Hi everyone. My name is BoubieD. This is my first campfire and I'm just gonna come right out of the box and say that I am a "say it like I mean it" kind of girl. As a new member, I'm really excited to know what you guys think of what I call (fan)fiction.
This has probably has been going on since the beginning of fanfiction, and I might be the only one who gets irked by it, which is another reason why I'm posting here. I want to find out if I'm just annoyed over something that isn't that big a deal.
Most fanfiction readers over the last few months have been balking at the utter shameful practice of plagiarism. That is obviously wrong on all fronts and I just never understood the reasoning behind that. Attention? Notoriety? Really? It's pathetic. But that's not what (fan)fiction is. That's not my main gripe.
(Fan)fiction is when an author takes her original fiction and decides to use Twilight characters specifically to gain an audience.
This has become my biggest pet peeve. It irks me to no end, particularly for BNAs who have a built-in, very loyal audience. And when the characters are completely OOC, I feel cheated. Why write about a blond Bella who's a southern belle in 1856 or an Edward who's the fanfiction version of James Franco's character in "Pineapple Express"? Why don't you write fanfiction for "Pineapple Express" instead? Because you think no one will read it if you do? No one will review it? People won't be able to wrap their brains around a piece of fiction that doesn't feature characters no one really knows?
Now, I don't mind when Twilight characters are OOC. Maybe Edward became a pothead after his bad break up with Bella? I don't know. But performing plastic surgery on your own fiction so that it "looks" like Twilight but literally has NO basic elements related to Stephenie Meyers's saga is as fraudulent as plagiarism.
It's all about intent with me. If your creative process was borne out of a place where you asked, "What would it be like if Edward Cullen was a porn star?" That would be cool with me. But if you watched "Hung," wrote a complete story, then thought Twilight would be an awesome place where you could get a huge following because you need reviews like a fat kid needs cake, then SO NOT COOL, brah! SMDH.
And even more importantly, if you have an amazing piece of fiction that's original, well-written, thought-provoking, and DIFFERENT, AND you have a loyal fan base, write your own ish. DO IT! Why not? You have nothing to lose but a few reviews.
I just wish more authors were more ballsy. More women were out there saying their work was actually really good and everyone should read it. This humility and modesty is not cool, not in this age. We are strong, intelligent women. Hiding behind Edward Cullen and Bella Swan is so 18th Century of us. We might as well pose as men.
Now, I ask, does this only bother me? If so, then darn it LOL. Whatever the case is, I would like to know your thoughts.
Thank you.
*Ranger Edit: We encourage expressing opinions on controversial topics here at A Different Forest. Please remember, however, to keep your comments free of personal attacks or any disparaging comments regarding individual authors. Thank you!*