Do you read TV and Film Fan Fictions?

[Castle]

Do any of you read fan fictions written about your favourite movies and shows? A lot of highly successful series from Star Trek to Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel and DC have a huge fan fiction community.

Research has also revealed women by a large number read and write fan fictions? what is your take on this from the male's perspective? I always assumed its because fan fictions are mostly about romance and women read romantic stories more than men.

Have you read any fan fiction that was as good or better than the actual series?

Lastly what are your overall thoughts on fan fictions as a fan? some authors like it other authors hate it.

[AndrewCrossett]

I've actually written a lot more of it than I've read. I used to put out several stories a year, starting on Livejournal and then on AO3. (And I'm male, but... I would say probably 75% of FF writers are women.)

A majority of FF is various shades of bad. There's no gatekeeper, at least not now when anyone can publish their own. (When I started writing Xena fanfics, you pretty much had to submit a story to an archive site and hope they considered it worthy of posting.) But some of it is very good. There's an attitude that "all fanfiction is bad because if the writers had any talent they'd be out there making money with their own characters and creations." But that's equally true of comics writers and screenwriters who tell stories about people and in worlds created by others. You would be surprised how many pro writers started out writing FF.

There was something I said to John Rogers, co-creator of "Leverage" when he used to use his blog as an ad hoc forum, and I've seen him say it elsewhere since then... fanfiction is a sign of a healthy show. People don't want to write their own stories in your world unless they love it enough to want a piece of it. I think creators understand that now more than they did in the past.

[Vakanai]

No. Should I?

[Celgress]

Read them, heck, I write them (it is an interesting hobby lol). My primary focus is anime and comic books, however. I also read a few every now and then.

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5362168/

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I usually read anime or video game fanfiction more than TV or Film franchises but I have read a few. I actually wrote one for Fantastic Beasts a year ago but I dropped off due to personal issues and writer's block. I do wanna finish it during the quarantine.

As someone learning to be a writer, I think fanfiction is a valuable tool. If you just wanna write for fun have at it. But if you want to write professionally, it's better you see it as a stepping stone or a means to an end than an end in itself. Right now I'm using it to learn how to write prose (I studied screenwriting in college) and to practice writing outlines(winging it only takes you so far). I quit writing and film two years ago due to a depressive spiral and fanfiction is baby steps to get back into swing of things.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3979062...ouses-Divided- this became the 8th Harry potter book I wish we got.

I can't really talk about the gender disparity in fanfiction. I see it more as a representation issue because there are a lot of gender/LGBTQIA themes so maybe those fans need it more than their straight male counterparts? Just a thought I had.

Most fanfiction is terrible because most of its writers are new and just writing off instinct than any real plan. But in a way I prefer the fanfic community to most of the fandoms because they feel more brave/supportive/open than other fans. That doesn't mean they can't be harsh or toxic as well but fanfiction just lends itself to a better atmosphere.

[Jackalope89]

I may or may not have recommended a number of fanfics of Jason Todd in his appreciation thread...

So, yes. Yes I have. Mainly I look into crossover series, though certain ones I don't mind being just from their own universe, so to speak. Overall, I would be considered a very picky reader. Often ignoring 95% or more of most fanfics, searching for that 5% or fewer that's worth reading. Barring rare exceptions, I ignore series like Harry Potter and Naruto by rule. Seeing them in harem tags, or as characters that have no bearing on the actual character in the summary... Yeah. Though, a crossover with Lobo in Harry Potter has proven to be interesting.

Overall? Most fanfics suck. No lie. There are a few worth reading, but those are the exception. I won't disparage people from writing it, working on their own craft, I'm just acknowledging that much of it is pretty bad. Things like fanon (fanfiction canon) tend to be thought of as canon rather than actual canon (Ranma 1/2 is a good example of this), self-inserts tend to be little more than another term for mary sue/gary stew, and many times characters from the franchise listed have practically nothing in common with their actual counterparts.

Generally, I follow stories with Jason Todd (be it in DC or as crossovers), Super Sons (not slash), DBZ (mainly crossovers), Galen Marek/Starkiller of Star Wars Force Unleashed, and Ranma 1/2. Though I have been looking into the He-Man series (a few interesting crossovers with the recent She-Ra series), a Batman ongoing series (think DCAU adaptation here, though with no Alfred and what not, but expanded cast), and a few wider DC series (Teen Titans, Justice League, etc).

[titanfan]

If you were like an early Harry Potter die hard or a fan of He-Man or something else where you wanted to read stories in that universe but there wasn't a lot of material, you really had no choice but to read fan-fiction. That's what I used to read. I think that as more fan fiction writers have published material and become successful, it's really helped the stigma of fan fiction writers.

Yes, some of it is better than professional works. There's a few Star Trek ones I think should absolutely be published. There's a lot of bad stuff too--but I also can enjoy stuff for what it is. No one read the "Twilight" novels because they were literary masterpieces either. I have a good imagination--just take me on a ride. If anything, sometimes I enjoy them more because my expectations are lower.

[Powerboy]

Do any of you read fan fictions written about your favourite movies and shows? A lot of highly successful series from Star Trek to Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel and DC have a huge fan fiction community.

Research has also revealed women by a large number read and write fan fictions? what is your take on this from the male's perspective? I always assumed its because fan fictions are mostly about romance and women read romantic stories more than men.

Have you read any fan fiction that was as good or better than the actual series?

Lastly what are your overall thoughts on fan fictions as a fan? some authors like it other authors hate it.

On occasion, I'll look up fan fiction for a show, movie or book. I usually end up skimming the first page and that's it for me. Might be anything from bad writing to an unlikely romance to feeling the main character is some new character who is really the author and there to have a romance with a character. On rare occasions, I've found a good one even if it fits into the second or third category.

The only one I've actually read all the way in recent years was a Bewitched/ Star Trek Voyager crossover. As ridiculous as that sounds, it was pretty well-written and gave a sort of decent finale to Bewitched.

I'm not really a fan fiction person. I tried writing some long ago but realized most readers just want a romance story. I recently read a published romance story because a female friend wrote it. She's a decent writer but the subject matter wasn't for me. But I still think fan fiction is a great outlet for people who enjoy reading and writing it. I especially get why it was so popular in the days when there were no subplots in shows and characters were the same at the end of a series as at the beginning.

I have to sneak in that, during Buffy season six, I started thinking it was feeling like bad fan fiction with fan wish fulfillment relationships and trite soap opera emotional tactics.

[Starter Set]

I used to read some, some years ago. Even wrote a couple, thanks Zeus now impossible to find. It's a fun hobby.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

I've written plenty of fanfics, saying right now that most of them are probably bad, I don't write any smut and can only read certain smut depending on the show or movie or whatever and the characters, as some characters and such lend themselves better to it than others...I do it mostly because whenever I watch a tv show or movie or read a book and such my warped mind starts thinking up different ways for scenes to have gone or if they moved certain scenes around and such, ideas always popping into my mind, it's putting them down on paper so to speak that's the problem...also over at fanfiction.net, though nobody will be able to figure out the name I use over there...

A lot of the fanfics are just terrible but some are very good...

[TriggerWarning]

As someone learning to be a writer, I think fanfiction is a valuable tool. If you just wanna write for fun have at it. But if you want to write professionally, it's better you see it as a stepping stone or a means to an end than an end in itself. Right now I'm using it to learn how to write prose (I studied screenwriting in college) and to practice writing outlines(winging it only takes you so far). I quit writing and film two years ago due to a depressive spiral and fanfiction is baby steps to get back into swing of things.

I can totally see fanfic being a useful practice tool for aspiring writers. It allows you to work on prose, pacing, and action scenes without having to worry about creating interesting characters or worldbuilding since those are already done for you. Eventually you have to be able to do it all but fanfic lets you focus on specific aspects.

[Starter Set]

Oh it sure is an interesting tool for young and/or new writers.

Especially if they post their work online, where readers can give them some feedback. Which isn't always an easy thing mind you, people tend to easily overpraise of to be very, very critical without much reasons sometimes.

But it's valuable anyway for the aspiring writer to learn how to deal with such things, what to keep and what to forget, and to not be too shy about their own work.

[WebLurker]

Do any of you read fan fictions written about your favourite movies and shows?

Sometimes. Usually if it was something that left really open-ended.

Research has also revealed women by a large number read and write fan fictions? what is your take on this from the male's perspective?

Irrelevant.

Have you read any fan fiction that was as good or better than the actual series?

Nothing that comes to mind right now.

Lastly what are your overall thoughts on fan fictions as a fan? some authors like it other authors hate it.

It's a way for fans to express their love for the material.

[Jackalope89]

Do any of you read fan fictions written about your favourite movies and shows? A lot of highly successful series from Star Trek to Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel and DC have a huge fan fiction community.

Research has also revealed women by a large number read and write fan fictions? what is your take on this from the male's perspective? I always assumed its because fan fictions are mostly about romance and women read romantic stories more than men.

Honestly depends on the fanfic. Ones that are say, Halo or other similar video games, even M rated, rarely are centered around romance and "more". Romance may be a small part of the story, but not the driving factor. And those kinds of stories I'm fine with.

Have you read any fan fiction that was as good or better than the actual series?

Better? Not so much. Did I wish it would be part of the canonical series? Yes. One would be the Dark Lords of Nerima series which is a crossover between manga Ranma 1/2 and classic anime Sailor Moon. The writer sets the series in the late 80s/early 90s (back when people still had to use phonebooks), and does a lot of good stuff with humor, action, and suspense from both series. Just waiting on the final chapter of the final story (the author is working on it, but does take a good while between chapters anyway).

Lastly what are your overall thoughts on fan fictions as a fan? some authors like it other authors hate it.

I somewhat covered this in my first post, but fanfiction is good for writers to work on their overall writing (so long as they're willing to listen to real constructive criticism), and its a way for fans of the franchises to still read stories about their favorite characters and what not.

Could really do without so much slash though. And I don't mean horror series.

[Sutekh]

Do any of you read fan fictions written about your favourite movies and shows? A lot of highly successful series from Star Trek to Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel and DC have a huge fan fiction community.

Mostly Buffy fanfic, back in the day. I'm in the target audience to have read Star Trek, Babylon 5 or possibly even Star Wars fanfic, but, oddly, never have.

For comic fanfic, mostly Legion of Super-Heroes fanfic. Both as reader and writer.

Research has also revealed women by a large number read and write fan fictions? what is your take on this from the male's perspective? I always assumed its because fan fictions are mostly about romance and women read romantic stories more than men.

I preferred storyline fanfic with minimal romance, more or less the same or less focus on it than on the show itself.

Have you read any fan fiction that was as good or better than the actual series?

Given that the show itself (talking about Buffy) could get pretty dire at times, particularly at the very beginning, and at the very end, when the creator had left for other projects and left more romance-obsessed people in charge, yes.

And that's not much of a compliment.

Lastly what are your overall thoughts on fan fictions as a fan? some authors like it other authors hate it.

As a creator, I'd be flattered and consider it a sign of having succeeded in my craft to have made toys that other people love enough to want to play with them (or an entire world that people want to create stories in).