The Fanfiction Documentary

[mr_pikachu]

This is, as you may have guessed, a documentary I developed for college last semester. Now that I have received my grades, it's time to share the end result with my fellow Fanficcers.

For this project, several TPMers volunteered to be interviewed for hours on end. Without their generous assistance the documentary could not have been completed.

I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed their time and thoughts to this enterprise. (I would thank you individually, but many contributors were concerned about their anonymity. It's probably better to let each of you come forward for kudos on your own.)

There's really nothing more to say. Please click the link below to proceed.

The Fanfiction Documentary

Thank you.

[firepokemon]

So what was your grade?

Very interesting Mr. Pikachu I'll have to go read through it all, as its quite interesting and naturally well written from what I have seen so far. I've really only skimmed through everything but already one can tell it is well written. I don't really have much else to say but I will read through it all one day. And well done its nicely designed too.

[mistysakura]

Lol, I sound so clichedly nice. Anyway, great job on the documentary. Man, I love Godawful Fanfiction. The Ophelia/Laertes fic must be the canonical example of bad fanfiction now. And to imagine they're a Shakespeare fan... I guess they could have just watched the films. Anyway, the legal bit in particular was insightful, self-quoting aside. It's probably one of the big reasons for fanficcers to leave forums altogether... I think I said this already, but the V-ships amused me. And Gavin's explanation of modding was way better than mine.

Does this documentary go anywhere (e.g. distributed around the class) or does it just get marked by the professor? We could get some members from this

[starjake]

...since when am I 'overly serious'?

Seriously (but not overly so!), though...that was an interesting read, to say the least. It's hard for us ficcers to remember that we are another kind of group, and - like any group - there are outsiders that don't understand how we think or why we choose to idle away our time the way we do (heck, sometimes WE don't understand those things). I'm glad I was a part of your project, and I hope you got a good grade from your professor; you've earned it!

[Dark Sage]

How come I never got assignments like this in college?

Seriously, Pik, great job. I'm not a teacher (well, I was once, but that's a long story), but I think you're deserving of a good grade. And I was happy to help any way I could.

[Drago]

Jeez Bri, that really is a good piece of work there. Very professionally set-up, do you demand perfection from everything in life?? If only fanficcing were a thing of education, I'd be sure to refer people to that website. Alas, only a hobby... for now. Kudos to you!

[mr_pikachu]

firepokemon: We didn't actually see our grades for the project itself, but I learned shortly before posting the documentary that my final course grade was an A. I'll take it.

I appreciate the compliment! Truth be told, I spent less time making the documentary than I spent conducting the interviews - my interviewees can certainly attest to that. Glad you like the format, too; I've been working on my personal web design style for several years. When you do work your way through the rest, let me know what you think!


Ada: And you wonder how you've earned "Nicest Fanficcer" so many times. I actually tried tracking down that Shakespeare fic to get direct quotes, but the link Godawful Fanfiction provided had gone dead. I felt really badly about all the self-quoting in the legal article, but I just couldn't find all the information explained that way elsewhere. (I'd done a lot of thinking about it earlier for a personal writing project I later abandoned.)

As I told you during our chat, the hardest thing about the shipping list was finding a letter that wouldn't make the list longer than the article but which still had more than two or three examples (like X and Z, if I remember right). I was quite impressed with Gavin's description, myself. I don't think anything I might have said could top that.

Unfortunately, we gave the documentaries directly to the professor and didn't even have the opportunity to display them elsewhere. Though I suppose I could do a little shameless advertising around the net....


Randy: Not my words!

I'm glad you liked it. My professor was a somewhat tough sell on the project; I had to convince him that studying this "subculture" was a worthwhile endeavor. Your insights were a lot of help in crafting the piece, as were those of everyone else I contacted. I'm happy with my grade, and I thank you and the others for helping me "earn it"!


Dark Sage: That's why I love these "choose-your-own-subject" assignments. ^_^

I'm glad you think this was strong. It was more work than I expected at first, particularly in how long the interviews lasted - I'd like to thank everyone yet again for not running away when they realized how long it would take - but I'm glad I had the chance to create it.


DragoKnight: Heh, thank you! It's funny you should mention the obsession with perfection, because this isn't the complete version. I was quite upset to remove the background music, but sharing copyrighted files seemed a little dangerous considering my "legality" research.

Hey, many writers treat fanfiction as training. In a sense, it's very educational.

[Lady Vulpix]

Great work, Brian! And thanks for the compliment.

I wish I could see the whole interviews. I bet they must be quite interesting.

[Crystalmaster Mike]

DragoKnight: Heh, thank you! It's funny you should mention the obsession with perfection, because this isn't the complete version. I was quite upset to remove the background music, but sharing copyrighted files seemed a little dangerous considering my "legality" research.

Wait, what? Background music? Went for the multimedia all-round experience, eh? Too bad it wasn't FanArt, or you could have thrown in a 1-minute movie "how to draw a figure" or something.

---

Anyway, I kept a list of things to quote as I read this in pieces the last few days. Nice documentary; it would make a fine reference wherever fanfic gets flamed - not that the opposing side wouldn't ignore every sensible argument in favor, though.

---

What is


Really? Ada is a published writer? Man, I'm out of the loop.

I agree, there are a lot of writers writing stories set in world’s that aren’t their own: Star Wars, Star Trek and LOTR to name a few.

Fanficcers

Weird to see these known names commenting like it’s a real article in a news paper.

There are some fanficcers who just try to show off their own personal fantasies and cry when they meet lack of enthusiasm on the readers' side […] people who seem to want to post only to get into arguments with the readers

Heh, I can name at least one person like that…

'live fiction'

Nice synonym…

Fanfiction fosters different traits than many forms of conventional writing

Should have been “more different”, I think.

"I reckon there's a general perception that replying takes a long time and is difficult, which puts off a lot of people including myself at times," says Gavin Luper. "The reality is, it doesn't take long at all to make a few comments on someone else's work, and then that person has the benefit of feedback and the chance to learn and expand their writing abilities. At the same time, the person who replies begins to build on their critical and analytical skills, which are essential for reviewing."

The reader and the writer… they are in symbiosis like the Paras and the ‘Shroom.

The only solution, it seems, is for readers to respond more often of their own volition. Only by remembering how it felt to be a novice praying for just one devoted reader can fanfic veterans find the motivation to support their peers.

Rephrased: writers, remember your roots and do some reading yourself!

Many forums feature special activities in which members can get involved. A natural addition to a fanfiction community is a writing contest designed to test the creativity and skill of members and reward those with the best manuscripts, usually with badges of honor such as image "plaques." Other incentives for posting may include E-zines, or electronic magazines, dedicated to fanfiction; "chat" threads for casual communication between members; and periodic award ceremonies with prizes similar to those of writing contests.

Or chain fics…

Moderators are more than just the internet police; they serve to promote all aspects of their forum no matter what the method. Whether it's settling disputes, advertising big events or simply getting fanficcers to post, moderation is a full-time unpaid job.

Talking from experience, are we?

Legality

"Kingdom Hearts copyrighted by important people who also own Final Fantasy, enjoined with the people who own Disney things, but not the Nintendo people who own the Mario stuff. That’s a disclaimer, folks, I don’t own them." –Houndoom_Lover, Kingdom Hearts, Saga of memories

Best. Disclaimer. Ever. (Not just saying that because I already knew it before.)

"Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or this story would be in the series as a story arc. All similarities between charachters and situations in this story, and other characters and situations real or fictional is purely coincidental. All in jokes, gags, and Gem lines are VERY intentional." –jkBAKURA, Yu- Gi- Oh, Lady of Dragons

Gem lines? I mistakenly read "Gremlins" at one time, lol.

I simply want to tell a little story.

The only real disclaimer needed.

Some fanficcers argue that their fanfics do not (or at least are not intended to) detract from the sales of the original work; therefore, they have no perceivable "market effect." This is a purely theoretical topic, and the question "What would have happened if...?" is always difficult to answer.

True, it’s a tough question to ask: is fan fiction a crime? Legally, yes, but to some extent, it’s the pure textual expression of someone’s imagination.
And if a fanfic becomes more popular than the “real” work of art, that might go to say something about the original, no?

Two books written expressly for a children's charity that had raised $A32.25 million had been entirely gutted for the Lexicon

Well, I didn’t hear that in the news – only the thing about her own encyclopaedia.

Fanfiction: The Legal Paradox

… *updates ‘To read’ list*

Many fanficcers, in fact, claim that their work is beneficial to their fandoms of choice. In Fanfiction: The Legal Paradox, "mr_pikachu" correlates fanfiction, presented free of charge, with Japanese doujinshi, manga similarly derived from copyrighted works but that sell for around $5 a copy.

It’s a little strange to see you quote yourself in your own paper, but what the teacher doesn’t know, won’t hurt you, right?

[Darien Shields]

Fwoof. This is a big read. I've only just managed to chew through "What is Fan Fiction". I took some notes on stuff I wanted to comment on... I apologise in advance if you cover any of my questions later in the documentary. I think I'll stick to reading a section at a time for now (attention span approximately equal to length of One Piece opening sequence).

First a note on style... Personally I find big chunky underlines blue links ugly, and the first thing to go out the window with a CSS file. I understand some practical aspects here- you want it to be clear what's a link and suchlike, but for me it really breaks with the overriding aesthetic of the documentary, with the fancy cursive title headers over the top. The big blue links just don't seem to match them. Otherwise it is very pretty, and broken up well into bitesize chunks.

Fanfiction is Good

The introduction to this comes off as pretty pretentious. Gavin's work is good, but "This isn't Dean Koontz or Stephen King!" just sounds... well it sounds pretentious to me. I think it's the direct comparison to accomplished authors. Something like "This isn't the latest gritty detective thriller to hit the shelves", or suchlike, I think, might have served the same purposes without putting on airs. Don't mean to sound harsh, and again, the writing is good, but you don't want to set the wrong tone at the start.

You go on to talk about how when a novel is published it's either found by critics or not. To me this seems to preclude the rise of the popular novel. Surely there are plenty of books out there that spread by word of mouth and not because they got a great writeup in a paper or something...? Just a thought.

Fanfiction is Practice

Not much specifically to complain about here, but your general questioning of "Why would they do it if they can't get money" seems to imply that non-fan-fiction writers are only in it for the money. I think it's fair to say that the vast majority of professional writers do it because they love it first, and for money second. Stephen King at least says as much. Unless he's a big liar.

"Lorrah, Crispin, and David are especially poignant examples"

I thought poignant meant sad?

Fanfic Types and Terms
(I didn't have anything much to object to in Fanfiction is Crap)

Wow, there are so many terms I was never aware of... useful. What I find especially strange is that there's no term for same setting-different character fics. Like most of the pokémon fiction on TPM where Ash, Misty and Brock are nowhere to be seen. To me this is a big distinction...

General Notes

There are a few general observations of my own that sprung to mind while reading. Again, you might have brought these up later in the documentary, and I apologise if you do. I think they'd have been interesting to cover.

The first thing to mention is that same setting/different character fics like the ones prevalent on TPM are, to my mind, often as original, if not more original, than a lot of generic fantasy stories. Let me qualify that. We borrow the pokémon setting, the idea that there is this world that is like Japan but not quite with all these amazing creatures that people catch and train. Often we do really amazing things with that- twist it in ways you'd never think of. Now compare to the bread and butter of fantasy fiction; ancient dragons, pretty elves and bearded dwarves. There is so much stuff that is just a barely modified Tolkien setting (or D&D setting). But because it's been accepted as some sort of baseline, people don't consider this to be fan fiction of any sort.

The other thing is what I like to call Big Fish-Small Pond Syndrome. I don't mean bullying or anything by this, I mean in a creative sense. When writing pokémon fiction in the past I've been very comfortable to say "This is an unoriginal idea, but wow, nobody's done it in Pokémon before." Whereas when contemplating something entirely original I suddenly feel like I'm staring at a vast ocean of possible ideas, but that each one has already been taken by someone else- the scope for originality is tiny. So I like to stay in my comfort zone- "this is original to this setting" or suchlike. I can't be the only one to feel this way, can I?

Anyway, I've blabbed on far too much. I hope my comments have at least been interesting. Sorry if I come off as offensive or anything. I genuinely do like the documentary. Often, though, I find I have much more to say about what I dislike than what I like. But anyway, good job, I will read the rest soon.

[mr_pikachu]

Gabi: Well, it would be the interviewees' decision about whether or not they wanted me to release the full text. I'm not going to pressure them into doing so, as some were concerned about their anonymity. However, if any of the interviewees are reading this and would like to let the forum see your full interviews, please let me know either in this thread or via PM.

(And yes, the interviews were very engaging. I showed them to my professor as a requirement for the first stage of this project. He was surprised at how fascinated he was with the raw, unedited material on a subject he didn't think would be very interesting.


Mike: Yeah, I went all-out with this project. As for an interactive movie, I didn't do any of that stuff. However, I presented a documentary on anime to a different class, and it featured a few .gif files for effect.

What Is Fanfiction? - It's not like I went through writing journals to check for her name, but that's what I heard in the interview. Plagiarism is actually a very unusual topic among novelists. Everyone seems to have a different idea of where the boundary lies.

Fanficcers - I think we all have seen people like that. Those people generally don't last long; the ones who try to write quality material are much more suited to long-term fanfiction. Regarding "more different," I can see your justification for that but I think "different" also works. Although every genre of writing demands different techniques, I didn't want to emphasize that as it would have been a distraction from the point I was trying to make. It's something for me to consider, though, if I tweak this further.

I love the symbiosis comment! Like you said, writers have to remember the plight of the newbie. It's not easy sitting around with zero replies. Chain fics are a useful tool for activity boosting, like you said, but I figured the list was long enough already. And experience definitely gives you a better perspective.

Legality - I decline to compare disclaimers, although any non-Gremlins fic with that word in its disclaimer might need a little rethinking. Your comments on the popularity of fanfics vs. the original bring me back to my cited essay. I won't spoil anything, but let's just say that the relationship between original works and derivative media is viewed differently in some art forms.

While I quoted myself in the legality section, the professor did know about it. I told him beforehand and basically said there was no other resource that explained it in quite those terms. (I also mentioned that my article was published during the course, which helped significantly.)


Darien: Yeah, this was a big project. No need to apologize; I'm glad you find it worth your time despite the attention span!

I agree with you aesthetically, but that was a strategic choice on my part. A professor in another class had already commented that she wasn't used to seeing links without underlines, so she frequently missed them; I decided to change the style in that documentary as well as in this one.

Fanfiction is Good - Heh, valid point. I'm not sure I agree that it's pretentious - it's only pretentious if it isn't really accurate! However, I was unhappy with this opening for a similar reason; it was as though I made my point too early, before I could really begin to prove it. While the statement may have been accurate (and as soon as Gavin publishes a bestseller, we'll know it's true), it was probably too strong for that point in the article.

As for novels being spread by word-of-mouth, I'm not sure that has quite the effect that some of us would like. If you're going to really make it big, at some point you have to get the attention of the critics and the press. Unfortunately, adequate attention is never really guaranteed. Unless your book is absolutely fantastic, word-of-mouth communication will only extend so far. (In all my life I'm pretty sure I've only been able to convince one person to read one book. He didn't continue the communication chain.)

Fanfiction is Practice - Hmm, maybe I didn't explain my thoughts well enough. What I was trying to convey was simply that fanfiction doesn't pay the bills. While it may be fulfilling, it requires a lot of work as well as a second job. Why would someone write fanfiction for no pay when they could write original fiction and make their life vastly easier? That's what I meant to get across.

The word "poignant," by the way, has multiple meanings. I'll cite dictionary.com for this one:

2. keen or strong in mental appeal: a subject of poignant interest.

Fanfic Types and Terms - That actually surprised me as well, but I just couldn't find any information on it. The reason may be that few fandoms are conductive to such fics. Pokemon is a strong enough concept that the idea itself can carry a variety of characters, themes, and plotlines. Star Trek, on the other hand, is very character-driven. If you insert a random cast of characters into it, the show isn't Star Trek anymore. It's just another space exploration show, like Lost in Space or Galaxy Quest. When you think about it, how many TV shows focus on the concept?

General Notes - I agree with you about the same setting/different character fics. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good way to get into that analysis without really delving into precise niches and individual fandoms. Looking at the rest of the documentary, I was already in danger of leaning too much toward the Pokemon fandom, so I decided to forego that.

Regarding the Big Fish/Small Pond Syndrome, you're certainly not alone. Professional writers in all genres do that all the time. For an anime/manga example, think of Chobits. Yes, it's a romance story. Yes, it follows the old pattern of "society might not accept this" (Romeo and Juliet, anyone?). But wow! Nobody would think to do a romance with a robot girl! Pretty much every big idea has been taken; even professionals make small tweaks just to make it something new.

Don't worry about being too chatty, or about criticizing too much. We all have the same problem; I have to really work hard to cut down my critiques in most cases. In any event, the fact that you decided to say so much tells me that you feel it was worth your time. Writing something worthwhile is the goal of every writer, so I take that as a compliment. Thanks!

[mistysakura]

Yeah okay, no probs with posting my interview. And re: Mike: nope, I'm not published.

[Dark Sage]

No problem here either. Not like I have anything to hide.

[Houndoom_Lover]

About time I took a look at this! This is great Sir PIka! Simply delightuly!! ^w^ Squee! I'm gunna go read it again! I just love how you got an A on this too!

"Kingdom Hearts copyrighted by important people who also own Final Fantasy, enjoined with the people who own Disney things, but not the Nintendo people who own the Mario stuff. That’s a disclaimer, folks, I don’t own them." –Houndoom_Lover, Kingdom Hearts, Saga of memories

Squeee! How Rapture! Utter delight!! o^-^o I'm just exploding with joy that this got in there!!! And thanks Crystalmaster Mike, I rather like this one myself! ^.^ *zips about*

*practially shooting rainbows out of myself*

This is wonderously delightful! I think I'm forwarding this to certain people ^-^

(Story Time!

I gave a chapter or two of my fanfiction to a friend, and she forwarded it to her friend, who rudely measanged me out of the blue with this: "God, I just wasted an hour of my life reading your nerd crap."

My reply: -.- It took you an hour to read that? That's sad.)

^w^ Hehe, I absolutely love this!

[mr_pikachu]

Ada: As you wish.

Regarding the publishing thing, now everyone can look at your interview and see how I was misled!


Dark Sage: I'll post yours as well.


Houndoom_Lover: Splendid! It's good to hear that my peers are enjoying this project. About your disclaimer, I wouldn't quote something in my work unless I thought it was a quality example; Mike's comment proves that point.

Please do forward it! The more people find out the truth about fanfiction, the less stigma we'll carry in the future.

As for the hour of reading, it says a lot, doesn't it? Unless you're reading a chapter of Lisa the Legend, in which case it says that Gavin writes really long chapters.

Thank you for your support!

[Houndoom_Lover]

o^-^o Aww! You make me blush! That's so awesome ^-^ YOu two made my day, I swear! I have enough good will to update! Haha!

*makes a face* Yeah, I know. It was chapter one of Freaky Fred, and maybe two and someone proto-fics I sent over. My adverage fic' length. ^_^u It shouldn't take a retarded baby animal that long to read them- I did! ^-^ Its been forwarded To several already!

I love length of Gavin's chapters. Its just long enough for me to read and not lose my attention span ^o^u.

You're welcome!

[Sike Saner]

I’m very impressed with the work you’ve done here, let me tell you. ^^ In addition to being highly readable and interesting as all heck, it was also quite nicely done in an aesthetic sense, as well--I enjoy text all the more when it’s so easy on the eyes. ^^ As for favorite parts, I found the “Fanfiction is Good”, “The Writing Process”, “Everything in Moderation”, “The Wrong Side of the Law, the Right Side of Commerce”, and “What can you do with online fiction?” sections to be especially fascinating and enjoyable. ^^

And like Houndoom_Lover, I squeed upon seeing my disclaimer make an appearance in the documentary.

Speaking of which…

I simply want to tell a little story.

The only real disclaimer needed.

Hee hee, thanks. ^^

Oh, and there was one quote in particular from the documentary that I just loved to pieces:

However, my own satisfaction is the most important to me; publication is secondary.

I found it very heartening to see another person who feels that way. ^^

The documentary made for some great reading, as did the interviews. Thanks for posting these things! ^^

[mr_pikachu]

Houndoom_Lover: I'm glad I made someone's day! I certainly hope you've recovered from your friend's destructive criticism, as well.


Sike Saner: Wow, thanks! Yes, I've seen far too many websites featuring neon text, complicated backgrounds, and horrid color clashes. I'm glad you think this style works.

My only comment on your list of favorites - besides the fact that someone actually picking favorite sections of something I wrote makes me smile - is that "Everything in Moderation" was a more difficult piece to write than I'd anticipated. I saved it for late in the process because I thought it would be a cinch (it's how I spend a lot of my time, after all), then found that it was tough to think about everything we do on a short deadline. It's honestly relieving to know that the end result was worthwhile.

It's fulfilling to have someone else cite your writing as a quality example, isn't it? That lets you know you've garnered some well-deserved attention.

As for Ada's quote, it's sad that such writers seem to be a dying breed. Everyone wants to be the next Rowling - in terms of success and fame, if not genre and style - rather than just writing for the fun of it. Yet, they fail to realize how counterproductive such an approach is.

I hope, if nothing else, that this documentary has shed a little more light on our little-known world. Whether outsiders learn that we're not all bad or longtime fanficcers notice something they hadn't previously considered, that will make this project worth all the effort.

[Goodnight Seadra]

I say that you put a lot of effort into this and I quite like it. First time I saw someone conducting a research of sorts on fanfiction. I think my favorite part is the Everything in Moderation section. Aw, poor moderators doing the hard work. We appreciated it though! ^^

There are a few quotes that I quite like:

"I love writing," says "Gabi," a 29-year-old Argentinean fanficcer, "and as long as there's at least one person interested in reading what I write, it'll be worth the effort."

I think so too. I actually talked about this to one of my friends who was upset he didn’t get too many reviews like he did before. I told him there might be a few closet readers and also that as long as one person is interested, then you’re good. ^^

"Fanfiction inspired my love for writing in general. This was most definitely due to the encouragement and constructive criticism of my peers. Fanfiction lends itself to a sense of community because of mutual interest, and because we help each other out with writing."=

This is what I love about fanfiction forums sometimes. I love how we all help each other and not only that friendships are built and such.

As such, any lengthy fic may have drastic style changes over the span of chapters. Different writers view reader comments in different ways; some ignore reviews altogether, others change every aspect of their writing at the whim of their fans simply to satisfy the audience, and everyone else falls somewhere in the middle.

That’s the other thing I love about fanfiction. I love seeing people improve each chapter and it’s cool that they put their sweat and tears to make the next chapter better than the other.

Some writers, though, take preventative measures. "I try to have several chapters written in advance before submitting a current chapter," says Dark Sage. "I like to give myself lots of leeway."

Hehe, me too! XD

Again, great work! ^^

[mr_pikachu]

Goodnight Seadra: My apologies. I thought I replied to your comments earlier.

I'm glad you noticed the comprehensiveness of it, as this definitely took its fair share of time and effort. "Everything in Moderation" was actually one of the harder pieces to write. It's surprising how difficult it is to evaluate one's own job.

Closet readers can be one of the trickiest parts of the fanfiction culture, as there's just no easy way to get them out of the closet so that you get the feedback you need. The only real route to success is patience and diligence. Perhaps that's not as ideal as it sounds, however. On the other hand, when you do get that key piece of advice or that one reader who finds your work fascinating, it's superbly fulfilling.


As Gavin told me a few minutes ago, the Fanfiction Documentary website is currently inaccessible. According to the webhost's forum, it seems to be having some problems right now. Our difficulties could be related to that.

I'll do some more digging to see what I can find. If necessary, I'll just upload the project to a new domain.