I pointed a friend of mine to this article and she made a comment which nicely expressed part of what I was trying to say above: "For some, the 'recipe' the author used is so appealing to the reader/fanficcer that he or she simply wants something that is as close to that as they can get. It isn't that they are slaves to the canon, but that the canon is what they liked and so they want more of it (or the nearest facsimile)."
I think that's the reason I generally want the world and the characters to match canon as much as possible. It's also a reason why fanon generally irks me, even when it's something relatively harmless. I'd always rather read faficcer X's direct take on canon than fanficcer X's take on fanficcer Y's version of canon.
I think maybe it's related to what you were saying about not liking fanfic
I think my narrow range might also have to do with the way I came into fanfiction. I started out in metadiscussion, then read a ton of MiSTings and wrote a few myself before moving into actual serious fanfic reading and writing.
Of course, even though I wrote yesterday that my tolerance was so limited, I just realized with a chuckle that the last story I looked over was an AU crossover with incest--all things which are generally deal-breakers for me! It was by an author I knew, which makes a difference, and I didn't read it deeply, just skimmed. But I did come away thinking "Hmm, there were a couple of interesting ideas there" even if all the non-canonical stuff got in the way of real enjoyment for me.
The person who's writing against canon sort of needs it more.
I understand that sometimes people write or read fanfic to get the things that they they don't get from canon; but I don't think I'd be inspired to go to the trouble of searching out fic for a canon that I found unsatisfying, let alone write it.
I know exactly what you mean--when it's written down, it's real, even if you know it's not. I've been really upset by fanfics for just that reason.
Me too, which is one reason I'm so cautious! I'm surprised (and relieved) to hear you say that, though; I thought I was just a wimp. I think it might be because I visualize when I read. Visualizing characters I love behaving in ways that upset me is gives it a kind of reality. In meta, I don't have to visualize.
Maybe also because I can't argue with it because it's not meta.
Heh, I actually have said "I think your take on this character is wrong" a few times in reviews, and given canon reasons why I thought so. Strangely enough, none of the writers appreciated my helpfulness! But the stories I did this for were all ones that disturbed me, and it actually did help when I verbalized my objections to them. I'm not sure what the best approach is. Fortunately, I haven't seen a story that's made me want to do that for a while now. Knock on wood.
...too often the people who *do* take on fanfic and say "this cliche is wrong" or whatever wind up mixing the two and telling people to write things I don't think are canon either.
I hasten to say that I never told people how they should have written the story; I'd just say "I think X's attitude is OOC because of this passage in Chapter 6 of Book 4...."
I read things that a) reflect the canon the way I see it; b)take liberties with canon that I enjoy, maybe because they're emphasizing a note that I see and like that just isn't dominant in the text, or because it reflects some way I'd like canon to be; or c) fall into some neutral territory where I'm not bothered by the liberties taken.
Most fanfic tends to be either A or C, for me. (Or D, something that takes liberties I don't enjoy which I've stumbled across by accident.) B is a very small category for me.
I know that certain things will upset me to have read them (probably especially if they're well-written).
Yes!! My view of a particular canon pairing still has not recovered from the traumatic experience of one of the Big Major Fanfics that's on everybody's must-read list. There are three or four more more major, award-winning stories that I've refused to read based on the trauma of that experience.
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Date: 2005-11-14 05:17 am (UTC)I think that's the reason I generally want the world and the characters to match canon as much as possible. It's also a reason why fanon generally irks me, even when it's something relatively harmless. I'd always rather read faficcer X's direct take on canon than fanficcer X's take on fanficcer Y's version of canon.
I think maybe it's related to what you were saying about not liking fanfic
I think my narrow range might also have to do with the way I came into fanfiction. I started out in metadiscussion, then read a ton of MiSTings and wrote a few myself before moving into actual serious fanfic reading and writing.
Of course, even though I wrote yesterday that my tolerance was so limited, I just realized with a chuckle that the last story I looked over was an AU crossover with incest--all things which are generally deal-breakers for me! It was by an author I knew, which makes a difference, and I didn't read it deeply, just skimmed. But I did come away thinking "Hmm, there were a couple of interesting ideas there" even if all the non-canonical stuff got in the way of real enjoyment for me.
The person who's writing against canon sort of needs it more.
I understand that sometimes people write or read fanfic to get the things that they they don't get from canon; but I don't think I'd be inspired to go to the trouble of searching out fic for a canon that I found unsatisfying, let alone write it.
I know exactly what you mean--when it's written down, it's real, even if you know it's not. I've been really upset by fanfics for just that reason.
Me too, which is one reason I'm so cautious! I'm surprised (and relieved) to hear you say that, though; I thought I was just a wimp. I think it might be because I visualize when I read. Visualizing characters I love behaving in ways that upset me is gives it a kind of reality. In meta, I don't have to visualize.
Maybe also because I can't argue with it because it's not meta.
Heh, I actually have said "I think your take on this character is wrong" a few times in reviews, and given canon reasons why I thought so. Strangely enough, none of the writers appreciated my helpfulness! But the stories I did this for were all ones that disturbed me, and it actually did help when I verbalized my objections to them. I'm not sure what the best approach is. Fortunately, I haven't seen a story that's made me want to do that for a while now. Knock on wood.
...too often the people who *do* take on fanfic and say "this cliche is wrong" or whatever wind up mixing the two and telling people to write things I don't think are canon either.
I hasten to say that I never told people how they should have written the story; I'd just say "I think X's attitude is OOC because of this passage in Chapter 6 of Book 4...."
I read things that a) reflect the canon the way I see it; b)take liberties with canon that I enjoy, maybe because they're emphasizing a note that I see and like that just isn't dominant in the text, or because it reflects some way I'd like canon to be; or c) fall into some neutral territory where I'm not bothered by the liberties taken.
Most fanfic tends to be either A or C, for me. (Or D, something that takes liberties I don't enjoy which I've stumbled across by accident.) B is a very small category for me.
I know that certain things will upset me to have read them (probably especially if they're well-written).
Yes!! My view of a particular canon pairing still has not recovered from the traumatic experience of one of the Big Major Fanfics that's on everybody's must-read list. There are three or four more more major, award-winning stories that I've refused to read based on the trauma of that experience.