Defending Some Common Misconceptions of Fan Fiction: Part 2

Here's another opinion on fan fiction from an author named Donna Durgin:
"Genre fiction authors aren't as well known. Even the big name pros within a genre can be completely unknown outside that genre, with the rare exception of the Anne Rices and Stephen Kings of the publishing world. Someone coming across fanfic based in one of my universes may well have no idea that the characters and setting =are= mine--or any way to judge how accurately they're represented." (Durgin)

While I do agree with Ms. Durgin in that most people don't know of authors outside of the genres that they usually read, if she thinks that someone who doesn't read a certain genre would mistake a fan fiction for the actual work of an author or scriptwriter, they actually have bigger problems on their hands. Obviously, this person (the figurative person I'm talking about, not Ms. Durgin, that is) is quite delusional. Yes, because someone with the pen names of gayfortinafey or Miranda River like I saw on the West Wing section of fanfiction.net is clearly Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing. Damn, you got us. Granted, you can find some fantastic fan fiction amongst the grammatically incorrect, underdeveloped fics of varying degrees of canon (which basically means if the story is true to the plot line) out there, but it's hard even then to mistake this story for the real thing. Not to mention the fact that you don't write fan fiction about something you've never seen or read and if you are writing it, you know who created the story that it's based off of anyway, so that makes Ms. Durgin's point moot. It goes back to my last blog about how we're not publishing these things anywhere but on the Internet. Publishing a book and posting something on the Internet are not the same thing at all, so other than the argument that this fan fiction could be Ms. Durgin's next big book that someone stole and posted online as their own work, there's really no way to mistake the two. And honestly, if someone did try to claim that they were the real author, you wouldn't believe them. Or at least I wouldn't.

Maybe these authors don't realize we always put disclaimers on our fics that basically say "THESE CHARACTERS AREN'T OURS. They belong to this fantastic and talented author, whom I have so much respect for, that I'm writing a story based on their characters" Okay, I get that some authors are against fan fiction. That's fine, it's your opinion, and I respect that and especially the fact that you, unlike me, have the drive to write stories for a living. That's why there's a section that everyone who makes a profile on fanfiction.net has to sign listing authors, such as Nora Roberts and Steven King, that do not want fan fiction written about their universes, or you can't make a profile. I understand that writers don't make a lot of money, but it's out of love for your characters that we write fan fiction, not out of some sinister, greedy intent to make money off of your ideas. It's the fact that every series has to end sometime and we're always left wanting more. And if we love your work that much, we've probably bought many of your books, thus giving you money. If you look at it that way, technically, fan fiction is a compliment.