The past few weeks, the existence and prevalence of fan fiction has come to the national media. A lot of people still aren’t familiar with fan fiction and what it is, though most online readers are fairly familiar with the phenomenon. (For a thoughtful exploration of the history and culture of fan fiction, I recommend this excellent article in Time by Lev Grossman.) Some fan fiction is published by big publishing houses (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Wide Sargasso Sea) but the vast majority is published online. Some television shows (I’m looking at you, True Blood) can be considered fan fiction of the books that inspired them. Feel free to call it derivative fiction if it makes you feel better, but I’ll still call it fan fic.
I’m not writing today to debate any publishing issues or the ethics of fan fiction. Other, smarter people can do that and have. Most of you who are reading this blog know that I got my start writing creatively by writing fan fiction. I’ve never hidden it or been ashamed of the fact. And my opinion on the ethics has always been this: If an author objects to fan fiction and states it, fans should honor their wishes; otherwise, have fun. That’s really it.
And please spare me the tired argument that all fan fiction is un-edited crap. Yes, a lot of it is. But, a lot of it is fantastic. I’ve read fan fiction that has made me weep from the delicacy of the prose. I’ve read fanfic that has set my heart pounding and kept me up hours after my bedtime. Frankly, I’ve read fan fiction that’s better than things published by big publishers. More than once.
I’m writing today to tell you—the aspiring writer, the published writer, the practicing writer—you should spend some time writing fan fiction. Continue reading »
(Or, why Buffy still rocks and no one will remember True Blood in a few years)
The complete series, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, is streaming on Netflix right now and a lot of the girls I follow in Tumblr are watching it; it’s making me all nostalgic and happy. (It’s also throwing a lot of Spike gifs up on my dashboard, so thanks for that, girls.)
Now, I’m a Buffy fangirl from way back. In fact, I even watched the cult movie classic with Kristy Swanson in the titular role! (So, maybe it was because I was a Luke Perry fan, but that’s not examine that too closely, okay?) When the series started, I was hooked from the first season. Loved it. Felt it. Followed it. Watched it religiously.
I cried when she killed Angel. I sobbed when Joyce died. I drooled every time bad Spike strutted across the screen. (I still do that.) And you know what? I can re-watch that series anytime and still love it.
I bought the first season DVD set of True Blood. Watched it once.
I don’t dive into the whole “True Blood sucks” pool all that much. I’m quickly losing interest in the series as a whole, though I am a huge fan of the Charlaine Harris universe. But why has Buffy remained so popular, and True Blood so quickly alienated fans that should be its most loyal?
In the end (like so many things about storytelling) it comes down to character.
Joss Whedon loved his characters. Good guys, bad guys, bit parts … whatever. You could see it on the screen. You could hear it in the writing. There weren’t any extra people hanging around; every character contributed to the show. That doesn’t mean you were supposed to like every character, but you could tell that the writers appreciated and valued them.
True Blood? I could see half that enormous cast killed off and not shed a tear.
In twenty years, I think there will still be Buffy fans. Will they do some horrible remake when my kid is a teenager? Probably. And original fans will cringe. In twenty years will anyone remember True Blood? Maybe? I kind of doubt it. It has no where near the staying power of Buffy for many, many reasons.
In fact, I would argue that much of the popularity of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and fantasy novels now is the direct result of Buffy fans growing up and starting to write and buy a lot of books. Let’s face it, that show changed how many of us saw female heroines, and there’s a little Buffy in most of the popular female protagonists running around the paranormal playground. (There’s a few Spikes running around, too. I’m looking at you Bones … and I like what I see.) I know I am a proud Buffy fangirl, and I always will be.
So … thank you, Joss! For a lot of reasons. (*sob* Firefly! *sob*) But most especially for loving your characters and giving us a kick-ass show that still resonates.
Let’s face it, as a Charlaine Harris fan, there’s a lot I don’t like about this massive HBO hit. This season in particular has been both thrilling and disappointing for a lot of book fans.
That said, I want to take a few minutes today to talk about five things I really do like about the series as a whole. Are they enough to keep me watching past this season?
We’ll see.
1. The concept—Let’s face it, as great as Sookie Stackhouse is as a character, there’s not enough of her storyline alone to carry a television series. Alan Ball’s idea to take the supporting characters in the books and give them their own storylines was a fantastic and fun move. (Yes, I know there are way too many characters now. I’m hoping for a bloodbath in the season finale.) Also a brilliant move? Original characters like . . .
2. Jessica!—I love Jessica. I really do. It’s fantastic to see the growing pains of a “baby vamp,” from the initial terror of turning to her growing confidence and acceptance of the life that was forced on her. (Her conversation with Jason in Episode 4.06 “I Wish I was the Moon” was illuminating and beautifully played by Deborah Ann Woll.) Woll has grown into this role and Jessica is now one of my favorite characters in the series.
3. Eric and Pam—I’ll confess that neither Skarsgard nor Bauer-Van Straten are what I picture when I read Eric and Pam in the books. That said, I think both these actors have nailed the roles and I love their interpretation. The reason I group them together is that they’ve also nailed a really complicated dynamic with these two characters. In my opinion, Eric and Pam have the most layered relationship on the show. Former lovers. Maker and child. Business partners. Friends. Fiercely loyal, yet challenging.These two characters are complex on their own, but Skarsgard and Bauer-Van Straten take it a step beyond to capture their relationship. Plus, these two simply have fantastic chemistry.
4. Jason—Oh bless you, Jason Stackhouse. Some of the dialogue on this show makes me want to gouge my eye out with a spork, but Jason’s lines? Some of them verge into comic gold.
“Sometimes you need to destroy something to save it. That’s in the Bible . . . or the Constitution.”
“It’s like if a tree falls in the woods, it’s still a tree, ain’t it?”
“You’re wearing gold pants.”
“Santa?”
Added to that, as dumb as he can be, sometimes Jason will have a moment of clarity that becomes my favorite moment of the episode. (See the conversation with Jessica I mentioned above. Do you think I might be a fan of the new Jason/Jessica relationship this season?) Ryan Kwanten is an unsung hero for this show, in my opinion. His comic timing is priceless, and he plays Jason with a sincerity and commitment that make his character another favorite.
5. The MUSIC—Lyle Lovett, Gillian Welch, Reverend Horton Heat, Neko Case, Eilen Jewel, Lucinda Williams, I could go on and on . . . and on and on. I may not like a lot of Alan Ball’s decisions plot-wise, character-wise . . . relationship-wise, but he has superb taste in music and he knows how to use it. (Though, someone please tell me how Lucinda Williams “Jackson” did not get onto the soundtrack for Season Three? Really?) Anyway, the music for this show is amazingly diverse and one of my favorite parts of the production as a whole.
So, those are my five favorite things . . . except for one more. In fact, it could just be the biggest one. Whatever you want to say about Ball, he introduced an amazing series of books and an awesome supernatural universe to a lot of fans who would otherwise never have heard of them. So . . . thanks for that, Mr. Ball.
Reading: Two new indie writers you might want to check out!
The Vampire Relationship Guide by Evelyn LaFont This is my give away book this week (still time to enter by commenting!) If you’re looking for a fun take on the romantic . . . or maybe not so romantic aspects of dating a vampire, take a look at LaFont’s book. It’s a very funny, tongue-in-cheek look at the idea of a regular ol’ gal dating one of the undead. Josie is a great protagonist!
Voodoo Dues by Stephany Simmons Okay, no vampires in this series (yet!) but I mentioned wanting to read this a while back after reading the first chapter. The book is out now, and I’m pleased to say I really enjoyed it. I was impressed by the attention to detail. Simmons has obviously done some work researching her subject matter and it shows. Figg and Lian are fun narrators who show a lot of promise, and I’m looking forward to more in this series.
Watching: True Blood Yes, I’m still watching Alan Ball’s massive televised fan fiction of the Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries. Everyone knows I love Sookie. The series? He’s losing me. I really love the show in concept; but please, Mr. Ball, streamline your narrative! If ever a show could stand to kill off a few characters (or have them meet the final death) it’s this one. I’m sticking it out this season, but after that? Who knows?
As for the Eric with amnesia storyline from Book 4? Well, let’s just say I have a few very talented fanfic writers I’d love to direct you toward so you could learn a little about subtle characterization and plotting. Really, Mr. Ball, (ow!) I don’t need (oof!) to bashed over the (argh!) head to understand that (d’oh!) you’re a fan of Bill and Sookie. But … did you read the books at all?
Listening: Keeping with the undead theme this week, I’ve been in a Vampire Weekend kind of mood lately. What? You have not heard of the awesomeness of Vampire Weekend? They’re cool, funky and, despite their disdain of the Oxford comma, I do love their quirky song writing.
Want to see me smile? Play ‘California English’ or ‘Horchata’ and watch me grin. I highly recommend their album Contra to anyone not familiar with the band. Actually, I just recommend that album to everyone.
So, what’s your favorite Vampire-themed entertainment?
The past few weeks, the existence and prevalence of fan fiction has come to the national media. A lot of people still aren’t familiar with fan fiction and what it is, though most online readers are fairly familiar with the phenomenon. (For a thoughtful exploration of the history and culture of fan fiction, I recommend this excellent article in Time by Lev Grossman.) Some fan fiction is published by big publishing houses (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Wide Sargasso Sea) but the vast majority is published online. Some television shows (I’m looking at you, True Blood) can be considered fan fiction of the books that inspired them. Feel free to call it derivative fiction if it makes you feel better, but I’ll still call it fan fic.
