Fan fiction gets good press

[alanajoli]

As you've probably figured out, I'm fascinated by fan fiction. I'm not so much intrigued by what it is (I started writing fan fiction before I had an internet connection; most of my writing and make believe before and into middle school was based on someone else's universe). The movement and the wealth of it that's available on the internet is just amazing to me. So, while I'm not currently involved with fan fiction in any way, I do like to see it getting good press. Rare as that is, an article just appeared about it in the Boston Globe. It features several published writers who originally started as fanfic writers, as well as quotes by professional editors.

It's pretty short, and well worth reading.

Comments

[dragonladyflame.livejournal.com]

I think unfortunately a lot of the bad press fanfiction gets is due to the fact that published fanfiction, e.g. "Star Trek" novels or White Wolf novels, usually suck. When I was an intern, the Vampire developer actually apologized to me when I said I'd tried to read one or two White Wolf novels. I have considered trying to publish fiction under White Wolf's official aegis, but I feel really torn about it because it has a reputation for being so immensely crappy. Does this bother you when you consider your own work in the "official" fanfiction genre?

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, even the really good shared world stuff gets stuck under that reputation. As I've mentioned over here, I've been reading a lot of the Eberron novels, and of the several I've read, only one represented the shared-world reputation. The rest have been on or above par for what I expect of most high fantasy, let alone shared-world novels. Honestly, I find most of the reputation to be pure snobbery--but then, I mostly read the WotC published stuff or the Star Wars "Expanded Universe" and haven't ventured into the White Wolf or Star Trek novels you mentioned. I have to think, though, that if you wrote something that blew people away, it would find its way out there to them. But maybe that's my wishful thinking, given how hard my own book is to track down. ;)

It's also a shame that the White Wolf fiction hasn't been any good. There's just a wealth of world to be mined there, and I suspect I'd have more fun writing in it than I have had playing in it. (Some of the storytellers I've played under have run just outside my comfort zone for gaming.)

[dmoonfire.livejournal.com]

I didn't get started with fan fiction, but I've done my fair share of it. Won a contest for it (Clan of the Cats) in one case and got on the official forum for a few web (or is that Web) comics. I've also done some HP stuff, mainly for a friend. I like doing it, but I always felt more comfortable doing my own characters, my own world, which is probably why I don't do much of it. Though, I like when people do it and I can only hope some day to see some fan fiction of my own stuff. :)

Personally, I'd love to write an Exalted novel. :) But, I suspect that won't happen until far into the future. It was also one of my choices for NaNoWriMo, but decided to go with something of my own mainly because I can do something with it besides just post it.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

I'd definitely buy White Wolf novels by you and dragonladyflame. (And this coming from someone who has never played Exalted.)