astridv | (no subject)

So,

kradical, a pro writer who also writes tie-ins, wrote a post pointing out differences between fanfic and tie-ins. Personally I found the post perfectly unoffensive, reasonable and interesting, but as it happens when a pro writer as much as mentions the word 'fanfic', people are kneejerking in response all over LJ.

I mean, I disagree with at least a dozen points of his, but I don't see why that should be reason to feel offended. But hey, everyone's entitled to their frothing... it just kinda makes me think something along the lines of, "Get off my side, you make my side look really insecure and defensive." Seriously, I'm wondering if that many people actually read the post they're getting worked up about in its entirety - because I just don't see it.

Well anyway, now the inevitable Lee Goldberg chimed in, in a post titled 'Inferior' that links to the OP's. And I can't help getting an image of Lee, with a stick in his hand, poking a huge anthill just for shits and giggles.

But, wank aside, in the comments to

kradical's post there's actually a lot of interesting discussion to be had regarding the differences between the two genres.
...
However, I have to stay away from all that for now because I'm only two pages away from finishing my book, and I think it can be done today. yay
[eta: only one more scene to color. And it's only 01:34. I can totally do this!]

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I didn't think that the OP was particularly offensive either, though I can see why some people read it that way. But there have been several interesting responses come out of it.

I didn't think that the OP was particularly offensive either, though I can see why some people read it that way.

I honestly can't; I'm just boggling. Ah well.

But yes, some very interesting discussion, at least in the original post. As for the reaction posts, I clicked on a few links but didn't make it far... there was just too much... I don't wanna say 'rage' but, yeah. Too much negativity.

This discussion has been going on for so many years that there's not really any radically new insight coming out of it, but one thing (somewhere in the comments of kradical's post) really amused me: That where fic writers are insulted at the insinuation that they're not real writers... some tie-in authors are just as miffed at the insinuation that they're not real fans. That's actually a new one, not something I'd given much thought to.

I'm actually in the mood to post some meta myself, on the whole fanfic vs profic, and on badfic, concrit etc. I have all these fragmented meta thoughts and would like to get them out of my head. It just takes so much time.