Why do people hate fanfiction?
- Thread starter oppp7
- Start date
Recommended Videos
I hate them because almost every story I come across has at least one of these four things.
1.Slash. The author takes two characters of the same gender, and for no reason they fall in love. All that ever happens in these stories is the characters having a awkward, out-of-character conversation, followed by kissing. I hate trying to write reviews for them because half of the time, I get called intolerant for not loving their slash story
2. Out of character. All the time, I see fanfictions where the characters are completly different from the character in the original story. For example, I've saw a fan fiction not too long ago, where a group of runaway children who are just trying to survive, start a band, and everyone turns into and emo. I hate, HATE these stories.
3. Crossovers. I see this one all the time too. Authors try mixing two different books together, which is fine, but it usually ends up completely out of character.
4. Off the wall, bizarre stories. I don't know what it is with fanfictions, but people come up with the strangest stuff. I actually found a story where according to the description, a boy and his sister falls in love, and then the description said something like "Warning: Hardcore Lemon. Don't read unless you are at least 12 years old".
1.Slash. The author takes two characters of the same gender, and for no reason they fall in love. All that ever happens in these stories is the characters having a awkward, out-of-character conversation, followed by kissing. I hate trying to write reviews for them because half of the time, I get called intolerant for not loving their slash story
2. Out of character. All the time, I see fanfictions where the characters are completly different from the character in the original story. For example, I've saw a fan fiction not too long ago, where a group of runaway children who are just trying to survive, start a band, and everyone turns into and emo. I hate, HATE these stories.
3. Crossovers. I see this one all the time too. Authors try mixing two different books together, which is fine, but it usually ends up completely out of character.
4. Off the wall, bizarre stories. I don't know what it is with fanfictions, but people come up with the strangest stuff. I actually found a story where according to the description, a boy and his sister falls in love, and then the description said something like "Warning: Hardcore Lemon. Don't read unless you are at least 12 years old".
I know a lot of it is bad e.g. flimsy plotlines just taking some things way too far. And waaaaaaaaaaay too much of it is usually slash. But yeah, in it's defence it's a lot better than Twilight.
I assume slash is boyxboy/girlxgirl in the context your using.
I can write both oridginal material and fan-fics. My friend Kat writes Harry Potter fan fic and I write anime/manga based.
I'm like one of the worst slash fic writers the only difference between me and some others I don't post them or put them on the web at all. If my friends wanna read 'em they get them as e-mails.
Right now I'm working on a rather complacted Bleach fic which includes original characters, i like making them up.
I assume slash is boyxboy/girlxgirl in the context your using.
I can write both oridginal material and fan-fics. My friend Kat writes Harry Potter fan fic and I write anime/manga based.
I'm like one of the worst slash fic writers the only difference between me and some others I don't post them or put them on the web at all. If my friends wanna read 'em they get them as e-mails.
Right now I'm working on a rather complacted Bleach fic which includes original characters, i like making them up.
I just have to say that I hate when people do that. Not liking slash does not make you homophobic and it winds me up when people pull that argument out of their arse because they don't like people having different opinions from them :/Romblen said:
^
I agree. But some pairings are canon so it's not so bad with those ones. Some one had the balls to make a personal attack at me for writing slash fics. Well If ya don't like them don't read them, it doesn't mean your a homophobe, it's up to you what themes and genres you like to read.
Look at the descriptions of fanfic before you read them.
I agree. But some pairings are canon so it's not so bad with those ones. Some one had the balls to make a personal attack at me for writing slash fics. Well If ya don't like them don't read them, it doesn't mean your a homophobe, it's up to you what themes and genres you like to read.
Look at the descriptions of fanfic before you read them.
@ Kenni-chan
I think fan-fic is a big bowl of "don't like, don't read". As you said, people really need to learn when not to bother with a fic. Luckily most people I know and write with are either slashers as well or just don't care so I've been somewhat cushioned in the comments I've received on the fic I've written - but I have enough common sense to know when not to read a fic that would cause me trauma/offence etc.
I think fan-fic is a big bowl of "don't like, don't read". As you said, people really need to learn when not to bother with a fic. Luckily most people I know and write with are either slashers as well or just don't care so I've been somewhat cushioned in the comments I've received on the fic I've written - but I have enough common sense to know when not to read a fic that would cause me trauma/offence etc.
caveat lector
Usually there's a good 10% out there worth reading for whatever your chosen subject is. Try TVTropes.org, they have a fanfic recommendations page that's a good start. Otherwise, you just have to wade through the sludge to find the good.
I like fanfiction, but only in small doses. And My Immortal made my brain bleed, I'm fairly certain.
Usually there's a good 10% out there worth reading for whatever your chosen subject is. Try TVTropes.org, they have a fanfic recommendations page that's a good start. Otherwise, you just have to wade through the sludge to find the good.
I like fanfiction, but only in small doses. And My Immortal made my brain bleed, I'm fairly certain.
There are generaly two reasons for this:
1. The writing is terrible. If your entire fanfic revolves around slash, and the slash itself turns out to be little more than the phrase "And then they fucked hard." then it's rather obvious as to why people don't like it.
2. The writing is okay, but the plot is fucked up. Good examples of this are the introduction of a new character who's obviously an author surrogate, filling in existing character's backstories with your own material and the breaking of canon.
Fanfiction can be awesome (I have a huge file on my hard-drive devoted to it) but the vast majority of it is bullshit with a side of mustard.
1. The writing is terrible. If your entire fanfic revolves around slash, and the slash itself turns out to be little more than the phrase "And then they fucked hard." then it's rather obvious as to why people don't like it.
2. The writing is okay, but the plot is fucked up. Good examples of this are the introduction of a new character who's obviously an author surrogate, filling in existing character's backstories with your own material and the breaking of canon.
Fanfiction can be awesome (I have a huge file on my hard-drive devoted to it) but the vast majority of it is bullshit with a side of mustard.
Most of it is of poor quality by writers who can't write; I've written some fan fiction, and I put myself in both of those categories, but I wrote for fun.
There is some good fan fiction. In fact publishers like the Black Library (the publishing arm of Warhammer, and 40K) regularly hold contests, and print some of the best fiction in their short story anthologies. Some fan fic writers are good professional writers who simply use the existing universe and characters to flex their writers muscle, and to get noticed.
There is some good fan fiction. In fact publishers like the Black Library (the publishing arm of Warhammer, and 40K) regularly hold contests, and print some of the best fiction in their short story anthologies. Some fan fic writers are good professional writers who simply use the existing universe and characters to flex their writers muscle, and to get noticed.
I guess that people do not really like fanfiction because a lot of the material written is basically the author`s fantasy. It is kind of a selfish self-expression rather than a story intended for other people to enjoy.
Some fantasies are just best left unexpressed.
Some fantasies are just best left unexpressed.
If you like Harry Potter, go to http://www.fanfiction.net and search for "Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Future's Past" by S'TarKan. That got me into writing it.oppp7 said:
If you're into Lord of the Rings, "Don't Panic" and "Okay, NOW Panic" by boz4PM.
Oh, and My Immortal and Agony in Pink are worth a read too, but find those yourself because I'm scared of them. >.>
I'm using fanfiction as a stepping stone to original fiction, by the way. I'm hoping to get published one day. *looks up at the sky* Oh, look, there's a pig.
Anyway, some morons just hate it because they can't write themselves. That's my experience anyway. I've written essays on people's views about fanfiction before but I'm not typing THOSE out again...
As a fanfiction writer myself, i would agree with the claim that most of many of the sites i go to are made up of slashfics, crossovers, romance stories. But some of them are serious. Some people (myself included) just see some potential and decide to create our own little universe for the characters to work in. Hell i once wrote a 23 chapter Half-Life fic to stand in as my own personal Episode 3 cause the wait time Valve is imposing on us is unbearable. Yes many fanfic writers are substance obsessed freaks mostly acting out their fantasies through the characters in the story (hence the outrageous number of raunchy girl on girl/guy on guy/everyone on everyone sex fics out there) but other people simpley iuse it as a way to express themselves easily by using another person's genius to feul our own suggestions. It is free anyway and you dont have to read the stuff if you dont want to.
It's not so much the writing that bothers me. It's the circle-jerk mutual masturbation that goes on when fanfic writers look at total crap and say "wow, that's so creative!" to the author.
Fanfiction suffers the same problem as Newgrounds Flash stuff. Without honest, intelligent, informed, and constructive criticism, the overall quality slides further and further into "total crap" and ruins it for people who might have actual talent.
And if I see one more "Harry and Ron are gay for each other" fanfic I'm writing Congress and asking them to strengthen the use-of-trademark laws so Rowling can sue people more efficiently.
Fanfiction suffers the same problem as Newgrounds Flash stuff. Without honest, intelligent, informed, and constructive criticism, the overall quality slides further and further into "total crap" and ruins it for people who might have actual talent.
And if I see one more "Harry and Ron are gay for each other" fanfic I'm writing Congress and asking them to strengthen the use-of-trademark laws so Rowling can sue people more efficiently.
Okay, here goes:oppp7 said:
1) Most of the fan fiction that's easily available is just plain crap. Taking someone else's characters, plot, world, and everything else and then twisting it so that two characters who would normally never interact have sex is just plain offensive to the writer. Face it, most of the stuff you see is just romances people "wish" they saw in the books. There's no good character growth or development, just one drastic change to personality.
2) It's all been done before. Why read someone else's warped version of one specific story instead of broadening your horizons and *gasp* checking out a NEW book from a NEW author at the library? I'll bet the same story set up is in there somewhere.
That said, there are good fan fictions out there, they're just difficult to find. Admittedly, I'd much rather go check out a new book from the library than scour the internet for fan-made stories based on stuff I know I already like. I know I like Harry Potter. I like Harry Potter as is. I don't like when Harry Potter is having sex with Draco Malfoy. Instead, I'll go to the library and look for books similar to Harry Potter, or ones recommended by J.K Rowling.
Fan fiction and "slash" fiction get confused a lot and the line between them is slim-- I think most people would rather just take their chances with a new book rather than sift through a bunch of "slash" fiction to find something good.
As I have said before when a friend (a fanfic writer) asked me this..
And I just think that there is potential to actually WRITE something NEW instead of expanding on something that theyre fans of.
Most of it is poorly written, but others could be made much better- and I think the fanfiction holds back some genuinely good new stories from coming out- and feeds more into the sequel/franchise flood we have these days in both movies and games.
And I just think that there is potential to actually WRITE something NEW instead of expanding on something that theyre fans of.
Most of it is poorly written, but others could be made much better- and I think the fanfiction holds back some genuinely good new stories from coming out- and feeds more into the sequel/franchise flood we have these days in both movies and games.