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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Discussion What is it about a fandom that inspires you to write fan fiction about it?

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by Space_Wolf, Apr 7, 2019.

  1. Space_Wolf

    Space_Wolf Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2007
    I'm not sure if this topic should be here, or in fan fic resource (as I suppose it applies to Star Wars, too, but it can apply to anything that you enjoy.) I would like to find out what attracts you to a series enough to make you want to add more to it. It can be a book, a film, tv series, a comic, or a computer game.

    I find typically find I get the bug to create fan fiction about a series when I've enjoyed it immensely, even to the point where I get a little obsessed by it for a time. Most of the time it is a book, or a film like Star Wars that has generated a lot of expanded universe material which has engaged me in a deep way. I find too, that a lot of the time, there has to be something within the book or film that hasn't been fully explored by the official material, or where it ended abruptly and it feels like it's unfinished. I rarely get inspired over a romantic relationship that exists or an OTP that I would have liked to have occurred but didn't happen, though I'm not completely immune to it.

    So, what compels you to write fan fic and why?

    Do you write fan fiction in more that one fandom?

    If there are multiple fandoms that you enjoy, why do you write for some of them but not others?

    Time is probably one reason why we don't write for every fandom that we've enjoyed, and we don't get around to writing it even though we would like to.

    Do you feel that some fandoms that you like are 'perfect and complete' as they are, and is that a reason why you decide not to write in it?
     
  2. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Hi! A beautiful topic! [face_dancing] Characters and relationships are my draw into writing, those that I want to explore and delve into in more detail. I love character growth and friendship/family/couple tales. :D And I adore happily ever afters. @};-

    I have written for Tolkien, Star Trek, and Star Wars. [face_love]
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
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  3. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Excellent food for thought for a Sunday morning, along with pancakes. :)

    Profile from another site states: Author has written 84 stories for Star Wars, Odyssey, Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, Penguins of Madagascar, and Little Women. In each fandom, I fell in love with the source and reread or rewatched it numerous times *kaff*Star Wars at original release 24 times*kaff*. Love is not rational, but it's part of the human condition and it makes you want more. In the case of Edgar Allan Poe, I wanted to write a fix-it fic; Shakespeare and Little Women, a parody; the Odyssey (which also contained brief Gone With The Wind and Bulwer-Lytton bits), a parody using a style as tribute to a favorite author, Richard Armour; for Star Wars and Penguins of Madagascar, the characters, setting, and acting command respect, with plot right up there, too. So for why write fic? it's because first, I like writing, being a copywriter and all, and next, the "missing moment" scenes are irresistible.

    For instance, in TPM's council scene, Obi-Wan definitely looks taken aback at his master's description of him as "competent." Why? Did he feel insulted? Scared at "graduating"? Distrusting Qui-Gon's habit of picking up strays, foreseeing yup, it's gonna be Anakin taking my place? He gathers himself so quickly, poor baby, and supports Qui-Gon.=((

    Relationships interest, too, and Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan ends in a natural one, death. Anakin/Obi-Wan ends unnaturally, in betrayal. As for 'complete and perfect' fandoms, I've read a great deal in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings without considering writing in them. Both contain fantastic characters and creatures in their 'verses. What fun to contemplate writing a hippogriff or balrog story!:-BMaybe ... [face_shhh]

    EAD: Endings can be either happy, mixed, or sad, for me. One ending kinda funny, kinda sad, is that Manfredi and Johnson in the TPOM fandom surface as references through all 250 or so eps for their horrible deaths, which Skipper uses as lessons for 'don't wind up like them!!' In the 250th ep, we see they're not dead but confined to an amusement park, terribly injured with missing eyes, legs, and mysterious burns, although the vets fixed them up with prosthetics. They see their teammates through heavy glass and shout, but cannot make contact and then their friends are gone.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
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  4. darkspine10

    darkspine10 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2014
    The only thing that has got me into fanfic so far is Gravity Falls. For some reason that show feels like it lends itself a slightly 'deeper' take hinted at in the show that fanfic can provide. Plus I just love the characters, they have such personality and I keep coming up with fun situations to put them in.

    It's slightly odd, nothing else really motivates me in the same way.
     
  5. brodiew

    brodiew Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 2005
    Hello, @Space_Wolf ! great topic. For me, there has to be some form or intense, and or pesky, unable to shake, connection to the story, character, or world of the fandom. Writing CCs is one thing, but stepping out and creating your own OC to either interact with the CCs, or not, takes an even deeper level of love. But, at the same time, to each their owner. For years it was only star wars, and only after I found this site and was fostered as a newb. Since then, there have been other, I usually won't write for a fandom unless I think a scene or concept could use a different pov, additional dialogue, or some other thematic exploration.

    With movies and tv, even video games to a certain extent, we aren't able to get into a character's head more than by what the action has said or how their body langues speaks. I have really enjoyed doing introspection pieces over the years. I am also a huge fan of writing dialogue, mostly banter, but not exclusively. For fandoms like SW, ST:2009, Stranger Things, Castle, NCIS: LA, and others, the field is rich.

    I hope that answers, your question, in part, at least. Cheers!
     
  6. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    Great topic!
    So, what compels you to write fan fic and why?
    I... don't really know? Kinda like Space_Wolf I think I need to feel like something is unfinished, or could be fleshed out more. But then there are some fandoms where this is the case and I read a TON of fic, I just don't write myself and I don't know why. NCIS is a good example of that. In total of my fanfic life, NCIS is probably up there in amount of fic read but I've never written a fic myself.

    Do you write fan fiction in more that one fandom?
    Yes. Star Wars has the majority of my fics but The West Wing is fast approaching on that front. In the wrote a handful of stories categories I've written Torchwood (which has what is probably my most popular fic ever), and Brothers and Sisters. I've written one story for Dexter, White Collar, House, and The Magicians. I've also written a Queer as Folk fic that's never seen the light of day.

    If there are multiple fandoms that you enjoy, why do you write for some of them but not others?
    I'm really not sure. There are fandoms I LOVE to read but never write, or write one little story. Of my biggest and most consistent go-to to read (at least in the last few years), The West Wing is the only one I write for. NCIS, Queer as Folk, and White Collar are the other things I read the most, depending on my mood.

    There are some fandoms I think I should love to read and write for because they are right up my alley (The Magicians is the one that immediately comes to mind) but it just doesn't really happen for some reason.

    Do you feel that some fandoms that you like are 'perfect and complete' as they are, and is that a reason why you decide not to write in it?
    Hmm... probably not. Even my absolutely favorite shows (because the vast majority of my fandom is based in TV, SW is the outlier) aren't perfect. I sometimes get mad at characters I love or wish a storyline had gone a different way. Or even just wonder what would happen if something had gone a different way.

    I'm quite the opposite in most cases. I don't have to have a romantic relationship to enjoy reading or writing a story (I read quite a bit of Gen) I'm usually attracted to a fandom because of the relationships. Sometimes the ones they put forth in the material, and sometimes not.
     
  7. Chancellor_Ewok

    Chancellor_Ewok Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2004
    This’d be me. I generally don’t write fanfic, but I am writing a story that is largely based on Milo Murphy’s Law, partially because it’s clinic in how produce a consistently hilarious animated sitcom, but also because I feel like Milo as a character can stand up to a deeper exploration of what it’s like to a 13 year old kid and to be a walking catastrophe.



    This is a perfect example of the kind of chaos Milo can cause, even doing something as innocuous as eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2019
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  8. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    That video reminded me of the battle at the beginning of The Last Jedi. How the shrapnel from one exploding Star Bomber miraculously hit all the other craft in its' little group.

    I've actually started write-ups to respond to the thread subject, about three times, but got distracted.
     
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  9. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Such great, interesting discussion and questions!

    So, what compels you to write fan fic and why?

    I think characters I love is a large reason why I started writing fanfic and continued to do so - either continuing on character's stories (or their children's stories) or giving them better stories if I'm writing an AU. As others have said, if something is "unfinished" or could be fleshed out, I tend to get ideas for those kinds of things.

    Do you write fan fiction in more that one fandom?

    Yes and no. My brain is kinda on "one track" right now with West Wing fanfic, but I've of course written plenty Star Wars fanfic, but I've also dabbled in other fandoms like Doctor Who, Hamilton, and Firefly.

    If there are multiple fandoms that you enjoy, why do you write for some of them but not others?

    Thats a hard one. I guess it's whatever strikes the muse. A lot of it has to do with whats unfinished and where's the potential for new stories. There are so many fandoms I love (The Martian, recently Harry Potter) and will seek out fanfic to read, but I can't see myself writing fanfics for. However, in the case of Happy Potter, theres a OTP that's an AU which I would love to write for, but no stories are coming to me. I think some of it might be familiarity with characters. There's people who have read the Harry Potter books dozens of times, whereas I'm new so I don't know these characters as well as others, so its a bit intimidating.

    And a lot of it is time. I recently got an idea for a Trophy Wife fic, but the idea didn't grab hold of me and shake me till I wrote it, and I kinda wondered who would read it (it is far from a well known series). I write for myself and I write for fun, but if I know on one will read it and I have other ideas to occupy myself, that idea will kinda fall away.

    Do you feel that some fandoms that you like are 'perfect and complete' as they are, and is that a reason why you decide not to write in it?

    YES! There are dozens, most of which I'm having a brainfart with, but Fringe and Stargate SG-1 are two examples, but there are also characters within fandoms I will decide not to write for because their stories are just complete and there's no way to improve on how their story ended. It's not so much a conscious decision not to write in it, I just have no other ideas on how to continue the story or do a "what if..." story.
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2019
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  10. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    So, what compels you to write fan fic and why?

    When I start to get a feel for the characters; want to help in some way, especially if I feel that characters of mine could assist; and if I feel that I get the characters, then I can write fanfic for them.

    World building might be key. I like having a rich, ready made universe to anchor myself in.

    When I decided to create background history for my Mary Formal adaption - she was a one-shot villain in a single episode of T
    orchwood - I decided to use Brian Lumley's ten book(?) Necroscope series, and the timeline is so rich, from the time of Genghis Khan, up to modern day, that I was able to establish a timeline where she was captured and recruited into E-Branch in the mid-1990s, I was able to check the relevant novels for that time period, and see which colleagues she would know, and what in-universe events she would be more or less aware of, and could refer back to them. It has really enabled me to create a rich tapestry for her.

    Do you write fan fiction in more that one fandom?

    Definitely, more than one. A myriad.

    If there are multiple fandoms that you enjoy, why do you write for some of them but not others?

    I think that subconsciously, in my mental background, if I get a fandom's character(s) enough to be able to really feel them, understand them, be able to capture their emotions, way of talking, and behaviours, that that creates a 'hook' that my conscious mind picks up on.

    Also, because I love crossovers - where one fandom melds with another - I can sometimes see in my mind's eye, a possibility that the striations of one - think CSI, matching a bullet recovered from a crime scene, with one shot from a suspect firearm, getting those lines scarred into the casing, to line up on a split screen monitor - and that might inspire me to, I dunno, intervene.

    For instance, one that I did not ultimately do, I watched only three episodes of a 2018 British police series called Bulletproof. Six to eight detectives, male, female, bantering with each other, getting involved in high speed pursuits, and dangerous shootouts in the streets of London.

    One gung-ho female cop, Nell, is already doing enough to really stand out from the supporting ensemble; and going through enough to pull at my heartstrings, and I'm thinking that I want to look after her. Or rather, referring back to the Mary Formal character of mine, from above, thinking, You could really do with Mary to back you up, Kiddo. This firefight of yours, seems to be in Central London; y'know, E-Branch headquarters isn't that far away, maybe they can hear gunshots. And in my mind, the hook has started, gathering details, comparing things, analysing how my E-Branch agent, and this cop are going to meet. I skip up a level in their respective hierarchies. There is an older woman running the police team; maybe she knows this veteran agent within E-Branch (Anne-Marie English), from school, and these two meet for lunch, discuss their various woes, senior detective admits that she is worried for one of her girls, my one from E-Branch thinks, We're between vampires right now. I can second Mary to their team for a few weeks, and it goes from there.


    Do you feel that some fandoms that you like are 'perfect and complete' as they are, and is that a reason why you decide not to write in it?

    I don't think that would ever occur to me. That would require me to consider the fandom as potential subject matter, then actively reject it for that reason.

    In my case, either the fandom offers nothing, and I don't even consciously consider it, or it just does not occur to me to write
    something for it in the first place.

    Fanfic does not have to change anything of the fandom. Some of the NSWFF prompts might have me lightly skimming all the fandoms that I am aware off, looking for the one that fits, and that process let me see potential in something that I had not considered getting involved in, otherwise, such as Mira_Jade's "48. Rushing Headfirst" prompt.

    Mm, Lieutenant Backstrom likes rushing headfirst into things

    His Team: "We can't go, we'll [get killed / get in trouble / don't have a warrant]!"

    Backstrom: "[Blah blah] is trying to embarrass me, and we are going to have our revenge. And that, people, is called Justice."
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2019
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  11. madman007

    madman007 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 22, 2007
    What compels you to write fan fic and why?
    Story. Pure and simple. If I feel that there is a compelling story within a certain fandom, I will write it. Sure, you keep reading because you like the characters. But we also keep reading because you have to know what happens next. I'm sure many authors here can recall many times after a new chapter is written and posted, the reviews include "Write the next chapter NOW!" or "I can't wait till the next chapter!"

    Do you write fan fiction in more that one fandom?
    Of course. As much as I love writing in the Star Wars realm, it would be boring if I just stuck to writng there all the time. I have stories that range from The Dark Knight, Firefly/Serenity, Coroline, Avengers, Leverage, and Harry Potter. As I stated above, whereever I can find a good story I will write it.

    If there are multiple fandoms that you enjoy, why do you write for some of them but not others?
    Do you feel that some fandoms that you like are 'perfect and complete' as they are, and is that a reason why you decide not to write in it?
    I'm answering these two together since they are sort of related.

    Sometimes I can't find a story in a certain fandom I love. Or sometimes I feel that a certain fandom already has stories or characters that I feel I don't need to be written. The best example I can give is my favorite show of all time : Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I've never writen one fan fic in that world, not because I don't feel like I couldn't, but because I shouldn't. The show has so many great characters and so many stories already written that I never felt I needed to write more of my own. It's not that I feel that the fandom is perfect, but more complete. Another example is Harry Potter. I finally wrote my one and only HP fan fic after the books were all written and it was set a few weeks after the events of Deathly Hallows. I found a story that involved the death of a character that wasn't addressed in the book or movie. I wrote both of my Firefly fics with the settings either before the series began or after the movie Serenity was set. Missing scenes. Sort of like I was filling in the blanks, or the creating the stories that were there but not writen yet. In the case of my recent Avengers fic, the writers were practically inviting fan-fiction writers to come up with the missing scenes between the mid-credit scene from Captain Marvel and the beginning of Avengers: Endgame.
     
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