Jim Hines speaks about Fanfiction

[sartorias]

Over here at his LiveJournal.

The take-away is that writers write.

(Curiously enough I recently read a YA novel that converses with fan fiction, by Rainbow Rowell, called Fangirl.)

Comments

[sartorias]

I enjoyed some Tolkien fan fiction back in the late sixties, when I was desperate for the experience to be renewed, and when I was a teenager, so my critical skills were even sparser than they are now. But I haven't read much since because yes, they don't have the Tolkien spark--I feel the same way about the published Jane Austen stuff. (None of which floats my boat, though I try them occasionally.) Actually, I've read much better Austen fan fiction than the published stuff.

The vexing subject of fan fiction based on characters and works of authors who have asked that it not be done is indeed, um, vexing. Fan fiction writers say, hey, you put it out there, that story exists in my head now, and I can play with it as long as I don't make money off it. Writers say, Please. This is my world, these are my characters, can you at least wait until I'm dead? I see both sides, and just stay out of a hot subject where no one cares what I think anyway.

The whole subject of fan fiction and creativity is fascinating to me, especially in the historical sense.