Curious Yet Again

[kriadydragon]

This question is geared toward anyone who wants to answer, whether you're looking to one day be published or not.

So, let's say you publish a story that ends up a best seller: sold around the world, read by millions, uber popular and all that to the point that people are writing fanfic for it.

Would you read that fanfic? Or do you think an author is better off staying away from fanfic based on their stories?

Comments

[sholio]

Me? I would totally read it, but I wouldn't admit that I did. :D Heck, I write what technically might be considered fanfic for my own original stuff (I call it the Apocrypha - i.e. stuff that didn't officially happen in canon, AUs and non-canon pairings and such), so I'm totally thrilled by the idea of people playing in my sandbox. On the other hand, I know that it's legally questionable for authors to admit to reading their own fanfic, and there's also the problem of people writing fanfic that I'd absolutely hate (I am very proprietary about my characters; I totally know that if I ever spawn fanfic of my work, there's going to be a lot of it that'll make me go 0.o and :| and other less-than-happy faces), so not admitting that I read it would be in everyone's best interests all the way around. (But no way would I be able to stay away. I'm much too curious.)

I've actually had two pieces of fanfic written for my original work. But in both cases, they were by people I knew, and in both cases they were very much in keeping with the originals, very respectful of the characters' canon personalities. I was delighted by them, but I might be a lot less delighted if fandom seized upon a pairing or type of fic that was very different from what I would have done with the characters. I absolutely support its right to exist, but in some cases I might have to teach myself not to look ...

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

(But no way would I be able to stay away. I'm much too curious.)

Yeah, that's me as well ;) I have some major curiosity issues.

I was delighted by them, but I might be a lot less delighted if fandom seized upon a pairing or type of fic that was very different from what I would have done with the characters. I absolutely support its right to exist, but in some cases I might have to teach myself not to look ...

That's the direction I'm leaning toward, myself. I'm such a control freak, sometimes, and so incredibly picky. I think, for the most part, I would be intrigued and amused, but only up until I ran into bad/squick fic (as often is the case when I get curious). At which point, I would probably back out quick and never look at anything again... until curiosity got the better of me, again :/

And yes to the not admitting it thing. Legal issues aside it could also run the risk of opening a fannish flood gate - i.e. swamping your e-mail, home page, Twitter, whatever with people who want you to read their fanfic or heed their "writing advice."

[leoraine.livejournal.com]

Hm, I would quite steer clear of fan fic if my stuff got published. I mean... it's either better than the original, in which case I would probably hit a big writer's block lol, or it's so bad it makes you want to throttle someone. The pairings and different kinks would also bother me greatly, so no... no reading fanfic. But let the people write them, cause as a reader I know that fanfic keeps the original alive and helps the popularity.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I'm such a curious person that I would eventually cave and check out at least a few fic. But, yeah, overall I would try to avoid it for the reasons you said and then some. There are some scary stories out there, and I think it would be twice as disturbing to run into a story that had your characters in a situation that squicked you.

[a-pilgrim-soul.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd like to see people messing around with my characters, twisting and distorting them. I think a TV show is less personal than a book, if I was writing for a TV show I don't think I would mind so much but a book is a bigger part of your soul. So while I'd be happy to let people write fic if they wanted to I'd have no desire to read it myself.

Also if you were writing a series there is the issue of avoiding being influenced by what the fanficcers are doing.

So, although this is never going to be an issue that actually affects my life: no, I wouldn't.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Also if you were writing a series there is the issue of avoiding being influenced by what the fanficcers are doing.

Excellent point. I hadn't considered that. It would also be a blow to your motivation if you felt that what someone else wrote was better than what you wrote.

if I was writing for a TV show I don't think I would mind so much but a book is a bigger part of your soul.

Very true.

[ninja007.livejournal.com]

I would not. I wouldn't want any of their plot bunnies getting into my head and anyone accusing me of stealing their idea.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Good point.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Absolutely.
I don't feel it any different than the current avalanche of ff based on film,
tv series, and other books.
I would also feel flattered that someone loved my characters so much
that they felt inclined to create ff based on them.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

It would be flattering :D But I think the others have made good points about being careful. Curiosity would be my undoing and I know I would eventually give a few fic a try, just to see what's out there. But overall I think it would be something I would try to stay clear of, again for the various reasons people have stated. Plus I'm such a control freak sometimes. I have a hard enough time with fanfic and my favorite shows, so I can't begin to imagine how I would react if I ran into a story that had my characters doing something squicky (for example, one character spanking another character *shudders and gags* Or one of my characters being raped). That would tear me up something fierce.

[wildcat88.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with a_pilgrim_soul and ninja007. I wouldn't want to read what people had done with "my" characters and plotlines, and I wouldn't want to be accused of stealing plots if similarities appeared between a fanfic and a future novel.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Curiosity would no doubt tempt me into reading a few fic, but, yeah, overall it would be something I would mostly try to avoid for the reasons stated, plus because I would hate to run into fic that had my characters doing something that would make me nauseas.

[coolbreeze1.livejournal.com]

Interesting question! I never thought of this from the opposite point of view before - as the person who created a world and characters to play with, versus being the one playing in that world. I think I'd approach it in a similar way to friendshipper. After all the years of enjoyment I've gotten out of writing fanfic, I would never deny that to anyone else. I'd be intensely curious about what they were writing too, but I think I'd be fairly selective in what I'd actually read and look at. And I would never admit it! If anyone asked, the answer would always be that I don't read it (for the same reasons frienshipper mentions).

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I've thought about this quite a bit and was always torn. Like you, I would be curious to see what others have written, but I would also be afraid of running into stories that squick, as I think it would be twice as worse if it were your characters put in a squicky situation. People can write any kind of fanfic they want for my stories but, yes, I'd definitely be selective if not try to overall avoid reading anything.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I couldn't see myself reading fanfic of a story I wrote. I may get curious but I'm not sure I'd want to see someone else take characters I'd created. On the other hand I wouldn't stop anyone from fanficcing it because I look at that as a compliment!

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's the possibility of what a fanficcer might have my characters do, or the way the ficcer will portray them, that makes me lean toward mostly avoiding fanfic of my own stuff. People can write it to their hearts content, of course, and curiosity would eventually get me to at least look at a few stories. But overall I would try to stay away from it, I think.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Scary that we're on the same wavelength! :D