Playing in someone else's sandbox

[serafina20]

Fanfiction allows us to do what we love to do without the stresses of original fiction. This isn't to say that original fiction isn't fun and satisfying. It probably is, in some ways, *more* satisfying just because, when you're done, you have this unique and original world all your own. And that's pretty cool.

But fanfiction is so much more immediately satisfying. It's fun to write, even when it's not, it's fun to think about, even when it's not, and it's fun to read. It gives us something either we want from the show, movie, or book we're riffing off of, or allows us to explore the infinite possibilities.

It's also, for myself at least, a lot easier to write. I've tried to think about why, and figure it out, but it's always sort of eluded me. I mean, I'm doing the same thing, right? Creating a story using characters, plot, and setting. What's the difference?

The difference is, of course, with fanfiction, I'm playing in somebody else's sandbox. And that's why it's so much easier.

When I’m playing in my own sandbox, there's tons more to do. First, I have to build the sandbox. I have to figure out the dimensions, the material I'm going to use, and where to put it. I have to decide what sort of sand to put in, and how much. Then I need to figure out what sorts of toys to buy. How many? What are their purpose? What do they do? How do they do it? Where do they do it? How do I use they toys together? Are they compatible? Are they toys that can't play together no matter what? Should I use them? Should I have toys that I won't use that much, or just concentrate on the main toys? And then I have to decided color and size and weight and what kind of cases they go in. I have to decide if they're good toys or bad toys, and what kinds of likes and dislikes the toys have. I have to set limits on the toys; what are they good at and what are they bad at.

There's tons to do before I can start on the story part (she says, switching metaphors). And I always sort of get bogged down in all that. In fanfiction, a lot of it is already taken care of. I know the size and dimensions of my sandbox. I know the setting and the limits and personalities of the characters. I can check what I'm doing against canon and fanon interpretations. I can concentrate on the *story* which, to me, is the fun part, and sort of float along the rest. And it makes is so much more fun and, in a lot of ways, more satisfying.


Oh, and I've learned a new word:

glabrous--(adj) smooth, having a surface without hairs, projectison, or any unevenness. In other words, Lex Luthor.

Comments

[mayphoenix.livejournal.com]

Through the years I've come to find that readers of fanfic are MUCH more critical and less tolerant of errors than of profic. We used to publish an anthology fanzine featuring the works of several writers. I will NEVER forget how someone once wrote to inform us, in SEVERAL typewritten pages, that there were no mountains in Kiev, therefore Illya (Man from UNCLE) could not have gone skiing there as a boy. And that he used to ski as a boy was a PASSING COMMENT made by the character during the course of a conversation and had NOTHING to do with the overall story or plot (which was excellent, if I recall). Talk about nitpicking...the writer, as I recall, was greatly embarrassed and didn't write much again after that. Which is very sad.

Sometimes I wonder if fans aren't so overly critical about the little details because they love the fandom so much, they want to see it treated with total respect and cannot bear to see it portrayed with any flaws.

As someone who has written original fic AND fan fic, I will say this: I never got a tenth of the feedback on the original stuff that I got on the fannish, and I'm talking criticism. I guess when it's original, people figure they can't argue with YOUR creation, but when it's fannish it sorta belongs to EVERYONE and therefore folks are more apt to become protective and concerned about the "proper" representation and preservation of "their" characters. So in a way, it's NOT easier to write fanfic -- it's HARDER, because you have so many judges to impress and please. :)

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

So in a way, it's NOT easier to write fanfic -- it's HARDER, because you have so many judges to impress and please. :)

See, I just don't agree. For every 200 pages of orignal fic I wrote last year, I wrote over a thousand of fan fic. I think that, because of the audience and criticism and feedback, it becomes easier for me. Now, I tend not to be criticised all that much in fan fic. And the few that do are generally so inflammatory (most "con crit" I've gotten hasn't been on the story, but rather on me, and for every one person who doesn't like the way the story went, there are twenty who do) I don't let it worry me too much. I'm much more motivated to write fan fic, I do it a lot more, and as much as I love my orignal stories and characters, it's so much harder to write, I don't devote as much time.

[sabershadowkat.livejournal.com]

Fandom fen are more critical, but writing fanfiction is easier, as you stated. Your reasoning is the exact whyfor that I write fanfic - you get the tell the stories (the good part) without having to build a complete universe. Plus, the fact that the people reading fanfiction can see the characters, know what they look like and how they act, what cities and buildings and homes look like, and the interactions of the people within the fanficverse.

I'm proud to be a fanfic writer and get annoyed with those who ask me "But why don't you write something real? Why don't you try and get published?" I know that you know the answer to those questions - because we're having fun and that's the whole purpose to a hobby, isn't it?

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

And for me it's not really an either/or thing. My original fic is only written when it's fun for me. L ately, it hasn't been, so i haven't been writing it. Fanfic is a lot more cathartic. I get to *write* and be *read* and it's fun. Even when people get critical. ;)

I'm going to FB the next part of Infinite possiblities, btw. I've decided to read the whole series again first. It's been fun. :)

[echoskeleton.livejournal.com]

I've heard several people say that fanfic is easier to write, and while I understand their reasoning, I'm always surprised. I find it *much* more difficult (if usually more purely fun) than profic. Mostly because you have to work within very close perimeters. I need to write Clark and Lex like Clark and Lex, with nearly no room for error. If the characters were my own, there'd be more room for both error and innovation. Here I have to remain true to someone else's ideas, which is considerably more difficult. It also means that I have to supply a concrete plot, or risk the reader's losing interest. In original fic, I feel more free to be cerebral, but with fanfic I feel like that would be a total cop-out.

I'm guessing all this ties to different types of intelligence, and different strengths. I'm better at imagining ideas than making things work, which is more what fanfics about. Which is probably why it's good I'm writing it (though I'm really not writing it as a way to 'improve' as a writer.. that attitude bothers me for complicated reasons that I'd prefer not to get into), as it makes me work on my weak points.