On fanfiction...

[sparkfrost]

So, another author has come out against fanfiction. I have no problem with Diana Gabaldon declaring that she doesn't want fanfiction written about her Outlander or Lord John series. But I do have a problem with how she said it. Comparing fic writers to burglars, husband-stealers, and perverts trying to mack on her underaged daughter just pisses me off. Fandom Wank has a great round-up of all of this mess, and I'd definitely recommend following the link to bookshop's post on the matter.

One of the reactions to Ms. Gabaldon's post was the writer stating that they would never read her books. Which, fair enough. If you've been offended by an author, why would you want to give them money? What confused me though, was one specific person's reaction- they said that Ms. Gabaldon had been added to their do-not-read list, which also includes Anne Rice and Laurell K. Hamilton, both of which are also anti-fanfiction. But, if I recall correctly, both were quite professional about their desire to not have fanfiction written in their worlds. No insults, no calling fanfiction immoral, just a statement that they did not want fic written about their characters. So that means that this commenter just dismissed authors solely on that basis. Why? There are plenty of authors who don't allow fanfic who I still like, read, and have respect for. Granted, I was disappointed that Robin Hobb was one of them, mostly because I had wanted to try to find and maybe even write fic in her Farseer verse... but I'm not going to burn my books now that I know she doesn't allow fic- I just won't write or look for fic. Same with George R. R. Martin. Still eagerly awaiting the next book in the series (and the HBO show!), even though he doesn't allow fanfic.

I don't know. What do you all think? Does an author disallowing fanfiction make you not want to read him/her?

Comments

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

God no. I mean, some of this is that I do see the other side of the argument (however badly Gabaldon put it, and I absolutely agree that she could've said that better.)

My take on it, and this comes directly from being in bandom, is that if someone says they don't want fanfic written about them or their characters, I don't like to read it. I have to admit, MCR fic that involves Ray even as a person in their lives is kind of squicky to me. But whether someone allows fanfic or not - or understands fanfic, or is coming off as a corporate mouthpiece - isn't a reason to not read their work if their works are meritorious on other grounds. I mean, I'm not gonna read Hamilton or Rice or Gabaldon, but that has more to do with that sounding like something I'd not like.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't like reading MCR fic that features Ray, exactly for the reason that he specifically said it makes him uncomfortable.

[berserkide.livejournal.com]

I feel like it makes them petty, like little kids clutching their toys and screaming "MINE MINE MINE I DON'T WANNA SHARE MINE". I, like for example, Neil Gaiman, would be fucking flattered if someone liked the sandbox I created enough to want to play in it.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I mean, I kind of feel that way as well, but it won't stop me reading works I enjoy.

But yeah, Neil Gaiman is the shit, I approve of his stance. :)

[daemonnoire.livejournal.com]

I'm generally not a fan of fanfic, on the grounds that it is typically horrible. But no matter how it's put, I can feel for those authors who really don't want people writing about their characters. It's not like building a sandbox, and then showing it off to people, and then getting upset when they play in it. It's more like making puppets, building a pretty stage, and writing a play for the puppets, only to have someone come along later who has made bad knockoffs of your puppets and your stage, and is now getting praise for putting on plays of their own. Sure, she was a little over the top about it, but she did come back later and give a more reasoned explanation for what she feels.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

A lot of fanfic is terrible, but there is also a good amount that is wonderful. I don't blame a writer for not wanting their characters used by others, but I think that fanfic is pretty harmless and I don't really *get* that attitude.

As for Ms. Gabaldon, sure her second post was more reasonable, but she never even mentioned all the horrible things she said about fic writers, her *fans* whom she offended badly. She may feel "violated" by fanfic involving her characters, but to compare that to rape is incredibly insensitive and ignorant.

[seimaisin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I definitely think saying "I'll never read them again!" simply because an author says they don't like fan fiction is an overreaction. If someone says so in an adult-like manner, I respect that! But authors who throw these temper tantrums, those are the ones that go on my "huh, are their stories really good enough to ignore this?" list. DG saying that it "makes her want to barf" sounded like a 10-year-old being forced to square dance with an icky booooy in gym class, and her comparisons to sexual assault were ignorant and offensive.

In short, I guess my universal rule is that I usually have no problems with authors as people as long as they behave like a professional in public where their writing/work is concerned.

(.... and LKH and AR are on my no-read list for reasons entirely unrelated to their views on fanfic, pro or con. Heh.)

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I like your universal rule, and I believe I shall going by that as well!

I've read Interview With a Vampire, but I don't really care about the rest of Anne Rice's work. And I've heard enough horror stories about the Anita Blake series that I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole. But again, nothing to do with the authors' stances on fanfiction.

[katieupsidedown.livejournal.com]

Actually I was in Vampire Chron fandom shortly after Anne Rice came out against fic and you are obv forgetting how BATSHIT CRAZY she is.

By "came out against fanfiction" I mean "attempted to sue one of her fans for posting fic on the internet, driving the fandom underground where it remains to this day".

But you know... maybe I'm interrogating her actions from the wrong perspective. ;) Fanfic just offends her Dickensian Principles.

(Anne McCaffery also went batshit over fans using her work and tried to sue an online Pern RPG)

I haven't read the new wank yet but Diana Gabaldon is already on my Do Not Read list. Have you actually read any of her books? The premise of Outlander is kind of batshit... I mean, not if it were cracky. But taking it seriously as literature? LOLOLOL I barely made it through the first one because of a villain I still call Rapey McRaperson. He wanted to rape EVERYONE - the hero, the heroine, random minor characters. Stumble across his path? You gonna get raeped. At first it squicked me out... then it happened SO MUCH that I started finding it kind of hilarious (Not the fact that he wanted to rape people, obv, but the fact that the author couldn't think of anything ELSE for him to do).

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, I didn't know that about either Anne Rice or McCaffery! Well, I knew Anne Rice was crazy, but I didn't know she tried to sue!

I had never heard much about the Outlander series before this wank, but once it exploded I heard all about Rapey McRaperson. Mostly because DG was all "ew, pornographic fanfiction!" and people were like, "Hand! Nail! Rape! Hypocrite!" So yeah, even if she had not written this awful blog post, I still wouldn't read her books.

[thedelusionist.livejournal.com]

I wish I could write something that people loved so much that they would write fanfic from it.

I will tell you one thing, I won't listen Metallica because against illegal downloading.

I think people should just write fanfic and writers who don't like it should get over themselves.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Well, Metallica's stance is especially ironic considering they are unabashed thieves (http://www.cracked.com/article_18500_the-5-most-famous-musicians-who-are-thieving-bastards.html).

Yeah, if I wrote something that was so loved that people wrote fic for it, I'd be flattered and encouraging, not flipping my shit.

[luvscharlie.livejournal.com]

Does an author disallowing fanfiction make you not want to read him/her?

Absolutely not. I can completely respect an author's right to say please just don't. And that alone would not make me lose any respect for them.

However, I was such a fan of Diana Gabaldon. I recced her books to everyone and after reading her blog posts (both in general and the recent ones) I can't do that anymore. The writing is still stellar, but I can't separate the writer from the writing, and she's just a mean and nasty person. She tainted the experience for me. You should read some of those responses she does on the compuserve message boards-- whoa-- I don't know how people don't run away crying when she talks to them. She's horribly full of herself and terribly insulting.

She lost a fan.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I agree with you re: respecting their desire to not have fic written, and I don't look for fic in the verses of those authors who have publicly come out against it. But her post...

I'm so sorry that this came from an author you liked. I had been linked to some of the CompuServe responses, specifically the "white slavery" comparison. I just don't have any respect for this woman, but I feel bad for all fans who were hurt by her behavior.

[moku-youbi.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking about this myself in regards to a different post (can't read bookshop's because I know her personally irl and sort of hate her) in which the writer was discussing why fanfic is a good thing, and how it allows us to develop our feelings for and critique the works we're writing about. (convoluted sentences ftw) *That* got me thinking about how I used to be really into the VC--I forced my bffs to read them so I could have someone to discuss them with (before I ever thought of trying to find/write fanfic). Then when I realised "hey, maybe there's fanfic for this!" I was so excited--until I saw that not only did Anne Rice disapprove of it, but that she had filed lawsuits and been sort of crazy about the whole thing. And after that I just...lost interest in the entire universe. I had loved it passionately--but to know that the person who had created it not only discouraged but punished others' creative endeavours made me feel like that universe had stopped expanding and was stagnating. I think there's only a small difference between writing an essay on a book, and writing fanfic--in both the writer is taking clues from the text and trying to interpret them to figure out characterisation/motivation/etc. And for an author to disapprove of fanfic feels, to me, like a.) they're discouraging any interpretations of their text or b.) they've only read a few badfics and made ignorant generalisations based on them. Either way, that's not the sort of person whose stuff I want to be reading. And the thing is, I didn't go through that thought process with Anne Rice. I didn't *decide* I wasn't going to read her stuff any more--I just lost interest. *shrug*

Rambling comment is rambly. But essentially, while I think such a broad statement is sort of silly, I get the reasoning behind it. There are lots of stories out there; why waste time reading one by someone who places stipluations on how you enjoy your experience of their work?

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about rambling, it was interesting!

I guess because I'm not much of a writer that side of the issue doesn't affect me as much. While I won't read someone who has offended me (Orson Scott Card, for example- used to love his books but his homophobia has made me really not want to read them again), an author who simply doesn't want fanfic written in their verse doesn't really bother me.

But then, it does come across as someone not wanting others to play in their sandbox. I guess I'm lucky that there's only a few authors I like who are against fanfic.

[moku-youbi.livejournal.com]

yeah, re: the OSC thing. My girl read/loved a lot of the earlier books, telling me how I should read them, until she learned of that bs, and lost interest too. I guess I'm glad I never read them so I don't have to be disappointed.

I don't really write a lot of fanfic myself, outside of a few fandoms--no matter how much I love the universe. Like I never really planned to write any VC fic, just read it. It doesn't bother me so much as a writer as it does as a creative, intelligent person (not to sound big-headed, lol). I know most people would react the same way as me (or the person you referenced in your post), but I'm just very opinionated, and intolerant towards stupidity and (lol, hypocrite) intolerance.

Whether it affects me directly or not, when I see people acting in a rude or childish or arrogant manner, it just turns me off completely.

And yeah, luckily most of the writers/creators in my fandoms not only allow fanfic, but encourage it :D

[ernestinewalker.livejournal.com]

Y'know, even though I personally don't enjoy fanfic, I still think folks should have the ability to write it. Honestly, what's the difference between a decent fanfic and an essay reviewing the piece and What It Means To Me, etc? Furthermore, regardless of what an author wants, people are still going to do whatever the hell they want to do. When I was a kid, I read a lot (a LOT) of The Saddle Club, and when I played with my horse toys, they were often the characters from The Saddle Club. What's the diff, y'know? I can see how some authors are protective of what they've created, but as one professor I had said, "When you publish a work- be it a poem, a short story, and essay, or a novel, you're basically giving it to the world. And you have NO CHOICE over how the world is going to interpret it. It's going to mean something different to every single person. And if you can't handle that? Don't publish." (mildly paraphrased)

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I love that quote by your professor, and I really agree. By publishing something you are giving it up to the world. Even copyright doesn't mean that you own the idea, it means that you have certain rights to use it!

Fanfiction isn't for everyone, but I really don't get authors who deny their fans the ability to write it.