Have you ever...

[Mei Li]

The skeletons are really coming out now...

Have you ever written a fan-fiction? I think my writing got started this way. Embaressing, I know, and I hope that my writing has graduated from that, but on the other hand, after discussing it with others, I think its not a bad way to start writing- you can focus on characters and plots without having to re-create entire worlds and settings.

Anyway, digging through some old crap of mine, I found a 60+ page fan-fic of Anne McCafferey's Pern. I had actually written it and then gone back and edited it and re-wrote it. The re-write was a pretty good improvement over the first, but I'm not sure of the timeline between the two. I also started writing a Redwall fic, but never got around to finishing it. Had cute little illustrations and everything. And there are countless stories I dreamed up of various X-men spin offs. I blame my best friend for that.

Yea, I'm a huge nerd, but I've never denied it...

[Pagusel]

I've never written a fanfic, nor considered trying to do so, but I can certainly understand the motivation behind it. I'm not talking about slash fiction here . . . That's a whole 'nother thing I don't really comprehend. I especially understand, though, the motivation behind using non-canon characters in fanfic. Maybe you get inspired by, for example, the Harry Potter universe (seeing as it's a highly abused fanfic universe, I've got to use it as the example). Maybe you want to write about a wizard school, too, with your own characters and ideas, but it would just seem like a cheap knockoff to make up an entirely original wizarding school universe. So you use the universe already set in place. Unfortunately, instead of being labeled a cheap knockoff, then what you wrote falls into the possibly more cringe-worthy category of fanfic.

The moral of the story is, if you write a fanfic then make it way better than most of the stuff out there, and then post it for us!

[Jasmina Apsara]

I have indeed written fan fiction. Mostly for my own personal enjoyment, but I've occasionally posted some of it.

I used to write X-Files fan fic, all of which has been lost to history unless the notebooks turn up again. I've also written quite a bit of Myst stuff, which I can probably dig up as most of it was posted, but it'll take me a bit to find links for.

I've posted three Harry Potter fan fics (all related to my favourite character, and without the slightest trace of romance.) I wrote it all between the release of the sixth and seventh books, so it doesn't all totally stand up anymore-- though I'm actually proud of how close I got about some of it. You can read here if you so desire, though I make no claims that it's any good: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/893655/Hannah_Catherine

My one notable fan fiction achievement is that a poem I wrote was actually officially used in the game I wrote it about. If you've ever heard of the game that was variously called Uru, Myst Online, or any variation on the two... yeah, I was one of the poetry contest winners in the book in the Community Room. Fear me!

[Metarie]

Yup! When I got back into writing, it was fan-fic based because I had found several fan-fics out there and thought "dang, I could do better than that!"

When I got back into RP, it was because I got tired of writing the fan-fic on my own and wanted to find others to RP it with me. Alas, that never panned out because all that was out there was slash fan-fics, but it did lead me to forum RP.

[Maeve]

I'm totally guilty of writing fanfics, and even fanfic smut. I'm NOT guilty of the freaky incest/rape/etc fanfics out there. I hate the ones that make no sense... I only write things that are within the story and characters. One of my old friends used to write Harry Potter fanfics and showed one to me once and she had Ron being in love with Voldemort.

Buh?!

So yeah, some of it is very scary (especially Harry Potter...WHY?!). And then some of it is very good. I usually like it when fanfics address what the author never had time or space to express, when the fanfiction is used to enhance the story. I'm very picky with my fanfiction... I only really do it for select series that I like a whole lot that I wish to fill the "holes" of.

[Jasmina Apsara]

One of my old friends used to write Harry Potter fanfics and showed one to me once and she had Ron being in love with Voldemort.

Oh, come on, that's basically canon.

[AllenMares]

I dunno, I never really wrote anything that I didn't think was forgiveable for someone my age. I mean, if you've never written before, I think fanfics are a good way to start OH MY GOD, THIS GEARS OF WAR COMMERCIAL IS SO BEAUTIFUL I WANT IT SO BAD because they offer a way to write with familiar subject matter.

Some of the weirdest stuff I ever wrote was probably Invader Zim and Clone High fanfic. I didn't do anything really weird with it though, and even kept them comedies.

[Aramyllis Dae]

I think fanfics are a good way to start OH MY GOD, THIS GEARS OF WAR COMMERCIAL IS SO BEAUTIFUL I WANT IT SO BAD because they offer a way to write with familiar subject matter.

Quite right, old chap. Well said.

[Frug]

I know fanfic can be good but... never ever!

I could imagine myself writing in a world established by another author, but never using another author's characters.

[Maeve]

I could imagine myself writing in a world established by another author, but never using another author's characters.

I hijack them to bend them to my evil whims. Mwahahaha.

OH MY GOD, THIS GEARS OF WAR COMMERCIAL IS SO BEAUTIFUL I WANT IT SO BAD

On a random sidenote, I don't know if there is more than one commercial, but this reminds me... I was really happy to hear them use a Devotchka song (^_^) Oh yeah and the game looks good, too.

But I agree that it's a good way to start. It wasn't how I started... Well, I think the first board I joined was original, but I also joined a friend in writing on a Redwall board (I was like <12, sue me) but I'd never read the books. So I don't think that really counts. It's rather easy to write fanfics with other characters and worlds (it's good practice for playing a character correctly, harder than your own character) but I have only written a few stories that I never shared.

[Devon]

This was the only time I wrote anything even remotely considered fanfic. Lyl thinks it's about her and Rollick, Frug could also say it's about Bela. But to be honest, it's a 'fanfic' of the little chat symbol in our chat.

" : o ) - if you type that in chat it becomes a monkey. Or if you just press the monkey, it will do the same thing. Some of you remember my typo ...mokey... i covered it up by saying it was a monkey named mokey


........................................this is his story and how he came to Thar. "

http://www.tharshaddin.com/rp/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1602

Read it in the sense of how one would read a children's book. It's funnier that way

[Jasmina Apsara]

Lyl thinks it's about her and Rollick

Um... you were the one who told me it's about Rollick.

It's fine if you changed your mind, but saying "Lyl thinks" is not exactly accurate.

[Devon]

The characters that are mentioned ARE Lyl and Rollick. But I never put that together with the term fanfic, remember I hadn't known what that was until you said it.

Sheesh don't get grumpy. All I meant was it wasn't it's intended use, it was just a funny story I wrote cuz I was bored.