Why do people hate fanfiction?
- Thread starter oppp7
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As someone who enjoys reading GOOD fanfiction and writes fanfiction (although at this point I haven't written much of it due to having an original idea that can actually, umm... survive in this brain for a long while, but I'm digressing here), I have to agree with a simple thing.
A lot of it is pure, absolute shit.
But that's what makes finding the GOOD stuff all the more enjoyable. As for why we want to read it instead of reading more original stuff by "Real Authors"?
1.) We like the characters to the point where we want MORE adventures with the characters than canon is going to give us anytime soon. Like say, Dragon Ball which has been completed for years now or Harry Potter, especially when there were YEARS between the books. There's only so many times one can re-read/rewatch the actual canon before getting bored of it while still wanting more of the characters.
2.) It takes effort to go to the library, while fanfiction is available via the computer. Not really a good defense of fanfiction, but hey.
Now as for all of the people who are like "Why don't they just create their own characters and world?" I have the following to say.
1. Again, we love the characters we already know and love and want to see more of them, but everyone else sucks too much and we want to prove them wrong (hopefully without sucking ourselves). In addition, we like trying to think of how our beloved familiar characters would react to situations that they never got into in canon.
2. Coming up with an original world and characters? Is a lot harder in some ways than using pre-created characters are, especially with STAYING INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU'RE WRITING. Which is why so many of the terrible fanfic authors don't do it apparently.
3. Go check fictionpress.net, fanfiction.net's sister site, only for original fiction. Oh, what's that... most of the stuff there is shit too? It only seems like original fiction is higher quality than fanfiction by concept because most of the shitty original novels never get published because people are paid to burn their eyes out while finding the good stuff to try to make money off of.
4. As my previous point first demonstrated, sometimes we fanfic authors write BOTH fanfic and original fic. Actually, I kinda said that in my opening paragraph anyway.
A lot of it is pure, absolute shit.
But that's what makes finding the GOOD stuff all the more enjoyable. As for why we want to read it instead of reading more original stuff by "Real Authors"?
1.) We like the characters to the point where we want MORE adventures with the characters than canon is going to give us anytime soon. Like say, Dragon Ball which has been completed for years now or Harry Potter, especially when there were YEARS between the books. There's only so many times one can re-read/rewatch the actual canon before getting bored of it while still wanting more of the characters.
2.) It takes effort to go to the library, while fanfiction is available via the computer. Not really a good defense of fanfiction, but hey.
Now as for all of the people who are like "Why don't they just create their own characters and world?" I have the following to say.
1. Again, we love the characters we already know and love and want to see more of them, but everyone else sucks too much and we want to prove them wrong (hopefully without sucking ourselves). In addition, we like trying to think of how our beloved familiar characters would react to situations that they never got into in canon.
2. Coming up with an original world and characters? Is a lot harder in some ways than using pre-created characters are, especially with STAYING INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU'RE WRITING. Which is why so many of the terrible fanfic authors don't do it apparently.
3. Go check fictionpress.net, fanfiction.net's sister site, only for original fiction. Oh, what's that... most of the stuff there is shit too? It only seems like original fiction is higher quality than fanfiction by concept because most of the shitty original novels never get published because people are paid to burn their eyes out while finding the good stuff to try to make money off of.
4. As my previous point first demonstrated, sometimes we fanfic authors write BOTH fanfic and original fic. Actually, I kinda said that in my opening paragraph anyway.
As far as I can tell most (95%) is total crap. I mean it is really, really, really BAD. But then there is the other 5% of it that is good to great. Those are the people with actual writing talent who are just honing their craft on fanfic for future writing.
I enjoy reading game fanfiction. Usually it's short stories that Are about a page long, or a few. Haven't gotten into anything real long.
I saw an internet show called
"Masterpiece fanfic theatre" where a dude read a bunch of the worst fanfics he could find.
On topic:
I don't hate fanfic, I just think it's always terrible. There is a difference.
I don't think Ive ever laughed at anything, EVER, As much as I did at "Half life: Full life consequences".
Edit: Oh yeah! and alot of it is:
Character A has sex with character B
Character A has sex with a clone of Character A
Character A, B, C and the clone of Character A have an orgy
Character A fights Goku
Character A has sex with Goku
Character A fights Goku, Santa, Superman, Chuck norris, And Character B
In other words, It's often either porn, terrible porn, or characters from column A interacting (And by that I mean Fighting/Screwing) with character from column B.
"Masterpiece fanfic theatre" where a dude read a bunch of the worst fanfics he could find.
On topic:
I don't hate fanfic, I just think it's always terrible. There is a difference.
I don't think Ive ever laughed at anything, EVER, As much as I did at "Half life: Full life consequences".
Edit: Oh yeah! and alot of it is:
Character A has sex with character B
Character A has sex with a clone of Character A
Character A, B, C and the clone of Character A have an orgy
Character A fights Goku
Character A has sex with Goku
Character A fights Goku, Santa, Superman, Chuck norris, And Character B
In other words, It's often either porn, terrible porn, or characters from column A interacting (And by that I mean Fighting/Screwing) with character from column B.
85% of EVERYTHING is crap.
But anyway, Phantom by Susan Kay is good. So is Angel of Music by Carrie Hernandez.
But anyway, Phantom by Susan Kay is good. So is Angel of Music by Carrie Hernandez.
Might I direct you to Sturgeon's Law [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitle3tinj4tz?from=Main.SturgeonsLaw]. It's like saying you hate everything in existence if you take that logic.ma55ter_fett said:
There are good fanfics out there, but you need to dig for years nonstop to find them. Really, the lack of quality in fanfiction is because of the very name. It's done by fans.
this right hereaimhellfire said:
and like everyone else is saying, its usually crap
if im reading something as a fan, i want to know that what the characters are doing is EXACTLY what they would do as determined by the original writer
i dont want someone elses imagination getting all over my lovely story and characters
so meh
Well, mostly because the vast majority of fanfiction writers have no idea how to write.
But I think it's more than just that. The reason I feel that most people write fanfiction is because they are so infatuated with the characters that they just want to see more of them, and they have to find some way to get their imaginations onto paper. But these will naturally stress the facets that they and no one else loved about the characters and events of the original story, so it won't be as appreciated by everyone else as it is by the author. But the fanfiction communities give them a chance to see their beloved characters even more, and not just in their own heads. So, it gives them more of the stories they love, and who am I to tell them to stop? I certainly won't be stumbling upon any of these fanfictions, so it's no worry to me.
Mind you, I'm probably completely wrong. But I might not be, and in that case I feel smart.
But I think it's more than just that. The reason I feel that most people write fanfiction is because they are so infatuated with the characters that they just want to see more of them, and they have to find some way to get their imaginations onto paper. But these will naturally stress the facets that they and no one else loved about the characters and events of the original story, so it won't be as appreciated by everyone else as it is by the author. But the fanfiction communities give them a chance to see their beloved characters even more, and not just in their own heads. So, it gives them more of the stories they love, and who am I to tell them to stop? I certainly won't be stumbling upon any of these fanfictions, so it's no worry to me.
Mind you, I'm probably completely wrong. But I might not be, and in that case I feel smart.
Usual Warnings apply : This can be very bad for your mental health.oppp7 said:
"My Immortal" [http://myimmortalrehost.webs.com/]
Because most fans who write fanfiction cannot grasp the basics of how to write a decent story. I think the main problem is that they are fans of the series and are willing to overlook basic forms of storytelling to simply pander out their fantasies. Also the 'humor' in pretty much all of the fanfiction I have read, and I have read alot, is terrible. There is no humor to be found, once in a while you get a good story but you have to wade through alot of shit to get to it.