HowLynnTime: 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

How do you feel about fan fiction?

Where the heck have I been!

Honestly, who cares? The answer is mostly boring.

What have I been doing?

Of course I have been writing. What I have been writing may shock you.

There are times in which you get some very good advice and as you sulk that you are not yet brilliant and extraordinary, due to the fact there isn’t much of anything better to do, you listen.

I admit my mind has not changed about fanfiction in many ways. It is the writerly cesspool. You will find examples of the most horrible literary endeavors to be typed since fifth-grade book reports. I would give some fifth-graders far more credit, in fact.

With that said, I feel it only fair to say I have read beautiful, eloquent literary genius as well. I have met fantastic critics from 14 year old grammar gods, to English professors educated in places from which I can’t afford to by tee-shirts. I have officially been stalked by a not-a-fan insane person who dutifully read everything I wrote and made hate filled comments in order to converse with me. I have written my million + words of crap again and learned to play the violin.

No, I mean an actual violin. I have received small compensation related to my musical abilities. See picture and I think you will get the idea.

Now if someone would pay me not to write, the world would be so much safer.

I adore the words of wisdom of Mary at Kidlit.

Write what you can’t. Write what you’ve been afraid to write this entire time. - Mary Kole at kidlit.com

I made a list of what I could not write. It included things like romantic scenes, good fight scenes, character death, slash, hottie scenes that didn’t tumble down the porn cliff, drug use, and many other things that are just plain hard to make happen without going purple, ending up flat or sounding funny rather than awe inspiring.

Think of anything you absolutely dread writing. Guess what, if you come swim with me in the cesspool, there is a free place in which you can get all sorts of opinions, even misguided ones. The good part is that from average-Joe reader, you will find out what works and what does not by the questions they ask? Even the most gushy-fan-girl reader can give the writer insight to what they have over done as opposed to what they missed doing.

It doesn’t make you a dime, but if you resolve to always do your best to improve, there are benefits. I promise you, when someone tells you that you really touched them in some way, it is an addictive substance. Reviews can make your fingers tingle with greed.

I am going to share with you two of my fanfics. They are written for BBC Sherlock. I discovered the show through fanfiction. (The correct procedure is usually the other way around) I had read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle many years ago. Who hasn’t heard of Sherlock Holmes?

This version is written by writer-gods Steven Moffet and Mark Gatiss – who are responsible for many wonderful episodes of Dr. Who. (If you don’t know THE DOCTOR – the longest running science fiction television show in the world – see picture, then watch a few episodes. At least find out what a TARDIS is so you don’t miss all the fun)

Anyway, back to Sherlock. (Oh, Martin Freeman, You have seen him in The Hobbit – plays Dr. John Watson. The bad guy with the voice from Star Trek – Benedict Cumberbatch – plays Sherlock. Two of my favorite actors along with the gorgeous writer/actor Mark Gatiss who brings Mycroft Holmes to elegant life. I warn you, there are only six episodes – English Telly works very differently from ours here in the states. Filming on series 3 has just started and you will have to wait FOR—EVER to see what happens next.)

I realized that Fan Fiction has been going on far longer than the internet. Basically, this entire production is well done Fan fiction. As is House, M.D., Bones and our Movie Sherlock as well as Elementary. All of them are based on Sherlock Holmes. Holmes gave a nod to Edgar Allen Poe who wrote detective novels as well as horror. Even Poe was inspired by a real life Paris detective.

What does this mean? It means writing fan fiction does not mean you are a derelict writer. It means that you are in good company. No matter if you approve of this medium or not, as a writer, it is not a dead end, new fad. It is a legacy, much overlooked by literary snobbery. I was guilty of it too. But my mind has been changed. If it is good enough for THE MOFF, who am I to disagree.