Fan-Fiction?

[variol son]

No one sends me fan fiction. In part, this is because I protect my privacy (in other words, people don't know *how* to send me fan fiction); and in part, it's because I've often announced in no uncertain terms that I won't *read* fan fiction if it is sent to me. I have no real objection to fan fiction (unless it involves a copyright violation). But I'm not willing to confuse my imagination by filling it with other people's ideas.

Also, I suspect that there's something, well, *strict* about my stories which tends to inhibit people from spinning off their own ideas. I can't be sure of that, of course: it's just an intuitive perception.

So what type of work invites fan-fiction do you think? And do you even agree with SRD's statement? I know there are Watch members who have written Land-related fanfics - did you find the reality created by SRD naturally leant itself to fan-fiction?

[Loredoctor]

I agree with SRD's statement.

[Nerdanel]

I agree that SRD's work isn't that well suited to fanfiction. Something like Tolkien works much better, because there are far more threads left hanging. Nevertheless, I have managed to finish a short SRD fanfic. It is about a background character so insignificant that he didn't get even an individual mention in the books, and the story is a TC fanfic that's science fiction and set completely in the "real world". The fic is practically original fiction minus the references to the Community of Retribution. That's how far I had to diverge to find a story that could stand on its own feet. However, I am using the Chronicles in the story much the same way SRD uses the Bible, and I think the full impact of the story can only be gained if one has heard about the Viles and the Demondim. If I had wanted to write about the same thing as an original fic the story would have needed to be different and much longer.

Anyway, I think fanfic can be divided into several groups according to the connection to the canon, and I think only some of those are worth writing about.

1. Irrelevant vignettes. For example, writing several plotless paragraphs about Linden watching a sunset on Starfare's Gem. Some people love this type of thing, but I can't see the point.

Applicability to SRD: Good, but who cares?

2. Same story, different POV. For example, writing the visit to the Elohim from Covenant's POV. That kind of thing has a hard time bringing anything new and worthwhile to the picture. We already know everything that will happen, and many of these fics degrade into a painful excercise in which characters repeat their lines from the original work word-to-word and in great length.

Applicability to SRD: Good, but limited somewhat by when and which non-POV companions are present.

3. Hinted-at events. For example, writing about how Berek fought for the Queen. This type of fanfic is held by many to be the best. It can be done successfully when enough is know of an event to anchor the fic but there is also room for the fic-writer's imagination. The fic of this kind should strive to use events the resolution of which isn't known in great detail or concentrate on an interesting sub-event.

Applicability to SRD: Not too good. SRD tends to either be too detailed, making the fic pointless, or too sparse, making any potential fic very close to an original fic. It looks like even the Old Lords could potentially get quite detailed in the Last Chronicles. (I'm having a hard time writing my Kevin fic. It used to be easier, but then I noticed some details I had forgotten.)

4. Branching AU. The good AU (Alternate Universe). For example, what would have happened if Covenant hadn't shaved his beard prior to entering Melenkurion Skyweir? If done right, this is my favorite type of fic.

Applicability to SRD: There are some good places to throw the plot unstable, but not as many as in some other works.

5. "Because I say so" AU. The bad AU. For example, what if there were unicorns in the Land and the unicorn princess (who could shapeshift into a beautiful maiden) joined the quest for the Staff of Law? This sort of AU has the bad habit of mutilation the canon and generating really bad (although at times unintentionally hilarious) fic, most notably Mary Sues.

Applicability to SRD: Limitless, but I think the fans of SRD are too mature to write this kind of stuff seriously, although I suppose there could be several good parodies there.

6. Very peripheral events. For example, how did John Q. Stonedownor cope in Lord Foul's Winter? This type of fic is the closest to original fic.

Applicability to SRD: I have found this to be the most potentially fertile area for good SRD fanfic. SRD fanfics of this sort have to invent more from whole cloth than with Tolkien for example, though. (I wrote a fic of this kind, and have an idea for another one, this time set in the Land's Earth.)

[aTOMiC]

I've been fooling around with SRD fan fiction for years. Nothing all that serious or lengthy but I've produced a few things. I find his existing work VERY fertile ground for fan fiction. I'm puzzled why there isnt more around.

BTW there is a newly formed site for SRD fan fiction that I have recently joined. It was created by one of our own. Check it out.

space.wizards.pro/index.php

[variol son]

Can I ask Tom if any of your fanfics or any of the other SRD fanfics you have read have been about any of teh key protagonists (Covenant, Linden, Morn, Angus, Terisa & Geraden, Brew and Ginny)? Or did they focus on other (no less important) characters?

[sgt.null]

you forgot slash fic. quite popular and mostly poorly done.

[variol son]

Poorly done? People who write that badly should have their hands cut off.

[matrixman]

Excellent post, Nerdanel!

I don't think I've ever had the urge to write fan-fic based on SRD's creations. I've imagined scenarios, but didn't work them out in my mind and never wrote them down. That would have required too much discipline on my part! Also, it's a little intimidating to try to "measure up" to the standard set by SRD (I'm thinking specifically of the Chronicles). I also agree with SRD's view that his stories have a certain strictness that inhibits most people from spinning off their own ideas, except for brazen souls like aTOMiC and Nerdanel.

[sgt.null]

variol: most smut is written poorly. grammar, spelling, compisition. and believability is not much in supply.

[variol son]

Excellent post, Nerdanel!

I don't think I've ever had the urge to write fan-fic based on SRD's creations. I've imagined scenarios, but didn't work them out in my mind and never wrote them down. That would have required too much discipline on my part! Also, it's a little intimidating to try to "measure up" to the standard set by SRD (I'm thinking specifically of the Chronicles). I also agree with SRD's view that his stories have a certain strictness that inhibits most people from spinning off their own ideas, except for brazen souls like aTOMiC and Nerdanel.

That is part of my problem. I have been wanting to write something, and a fanfic is a good start coz I don't have my own ideas much. If I wrote screenplays, they would be adapted.

But anyway, none of my favourite authors are blessed with having their creations prolifically used for fan fiction, except for J. K. Rowling. I understand why Harry and his mates are great fan-fic fodder - they have been given fairly concrete personalities, so should be easier to write, and as teenagers their lives are very open-ended. So, the possibilities are endless. However, writing a fan-fic full of adolescent whinging and teen-angst isn't that inviting.

I have had a few ideas for various SRD fan-fics, but tackling characters/lives/settings that have been through all that is incredably daunting. Kinda like SRD said.

variol: most smut is written poorly. grammar, spelling, compisition. and believability is not much in supply.

Ah, so true. Any old fool can write, "And then they went to bed and shagged all night", dropping in numerous tacky euphemisms for male genitalia, most containing the word "throbbing".

[aTOMiC]

I think most of my interest in writing fan fics based on the Chrons mostly comes from my interest in the unexplained back story of the Land. My first halfway serious attempt centered around Foul's infiltration of the Council. I don't see much lattitude when it comes to writing fan fics based on any further adventures of TC or Linden but characters like Foamfollower or just about any of the Lords have giant sized holes in their histories where many interesting things can be explored. Same goes for Mordant's Need or the Gap. I can't imagine writing a fan fic about Nick or Angus' past lives without reaching deep into the darkest reaches of my imagination but there are stories there.

[Nerdanel]

From what I have experienced, slash tends to be in general better written than gen or het. That's because slash writers tend to be older. The stereotype is that romance-hungry teenage girls write Mary Sues and romance-hungry adult women write slash. I don't mind slash myself, but I'm not interested in the vast majority of it, as I prefer the elusive plot-based fics.

I don't think SRD is very fertile ground for slash, although writing SRD slash is certainly possible. Some of the better possibilities I can think of involve Mahrtiir/Liand, Linden/Hollian, and Haruchai/Haruchai. A big obstacle on the way of SRD slash is the relative scarcity of hot men among the main characters. (I don't find Covenant that hot personally, Mhoram is kind of old, etc. Liand is adorable, though.) Then there is the problem that some of the characters are Giants and others aren't, that various characters have emotional factors making a romance with another man unlikely, and timelines can be tricky (although, with the recent developments not as unsolvable as they might appear).

While all of that can certainly be disregarded, the obstacles mean that anyone is going to be far more unlikely to attempt something like Variol/Pitchwife or even Covenant/Bannor when there is something like Aragorn/Legolas available in another fandom. And if they do, the results would be unlikely to be pretty.

[variol son]

The problem I have with slash is that so many authors distort the reality of the pre-existing setting beyond what is necessary for the fan-fic. I notice they do this to avoid having to write about the social aspects of homosexuality, and that's fine I guess, but any work that has a character exploring an alternative (non-hetero) sexuality while ignoring the social consequences of such exploration is just trash.

In sci-fi/fantasy slash, this is usually accomplished by scientifically or magically allowing one of the men in the partnership to have children, thus making him the "female". This is not only incredibly stupid and unbelievanle, but, in my opinion, a sign of a bad writer.

Either that or, like sgtnull said, it's just smut, which is prevalent enough thanks.

[sgt.null]

Variol: i'd like to find some well thought out stuff. say the Tardis beaming aboard the Enterprise than page after page of sweaty supposition of buffy and willow.

[Loredoctor]

Variol: i'd like to find some well thought out stuff. say the Tardis beaming aboard the Enterprise than page after page of sweaty supposition of buffy and willow.

LOL

[dANdeLION]

I always wanted to do a short on the meeting of Thelma Twofist & Baghoon the Unbearable.

[CovenantJr]

I've only written fan fiction once, or rather several times in rapid succession. That was when I first decided to try writing but had nothing to write, except one idea that had been nibbling at the fringes of my mind for a while without really making itself known.

It was an idea that came from a comment by a Watcher actually, though i forget who. Anyway, it would be a Type 2 (same story, different POV) and covered events from Foul's point of view, with him as a victimised prisoner rather than evil incarnate. It was in the Hall of Gifts for ages, but it isn't now.

Writing that prompted ideas of my own, and I haven't felt the need to write any more fan fiction since. Why use my energy and time plundering someone else's creations when I have my own waiting to be realised?