The first rule of fanfiction is to not publish it.
Let me start by saying that I love fanfiction. I’ve been reading it since way back in the days of listservs when I was in my first online fandom, Homicide: Life on the Street. I’ve also written fanfic over the years in various fandoms from Queer as Folk to Veronica Mars to As the World Turns. Writing fanfic for me is akin to picking up a guitar and noodling around with a popular song. It’s fun to have a Beatles jam session around the campfire while making s’mores. It’s relaxing, not for profit, and all in the spirit of deep love for the source material. No harm, no foul. (Did I mention it’s not for profit?)
So I was rather taken aback recently to read about the stunning popularity of the book 50 Shades of Grey since this book and its sequels were originally published online as Edward/Bella Twilight fanfic. The author then scraped off the serial numbers by changing the names and a few identifiying details, and had it published by a vanity press.
And now it’s been picked up by Random House for seven figures.
Yep. Seven figures for Twilight fanfic.
What shocks me the most is the lack of outcry over this, which I think stems from the fact that most people in the general public have no idea what fanfic is. Two of the books have made the New York Times bestseller list, which is garnering the author lots of mainstream media attention. The media call it a grown-up Twilight and sometimes mention that the author honed her skill writing Twi fanfic — but usually don’t acknowledge that 50 Shades of Grey itself was fanfic. (Also, E.L. James isn’t the only one who’s done a find and replace on names and published her fanfic. She’s just the most successful at it so far.)
I read one and a half books in the Twilight series before giving up. I know they are beloved by millions, but they were not my cup of tea, to say the least. (The popularity of that series just baffles me, frankly, but that’s a subject for another day.) Judging by excerpts, I don’t think 50 Shades of Grey is my cuppa either, which would make sense since it’s AU Edward/Bella fic with a find and replace on the names and different physical descriptions of the characters.
Stephenie Meyer’s books are her property and not in the public domain. No one should be writing about her characters and making a profit from it. Sure, every really popular book, movie or TV show will spawn knock-offs and use common tropes, but it’s not the same as publishing fanfic with the names changed. It’s not.
I would never say that fanfic writers aren’t real writers. They are, and some of them are damn good. But to take a piece of fanfic and then publish it for profit with different names and minor details is just wrong. I can’t imagine taking any of the fanfic I’ve written over the years and publishing it as original fiction. I find it unethical and, well, tacky. Fanfic has its place — and it’s not on the NYT bestseller list with different character names.
What about you? I’d really love to know people’s opinions on this. These books are clearly striking a chord in many readers. Why are they so popular? Does the fact that they were originally published as fanfiction matter?
Until this post, I didn’t realised the book was already published online as a fanfic. I thought she’d just began writing it as fanfic, and then in the writing process decided to use original characters instead.
I agree with everything you say, basically. And Twilight is a load of twaddle.
Nope, it was published in its entirety on ff.net. Apparently since it was so popular she figured she might as well change the names and make people pay for it. It goes against the spirit of fanfic in every way.
And yes, “twaddle” describes Twilight very accurately!
I have to say, I would re-use a CONCEPT from a fic in original lit, or maybe a certain description, eg.
“I had a lot of fun writing that roadtrip AU. I might write an original story also about a roadtrip.”
Or: “I really like the way I described that particular setting. Maybe it would be useful here.”
But not replacing character names and suddenly having an original story.
I just think it’s lazy, pure and simple. I know nothing about the writing and I’m sure that she was able to devise some kind of separate identity for them based in this universe that she created. But, they’re still not her characters. She didn’t create them (as horrible as I think Bella and Edward are, they’re still not her property), she didn’t develop their personalities, she didn’t create what makes them uniquely those characters. She doesn’t admit to it being fanfic, right? And now she’s making a bundle off of it. I think it’s wrong and unethical and completely agree with you.
And I’m sure that there are dozens of fanfic writers who try to devise the same system but I guess it’s all about the timing.
as horrible as I think Bella and Edward are, they’re still not her property
Exactly. Isn’t it bad enough that the originals are on the NYT bestseller list? Heh.
Since the fic was so popular, she can’t deny that it was fanfic, but claims that she changed it significantly before publication. People who have read both say that simply isn’t true. Judging by comments made by James recorded in this post:
http://gentleblaze.livejournal.com/514.html
She could not give a flying fig about Twi fandom and is laughing all the way to the bank. This whole thing really betrays the spirit of fanfiction, IMO. And yeah, she got lucky with the timing and that simpering females like Bella Swan are inexplicably popular right now.
Being in the QAF fandom and seeing authors in the fandom take their stories, change the names and publish the stories, has always bothered me. Not only do those writers take stories away from the fandom, but they use characters they didn’t create as a base for their end product and I don’t think that it’s fair to other writers that hone and craft their characters from scratch.
I also feel that those writers have the advantage of many viewers and many comments that help them craft the story even further. How often does a writer outside of the world of fandom get 100 comments about a chapter and have the ability to go back and edit chapters based on potential buyer comments?
Many people might argue that they wrote the story and should be able to do with it as they please, but the stories aren’t theirs 100%, and I don’t know how they would feel comfortable profiting from characters they didn’t create. A name change isn’t creating a character to me.
I think the real sadness for me over this is when an author decides to take away all her/his stories from the fandom, because they decided they can make a buck by doing a find and replace job on a story and selling it. Considering how many new people find fandom every day, they are missing some great stories when an author does this.
Not only do those writers take stories away from the fandom, but they use characters they didn’t create as a base for their end product and I don’t think that it’s fair to other writers that hone and craft their characters from scratch.
I totally agree. First off, the notion of removing one’s fanfic from the internet already raises my hackles. Once you put it out there, it’s done. It’s been published, for better or worse. You cannot rescind it or try to stop new people from reading it. That is bullshit. I would never, ever do that. Whether it’s to publish the fic with different names or just because you don’t want it read, too bad. It’s too late.
Second, it really is unethical to use someone else’s characters. Yes, there are common tropes. But it’s not the same thing. As you said, a name change is not creating a character. (At least not a fleshed out character!)
To me, the spirit of fanfic is in sharing. It’s sharing a common love and obsession with other fans. It’s about generosity. Writers who yank their fanfic to change the names and make a buck betray that.
Thanks for commenting, Heidi!
For me, the problem is that too many issues are being conflated during the discussion of this book:
A) That women are *gasp* reading erotica, and thus it’s “Mommy porn.”
B) That it’s fan fiction with the serial numbers filed off.
C) Whether or not it’s a poor depiction of BDSM.
D) Whether it’s poorly written or edited.
These things are all valid for discussion separately, but when you pull them in together, it’s a hot mess of cross-blaming and finger-pointing and pearl-clutching that gets nowhere, and some things — like the validity of re-purposing fic — get lost in the shuffle.
This is an interesting comment! I see your point! I’m curious about your thoughts on the validity of repurposing fic. Personally, I’m not sure how I feel about it. There are some fics I’ve written that are very AU to begin with, and I admit I’ve considered that I could change the names and some details and publish those stories. (I’m thinking of one in particular.) But in the end I decided that what was conceived and originally written as fanfiction should remain fanfiction, and that there are plenty of stories in my brain to write and sell separately. But I’m not sure how I feel about telling other fanfic writers (especially of very AU pieces) that they can not repurpose their fic. So, I’m curious about other opinions.
I’m wary of telling other writers what to do as well, but there’s a deep sense of “wrong” for me, personally, in just swapping out names and putting something out there as original. Because, for the most part, we write fanfic for love, for practice, for the community that is fandom. And I feel like when you file off the serial numbers and change the names, the only added benefit is that of profit…which has been ingrained in us (at least older fen who’ve been in the community for more than 10-15 years) as a big no-no. Not to mention the fact that it’s profit made because of the fanbase you incurred while writing the story in its original form.
So, to ME, that’s rather hinky. It makes the back of my neck itch. But I’m not Stephenie Meyer’s lawyers, I’m not Vintage, and it’s not my call to make for E.L. James or anybody else.
It makes me feel hinky, too, but I am currently unconvinced that it is *unethical* or always *wrong*. I’m open to having that opinion changed. And, for the record, I have no intention of doing it with any of my fanfiction.
I don’t think I actually could do it with my fan fiction, because it’s all rooted in the canonical portrayals of the characters. Even when it’s AU, the whole point, for me, is to be writing about Buffy or Neal Caffrey or whoever. And my goal for my original fiction is to be, as it says on the tin, original.
Yes! I personally don’t read or write AU fanfic because I’m all about canon. Or else I’d just write original fiction, which I do. For me, fanfic is all about the source material and my love for it. And for the fandom community, as you mentioned above. Judging by some of her comments, James has very little regard for that community and what they did for her. She exploited them and is laughing all the way to the bank.
Chiming in to defend AUs, which I adore. For me, fic is all about characterization. Definitely, there are some crappy AUs out there where the characters share names and nothing more (and I have no interest in reading those). But I don’t think it’s fair to paint all AUs with that brush, especially since similar complaints can be made for canon-based stories. In fact, IMO, all fanfic is AU – or perhaps it’s more accurate to say there’s no such thing as a fic that’s perfectly canon-compliant. Or at least, not a well-written one. I don’t want to read something that’s basically a transcript of a scene. Any fic is about taking characters from a source material and putting them in new situations and exploring how they’d interact and react to said situations. Those new situations vary in how close or different they are from the source material – personally I prefer ones that are closer but tastes vary. A good AU writer will or should put as much care into characterization and plot (and perhaps even more, in some situations) as a non-AU writer. In the end, it all comes down to good writing and love for and knowledge of the source material, as with any fanfic genre. That said, I apply the same philosophy to AUs regarding the topic of this blog. I’ve written several in various fandoms, and I still wouldn’t feel comfortable changing those into publishable fic. They were inspired by the source material and written to share with the fandom!
Oh, I didn’t intend to impugn AUs at all. I just personally have no interest in them. Never have. I’ve tried reading them in various fandoms and they just don’t hook me with few exceptions. Fanfic that interests me as a reader and writer hews very close to canon. Obviously not slavishly – Reid not getting hit by a train, for example. But to me Reid not dying doesn’t make a fic an AU.
To me, an AU is where the characters are transplanted to truly different universe. Say, Luke and Reid are private detectives. That doesn’t interest me, no matter how well written and characterized — and I have no doubt many AUs are wonderful. Many people love them and that’s totally cool! Just not my bag for whatever reason.
Heh. Wish I could edit comments…I wanted to add that I agree with you that I don’t feel qualified to make the choice for other people on this front. I have made the choice for myself, but haven’t been convinced yet that it should be ‘my way or the highway’ for everyone.
You need proof? Seriously? This thing is so way-over-the top bad that it has to be a parody of fdibac. Even the writer doesn’t take herself seriously. That should be a clue. Most genuine fdibac has a few things wrong with it this, I think, breaks every fic rule ever, and does it spectacularly bad which makes it awesome.
Yes, I totally agree with you that there are many issues to be explored here and it’s rather a clusterfuck. I was going to mention that the depiction of BDSM in these books sounds quite problematic, but that’s a whole other kettle of fish.
The “mommy porn” thing is so…gah. Reductive of women, for starters. Because mommies don’t like real porn, don’t you know! The whole thing is annoying from top to bottom.
The “mommy porn” thing is so dismissive and derogatory, and completely discounts that the modern romance and erotic romance genre has been thriving and encouraging women’s sexuality since the ’70s. I mean, think of all the rape-y heroes from the 1970s and early ’80s. All the controlling Alpha assholes and virginal ingenues. 50 Shades didn’t invent those tropes; they’ve always been there. Just because James’ book bucked the clinch cover trend and is also available in e-Book and, thus, made it “easier” for UES moms to indulge in their “secret shame,” doesn’t mean it’s revolutionary.
That’s what bugs me the most about the discussion of the topic: that this one book is, somehow, reinventing the wheel and awakening libidos across the country. And that it’s somehow shameful or a dirty secret. Wrong, wrong and wrong again!
*nods nods nods*
I hate that this book is being hailed as revolutionary in any way, shape or form.
Love this comment!
cotyttia. The sad thing is, while this might’ be a troll, I’ve seen fanfics just as bad that deeinitfly aren’t. I think I’ve lost some IQ points while reading some of them .But at the same time, I smile in knowing I’m a better writer than half the people on FF.net. So out of bad fanfics, some good can appear for the rest of us.
I once read one about HP which I found pretty good, or at least ttnereaining. Then, Kingsley and Draco Malfoy were making out. (To this day, I have no idea why this was even written in there. As far as I could tell, it was completely random, with little to no relevancy to the story whatsoever).
What? WHAT? I mean, yes. Basically, there’s no such thing as an original idea. Lord knows there’s a shit-ton of books/series out there now that are “loosely inspired by” Harry Potter or Twilight or any other popular/successful precursors. But, as you say, it’s NOT the same thing. It’s not the same thing at all. Obviously, I’m all for fanfic, but I also think it’s imperative for fanfic writers to respect the thing they obviously had so much love for, respect the intellectual property and financial rights of the person/people involved in its creation and distribution, respect the other members of their fandom by not reflecting badly on them, etc. I personally hate how the walls between fandom and the things or people upon which fandom is based are falling down so much. At best, it just leads to a lot of secondhand embarrassment. At worst, you get…things like this.
*nods* I love fanfic – where it belongs, in fandom!
Jezebel dot com article on it with excerpts .
Well, I agree and disagree. I don’t think publishing fanfic w/ a search and replace of the names is appropriate. But I think taking the idea of a fanfic and creating it again with real and inspired characters is okay.
This is a journal I follow on LJ, and she talks about some of these issues. It’s an old post, and now she says “origifying” a fic is usually not worth it, because making it publishable is harder than just writing a new one.
Storm Grant’s guide to origifying Slash fic
I admit that I origified a fic I wrote and I don’t believe it’s a fanfic at this point. I wrote new backstories and character bios, but the plot was quite similar, something that was very special to me and that I wanted it to live on in a way that it couldn’t in fanfic (because of the limitations in the fandom—the way readers saw the characters and insisted on their protrayal). Don’t know if I’ll ever manage to get it published, for a couple reasons, but the process was good for me.
I think taking the idea of a fanfic and creating it again with real and inspired characters is okay.
Oh yeah, that’s fine. The idea is yours, and the real characters are yours. I don’t see a problem with that.
Also, I don’t really like AU fanfic at all. It’s a real turnoff. Of course I see my fanfic main characters as having canonical sex urges that *perhaps* are…well…let’s just call them subtext and be done with it. Ahem.
I think the term “AU” gets used too broadly. Having characters who aren’t together in canon get together in a fic doesn’t make it AU, IMO. It’s when Brian and Justin from QAF are Irish lords in the 1800s, or private detectives in San Francisco. Or Veronica and Logan are solving mysteries on a plantation in the old south at the turn of the century. (Er, turn of the 20th century, that is.) A truly alternate universe.
Loved your post…I’m on my soapbox about this issue too. I study fanfic and read fanfic. It should be a labor of love, not a lust for profit. Selling fanfic, even thinly veiled fanfic like ’50 Shades’ is unethical and (in my opinion at least) ‘pseudo-plagiarism’. The fact that James got such a huge deal with Vintage essentially opens the entire ‘genre’ up to more criticism that it usually gets by those who aren’t familiar with fanfic or fanfic communities.
And for James (and Vintage) to claim that it is a ‘wholly original’ work that is substantially different from James’ fanfic (Masters of the Universe) when according to Turnitin.com the two share an 89% similarity is HORRIFYING.
It is all about the money for them both.
Yes, we are totally on the same page! And now there’s a movie deal with Universal. It’s appalling on so many levels. And wow, 89%! That says it all. Neither James nor Vintage have any shame.
Thanks for commenting!
I wholeheartedly agree. I love well-written fan fics. I wrote many myself and some were extremely popular with people in and outside the fandome urging me to get it published. I was appalled. I was: NO WAY! I write fanfic for a love of the characters/story but I’m extremely aware that what I’m writing about is not my creation. I love to explore and do my own thing with it but it ends with sharing it in the fandom. The credit is to the author who created the original characters, not to me.
Someone who wrote in the same fandom as me, did go and get her fan fic self-published. I was dead against it, even self-publishing. You can order her book from Amazone too but many readers were disappointed when, after they had ordered it, they found out it was fan fiction.
I don’t like spin-offs of classics either (Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind). To me it’s also fan fic and I don’t read it either. I’m like: who are you to think that you would know how the original author would have envisioned the story to continue (or begin, some are like prologues) and who are you to think you have the right to that voice.
Enough said. I’m off my soap box.
Climb up on your soap box here anytime! We’re in total agreement. The spin-offs of stories in the public domain are at least not as unethical since the authors are long dead. But I still don’t like the idea. Fanfic is fanfic, and it belongs in fandom for free, for the love of the source material and in the spirit of sharing. At least that’s how I see it.
Thanks for commenting!
I’m not qualified to answer your main question, because I need to know how similar the characters are to the two main characters in “Fifty Shades”. Did James capture the essence of who Bella and Edward are and place them in her Anastasia and Christian? If so, then I think it’s a shame and agree that it’s unethical to do a name swap and get it published. If Anastasia and Christian have no real connection to who Meyer’s characters are, then so be it. I didn’t read the Twilight series and, as mentioned below, I only managed a few pages of the first “Fifty Shades”.
I will say this: I’m indignant at how popular the “Fifty Shades” series appears to be! I’ve read a bit of it, and could not manage to contain my laughter at the immature writing quality and the lack of eroticism in the only sex scene I read. I wish all those ladies who are squealing with delight knew what great erotica is! I treasure my wildly erotic novels, and always feel honoured to read great unpublished original works, and delightful and true fanfiction! To me, Ms. James has given a bad name to the genre. And, because I have friends who are subs, I’m very dismayed that she, as she said in her 20/20 interview, watched a few things about BDSM (on the internet, I think) and then wrote about it. Badly written stories about BDSM can cause a great disservice to those wanting to learn more or who are born to it when they face judgment by others who know nothing!
I am indignant for the fanfic writers who write for the love of the fandom and share with others, and indignant for all the talented writers that don’t get a shot at fame and fortune!
I join in your indignation on all counts! At least if the book was good, that would be something. But I’ve read many excerpts and it’s mediocre at best. Yet through luck — and exploiting fandom — she managed to strike it rich. Ugh.
Thanks for commenting, Robin!
I don’t really agree. I’d say it depends.
It really depends on a lot of things, e.g. whether the characters are all taken from the fandom or a disproportionate amount are original (in which case I wouldn’t see things as negatively). Whether there’s indeed such a much-touted fanbase of said fanfiction which has helped the author or maybe we’re talking some minor, 40 years old TV show practically no one watches anymore and people have long since moved on from. In which case I’d say more power to you for finding an appreciative audience at last! There’s also the very real difference between a written fandom (like Twilight) or a TV or movie fandom which is a collaborative effort from the original screenwriters way to go to the actors–with lots of contributors in between. At gut-level the latter is more a case of “public domain” than the work of a single person.
A lot of writers wrote fanfiction, hey, Shakespeare did! And he no doubt never even wondered how ethical or not the whole concept is. He was notoriously plagiarised, even at his time. Bram Stoker wrote fanfiction and created “Dracula”, the list is quite endless. Current strict copyright laws are a very, very recent invention.
Do I think “Fifty Shades of Grey” was wrongfully published as an original work? Yes, but not just because it was fanfiction. See above and you probably find my reasoning for that verdict. Do I think every fanfiction has to stay fanfiction? Definitely not.
It’s definitely a complicated issue. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anne!
Urgh this is so true. I never read 50 Shades of Grey because well, definitely not my cup of tea (*cough* het *cough*), but when I heard that it was an Edward/Bella fanfic with name changes, I wanted to face-desk. I mean, it is one thing for a story to begin with a fanfiction basis, but it is another to just change the names after. A popular Glee fanfic called Dalton is super well known, and the author CP Coulter is working on making it into a book. However, the difference is that her fic only really has two Glee characters playing a role, and her original characters have kind of taken over the story. So she is planning on removing the two Glee characters and writing the book with all her original characters that came about through first writing about Glee. That is something I think is completely fine. It’s an awesome idea because really the entire story is hers. She doesn’t plan on including the characters from the show in her book at all. But something like 50 Shades of Grey which really is just profiting off of someone else’s characters, I compltely agree. It’s unethical.
That’s interesting about the Glee fic! And yeah, I have no problem with that.
The cherry on the 50 Shades sundae is that E.L. James is now trying to stop a woman from throwing themed parties about her book.
EL James’ agent Valerie Hoskins said the legal letter was not personal, adding: “You can’t just hijack something someone else owns.”
Not enough headdesk in the world!
Thanks for commenting.
Oh the irony…
Seriously, I want Stephenie Meyer to just sue her. It’s ridiculous. I’m not even a Twilight fan!
Haha no problem!
Lol I actually looked up your writing because I always read your ATWT fanfics on livejournal~
Aw, that’s nice to hear! Hope you enjoy my books as well.
Okay, I’m late to the party here going through some of your back posts.
What I don’t get is how an author can possibly just change the names, etc, to begin with.
As I’ve mentioned in interviews here and there, the characters from my Impulse trilogy are based upon original characters a friend and I created for an RP. If you would like to think of it in those terms, Impulse is a modern AU “fanfic” of the RP (though the characters were always original creations, they’re not characters from any one else’s canon.)
But here’s the thing: the moment I took those characters out of the RP context and put them in the modern AU context, they changed. Once the world was different, the conflicts had to be different because the context didn’t allow for the same sort of conflicts in the original RP. And once the conflicts were different, the characters evolved in ways that make them very unlike the RP characters they started out as. Oh, some of the essentials were the same, but not enough to call them the same characters. They’re now different characters who share a few of the same traits, maybe even the same archetype.
I don’t see how other authors wouldn’t experience the same thing. Characters have — or should have, if you’re doing your job as an author properly — a life of their own, a will of their own. The way you know you’ve created a character who is fully actualized and dynamic is for that character to decide out of nowhere that s/he wants to do something other than what you had planned. If all you’re doing is plugging new names in for people and places without getting into the text enough to allow those characters to react differently and dynamically to those people/places in the new context if they need to do so, you’re not really writing at all, as far as I’m concerned. I guess I don’t see how anyone could do that.
It would be impossible for me to file the serial numbers off one of my fanfics and publish it. Even if I TRIED, I would end up with a completely different story. Hell, one time I took on a project to re-write one of my fanfics with the intention of just cleaning it up in places where it was a little messy or questionable and improve the quality of the writing, and what I ended up with was a new novel that was almost twice as long and had only used about 5-10% of the text from the original story. It was a totally different piece, because the moment I changed a few details to improve the story, the characters and their conflicts went in a completely new direction.
This is not to say that I won’t some day repurpose a bit of text and/or a premise from a fanfic. If I write a descriptive passage I’m particularly proud of and want that prose to see the light of day, I might rework it and put it in a new story. Or if I have a story premise that I really enjoyed exploring, I might use it as the conceptual framework for a new story. But a direct conversion? It would be impossible for me, and I truly boggle that anyone else would find it possible for themselves.
Agree! People who’ve read both the fanfic and 50 Shades say they’re nearly identical. I suppose it could be argued that when she took Edward and Bella into an AU setting they became different characters. But I just…I don’t know. The whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I admit partly because the writing is so poor and I wish one of the amazing fic authors out there had hit the jackpot instead of a hack.
Oh, absolutely! I don’t see an issue with that at all.
What if the author has given you express permission to write and self-publish the fanfic? This author is notorious for being free and open with his fans and encouraging them to write stories taking place in his universe.
http://hughhowey.com/forums/showthread.php?628-Fanfiction
http://www.amazon.com/Shear-Terror-Wool-Fanfiction-ebook/dp/B008N8Z2WW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358031397&sr=8-1&keywords=shear+terror
Hmm, interesting! If the author has no problem with others profiting from his or her creation/characters/universe, then that’s fine by me. I can’t imagine that scenario would arise too often, but who knows? Times are certainly changing. I realize I’m old-fashioned in regards to certain aspects of fandom, especially when it comes to fanfic, which was often frowned upon.
It’s been very interesting to hear other opinions on the issue. Thanks for commenting, WJ! I see you’re fellow Torontonian. Nice to meet you!
ETA: When I say fanfic was frowned upon, I mean by the creators of shows and books — the powers that be. I adore fanfic.
Ok, wow. I was speechless when I checked Howey’s website on Saturday morning (like I do every morning). You have to give this a read, totally relevant to this conversation! Plus he mentions MY BOOK!
http://www.hughhowey.com/a-new-wool-book-and-it-isnt-mine/
What an incredible honour. Some interesting discussion going on in the post’s comments too.
One thing is for sure: Time’s are changing.
http://www.amazon.com/WJ-Davies/e/B00B2YDGS6
Wow, congrats! Times are certainly changing, that’s for sure. This is fascinating.
A really good post may I say
Yeah I was surprised people really liked aka most of the older generation but it just goes to show you now that a bad fanfic can be a bestseller which is weird. Maybe I should try it out…
I picked up at work on my lunch break to check the writing style and wow, her 1st person perspective is terrible >_< Never read Twilight or 50 Shades and never will! By the way, I wrote a post about my own fiction pet peeves on my blog so I hope you will read and comment with your own! http://nynyonlinex.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/fiction-pet-peeves/
Thanks! Yeah, I admit that part of my DNW reaction was the awfulness of James’s prose!