Clearly, you didn't read the article. The author had people snooping on her computer and mocking her for merely having a folder that said "fanfic" on her desktop. It wasn't always solicited.
I did read it. That was one instance. Hardly enough to account for,
Let's see...
Doesn't sound to me like she went out of the way to tell people about fan fiction so much as she just got tired of hiding something that she's passionate about. And, you know what? She shouldn't have to hide it.The Article said:
well said.
I hide mine.
What's the difference between "not hiding something you're passionate about" and telling someone something they didn't ask about?
That's up to her. A lot of people have things they're passionate about, and they can mention them to people or not as they see fit. But the best solution to being sick of people's reactions is to stop seeking their reactions. If people in her life react to fan fic with scorn, that's their prerogative. When it's all said and done, having some people misunderstand why you have a certain hobby doesn't sound like that big of a deal to me. I dunno.
That's nonsense. She's a writer. If she's not supposed to write about her interests, what should she write about? There's a big difference between posting an article on a Website and spouting an unsolicited opinion to every Tom, Dick and Harry who wanders by, after all.
That's probably the easiest way, I'll grant you that. But living in fear of being judged by others to the extent that you conceal a part of yourself hardly strikes me as the "best solution". Furthermore, to be clear, she did not seek those reactions. People chose to react the way they did.
Mocking people based on your own misconceptions about something they like is hardly something that should be excused as "prerogative". Personal attacks should never be excused regardless of motivation. You're basically just rationalizing bullying by blaming the victim.
I hide mine.
Only one Real Life person knows about my Snape fanfic and only in here does anyone know if my Picard one.
Nicely said! I myself have been writing fanfic for about a little over 10 years now, and have experienced sort of both ends of the reaction chain from others.I read the article, and it's well-written. For myself, I had the opposite experience. I never tried to write fan fiction and, while I didn't pooh-pooh anyone who did, I never thought of it as "real" writing. This past February, my husband convinced me to try to write one, because I had a ST TNG story writing itself in my head, unbidden, and he said if I wrote and posted it, it could clear my brain.
Anyone else who I told, whether friends or family, was encouraging and supportive!
In doing so, I became a better writer, I think. So, worse comes to worst, if someone is snorting at fan fiction or making you feel ashamed, just say "It keeps me in practice and makes me a better writer."
