JOLY'S BLOG

joly

Awful late, but here again. Warnings: A rant...
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

I just read a blog entry I didn't like. Not new, I've read lots of thing I don't like, usually accidentally. But normally, I don't feel the need to comment on it.

I think there is a lot of crap in fan fiction. More than in original fiction. You know the stuff folks get paid to write?

We (fan fic writer's) don't get paid to write this stuff, nor would we expect to (unless you're completely off your nut). So, in the case of Firefly, Joss Whedon (or any of the other lovely writers of the show) is not standing over our shoulders going 'That's OOC. That would never happen.'

And since it's fan fic, it's whatever the bloody hell we want it to be.

I think everyone should label their fic thoroughly (Though I am guilty of gross negligence in that regard) so that one may know that a story is AU or OOC or PWP or anything else.

My point being, I guess, that everything we write, though based on 'canon', is, or could potentially be considered, OOC. We can watch the series and the movie and try to surmise how, under certain circumstances, a particular character may react, but it's just our best guess. It's fiction. Worse, it's fan fiction.

Don't get me wrong... Please, I love fan fic. I love it. When it's good, when it's alright, even when it's bad sometimes, because then you can sit smugly and say to yourself, 'I'd never do that shit.'

More rambling...

When writing a fic, you can sit there and go, 'Mal would do this, Zoe would do this', but you don't know, it's just what you would like to happen. To satisfy your muse or whatever you call your drive to write about a bunch of fictional characters from a cancelled TV show.

I know I sound negative about fan fic and maybe even Firefly, but my irritability is more at people who write fan fic and then complain about how bad other fan fic is, the earlier mentioned OOC, AU or PWP.

What if you turned the TV on tomorrow and Joss had the show up and running and he turned everything on it's ear? What if he went to a con and said that he planned an elaborate arc where Mal becomes a Reaver and kills everybody, or Simon realizes he's gay and wants Jayne, or that he's re-releasing the movie and not killing Wash or Book (yay, btw, to that thought).

More point, one can not look at a fic one doesn't like and say, 'That would never happen in canon'. Because, of course, it wouldn't. Nothing I write would have happened, it's what goes on in my head, not Joss Whedon's (and the other lovely writers).

You can call someone's fic poorly written, go on about grammar and punctuation, plot holes, etc, etc, etc. But at the end of the day, slash and PWP and AU and OOC will exist, some of them interesting stories, if one is not too wrapped up in 'canon' to enjoy a good tale.

There is gross putrescence. There always will be. We just don't have to read it.

There's my half dollar. Hope I've offended somebody, otherwise this whole thing wasn't worth it.

Thinking about my next blog entry: plagarism. That one's always funny to me, especially in reference to fan fic.

Toodles.

Joly





COMMENTS

Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:34 AM

LEIASKY


Fans read a fic for different reasons. Plain and simple.

I'll comment on characterization sounding off because if a character doesn't sound like the one Joss created, why am I reading it? I want to read a FIREFLY story, not a story where the names are the same but there's nothing else resembling the character that Joss created.

>But at the end of the day, slash and PWP and AU and OOC will exist, some of them interesting stories

If the reader is interested in such tales, sure. Not all of them are.

>if one is not too wrapped up in 'canon' to enjoy a good tale.

And some prefer to read only canon stories where the characters actually resemble at least in part (as we are not Joss himself) those portrayed on the screen.

Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:34 AM

LEIASKY


Fans read a fic for different reasons. Plain and simple.

I'll comment on characterization sounding off because if a character doesn't sound like the one Joss created, why am I reading it? I want to read a FIREFLY story, not a story where the names are the same but there's nothing else resembling the character that Joss created.

>But at the end of the day, slash and PWP and AU and OOC will exist, some of them interesting stories

If the reader is interested in such tales, sure. Not all of them are.

>if one is not too wrapped up in 'canon' to enjoy a good tale.

And some prefer to read only canon stories where the characters actually resemble at least in part (as we are not Joss himself) those portrayed on the screen.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:11 PM

MAL4PREZ


I have no idea of the blog that set this off, I have only to say: just as any fan may write whatever fic they want, any fan may also leave what feedback they want or blog what they want. It's the nature of the game.

Sure, it's bad form to rip on someone's fic because the genre/pairing/whatever doesn't fit your taste. Myself, I don't read the stuff I disagree with, much less leave a flame. But not everyone is like me. Some folks like expressing their opinion of posted fic, and they have every right to do so.

As for the Joss argument: the Man created these characters, he has a right to do whatever he damn well pleases, and that shall be that. The rest of us only have the BDH's on loan, and, to me, it seems respectful to honor the personality that Joss built into them, as best as we each can. Disagreements as to "canon" surely will arise, but isn't that part of the fascination?

Writing outside of canon can be hella fun too. I've written a good 300,000 words that lie solidly outside movie canon and push series canon as well. I say, do whatever you want with these characters, long as you have fun. But don't expect that your choices preclude anyone else from expressing themselves as they see fit, or you become what you're ranting against.

This playground belongs equally to each of us, by which I mean none of us actually own it. Only one person can make demands, and that's Joss.

Peace.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:21 PM

ANGELLEMARCS


YOU GO, GIRL!!!!!


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