Defending fan fiction

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

It's not news, exactly, and we don't have a tag for "link".

Editorial: in defense of Star Trek fanfiction writers

The Star Trek franchise has always inspired creative individuals, even back when the original series was still airing. The first fandom magazine, Spockanalia, a

redshirtsalwaysdie.com

 

[MikeJaffa]

I've been too lazy or whatever to not write professionally, and it may be too late to start. But I got into fan fiction 24 years ago. I get my creative rocks off. I like doing it, and so far, I haven't run out of ideas.

 

[pio1776]

I've been too lazy or whatever to not write professionally, and it may be too late to start. But I got into fan fiction 24 years ago. I get my creative rocks off. I like doing it, and so far, I haven't run out of ideas.

never too late

 

[Alexander Corrino]

I've read fan fiction. I've read novels. And I must say, the fan fic was quite often just as good or even better. And, unlike novels, fan fic tends to feature the pairings I want to read about. The first thing I generally do when I get into a new show/franchise/whatever is look through AO3 to see if there's fan fic; I don't scan through Amazon to see if there are any novels. That says a lot about my preferences.

As a fic writer I'm really tired of the whole "fan fiction is badly written" thing. Yes, there are fics that aren't exactly amazing. But there's an equal amount of fic that IS amazing. Also, there are quite a few big name novel authors who started out as fic writers. And besides, us fic writers are a very creative bunch, and being creative is something to be treasured, not shunned.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I enjoy being able to put words in the mouths of characters I already know something about.

 

[Firebird]

Getting into writing fic has helped me become a better writer beyond measure. In just the last four years, I'm no longer worried or ashamed of the dialogue I write, which is a massive improvement to what I think of any spec scripts I attempted in the years prior. Treating the craft seriously as if I were writing a real TV series has improved my skills at story arcs, characterization, and episode construction.

Fanfic is something I'll never be ashamed of writing.

 

[RevdKathy]

Writing fanfic got me through some dark times. And made me laugh in some fun times. And found me friends.

I'll never be a professional writer; too much life in the way, too many other things I want to do/learn/discover.

Not everything has to be something you can monetise. You can do things just for fun, to whatever standard you like.

Not every painter is Van Gogh. Not every dancer is Nuyerev. Do it because you love it and it enhances your life. That's enough.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Fanmade fiction can be just as good or better than licensed fiction.

The stigmatised type of fanfiction I think one could argue is a genre of its own.

 

[somebuddyX]

I envy writers because I enjoy writing out synopsis or jotting down ideas, but I can't get it to then progress to dialogue or writing scenes. That why I just make fanart because it removes that element.
One of my favourite Star Wars stories is a fanfiction from 1982 that was a sequel to Empire. It was like a rich character exploration which puts Luke and Vader together in a story about revenge and anger. I like old fanfiction in that way, like a moment frozen in amber that went in one direction while the universe moved on in another.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

You can indulge your whim for silly out-of-character moments that would never happen in the franchise without ruining the show or film permanently.

Readers can enjoy all manner of takes on the same in-between-stories gaps without having to pick one.

I envy writers because I enjoy writing out synopsis or jotting down ideas, but I can't get it to then progress to dialogue or writing scenes.

That's part of the appeal of my pitch games, too - just imagine a situation, no need to write the whole thing.

 

[somebuddyX]

You can indulge your whim for silly out-of-character moments that would never happen in the franchise without ruining the show or film permanently.

That's why I love chatgpt. I have Klingons reviewing Hamlet. I have a romance between an Enterprise-D tour guide and the gift shop girl.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

 

[Alexander Corrino]

I feel this (Twice as annoying for me since I do my own beta-ing, which means I can't even blame anyone else for not spotting the typo, lol.)

 

[Rockson]

Is there a place I can put down an idea for a Star Trek movie?

 

[FredH]

Is there a place I can put down an idea for a Star Trek movie?

I mean, I guess the Fan Fiction forum (ie this one) would be the most appropriate spot for it (though of course that’s for the mods to determine, I’m just some rando).

 

[somebuddyX]

Is there a place I can put down an idea for a Star Trek movie?

Maybe in the "Future of Trek" section? You might be able to just post your own idea or you could create or see if there is a thread for "What should the next Star Trek film be about?" The mods are usually more keen for discussion on a topic rather than just comment on one thing, but I think other people might have posted their ideas there. You also might get more traffic on a broad topic than just one idea plus you get other people's ideas too which I find can enrich my own concepts or just be fun to read.

 

[Will The Serious]

Fanfiction helps hone the writing craft
Are writers made or born? This is a question I knocked around with my peers all through college, especially in creative writing classes. I believe that drive and passion are more important than talent, but a combination of all 3 is what makes a writer.

I went through a degree program for teaching and the subject of teaching good writing skills often came up. The answer was almost universally, "have the students write more." I was the one nay sayer. Reading. That's the answer. Yes, have them write, but to learn good writing, students need good examples.

There are about 24,000 public high schools in the US. I would estimate an average of 5 English teachers per school at all four grade levels. That means over 100,000 English teachers trying to teach good writing skills. I would not be prepared to say that the larger portion of that 100,000 teachers were reliably good writers themselves. Therefore, having their students write more to learn good writing skills may just be reinforcing their poor writing habits. Well written examples of stories and biographies and other types of writing would be a more reliable teaching aid.

Fan Fiction offers the fanfic writer a model upon which to build their skills. They have the original works, the stories and plots, the characters and examples of character building techniques, etc. I chose to write my stories in the Trekverse because it had elements of the Fiction world already built. With a large fan-base like the Star Trek franchise, I don't need to spend time writing about what a turbo-lift is or how the inertial dampeners work, or explain a transporter, or describe the organization of the Federation. Everyone already knows that stuff. With fan fiction, I get to concentrate on story morals and character development. All of my characters are original, but there are references to franchise characters, ships, events, and other familiar elements that give me texture with little effort.

As an artist, I learned a huge amount from copying other pieces of art. Fanfic helps me in the same way.

-Will

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

I enjoy being able to put words in the mouths of characters I already know something about.

Or having adventures besides them, if you go into the "OC-character"-route.

Getting into writing fic has helped me become a better writer beyond measure. In just the last four years, I'm no longer worried or ashamed of the dialogue I write, which is a massive improvement to what I think of any spec scripts I attempted in the years prior. Treating the craft seriously as if I were writing a real TV series has improved my skills at story arcs, characterization, and episode construction.

Fanfic is something I'll never be ashamed of writing.

Another thing, that at least I do, when writing fanfics now: "research".
When I started, I just wrote and hoped for the best - later on, I did at least some research, e.g. in one of the stories I have posted here, I looked at the map of Washington D.C. and went through the whole city via google streetview, to see, what could be used as clue. Actually, that was as much as fun, as writing the whole thing.

 

[Will The Serious]

as if I were writing a real TV series has improved my skills at story arcs, characterization, and episode construction.

This also is what I'm doing. My Trek fanfic stories are written with a TV series in mind. I write them in present tense because I imagine converting them to a screen play. It means I write in a different style, with different goals than novel writing. I don't build the scenery as much, let the director and prop directors have that leeway. Present tense feels more like stage directions, and I don't write about what characters are thinking. What is best for a performance? Fan fiction allows me to skim the visuals and the staging, because that has already been set in the minds of the readers. Fan fiction and the desire to virtually produce my own version of a beloved TV show, has made me aware of how different styles of writing are required for different goals.

,-Will

 

[Will The Serious]

Another thing, that at least I do, when writing fanfics now: "research".

Yep.

-Will