Miss Peregrine Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I know what it is but I don't get it. Why? Not snarky, curious. One of my DDs likes to write it and I was dismayed. But I am not sure why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Writing your own episodes in a favorite environment. I've written/read Batman fan fic Star Trek (TOS) Xena Buffy Harry Potter Pern I know Elfquest had fanfic as well. Its going a step farther than playing in someone else's world. Its trying to write characters that stay "true to form" It is coming up with plots, etc. Two of my fellow Pern fan fiction authors in one group I was in are now published writers of their own worlds/books. Edited November 18, 2011 by vonfirmath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) I've only written fanfic a couple of times for the heck of it, but I know people who are into it and I've occasionally gone through a spurt of reading it online. It's just fun. You get to get extra episodes, novels, movies, whatever that show your favorite characters doing things the way you want. And there's a huge community there too - people comment, discuss, imagine. It's a subset of fandom and fandom can be fun. People who want to geek out with you about your favorite thing - who don't want to groan when you want to go over exactly what was meant by that glance or that word in that chapter or episode, who don't think you're a freak for knowing all the lines. ETA: One more thought, which is that unlike when you're writing your own dream novel or project and you're sort of in isolation unless you have a critique group, fanfic feedback and support is so much more immediate. There are ways to find that when you're writing, but with fanfic, the community is already there and there are automatically people lined up to read your Glee short story or your Vampire Diaries novel. It's much more gratifying to write when people are excited to read. Edited November 18, 2011 by farrarwilliams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 It's turned my DD into a writer so that makes me happy! :D I think it scratches an itch for some people. They can satisfy themselves with more stories for their favorite characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 You can "fix" all the things the Powers that Be do to mess with your favorite characters. :001_smile: Plus, you have an online community of fans that recognizes the characters and can give quick feedback on your writing. In the community I belonged to there were several writers that went on to write original fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 There have been a few big book deals out of the fanfic world. And in smaller fanfic communities for genre fiction, sometimes the actual author is involved in the fanfic community and will even mentor writers and help them break in and get published. Of course, that's not the norm, but it does happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 It's not a bad way to stretch your writing legs and see if you got what it takes to go further. Several notable SF writers started with fanfic or a version thereof. Some scriptwriters start out that way, too. The only thing that dismays me about fanfic is when it veers into slash. I would supervise what your dd looks up regarding fanfic (if she's also reading it) because there is a LOT of slash out there even when you're looking for regular innocent fanfic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I know what it is but I don't get it. Why? Not snarky, curious. One of my DDs likes to write it and I was dismayed. But I am not sure why. You might want to really think about why it bothers you. think of it as developing her writing skills with a set of characters/environment she is comfortable with and doesn't have to think about. she has character parameters she needs to adhere to, plot development, etc. It can be, and she can focuse on, good development for writing fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdalley Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I have read and written some fan fic. I was always inventing characters to go along with my favorite stories and TV shows and movies as a kid. I was surprised when I discovered I wasn't the only one who continued the stories in my head. I don't see anything wrong with it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Ds is writing fanfic for NaNoWriMo right now. It is based on the video game series Zelda. He is writing about then next generation. It is based around the son of Link (the main character in all the games). I think the attraction is that there is already a back story written for you. All of his characters are new, but the world and it's creatures are already created. He just has to create new characters and a story line. Ds is obsessive by nature and the world of Zelda is an obsession. Being able to go there and create something new at the same time is total joy for him. As far as I'm concerned, he is writing and loving it. What could be wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Homer wrote fan fic ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Homer wrote fan fic ;) So, fanfic based on the Iliad or Odyssey would be meta! And, yes, I've found some based on the Iliad. It was pretty atrocious. Then again, I didn't like the Iliad in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 It's not a bad way to stretch your writing legs and see if you got what it takes to go further. Several notable SF writers started with fanfic or a version thereof. Some scriptwriters start out that way, too. The only thing that dismays me about fanfic is when it veers into slash. I would supervise what your dd looks up regarding fanfic (if she's also reading it) because there is a LOT of slash out there even when you're looking for regular innocent fanfic. Audrey, "slash" in fanfic refers specifically to fanfic of a homoerotic nature. It started way back with original series Star Trek fanfic. Think Kirk/Spock. That little slash took on a genre of its own. Is it specifically homoerotic fanfic you are wanting to avoid (assuming there is no overt homosexual relationship in the text) or are you referring to sexually explicit fanfic of all kinds? The only reason I point it out is that I don't want parents only on alert for the term 'slash'. I don't think kids should have access to any sexually explicit fanfic and adults should know what it is called. It is frequently referred to as "lemons" in a story (as in, "Warning, this chapter has lemons.") or a few other things. Usually 'Genfic' is a safe place. Genfic stands for 'general fiction'. And FTR, I don't give a fig what you adults are reading. And fanfic is a great way to learn how to write. When I was in college, it was routine to be assigned to rewrite a story in the style of Hemingway or Welty etc. If you don't have to come up with new characters etc it can let a new writer focus on learning how to write dialogue etc. In fact, you will see many, many YA writers (JK Rowling, Neil Gaiman come to mind) urging their young fans to continue their stories in whatever way the young people like. I like fanfic because I like to see what a talented writer (and there are many out there) can do with what happens in the spaces between the lines. I am occasionally disappointed, most often mildly amused and entertained and sometimes, lucky enough to be brought up short by a really good storyteller. Reading it has taught me a lot of respect for the craft and art of writing. To produce consistently good work is very challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Audrey, "slash" in fanfic refers specifically to fanfic of a homoerotic nature. It started way back with original series Star Trek fanfic. Think Kirk/Spock. That little slash took on a genre of its own. Is it specifically homoerotic fanfic you are wanting to avoid (assuming there is no overt homosexual relationship in the text) or are you referring to sexually explicit fanfic of all kinds? The only reason I point it out is that I don't want parents only on alert for the term 'slash'. I don't think kids should have access to any sexually explicit fanfic and adults should know what it is called. It is frequently referred to as "lemons" in a story (as in, "Warning, this chapter has lemons.") or a few other things. Usually 'Genfic' is a safe place. Genfic stands for 'general fiction'. I am very well aware of what slash refers to, which is why I mentioned it. My reason for pointing it out to the OP is because there is a LOT of it out there when you are looking for fanfic, and it is not appropriate for children (she was asking about her 10yo dd). There are myriad code words and acronyms used in fanfic and slash fic that are NOT easily decodeable unless you are already into that world. So, a warning of "lemons" means nothing to a child or parent just browsing for fanfic. The internet is full of surprising things that are inappropriate for children. I'm merely mentioning it to the OP to caution her as she already has concerns about fanfic in general. FWIW, I don't care what adults read or write either. I do care that a mother and child might inadvertently run into something they hadn't bargained for, and feel they should be aware of these potential surprises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 It's not a bad way to stretch your writing legs and see if you got what it takes to go further. Several notable SF writers started with fanfic or a version thereof. Some scriptwriters start out that way, too. The only thing that dismays me about fanfic is when it veers into slash. I would supervise what your dd looks up regarding fanfic (if she's also reading it) because there is a LOT of slash out there even when you're looking for regular innocent fanfic. DS, 13 stumbled upon this yesterday and was very upset. He was crying and we had a good talk about it. He was honestly surprised that it was there(and it was very, very graphic) :( He clicked right off and told me about so that's good, but *sigh* I was so mad and upset I told both of them no more fanfic. DD, 15 said she only writes it. I just feel so bad for him. He is so sweet and this really upset him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 Audrey, I just replied before I read your second post. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 I think my last paragraph was confusing but I'm on the iPad and i don't feel like editing. DD, 15 like to write it. DS, 13 liked to read it. I did not now this part. He told me after he found the yuckiness. What I meant to say was that I forbid them from reading or writing it and sharing it online because of the atmosphere. It was a knee- jerk reaction so I was wondering if I had been too hasty. Thank you for all the benefits and positives to this kind of writing. I actually like to be tortured about the what-ifs, the unknowns and between the lines about a book so I truly did not understand the draw. I can see how it can be a positive thing in developing writing skills. I will thnk about it more. Above all, I want my kids to be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I am very well aware of what slash refers to, which is why I mentioned it. My reason for pointing it out to the OP is because there is a LOT of it out there when you are looking for fanfic, and it is not appropriate for children (she was asking about her 10yo dd). There are myriad code words and acronyms used in fanfic and slash fic that are NOT easily decodeable unless you are already into that world. So, a warning of "lemons" means nothing to a child or parent just browsing for fanfic. The internet is full of surprising things that are inappropriate for children. I'm merely mentioning it to the OP to caution her as she already has concerns about fanfic in general. FWIW, I don't care what adults read or write either. I do care that a mother and child might inadvertently run into something they hadn't bargained for, and feel they should be aware of these potential surprises. I was more concerned when you only mentioned the word 'slash' that maybe you yourself were only on alert for the word 'slash.' I am not questioning your concern for kids or anything at all. I wasn't challenging you. And I mentioned 'lemons' for exactly that same reason. It looks so harmless... Crunchymountainmama, I am so, so sorry. I really am. I know there are sites out there that are for young writers and readers but I don't know what they are called. I also know some sites let you filter by ratings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 (edited) My son 12 has been writing fan fiction for a while now and he has notebooks full. He's being creative and blending different characters from movies and his video games. He's even doing a story blog and it's helped his typing ability as well. I'm all for it. It's helping your daughter learn how to write and establishing a good habit as well. Check it out. http://www.jamesfanzone.blogspot.com/ He's not involved in any of the online sites. Edited November 19, 2011 by Mytwoblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I don't think there's anything wrong with fanfic; it seems akin, to me, to the times when our teachers would say, "Envision a different ending to X story that we read and write it." Shoot, my 9yo creates fanfic when she makes up pretend scenarios involving any of her favorite characters -- sometimes she's playing Leia Organa Solo and ropes her littlest brothers into playing Jacen and Anakin Solo and her other brother into being Brother Luke who has stopped by to visit his nephews. Sometimes she's Queen Susan and the boys are Kings Peter and Edmund, and they're inventing a Narnia scenario that Lewis apparently forgot. And so on. Put it all on paper, and it's fanfic. :) Seems to me to be a good way for a writer to get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 For the record, slash simply refers to a same-sex pairing. It does not HAVE to be explicit, any more than a story featuring a straight pairing has to be explicit. One can find slash stories that are sweet and romantic, and het stories that are basically porn with known characters. And yes, genfic stands for general fiction - which doesn't mean a straight pairing, but rather no pairing (that is, couples may be together in the story if that's canon, but the pairing is incidental, it's not what the story is about, and there is no sex in genfic). Honestly, I've visited many fan fic sites, and the ones that feature explicit stories have always been, well, explicit about that fact. Stories are generally rated, and the ones with controversial themes generally have warnings. Yes, the warnings can be unclear if you don't know the lingo, but most sites have a description of the site in general, and then a listing of terms used. If they don't, adults can google the specific lingo in the warning; kids should probably just shy away from sites that feature warnings or lingo they don't understand. Once you know what the special hell is, there's no erasing that knowledge from your mind :tongue_smilie: Kids won't run into that stuff if they stay on moderated and/or rating limited sites. There are plenty of them! I can't give specific links, because it depends on what fandom they are interested in. You have to do a bit of research and then check out the sites that look promising. My kids only fic on moderated sites right now. If they had a particular interest that didn't have a moderated site, I would consider a rating limited site, but that hasn't come up yet. fwiw, moderated or rating limited doesn't necessarily mean there is no slash. Slash is generally expected to be specified in the summary, but whatever is acceptable for a straight couple (at a certain rating) is likewise acceptable for a slash couple. If you want a site that doesn't allow slash at all, you would specifically have to check that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 It's turned my DD into a writer so that makes me happy! :D I think it scratches an itch for some people. They can satisfy themselves with more stories for their favorite characters. :iagree: DD was a very reluctant writer, but this was a game changer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 (edited) For the record, slash simply refers to a same-sex pairing. It does not HAVE to be explicit, any more than a story featuring a straight pairing has to be explicit. One can find slash stories that are sweet and romantic, and het stories that are basically porn with known characters. And yes, genfic stands for general fiction - which doesn't mean a straight pairing, but rather no pairing (that is, couples may be together in the story if that's canon, but the pairing is incidental, it's not what the story is about, and there is no sex in genfic). Honestly, I've visited many fan fic sites, and the ones that feature explicit stories have always been, well, explicit about that fact. Stories are generally rated, and the ones with controversial themes generally have warnings. Yes, the warnings can be unclear if you don't know the lingo, but most sites have a description of the site in general, and then a listing of terms used. If they don't, adults can google the specific lingo in the warning; kids should probably just shy away from sites that feature warnings or lingo they don't understand. Once you know what the special hell is, there's no erasing that knowledge from your mind :tongue_smilie: Kids won't run into that stuff if they stay on moderated and/or rating limited sites. There are plenty of them! I can't give specific links, because it depends on what fandom they are interested in. You have to do a bit of research and then check out the sites that look promising. My kids only fic on moderated sites right now. If they had a particular interest that didn't have a moderated site, I would consider a rating limited site, but that hasn't come up yet. fwiw, moderated or rating limited doesn't necessarily mean there is no slash. Slash is generally expected to be specified in the summary, but whatever is acceptable for a straight couple (at a certain rating) is likewise acceptable for a slash couple. If you want a site that doesn't allow slash at all, you would specifically have to check that. Thanks, katilac. I just had a discussion with DD about why she s attracted to it. She gave all the reasons you guys listed. :D I talked to her about starting a blog. Mytwoblessings, I will check out your son's site. I had no idea there were moderated sites for this. FWIW,she likes to write about anime, like Full Metal Alchemist. Edited November 19, 2011 by Miss Peregrine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Dd writes Hunger Games fan fiction. She's very active on the Stacks Hunger Games message board and posts it there. She's currently writing a book telling Johanna's story. I think she just likes to think about the "rest of the story" and wonders how it would be. She likes posting to the board and getting feed back from others as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Stories on a lot of fanfic sites are rated. Your ds just needs to make sure he has looked at the rating before he clicks on the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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