Original Fiction Vs. FanFiction - Comments

I write mostly fanfiction for very unpopular subjects, like Placebo. Nobody here cares for that, so I get hardly any comments. But that's cool.
I wouldn't say that fan fiction is any easier to write than original. It can be very hard to place a real life person into a fictional setting and make it believable.

There are a few original stories that I read here on Mibba but there aren't many. It isn't because I don't want to read original stories its just I can rarely find one that appeals to me. I'd rather read fanfiction because its often more appealing to me because of the setting used, not the main characters.

I'm in no way saying that the stories that don't appeal to me are bad, because I'm sure a lot of them are fantastic. They just aren't what I want to read.

I would make the same argument in terms of different kinds of fanfiction: Fanfiction about something popular will, on principle, get more readers and comments than fanfiction on something more obscure, regardless of quality, because of the simple fact that it's in higher demand.

v I agree that people do post in journals for original fiction, but I honestly don't think, based on what we see written on this site, that that's mostly what people are looking for when they go to the search tab. Up until recently, you couldn't as easily search for specific genres of original fiction; but you've always been able to type "Gerard Way" or "The Avengers" or "Green Day" into the search bar, and so people had a convenient method (besides the journals) to saerch for what they wanted.

Considering the high ratio of fanfiction to original fiction in terms of what has been written, I do feel justified in believing that the readership for each one would be similarly proportioned. Not to mention I've talked to people--albeit a small sample--who write both, and many of the people whose work I've browsed have more readers/comments on their fanfiction than on their original works. (Again, that may be an unfair sample, since I've only looked at that with a handful of people, but I think it does have some merit toward my opinion.)

v; I have to disagree with that last statement in your comment. Do you know how many times I see posts, whether it be in blogs or on the forums or anywhere on here, that are looking for stories that make it blantantly obvious they don't want any type of fanfiction recommended to them? WAY more times than I've seen anyone really requesting any type of fanfiction. Now, sometimes I do happen to see both, but I feel like people more look for original now than ever. That might just be me, though.

ladyschrei - It uses more than just the names. It uses the names of the characters, the personalities, the setting, often the prior events established by the original author...that is, in fact, precisely what makes fanfiction challenging to write: it's incorporating all those things, maintaining the voice and personality of the characters and setting and such as originally written, while fitting it all into an entirely new plot. I respect that.

v The only part of that I disagree with is "the writer makes the readers." The readers decide what to read based on what they're looking before quality of writing ever comes in as a factor. More people LOOK for fanfiction than original fiction on this site. If you happen to be writing what people are looking for, then you'll get a higher readership.

Of course, if you're a better writer, you'll hopefully get more readers. And the good fanfiction probably gets more readers than the bad stuff. But what people look for will get more readers than what people don't look for, regardless of how good "what people don't look for" may be. Are SOME people looking for original fiction? Of course. But on this site, fanfiction has a greater following overall.

I agree with spencer. I love fanfiction to death just as much as I love normal fiction.

Axel; Just because it's fanfiction, though, almost 99% of it is original, it just uses other people's names, with maybe one or two real events thrown in there. It doesn't make it any less original just because it has a recognizable name or so on it.

"But I think original fiction is better because it really challenges the writer."
"Yes, I have done FanFiction. And up until now, that's all I have done. It was easy and simple."

Fanfiction is as easy as you make it. Sometimes I dare say it's way harder than original fiction because you've got to respect someone else's work and really understand it fully.

The writer makes the story, not the genre or whether it's original/fanfiction. And the writer makes the readers too.

And unfortunately, because of that, people seem more inclined to read fanfiction--regardless of its quality--than original fiction. A poorly written fanfiction about something that's popular is likely to get a stronger readership than a well-written original fiction, simply because of the world about which it's written.

v I don't think any of us are saying that fanfiction isn't as good or as challenging as original fiction; I readily agree that they both set certain challenges for the writer and they can both be phenomenal pieces of work. My only problem comes with the fact that it's so much harder to gain a readership for original fiction, and I honestly believe a big part of that is simply that original fiction doesn't appeal to peoples' fantasies about meeting so-and-so or falling in love with them or even just being immersed in a fictional world with which they're already familiar.

I do agree Spencer, there a handful of really good FanFictions.

But I think original fiction is better because it really challenges the writer. I mean it's not like in a fanfiction, if you need to spice things up, you can't just throw in a celebrity that hooks up with the main character, you have to something original.

As someone who has written more fanfiction than original, but still loves writing both - fanfiction doesn't at all have to be easier in any way. A lot of fanfictions deserve the amount of readers that they have because they are simply phenomenal. Usually, especially on Mibba, if your story is good and you make sure people see it - readers will come. Regardless whether it's fanfiction or original. At least, shall I say, "good" readers. The type that will give you honest, long opinions on your work and not just say "good, update" on every chapter.

But I think original fiction is better because it really challenges the writer. I mean it's not like in a fanfiction, if you need to spice things up, you can't just throw in a celebrity that hooks up with the main character, you have to something original.

I get that, too. I mean, it's nice to daydream, haha. And there's nothing wrong with fanfiction, necessarily. It can provide a lot of unique challenges in writing, and it helps people grow as writers, and sometimes it can be really good. It's just a bummer that something so shallow detracts from the readership of original stories, which the writers often work hard on and take very seriously.

I don't care. To me all it shows is that people don't really appreciate....dare I say it? I dare myself to say it! They don't appreciate true originality! There I said it!

But like Amora said with fan fiction about their favorite person it lets them in a way...... fantasize about what they pretty much already dream about......just in a different setting I guess....I don't know. All I know is that I rather do original and get less readers that will sub and appreciate it rather than get a million readers because I wrote about their latest crush.

AmorarEsDivir yeah, I mean I used to be into the hole fantasy thing, only because it kinda took me away from my world, which sucked. But now that I'm seventeen and graduated from hgih school, it just seems a bit childish.

AmorarEsDivir yeah, I mean I used to be into the hole fantasy thing, only because it kinda took me away from my world, which sucked. But now that I'm seventeen and graduated from hgih school, it just seems a bit childish.

Eh, I agree with you, to be honest. It seems people want to read something that lets them exercise their fantasies with unattainable people, whether it's good or bad, than read something for the sake of an enjoyable or meaningful story.