Nora Charles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
noracharles) wrote2010-06-07 10:24 am
noracharles) wrote2010-06-07 10:24 am
Two examples of remixes which challenge the original fic
I have a hard time separating canon and fanon in my head, and when I'm inspired to write fanfic, it's usually by fic I've read, rather than canon. To me, fan fiction fandom is all about interaction, meta layers, intertextuality, discussion... It's why original slash or RPF AUs work for me, even though they have no shared canon to refer to and draw on.
But there are unwritten rules about what's okay and what's not okay to do. Personally I would feel comfortable writing a trope I had seen in at least three other fics, but I would hesitate to write an unauthorized remix or to use an OC or other unique invention by a single fan author who didn't give blanket permission, because it would invite wank.
That's why I think it's so wonderful that many authors do give blanket permission for transformative works based on their fic, and so many authors join remix challenges. It's fascinating to me to see a much more direct dialogue between two authors/works, rather than the usual diffuse filtering through fandom.
I was originally planning to write about some particularly interesting examples of remixing for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
the_comfy_chair, but I don't have the energy for it and I'm concerned that I wouldn't be able to find a non-wanky, fic-focused angle on it. So I'm putting this here instead.
My favorite remix in this year's remix redux challenge is Motives (Hold the Lantern High Remix by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
wintercreek, an SGA fic. I don't think it's the remix which works best as a stand-alone fic, or the remix which best complements the original, or the remix which best transforms the original, but it is the remix which best debates the original.
The original fic is a character exploration piece which examines the relationship between Teyla and John. It seems to have been written rather early in the show, and it re-transmits the problematical treatment the show gives the Teyla character. Now, I don't know the author or the author's motives for writing the fic, or for writing the fic in this particular way. For whatever reason, the fic comes across to me as concentrated ooginess, and if it is meant to highlight the problematical aspects to call attention to them in a satirical way, it fails in that.
The remix challenges the original in several ways. It punctures John as the personification of the White Man and Teyla as the personification of the Noble Savage by giving John more personal connections, with Teyla being an important person in his life similar to the other important people in his life.
It moves the focus to John and admits to the focus being on John, where the original seemed to say it was about Teyla, but had its focus on John anyway.
And most explicitly, it has this -
I think it's awesome how readable and charming the remix is as a fic on its own, and how it comments so intelligently on the original fic. It would probably have been easier to just write a mean and exaggerated parody of the original, rather than leading by example.
I was pleased to see the gracious comment the author of the original fic left. The original author points out and praises many details in the remix, thanks the remixer politely and warmly, and neatly avoids any mention of the anti-racist and feminist content. No complaining, no accusations, no defensiveness: I have a lot of respect for that, and wish that I will be able to handle myself that well next time someone calls me on something directly or indirectly.
(For all I know, the author of the original fic entirely agrees with the remixer's version. They could have written the original fic as a parody, or they could have evolved in their understanding about racist stereotypes since then.)
But critical remixes don't always turn out so well. There's an open AU shared 'verse calledclan_mitchell, an SG-1 'verse. I'm not very interested in SG-1, so I haven't read it. From what I've gleaned it's about building a power community, where smart, ambitious and driven characters use their connections to get ahead and do good.
That happens to be one of my favorite tropes. It's one of the reasons I love Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books, and many borderline Gary Stu "Harry Potter is sorted into Slytherin" fics, and certain "Atlantis becomes independent from Earth and starts a Pegasus brain-drain" fics.
But even I, as much as I love and adore the power community building thing, can see that a community which gets its power by its members working together and supporting each other will tend to have community interest vs. individual interest conflicts. Where do you draw the line between encouraging and helping a community member be all she can be and achieve her ambitions and pacing her or putting emotional or social pressure on her to have higher or better ambitions?
So, long story short, one of the original writers of the shared AU 'verse encourages fans to write and fulfill prompts for fics taking place in the shared 'verse. One person wishes for a fic dealing with individual vs. community conflict, two people fill it. One of the fills is a look at group dynamics, about individuals feeling pressured to change their personal ambitions to keep them in line with the community's ambitions on their behalf. Untitled Clan Mitchell group pressure fic. ETA: Cap of the discussion, I don't have one of the comment fic itself. Another ETA: This cap has the fic, but not all the comments.
Not having read any of the other fics in the shared 'verse I can't agree or disagree with the critique the fic levels, but I can say that I think the way it is told (by a semi-outsider, while drunk) works for me, and that it seems completely reasonable and the same sort of thing I've often thought about my most favorite power community fics. It is rather heavy-handed and uses tell not show, but for a comment fic challenge piece written to fulfill a specific prompt it's fine.
The reason I say it did not turn out well is the way the original authors respond (see linked thread). I'm having Anne Rice/Diana Gabaldon second hand embarrassment squick, but at the same time it's sort of hilariously awful.
Fellow fan writers: Remixes are wonderful, and having a remix written for one of your fics can be the best, most detailed, most flattering kind of reader interaction ever. But you do not control the way a reader reads your fic with your telepathic mindbeam. You can not control the way a reader reads your fic no matter how carefully chosen your words. No matter how much a reader loves your fic and agrees with its entire premise, you can not stop the reader from living in the world, and therefore seeing your fic in a context.
If you write a fic about family, even if a reader agrees entirely that the family in your fic is perfect, the reader can still be reminded of imperfect families in real life and in other fiction, and choose to explore the concept of "family" through the lens of your fiction, or your fiction through the lens of their concept of "family".
The unwritten rules of fanfic fandom mostly protect you from unauthorized remixes. Don't invite other people to write in your 'verse or to remix your fic if you don't want them to. If you do invite them, and they do write something which challenges your work, a good idea would be to either say nothing, or to be generous and gracious like the remixed author I mentioned above was.
ETA after I saw this entry had been metafandomed: When I talk about what fan authors "should" do, what I mean is that this is the sort of behavior I personally aspire to have, and which I admire in others. I don't think anyone who doesn't do what I say fans "should" is doing fandom wrong or are bad people.
I'd be glad to know what you think fandom norms are (if there even is anything like a consensus in your corner of fandom), but I'm not particularly interested in explaining or defending my own ideals, because they're only relevant for my own behavior.
But there are unwritten rules about what's okay and what's not okay to do. Personally I would feel comfortable writing a trope I had seen in at least three other fics, but I would hesitate to write an unauthorized remix or to use an OC or other unique invention by a single fan author who didn't give blanket permission, because it would invite wank.
That's why I think it's so wonderful that many authors do give blanket permission for transformative works based on their fic, and so many authors join remix challenges. It's fascinating to me to see a much more direct dialogue between two authors/works, rather than the usual diffuse filtering through fandom.
I was originally planning to write about some particularly interesting examples of remixing for
the_comfy_chair, but I don't have the energy for it and I'm concerned that I wouldn't be able to find a non-wanky, fic-focused angle on it. So I'm putting this here instead.My favorite remix in this year's remix redux challenge is Motives (Hold the Lantern High Remix by
The original fic is a character exploration piece which examines the relationship between Teyla and John. It seems to have been written rather early in the show, and it re-transmits the problematical treatment the show gives the Teyla character. Now, I don't know the author or the author's motives for writing the fic, or for writing the fic in this particular way. For whatever reason, the fic comes across to me as concentrated ooginess, and if it is meant to highlight the problematical aspects to call attention to them in a satirical way, it fails in that.
The remix challenges the original in several ways. It punctures John as the personification of the White Man and Teyla as the personification of the Noble Savage by giving John more personal connections, with Teyla being an important person in his life similar to the other important people in his life.
It moves the focus to John and admits to the focus being on John, where the original seemed to say it was about Teyla, but had its focus on John anyway.
And most explicitly, it has this -
"I don't think she likes it when you refer to her that way, Rodney." John drags himself into a more-or-less upright position. "Aside from the Earth-centric cultural reference, it's disrespectful and reduces her to a sexualized stereotype."- as well as many other interesting and cool things to say.
I think it's awesome how readable and charming the remix is as a fic on its own, and how it comments so intelligently on the original fic. It would probably have been easier to just write a mean and exaggerated parody of the original, rather than leading by example.
I was pleased to see the gracious comment the author of the original fic left. The original author points out and praises many details in the remix, thanks the remixer politely and warmly, and neatly avoids any mention of the anti-racist and feminist content. No complaining, no accusations, no defensiveness: I have a lot of respect for that, and wish that I will be able to handle myself that well next time someone calls me on something directly or indirectly.
(For all I know, the author of the original fic entirely agrees with the remixer's version. They could have written the original fic as a parody, or they could have evolved in their understanding about racist stereotypes since then.)
But critical remixes don't always turn out so well. There's an open AU shared 'verse called
clan_mitchell, an SG-1 'verse. I'm not very interested in SG-1, so I haven't read it. From what I've gleaned it's about building a power community, where smart, ambitious and driven characters use their connections to get ahead and do good. That happens to be one of my favorite tropes. It's one of the reasons I love Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books, and many borderline Gary Stu "Harry Potter is sorted into Slytherin" fics, and certain "Atlantis becomes independent from Earth and starts a Pegasus brain-drain" fics.
But even I, as much as I love and adore the power community building thing, can see that a community which gets its power by its members working together and supporting each other will tend to have community interest vs. individual interest conflicts. Where do you draw the line between encouraging and helping a community member be all she can be and achieve her ambitions and pacing her or putting emotional or social pressure on her to have higher or better ambitions?
So, long story short, one of the original writers of the shared AU 'verse encourages fans to write and fulfill prompts for fics taking place in the shared 'verse. One person wishes for a fic dealing with individual vs. community conflict, two people fill it. One of the fills is a look at group dynamics, about individuals feeling pressured to change their personal ambitions to keep them in line with the community's ambitions on their behalf. Untitled Clan Mitchell group pressure fic. ETA: Cap of the discussion, I don't have one of the comment fic itself. Another ETA: This cap has the fic, but not all the comments.
Not having read any of the other fics in the shared 'verse I can't agree or disagree with the critique the fic levels, but I can say that I think the way it is told (by a semi-outsider, while drunk) works for me, and that it seems completely reasonable and the same sort of thing I've often thought about my most favorite power community fics. It is rather heavy-handed and uses tell not show, but for a comment fic challenge piece written to fulfill a specific prompt it's fine.
The reason I say it did not turn out well is the way the original authors respond (see linked thread). I'm having Anne Rice/Diana Gabaldon second hand embarrassment squick, but at the same time it's sort of hilariously awful.
Fellow fan writers: Remixes are wonderful, and having a remix written for one of your fics can be the best, most detailed, most flattering kind of reader interaction ever. But you do not control the way a reader reads your fic with your telepathic mindbeam. You can not control the way a reader reads your fic no matter how carefully chosen your words. No matter how much a reader loves your fic and agrees with its entire premise, you can not stop the reader from living in the world, and therefore seeing your fic in a context.
If you write a fic about family, even if a reader agrees entirely that the family in your fic is perfect, the reader can still be reminded of imperfect families in real life and in other fiction, and choose to explore the concept of "family" through the lens of your fiction, or your fiction through the lens of their concept of "family".
The unwritten rules of fanfic fandom mostly protect you from unauthorized remixes. Don't invite other people to write in your 'verse or to remix your fic if you don't want them to. If you do invite them, and they do write something which challenges your work, a good idea would be to either say nothing, or to be generous and gracious like the remixed author I mentioned above was.
ETA after I saw this entry had been metafandomed: When I talk about what fan authors "should" do, what I mean is that this is the sort of behavior I personally aspire to have, and which I admire in others. I don't think anyone who doesn't do what I say fans "should" is doing fandom wrong or are bad people.
I'd be glad to know what you think fandom norms are (if there even is anything like a consensus in your corner of fandom), but I'm not particularly interested in explaining or defending my own ideals, because they're only relevant for my own behavior.