posted
Within the last year or so, I've begun to get the vague impression that there is something called "fanfic" out there (and appears to have been out there for some time now...).
I have now figured out what it is and even visited one or two sites, but so far I haven't seen anything to justify the glowing comments I've seen from some people here. I am assuming that this is because I just haven't so far chanced across anything that didn't read like it was written by a 13-year-old.
So...can someone hook me up with some good fanfic? I'm looking for something interesting, written by someone whose spelling or unusually bad writing/dialogue doesn't completely yank me out of the story, and maybe for starters located in the Harry Potter universe. Though anything else you think I might be interested in is welcome too.
Posts: 2762 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Unquestionably, the vast majority of the fanfic out there should be burned. Back in The Good Ol' Days, when you had to pay for bound volumes of the stuff, the bad stuff tended not to go far -- who would pay for it? These days, any idiot with an Internet connection can post their un-proofed, un-beta-read inanities all over the Web.
Therefore, I recommend looking for archive-type sites. Preferably ones which allow readers to rate fics, or which have some type of award process. My favorite fanfic archive does the latter.
As far as HP fanfic, there are others around here with far more experience with it than I. But my favorite is still Anya's Naked Quidditch (warning: some language).
I've only been able to find fanfic I like in the Harry Potter fandom. However, I think that's probably because my other fandoms don't lend themselves to fanfic. I mean, there's a fair share of Lois McMaster Bujold fanfic out there, but who really wants to read Ivan/By?
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Reading Naked Quidditch as we type. Well, was reading and will be reading again once I post, to be exact. Keep it coming!
Posts: 2762 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Most of it is so awful not only ought it to be burned, but also the people who made it.
I just recently started writing Sherlock Holmes fanfic, however. There's not much of it out there, though. I guess it has limited appeal. If you're not me. But the language is a real treat! And I like researching about life in fin de siecle London.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Oh, that does sound like fun. Back in HS I adapted one of the SH short stories into a one-act play with a girlfriend. We never put it on, but I really wanted to BE Sherlock Holmes.
YOu can also look up reccommendation pages for various fandoms on Google.
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I do NOT allow my (middle school) students to write fanfic. Anymore. This I learned the hard way after wading through like 75 pages of very very bad Harry Potter novella.
By the way, before I made the rule, all the girls were writing themselves into the story as the one who saw the good in Draco Malfoy and changed him. It starts early! Posts: 834 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Argh! The Naked Quiddich Match story ends with a link to a page that no longer exists! Help! Is there more? Is it archived somewhere? Ack!
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Not that I'm confessing to being an addict or anything, but I found one of the best Harry Potter fics: It's AU (Alternate Universe), massively long, and excellently done.
This is (one of) the author's page(s). I should also include the warnings that it's not for children, particularly beginning in books 4 and on, and also that it's addicting.
Enjoy.
:ducks out before anyone can see her:
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Some HP sites I've found would include www.harrrypotterfanfiction.com,www.mugglenet.com, and some times there on harrypotter.com. Only the last one isn't as good because it brakes down alot. I hope this helps.
Posts: 58 | Registered: Sep 2006
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The very first fan fiction I ever read online was a Gargoyles/Batman: TAS/Biker Mice From Mars/Beauty and the Beast (TV Series)/Sailor Moon/Star Trek: The Next Generation crossover.
It was so wonderfully bad. Gloriously bad. "So bad, it's almost GOOD."
I wonder if it's still online? Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I have a real hard time reading fanfic based on tv shows and movies. Mostly because I have my own opinions of what goes on inside the character's heads it starts to annoy me.
Of course there is nothing worse then getting into a good one, only to have it turn into hardcore erotic fiction.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Liz B: By the way, before I made the rule, all the girls were writing themselves into the story as the one who saw the good in Draco Malfoy and changed him. It starts early!
EVERY girl that wrote an HP story? Wow.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by TheTick: Most fanfic can't be worse than what Kevin J. Anderson does to Star Wars and Dune.
I can manage Star Wars, probably because the professional writers and the online fans both probably have a better feel for the characters then George Lucas.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by TheTick: Most fanfic can't be worse than what Kevin J. Anderson does to Star Wars and Dune.
I can manage Star Wars, probably because the professional writers and the online fans both probably have a better feel for the characters then George Lucas.
KJA even butchered characters created by other writers. Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Everyone knows that -Harry- discovers the good in Malfoy, and they ride off into the sunset together after defeating Voldemort/converting Lucius to the good side/converting Harry to the bad side/liberating the house elves/making out -a lot-.
*clears throat*
That said, I like Draco redemption stories and think it's possible that's where the books are going...maybe.
Posts: 1676 | Registered: Jul 2000
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quote:Originally posted by TheTick: Most fanfic can't be worse than what Kevin J. Anderson does to Star Wars and Dune.
I can manage Star Wars, probably because the professional writers and the online fans both probably have a better feel for the characters then George Lucas.
That's how I feel about Harry Potter.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Chris Bridges: Argh! The Naked Quiddich Match story ends with a link to a page that no longer exists! Help! Is there more? Is it archived somewhere? Ack!
Oops!!! Yikes, no chapter 10!
Um, all archive links I find leads back to the same defunct page. I may have the entire fic saved somewhere at home -- I'll see what I can do.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Sturgeon's Law applies to fanfic as much as it does to any other genre.
I've linked to it here in past threads, but my favorite HP fanfic remains "A Lot to Be Upset About," by Cassandra Claire. The link I used to use is broken, but here's a PDF version, and Google's HTML rendering. (Warning: contains naughty words, adult elements, and complete irreverence toward canon.)
Posts: 884 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Yes, yes. We use "than" for comparison and "then" for reference to time, as in the order of the action.
*resists urge to wash hands repeatedly*
There's a lot out there that might qualify as BTL, I would guess, but maybe not as much as you think.
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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One way I figure out if I want to spend any time at all on a story is to look at the grammar and spelling. if u write like this i dont read ur stuff.
The Star Trek franchise has apparently sanctioned fanfiction in the form of the Strange New Worlds anthologies. I've read one or two and have been reasonably impressed.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Since Star Trek owes its continued existence to fan fiction, I'm glad to see they're still looking for more. But note that the Strange New Worlds series must pass editor muster, unlike the bulk of fan fiction on the Web.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Yes, and that's why they're worth looking at--someone else weeded out all the painfully bad stuff. Also, the contest rules specifically prohibit explicit and Mary Sue fiction.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Which is a good thing. While there is some excellent nfic out there, the percentage of horrible tripe is considerably worse than regular fanfic (where it's plenty bad enough).
And I have only ever read 3 or 4 Mary Sues that were even worth finishing -- and at least two were parodies of the genre.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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See, I've always wanted to try a Mary Sue, at least in the sense of writing a character that was recognizably me into a story. I think that would be darned hard to do and NOT suck, which is the appeal, for me. I would do it without the romantic shtuff though.
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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As I understand it, a Mary Sue/Gary Stu fic doesn't -have- to be romantic, so much as the obviously author-insertion fan character becomes the center of that fictional universe...outshining the genuine protagonists, admired (if not loved) by them (or hated and feared, if not loved by the bad guys.)
In other words, it's all about the power and influence the new character grabs.
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I'm sure there are a lot of Marty/Mary Sues in legitimate fiction, too. Brian Wilson Aldiss Marty-Sued himself right into bed with Mary Shelley in Frankenstein Unbound (just an example that came to my attention recently).
I guess it's not that big a deal. *shrug*
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Well, I wouldn't call -all- author-insertion fiction a "Mary Sue"...there are certain watermarks that separate author-inspired characters from "The Greatest New Pal the other characters ALL think is cool!"
Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I think it's interesting to think about what characters on episodic TV shows do when they're not out saving the world/fighting the Borg/tearing holes in the space-time continuum. Most of the time that sort of thing isn't interesting or coherent enough to make an episode about, but it's still fun to wonder what happens during the night shift on the Enterprise, or what goes on when SG-1 goes to a supposedly safe, uninhabited world and it turns out to be exactly as advertised.
Sometimes mundane things that are part of our everyday lives don't pop up on shows unless there's a plot reason for it. Someday, I want to see at least a reference to a bathroom on the Enterprise! I want to see someone get a cold that doesn't turn out to be an exotic virus that threatens the entire ship or an entire planet! Yes, a whole episode dealing with those things would be boring. But it might be nice to throw in a reference once in awhile.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Shigosei: Sometimes mundane things that are part of our everyday lives don't pop up on shows unless there's a plot reason for it. Someday, I want to see at least a reference to a bathroom on the Enterprise! I want to see someone get a cold that doesn't turn out to be an exotic virus that threatens the entire ship or an entire planet! Yes, a whole episode dealing with those things would be boring. But it might be nice to throw in a reference once in awhile.
There was an episode of ST: TOS where a woman -locked- herself in the bathroom. But that's the only reference I can recall off the top of my head.
ST: TNG had that memorable "The Lower Decks" episode, in which some of the nameless extra Enterprise crewmen were finally revealed to have lives of their own. Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Puffy Treat: Well, I wouldn't call -all- author-insertion fiction a "Mary Sue"...there are certain watermarks that separate author-inspired characters from "The Greatest New Pal the other characters ALL think is cool!"
Yeah, butthen it becomes a slippery thing instead of a clearly-defined thing. If writing yourself into a story isn't Mary Sue-ing (yay for the freedom to create words! Nyah) unless it meets certain criteria, and those criteria are subjective (poorly written, character too cool to be real or saves the day) then the definition is meaningless. (Edit: Though I would argue that the protagonist in Frankenstein Unbound is almost definitely a Marty Stu of the first order, by even the most flexible definitions.)
Is it not a Mary Sue if the character is flawed but still saves the day/boinks the favorite character? What if the character is implausibly perfect but ends up bringing disaster?
I like my neat little boxes, dangit!
That said, I may have read some author-insertion fic that would not qualify as a Mary Sue by those standards. The writer is a therapist, and wrote a story about having certain famous characters come to her for help, but she described herself as old and comfortably plump. She didn't hook up with anybody, though she did (rather amusingly) guide them through certain problematic issues in a realistic way (not a hokey miracle cure). She called it a Mary Sue, though.
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I write fanfic screenplays for movies that should have been better. I do not share them with people. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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I agree with Olivet that adding necessary criteria works against defining Mary Sues. I think "self-insertion as a character" is perfectly and fair. You can subcategorize it from there if you'd like, just like any trend in fanfiction.
I have a certain fondness for Mary Sues. My first fic ever was a Mary Sue and I think its good that artists go ahead and write those stories if only to get them out of their system and maybe get some writing practice. Publishing them online is also a great way to figure out if a person can hack the inevitable negative reviews they're bound to get for the rest of their fic writing hobbying.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I don't think of self-insertation as a Mary Sue. I think of a Mary Sue as a character that is too good to be true, loved by all, etc. Not so much a self-insertation, as wish-fulfillment.
I just started reading a published book that had a blatant Mary Sue in it, so they aren't confined to the fanfiction world.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I have had some Star Trek stories knocking around in my head for years (no, not the Mary Sue variety. OK, yes, those too, but I would never write those down)and recently discovered Strange New Worlds. I'm trying to work up my courage now.
quote:Originally posted by Lissande: So...can someone hook me up with some good fanfic? I'm looking for something interesting, written by someone whose spelling or unusually bad writing/dialogue doesn't completely yank me out of the story, and maybe for starters located in the Harry Potter universe. Though anything else you think I might be interested in is welcome too.
If you liked Buffy, there's a great virtual sequel called Watchers, which is in the middle of its 4th season.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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By far the best fanfic is parody. Winces remembering über-serious LotR piece from seventh-grade existence. Yeah, here it is:
If you think this is bad, you will find much worse. Hard to imagine and harder still to stomach, I know.
Posts: 211 | Registered: Dec 2006
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I don't understand this "Mary Sue" thing. If you're a good writer, you should be able to get inside the head of any character in your work; you shouldn't have to overtly insert yourself. If I wanted to focus on myself, I'd look at a mirror, not write some bad fic and push it on everyone else.
Which brings me to a shameless plug... Two Idiot Farmboys, a Star Wars/ Smallville crossover comedy. It was written as the final assignment for a college-level Creative Writing class. As such, it was reviewed by the entire class, including one girl who'd never watched either movie/show but laughed anyway. It has gone through multiple drafts. It could still be crap, but at least it's gramatically correct crap.
There's also Bizarre Love Triangle. Not as polished as the other story, but there are thematic similarities. Lex Luthor is still horny, Clark Kent is still dense, and Lana Lang still exists for the sole purpose of me making fun of her. She's just such a blank boring slate!
Posts: 44 | Registered: Dec 2005
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The best Harry Potter fic I've come across is Darkness Dying. It follows the Marauders from just before Harry's birth to just after Voldemort's fall, and gives some very plausible explanations of what was going through their heads at the time and why they acted the way they did. It also contains believable (and quite amusing) depictions of the dynamic between the four friends.
In case you hadn't guessed from that description, for me good fanfic is all about believability. You can have the characters do whatever you want - as long as they stay true to the way they are in the canon.
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