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Post by Talon Karrde on May 3, 2006 11:37:30 GMT -5
I recently wrote an article called The Expanding World of Fan Fiction in which I discussed the medium's growth in the computer age. I was thinking of a follow-up story including the feedback I get in this thread and other threads on other boards about the article. The follow-up would contain excerpts from the statements of the posters stating why they write the fanfic, why they read it and so on. The individual posters would only be identified as their assumed board name and the board they are posting on (Example: Talon Karrde from G-POP.net). So please, let me know why you read and/or write fanfic. What makes it special for you? How did you start out? What sort of fanfic do you write? How do you get into writing mode - are you story oriented or character driven, etc.?
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Post by Talon Karrde on Aug 2, 2006 12:09:58 GMT -5
Hello?! Fan fiction writers! I'm about to write the follow-up to the fan fiction article and I still need some more info from writers. PLease answer the following questions so that you can be included in the article:
What makes it special for you?
How did you start out?
What sort of fanfic do you write?
How do you get into writing mode - are you story oriented or character driven, etc.?
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Post by jpmessiah on Aug 2, 2006 15:49:02 GMT -5
I was an original fan fiction writer before many people talked about it and before it was part of an online boom. I am sure people did it, but without the Internet, it was hard to get other people to see your work. I would write stories from the V and Hunter universe and even combined the two together. Fan Fiction allows you to write about what you love; what you know, so that the characters are easy to describe and all you have to do is worry about the actions; make sure you write in a way that truly represents what the character would do and so on. Then, as you get used to that, you can branch out and create new characters of your own.
So, I started with the world of V and decided to put myself into the story, but as a cop, partnering with Rick Hunter and Dee Dee McCall from the Hunter series. I just thought it would be cool to read an interaction between Rick Hunter and Ham Tyler. And that was the only reason why. LOL. Then, I moved past the V arc and it really was just about Hunter. Being fan fic, I got a little crazy and created real storylines that I felt was missing from the show. But I was a kid and they really weren't good. Somehow, I got to be Paul Abdul's bodyguard and I married her. Then, I got involved undercover as a wrestler and stopped a steroid ring, but became mortal enemies with the Four Horsemen, led by Ric Flair. Strange how even during those days I appreciated the NWA more than the WWF. And while there, I met Woman, who is Nancy Sullivan and married to Chris Benoit. And in the story, she was bad, and I helped her change her ways and married her. Eventually, I got drugged, got hooked on drugs and got released from the force, only to be brought back for an experimental group, which was really 21 Jumpstreet. There I met Hoffs and married her. That was my final marriage. I don't even remember divorcing the other characters. I wrote Big Love before they even thought of it.
But then I branched out and created a gang called The Renegades who were vigilantes. I love those characters and I would actually use them later in a real book I wrote, but scrapped , because it was not realistic or mature enough. But the experiences kept me moving in a direction to write real stories, including a book about my time at a Carvel Ice Cream Shop. Fan Fiction is a great stepping stone to that area of writing. You build an audience. People read what you write, because they love the show, too and so on. Once you have people enjoying your work, they start to get interested in your original ideas. It's a brilliant concept.
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Post by Justine on Aug 3, 2006 12:38:45 GMT -5
It's funny because the trilogy I have been working on for most of the time from ages 15-now (23) started out as fan fic only to become something else. When I started it, my clear intention was to create a Buffy fiction, with a new character, one I had created on my own. With characters as distinct as the ones on Buffy, it was not hard for me to find each individual voice. The problem was, it came out too good. There was an unfortunate little that could come of what I was doing. Besides, the more I had written, the more the story had created a different mythology for itself than the one Buffy had given it, and soon, new characters began to develop--suddenly I was writing something totally different set in a world that was not quite Buffy's. That's when I decided to pull back and change the story, pulling out all of the original stuff I had created and discarding all mentions of anything Sunnydale related. Fan fiction is special because it got my juices flowing in a way and got me to write. If it weren't for the very idea of fan fiction, I would have never realized that I had the imagination to be a published writer. My fan fic writing was always extremely character oriented. Some days I had to force myself to remember that there was a plot to further.
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DocMidnite
New Member
1/2 of the greatest Tag Team ever to hit the circuit! Don't believe me? Read Bad Moon Rising!
Posts: 45
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Post by DocMidnite on Aug 4, 2006 18:14:12 GMT -5
What makes it special for you?
How did you start out?
What sort of fanfic do you write?
How do you get into writing mode - are you story oriented or character driven, etc.?
How did I start? Good question. I probably started years ago in High School. A very good English Composition teacher I had allowed us to write stories as our assignments. Though I would never admit it back then, I loved to write. It just wasn't "cool" to let your friends know you were enjoying the homework assignments!
I actually hadn't written in years until one night on BOPonline a fellow pro wrestling fan and myself were posting barbs at each other using wrestling references. In a PM he sent me the enterance and start to a wrestling fic using our screen names as the main characters. Well, I added a paragraph or two to it and sent it back. This went on until we had formed a nice little chapter. The next thing we know is we were posting it in the fan fic section of BOPonline. "Bad Moon Rising" is now up to 52 chapters. I have enjoyed doing this with Drayvenscrow so much that I have a second story in the wings dealing with the characters of Birds Of Prey.
I think I could write basically any type of fan fic as long as I had a good working knowledge and understanding of the characters.
When you write something, and it's something you put your heart and soul into...that makes it special. Hey I know wrestling isn't everyones "bag", but after Kev and I collaborate and work up a chapter, and then I see that approximately each chapter gets near 100 hits. That makes it all worth while.
How do I get into "writing mode"? I usually scribble some ideas in a notebook. You know the basic stuff. Storyline, characters, etc... I find it easier to write it out by pen first, that way if a section I write doesn't quite fit I can outline it and perhaps use it somewhere else. A lot of ideas come to me when I am on the treadmill exercising. I find my head is clearer, and I can just think about the story. Here again it's important to keep a notebook nearby!
Story oriented or Character driven? IMO you need both!
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Post by Talon Karrde on Aug 20, 2006 0:23:10 GMT -5
A very special thanks to all of you that helped with the research for my follow-up article. If you're interested, you can read it at www.g-pop.net/fanficrevisit.htm.
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