It can't just be me that thinks about Fanfiction like this..

[Tax Hound]

RADI0 Mouse

Plus, not everyone just "adds on".
There are plenty of examples where the authors of fanfic create their own original cast or a parallel storyline within the world and pay very close attention to the current conditions in the world. Like writing what's going on in Ba Sing Se in Avatar when Aang and the gang are just being discovered - not an "add on", an original storyline written within the boundaries of a pre-established world. While there might be some freedoms within that world, it's not going to be the same as a world you create yourself.".

Yes. This.
Similarly, something I've always loved about fanfiction is the venue for exploration and elaboration of the original work. For instance, all fanfiction circles I move in are based on video games, where characters often don't get the same backstory/development as with novels or film. Many writers then choose to explore the missing pieces; shine a light on something the original creators glossed over, or didn't consider.
In those cases, talented fans can actually contribute to and build upon the thing they love, and it becomes less an act of "self-gratification" and more of a collective enrichment of the fandom.

[N u c l e a r Deathbat]

I guess I agree with you in a way. But I think people who write fanfictions can be called writers. It takes time to figure out a scenario and how to use the other author's characters in said scenario. So, it's kind of like writing your own stories, except the characters, setting, etc... is already created for you.

[Rkah]

I agree. Fanfics are way easier to write. You just use what other people have created and make it your own.

I say this being a fanfic. writer.
Its totally true. Everyone has to admit it.

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

Rkah

I agree. Fanfics are way easier to write. You just use what other people have created and make it your own.

I say this being a fanfic. writer.
Its totally true. Everyone has to admit it.

You obvious haven't read a dang this in this thread. That's been proven false at least three times.

[Rkah]

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Rkah

I agree. Fanfics are way easier to write. You just use what other people have created and make it your own.

I say this being a fanfic. writer.
Its totally true. Everyone has to admit it.

You obvious haven't read a dang this in this thread. That's been proven false at least three times.

I read the thread, I just still disagree.
I just feel like fanfic writers have a lot more to work with right off the bat.
I suppose in some lights its harder, but not really for me.
Its an opinion question I suppose.

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

Rkah

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Rkah

I agree. Fanfics are way easier to write. You just use what other people have created and make it your own.

I say this being a fanfic. writer.
Its totally true. Everyone has to admit it.

You obvious haven't read a dang this in this thread. That's been proven false at least three times.

I read the thread, I just still disagree.
I just feel like fanfic writers have a lot more to work with right off the bat.
I suppose in some lights its harder, but not really for me.
Its an opinion question I suppose.

I's an opinion based on denying facts, but okay then.

[Rkah]

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Rkah

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Rkah

I agree. Fanfics are way easier to write. You just use what other people have created and make it your own.

I say this being a fanfic. writer.
Its totally true. Everyone has to admit it.

You obvious haven't read a dang this in this thread. That's been proven false at least three times.

I read the thread, I just still disagree.
I just feel like fanfic writers have a lot more to work with right off the bat.
I suppose in some lights its harder, but not really for me.
Its an opinion question I suppose.

I's an opinion based on denying facts, but okay then.

On the facts that you take what other people have thought up and use it in whatever story you feel like it fits in?
Okay.

[Kilted]

Rkah

On the facts that you take what other people have thought up and use it in whatever story you feel like it fits in?
Okay.

First, if you're going to say it's just an opinion, you shouldn't also say "everyone has to admit it" because that's completely contradictory. Second, practically this whole thread has been a lively back and forth debate about the relative easiness and originality of fanfic so you really should have expected this kind of reaction when you decided just to jump in and state your opinion without support. Basically, you're taking the core argument of this thread and saying your opinion one way or the other is a self-evident fact... which is isn't, or we wouldn't be arguing about it.

[Rkah]

Kilted

Rkah

On the facts that you take what other people have thought up and use it in whatever story you feel like it fits in?
Okay.

First, if you're going to say it's just an opinion, you shouldn't also say "everyone has to admit it" because that's completely contradictory. Second, practically this whole thread has been a lively back and forth debate about the relative easiness and originality of fanfic so you really should have expected this kind of reaction when you decided just to jump in and state your opinion without support. Basically, you're taking the core argument of this thread and saying your opinion one way or the other is a self-evident fact... which is isn't, or we wouldn't be arguing about it.

Your right, it was very early. I apologize.
It was an interjecting statement, I didn't think it meant that much to everyone.
But those are the facts of fanfic,
You take what others have made and make it your own.
Its just how it is.
That's really all the support I need, Its a fact.

[Kilted]

Rkah

You take what others have made and make it your own.
Its just how it is.
That's really all the support I need, Its a fact.

Okay, I'll put it another way. We know fanfic is by definition fiction written using the world of another story. So what?

Does that make it necessarily easier? I've already addressed that in a previous post and so have other posters

Does it make any less legitimate? Already talked about that too and so have other posters.

[I am The Compendium]

Aren't Once Upon a Time and Grimm fanfiction of fairytales? Isn't it difficult to give new twists, combine them all, keep characters consistent in two world and give tons of cliffhangers? Isn't it it hard to to make the creatures out of fairytale villians in that they retain the same characteristics, but are different enough to work in a modern world with different enough stories that you still recognize?

[I_Write_Ivre]

Blanket Girl

I_Write_Ivre

Blanket Girl

I_Write_Ivre

Blanket Girl

Regarding about this post, I just have to say something. Firstly, to compare fanfiction with journalism is completely different. Why? Because journalism, properly, is not suppose to have one's opinion in it rather than to just state facts to get it out there in the media. F

You are aware that journalism is often filled with opinions, even in such magazines as the Economst, right?

Actually, I didn't have magazines in mind when I was writing that post. I was thinking about newspapers. Also, I was referencing to articles on recent events.

Those--especially recent ones, are highly opinionated these days. Newspapers, Magazines, blogs, and online news sources--even the most professional ones--have opinionated leanings.

I'm sorry, but I wasn't aware that this post was about newspapers, magazines, blogs or online news. I was talking about fanfiction, and even with that as a centre of topic, has nothing to do with what you're trying to argue, or at least with what I'm trying to understand you're trying to tell me.

Then why do you constantly bring it up? You said something wrong and were corrected on it. Is saying that you can be off-topic and we can't going to actually address this somehow?

[[ Nicolette ]]

Blanket Girl

Oh for the love of... Haters gonna hate, aren't they? Quit raging at this poor girl for having an opinion gonk

I'm posting to say I agree with you, in that writing that particular type of fanfiction really should not qualify you as a writer, even though in the obvious literal sense it does.

Like someone else said on the first page... "Saying fanficcers aren't writers is saying fanartists aren't artists". I agree with that. However, the words "writer" and "artist" have a more... professional, for lack of a better word, connotation to them. For example, when a mother compliments her 3 year old on a crappy finger painting and calls them "my little artist" it's done sarcastically.

If you are merely writing fanfiction to rewrite the base story to go your way, whether or not you add your own original characters to it, it is lazy, and in the world of literature it has no worth. It has nothing to offer, other than one's own opinions on how something--already published that many others enjoy in its original form--should have gone. This, I can speak on, as I spent the better part of my teen years writing such fanfiction... and it shames me to this day to think about it emotion_facepalm

Eventually I grew up from writing that. Did I move from that to original stories? Heck no! I tried, but in the end I moved on to using the setting of an MMORPG and creating my own characters and plotline (as the game had no plot to speak of), and in the end I felt considerably better about this form of fanfiction's creative worth. I invented nearly everything--everything, but the names of cities and monsters, pretty much.

In the end, I even gave up on that because no one but me, my friends and maybe some randoms from the internet would ever read it. I want my writing to be read, and enjoyed, but no one is going to publish fanfiction unless you miraculously obtain consent from the creators of the base.

I think everyone who has ever written fanfiction acknowledges that fanfiction is largely a means for practice, unless they have no intention of writing a work that will be widely published and read by many. I believe everyone who ever has an inkling to write fanfiction should do so, for what harm can it do? Maybe embarrass you down the road like me, but hopefully not. But I can clearly see a HUGE improvement in my writing across all of my fanfics, up until the very last that was based on an MMORPG, which I will always be disappointed about because it had such promise--but not enough promise to achieve the widespread love I knew it deserved.

In my opinion, you only have the potential to become a truly great writer when you evolve from fanfiction in any form, and manage to create your own setting and characters and plot, even if it is derived from your fanfiction base. Nothing is original anymore, not truly, but when you can find ways to take someone else's idea, and make it different enough so that it is completely your own world, well... that is pretty much the definition of creating original fiction.

Disclaimer: I am not hating on fanfiction writers. I am stating that I personally, as well as publishers and the like, would not place high esteem in the specific type of fanfiction mentioned in the beginning of this post and by the OP.

[Rotsab M. Hyolf]

[ Nicolette ]

Oh for the love of... Haters gonna hate, aren't they? Quit raging at this poor girl for having an opinion gonk

I'm posting to say I agree with you, in that writing that particular type of fanfiction really should not qualify you as a writer, even though in the obvious literal sense it does.

Like someone else said on the first page... "Saying fanficcers aren't writers is saying fanartists aren't artists". I agree with that. However, the words "writer" and "artist" have a more... professional, for lack of a better word, connotation to them. For example, when a mother compliments her 3 year old on a crappy finger painting and calls them "my little artist" it's done sarcastically.

If you are merely writing fanfiction to rewrite the base story to go your way, whether or not you add your own original characters to it, it is lazy, and in the world of literature it has no worth. It has nothing to offer, other than one's own opinions on how something--already published that many others enjoy in its original form--should have gone. This, I can speak on, as I spent the better part of my teen years writing such fanfiction... and it shames me to this day to think about it emotion_facepalm

Eventually I grew up from writing that. Did I move from that to original stories? Heck no! I tried, but in the end I moved on to using the setting of an MMORPG and creating my own characters and plotline (as the game had no plot to speak of), and in the end I felt considerably better about this form of fanfiction's creative worth. I invented nearly everything--everything, but the names of cities and monsters, pretty much.

In the end, I even gave up on that because no one but me, my friends and maybe some randoms from the internet would ever read it. I want my writing to be read, and enjoyed, but no one is going to publish fanfiction unless you miraculously obtain consent from the creators of the base.

I think everyone who has ever written fanfiction acknowledges that fanfiction is largely a means for practice, unless they have no intention of writing a work that will be widely published and read by many. I believe everyone who ever has an inkling to write fanfiction should do so, for what harm can it do? Maybe embarrass you down the road like me, but hopefully not. But I can clearly see a HUGE improvement in my writing across all of my fanfics, up until the very last that was based on an MMORPG, which I will always be disappointed about because it had such promise--but not enough promise to achieve the widespread love I knew it deserved.

In my opinion, you only have the potential to become a truly great writer when you evolve from fanfiction in any form, and manage to create your own setting and characters and plot, even if it is derived from your fanfiction base. Nothing is original anymore, not truly, but when you can find ways to take someone else's idea, and make it different enough so that it is completely your own world, well... that is pretty much the definition of creating original fiction.

Disclaimer: I am not hating on fanfiction writers. I am stating that I personally, as well as publishers and the like, would not place high esteem in the specific type of fanfiction mentioned in the beginning of this post and by the OP.

Is someone not an athlete until they've completed, or are they still an athlete during training?

[[ Nicolette ]]

Rotsab M. Hyolf

Is someone not an athlete until they've completed, or are they still an athlete during training?

Is someone an athlete because they do jumping jacks every day, or are they an athlete because they actually put an effort into what they do? That was more the gist of what I was getting at.