Thursday, January 27, 2011

Forget the Cowbell; I need more Draco Malfoy! Part 1

I've always been a nerd.

I need glasses, joined the marching band, won spelling bees, was unanimously voted Most Studious by my senior class, and so on. But, I didn't (don't) mind being a nerd or a dork. Especially after watching Sidney White and the brought-a-tear-to-my-eye scene at the end where even the jocks proudly proclaim that they're dorks.

Have I discussed how much I love Amanda Bynes? No? Well, that's a random, crazy person post for another day.

Today, I want to discuss fan fiction, something that gets the nerd and/or dork label pretty quickly. But, let's break down the purpose of fan fiction (my opinions, of course). There will be a couple parts to this conversation, but please, give me your thoughts.

Point #1: Exploring supporting characters

I love supporting characters. Main characters are great, but usually it's the supporting cast that make the hero or heroine hit home. So, for me, fan fiction is about digging deeper into the hero's best friend or the Big Bad, exploring their motivations, asking what made them the way they are, and working on your writing at the same time.

Haven't you ever wanted Stephanie Meyer to write the story in the background of Breaking Dawn where Alice and Jasper go to find the other human/vamp hybrid? Well, I'm sure someone has, and if you read enough fan fiction you may come across a rare jewel of a story. What about how Lupin and Tonks came together? They never struck me as complimentary, but I'm not J.K. Rowling.

What other stories would you like to see? Do you read/write fan fiction? If so, what do you get out of it?

Are you a dork? :)
More to come...

-Marie

4 comments:

Carrie said...

I haven't read any fan fiction but I think it is a cool idea and a great way for people have fun writing. Have you ever read any of Cassandra Clare's fan fiction? Didn't she write a lot about Draco?

Alleged Author said...

I love characters who are not the protagonist. I would say Samwise Gamgee was my favorite in LOTR. I would love to see behind the scenes with the hobbit land once Frodo et all went on their quest. But, alas, I don't think that will happen since Tolkien is no longer among us.

Marie Rearden said...

I'm checking out Cassandra Clare right now, Carrie. Not sure about Draco, but her website flatters her The Mortal Instruments series. I've never read it, but I'm now curious. Thanks!

Marie Rearden said...

Alleged Author, Samwise is a fantastic character. I have to admit that I've never read the books, but huge applause for Sean Astin for making the character real (was he even close to the books? I've heard a lot of no's, but not specifically about Sam).
You make a great point. Tolkien's days are done, but his story lives on (wow, how corny do I sound?). That means that all of us aspiring everythings can jump in and write what we want to see. If you google it, I'm sure there's a gazillion stories, and if you sift through them all, you'll usually find one or two diamonds. I admit, it's like a sale rack, but when you come across a well-written, fully-developed winner, it's all worth it.
Thanks!