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Why do you write fanfiction?

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by contra, Jan 24, 2018.

  1. contra

    contra Third Year

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    There are of course a whole host of answers that can be boiled down pretty succinctly and a lot of other answers that most of us probably don't ever want to hear. Among the former would be a love for the original work and a desire to explore it, to liking the potential and etc. Not going to bother with the latter.

    Nonetheless, I remain curious as to what drives the members of a prolific/high-quality forum.

    Is it an obsession for a particular ship? A desire to practice writing skills before writing your own work?

    I can assume some of the obvious, but I can't say that I've actually ever had an in-depth conversation with anyone else on this matter. There's also a lot of other things to be considered—as to whether you only ever post the beginnings of stories and never going much further than the seed of the idea, and what that would mean for your incentives for writing (because it obviously isn't to write a complete story, then).

    Me, personally? I started with because of this:

    “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
    Toni Morrison

    And then I went out and tried to brainstorm a work for my favorite pairing that would be an epic and involve every single character in canon. Didn't go so hot.

    It took me a long while to realize that if I were to write an epic, I would both have to seriously invest my time and give more of myself than I wanted to actually make it worth reading, as compared to literally every other type of that story out there. I eventually figured out that if I were to actually write a romance, I would want to write something that was incredibly intimate, with next to no other characters involved besides to reference developments from canon and world-build.

    And I figured out that I never wanted to write a story without understanding the greater themes and possibilities and philosophies of what I wanted to approach with that work, to the extent I probably sacrificed a lot of what it could have been for something else. It works out ok, since a lot of stories that are worth something can be boiled down to something stereotypical and universal, except that I prefer to work from the outside in and back out rather than starting from the usual starting point. Or at least what I think is usual. And that there are multiple ways to interpret whether you're working from the outside into the idea or the inside and out and away from the idea.

    I suppose that boils down to "I write fanfiction because I want to write something that addresses greater ideas in the framework of the base story, which is currently romance." Also to improve on the way, though that's a secondary consideration to the first.

    Anyway ... any takers? Why do you write fanfiction? Being specific and introspective would be interesting and worthwhile.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2018
  2. Joe

    Joe The Reminiscent Exile ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter ⭐⭐⭐

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  3. H_A_Greene

    H_A_Greene Unspeakable –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    I started writing fanfiction years ago because I wanted to tell my own stories in a familiar world. I kept going because that same desire hasn't faded.
     
  4. TheWiseTomato

    TheWiseTomato Prestigious Tomato ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    It's a good way to hone your skill and get some feedback where otherwise you'd likely be reduced to badgering friends and family.

    Also I can write in an obscure fandom and declare myself the best within it to stroke my ego. Right, @Republic ?
     
  5. Lindsey

    Lindsey Chief Warlock DLP Supporter

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    The stories I want to read have not been written/written well.
     
  6. Republic

    Republic The Snow Queen –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    Easier than actually getting good, tbh.

    Basically this. I have only ever written things that I originally searched for but couldn't find to my satisfaction.
     
  7. contra

    contra Third Year

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    Time for you to go out and write them!

    I'm starting to get more and more concerned this is what I did, except for the fact it was more the fact that my fandom was so absurdly shitty that it didn't have to be obscure or empty. Don't know which is worse.

    All I see on DLP is just people shitting on PJO fics as a whole besides Ryuugi (who doesn't have any pure PJO writ) and " oh Son of the Western Sea is good" (though I can't even get on board with the premise so haven't read it). Going through threads with Percy Jackson in their titles reveals only 28 items, composed of maybe a fourth of "can I find anything good here," a number of Ryuugi's works, trying to share some decent work with no solid consensus, and a few attempts at a decent story by a few other members, including me. Sigh.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2018
  8. Anarchy

    Anarchy Half-Blood Prince DLP Supporter

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    Very few people were writing stories the way I think they should have been written, so I took it upon myself to write what I wanted to read.
     
  9. Halt

    Halt 1/3 of the Note Bros. Moderator

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    To git gud, for I am a scrub.
     
  10. ctaynton

    ctaynton Muggle

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    I think writing fanfiction for me is like a storied form of journaling. It really helps me give expression to whatever mood I'm experiencing.

    I also like world building and resolving 'what if' scenarios in fiction and want to sharpen my writing skills. I'll probably need to actually post some of what I write in order for that to happen though.
     
  11. E Descending

    E Descending Muggle

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    I'm surprised no one has said this one, I guess I really am an odd duck but...
    I've enjoyed reading fanfiction for years; you know, the really good ones that could probably get published and make actual money? I wanted to give back something without incurring the wrath of JK Rowling's lawyers.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2018
  12. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    To stop feeling guilty over the fact that I haven't updated.
     
  13. Ludwig

    Ludwig Fourth Year

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    I suffer from World Builder's Disease. Recently I started writing actual stories to see if I can put all of those words to good use.

    And I write fanfiction because I can't make decent original characters for shit, might as well use the ones that I already know and love.
     
  14. Dicra

    Dicra Groundskeeper

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    Because I want to prove to myself that I can do it, create something novel, something big - and finish it.
     
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