Random thought of the day: is comic fanfic less interesting than angst?

[teasel]

There's a terrific children's book by James Thurber called The Thirteen Clocks, unfortunately now long out of print, which includes among its many wonders a character whose tears turn into jewels. A useful and valuable trait, and one that would make the production of angst fics such a vital contribution to the gross national product that fanfic

Comments

[ex_fennelsee804]

Ooh, interesting! I've pondered those questions myself, naturally, as one who started fanfic in the pure comedy realm, and slid over into angst partly out of pride - I felt like people wouldn't know I could "really" write unless I wrote something "serious."

However, there's more to comedy than just the lightweight fare (and I'd definitely count "At the Rivendell Internet Cafe," "The Two Prettiest," "A Strange Ghost Indeed," and "The Cybersex Lives of Hobbits" as lightweight fare!). While I love parody and being able to lighten up a heavy subject at times, the stories I actually love best - not just in fanfic but in novels in general - are the ones that brilliantly alternate devastating scenes with hilarious scenes. The novels of John Irving come to mind. For that is really what life's like: both heartbreaking and funny. In my own opinion, my best stories are the ones that have that mix, which are neither my funniest nor my angstiest.

But I'm happy to have pleased the fans of either extreme, in some fic or another. :-)

[serai1]

Well, I for one have always appreciated your writings because of your talent with humor, fennelseed! I'm in awe of your light touch, and your ability to blend a laugh with a tear, or to lighten an otherwise sad situation. You take this ability into very subtle places, where a situation is serious and could slide into tragedy, but doesn't, and rather moves towards a lighter conclusion. It's quite amazing to experience, as a reader, and frankly fills me with rank jealousy.

Oh, and I love the porn, too. You really are awfully good at that, as well. ;)

[ex_fennelsee804]

Thank you, my dear! No need to be jealous - it's all due to my innate cowardice in facing devastating endings; and anyway, you're wondrously talented yourself.

Heh heh...the porn, yes, well...I'd like to say it played no part in my interest in fanfic, but um...yeah, it's practically all I'm interested in. :-D

[teasel]

I like very much what you say here about the range of different kinds of comedy. Certainly there's a big leap between an article in "The Onion" and a John Irving novel. The Onion article is out to make a satiric point, often a very sharp one. The Irving novel has a more complex structure that is more about mimesis than polemics -- that is, it's emulating the life's tragicomic crazy quilt, and harnessing its comic aggression WITHIN character studies and plots that themselves are after something deeper

[ex_fennelsee804]

Oh, the ones adept at comedy definitely get passed over by the critics more often. I've looked at the lists of books that have won the (Fill-in-the-Blank) Prize, and have tended to think, "Is 'devastatingly depressing' one of the requirements for great novels?" If so, count me out. I'd be happy to be remembered alongside Parker, Wodehouse, and Irving. :-)