Thoughts on Fan Fiction...

So on another board I got into a discussion on Robert Jordan's Conan novels. When it comes to published books:
If you want to read Conan, you read Robert E. Howard's Conan stories*.
If you want to read Sherlock Holmes, you read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.
If you want to read Lord Darcy, you read Randall Garrett's stories.
Etc.

Basically, the character's creator almost always brings it to life in a way that no imitator can hope to do. They know the character inside and out, to the point when they do something new in the world it fits seamlessly in with all their other stories. Sure, The Seven Percent Solution was an interesting Sherlock Holmes story, but it lacked Doyle's genius. Yes, Jordan's Conan included more spankings than Howard's, but Two Guns Bob channeled life into the black hair/blue eye Conan in his own way.

That said, I still think there is a place for Fanfic, but it has to mesh with what came before. For example, no Harry Potter book ever mentioned what sort of underwear the characters wore, so when I came across a "pre-release" copy of the 6th book I knew it was fanfic (long, well written, but missing on some main points) when I came across a passage that mentioned what colour the Hogswart uniform underwear was.

I see three broad types of fanfic. Ones using main characters (i.e.: "Kirk advanced on the green skinned Orion slave girls, intent on seeing if he could turn their behinds red). Then there's using minor characters, including those not mentioned (i.e. "Star Fleet Captain Meadow wrestled with the green skin Orion slave girl, wondering who would end up over whose lap."). Then there's fanfic on genres. For example, when I listed off the fanfic I've done I skipped over the GURPS fanfic. Not that I see it as Fanfic, but it is labeled as such because I borrowed the GURPS world of Technomancer for the setting. I didn't use any published characters (there's just the one sourcebook for it) but I did use that world.

Personally, I find the more that you use the main characters the more someone will say "But Kirk/Buffy/Sherlock/etc would never do that!", which ruins the suspension of disbelief, but that's just me.

* = and maybe the L. Sprague de Camp / Lin Carter, "round out the cycle" stories

Agree with what you said that no imitator of characters like Conan and Sherlock Holmes can ever depict them as we'll as the creator.
In a couple Howard Conan stories though there is some F/F whippings. one of them has Conan(who is battered from fighting a monster) tells the girl who whipped with silk cords or something that she has " a sore ...."

I've written a few fanfic stories myself, as Seegee mentioned (thanks, mate) only because I found some of the characters eminently spankable and deserving of chastisement (usually girls, but not always). It's just something I enjoy myself but I agree that, lacking some exposition, especially character development, it's hard for those not familiar with the story to follow most of the time. I usually do a bit of backstory so as to make it more appealing to those not familiar with the characters but it doesn't always work without a significant amount of exposition. Having said that, I write primarily for my own enjoyment and frankly, I do enjoy some fanfic now and then. I figure that those who do not enjoy it need not read it and those who do might like it.

Not that it would be actual fanfic, but does anyone think that Amy Schumer might deserve (and benefit from) a good old-fashioned spanking? She makes my palm itch...

It's odd when considering FF I somehow never thought of writing fan fiction based off of famous literary settings, and thought more of TV shows, etc.

I would never (being a Arthur Conan Doyle fan) dream of trying to write spanking FF based off of a legendary writer, because to me there's something sacrosanct about it.

Also, as I've noticed too, there's a generational aspect to it. People from one generation dreamt of the spankings they might see on, say, Gilligan's Island, and then another would think of Dukes of Hazzard, another Baywatch, and some probably a much newer show (beats me...what's even on TV right now!?).

The settings I had previously thought of writing for were all TV shows, mainly Gilmore Girls, Sister Sister, Grounded for Life, etc.. (I suppose I've revealed I'm a 90's kid.)

To further Phil's comment about Amy Schumer, there is a branch of fanfic that looks at fictional situations involving real life celebrities. The Bronte siblings created a whole world using it back in the 1800's. To further Goodgulf's comments about original characters being written by others, I'd be interested to see how he feels about Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton concept, which featured biographies of fictional characters such as Tarzan, Lord Peter Wimsey, Doc Savage and Sherlock Holmes. I did read one of the books he wrote which featured Doc Savage and Tarzan I think, it was definitely science fiction, although it was originally published as erotica. I didn't much like it though, seemed to be obsessed with male ejaculation for some reason that I never quite understood. On the other hand I really liked Farmer's Riverworld, which featuring characters like Alice Pleasance Liddell (the model for Alice from Alice in Wonderland), Richard Burton (the explorer, not the actor), Mark Twain, Cyrano de Bergerac, Herman Goerring and others, is possibly an example of the other type of fanfic Phil mentioned. That also happened in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels. The main character may never have existed, but he crosses paths with plenty that did and they often get involved in adventures that never made it into the official history books.

You may not know this, but I did a series (four parts so far) about Lily and her younger brothers getting multiple spankings on "Grounded For Life". Perhaps you might be interested in that. My author name is "smuccatelli"...

I enjoyed Wold Newton and River World, but one of the reasons I enjoyed them was that it was obvious that those weren't the same characters as the originals. Farmer wasn't trying to match any of those other writers - but to use those characters as jumping off points. To me that makes a big difference.

Hmm, maybe I could clarify that a bit more.

When I read something like the Seven Percent Solution, I'm reading an attempt to write Holmes in a way that fits with Doyle's universe. When I read something like Saberhagen's The Holmes-Dracula File, I know I'm reading something that Doyle would have never written, something that borrows characters - or is inspired by them - as opposed to trying to imitate them.

To me this is a big difference.

For those who have been on the site a few years this will come as no surprise. I have serious doubts about fan fiction and avoided it in general on the site since I first joined in 2010. However. I am a big fan of stores that speak to institutionalized discipline either as judicial issues or cultural. In other words the thought of being sent to some organization to get a spanking is a favorite fantasy of mine. And if there are witnesses that's even better!

Sometime early in my wondering up and down the isles of the library I stumbled on a series titled: The Discipline & Spanking Co. by edb. I thought Hmmmmmm, that seems to be right up my alley. I gave it a try and honestly and I kid you not, it turned out to be Fan Fiction. I am liberated from TV addiction in my personal life and did not recognize the character names for celebrity's. It was just a very kool story concept. The beauty of this series is that the celebrities are recognized for who they are but the circumstances surrounding the stories have nothing to do with their lives as we know them through the media.

I think this is what Avalon was asking for in the original post that starts this thread. If this sounds intriguing give the first six or so stories a try and see what you think. You will be able to tell from the comments just how I feel about it.

Glass Cubes Rock!
Massive Grin!

The RDSC does have some famous people come through it's doors, but it's not fan fiction strictly speaking. It's a totally original idea invented by Edb. Many of the stories don't feature famous people, but have characters Ed himself created and the staff of the various branches of the RDSC are all his idea. My Debbie Downunder articles are like that, famous celebs in spanking situations that are far removed from real life, in fact a lot of Bared Affair was also like that.

Seegee is quite correct in that edb's RDSC series only 'features' celeb's occasionally. And again in his excellent Debbie Downunder stories. My thinking was that Avalon was looking for just that kind of story. The celeb as character is taken far away from real life and confronted with a spanking situation.

Having corresponded with edb at length about the series and many other things I can say with assurance that he was looking for what I accused him of his 'James Bond' girl. Svelt, usually blond, accomplished, with a fast car, and 12K worth of clothes and jewelry on being required & sent to get spanked regardless of status. If you read the series you will see the type often even if the character is made up.

I want to plug Goodgulf's "Chronicles of Bamber" stores as well. I had a small part in their creation after making some gushing comments about my love for Zelazny's work. Especially the Amber saga.

So Avalon. Many of us have given our opinions. What da ya think?
Grin!