Lightsaber Duel
One of the reasons I love fan fiction is that it allows up-and-coming creative geniuses to learn and to showcase their talent in a safe environment. Will fan fiction ever earn them money? Probably not. But I think if you’re trying to earn money from fan fiction, you’ve missed the point. Fan fiction needs to be about having fun, learning, and becoming part of a world you love.
Ryan and Dorkman’s lightsaber duel is a form of fan fiction at its finest.
(My inspiration for this video post was a post called “To Those Who Write Fan Fiction: Beware” by Patrick Thunstrom.)
Were you impressed by what Ryan and Dorkman created? How do you feel about fan fiction? Have you ever tried it yourself?
And come find me on Twitter, on Facebook, or on Google+. I’d love to chat.
Dec 17, 2011 @ 07:44:30
Ugh! Why does your comment thing hate my url? It never lets me put it, saying, use a real url. What? That is a real url. Oh, nevermind.
Interesting question, Marcy. I read Patrick’s post and left a comment there, so I’ll try not to repeat myself too much here.
I’m not a fan of fan fiction because I think it gives writers a false sense of accomplishment. They are taking an established world and characters, which is a huge amount of the work the original writer did, and they change/add their own spin to the story. If they want to write, I think they should create from the ground up ~ it’s what the original writer did and what I think every writer should do. That way, the story, world, and characters are uniquely theirs to do with as they see fit.
The idea does make you think and that’s always a good thing.
Dec 17, 2011 @ 09:29:19
I’m not sure how it works with URLs. I use a WordPress add-on to manage comments, etc. But I’ll look to see there’s not somewhere I can pre-approve your URL as real since it hates it 🙂
You make a really valid point. Fan fiction is the easy road because so much of the work has been done for the writer, which is why I don’t think it’s something experienced writers should devote all their time to. But it is a fun way for a lot of people to take part in a world they already love,
My take on it is that it’s best for baby writers who might not yet have the skills to do it all on their own. Or for people who only want to write as a hobby (i.e. never for publication). I know this analogy isn’t perfect, but someone learning to play an instrument doesn’t compose their own songs right from the start. They learn to play by playing songs someone else wrote. Eventually they start to add their own dynamics to it and innovate within the boundaries of that song. Then, once they’re solid on the basics, they can branch out into creating their own material. And some people are content with playing what other people have already written because they’re only doing it as a means of relaxation and fun.
Thanks for stopping by both my site and Pat’s 🙂
Dec 17, 2011 @ 10:32:14
There’s always a good side to anything, and this post pretty much covers where the good in fan fiction is!
Also, that was a brilliant video (Couldn’t watch it this time, my computer is a bit under powered, but I’ve seen it before).
Dec 17, 2011 @ 22:30:23
Thanks 🙂 I’ve often wondered what happened to the guys who made this video because they clearly had a lot of creativity and talent. I hope they’ve gone on to use it.
To Those Who Write Fan Fiction: Beware « A Digital Magician
Dec 17, 2011 @ 10:40:02
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Dec 17, 2011 @ 22:33:18
This is tricky. Fan fiction writing can be addicting, I speak from experience. I’ve always had the tendency to think past the end of movies or tv programs as to what the characters might do next.
When I came upon fan fiction some many many years ago, I was thrilled. How much fun is that? My brain finally had a place to put those stories. ALSO, fan fiction is a bit like being a writer for an on-going TV show. Oftentimes writers are NOT permanent, but hired for a couple of episodes. So, pulling on someone else’s characters and putting them in your own plot is rather like that–and can be fun.
However, it can also be addicting. You get immediate feedback–you have a built in audience of thousands, with about 20% actually commenting. You get fans. It’s distracting–and rather than thinking about your own original work, it can pull you away. I likened it to junk food…fun on occasion, but if you are serious about your craft, you need to be careful how often you indulge.
My two cents 🙂
Dec 19, 2011 @ 22:40:12
I love the analogy of junk food. The point about TV writers is also excellent. I’ve never thought about it that way before, but many of them are participating in a form of fan fiction, especially if they’re writing for a long-standing series like one of the CSIs or Law and Order or one of the Star Trek runs.