Article on fan fiction

[veronicaluv]

Fifty Shades of Grey seems to be the current touchstone for mainstream media to try and quantify fan fiction and as usual, they haven't done a very good job. I don't think I've ever read an article regarding fan fiction that didn't come across as, at the very least, condescending, and at the worst, condemning. This article falls into the "vaguely

Comments

[angelsphonebox]

I think there's still the stigma of fanfiction not being "real" art or writing, which is of course propigated by people who consider themselves "real" writers. I have read more interesting writing by very talented people in the world of fanfiction than I have by people who actually get paid to write. I'm always blown away by the sheer diversity, imagination, and pluck of fanfiction writers, that people who may not have thought of writing are trying it and loving it. Many of these people have created wonderful work which deserves any limelight it can get. I find the fact that the press still feels needs to condemn an art form simply because the authors take their inspiration from a tv, movie or book rather sad and short sighted and based on outdated ideas of what art is and should be. Would they say the same about Warhol? the man painted existing images and called it art. All he did was copy and change the form slightly. Where's the difference? Is art only art when intended as art? If so than most fanfiction writers definately qualify as artists. IMHO.

[veronicaluv]

I agree on all counts. More than ten years after discovering online fanfiction (The Sentinel) I can easily recall many fabulous stories and authors, whereas novels I've read haven't had the same impact. After reading that article, it still seems as though fanfiction is considered an outlet for the immature, the untalented, and the faintly unbalanced. And maybe K/S *is* ground zero for the modern era of fanfiction, but the way it's reported, it makes it sound as if you don't *get* K/S, you'll never understand fanfiction. And fanfiction is so very much more than that. It makes me sad, honestly.

[coldwater1010]

"I find the fact that the press still feels needs to condemn an art form simply because the authors take their inspiration from a tv, movie or book rather sad and short sighted and based on outdated ideas of what art is and should be. Would they say the same about Warhol? the man painted existing images and called it art. All he did was copy and change the form slightly. Where's the difference? Is art only art when intended as art? If so than most fanfiction writers definately qualify as artists. IMHO."

I guess they've never heard of Shakespeare. lol.

[angelsphonebox]

or Russell T Davies or Steven Moffat.Both admit they wrote stories about Dr.Who when they were little. Isn't that fanfiction? & don't get me started on all the people who've written stories about Jane Austen characters, and had them published! :D I read once that Jane Austen is one of the earlies inspirations for fanfiction ever. & then there is doujinshi in Japan. I can go on! lol

[coldwater1010]

Exactly. It's a tradition that has long and varied roots.