Explaining FanFic to Mundanes

So, I'm being interviewed by Kelly Kirch about various things and she asked me about my favorite fan response to my writing.  I answered: fanfic (and fanart, but, as you can imagine, to another writer -- especially one outside of our genre, fanfic was the more startling response.)  Fanfic has been on my mind a lot lately because

xochiquetzl told me about Yuletide, and to say I'm tempted would be an understatement.  Luckily, I have a deadline breathing down my neck or I could get lost in that sort of stuff for all eternity.  (Xochi, you are PURE EVIL, woman.  Pure Evil!)

Anyway back to my point, if I had one... Kelly's follow-up question made me think and I thought I'd continue to ruminate about it over here.  She asked:  "I’ve heard a lot of buzz about fanfic lately. Some authors find it frustrating to have their characters commandeered and rendered differently. It sounds like you find in complimentary. Would you feel the same way if Tate’s characters generated a fanfic type base even though you are currently writing the DEAD SEXY heroine?"

I told her I wouldn't feel any differently, but I could understand her concern.  My sense is she's worried that what other people write about my characters would change the way I write them (and she thinks that's a bad thing.)  Thing is, I'm not writing in a vacuum.  Everything I publish is open to public scrutiny and comment.  This is true whether or not someone fics my characters or my world or NOT.  I gave the example of Amazon.com.  I read my reviews.  Someone wrote a rather angry post about Tall, Dark & Dead in which she accused the book of being anti-Catholic.  I thought she had a point, actually, and in my next novel I tried to address it.  People are always expressing their opinions about Garnet and Sebastian, and I can't help but take note, even if I think they're off their rocker.  

And it changes the way I write them.

I've been especially baffled by the numerous comments about Garnet's supposed lack of moral fiber.  I have *no* idea what makes these readers (and its been more than one) say that about her character.  I think of Garnet as highly moral, though she's been put in compromising situations that have caused her to act unlawfully.  Everytime Garnet faces a moral situation in subsequent books a voice in the back of my head reminds me of those reader comments, and I write accordingly.  

Also, unlike a lot of writers, my writing process ALWAYS involves other people.  Not only does my partner get in on the ground floor of all my plots (and she has to suffer through endless discussions of blow-by-blow moments as I'm writing them,) but also my writers' group, Wyrdsmiths, tells me their opinions of my characters, plot, world, writing style, etc., every two weeks.  So I don't really understand how a person could write without being affected by other people's "messing" with their 'verse.  My "artistic vision" is constantly being *sullied* by my readers, both during and after the product.  Not to mention the fact that my editor gets to put in her two cents.

Plus, as I explained to Kelly, I should BE so lucky to have the volume of fans writing in my universe as, say, someone like J. K. Rowling or even Lois McMaster Bujold.  My sense is that literary fiction doesn't get the volume of fanfic that media does, anyway.  Or maybe its just me.  But, I've gone to conventions to BEG people to fic me.  I've always said it's the most flattering thing that can happen to a writer.  If someone loves my universe enogugh to want to keep playing, I say let them.  Are they going to "twist" my concept of my characters?  I can only HOPE.

 

P.S. The universe all thinks the same because The Mary Sue Litmus Test just showed up online (via Nina Kirki Hoffman).

I'm sooooo bad

 I just read some Bucky Barnes/Nick Fury (and it was actually not only really hot, but totally like reading Winter Soldier).  

I need to go work now.