Ponderings On The Joys Of Fanfic

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Pardon the spam - apparently I have a lot of RD thoughts right now.  This was prompted by a RD fan whom I follow on Twitter expressing frustation with aspects of the writing in later series, specifically the proliferation of "rape jokes" (ugh) and the writing of Kochanski.

I don't know this person very well but I'm about 95% sure that they're not into fanfic and are therefore probably unaware of the regular discussions we have about issues like that and the existence of "fix-it" fics.  It just made me so glad that I do enjoy fic and made me realise how cathartic it can be to read or write a fic which "fixes" a problem in canon and / or fills in background details on minor or poorly written characters.  Yes, the problem still exists in canon, but at least it's been acknowledged.

It also makes me sympathise more with some G&T and TOS posters.  If you're the type of fan who loves to analyse something you love (I certainly am) and for whatever reason you're not into fanfic, it must be really frustrating when the honeymoon period fades and you start noticing the flaws in the thing you love.  You're basically stuck with them without the compensation of someone finding imaginative ways around them.

This honestly isn't intended as a "Ha ha, we're so much better than them" type of post.  If it's intended as anything, I suppose it's a thank you to all the friendly and talented people on here, AO3 and Tumblr who've contributed so much fic, art, meta and just general discussion over the years.  You've enriched this show immeasurably for me.

Comments

[derien.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's exactly it - the fic, the talking about the fic is all a discussion about not only the good points but the things that could have been done better. I agree, it has enriched the show for me. Thank you for putting that so succinctly.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that response - I did wonder whether to confine this to my journal so it's good to know that I struck a chord. :)

[rosecathy1.livejournal.com]

Agreed. :o)

I also appreciate the kinds of stories and discussions we have. Based on my poking around, a lot of other fandoms really emphasise erotica and tropes, both in discussions (as you know from The Argument to End All Arguments in the Sherlock fandom, for example) and in fic. I don't have a problem with erotica -- obviously! -- but I feel like my stories wouldn't get much of a look elsewhere because of this expectation that fics must be long and porn-filled to be popular/considered good.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

I don't want to be too negative in this post, but yes, regarding that argument - since I'm looking in from the outside there may be complexities which I'm missing, but it really bothers me.

Context for those who don't know - there are a lot of vocal "Sherlock" fans on Tumblr who interpret the title character as a dyed in the wool "bottom", to the extent that I've read comments to the effect that he'd degenerate into a blubbering mess if forced to be anything else. These comments are a response to the "Dark Fuck Prince" characterisation of him which is also popular in the fandom and probably aren't totally serious, but what bothers me is the extreme nature of both views. Why can't he be something in between?

The thought of Lister being characterised that way because he's small and cries at romantic films is anathema to me. Obviously there's nothing wrong with being a bottom - it's the rigid insistence which annoys me.

And on your second point, I did read a scornful comment by one "Sherlock" fan that G-rated fics exist in that fandom but they certainly don't read them. That's one person, but still...

Obviously the "Sherlock" fandom is huge and I only look at a few popular blogs so I'm not saying everyone's like that.

[lordvalerymimes.livejournal.com]

I suppose I can imagine someone having their own strict head-canon that they can't deviate from in their own writings, but to want other people to not deviate? That just seems silly. Everyone's going to have their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas about the characters. I mean, the variety is part of what makes fanfic so brilliant. I've read so many fics that I never could have written myself, because my mind just doesn't go there but I still thoroughly enjoy getting to read what other people's brains make of Lister and Rimmer.

My own head-canon is all over the place. People are complicated, and I can easily see Lister and Rimmer's relationship dynamic making sense in a myriad of different ways. I would never want to limit myself to seeing them in only one way. Not to disparage anyone who DOES have a strict head-canon that they can't deviate from, but for me, the flexibility is part of the fun.

I will admit to being one of bad people who ignored G-rated fics at first, but it was just because I wanted to read the explicit stuff FIRST. I had it get it out of my system! ;-)

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I think we're really lucky in this fandom that we have such deliciously complex central characters and such a great universe to play with. We have the show, plus the novels, plus AU's are canon so anything goes. To stick rigidly to one view/headcanon with so much scope for interpretation and creativity would be very limiting. Sure, people can only write what feels right to them, but telling other people that their take is less valid or outright wrong spoils a lot of the fun.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

I just tried to imagine having a head canon that either Lister or Rimmer can only enjoy sex in one way, whether that be topping or bottoming, BDSM or vanilla etc. I died a little inside. :/

I think it may be because the "Sherlock" fandom is so huge and has about 30 or 40 new fics posted on AO3 every day. People are so spoilt for choice that they can afford to be picky and never venture out of their comfort zone. The downside of that is that they're almost certainly missing loads of stuff which they'd enjoy if they gave it a chance.

[lordvalerymimes.livejournal.com]

30-40 new fics a DAY? I'm actually sort of glad our fandom is on the smaller side. I don't think I could ever keep up with 30-40 new fics a day and I'd constantly be afraid that I was missing out. Plus, it seems more cozy with a smaller group. I feel like we could all easily meet up for hot cocoa and pastries somewhere. :-D

And everyone would sit FAR away from us, once they realized what we were talking about. ;-)

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

You know, I wondered if I was exaggerating, so I've just checked the relevant section for works posted or updated today i.e. the 26th. There are no less than 62!

Admittedly many are chapter updates rather than new works, but still. How the hell could anyone keep up with that?

I would love to meet up with everyone for coffee and cakes. That happens to a certain extent at DJ, of course. ;)

[lordvalerymimes.livejournal.com]

If I'm ever able to get out for a DJ (crossing my fingers for the one in 2017), the first round of coffee and cakes will be on me. :)

[bellumed.livejournal.com]

How the hell could anyone keep up with that?

Well, you don't, right? I call that a benefit of being in a large fandom: you never run out of new fics!

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's precisely it. Imagine how boring RD fic would be if we all followed the head canons of a small group of BNFs and only wrote what they considered in character. Not saying that actually happens in the "Sherlock" fandom but I'm pretty sure that younger or more easily intimidated fans have probably censored themselves for fear of alienating their group of friends.

I actually read one blogger admitting that she'd kept quiet about disagreeing with a group of BNFs because they reblogged her posts and got her fics lots of hits, so this isn't just my imagination. Their response was "If you don't like us, don't pretend to" which I have to say I agree with.

Getting back to Lister and Rimmer, I totally agree that there are so many ways their relationship could be portrayed and that's what is so much fun about it. :)

It's OK; I was the same at first. I devoured all the explicit stuff and then calmed down and went through the tamer stuff. Then I reread it all as I hadn't taken it all in the first time. ;)

[lordvalerymimes.livejournal.com]

So much amen to all of this. Enriching the fandom is exactly what it does.

I'm into RD more than I've been into anything, but the closest thing would probably be Harry Potter when I was in my early 20s. I never delved into fanfiction with HP though. Now that I see what the fanfic side is like, it's just so much more fun. I still don't think I'll ever be motivated to read or write fic for anything other than RD, but I'm so glad to have discovered it.

There's just something so exciting about the fact that you can take these characters and places that you love, and just do anything with them. Anything your imagination can cook up. I know I'm not the greatest writer, but having these boys awaken my creative muse has just been so cathartic for me. I feel more like myself than I've done in years.

So yeah, thank you everyone, all of you who have written RD fics. You've done so much for me, without even knowing it. :)

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

I was heavily into "Buffy" when it originally aired, but I never felt the need to read or write fic, partly because there were regular official books and I wasn't really aware how much more radical and complex fanfic could be in comparison. It took RD to get me heavily into fic and it may well be the only fandom I write for. Impossible to predict, of course. :)

I love the feeling I get when a fic starts writing itself in my head. It's rare but lovely. :)

[fantasysci5.livejournal.com]

Fic does help make things feel better.