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Fandom History & Inspiration Meme - Day 13
Day 13 – Do you prefer canon or fanon when you write? Has writing fanfic for a fandom changed the way you see some or even all of the original source material?
Let's take these questions one at a time, shall we? First of all - CANON ALL THE WAY. I absolutely, positively do not see the point of being in a fandom if all you care about is the fanon. If all you ever read is fanon. If all you ever WRITE is fanon. Just, no. I'm not as much of a canon stickler as some people, but to me, canon is the thing. That's why we're here, that's what drew us in in the first place, and it should always be the anchoring rock.
Not to say that fanon doesn't have its place - it can be a lot of fun, and sometimes expand canon in ways that are intriguing, but all too often, that's not the case. IY fandom is especially notorious for this. Terrible OOC characterization of, well, pretty much all the main characters (even when they're in canon pairings), mating marks, Sesshoumaru's castle, stereotypical youkai - just, ugh. RT gave us such an amazing world to play in, and such beautiful, layered, complex characters, it seems a shame to waste all of that for something far more generic and cookie-cutter.
A couple of my other fandoms have a bit more wiggle room, but even there, I much prefer reading about characters in some version of the canon universe. That's what I'm interested in - not the characters remade to the point where I barely recognize them, in a completely alien world. Maybe that makes me a snob, but so be it. The sandbox is big enough for everyone to play in :)
As for the second part - the only time fanfic or fandom has changed my perception of canon is when it comes to shipping subtext. It's not always obvious in canon (or written into the story, if its actors with chemistry to spare), so its fun to study and speculate sometimes. Elements of Stacy in Bloom have become fanon for KI fandom, which is flattering :) but I'm not sure how much reading that story is influencing the audience, because most of the people who have told me they read it were fans of the show and already shipped the characters :P But it's always nice to hear that your stories have become personal canon for a reader - I take that as a pretty high compliment, because it means my work fits seamlessly into the canon world.
Previous....
Day 1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
Day 2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Day 3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Day 4 – Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
Day 5 – If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Day 6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
Day 7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Day 8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Day 9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Day 10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Day 11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Day 12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Upcoming....
Day 14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
Day 15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Day 16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
Day 17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Day 18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Day 20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Day 21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Day 22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Day 24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Day 25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Day 26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Day 28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Day 29 – What is your current project or projects?
Day 30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
Let's take these questions one at a time, shall we? First of all - CANON ALL THE WAY. I absolutely, positively do not see the point of being in a fandom if all you care about is the fanon. If all you ever read is fanon. If all you ever WRITE is fanon. Just, no. I'm not as much of a canon stickler as some people, but to me, canon is the thing. That's why we're here, that's what drew us in in the first place, and it should always be the anchoring rock.
Not to say that fanon doesn't have its place - it can be a lot of fun, and sometimes expand canon in ways that are intriguing, but all too often, that's not the case. IY fandom is especially notorious for this. Terrible OOC characterization of, well, pretty much all the main characters (even when they're in canon pairings), mating marks, Sesshoumaru's castle, stereotypical youkai - just, ugh. RT gave us such an amazing world to play in, and such beautiful, layered, complex characters, it seems a shame to waste all of that for something far more generic and cookie-cutter.
A couple of my other fandoms have a bit more wiggle room, but even there, I much prefer reading about characters in some version of the canon universe. That's what I'm interested in - not the characters remade to the point where I barely recognize them, in a completely alien world. Maybe that makes me a snob, but so be it. The sandbox is big enough for everyone to play in :)
As for the second part - the only time fanfic or fandom has changed my perception of canon is when it comes to shipping subtext. It's not always obvious in canon (or written into the story, if its actors with chemistry to spare), so its fun to study and speculate sometimes. Elements of Stacy in Bloom have become fanon for KI fandom, which is flattering :) but I'm not sure how much reading that story is influencing the audience, because most of the people who have told me they read it were fans of the show and already shipped the characters :P But it's always nice to hear that your stories have become personal canon for a reader - I take that as a pretty high compliment, because it means my work fits seamlessly into the canon world.
Previous....
Day 1 - How did you first get into writing fanfic, and what was the first fandom you wrote for? What do you think it was about that fandom that pulled you in?
Day 2 – Name the fandoms you've written in, and how much you've written in that fandom, and if you still write in it.
Day 3 - For each of the fandoms from day two, what were your favorite characters to write?
Day 4 – Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?
Day 5 – If you have ever had a character try to push their way into a fic, whether your "muse" or not, what did you do about it?
Day 6 – When you write, do you prefer writing male or female characters?
Day 7 – Have you ever had a fic change your opinion of a character?
Day 8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Day 9 – Pairings – For each of the fandoms from day two, what are your three favorite pairings to write?
Day 10 – Pairings – Have you ever gone outside your comfort zone and written a pairing you liked, but found you couldn't write, or a pairing you didn't like, and found you could?
Day 11 – Genre – do you prefer certain genres of fic when you're writing? What kind do you tend to write most?
Day 12 – Have you ever attempted an "adaptation" fic of a favorite book or movie but set in a different fandom?
Upcoming....
Day 14 – Ratings – how high are you comfortable with going? Have you ever written higher? If you're comfortable with NC-17, have you ever been shocked by finding that the story you're writing is G-rated instead?
Day 15 – Warnings – What do you feel it most important to warn for, and what's the strangest thing you've warned for in a fic?
Day 16 – Summaries – Do you like them or hate them? How do you come up with them, if you use them?
Day 17 – Titles – Are they the bane of your existence, or the easiest part of the fic? Also, if you do chaptered fic, do you give each chapter a title, or not?
Day 18 – Where do you get the most inspiration for your fics (aka "bunnies") from?
Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
Day 20 –Do you ever get bunnied from other people's stories or art in the same fandom?
Day 21 – Sequels – Have you ever written a sequel to a fic you wrote, and if so, why, and if not, how do you feel about sequels?
Day 22 – Have you ever participated in a fest or a Big Bang? If so, write about your favorite experience in relation to one. If not, are there any you've thought about doing? And if not, why not?
Day 23 – When you post, where do you post to? Just your journal? Just an archive? Your own personal site?
Day 24 – Betaing – How many betas do you like to use to make sure there aren't any major flaws in your fic? Do you have a Beta horror story or dream story?
Day 25 – Music – Do you listen to music while you write? Do you make playlists to get into a certain "mood" to write your fic? Do you need noise in general? Or do you need it completely quiet?
Day 26 – What is the oddest (or funnest) thing you've had to research for a fic?
Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Day 28 – Have you ever collaborated with anyone else, whether writing together, or having an artist work on a piece about your fic?
Day 29 – What is your current project or projects?
Day 30 – Do you have a favorite fic you've written? What makes it your favorite? And don't forget to give us a link!
no subject
I think over time though, you're more able to identify those red flags of fanon and work your way around it, or put a new spin on things.
Elements of Stacy in Bloom have become fanon for KI fandom, which is flattering
That's actually really cool! :)
no subject
That's actually really cool! :)
It's a little surreal, but it is kinda cool that most of the KI fans who have expressed an opinion to me about my work seem to enjoy it :)
no subject
Fanon has pretty much taken over in the Captain Planet fandom. Any fics which actually show the canon characters for who they really are end up being shunned. The most popular fics have wild, OOC bullshit sprinkled all through them. Depressing. :(
no subject
Oh, ugh. That's depressing to hear! I think especially with smaller or less well-known fandoms, it's imperative not to fall into the fanon trap ~ because anybody who doesn't share that fanon will feel unwelcome. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I don't explore more fandoms for shows I enjoy, because I have very little patience for it. If I'm into something enough to want a fandom for it, then I want to see the characters I already love in a form that I recognize, LOL. Anything less and I'm out the door.
no subject
no subject