Comments on: Batman Meets Rainbow Brite: the beauty and horror of internet fan fiction

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:00:54 +0000

Alan, I think you’re absolutely right. Already-existing universes create a natural set of creative boundaries within which to play, and as you note, restrictions can be crucial in focusing one’s artistic energy. (Think of what happens to software projects that lack clearly-defined borders–they get bogged down by feature creep and exponentially rising design goals.)

By: alan

alan — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 20:23:44 +0000

Andy, I wonder if the fanfic phenom might be attributed at least in part to the paradox of constraints.
If you grab the average person on the street and ask them if artists create their best works when hidebound by a bunch of rules about what they can and can’t do, I think they’d say, “Of course not! Let them be free to create.” Yet in practice, the opposite seems to be true: a few healthy rules or constraints take all that creative energy and focus it into a very small space. A lack of *any* constaints can bring on the paralysis you’ve described, while a few healthy constraints can unleash tremendous creativity.
I hesitate to mention the Sistine Chapel in followup to an article about the Transformers, but take a look at the constraints involved. Michelangelo had some serious constraints with respect to where he had to create, what tools he could use, and you’d better believe about the subject matter. Yet look at the creative tour de force that emerged. Could that same image exist somewhere else besides the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Maybe, but I kinda doubt it.
Constraints help bring a tiny bit of order and direction to the chaos of a completely blank page. They nudge us in the right direction and get the juices flowing. They protect us from having to invent ex nihilo and instead provide a few hints for where to start noodling around.
That people write fan fiction in particular is just an expression of the impact someone else’s work has had on them. They feel a need to respond, and the constraints of the pre-created world give them a safe and familiar sandbox in which to do so.
Or maybe this idea of constraints is all cr*p. I’ve seen the titles of some of the more edgy fan fiction, and that was enough to make me cry out for the soul of humanity. That comes from a different place than that’s not so safe, but definitely, uh, creative.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:02:20 +0000

Morgan: please don’t feel obliged to actually try reading fan fiction. Most of it’s really awful. Just appreciate… somewhat… the effort behind it. Rolling just one eye sounds fair.
Paul: I don’t know, but I have been playing around a bit with that story. I’ll share when it’s in better shape than it is currently. Thanks for the interest!

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:53:31 +0000

All this being said, when are we going to see some more on, “The Case of the Overdue Book?”

By: Morgan

Morgan — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 09:30:06 +0000

Well up until now every time I’ve heard fan fiction mentioned, I’ve always rolled my eyes, but you’ve at least made it so I only roll one eye now. Maybe I’ll give some of it a shot. Maybe.