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[chaosy.livejournal.com]

Hi, remember me? I'm the girl who needs help with her homework. 
The other day, a friend asked me a question about fan fic that I wasn't prepared to answer: 
Why do people write fan fiction instead of writing their own stories with original characters?
So, to all you writers out there, why do you write fan fic?

Comments

[it-glitters.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I started writing fan fic because while I had no problems with plot (or at least in my mind I don't...) I couldn't create characters. Characters take a lot of time to create, they need history and personalities. And I just didn't have the patience or the skill to do that yet. With fan fic, you have something already with a base. Granted, you don't know every little thing about them, but you have enough information already from the show (movie, book, etc) to make logical conclusions about their history and actions.

In my case, I've started working on original fic because of it, but I needed the time to learn how to write fiction to some extent. Now that I have a base in fan fic, I have more of an idea about what has to go into a character.

It's not to say that fan fic is easy and original fic is hard. Just in my case, my problems were with creating original characters. Fan fic gives you a base that you can go off of. And not only that, it's fun, because a show or a book can never give you everything that you want. They can't be with the characters 24 hours a day, but your mind can. It opens up creative channels and makes you think about something that you never necessarily would. It's like a springboard.

[frukost.livejournal.com]

I think part of it is frustration with the direction taken by a show (or whatever else it may be) that I already know and love. For example, if I was unsatisfied by or just plain hated a particular ending, I can rewrite it to my liking. If I want Character A and Character B to end up together instead of Characters A and X, I can write a story in which Character X suffers a horrible demise or perhaps never even existed at all. If I want the writers of the show to delve deeper into the past or psyche of a character, and it's obvious that they won't, I will write it for myself. It gives me a feeling of having more involvement and more control over my favorite TV series or movie or book.

Hopefully this was helpful :)

[laureen.livejournal.com]

I agree with a lot of what other people have said. Having the chance to rewrite a portion of a story, or to explore different aspects of characters, or create other relationships is a very large portion of why I enjoy writing fan fiction as much as I do.

Having the characters already set up with a personality, and history can make things easier, but it can also make things more difficult because, well, the character has a personality and history!

Personally, I'm a student who is in a professional writing program. Some of my classes are in writing screenplays. I'm hoping to, eventually, write for a lot of the shows I love to watch. In a way, writing fan fiction is great experience for doing this. I'm forced to think about whether or not the characters I am using would react and behave the way I write them, and whether or not the story is interesting enough to be accepted as an episode.

That isn't to say that I don't write original fiction of course. I was writing original fiction for much longer than I have been writing fan fiction. However, I think a lot of writers who are writing both fan fiction and original fiction tend to post the fan fiction on the internet, and keep the original fiction hidden away because 1) it's not as popular for the average person surfing the internet, and 2) if the writer intends their original fiction to be published then posting it on the internet will prevent that from happening, or at the very least cause a lot of legal issues for the writer.

And hopefully that makes sense to you. Because it's late at night and I'm tired. *L* ^_^

[schizojuc.livejournal.com]

I write because slash is always subtext in my favourite shows and I like to make subtext text.

When I write het fics, it's because the writers of the shows are not giving me what I want so I create my own 'show'.

[gregisamazing.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with almost everything that has been said here so far. Now it's my turn xD!

I wrote original stories before I even considered writing fan-fiction, but I found it very difficult to establish a character with a personality that was comprehensive enough to support the story. Also even though there is a site for original writing you hardly ever get feedback- so you can't get the vital con/crit that'll help your writing improve.

When you write fan-fiction you get feedback a lot more, and you start learning new skills that can help with your original writing. Also you get involved with a community of people that think similarly to you- that specific characters belong together and that the show/book/movie is awesome. It's a nice way to make new friends whilst doing something you enjoy.

Not only all that, you get to put characters into situations that normally would seem odd in original writing- but are considered perfectly acceptable within a fandom. Also you can just write as the whim takes you, as you don't have to establish characters and settings, you can just purely write a plot... Or develop a plot found on the show/movie/book.

[wojo62.livejournal.com]

I think it's easier to write fanfic based on charactors that already exsit instead of making up my own. I stared out just reading slash fic and I learned alot from reading it, so much that I tried my hand at writing it and I was able to do it. I like fanfic because we can live out our Nick & Greg fantasies by writing it and because what the show lacks we can make up for.

[my-only-reason.livejournal.com]

Hello. I really like your question, and here is my answer. I'm a spanish writer of fanfiction and original fiction.
My opinion is just like everybody else here. Original fiction takes time. To everything. To create characters and their personalities. Plots and Places. A decent Storyline. But is something that is unique and amazing.
And fanfiction is easier, you have all: characters, personality...etc. I started reading slash and I liked it, and one day I decided to write a piece of fiction (anime, exactly). Later I left the anime for originals, (I create a serie ^_^!)..and now I write fanfiction ( Nick/Greg) because I love them and I like to improve my English. (Grammar mistakes are all mine..lol).
With this ship is easy because you can see the powerful chemistry between them..and I love happy endings!..lol.
Thank you.

[serenity151979.livejournal.com]

I like writing fanfic because I have a genuine interest in a certain path I would like a particular character to take. For instance, I write Nick/Greg slash because it's unlikely to become canon and yet there's so many fabulous stories to be told. So I don't wait around for someone else to write them, I do it myself.

And because they're not original characters the story doesn't get weighed down by pages of exposition. You can get straight into the story, because everyone in the fandom knows these characters.

I do hope to write an original novel someday though. And what I have learned in the fanfic world has given me the confidence to try it.

[clarrisani.livejournal.com]

I actually do have my own novel written and I do write my own original pieces. I even have a short story published. But the pure frustration lies in the fact that no one ever wants to give new authors a chance, and stick with their existing authors.

Fan fiction for me is a) a chance to perfect my own writing style and experiment with various devices and characters, and b) a chance to share my talent with others.

Why I pick particular fandoms isn't really a conscious choice. Often I'll have multiple stories circling in my head, but every so often I will be comfortable enough within a fandom to actually write for it. I tinker with scenes to the way I want them and believe they should have been, add scenes or stories, and expand upon existing worlds. In the case of CSI, I know Nick/Greg will never be canon, but I'd love to see it canon. Thus, here I be, writing fics. :p

Fan fiction is actually harder to write than original fiction. With original fiction everything is up to you - the world, the setting, the characters, etc. In fan fiction you are writing for an existing world with existing fans who are often critical of not only your writing style, but the way you handle the characters and situations. You have to be thick skinned to move through fandoms and become an established and veteran fan fiction writer (been writing for 13 years myself, and I'm only 22!).

And, of course, I write for the pleasure. Any writing is pleasureable, but theres just something... special, about putting out a good fic and knowing people enjoy it.