Quality versus just for fun
Some thoughts on quality in fanfic, off the top of my head. I've been pondering this for a while, and I thought it might help to put my ideas into words.
There seem to be two approaches to writing fanfic: one is that as writers we should strive to make our stories as good as possible, while the other is that it's just for fun, so quality doesn't matter. Obviously, those are the extreme viewpoints, and the two approaches overlap considerably. For example, I don't think any of us would be writing fanfic if we didn't find it fun!
Most people on my friends list probably know my personal stance: I view fic writing as practice (as well as fun), which means I try to make every story as good as possible. I also have stories beta-read when I can, partly because that's where you tend to get the really constructive criticism - but also because quality matters to me. I won't read a story that's littered with errors and sloppy writing, so why should I inflict one on people who read my stories if I can avoid it? (NB: Which isn't to say I think my writing's anything special. One thing fandom has taught me is that there are huge numbers of fantastic writers out there, and I can list plenty of people whose writing I wish I could emulate. But I do try.) Or at least, why should I inflict a story on readers that isn't as good as I can make it?
Sure, we don't all bring our A-game every time. Nor do professional writers. But I do believe we should be making an effort with our stories.
That said, you don't have to look very far to realise that other fans don't approach fic in this way. The internet is full of stories with summaries like, "I wrote this in math LOL, please read and review, but don't mind the mistakes." And those stories get reviews, just like the writer asked, so obviously, plenty of readers aren't put off by that approach.
There's also the learning curve that all writers experience: everyone, no matter how talented, writes dross at first. (If you didn't, you're amazingly lucky/talented and I want to know your secret, please!) Beginning writers make all sorts of mistakes, but that's how they learn: by writing more and recognising their own faults, or by having them pointed out (hopefully in a constructive fashion) by discerning readers. Without the encouragement of readers who don't mind a few errors, or are patient enough to look past them, some very talented writers would never grow beyond the "I wrote this in math LOL" stage.
Note that I'm not talking about the issue of taste; that's different. Some people love reading about Draco in leather trousers; others like to slash Hagrid with Filch. Still others like to read about Sirius and Remus going shopping for curtains, or Harry and Ginny going to the beach. Personally, I like my stories to have some point, some conflict, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape about others' tastes.
Anyway, the internet's infinite in size, and there's definitely room for both fic-writing approaches to co-exist! I'm not posting to say "my way is the one true way". I do believe, very strongly, that fandom should be fun first and foremost.
But I've seen a few comments in various places recently along the lines of "it's just fanfic, why bother?" So I guess here is my response to that question:
1. Because if you want people to read your writing, you owe them the respect of making an effort. If you don't bother, why should they?
2. Because it will make you a better writer.
3. Because writers spur each other on. My writing would be much, much weaker without the examples set by many amazing writers in fandom.
4. Because I want to read stories that make me fall in love with them, damnit. I'm here because I'm a fan, because I love a book/television show/film so much that it's taken hold in my imagination and I want more. The better the stories, the better my experience of reading them is (wow, that sounds selfish. Um).
5. Because every time some random internet person finds a story and thinks, "hey, this is actually quite good", my fandom hobby gets a tiny bit less embarrassing.
6. Because good fic can change the way readers see the world (as an English teacher once said to me, "Why are you writing if you have nothing to say?").
7. Because for me, there's no point in doing something if I'm not going to do it properly.
I think that's about it. :) I'll just reiterate that I don't think my way is the one true way - but I do believe that quality matters, and this is why.
ETA: Ooh, you've all been chatting away while I was asleep! Cheers, everybody - am just off for a jog and then I'll be back to respond to comments.
ETA2: I'll try and respond to all comments in the next day or so, but in the meantime, this post has been linked in a few places, and given reactions from some quarters, I'm a little worried that some parts of it may have misfired. Here's an attempt to clear up any misunderstandings:
What I was trying to do with this post is explain why I, personally, try to make my writing as good as possible, by my standards. Everyone has different standards; I'm sure plenty of people can look at my stories and pick holes in them until kingdom come. I was not trying to say that everything that any fanfic writer puts out should be perfect. Who decides what's perfect, anyway? Everything is subjective to some extent. Also, as I mentioned, writers are in this for a variety of reasons, plenty of which do not involve quality.
The other thing I was definitely not trying to say is that if writers can't produce wonderful stories they should just give up and stop posting their writing. That's pretty much the opposite of what I was trying to say, and of what I believe. I am a big believer in encouraging writers to improve, to keep trying and practising if that's what they want, and it really upsets me that some people might have inferred the opposite from my post (I guess from the bit about "There's no point in doing something if I'm not going to do it properly"?). To anyone who did take the post that way, I'm really sorry. :(
There seem to be two approaches to writing fanfic: one is that as writers we should strive to make our stories as good as possible, while the other is that it's just for fun, so quality doesn't matter. Obviously, those are the extreme viewpoints, and the two approaches overlap considerably. For example, I don't think any of us would be writing fanfic if we didn't find it fun!
Most people on my friends list probably know my personal stance: I view fic writing as practice (as well as fun), which means I try to make every story as good as possible. I also have stories beta-read when I can, partly because that's where you tend to get the really constructive criticism - but also because quality matters to me. I won't read a story that's littered with errors and sloppy writing, so why should I inflict one on people who read my stories if I can avoid it? (NB: Which isn't to say I think my writing's anything special. One thing fandom has taught me is that there are huge numbers of fantastic writers out there, and I can list plenty of people whose writing I wish I could emulate. But I do try.) Or at least, why should I inflict a story on readers that isn't as good as I can make it?
Sure, we don't all bring our A-game every time. Nor do professional writers. But I do believe we should be making an effort with our stories.
That said, you don't have to look very far to realise that other fans don't approach fic in this way. The internet is full of stories with summaries like, "I wrote this in math LOL, please read and review, but don't mind the mistakes." And those stories get reviews, just like the writer asked, so obviously, plenty of readers aren't put off by that approach.
There's also the learning curve that all writers experience: everyone, no matter how talented, writes dross at first. (If you didn't, you're amazingly lucky/talented and I want to know your secret, please!) Beginning writers make all sorts of mistakes, but that's how they learn: by writing more and recognising their own faults, or by having them pointed out (hopefully in a constructive fashion) by discerning readers. Without the encouragement of readers who don't mind a few errors, or are patient enough to look past them, some very talented writers would never grow beyond the "I wrote this in math LOL" stage.
Note that I'm not talking about the issue of taste; that's different. Some people love reading about Draco in leather trousers; others like to slash Hagrid with Filch. Still others like to read about Sirius and Remus going shopping for curtains, or Harry and Ginny going to the beach. Personally, I like my stories to have some point, some conflict, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape about others' tastes.
Anyway, the internet's infinite in size, and there's definitely room for both fic-writing approaches to co-exist! I'm not posting to say "my way is the one true way". I do believe, very strongly, that fandom should be fun first and foremost.
But I've seen a few comments in various places recently along the lines of "it's just fanfic, why bother?" So I guess here is my response to that question:
1. Because if you want people to read your writing, you owe them the respect of making an effort. If you don't bother, why should they?
2. Because it will make you a better writer.
3. Because writers spur each other on. My writing would be much, much weaker without the examples set by many amazing writers in fandom.
4. Because I want to read stories that make me fall in love with them, damnit. I'm here because I'm a fan, because I love a book/television show/film so much that it's taken hold in my imagination and I want more. The better the stories, the better my experience of reading them is (wow, that sounds selfish. Um).
5. Because every time some random internet person finds a story and thinks, "hey, this is actually quite good", my fandom hobby gets a tiny bit less embarrassing.
6. Because good fic can change the way readers see the world (as an English teacher once said to me, "Why are you writing if you have nothing to say?").
7. Because for me, there's no point in doing something if I'm not going to do it properly.
I think that's about it. :) I'll just reiterate that I don't think my way is the one true way - but I do believe that quality matters, and this is why.
ETA: Ooh, you've all been chatting away while I was asleep! Cheers, everybody - am just off for a jog and then I'll be back to respond to comments.
ETA2: I'll try and respond to all comments in the next day or so, but in the meantime, this post has been linked in a few places, and given reactions from some quarters, I'm a little worried that some parts of it may have misfired. Here's an attempt to clear up any misunderstandings:
What I was trying to do with this post is explain why I, personally, try to make my writing as good as possible, by my standards. Everyone has different standards; I'm sure plenty of people can look at my stories and pick holes in them until kingdom come. I was not trying to say that everything that any fanfic writer puts out should be perfect. Who decides what's perfect, anyway? Everything is subjective to some extent. Also, as I mentioned, writers are in this for a variety of reasons, plenty of which do not involve quality.
The other thing I was definitely not trying to say is that if writers can't produce wonderful stories they should just give up and stop posting their writing. That's pretty much the opposite of what I was trying to say, and of what I believe. I am a big believer in encouraging writers to improve, to keep trying and practising if that's what they want, and it really upsets me that some people might have inferred the opposite from my post (I guess from the bit about "There's no point in doing something if I'm not going to do it properly"?). To anyone who did take the post that way, I'm really sorry. :(