge of the playground, writing steadily in her journal. "Oh, what are you writing there?" she asked.
"I'm writing a fanfiction based on 'The Graveyard Book'," she replied. "I'm almost finished."
"Isn't it such an *inspiring* book? I'd like to read your story when its finished: l loved the book so much, I wanted to hear more about Bod's adventures," Fern said.
"Sure, I found a website called An Archive of Our Own that has a ton of fanfiction; I'm gonna put it on there," Sue-Ellen replied.
At that moment, Muffy approached. "What are you writing, Sue-Ellen?"
"I'm just finishing a fanfiction based on 'The Graveyard Book'," she replied,
Muffy blinked. "Isn't that the new book by Neil Gaiman? You can't write a story based on someone else's book. That's plagiarism! You could go to jail if someone found out!"
"No, it really isn't, as long as I put a disclaimer on it that tells people who created the characters," Sue-Ellen replied.
"Besides, Neil Gaiman wrote some fanfiction about the Narnia books and Sherlock Holmes. He even helped judge a writing contest where people wrote new stories based on his Sandman Comics, He's fine with fanfiction," Fern said.
"But if you're going to write, you should get paid for it, if you want to get it published for real," Muffy insisted, ignoring most of what Fern said.
"I just wanted to tell a good story, that's all: I just happened to borrow someone else's characters," Sue-Ellen said.
"Wait, I have an idea: I can find the right people to get you connected with Neil Gaiman's agent: maybe they'll let you get a book deal," Muffy went on.
"Muffy, it's a *hobby*. Sometimes telling a good story is about sharing it with people, whether you get paid for it or not," Sue-Ellen said. "I just liked the stories and the characters so much I wanted to write some new adventures for them."
"A single book can't hold everything that happens to the characters in it, so there's nothing wrong in another writer imagining things and writing them down, just for fun," Fern said.
"But what's the point?" Muffy said.
"The point is telling a new story that hasn't been told before," Sue-Ellen said, wondering if fanfiction was such a good idea now. But she reminded herself that the only way she was going to get any practice as a writer if she didn't let people's unwanted criticism get her down.
* * * * *
"Someone needs to write an episode where the recession hits Elwood City and Muffy has to downsize her life, so she isn't thinking about money so much," said a fanfic writer somewhere in the North East.
"You could write a fanfic about it," her mother offered.
Fern found Sue-Ellen sitting under a tree at the edge of the playground, writing steadily in her journal. "Oh, what are you writing there?" she asked.
"I'm writing a fanfiction based on 'The Graveyard Book'," she replied. "I'm almost finished."
"Isn't it such an *inspiring* book? I'd like to read your story when its finished: l loved the book so much, I wanted to hear more about Bod's adventures," Fern said.
"Sure, I found a website called An Archive of Our Own that has a ton of fanfiction; I'm gonna put it on there," Sue-Ellen replied.
At that moment, Muffy approached. "What are you writing, Sue-Ellen?"
"I'm just finishing a fanfiction based on 'The Graveyard Book'," she replied,
Muffy blinked. "Isn't that the new book by Neil Gaiman? You can't write a story based on someone else's book. That's plagiarism! You could go to jail if someone found out!"
"No, it really isn't, as long as I put a disclaimer on it that tells people who created the characters," Sue-Ellen replied.
"Besides, Neil Gaiman wrote some fanfiction about the Narnia books and Sherlock Holmes. He even helped judge a writing contest where people wrote new stories based on his Sandman Comics, He's fine with fanfiction," Fern said.
"But if you're going to write, you should get paid for it, if you want to get it published for real," Muffy insisted, ignoring most of what Fern said.
"I just wanted to tell a good story, that's all: I just happened to borrow someone else's characters," Sue-Ellen said.
"Wait, I have an idea: I can find the right people to get you connected with Neil Gaiman's agent: maybe they'll let you get a book deal," Muffy went on.
"Muffy, it's a *hobby*. Sometimes telling a good story is about sharing it with people, whether you get paid for it or not," Sue-Ellen said. "I just liked the stories and the characters so much I wanted to write some new adventures for them."
"A single book can't hold everything that happens to the characters in it, so there's nothing wrong in another writer imagining things and writing them down, just for fun," Fern said.
"But what's the point?" Muffy said.
"The point is telling a new story that hasn't been told before," Sue-Ellen said, wondering if fanfiction was such a good idea now. But she reminded herself that the only way she was going to get any practice as a writer if she didn't let people's unwanted criticism get her down.
* * * * *
"Someone needs to write an episode where the recession hits Elwood City and Muffy has to downsize her life, so she isn't thinking about money so much," said a fanfic writer somewhere in the North East.
"You could write a fanfic about it," her mother offered.