To all fanfic writers.... by reginaroadie

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

To all fanfic writers....

POSTED BY: REGINAROADIE
UPDATED: Saturday, April 23, 2005 08:30
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VIEWED: 1533
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Friday, April 22, 2005 10:58 AM

I was just curious about something.

In my Contemporary Film class, the subject of the final class was about Global Media Culture and it talks about how the internet has become home for a global film community. And one of the things it brings up was the whole bit about fan sites and fanfic writers and stuff like that. In the text, it was referred to as "film poaching", and that the stories are like us assembling our own configuration about the stories and characters. We stay true to the original text while adding in our own elements thus making episodes that we wish we saw. While that may be true, the whole poaching term adds that negative connotation to the whole endeavour that is fanfics.

This really got me into thinking about why we write fanfics in general, specifically about our BDH's. I think in FIREFLY's case, the fanfic arn't really about poaching, but advertising. Since the show was cancelled and we don't have anymore further exploits coming out before the movie hits, this is our way of continuing the show for ourselves. And those who read our stories and are intrigued by them would go out and get the DVD's or see the movie come September. Also, I love reading other peoples fanfics mainly because of the variety. It's interesting to me to see other peoples interpretations of the same characters and events and how things would work out if this or that happened.

So my question to all of you fanfic writers is this. Why do you write fanfics? Do you have a common theme that permeates your writings? And why do you focus on that theme?

To answer my questions and get the ball rolling, I write the fics because I enjoy doing them. It's a creative outlet for me, and it allows me to express myself through these familiar characters. If there's a common theme in my writings, it's the daily domestic life of people. Lately, I find that the movies I like the most, the ones that bring me the greatest clarity and spiritual insight are the small, indie or indie like domestic dramas. Stuff like THE UPSIDE OF ANGER, GARDEN STATE, AMERICAN BEAUTY, CLERKS. I'm interested in finding the extraordinary and deeply spiritual within the ordinary. Plus, theres the whole identification and writing what you know factor. I don't know a lot about interstellar travel, gunfights, thrilling heroics, psychic powers and anything too fantastic. But I do know a lot about filming weddings, about family squabbles, of the joy in playing and listening to music and obsessive-compulsive behaviour. So I choose to write about that. THE SERENITY GIG and the character of Shooter is basically me writing myself into the Firefly verse, as well as appealing to my romantic side and seeing Simon (who I related myself to the most in the show) finally get the girl of his dreams (something I've yet to attain myself). BLUE HAND BLUES is me wanting to see River discover her salvation through music. SHOTGUN TAM is both an ode to one of my fave movies (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL) as well as take a more introspective look at the impact violence has on a specific character. And YOU CANT' GO HOME AGAIN is me wanting to see what happens to the Tam family after the fact. I destroyed the Alliance so that Simon and River can go home and see their folks without the Alliance breathing dwon their neck. The conflict is not from without, but within, which I think is more dramatic and interesting.

So what about you guys? What's your reason for writing what you write?

"NO HAI ES BANDAI. THERE IS....NO.....BAND. AND YET....WE HEAR A BAND."

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Friday, April 22, 2005 11:37 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
So my question to all of you fanfic writers is this. Why do you write fanfics? Do you have a common theme that permeates your writings? And why do you focus on that theme?

I write for the same reasons you do, and mainly because I can't stop. Stories formulate in my head and I have to get them out. A lot of the time the characters I see in movies or on TV inspire that. Sometimes it's just the actors themselves, and in Firefly I think it's both. It is a creative outlet and for me that's ten times as entertaining as reading a book, which is one of my hobbies. I'm not expressing myself through my writing as much as doing what I can to carry on the story as I see it. I do whatever I can to make sure I'm not writing myself in, because I'm not interested in writing Mary Janes or pseudo Mary Andrews as much as exploring the characters themselves. There are some ulterior motives of course (Mal/Inara, Simon/Kaylee, Book) but those avenues are only allowed to fall in place next to the story and the characters themselves.

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
If there's a common theme in my writings, it's the daily domestic life of people. I don't know a lot about interstellar travel, gunfights, thrilling heroics, psychic powers and anything too fantastic.

I think anyone here who is writing about that would have to say the same, at least from the perspective of personal experience - I hope so - still, it's a good point and pretty darn funny in that context. However, a lot of us do read that kind of fiction. A LOT of that kind of fiction and this gives us a chance to pull over what we've absorbed and make use of it. Not so much what we know as it is what we like.

Then there's the soldiers among us who know something of what Mal went through, and the pilots who really LOVE Wash's character. I was in an RP with a couple of those guys, and I think they write for the creative expression as well. I have yet to meet an astronaut in here (there's still time!), but I do know one or two astronomy geeks who are over the moon for Firefly for the simple basic reason that there was absolutely no sound in space. I think that simple authenticity alone spoke volumes for the series.

I also like the everyday stuff. The whole idea of everyday life on a ship in space has been a fantasy of mine since I was a kid and became aware of the space program. I would like to live long enough for civilians to live in space, and my writing stems from that as well. I don't think I will live that long, so this is my way of getting there. The imagination can indeed be a powerful thing.

It's also a way of seeing more of the Firefly universe, and I do that by introducing my own characters with their own culture and belief systems that are somewhat different, but linked to the Serenity crew. I just know there has to be more out there than we've seen, and again this is my way of *seeing* it.

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
BLUE HAND BLUES is me wanting to see River discover her salvation through music...

Now I have to go find your work and sit down with it for awhile. I just gave one of my characters a love for music - a pilot who whiles away her flight hours by singing to herself.

Basically, the Heartbroken series started by me thinking about what was Mal like before the war. He must have had a regular life, probably a girlfriend and plans made before, right? What if he did and the war ruined it all? What if he met that girlfriend, only to find her in a relationship with someone else? What if she had a child with this guy? What if this guy has everything Mal wanted, including internal peace?

Enter Adair Quan, and the crew and captain of Zirondelle (that's the ship).

Fans come and fans go...but zealots are with you until the bitter black end.
I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922
Minnesota Meetup - join us! http://firefly.meetup.com/45/

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Friday, April 22, 2005 11:46 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

I know, in my case, that I began Shadow War as a philosophical 4 parter conversation between Book and Mal about the nature of God and Man. Frankly, I am a big fan of the quieter moments of Firefly...which is not to say I'm not about action. But, Shadow War has swollen to what looks like about 24 chapters, and has turned into an action extravaganza. It really stemmed from me thinking about just how serious everyone on Serenity has been injured...Except Inara, actually. Zoe was knocked unconscious in Out Of Gas, but that was about it. So, I wanted to write a story with these two getting hurt in them. What might the other characters do, how will they react? What would Wash do if Zoe were ever grieviously injured in some way with a clear idea of who did it? How much strain can Zoe and Wash's marriage take? (I didn't run with that idea for long, because I didn't have the time to develop it.) Since I knew Shadow War was going to include somethings from our favorite warrior poet Shan Yu, I hit on the idea of an ancestor of his having some sort of past that included one of our crew. Who else but the guy that already mentioned him? I like the idea that has been hit on in some shows and movies of two villains at the same time. And, it never hurts when you have nine main characters to deal with. So, I just kept adding villains.

I also remembered one of the Star Wars books ( I can't remember which one) where the Millenium Falcon crashes in, like, the first two chapters of the book. I remember feeling hurt and morose at the very idea that an author would hurt the Falcon...The Falcon is very much like Serenity as far as being a character unto itself. But, Serenity is a much more deeply drawn character, I think, and I thought, it affected me, why not see if it works in a fanfic.

I don't profess to be a very good fic writer. I enjoy it, and I truly enjoy that others enjoy what I've written. I don't read much fanfic though, and I can't explain it. I only have gone into as much detail as I have about this particular fic, because I doubt that I'll write another...(I have another idea...but the undertaking! OY)

In essence, I started off writing a thought drama concerning conversation and turned it into a Jerry Bruckheimer production. I was simply trying to see if I could get characterization down with characters that I didn't create. I don't know how successful I was, but it was a lot of fun to write...I just don't think I'll try anything nearly as long again.

So, it was a self writing exercise that turned into a monster. But, a monster that I have an affection for.

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Friday, April 22, 2005 12:00 PM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
ManwithPez Sez
So, it was a self writing exercise that turned into a monster. But, a monster that I have an affection for.

I'm actually glad to hear this - first, that you let it go that far; and second, that you sound fairly pleased with it (confession: haven't read it, plan to though, soon). I realized the other day that by continuing Heartbroken, I may have dug a grave of sorts for myself because I don't know how long it's going to be.

Fans come and fans go...but zealots are with you until the bitter black end.
I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922
Minnesota Meetup - join us! http://firefly.meetup.com/45/

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Friday, April 22, 2005 12:14 PM

CASSANDRAE

My answer is similar to Channain's. Depending on what starts it, could be a quote, could a scene in a movie or a conversation I had that day. Even a name of a person. An idea forms, dialogue starts running through my mind, and before I know it, I have a story.

I write because I truly enjoy it. Not sure that I'm any good at it. I know my writing is a tad rough in areas as I get use to handling plots and dialogue. I also notice improvement as I go along, and that satisfies me.

But the act of it. The rush as the words are flowing from my mind to my hands to the keyboard on to the screen. Or when I plot a story on paper, the ideas, pieces if you will, just fit so right it has to be written. It begs to. Demands it. It's this weird complusion that tells me to write, and so I do.

Writing is an outlet, as many have said already. In a way, it's more freeing than speaking, because you can say so much with a few words. One of my main themes in my writing, subtle, is the journey and identity. I like the what if's in history, I like questions that don't have answers. What happens on that journey, how it affects the characters, why it changes them, and does it make them a better person in the end or not. Writing is like journey onto itself, you the basic components: beginning, the middle, and the end. You may learn some interesting things along the way.

Firefly just seemed to open those doors. Don't ask me why. Maybe because the characters are just normal people, and I can relate more that way. But the FF 'verse was cut too short, it was a breath of fresh air, new themes recycled in great storytelling. At the end of it, the what ifs just keep coming. And I wanted answers. Still do.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Firefly Fanart: http://refined-grace.geministar.org
~~~~~~~~~~~
MAL: "I'll never understand rich folk. All that money, this is what they do with it."
INARA:"It's art."
Mal: "It's puppets."
Inara: "It's puppet art."--Heart of Gold, Transcript

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Friday, April 22, 2005 12:18 PM

STARRBABY

Oh, I do it for the glory and fame and profit.
Wait . . . there is no glory, fame, or profit in fanfic writing.
I guess I do it because I'll form a scene or two in my head, and I have to get it out.

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Friday, April 22, 2005 12:38 PM

REGINAROADIE

Well after reading the basic idea behind HEARTBROKEN, I should find that out as well. Let me know what you think about BLUE HAND BLUES, and I'll do likewise.

"NO HAI ES BANDAI. THERE IS....NO.....BAND. AND YET....WE HEAR A BAND."

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Saturday, April 23, 2005 8:15 AM

REGINAROADIE

Just bumping.

"NO HAI ES BANDAI. THERE IS....NO.....BAND. AND YET....WE HEAR A BAND."

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Saturday, April 23, 2005 8:30 AM

CYBERSNARK

I'll confess to not having much to do with Firefly fanfic writing. I think it's to do with my approach to fanfic.

See, I write fanfic only when a show/movie tries but fails to speak to me on some level. When the concept, premise, plot, and/or characters are just so perfect and engaging, but some other critical part just falls flat and makes me say "I can do it better than this." With Firefly, obviously, this is not the case. Far to the opposite, actually; I fervently hope that someday, somehow, I will be able to call forth a fraction of Joss' genius in my own (official, non-fanfic) writing.

Usually, my fanfics seem to involve a rewrite (or even a full rebooting) of the universe, and again, there's just no need to do that with "our" 'verse.

Only two flavours of fanfic I currently write are Andromeda (I've gone back to the end of S1 and am rewriting the series as [I feel] it could've been --S2 was the half-season long Nietzschean War, and S3 is currently building toward the Magog invasion, which will be all of S4. . .) and Transformers (a full universe reboot, "inspired" by the unfathomable suckitude of Armada & Energon --basically my way of arguing that it is possible to write an intelligent, adult-aimed TF series, even with human kids, major human involvement in the plot, and limited to only the level of "offensive" material that I can defensibly point to in recent kids' programming [use of bullets instead of lasers, only minor blood, but various other non-red "blood-like" substances, violence with consequences, implied-but-unseen deaths/gore]).

Currently putting a lot more work into the Transformers one, 'cause I'm basically creating it from the ground up. It started out as just a point-form list of things I'd like to see (intended to be a usenet post), then kinda spiralled out of control (currently working on episode 36, with no end in sight. It just won't let go of me

). And I'm in love with a couple of my human "token kid" characters. They will graduate into my "official" writing, as soon as I find something cool enough for 'em.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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