Good writing is not taking characters that aren’t yours and morphing them into something they’re not just because you hate them, or because you ”see it as an outlet.” Good writing is not inserting yourself into fics because you “see it as an outlet.”
Good writing is being able to put aside…
While these things usually do not contribute to quality writing, why do we need to dictate what the rules are for writing fanfiction? Furthermore, who says all fanfiction has to be “good”? It is a very valuable creative outlet for people whose identities are still in formative stages. Writing is experimental by nature, and while rules are necessary to protect style, convention, and quality when writing for a serious audience, it might be a better idea to leave some room for fanfiction writers to make a cathartic mess. Not that I particularly want to read their self-inserts, and not that some stories are not hilariously bad. I just feel like some mercy should be had upon the still-growing people who write those self-inserts.
By all means, don’t be afraid to take chances with characters and write how you think they are. Don’t be afraid to write because you’re scared you won’t get the original creator’s character personalities to a T. Tbh, no one will ever write someone else’s character completely and utterly IC. So while it’s nice that readers praise fanfic writers for writing characters in-character, no one will ever capture their true essence except for the actual creator.
All’s I’m saying is don’t degrade a character just because you hate them. That was my point. I’m not trying to dictate anything, nor do I think my words are absolute law when it comes to writing – as this was simply a personal opinion of mine.
So please, for all of you up and budding writers, all of you fellow fanfic writers… write to your heart’s content. It simply helps to be completely aware of what you’re doing if you wish to grow further. I know I’m still learning and will only continue to learn.
