The Death of the Author: Fan Fiction and the Creative Process

[memories_child]

As I said in a previous post, I've finally finished my first MA essay, looking at fan fiction and the creative process. It's shorter than I'd have liked as I had to cut a few hundred words, but I had some good feedback off my lecturer after he read an earlier draft, and overall I'm pleased with it

Comments

[wendelah1]

I'm not an academic but this seems like an exceptionally thoughtful essay, and it was well-written and relatively jargon-free to boot.

The only limitation I have is that the characters remain in character. Everything else goes.

Actually, I think a good writer can convince me that their characterizations are sound, at least for the duration of the story, even if their Mulder and their Scully don't much resemble mine. Plus "remaining in character" is definitely in the eye of the beholder. The series didn't even keep them in character half the time, so why should fan fiction writers be expected to do so? And which writer's version of the characters are we supposed to be using?

Fanfic readers, on the whole, are discerning readers. The biggest crime in writing fanfic is to write out of character and readers will pick up on any slight they feel their characters have endured. If you're good you'll get feedback telling you that you’re good. You'll get recommended to other readers, who in turn will leave feedback. If you're bad, however,

[memories_child]

Thank you, I’m really glad that you liked it, and thought it was well written. I wanted to keep it simple because my lecturers know very little about fanfic and I didn’t want to overload them.

Actually, I think a good writer can convince me that their characterizations are soundYeah talking about remaining ‘in character’ is a tough one, partly because it’s so subjective, like you say. I wanted to get across the idea that characterization is important because they have to be recognizably Mulder and Scully, otherwise I could just be writing original fiction using their names. There are some stories where I can recognise Mulder and Scully, even though they’re placed in a totally different context, because the reader makes me believe that it’s them. Then there are others where I can’t believe it’s them, even if they’re investigating a casefile, because the writer hasn’t convinced me enough. Talking about characterization was definitely an important part of the essay, because the point of fanfic, in some ways at least, is to persuade the

[rollsofrice]

If you're bad, however, you'll be told that as well - even if only through lack of feedback.

I agree with wendelah1 about this; it isn't always true. The prevailing rule about fanfiction is unfortunately often a variation on Sturgeon's Law: 90% is really, really bad; the other 10% is worth dying for. IMHO, there are some fanfic writers who write wonderfully, but just don't seem to get as much feedback as other- more popular, but also (again, IMHO) less adept- writers. The reverse also happens: bad fanfiction does get an inordinate amount of adulation on FF.Net.

The death of the original authors, the shows writers

I think you're missing an apostrophe there: "the show's writers" rather than "the shows writers"?

[memories_child]

I agree with you. Like I said to wendelah1 there was no way I was going to be able to go into any great detail and explain the peculiarities of fic readers’ feedback mechanisms in this essay. I figured, for this at least, it would be more straightforward to assume that most readers are discerning, and will avoid bad fic and leave comments for good fic. Thankfully, my lecturers will know no better!

There is a lot of crap of ff.net that gets rave reviews. Though a lot of what I've read on ff.net full stop is bad; there are only a few stories there I've read that have been any good, and I've known the authors and their work from different websites first. I wonder what, if anything, that says about ff.net.

Yes, I am missing an apostrophe there, thanks. I could have sworn I'd put on in on the original draft.

[rollsofrice]

there was no way I was going to be able to go into any great detail

Wordcounts. I've been there, and it's incredibly frustrating if you've got a lot more to say, but such a relief if you haven't.

I should apologize for making you repeat the same reply-- I'm really sorry; since I take forever and a day to compose even the shortest comment, I only saw your reply to wendelah1after submitting the comment.

[memories_child]

It is. Unfortunately I always seem to come down on the side of having too much to say! I'm just glad footnotes/bibliography weren't counted or I'd have been in real trouble.

No worries. To be fair I could have written a reply to you, it was just easier to copy and paste what I'd already said *g*