Clearing Up Common Misconceptions About Fanfiction
I've written plenty of fanfiction before [in fact, my last big project that I'm currently editing is fanfiction], and I'm also a fairly avid reader of fanfiction. I've had a lot of fun with it, and I think it's a perfectly fine hobby, but not everyone will agree with me about that. There's a definite stigma around fanfiction [similar to the stigma around romance novels], so, as someone who enjoys fanfiction, I'll be clearing up a few common misconceptions about it.
Just a disclaimer, if you personally don't like reading or writing fanfiction that is perfectly fine. We're all entitled to our own opinions. I just thought this could be a fun and informative post to make. Capiche?
Great, moving on.
Fanfiction Is A Waste of Time
Not true at all. If you want to be a professional writer, writing fanfiction can actually be really good practice for writing your own stories. And, if you do just write it as a hobby, what's wrong with that? The point of a hobby is to be fun and relaxing. Some people like to paint or bake or skateboard as a hobby. Why are those things socially acceptable hobbies while writing fanfiction isn't? Can't we just let people like what they like? Is that so hard to do?
Fanfiction Writers Just Aren't Good Enough to Write Their Own Books
Really? I've written lots of novels with my own characters. Lots of fanfiction writers have. And the ones that haven't could if they wanted to. They just don't want to.
Also, have you ever heard that saying that it takes ten thousand hours to become an expert at something? Fanfiction authors probably have done that writing their stories.
And, honestly, there are some really good fanfiction authors on the Internet. As in, if they published something, I would read it. Sure, there are some people who aren't that great, but there are people who aren't that great at writing and still publish books, so it's not just a fanfiction thing.
Fanfiction Isn't Creative
Au contraire, my friend. Fanfiction is very creative. Yes, most fanfiction uses already established worlds and characters, but that doesn't mean you can't be creative when coming up with what the fic is about.
And what about people who write non-canon stories? They're having to rewrite a story to have it make sense. That takes creativity. Or what about crossovers? It takes creativity to mix things up and have it make sense, as well as figuring out how the characters will interact with each other.
Writing fanfics that follow the official canon isn't easy either. You still have to come up with a plot that makes sense. You still have to have a solid plot. And, as most writers will tell you, that isn't easy.
And, again, think of all the published authors who blindly copy tropes or characters. Are they being creative? No. No, they are not.
Fanfiction Is Just All Sex All the Time
Okay, sure, some fanfictions is basically sex all the time. Others have lots of sex in them.....but are you forgetting about sex scenes in movies and books? Cuz those exist.
There are plenty of fanfics that don't involve sex or romance at all. No, I'm not kidding. Some are action adventure stories without a hint of a romantic subplot. Plus, there are ratings and trigger warnings, so you can pick and choose what you're comfortable with reading.
And, if someone likes reading more explicit fanfiction.....what's wrong with that? It's not usually my cup of tea, but we all have different tastes and preferences, and that's fine.
Everybody Is Gay In Fanfiction
*sighs* First of all, no. Just no. There is a lot of fanfictions that feature heterosexual couples [whether they're canon or non-canon]. For example, there are 8,373 Betty/Jughead fics on Archive of Our Own, and only 5,820 Betty/Veronica fics.
The other thing is....why does this bother you so much? If you see chemistry between two characters, then you see chemistry between them. Why is it such a big deal if someone sees chemistry between two same-sex characters or sees their sexuality as something different than what it is in canon. Let me make it clear to you again: fanfiction is not canon, nor will it ever be canon. Maybe these people want some more LGBTQ+ representation [and, no, mentioning that a character is gay years later, while offering no tangible evidence doesn't count], maybe they think two characters would've made an interesting couple, or maybe they just like the idea of a character being gay/bi/pan/ace/whatever. If you don't like it, that's perfectly fine. No one is forcing you to read these stories. Just let us enjoy our slash ships in peace, please and thank you.
Just for the record, I don't really ship them.....but I do love the idea of Faith being bisexual. Also, she 100% had a crush on Buffy. Change my mind.
So, that concludes this weird, rant-y little post. If you write fanfiction, what's the most annoying misconception you've encountered? If you don't, what are your thoughts on fanfiction in general?
Loved your points! I honestly haven't read much in the way of fanfiction but it's definitely has it's importance and it can also just be fun.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember what was said exactly so I'm probably getting this completely wrong but someone tweeted Neil Gaiman (not sure if you know who he is or not but he's really good) asking him what his thoughts on fanfiction were and he responded something along the lines that he's for it. He mentioned that he wrote a book that has multiple awards that was him writing a fanfic essentially. I can't remember names. But this post reminded me of that.
Thank you! Yeah, it can be a fun way to spend time, and some of it is really well-written.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's cool (I'm bad at remembering the exact wording of things, so don't worry about it). I've heard of him, but I don't think I've read any of his books. One of my friends has informed me that I would like them, so I probably will at some point. All of those mythology retellings are basically fanfiction, which just goes to show how creative it can be.
Good job defending this! I haven't read much fanfiction, but I want to get into it more and even write my own! It just seems like an awesome exercise as well as a fun and creative thing. I should try it!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Fanfiction can be really fun, and it's a great way to practice writing. Sometimes, for me, it can make me love the characters even more. I'd love to read a fanfiction that you wrote.
ReplyDeleteI've only read a little bit of fanfiction, but I never understood the hate it gets. It's definitely creative, and I agree with everything you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's sort of the same thing that happens with romance novels. Some of it can certainly be badly written, but there's no need to criticize an entire genre (not sure if fanfiction is actually a genre, though? We'll say it is) because of a few bad writers.
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks!