bisexualdinahlance reblogged
i understand the appeal of publishing "fic with the serial numbers filed off" as original work but i also feel like. what makes something a good fic is at odds with what makes something a good original story.
a good fic is in conversation with a source text, it may give a character an interesting role, it may reinterpret or subvert the rules established in the canon universe, whatever. but like. its transformative by nature. whereas original stories - good ones, anyway - have their own internal, non-referrential sense of logic and rules. it can be in conversation with the genre writ large but it has to have internal substance that can stand alone. which fic inherently cant do.
#this is why i can never understand the appeal of publishing fanfic lol#i always remember that post that was talking about fifty shades of gray that was like#'i didnt understand why there were all these random scenes with christians family until i realized it ised to be twilight fanfic'#bc in a fanfic esp a twilight one it makes sense to have scenes that include the other less relevant characters bc you enjoy them#and also like twilight just did have plenty of scenes where edward takes bella back to his house and etc.#like either your fic with the serial numbers shaved off wasnt a very good fic in the first place OR#it really shouldnt be published bc it just doesnt make sense without that engagement and understanding of the source material#i always look at it like okay your character has to make a choice#when writing fanfiction you are working with a set character that exists that you may be transforming but to some extent already has#all the 'what would they do in xyz situation' answered or that you can interpret#if i am writin a fanfic i will have characters make chocies not just bc it makes sense for the narrative but because this character already#has set values and shit#if im writing somthing original im molding the charactr as im going along#what i take into consideration for what a charactegr would do in a situation is worlds away from fanfic#how i adapt characters in fanfic is worlds away from how i create characters in original work#like even if you are writing something that is incredibly au in a fic you are still presumably making decisions based on their canon char#or the ship you are trying to push so then publishing that with names changed?#there is then something fundamentally missing from the readers understanding#writing