Tod Goldberg on Fanfic

As you may have noticed, the fanfic debate is raging here once again… so I thought I’d post some excerpts from my brother Tod Goldberg’s article on the subject, which appears as one of his weekly columns in the Las Vegas Mercury.

Among his many other wise and witty comments, he had this to say:

For those of you not in the know, fan fiction is when people not involved in the actual creation of a show, book, movie or a celebrity’s actual life create stories about them. It is one of the greatest and most wildly entertaining forms of copyright infringement this side of Kazaa. So, to say I was excited to read the fanfic about this particular star would be a vast understatement. I gravitated to the one where the star gets involved in a prison riot. It came with a helpful dictionary of terms used in the story, including "turn out," "shank" and "keep it real." Our hero was almost gang-raped by some convicts, but, alas, escaped with his anal hymen intact.

I clicked through the rest of the stories and killed a plate of leftover ham in the process. The stories were uniformly…uh…well…bad. All of them were written by women, which I found somewhat surprising, but then I thought about the correlation between Teen Beat and Tiger Beat and fan clubs in general and it seemed to make some sense.

Now I was all fired up to read more fan fiction about bad actors, minor celebrities and long-forgotten TV shows and movies. Forgoing the usual and known–anything involving Spock, Buffy and Elvis, basically–I fired up the Google and got searching. I started with a rather tender story revolving around Face and Murdock from "The A-Team." On the day of his wedding, Face takes a little time from the usual pro-forma screwing of hookers to reflect on the life he and Murdock have shared.

In my quest to read fan fiction about Corey Haim, or inspired by his wonderful life, I discovered a Lost Boys fan fiction site that contained a disclaimer warning others not to "steal my original characters or my ideas…go and get your own characters and ideas; have a little faith in yourself! But don’t steal from me!" I searched the entire story the woman had written and not one mention of the word "paradox" was found.

35 thoughts on “Tod Goldberg on Fanfic”

  1. For the love of Mike, Lee, I hope you’re not wasting too much time on this fanfic crusade. It’s like stomping on toadstools: satisfying, in a perverse sort of way, but they keep coming back.
    I learned my lesson when I found a fanfic bulletin board that specialized in tearing apart bad fanfic, and the first thread I read was about a Marty Stu set in Discworld. The excerpts were so juvenile that I felt no need to hunt up the original, and after chuckling over that thread found better things to do.
    Then a memory surfaced of an English class I took in high school where I wrote a short story in which Reid and Malloy from “Adam-12” made a cameo, and I realized that at one time, I was One Of Them. It was like discovering I was a Pod Person.

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  2. Jesus Christ, man, get a life. Look around. A guy writes about the more negative points of fanfiction, and you go over the moon. So-flipping-what? You’re fighting a losing battle against over 100,000 fanficcers. Who gives a flip about a few bleeding articles? LET. IT. GO.
    And you want it take it to court too? For the love of Pete. OK, so want to take legal action, but you’re insulting other people hobby, so basically you’re insulting what people like to do in their free time.
    You are a sad, sad person

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  3. Well, it is your blog, of course, but I think it would be much more efficient if you kept the comments in one thread. This is way too confusing, as issues that seemed to be cleared in other threads keep resurfacing. I myself refrain from further commenting in this thread; if Mr. Peschel or anyone else is interested in what I have to say, please have a look at my comments in the original ‘Godawful Fanfiction’ thread.

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  4. Erm, congratulations? Your opinions have made it to fandom wank. Not really a very noteworthy accomplishment as like the GAFF board, the place is a place of mockery. Though unlike the GAFF board, it does not mock fanfiction but people’s attitude in fandom. You are now at par with Anne Rice whose review at Amazon was reported there first before hitting the news.

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  5. Hi!
    I come to you by way of the Sisters on Sojourn.
    I just wanted to ask your opinion of books claiming to be legit that steal other writers’ characters. The book in question: This Body, by Laurel Doud. She has her own story going here, which is quite a good one, but when a character goes to a rock concert, the band happens to be Wyld Stallyns featuring Bill S Preston Esq. and Ted Theodore Logan! Maybe not everyone was as great a fan of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure as I, but I thought the character rip-off was truly…heinous. Anybody can come up with a new band and character name, can’t they??
    Later in the book, a character goes to a B&B run by a couple named Basil and Sybil! Fawlty Towers, anyone???
    Maybe I’m just really picky, but I think this should have been caught in proofreading/editing.

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  6. I guess I’m missing something here. Some lonely fans — one idenifying herself with a picture of Eliza Dushku, which I suspect is not quite an accurate representation — on a website devoted to whining have now whined about Lee there… and this is somehow a great victory over the evil anti-fanfic villain? Is this supposed to be the equivalent of the Supreme court in fandom… and if so, is there supposed to be some kind of punishment coming?
    All I see is a bunch of people so insecure they all freak out when their assumptions are challenged by one writer they’ve probably never heard of before now. You guys want to do fanfic, you’re so convinced it’s a great thing to do? Peachy… but why so defensive about it?

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  7. You guys want to do fanfic, you’re so convinced it’s a great thing to do? Peachy… but why so defensive about it?
    Bill, if you look back at the original start of this, few of the commentators here had any conception of who Lee was until he posted to the GAFF board, and in his comment calling writing fan fiction ‘stealing’. Calling fanfic ‘stealing’ is red rag to a bull to fans – it would be as logical to call it arson or taking a vehicle without the consent of the owner. In fact, it would be more logical to call it taking a vehicle without the consent of the owner.
    Add to this that fans, and fan fiction writers in particular, take the view that creators of works are merely slightly more successful colleagues (we are all equal but some earn money at it) and you are touching a match to a powder keg. You (or Lee or David) might not share that view, but I doubt you’re going to actually convince any fan that you (or Lee or David) are as important as you seem to imagine.
    It seems to have come to Lee (and David) as such a shock to have their view challenged. They seem to imagine they occupy the rarefied air of the Mountain of Creativity and are coming down to speak to fools. This is, frankly, an infuriating line to take, and I’m not surprised that fans are infuriated. Maybe this will be a salutary lesson in underestimating (some of) your audience.
    In fact, the whole thing reminds me of an exchange I witnessed at a convention many years ago now:
    Friend A: “Why do you despise me?”
    Friend B: “Because you’re despicable.”
    Why are we defensive? Because we were attacked – by someone who came into our space to do it. I mean, the name of the board, “Godawful fanfiction” – up there at the top in big yellow letters – is a hint-ette that it’s not a board about fly fishing or antquarian books.

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  8. I’m not at all shocked to have my views challenged by out-raged fanficcers. No thief likes to be identified as a thief.
    That said, PM is absolutely right about one thing. It was wrong of me to go to a discussion board for fanfic writers and post my disagreement there. And for that, I apologize.

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  9. I don’t recall saying that I was important, nor that I thought of myself as such… but since you brought it up, I’ll accept the compliment.
    As for being surprised about people disagreeing with me… not hardly. I am, after all, married. 🙂

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  10. Ehm, Mr. Goldberg, haven’t you yourself agreed that writing fanfiction in fandoms where the authors do not mind is not ethically wrong? (see the ‘Godawful Fanfiction’ thread) Calling all fanfiction writers thieves is incorrect, impolite and inconsistent with your previous statements.
    So, once again: do not put your words into another authors’ mouths, do not defend what is not yours to defend, if you mind fanfiction written in D:M fandom, let the fanficcers and archivists know, and stop repeating the same thing over and over again without regard to any previous discussion.
    On the other hand, I start to be really quite amused by this whole debate, so by all means, do carry on. I’ll get the popcorn.

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  11. Can you explain the legalities to me? I understand about copyrighted characters.
    But why can the makers of “Team America” include a bunch of celebrities against their will (Sean Penn has, I believe, issued a sincere f… you comment to the makers of the movie), make a ton of money, and that is ok, yet if someone would write a fan fiction about them and make no money you consider that a violation?

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  12. So, David, in other words, if a fanfiction writer would write a fic about a character played by Corey Haim, that would be illegal for copyright reasons, but if he wrote a (clearly labeled as fiction) story about Corey himself, that would be perfectly ok since he is a public figure?
    So you cannot mess with a fictional character, but you can with a real person? Seems schizophrenic, somehow….

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  13. Yeah, I think that’s pretty much it. You’re right — it’s a little loopy.
    A couple women recently wrote and star in a play called “Matt & Ben” about Damon & Affleck and how aliens really gave them the script for Good Will Hunting (or something like that).
    I don’t know if the Dynamic Duo objected to the play or not, but there ain’t much they can do about it regardless.
    (This is the main protection that the tabs have, by the way. They only get into trouble when they target a non-celeb, or can be proved to have been malicious in what they write.)

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  14. So in the linked article (which dates from almost a year back, seems Mr. Goldberg has been on this crusade for a while :-), when he talks about people writing stories about the boys of Duran Duran, or Corey Haims, or even Mr. Tod G. himself, and concludes
    “It is one of the greatest and most wildly entertaining forms of copyright infringement this side of Kazaa” at the very end of the article, there is actually no copyright infringement at all, since Corey Haims himself is not copyrighted, nor are the boys from Duran Duran?
    (Sorry, the Birgit above was me too, I keep switching between the Americanized version of my name and the actual one.)

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  15. I can’t say I think I have any particular importance to the world — I work on a Lifetime show, for God’s sake — but at the risk of looking like a complete prick, I will agree that you’ve hit the fundamental issue here.
    //Add to this that fans, and fan fiction writers in particular, take the view that creators of works are merely slightly more successful colleagues (we are all equal but some earn money at it) and you are touching a match to a powder keg. You (or Lee or David) might not share that view//
    I think to the vast majority of professional writers, there is a hard line. It’s called publication. You are either published or you are not. You are either a pro or you are not. This is something that drives some fans — and some aspiring writers — absolutely insane. They think it’s a form of unfair discrimation.
    (If you scroll back through Lee’s blog, you’ll find an interesting thread on this — it’s about writers who insist they’re not “unpublished,” but “pre-published,” and how absurd this sound to those who are, well, published.
    The fact that someone is writing fanfic, or writing stories that don’t sell, doesn’t mean that person will never be a professional writer. We all start from failure. But it does mean he isn’t a working writer yet.
    I’ve been a professional TV writer for a couple of decades. I’ve got hundreds of hours to my credit. But I’m currently in the middle of my first novel. I’d be hideously embarassed to call myself a “novelist.” That’s someone who’s actually published the things.
    Again, this infuriates some people, and I don’t really understand why. After all, there are very few basketball fans who insist they’re just as good as Shaq or Kobe. If they maintain that kind of fantasy at all, it’s “one of these days, I’ll be as good as Shaq,” which is a perfectly rational goal, and one that will keep you working towards its achievement.
    But to say “I’m the equal of all those people who are published” simply isn’t true. You may be the greatest bishop in the world, but until the cardinals pump out that puff of white smoke, you ain’t the pope, and that won’t change no matter how many big hats you wear.

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  16. Bill Rabkin said: //”But to say “I’m the equal of all those people who are published” simply isn’t true. You may be the greatest bishop in the world, but until the cardinals pump out that puff of white smoke, you ain’t the pope, and that won’t change no matter how many big hats you wear.”//
    You’re partly right. I think what many fanwriters are taking exception to is Mr. Goldberg’s argument that we are not writers. He seems to equate being a writer with being a published writer.
    Writing is inventing ideas (even ideas BASED on characters/storylines someone else invented) and putting them on paper. A fanfiction writer is a writer–not necessarily a GOOD writer, but a writer just the same. Grant us that much.
    After all, no one claims the author of “West Side Story” was despicable for “stealing” from “Romeo and Juliet.” (Although the James Bond creators got into a bit of a snit with the Austin Powers creators.)
    Granted, those works were derivative as opposed to outright fanfiction. The vast majority of fanfiction is, I freely admit, unpublishable and just plain, well, godawful. But there is good stuff there too, you just have to find it.
    A fanwriter is a writer. Maybe (often) a bad writer, but a writer. A published yellowback novelist is a writer–maybe a weird, freaky writer, but a writer. Lee Goldberg is a writer, but his being published and well-received does not make him MORE a writer than than the fanwriter or the porn writer. Just a better one.
    Mr. Goldberg is obviously a better writer than the vast majority of fanwriters. But he is not MORE a writer. He has ideas inspired by *something*, he writes them. Fanwriters have ideas inspired by his ideas, they write them.
    I think it was Emily Dickinson who said “To write is to write is to write is to write.”

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  17. You know, Mr Goldberg, when you’ve clearly -lost- an argument, the common thing to do is to either admit defeat, or allow the argument to dissapate, and not stir up further trouble. Instead, every time someone points out the faults in your argument on another thread, you move onto a new one. I -could- cast aspersions on your character for this. You have no problems doing so to us. But I’m not. Because I have manners.
    I could -also- cast aspersions on your writing talents, the popularity of D:M, and whether or not the fact that you have so much time to argue with fanfiction writers is an indication of your writing ability. I could even be derisive about your intelligence, turning up on a fanfiction board, attempting to patronise all and sundry from, as it was aptly put ‘the high mountain of Creativity’ and then producing self-righteous indignation that we didn’t drop into quivering masses of flagellation before you, promising sincerely that we’d never do it again sir.
    But I shan’t. Because it’s a side-track.
    You obviously don’t have a handle on the law. Theft of property ‘signifies the secret and felonious abstraction of the property of another for sake of lucre, without his consent’. Lucre, Mr Goldberg. Being a writer, I assume you know what the term means. MONEY.
    If you’re going to debate. Get your terms correct. Alternatively, have a better handle on the law than a teenager who is fully educated. I do my research. I also worked part-time in a solictors’ office – if we’re still on the ‘I need to qualify my statements’ pathway.
    Then there’s the fact that your repetition of comparison between a fanfiction writer and a thief. We’re not thieves, Mr Goldberg. We’ve stated numerous times our case. It’s not our fault if you’re sticking your fingers in your ears, hands over your eyes and shouting, ‘nehnehnehnehneh I’m not listening!’. You’re being a brat. A fully developed adult, with books published, and you’re being a brat.
    Fine. You deem fanfiction lazy. We deem it a useful purpose. Agree to disagree on that one, because by Eru, you’re not going to convince the fanfiction authors of the internet to give up. In fact, I’d -adore- to see you try, and get smacked down for being a pretentious, arrogant and pompous man who picks arguments and whines about them. Oh dear, has my veneer of civility slipped? Perchance it’s a result of – oh look, you repeatedly casting aspersions on my character, and morals, and me proving you wrong. Perhaps this seventeen year old student, who is currently submitting essays to Cambridge to study English lit,is an Oxford/Cambridge Union debater and has been published in magazines, who DOES write original, and has learnt to accept criticism and development through fanfiction has got a wee bit testy about being condescended to by someone who is obviously plagued by a desperate insecurity.
    You found slash. Poor you. *pats the poor little writer on the head*. You’ve been fandom_wanked. *laughs*. Which places you, ironically, on a level with all the other Mary Sue/slash/hurt-comfort writers you despise. Most of whom rant, ironically, in their online journals about the evils of canon purists who mock them, like GAFF.
    I will conclude here, as I did on your previous threads – dear, if you want to win the argument, you have to -win- it, not ignore its existence and start another one – Grow up. Seriously. Fully grown adults, arguing over the legalities of fanfiction when they clearly don’t have a full grasp of the law, and are blindly quoting statistics found in magazines. (Oh, and my dad? Kinda a lawyer over here. I checked out the legalities with him – So now you have it from a big, impressive ‘real’ person, with knowledge and all)
    We think it’s worth learning. We think it’s also a way of killing blind arrogance in writers at an early age, by showing them the value of critique. -Somehow, that you haven’t written fanfic doesn’t surprise me – And you don’t. Fine.
    Then stop arguing with us!

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  18. //dear, if you want to win the argument, you have to -win- it, not ignore its existence and start another one -//
    While this may be true in the real world, that is certainly not the case with talk radio, the White House — or blogs.
    I don’t mean to spoil your fun, but this is of course Lee’s blog, and I can guarantee you that he will have the last word… just as you would on yours.

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  19. — well, actually, Bill, as far as I was aware, Mr. Goldberg still lives in the real world. He may not choose to operate by its rules with regards to arguments, but that doesn’t make him right in that regard.
    And, incidentally, there are some of us who, when in an argument in our own weblogs, have the astounding ability to listen to what people are saying and realise that hey, they’ve actually got a point. So we may have the last word, but it would be ‘You’ve convinced me — well done!’. Mmkay?

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  20. //if a fanfiction writer would write a fic about a character played by Corey Haim, that would be illegal for copyright reasons, but if he wrote a (clearly labeled as fiction) story about Corey himself, that would be perfectly ok since he is a public figure?
    //
    To which I absolutely have to reply with http://www.ofelvesandmen.com/Stories/M/Myr/DoYouReallyLoveMe/DoYouReallyLoveMe1.htm
    It’s called “Do You Really Love Me”. In it, Orlando Bloom is portrayed as a Hermaphrodite who impregnates himself at 12. Do you still think that RPF (Real Person Fic) is OK?
    If you still need convincing, this should do it.
    http://reallybadfanfiction.com/Fanfics2/Executive.txt
    It’s called Executive. In it, Hillary Clinton shoves a bunch of two inch tourists up herself.
    Need I continue, or have I sufficently made my point?

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  21. Someone here, or in a comment on one of the other fanfic posts, asked me about my experience with fanfic while I was a writer/producer on SEAQUEST.
    Here’s the link to an earlier posting on my blog about that experience…
    http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/614026
    Or you can read the novel I wrote, BEYOND THE BEYOND, that was inspired by my SEAQUEST encounter with some crazy fanfic writers…

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  22. I’d like to take a moment to ask a very important question. How are all of you fan fic folks able to type so well? Don’t your capes, 16-sided dice and D&D play dates get in the way? Also, what percentage of people who write fan fiction also engage in plushy love? Just curious. Off to write my ewok novel.

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  23. That’s a very good question, Gringtofendor. The answer is that I, like most fanwriters, am in real life a rather normal person who is currently actually wearing a T-shirt and jeans, rather then a costume. In fact I have never cos-played (dressed as my favorite character), or roleplayed, or played D&D. Nor do I find furries sexually attractive. In real life I am appalling normal. I’m a college student, have pets I adore, party, and write. Not just fanfiction, either.
    As for the whole ‘fanfiction is a waste of time’ argument, I suggest anyone making it should talk to Mercedes Lackey or Harry Turtledove first. Both got their start as writers by writing Lord of the Rings fanfiction, and both are now very successful authors who make a living writing their own stories. Mercedes has even stated that fanfiction is a very good way for an aspiring author to learn how to write a story and develop characters.

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  24. //How are all of you fan fic folks able to type so well? Don’t your capes, 16-sided dice and D&D play dates get in the way? Also, what percentage of people who write fan fiction also engage in plushy love?//
    First of all, I can type because I’ve had lots of practise at it. Second, costumes are for conventions and Premiere Pre-Parties, not sitting around in. Third, while I write fanfiction, contrary to some opinions, I do not write smut. I refuse to write smut. Some slash I can understand as it makes sense, but I’ll gladly point out to a writer that Aragorn/Legolas is not only wrong, it’s just plain impossible. There’s no canonical base for it.
    I would also like to add that I have been in my fandom (Lord of the Rings) for over 11 years now and any fanfiction I write is written to expand upon the plot that Professor Tolkien gave us or to defend that plot.
    And then there’s that weird parody that me and a friend are working on, but that one doesn’t count.
    But the fic I’m working on right now is an almost parody of all the “Girl falls into [insert fandom here]” fics. It’s set in Rohan 300 years before the Ring War, for the first half of the fic my main character is going to be having difficulty understanding what’s going on as my Rohirrim are going to be speaking their own language and my character will be speaking modern day english. She will be constantly sick at first from diseases she has had no contact with and will have to learn to survive in an alien world. If I but changed the names of Rohan and Meduseld it would be an Original fiction, but it’s not going to be an original fiction because that would not help me to achive my goal – finding out what would really happen if a modern day person was dropped into Middle-earth.
    Would you be so offended if, in one of your episodes one of the characters died of cancer, a fanwriter chose, instead of writing the Slash and MPreg you are so fond of mentioning, to write about that person when they realised that they were going to die? Or perhaps go AU and make that person live a year longer, exploring what that character would chose to do with that time?
    Because, if you had an episode in which a character died of cancer, you’d get truly Godawful stories that would tell how true love will conquer all and be boring, but you would also get some amazing stories about how the character’s family coped with that loss, or even how the nurses and doctors that looked after the character reacted. You may have to sift through dirt, but there are gems out there.
    That’s what we’re trying to get across to you here. The people who are taking the time to tell you what they think are the people that truly care about their fandoms and would never desecrate them like the people who use fanfiction as a form of masturbation. Likewise, you’ll have people that care deeply about your shows and feel horrible that people write such junk and you are probably making them wonder why they bother to defend the canon if this is the reaction they get for doing so.
    Morgul, cutting this rant off before it goes any further.

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  25. I’d like to take a moment to ask a very important question. How are all of you fan fic folks able to type so well? Don’t your capes, 16-sided dice and D&D play dates get in the way? Also, what percentage of people who write fan fiction also engage in plushy love? Just curious. Off to write my ewok novel.
    That doesn’t describe any fanfic writers I know, and that sure as heck doesn’t describe me. I can type so well because I’ve been using word processors or computers regularly since junior high and believe in proper use of grammar, spelling, and mechanics. I find those that don’t annoying. I don’t dress in costumes, nor do I play any RPG, least of all D&D. I have no idea who engages in plushy love because I stay as far away from that kind of thing as possible. I find it bizzare. Reading and writing fanfic is only a small part of what I do. I’m a Licensed Veterinary Technician in New York State who is working on finishing their BS in Zoology with hopes of working as a zookeeper after she finishes college. I love reading mysteries, historical fiction, and read almost anything I can get my hands on about English history, especially the reign of Elizabeth I. I love to go out and spend time walking in the woods and enjoy nature. I regularly go out with friends. I’ve traveled to Australia, England, and Scotland, and have hopes of going back to Scotland within the next few years. I’m currently studying American Sign Language so I can communicate with the large number of D/deaf people that are in my hometown. The original fiction I write heavily involves backstage life on Broadway. I’m actively involved in herpetoculture (the keeping of reptiles and amphibians).
    Not every fanfic writer is illiterate, an obsessed D&D player, and/or in to plushy love. Know what you’re talking about before getting into a debate. It’s better to be silent and thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

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  26. >>Add to this that fans, and fan fiction writers in particular, take the view that creators of works are merely slightly more successful colleagues (we are all equal but some earn money at it) and you are touching a match to a powder keg. You (or Lee or David) might not share that view.
    I am a Tolkien fanfic writer, and have been for three or four years now. It is a hobby that I enjoy immensely: it’s something that I can connect with people on, and everyone enjoys discussing common interests. But Tolkien as “a slightly more successful colleague?” I beg your pardon? He created the world I like to dabble in. I’m not anything near his equal. Heck, I’m not even a good writer! It’s just a hobby.
    Some negative points were made that are admittedly true.
    A lot of fanfic is crap. True.
    Some fanfic writers believe they own part of the universe, or are equal with [insert author here]. True. Incredibly arrogant of them, but true.
    But I have some counterpoints that are positive.
    There is some fanfic that is engaging and (in short) excellent writing. Yep, folks, believe it or not, fanfic has some wonderful stuff there!
    Many fanfic writers are incredibly respectful of the original author of their chosen fandom.
    >>I’d like to take a moment to ask a very important question. How are all of you fan fic folks able to type so well? Don’t your capes, 16-sided dice and D&D play dates get in the way? Also, what percentage of people who write fan fiction also engage in plushy love? Just curious. Off to write my ewok novel.
    Please do not stereotype me. That is insulting and small-minded.
    I am a 4.0 student on scholarship to a prestigious college.
    I learned to type well by writing papers. End of story.
    Capes and D&D? I don’t own either.
    “Engage in plushy love”? That’s not even worth a response.
    You want to call me a thief, or another petty name for being a fanfic writer? Go ahead. That is your opinion, and has no effect on me. But don’t stereotype me. That is judgemental and childish.
    ~EM

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  27. //Would you be so offended if, in one of your episodes one of the characters died of cancer, a fanwriter chose, instead of writing the Slash and MPreg you are so fond of mentioning, to write about that person when they realised that they were going to die? Or perhaps go AU and make that person live a year longer, exploring what that character would chose to do with that time?
    Because, if you had an episode in which a character died of cancer, you’d get truly Godawful stories that would tell how true love will conquer all and be boring, but you would also get some amazing stories about how the character’s family coped with that loss, or even how the nurses and doctors that looked after the character reacted. You may have to sift through dirt, but there are gems out there.
    That’s what we’re trying to get across to you here. The people who are taking the time to tell you what they think are the people that truly care about their fandoms and would never desecrate them like the people who use fanfiction as a form of masturbation.//
    You make some very good and persuasive points, Morgul, that hadn’t occurred to me. I’ll have to them some thought.

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  28. I, for one, am offended that anyone would cast aspersions on D&D — and at the same time it’s celebrating its 30th birthday, no less!
    I still can’t believe that my mom threw out my big bag of very cool many-sided dice. (The 4-sided were always the worst — how the hell are you supposed to roll those, anyway?)
    Not to mention my original edition Fiends Folio (or was it Monster Manual?) that had the Cthulu characters in it before TSR got sued and had to take them out!
    Man, I coulda made some good money on Ebay…

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  29. LOL, David Montgomery! I collected My Little Ponies when I was a little kid, and they all got sold in a garage sale. Don’t you just want to curse the Ebay age?
    My sister’s boyfriend collects those old Transformer toys, and he makes good money selling them.
    And to stay on topic, no stereotype could possibly describe fanwriters as a whole. There’s fanfiction for every movie, tv show, and book in existence (well, most of them, anyway!) I’ve held meetups with members of some boards, and we span all ages, walks of life, and interests.

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  30. (The 4-sided were always the worst — how the hell are you supposed to roll those, anyway?)
    I found throwing them usually worked.
    Not to mention my original edition Fiends Folio (or was it Monster Manual?) that had the Cthulu characters in it before TSR got sued and had to take them out!
    My husband still has a copy of that original edition. Unfortunately it’s unsellable because he sat on it, and it’s now slightly curly.

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