Is fanfiction a waste of time?

[Naruzeldamaster]

Ahhh. Sonic. What a...community. XD

I'm only a casual enjoyer of the games xD the internet still treats us sonic fans like everyone's as crazy as chris chan. (though even the few sane sonic fans know this isn't the case)
Though to be fair, it's not like some of us are doing the fanbase any favors on that front lol even if nobody is really anywhere near chris chan's level of nonsense.

I don't think I would be upset with fan fiction, but I am not sure I would feed it either. Kind of seems a foray for a younger crowd to me. But, it would be nice to know you had permeated enough of the culture to get people writing ships and stuff.

I wouldn't 'feed' fanfiction either (as in, explicitly write content into my series to GET people writing fanfiction, especially shipping which is a whole other can of worms) but I don't think I'd mind it existing. I got started writing by writing fanfiction pretty early on in middle school so I'd be pretty amused if my silly stories encouraged young writers to write their own content using my sandbox. I figure if it's popular enough to see a good bit of it's audience writing fanfiction about it, then I must be doing something right.
Edit: either that, or I'm doing something horribly wrong considering there's an entire genre of fanfiction centered around 'fixing' badly written plot points.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Meaning that it's possible that story features can be ripped off from fanfics, and that can result in being sued. You can't copywrite ideas, but you can copywrite the details.

Part of it is the legal side of it. Though that's mainly because it's a big unknown. I think it would most likely work out fine, from a legal perspective. However, I think the bigger problem is the reputational side. As a big name author you don't want to be accused of stealing your ideas from your fans and plagiarizing their stories. The reputational damage could be a lot bigger than the legal one. So it's safer to simply stay away from it all.

And our readers are all perverts. Every single one. Rabid, fanatical perverts

Wait a minute. I've read one of your books...

 

[Fyri]

As a big name author you don't want to be accused of stealing your ideas from your fans and plagiarizing their stories.

Well, on that front, I think it's unavoidable whether you read the thing or not. People can find a vague connection and accuse you any time, though I can see how it would be a little messier if you did in fact read their story.

I'm constantly torn between fear of people stealing my work and wanting people to be able to see parts of my work that isn't published yet. I hold to the "as soon as it is written down, it is technically, legally copywritten by you" and if I can also manage to prove the date I wrote it down (which would be before it existed in a stolen form), than I feel more secure. I try not to think about the procedures and costs to prove these things because it is a slippery slope to paralyzing anxiety of something that is unlikely to happen to me right now. XD

I'm only a casual enjoyer of the games xD the internet still treats us sonic fans like everyone's as crazy as chris chan. (though even the few sane sonic fans know this isn't the case)
Though to be fair, it's not like some of us are doing the fanbase any favors on that front lol even if nobody is really anywhere near chris chan's level of nonsense.

I'm a casual enjoyer in general, and I don't even know who Chris Chan is. XD I do know about that one dream game though. Dis. turb. ing. XD

I wouldn't 'feed' fanfiction either (as in, explicitly write content into my series to GET people writing fanfiction, especially shipping which is a whole other can of worms) but I don't think I'd mind it existing. I got started writing by writing fanfiction pretty early on in middle school so I'd be pretty amused if my silly stories encouraged young writers to write their own content using my sandbox. I figure if it's popular enough to see a good bit of it's audience writing fanfiction about it, then I must be doing something right.
Edit: either that, or I'm doing something horribly wrong considering there's an entire genre of fanfiction centered around 'fixing' badly written plot points.

I would love if it existed! I love roleplaying myself and playing with my characters in noncanon scenarios to see how they'd fare and also to help me get to know their character more. I want my books to inspire a community for roleplay too, because I fell in love with writing due to Warrior Cats, Pokemon, and Avatar roleplays. Of course, it is not my main purpose, but it would definitely make me feel like I accomplished a goal in life. XD To see others so in love or comforted by my creation that they want to keep living there a little longer, whether by roleplay or fanfics. I want to create a place in my world and characters where people can be happy and feel safe.

Of course, first, I have to figure out how to make the drafts for each book titled something like "Dumpster Trash Wheee!" XD

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I'm a casual enjoyer in general, and I don't even know who Chris Chan is. XD I do know about that one dream game though. Dis. turb. ing. XD

How the heck do you enjoy sonic and not know about Chris Chan? The man's a legend (for all the wrong reasons, there's multiple documentaries about the guy) though to be fair all the chaos around him has kind of blown over/been forgotten. But look him up if you're curious, be prepared, cause that one dream game got nothin on him lol On one hand, the guy clearly had some mental problems, but on the other, he's not entirely innocent either.
Also which dream game? lol there's like two that I know of (one isn't really a dream) I'm pretty sure I know which one you mean tho ._.

I would love if it existed! I love roleplaying myself and playing with my characters in noncanon scenarios to see how they'd fare and also to help me get to know their character more. I want my books to inspire a community for roleplay too, because I fell in love with writing due to Warrior Cats, Pokemon, and Avatar roleplays. Of course, it is not my main purpose, but it would definitely make me feel like I accomplished a goal in life. XD To see others so in love or comforted by my creation that they want to keep living there a little longer, whether by roleplay or fanfics. I want to create a place in my world and characters where people can be happy and feel safe.

Of course, first, I have to figure out how to make the drafts for each book titled something like "Dumpster Trash Wheee!" XD

Same here about the title thing. For one of my titles in a joke project, I'm thinking of calling it 'A silly story that's purely for the author please don't read'
Mostly because there's a couple of games (and more than a few manga) with similar title, with the most striking one being a comedy point and click called 'There Is No Game' I won't spoil the plot of that game (Because that's half of the joke and explaining it would ruin said joke) but it's pretty good.

My only concern about fanfiction, I'm fine with like 99% of it, but because of rule 34, I'm cautious of reading any of it for my own works if they get to that point. Given the kind of magic that some of my characters can use, the rule 34 potential is insane (basically any story with shape shifters of any sort, now that I think of it) My characters actually joke about the 'potential' of that magic in the story. (one of them is silly that way) But I never write that stuff on screen as it were. Unless it's something normal ish like they need to be a giant to escape a jail cell. In that particular scene the female character (who is the one who becomes giant) has an idea. She picks the male lead up and puts him in her cleavage. There's a moment of awkward silence between the two. And the silence is broken by the male lead going 'huh, I don't get it' and the female lead responds with 'yeah, huh, the internet is weird'

 

[Fyri]

How the heck do you enjoy sonic and not know about Chris Chan? The man's a legend (for all the wrong reasons, there's multiple documentaries about the guy) though to be fair all the chaos around him has kind of blown over/been forgotten. But look him up if you're curious, be prepared, cause that one dream game got nothin on him lol On one hand, the guy clearly had some mental problems, but on the other, he's not entirely innocent either.
Also which dream game? lol there's like two that I know of (one isn't really a dream) I'm pretty sure I know which one you mean tho ._.

Hehehe, I stay on the outskirts of the fan community. I hear highlights from my siblings these days. Mostly I listen for when the game lore gets good again and/or when they release a Chao Garden like that of SA2B. All I remember from the dream thingy was... I think Amy got pregnant...with us? And there was a crib. And death? It was whack. *shudder*

'A silly story that's purely for the author please don't read'
Mostly because there's a couple of games (and more than a few manga) with similar title, with the most striking one being a comedy point and click called 'There Is No Game' I won't spoil the plot of that game (Because that's half of the joke and explaining it would ruin said joke) but it's pretty good.

I love this, and I think I've heard of that game actually!

My only concern about fanfiction, I'm fine with like 99% of it, but because of rule 34, I'm cautious of reading any of it for my own works if they get to that point. Given the kind of magic that some of my characters can use, the rule 34 potential is insane (basically any story with shape shifters of any sort, now that I think of it) My characters actually joke about the 'potential' of that magic in the story. (one of them is silly that way) But I never write that stuff on screen as it were. Unless it's something normal ish like they need to be a giant to escape a jail cell. In that particular scene the female character (who is the one who becomes giant) has an idea. She picks the male lead up and puts him in her cleavage. There's a moment of awkward silence between the two. And the silence is broken by the male lead going 'huh, I don't get it' and the female lead responds with 'yeah, huh, the internet is weird'

XD I think I see myself treating it as if my characters are celebrities and telling each other about stuff they find about each other. I hope to create an environment where it is expected that my characters react to fanfics, actually. XD It would be fun to have people start sending me stuff and I include responses or reactions in newsletters. Of course, these are just musings from a yet unpublished and very unknown writer with zero experience in the marketed/published world.

Part of me also wants to guess one of your characters is asexual, because I (asexual) agree. XD

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Hehehe, I stay on the outskirts of the fan community. I hear highlights from my siblings these days. Mostly I listen for when the game lore gets good again and/or when they release a Chao Garden like that of SA2B. All I remember from the dream thingy was... I think Amy got pregnant...with us? And there was a crib. And death? It was whack. *shudder*

I tend to stay away from the 'main' fanbase too, same for Xenoblade, and similarly popular games. I'll happily engage in casual discussion with the 'average' fan but the more 'dedicated' (I'm sure you know what I mean) ones? erm...let's just say it's best not to engage with those ones. (in any fandom, especially anime games) as for that dream game, yeah, that one is odd.

I love this, and I think I've heard of that game actually!

If you haven't checked it out, absolutely watch a playthrough of it or play it yourself. It's silly as hell but that's what makes it great.

XD I think I see myself treating it as if my characters are celebrities and telling each other about stuff they find about each other. I hope to create an environment where it is expected that my characters react to fanfics, actually. XD It would be fun to have people start sending me stuff and I include responses or reactions in newsletters. Of course, these are just musings from a yet unpublished and very unknown writer with zero experience in the marketed/published world.

Part of me also wants to guess one of your characters is asexual, because I (asexual) agree. XD

The female lead is a Kitsune, and while the kitsune in my story are fairly....loose with their perception of romance (it's not as black and white as humans, kind of part of the territory when it comes to long life species like the kitsune.) if they manage to bond with humans they tend to lean toward whatever preference matches their personality. Most of the time they spend 50 + years figuring it out, some figure it out right away when they meet the human (or humans) they bond with. Sometimes they don't care either way and just 'roll with it' and some others (like female lead) just go 'to hell with it' and decide right away, since you know, they live for thousands of years, they got way more time than humans to sort that stuff out. They also don't really have social media nonsense (both good and bad) to deal with like humans do, so that's also part of why there's hardly any of that external pressure regardless of how they 'swing' as it were, they do of course have preferences, but again, largely based on personality. Meiji (the female lead) is personally Bi, but she prefers males for the 'business' part of romance. The male lead is funny because he's well aware that she has 'kinks' but he has this whole 'clueless about that stuff' thing going on. Sometimes it's intentional (as in, pretending not to know to mess with her) but other times he's genuinely 'pure' about that stuff. Part of the joke is that she frequently tries to call him out on knowing what she's going for, but the times she calls him out are the times he literally has no clue.

If I were to have my characters do the sort of thing you mention (finding their fanmade content and talking about it/reacting to it) I think I'd make sure to make it a setting where that sort of thing makes narrative sense. The story I'm currently writing would work because it's sorta meta-humor-y but in a more serious story I don't know if it would work. I like the idea of news letters from fan questions and having the characters engage with them though, that seems like it'd be fun to do. And can be a fun way to answer audience questions about 'why didn't you do x at y plot point' and stuff like that.

 

[Fyri]

Right! I love the idea of engaging with fans. Like, I may be god of the world I created, but I'm also a geeky fan and I want to share laughs and nerdy conversation with them. I plan those kind of interactions to be considered "OOC" or non-canon stuff. Just for kicks and giggles. I also have the idea of people being able to directly ask a character something and I would respond as that character (or a different character for that character if that character hates the question). Like I said, I love roleplaying. XD AMA in newsletters kind of stuff.

 

[Penpilot]

Here's some food for thought. 10 books that started out as fan fiction.

10 books you didn't know started out as fan fiction, from 'Twilight' to 'Star Wars'-inspired stories

We rounded up 10 popular books and series that originally began as fan fiction, whether inspired by "Twilight," "Harry Potter," or "Star Wars."

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Rexenm]

Very true. And our readers are all perverts. Every single one. Rabid, fanatical perverts, and we love every one of them, because we are, too. It's a match made in Hell. lol

You know, fan fiction is probably closer to the truth, any who, we all kill for a good story.

The writers of Helluva Boss did this during one of their scenes, and that scene is hilariously on point, but it also wasn't insulting the people they were calling out.

hey yea, I love that show

Mostly I listen for when the game lore gets good again and/or when they release a Chao Garden like that of SA2B.

I have a doco on that, in my like playlist.

 

[Finchbearer]

I can only dream of having a load of fanfic and fan art made about my work! I would love to see any and all of it.

 

[Prince of Spires]

but because of rule 34

What is rule 34?

 

[Rexenm]

Maybe it’s like catch 22 or 15 seconds of fame.

 

[Fyri]

What is rule 34?

Assuming this is not a joke, rule 34 is basically "If it exists, there is porn of it on the internet."

 

[Finchbearer]

Assuming this is not a joke, rule 34 is basically "If it exists, there is porn of it on the internet."

I have never heard of that

 

[Finchbearer]

I have never heard of that

Shouldn’t it be rule 69 lol

 

[pmmg]

Think you have to get beyond the screen for that.

 

[Fyri]

Shouldn’t it be rule 69 lol

Well, now you have me wondering why it is called Rule 34. XD

 

[Fyri]

Here, have this. XD

Rule 34

Rule 34 is an internet adage in the "Rules of the Internet" list of protocols and conventions which asserts that "if something exists, there is porn of it." The humorous concept is commonly illustrated through fan art and fanfictions in which fictional TV and cartoon characters engage in sexual...

knowyourmeme.com

 

[Finchbearer]

Here, have this. XD

Rule 34

Rule 34 is an internet adage in the "Rules of the Internet" list of protocols and conventions which asserts that "if something exists, there is porn of it." The humorous concept is commonly illustrated through fan art and fanfictions in which fictional TV and cartoon characters engage in sexual...

knowyourmeme.com

This makes me feel old and I’m only in my thirties.

 

[BrittleBones]

What is rule 34?

Oh no.

I used to write fanfiction a LOT back in high school (including a novelized version of Ocarina of Time) but these days I don't get the itch to write it.
Sometimes I have a fanfiction idea that I can file off the 'serials' and make it an original work. which is fine, and works most of the time.
Other times, not so much, those times that particular story idea only works in that fanfiction setting (whatever world it is) and I'm not entirely sure when or if I should bother writing them.

Fanfiction's great. Whether or not you want to write it, though, depends on your goal.

If you just want to explore already existing settings you're passionate about, go for it. If you're trying to make a true brainchild or something you can market, probably not the way to go. I've also found the problem that it can be difficult to work within the already existing framework that 'canon' provides. You don't have the luxury of developing a world to suit the story unless you're writing far away from home base, which almost defeats the point.

Still, it's fun to write. I've been doing it for a while and only stopped recently due to a lack of inspiration.

Honestly the best thing to do if I ever do have those kinds of fans would be to have the characters themselves call out the fanbase doing that shit.

It's pretty funny when done right (especially if you somewhat lean into the joke), and can be a way to engage in a civil discussion with the audience. But when done poorly it can feel like a personal attack.

I'm chaotic neutral. As the gremlin that I am, I will actively encourage this kind of behavior as long as it doesn't devolve into harassment and dangerous stuff.

The one thing that rubs me the wrong way, though, is when a character is shipped outside of their canon sexuality. Just a pet peeve of mine, but I'm really not a fan of straight characters in gay ships, asexual characters getting shipped, etc. But that's probably just a me thing and it's not something I could stop anyone from doing if they really wanted to.

It can, but I'm going to add a caveat to proceed with caution. Most authors don't read fanfic about their work because it's far, far too easy for aspects of them to appear in the canon. There's a lot of concern about the legality of it and how copywrite would work. And this super sucks because we all really want to read it. We love and appreciate the writers who are so involved in the worlds we create that they want to play in our sandboxes, too. We support our fanfic writers and encourage them to keep at it. But we can't read it and that's just a shame.

Fan art, on the other hand... We can look at that all day long.

I'd imagine most fanfic authors would be overjoyed to have elements of their work show up in canon. Though it's probably a good idea to ask for permission first, just to avoid the possibility of starting shit with people.