“original fandom;” Any more of them out there?
I’ve struggled with fannish expectations since the beginning. I really do prefer to write original fic, and of course the community here is so very not. But there are things about fandom-style community and fannish writing ways that work so well for OF, and here are a few thinky thoughts about original fiction in a fandom context.
Your mileage may vary and I’m going to write big ol’ disclaimers into every sentence here, but– I don’t give a hoot about any particular canon source. Not even POTC. I’m a fan of fiction, and of good writing– and of pr0n. I’m not even sure of how I found LJ, but it surely does provide me with a cornucopia of fabulous writing and much pornishness! I did see all the POTC movies, but for the rest, I only know Buffy from ‘s myriad Spander re-workings, and The Sentinal likewise because of her Blair/Ellison fics. (I’ve watched a few eps of BTVS on hulu.com and yeah– but where’s the naked Xander?)(Warning re; lit-gal’s fics; HEAVY BDSM, consent issues, slavery, torture– but never rape! many possible triggers there) For instance.
POTC gave me; (I was going to list but forget it– too many) excellent writers. And two of those introduced me to a crosscanon fandom, which they kindly allowed me to play in. But what I quickly realised was that the pairing was actually all-original. Sparrow was recognisable with the dreads and the coat and the quickness– but the persona was quite different and his actions drove the plots in completely different ways. Shaftoe had no persona to speak of, in the original "Quicksilver" novels. Everything
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
and
have given Jack Shaftoe in relation to Jack Sparrow is original.
What’s more, in this fandom, a few ad-hoc walk-ons took the collective’s fancy and became a solid part of the fanon. Jamie Martingale is in peril, nearly all the time, of Gary Stu-ism. He is so pretty, and so good-hearted, and one of the very few who can insert himself into the Jack’s epic love affair. He gets his own fic. We invent new boyfriends for him. We love him and love to torture him. And as far as I’m concerned, the canon characters could all be renamed entirely, because this Jack Sparrow, and this Jack Shaftoe are not the canon characters at all. Except what could we rename them to, what names could possibly be as melodious and evocative as our Jack and his Jack? (That’s a rhetorical question, don’t answer it.)
So recently– I ran into some odd postings by this woman with these dolls she was taking pictures of. I don’t know from BJD’s any more than I know from canon sources. But once again– her writing attracted me, and her characters. In the same way that I enter any fandom– right in the middle and figuring out as I go– I got hooked on her vignettes and started fangirling them. And offering suggestions– hey, this plot device could be used thisaway, and if Dance is in real pain, maybe Emma would find this in the drugstore– and then there were five people contributing via lj comments, and then we moved to googledocs and what a free-for-all its become!
And this is the way I want it– an original fandom. (ETA, I thought that was part of a two-person co-write. Turns out i was wrong about that– but surely, RPG must count, right?)
There must be more– and i mean that in the “There must be a pony!” sense.
Yayz for original fic orgies!!
Yayz for original fic orgies!!
I must agree. Original fan-fic (If that’s even a term) is a wonderfully entertaining hybrid! Much mileage to be had!
I must agree. Original fan-fic (If that’s even a term) is a wonderfully entertaining hybrid! Much mileage to be had!
Yayz for original fic orgies!!
I must agree. Original fan-fic (If that’s even a term) is a wonderfully entertaining hybrid! Much mileage to be had!
It’s…I am no part of this, of course, but I must agree, original fandoms are fun. I created Leech and Ruckus on a mere whim, as a sideline to real person slash, handed Ruckus off to a friend and now they have a whole miasma of friends and family and things in between, though it’s never extended any farther than us two, and it is lovely. We give them faces of people we know because I can’t draw, and she can’t see into my head to draw them for me, but they’re nothing like the people whose faces we steal.
YES! so there are more original fic fandoms around, I KNEW it! Do you know of any more?
We need to create an original fandoms listing somewhere.
I liked what I read of Leech and his brother, but I’ve been writing so fast I haven’t had much time to read anything. o.O
And I’m so with you on stealing faces, too. Jamie Martingale from the Impverse is clear as a bell in all of our minds, based on some Spanish actor who’s name I can’t remember right now.
It’s…I am no part of this, of course, but I must agree, original fandoms are fun. I created Leech and Ruckus on a mere whim, as a sideline to real person slash, handed Ruckus off to a friend and now they have a whole miasma of friends and family and things in between, though it’s never extended any farther than us two, and it is lovely. We give them faces of people we know because I can’t draw, and she can’t see into my head to draw them for me, but they’re nothing like the people whose faces we steal.
YES! so there are more original fic fandoms around, I KNEW it! Do you know of any more?
We need to create an original fandoms listing somewhere.
I liked what I read of Leech and his brother, but I’ve been writing so fast I haven’t had much time to read anything. o.O
And I’m so with you on stealing faces, too. Jamie Martingale from the Impverse is clear as a bell in all of our minds, based on some Spanish actor who’s name I can’t remember right now.
Oh, you seem to be misinformed though – Abi, who handles Ruckus in roleplay, does not have any part of the stories I construct (other than sometimes inspiration, of course) – I write all by my lonesome.
I do not know of any other fandoms, but I have been wanting to form an original fiction community where we could all gather and critique and feed each others’ egos, since our kids don’t get the widespread interest that any fandom, or bandom, does.
Yes, yes. I haven’t ever found anyone perfect for Leech, but Bryan Papillon from Bouncing Souls is Ruckus all the way, and there could never be a Kellen other than Jesus of Suburbia!Pucci.
Thanks for the props there, if you ever get the time or if anyone else is interested, my tags page is here, so stuff can be found…that way.
oh that’s amusing– when I was describing POM to the mod, she thought I meant an RPG…
I’ve also been a part of two other “worlds”. One was the creation of myself and my two best college friends (one of whom is now my spouse, BTW) loosely based on D&D-ish fantasy realm with elves. It seemed wildly original back in the early 80′s, and it’s still pretty amazing when I look at our notes, although I’ve lost touch with the other friend and we don’t really work on it anymore. The other was loosely based on the World of Darkness RPG when it first came out, although we strayed farther and farther away from the ruleset until it was mostly original stuff. Although a few people sort of wandered in and out of that world, it was mostly a two person ‘verse. Wolf and I still work on it once in a while, but 99% of it has never been written down. It’s all oral tradition.
And now POM has eaten my brain, and I likes it like that.
I’ve also been a part of two other “worlds”. One was the creation of myself and my two best college friends (one of whom is now my spouse, BTW) loosely based on D&D-ish fantasy realm with elves. It seemed wildly original back in the early 80′s, and it’s still pretty amazing when I look at our notes, although I’ve lost touch with the other friend and we don’t really work on it anymore. The other was loosely based on the World of Darkness RPG when it first came out, although we strayed farther and farther away from the ruleset until it was mostly original stuff. Although a few people sort of wandered in and out of that world, it was mostly a two person ‘verse. Wolf and I still work on it once in a while, but 99% of it has never been written down. It’s all oral tradition.
And now POM has eaten my brain, and I likes it like that.
oral, huh? *G*
I’m glad you’ve been eaten by POM! And that other thing, too– once our brains have been regurgitated…
Brainz! Must have moar brainz!!
(thudding noises)
It’s…I am no part of this, of course, but I must agree, original fandoms are fun. I created Leech and Ruckus on a mere whim, as a sideline to real person slash, handed Ruckus off to a friend and now they have a whole miasma of friends and family and things in between, though it’s never extended any farther than us two, and it is lovely. We give them faces of people we know because I can’t draw, and she can’t see into my head to draw them for me, but they’re nothing like the people whose faces we steal.
YES! so there are more original fic fandoms around, I KNEW it! Do you know of any more?
We need to create an original fandoms listing somewhere.
I liked what I read of Leech and his brother, but I’ve been writing so fast I haven’t had much time to read anything. o.O
And I’m so with you on stealing faces, too. Jamie Martingale from the Impverse is clear as a bell in all of our minds, based on some Spanish actor who’s name I can’t remember right now.
Oh, you seem to be misinformed though – Abi, who handles Ruckus in roleplay, does not have any part of the stories I construct (other than sometimes inspiration, of course) – I write all by my lonesome.
I do not know of any other fandoms, but I have been wanting to form an original fiction community where we could all gather and critique and feed each others’ egos, since our kids don’t get the widespread interest that any fandom, or bandom, does.
Yes, yes. I haven’t ever found anyone perfect for Leech, but Bryan Papillon from Bouncing Souls is Ruckus all the way, and there could never be a Kellen other than Jesus of Suburbia!Pucci.
Thanks for the props there, if you ever get the time or if anyone else is interested, my tags page is here, so stuff can be found…that way.
oh that’s amusing– when I was describing POM to the mod, she thought I meant an RPG…
I’ve also been a part of two other “worlds”. One was the creation of myself and my two best college friends (one of whom is now my spouse, BTW) loosely based on D&D-ish fantasy realm with elves. It seemed wildly original back in the early 80′s, and it’s still pretty amazing when I look at our notes, although I’ve lost touch with the other friend and we don’t really work on it anymore. The other was loosely based on the World of Darkness RPG when it first came out, although we strayed farther and farther away from the ruleset until it was mostly original stuff. Although a few people sort of wandered in and out of that world, it was mostly a two person ‘verse. Wolf and I still work on it once in a while, but 99% of it has never been written down. It’s all oral tradition.
And now POM has eaten my brain, and I likes it like that.
oral, huh? *G*
I’m glad you’ve been eaten by POM! And that other thing, too– once our brains have been regurgitated…
Brainz! Must have moar brainz!!
(thudding noises)
Oh, you seem to be misinformed though – Abi, who handles Ruckus in roleplay, does not have any part of the stories I construct (other than sometimes inspiration, of course) – I write all by my lonesome.
I do not know of any other fandoms, but I have been wanting to form an original fiction community where we could all gather and critique and feed each others’ egos, since our kids don’t get the widespread interest that any fandom, or bandom, does.
Yes, yes. I haven’t ever found anyone perfect for Leech, but Bryan Papillon from Bouncing Souls is Ruckus all the way, and there could never be a Kellen other than Jesus of Suburbia!Pucci.
Thanks for the props there, if you ever get the time or if anyone else is interested, my tags page is here, so stuff can be found…that way.
oral, huh? *G*
I’m glad you’ve been eaten by POM! And that other thing, too– once our brains have been regurgitated…
oh that’s amusing– when I was describing POM to the mod, she thought I meant an RPG…
Brainz! Must have moar brainz!!
(thudding noises)