Is Fan Fiction Wrong?

I, being a fanfiction writer, is against the though of it is wrong. Yes, there are some who write poorly, but it can act as a training. And the thing is, it seems like it isn't even some sort of training because us fans find it a thing for us to enjoy, I mean, spending your time writing a fictional, i repeat, fictional story about the person, group, etc. you admire brings us a lot of joy. It depends on the person's interest and persepective.

And I repeat, this is fiction. Nothing but fiction. We should clear this thing up.

Personally I don't see the harm in fanfics. If the person doesn't get ego centric with it or tries to use it for ill will or make money off it what's the harm? However I will say that if an author has requested fics to not be made out of their characters or series that writers respect that.

The hub itself was interesting. Liked that you tried to show arguments and viewpoints from both sides and even allowed commenters to voice their opinion outside of a poll.

yes,fan fiction is wrong in some ways,and right in others. Fan fiction was created for fun. I love the lion king fanfiction ! But seriously some is good some is bad.

Some of it is awful, some is good: like all stuff in life. Authors always get inspiration from others, and this is harmless as there is no profit involved. Should we not be encouraging people to express creativity and be literate. There is way worse that a child can find on the internet as well... and anyway how does one propose stopping it...

Also, to add, I am very much against "real-people" fanfiction. That is just wrong, and you simply don't do something like that. It's weird, and just straight out wrong. I write fanfiction for things like Harry Potter and Sherlock.

I think it's a pretty good writing exercise. Writing is a passion of mine, and I do write my own work. I find fanfiction very helpful when it comes to getting the creative juices flowing. Writing fanfiction allows me to practice new writing techniques and I often get incredibly helpful advice from readers!

I don't think it's "wrong" per se, but when someone profits from it or the celeb written about has issues with it, then it's wrong. I've written fan fic, but I keep it to myself and would never publish it online.

I think Fanfiction is a way people of all ages and ethnicity show their love and appreciation for books and movies etc. They/We don't mean any offence its simply a way of expressing what we wished to have happened. e.g In Alex Rider a lot of people would have loved for character Jack Starbright to have survived or for Alex's school to find out about them, what fanfiction does is it offers them the opportunity to write your desired ending or event and share it with others who possibly wanted that ending as well. It also encourages young people into writing and slash fics helps with developing open mindedness in people when it comes to Homosexuality giving them the chance to make their own decisions on the topic than what their parents raised them with (raising them saying its wrong), it shows them things from different prospectives and prevents prejudice and bias-ness. FANFICTION IS NOT WRONG.

i am a fanfic author and i am pro for it. but the real pelope fics i am 100% ageist .

I like making up fan fiction of my own but I don't publish them on the net, nor do I write them down, nor do I read the work of others :p The reason I'm not into published fan fiction is because most of it (I'm not saying all) are written so different from the canon material with the characters becoming so OOC, with romance being such a big deal (that's just me though). But there's nothing wrong with it at all, it's just not everyone's cup of tea. It's true, it is an outlet for fan's imaginations and passions and it's a nice feeling whenever you make your favorite characters do the things you want them to do that they might never do in the canon. It isn't ripping off the original authors; it is labeled as "fan fiction" for that purpose, otherwise it was made for profit, doesn't give due credit, and is just plain "plagiarism". But of course, writers must be encouraged to not just stick to writing fan fiction but to come up with their own original ideas.

Don't see anything wrong with it, as long as it's not done for profit.

I basically believe that Fan Fiction is not wrong, as long as the proper credit is given to the professional author and it is not done for profit. Is some or even most of it cr*p - probably. But even so, it offers a creative outlet for fans and a springboard for aspiring authors to hone their skills and go on to build their own universes.

Most of the common arguments against fanfiction on this page are wrong. There is fanfiction that is well-written. Granted, 'My Immortal'esque examples of complete faliure at writing will show up, but there are also works that are actually interesting. Writing fanfiction isn't stealing if you credit the author- and most fanfiction makes it obvious that it's fanfiction. How is it wrong if you're not getting any credit for the ideas created by the original author, or earning money from it? (If you are, you're writing a bad fanfiction, but, again, not all fanfiction is like that.) As for the next point, I've read fanfics that didn't include anything inappropriate at all- no adult content, no X-rated scenes, no nothing! Fanfiction about celebrities does seem wrong to me, I'll admit, so on this point, I'll agree- insult the celebrity fanfics all you want. However, 'fanfiction keeps women poor' is where I start to disagree. People can choose to write fanfiction. Nobody is forcing them to write for free. Let them decide if they enjoy writing fan works more than 'real' fiction. Lastly, I've never heard of any problems coming from an author 'stealing' a fanfiction author's idea by coming up with the same one. Also, writing fanfiction about what might happen seems like a more detailed kind of theorizing, and I've seen websites- well, parts of websites- devoted to 'hey, let's try to guess what's going to happen!' Some of the theories were right. None of them caused any problems. If someone decides to go into more detail, that shouldn't change. Fanfiction is not a problem, it is a medium with some poorly written or inappropriate works in it- but there are 'real' books that are completely atrocious, and yet get published. Fanfiction isn't hurting anybody- there's no reason to get rid of it. Besides, some writers are brilliant at plots, but cannot come up with proper characters, or settings. They aren't skilled enough for 'real' fiction that will get published, but fanfiction is where they can show off what they can do with a bit of help.tl;dr version:Yes, some fanfiction is awful, but there's nothing wrong with the genre, it's just individual writers that can't write. There's also some good stuff. That's the same as a lot of other things that aren't inherently wrong, like 'real', published literature. If you don't like it, don't read it- nobody's forcing you to, and you can always stop the moment you notice it's garbage. Let the writers have their fun.

It also gives people a chance to express feelings.

It gives people like me a chance to put dreams down on paper! Especially about The Beatles

Fanfiction is a good thing- a great thing. It brings enjoyment to its writers and readers. It allows a chance to explore things that could have happened in canon, but didn't, or things that would never happen in canon. It IS good writing practice, it is fun, and it brings together many communities. If you want to write, writing fanfiction is a great and healthy way to do so. I recommend writing and reading fanfiction to everybody. I truly believe fanfiction is a wonderful thing, and even after reading opposing arguments, I can't see anything wrong with it.

I think most fan fiction is poorly written and not worth my time, but on general principal, I don't see anything wrong with it. In fact, imitation is a form of flattery, so it's really an honor to be the author being used as the source of inspiration.

I love reading fan fictuin. If one does not like the outcome of a their favouet TV series when it it finally comes to an end - fans can write fan fiction and write the ending they wish they had seen. Take the TV series JAG for example. Wheile the TV series was running, everyone wanted Harm and Mac to get together and at the series finale they tossed a coin to determine their fate. This left an ending totally open ended begging for fan fiction to write an ending. Now there are stories out there where Mac and Harm are not together but with other partners much more suited to their temperaments. The important thing to remember - is that it is FICTION!! Made up - just like the original fiction was made up. And some fan fiction authors are very good at what they write. I would not continue to read it if they weren't good.

... Where would Sherlock Holmes be, but for fan-fiction? Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) hated his character and tried killing him off... But readers loved Sherlock and forced Doyle to bring him back! How many Sherlock Holmes stories have been written since then... by authors/scriptwriters ASIDE Doyle? Hundreds, thousands, millions! Is this fan-fiction? After all, it's fiction that takes Sherlock Homes & John Watson (Doyle's characters) and gives them new adventures, adventures written by authors ASIDE Doyle. The real issue (for me) about fan fiction is the quality - is it true to the original characters (I like Holmes to stay a genius, fan-fict that makes him into an idiot is not my thing) and is it 'a great read/watch'? If so, I'm for it!

As a writer and reader of fanfiction, I don't think it is wrong. Yes, I have found a lot of 'monstrosities' which are badly written, give the story a bad image, or have sexual scenes in them. However, a lot of fanfiction that I read is really good and simply explores minor characters in more detail.This one: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6272948/1/Life_Through... example, is not mine, but is very well-written, detailed, proofread, and has a brilliant storyline. It's about Finnick - a character from Hunger Games. I've also read a lot of brilliant Marauder era fanfics on fanfiction.net.

My son started creating fan fiction when he was about 4 years old. He would revise the bedtime stories I told him, helping the Three Bears protect their property from vandalism and such like.

It may not be fan fiction, exactly, but my family has had a long-standing tradition of trying to recast Gone With The Wind with modern characters and we also chew over ideas for sequels. I have no idea why this started, but we still do it.

I agree that there can be problems and dangers in the world of fanfic, but that's the same in any hobby area, as the author here has written. As to quality, the fact that fan fic is so wide-spread on the internet means that there's just more of it, and it's free to do, so lots of new writers get into it. The better the fanfic, the more reviews it gets, though. This is just a way for new writers to get feedback from people who are not immediate family or friends. I love fanfic. I think it is exceptionally useful and over-all positive.

@M_Leigh_Hood: I absolutely agree 100%. Of course, nothing beats creating one's original story, but what I advocate is a society where artists stop worrying so much about copyright laws and just allow themselves to enjoy the reaction of their fans, whether it be in the form of devotion, review articles, or fan fiction. Authors should share and collaborate with their fans, and recognize that their work would be nothing if it weren't for the money the fans spend on buying it. If I were a bestselling author, I'd love to see what other twists and turns my readers can come up with as far as the storyline that I originally created. I'd also love to see my characters written from a different perspective. I think authors should feel honored that people love their characters and stories so much that they want to write fan fiction about them. So what if it's horrid?? Let artists express themselves. If you think it's horrid, don't read it, but let others who want to read it have a chance to do so. We're supposed to live in a free world. Why must we suppress creative expression?

Great debate! Made me really think. I'm still convinced it should only be a hobby for young people, beginning writers. I mean harry potter series are really children's books. Blessed.

i had to laugh at 'it keeps women poor' ....actually the whole argument against fanfiction is generally laughable. i don't agree with copyright law anyway, but in this case it's not an infringement of property rights. the 'harry potter' that jane doe writes about in fanfiction is not exactly the same 'harry potter' jk rowling write. fanfiction is all essentially parody. and nobody is making money off of it, anyway. saying that fanfiction is wrong is like saying that fantasizing is wrong. and if you say that you're bloody out of your mind. the only reasonable argument that has been put forth is in regards to fiction that is based on real people. and i don't think such ficiton is wrong, per-se. i just think that it should be heavily protected against the actual person ever finding it. it's not wrong until that person has to be subjected to it. most responsible RPF writers do this, so it's all quite fine. and do you know what the best part about this whole thing is? nobody will ever put a stop to fanfiction. you can't do it, and nobody really gives that much of a shit because it doesn't harm anybody. people need to stop wasting everyone's time whinging on about it. fanfiction is a creative and fun activity that brings people together and is ultimately a force for good in this world.

@anonymous: "people need to stop wasting everyone's time whinging on about it. fanfiction is a creative and fun activity that brings people together and is ultimately a force for good in this world." Very well put, my friend, totally agree

I don't think it's wrong, people have ideas and reinterpret movies and books all the time. So long as you're not profiting off it, it's fine.

I used to be an avid fan fiction writer - my person rule was always stick to what could possibly be canon, and, of course, never add in Mary Sues/Marty Sams or try to make money off of my work.Very good work on this lens! Blessed by a SquidAngel!

The only problem I've ever had with fan fiction is that much of it is far too badly written. Lots of it isn't to my taste, but that's not important.

@mythphile: Very well put!

I think of fan fiction - whether reading or writing - as a hobby, just as playing in a sport is a hobby. Would you tell a woman that she shouldn't play tennis unless she's playing it professionally, or else she's contributing to keeping women poor? Would you say that if she plays badly, she shouldn't play at all? I enjoy reading fan fiction, and when I come across any that's poorly written, I can skip it. No harm done to me or to the author, or to the rest of society. I do have some reservations about real-person fan fiction, only because I worry that someday the children of the celebs involved will come across it when they're too young to understand what it is.

This was a truly great debate topic! I personally love reading fanfiction and have written a couple of my own. I don't do many as I don't have the time. Sure there is some awful stuff out there but there are also some absolute gems, and the communities can be great. To be, it's just another form of fandom and if I was the author or film or TV show getting the fanfic attention I'd be delighted. To me, writing is about inspiring and engaging the audience and if you've written something that generates fanfic, then you've done just that. And if some of those fanfic writers you inspired then go on to have careers of their own (with their own original works, of course!) then even better, IMO!

Great idea for a lens. I really think that fan fiction is a good thing, as long as no one tries to make money with it. I love to write nonfiction and fiction of my own, but fan fiction gives me the opportunity to let my imagination expand without having to focus on making up characters, settings, etc.

There's a special genre of literature that involves taking a famous novel (eg "Great Expectations", "Gone with the Wind") and rewriting it from the perspective from a different character. Eg "Great Expectations" was rewritten from the perspective of the convict, and published professionally! No one said that was 'derivative' (etc), it was heralded as great literature (!!). Someone else wrote a whole novel about Gulliver's Wife ("Gulliver's Travels") narrated by her china doll - this work was also published professionally and heralded as literature. What's the difference between this and fan fiction? To me, there's hardly any difference, EXCEPT "Great Expectations" & "Gulliver's Travels" are out-of-copyright, considered literary classics and their authors are long deceased. Perhaps that's the real 'difference' between them an fan-fict; the authors of the novels (above) simply chose to make fan fiction about 'recognised classics' rather than popular culture!

creativity should be supported/encouraged in any form it takes.

I found a story using my real name and I am not even a celebrity! And don't wanna be one! I am portrayed as a pedophile, a homosexual and I very much dislike and hate those kind of people myself! I'm just a website owner, a one person business, a self-employed individual and I am now discussing this case with a attorney. I'm going to use all resources to stop this slander and to claim damages against the fanfiction.net.

@anonymous: I found a story that has the real name of one of my cousins. My cousin is not taking the author to court to demand compensation. In fact, she thinks its rather cool. How many people are there in the real world with your exact same name. Out of 7 billion people there must be several. Do you take them to court and sue them? No you don't. So why sue a writer? They have no way of knowing if the names they use are taken or not - but the chances are high that there are name doppelgangers out there.

@anonymous: Okay that is actually against the rules on the site. How does this person know you? So you can just report it. This person probably doesn't know you so then it isn't against the site rules at all. If they do know you then its different. They have no idea if the name is in use.