February 25, 2008
Be Kind Rewind, Fan Fiction and Book Ownership (but not necessarily in that order)
In A.O. Scott’s NYT review of the new Michael Gondry film BE KIND REWIND, Mr. Scott discusses the premise of the movie - how a couple of guys from Passaic wipe out all the tapes in the video store they work in, and replace them with homemade, wildly abbreviated, and wildly inventive remakes of the originals, calling the process Sweding. I haven’t seen the film and therefore have no opinion about it. What I did was read the review and this particularly stuck out for me:
“And yet at the same time that stuff is capable of inspiring a deep and durable sense of ownership. The movies we love belong in some profound way to us, and part of us lives inside them. Sweding is Mr. Gondry’s way of making that rather abstract sense of connection literal, of suggesting that even if we are not strictly speaking the owners and authors of the movies we like, well, then, perhaps we should be.”
So I got to thinking. I’ve always had a sense of ownership over the movies and books I’ve loved. I “own” characters whom I love, and when they are screwed-around with, my rage isn’t mitigated by the fact that they are Not mine, will Never be mine, and of course, they are Fictional. I’m not talking about the characters I’ve created in the books I’ve personally written. I’m talking about Harry Potter, among others. Logical, no. Emotionally satisfying - of course! That’s the thing about art. It hooks me emotionally and makes me feel not only included but attached. Character love is one of the purist emotions I can think of. When I ruminate about, say, Buffy, it’s an incredibly intimate process. We are, in my head at least, friends. I care about her and what happens to her. With some male characters, it gets a little messy, so we won’t go there. It’s enough to admit that, just as most of my real life relationships happen in my head, the fictional relationships are sometimes as vivid and consuming as with those people I can touch.
Before you say, come on, you’re just psycho (which may be true, but a topic for another day) I happen to see this same phenomena over and over again. Just listen to people talk about their favorite books. They become invested. Sometimes tragically so. Sometimes endearingly. Always passionately.
Is this the root of fan fiction? Is all fan fiction at its base Mary Sue? Is all character love Mary Sue love?
The reviewer of BE KIND REWIND looked upon “Sweding” quite favorably. He suggested it would be a cool thing to do and expected to see some revisionist tapes on YouTube.
Do those of you who feel fan fiction is not okay feel Sweding is not okay? Does the story always, only belong to the creator? Does media interaction need to change right along with the new back-and-forth the internet brings to our lives?
My life would be a shadow if I didn’t have my books, my music, my movies swirling in my brain. My passion for “my” characters led me to write. It is one of the most sacred things in my life, and has been with me since early childhood. I am forever imagining, whether it be about characters I create or characters I borrow.
Chime in here, please. I want to talk about this more.
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I think fan fiction is inevitable. I teach a course in romance writing and every class I have several students who have been writing fan fiction and it has inspired them to create their own characters. In some ways I feel uneasy about this. In other ways I feel, what’s the harm? I used to do it as a kid. My first “book” I wrote when I was 12 was basically Caddie Woodlawn fan fic.
I just worry that the Internet/fan fic/U-tube is going to end up making it impossible for professional writers to make a living. With each year that passes I have to write more and more books just to keep making the same money I was making before because book sales keep going down and down and down. After reading The Long Tail by Chris Anderson I really do think the end is coming for making a living as any kind of artist.
Lori
February 25th, 2008 at 11:04 amI’ve said publicly many times that I am against published fan fiction. I’m not against people writing it, but I am against people publishing it–even for free. Now, if an author or creator authorizes the fan fic, then a-okay by me. But if not, I’m of the “get your own damned characters” way of thinking.
(Like Lori, some of my early writing was pretty much fan fiction, too. I think it’s a natural way to start learning craft. It’s when you put it OUT THERE that I have a problem with it, because it sometimes messes with the author’s canon.)
Anyway, as for Swedling…I think this might fall into the realm of parody? I’m thinking of Store Wars…a youtube parody of Star Wars featuring vegetables, made by a group promoting organic farming, if I remember correctly. It’s hilariously clever, has a message and while it “sends up” the characters I love so much in the Star Wars canon, it doesn’t “ruin” them.
I think that’s what I hate about fan fiction and slash fiction–it ruins or completely goes against what the author originally intended.
But I’m a big lover of parody. Jo, have you seen the Harry Potter Puppet Pals on Youtube? Those crack me up. Even naked Dumbledore. Yes, it breaks canon, but it doesn’t take itself seriously.
I’m probably making no sense, but there it is.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:17 amIt is scary, Lori, but then I try to focus on the fact that although many can type, few can write. It’s a talent, not just a skill, so there will always, I think, be a desire for a wonderful story, wonderfully told. And yes, it gets harder all the time. The access to an audience is something that’s never happened before, and I don’t believe we can even see the repercussions.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:27 amAh, Julie, thanks for dropping by. I was quite curious about your take on this. I think it’s quite likely Sweding is to some degree parody, but I think Scott was talking more about the attitude of ownership that one gets by watching (or reading) a work that for whatever reason moves us. I think it’s more homage than parody. And homage can be tricky because while it’s roots are in loving the work, the outcome can change the original intent and meaning. Your exact issue with publishing fan fic. Where I’m on the fence is that as a writer, I want people to forget their reading a story as the characters become so real the reader feels as if they are personal friends. And if that’s my goal, to engage the reader so completely that the line between fiction and reality blurs, it doesn’t seem a bad thing if people take those characters into other situations.
(Not to be confused with someone taking my book, changing the names of the characters and publishing the work as their own - which has happened to me, and I know, you).
But as I say, I’m on the fence, still feeling my through this new territory.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:36 amWell since I am not a writer, I am not sure I am qualified to respond…but I will anyway :)
I have characters that I have connected with…and I can remember them for years to come…like Jo in Little Women…I love her!!!! She is such a strong force…I always wanted to be just like her and I think that in many ways I have used her–as fictional as she is–in developing myself. I am now a strong self-sufficient woman…sadly one that does not spell well…but strong none the less!
Even though I don’t write I am an artist…and I have been known to look at a piece of jewelry or painting and create my own version of it…but I don’t take pictures so I can copy it exactly…I remember the essence of the project…what was it I liked about it…what made it stick out in my mind…that sort of thing…nothing ticks me off more than someone taking a picture of something so they can go home and recreate the exact thing without supporting the original artist!
I do have an issue with Fan Fiction because what if they don’t think the same thing of the character as I do? What if it is a different character that they like, in the same story? they will not treat the character I love the same way…I really don’t want someone messing with my version of the character…
well there is my 2 cents :)
February 25th, 2008 at 12:03 pmChiming in. I don’t mind either Sweding (which I learned about 2 minutes ago, thank you Jo) or Fan Fiction. If people become passionate about a story and want to put their own spin on an existing character or plot point, IMO it takes nothing away from the original. Better they put energies into being creative than turning their brains to cheese in front of a TV.
I’ve always wanted to write my own stories, but I know that feeling of falling so deeply into a fictional world that you don’t want to leave it. And look how many books are commercially successful now because they are based on something immediately recognizable to everyone. Wicked (Wizard of Oz), March (Little Women), et al. It’s not much different, is it?
As for YouTube, it mitigates my fear that people are idiot sheep the world over. There is so much creativity and talent and appreciation for weird humor out there. It’s uplifting.
However, I hadn’t thought of it in terms of using copyrighted material, as Julie pointed out, so I’d probably end up with a morally jumbled reaction. Like many complicated issues, there’s no pure right or wrong.
Isabel
February 25th, 2008 at 12:09 pmGlenice, you are always qualified to have an opinion! I know that art inspires art - you illustrated that beautifully with your jewelry comment. And I can see where fan fiction isn’t everyone’s cup of tea - especially if the characters go off of canon. I don’t care for it, mostly, but there are exceptions. But in those exceptions, the writers took the characters in directions I approved of. :) As for copying - I still don’t get the remake of Psycho that was almost shot for shot of the original. Why??? (And being a bad speller makes us stronger, dammit!)
February 25th, 2008 at 12:31 pmI tend to be a purist about my favorite movies and books. I don’t want anyone messing with those characters and stories. They are perfect just as they are or they wouldn’t be on my fave list. I don’t read or write fan fic. I guess I just don’t get that whole thing. To me, those characters already HAD their story. It’s done, it’s over, they got their happy ending. How can anyone want to, or dare to, try to change them? Get your own characters! I know that sounds kind of harsh, and I agree, if, as a budding writer, it’s done innocently, UNpublished, maybe, ok. I’m not a huge fan of parody either, so maybe I’m just an old stick in the mud. Notice I said “about MY favorite books and movies”.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:32 pmCan there ever be a situation where fan fic IS acceptable? Maybe.
I have a friend who voraciously reads fan fic of a short-lived TV series called Firefly. It was canceled before any of the developing relationships could be brought to a satisfying conclusion. And so, for her, since she LOVED that show and the characters, reading fan fic about those characters has been crucial in her healing process from having the show canceled. Talk about feeling like you own characters. It is possible to get so attached to them that there is a sense of depression or withdrawal once they are no longer around. Hmm, maybe that’s why I tend to prefer movies and books with a saitsfying conclusion. I can put them on my keeper shelf nice and safe and pull them out to enjoy whenever I want. The most furious I ever got at the movie theater was the night we went to see the first LORD OF THE RINGS. I hadn’t read the book, but my husband had, so when the end of the movie came and THERE WAS NO ENDING, I was furious! There should have been a warning! This movie has NO END! Arrgh!
omg, I’ve slipped into ranting off topic. Y’all will think I’m insane. I’ll shut up now.
Juliet
Isabel, you gave me a whole new slant on youtube. I agree, it can be a hopeful, vibrant area of expression from people who have few outlets. That’s a great way to look at it. And yes, I agree, I’m on the fence because of the copyright issue. I think it’s great if the original author approves of fan fiction using her/his characters. But not at all okay if there’s no approval. I’m still not sure how I feel about the books like March and the Austen books. I guess I’ve voted with my dollars as I’ve not read any of them. (Wait - I would go see Wicked in a heartbeat, so I guess you can’t trust me worth spit.)
February 25th, 2008 at 12:35 pmJuliet, I get exactly what you’re saying! I want no tampering with any material I think is perfect. I can also see Firefly people needing closure, although it would have never occurred to me to look to fan fic for that. I suppose I would have made up my own endings in my head.
I think what intrigues me most about the discussion is the idea that character-love is one area where people feel free to be passionate. And a little nuts. I’m all for that. :)
February 25th, 2008 at 12:41 pmLike Juliet, I’m a purist. The original author’s view is what made me fall in love with the story. Oh, sure, when I get to the last page, I DO make up another chapter or two of what happens next - I love wondering how the characters have evolved and continued with their lives. But… thats in my head. I’ve only read fan fic once or twice and its just not… well, there. The voice, the energy, the spirit of the story I fell in love with. *shrug* I can see the appeal to write it, but as a reader I have no interest in reading it.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:47 pmI love a lot of books and movies. Like most, I wouldn’t want them changed in any way because they might lose what I love about them. I didn’t grow up writing fan fic. To my knowledge, I’ve never written a piece of fan fic, although I could’ve when the X-Files were running. Me obsess much? *ggg* But I never felt the need. I have ‘mentally’ changed the endings of movies *cough*Pirates 3*cough*, when they pissed me off. Never felt the need to write them out though. As for the subject of fan fic and the ‘youtube’, I don’t like it when characters are changed if it doesn’t involve a parody. Youtube has a lot of talented people on it, but it has just as many (if not more) future Darwin award winners.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:26 pmwas running doh
February 25th, 2008 at 1:27 pmTawny, well put. I too wonder about characters after I close the books. Mostly, though, my keepers seem to be books where the ending is so satisfying they are complete as written. I’m striving to improve on that in my books, not giving short shrift to the all-important ending.
February 25th, 2008 at 3:11 pmLol, Jordan about the Darwin award winners! Very true. But Isabel’s comment made me think of last night’s Best Song award, and how much I loved that they did the film in three weeks for no money. I completely love the song, and the film, and was all sappy about their award speeches. (Yay John Stewart for bringing her back!) I think that’s the spirit I look for in youtube. No money, but a way to make art and put it out there.
And another grin because the only fanfic I ever wrote was X-Files. No desire to write another, or any other kind. I wonder if it had something to do with how the end of the series broke my heart. (I guess I am like that Firefly fan)
February 25th, 2008 at 3:15 pmVery interesting post, Jo! I saw the previews for that movie a month or so ago and thought it looked hilarious, but had never made the fanfic connection.
I’m really on the fence about fanfic. On the one hand, I am absolutely furious about “fans” who simply lift the names of the characters in our books and swap them out for their favorite soap opera characters, then present the work as their own. I know it’s not the same thing–that’s flat-out plagiarism–but it is tied into the fanfic community because I know several authors (myself included) who this has happened to!
I do, however, understand the idea of “ownership” of characters you truly love. There are some books I’m so close to I feel almost betrayed when I see a movie version that I think has lousy choices of actors. This happened to me with Stephen King’s The Stand, one of my favorite books. I really liked the miniseries, but was just appalled by one or two of the actors chosen to play in it.
February 25th, 2008 at 3:46 pmLeslie, I’ve had that same thing happen by a “fan.” Totally uncool (not to mention illegal) But I think fan fiction is a whole different thing. I’m really fascinated by the whole slash thing - primarily written by women. I’m just compelled to understand this.
And yeah, I agree about The Stand. Man, I loved that book, although my favorite of his is The Green Mile, and I adored the movie, too.
February 25th, 2008 at 7:20 pmhm, so I think I am compelled to understand this too! I guess what I thought fan fiction was is not really that at all…which is just copying someone elses work…
and I agree…if you remake a movie, do NOT make it the exact same!!! I mean really! One of my favorites is You’ve got Mail…oh grap! now I can not remember the original movie…it had Jimmy Stewart in it…Oh I Loved it! And You’ve got mail is the remake, but as a remake should be, with an update twist to it…so instead of notes left in your work locker, it is email…Sabrina is another remake that I loved…because they updated it…don’t get me wrong though, I love the original movies too! I love old movies period…the tragedy is that some of the old movies are really not what I consider old :) I mean I saw the orginal release at the Movie theater!
February 26th, 2008 at 9:58 amGlenice, I think we’re on the same page. I’ve been watching TCM old movies all month. (Love with the Proper Stranger! Big Sigh) Some remakes are good, others just beg the questions why.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:04 pmI usually lurk on blogs and rarely comment, but I had to make an exception here, because this post really connected with me.
I also tend to become very emotionally invested in the lives and fates of fictional characters, both my own (where it’s at least halfway acceptable) and those created by others. In my experience it is perfectly possible to feel something akin to friendship for fictional characters. These fictional friendships can last a very long time. Rereading/rewatching something I enjoyed a long time ago feels like meeting old friends again, even if the actual quality of the material is questionable.
When fictional characters I have formed a bond with begin acting out of character, I tend to get very angry. This is part of the reason why I stopped watching soap operas and reading long running comic book series altogether, because I figured out that sooner or later a new creative team would come in and ruin some or all of the character relationships I had become invested in. Interestingly, I still feel connected to many of the characters, even though I no longer follow their adventures on an ongoing basis.
At the moment - and that’s why this post connected with me - I am experiencing a situation where a TV show I loved has totally changed direction for its current season and the characters behave unlike the people I met and bonded with last season. And it hurts. Not only have I lost my favourite TV show, my second favourite TV show (because this one was a spin-off of another show I also liked), I have also lost my liking for the characters. And even though it is silly and the people who tell me not to get upset, cause it’s “just a TV show” are probably right, it feels very much like losing friends. And I’m not sure if I can ever recover them, i.e. if I can go back and rewatch the episodes I liked and ignore what went wrong later. For example, I find that I cannot rewatch The X-Files, a show I loved back in the day, because I cannot forget that there was no real answer to the many questions they raised and that the ending pretty much sucked. Though I still like Mulder and Scully as characters.
As for fan fiction, I think it is a natural reaction to strong investment into a story and also a natural step in the early development of many writers. I wrote what would be called fan fiction today in my teens. Of course, I had never even heard the term back then, nor did I know that millions of people were doing the same thing as me, I always assumed I was the only one. Fan fiction is where I learned how to write dialogue, for example. And I still tend to continue a stories I liked in my head and sometimes edit things I disliked, though I now longer bother to write it down. So fan fiction as private practice writing and a transitory step towards original writing is perfectly fine. Though I do see the potential for problems when fan fiction becomes public. For starters, because I can understand how authors would be annoyed and squicked out by some of the stuff that ends up in fan fiction (and the plagiarism issue mentioned by some of the previous commenters brings the problem to a whole different level). Besides, internet fan fiction communities tend to offer beginning writers a lot of quick gratification via uncritical praise (and usually, even the worst fan fiction gets praise), which might actually stall the development of promising writers and lead them to get stuck in the fan fiction sandbox permanently.
Interestingly, I very rarely read fan fiction. I have tried it on occasion, to get a quick fix, when a series I enjoy is currently between books/seasons. But because fan fiction is essentially a very private thing describing a very personal view of the characters, it usually does not work for me, because the chance that someone else hits exactly the same view I have of the characters is very low. Besides, a lot of fan fiction is just plain badly written, usually because it is the output of beginning writers. Never mind that there are huge swathes of fan fiction, e.g. the popular practice of slashing obviously heterosexual characters, that I just don’t get.
March 8th, 2008 at 6:36 pmCora, thanks for coming by. You’re comments were right on, at least for me. I’m so with you on getting angry when the unwritten contract between a show and me as a viewer is broken. I’m still pissed at Chris Carter. He dropped the ball big time. With lots of money should come the responsibility to those who made it possible.
I find reactions to fan fiction vary as much as taste in books, and it’s always interesting to me to hear why people do/don’t like it. Especially because so many feel so strongly about it.
All I do know is that it’s good there are so many choices, not just with fan fic for those who like it, but in TV series, books, movies. Of course, I strongly believe everyone should share my tastes…naw, that wouldn’t be very fun, would it?
March 10th, 2008 at 10:52 am