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What's Wrong With HP Fans?
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furiosity's post regarding the number of Harry Potter fans who not only don't read gen fic, but claim to hate it. Lots of comments remarking on the scarcity of HP gen fic, something I've noticed in my own (mostly fruitless) search for readable, enjoyable HP gen fic. Which leads me to ask:
What the hell is wrong with you people?
No, really, what's wrong with HP fans? I've been in quite a few fandoms, and I've never had this much difficulty finding gen fic. While I am, as one person described, a "militant genner," I have quite a few slasher and shipper friends in my various fandoms, and I've spent time exploring sites and communities outside of my reading interests, so I think I have a pretty good picture of what's out there. In every case, be it Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate SG-1, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Real Ghostbusters, The Sentinel, Magnificent 7, Man from Uncle -- virtually any current fandom -- there is a large, active gen fiction community. I cracked open the program from last year's Media*West Con to check my perception against the list of last year's premiering zines: of about 100 new zines, approximately half were gen. Even Lord of the Rings, home of crazed RPS ficcers, had at least two gen zines last year.
One factor might be the lack of "old time" fans in HP fandom (this would neatly explain the lack of print zines as well). I can't say that I've examined this in any scientific way, but I get the impression from LJ the and few HP lists I've subscribed to that HP has a higher percentage of youger fans and people for whom this is their first fandom (compared to fandoms like Stargate or The Sentinel). I don't recognize a lot of the pen names I've encountered. Of course, this is a hard thing to gauge in a fandom that seems to be much more diffuse than other fandoms (a result of so much of the fandom being located in LJ?).
Others might argue that HP has an inordinatly large number of canon characters, several of whom are in canon relationships, or for whom JKR is dropping anvils, which leads to the relationship-heavy nature of HP fic. However, none of these canon relationships take up a great portion of canon; JKR doesn't spend pages delving into the Malfoys' marital angst or the Weasleys' after-hours action. Even the Ron/Hermione relationship takes up relatively little space, considering they're the two principle supporting characters. One can argue that some canon or near canon shipping is to be expected, but canon pairings don't account for the vast majority of ship and slash. What of the reams of fic written about "Draco turn[ing] into a godlike were-leopard by way of buttsex with Mrs. Norris" and other similarly remote, bizarre ship and slash fic? HP fans seem to delight in pairing characters that have never appeared in the same chapter, let alone exchanged three words. Most of the pairings in other fandoms seem to arise out of fans' perception of UST. Almost all of the HP pairings have no canon UST. Not a shadow. Not a shred. Not a scintilla. And few fans even bother to argue that they perceive any. So I don't think that can be it.
All I want issharks with laser beams a little decent gen. Character studies, missing scenes, alternate endings, meta commentaries, a little hurt/comfort. Throw me a frickin' bone, people.
furiosity's post regarding the number of Harry Potter fans who not only don't read gen fic, but claim to hate it. Lots of comments remarking on the scarcity of HP gen fic, something I've noticed in my own (mostly fruitless) search for readable, enjoyable HP gen fic. Which leads me to ask:No, really, what's wrong with HP fans? I've been in quite a few fandoms, and I've never had this much difficulty finding gen fic. While I am, as one person described, a "militant genner," I have quite a few slasher and shipper friends in my various fandoms, and I've spent time exploring sites and communities outside of my reading interests, so I think I have a pretty good picture of what's out there. In every case, be it Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate SG-1, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Real Ghostbusters, The Sentinel, Magnificent 7, Man from Uncle -- virtually any current fandom -- there is a large, active gen fiction community. I cracked open the program from last year's Media*West Con to check my perception against the list of last year's premiering zines: of about 100 new zines, approximately half were gen. Even Lord of the Rings, home of crazed RPS ficcers, had at least two gen zines last year.
One factor might be the lack of "old time" fans in HP fandom (this would neatly explain the lack of print zines as well). I can't say that I've examined this in any scientific way, but I get the impression from LJ the and few HP lists I've subscribed to that HP has a higher percentage of youger fans and people for whom this is their first fandom (compared to fandoms like Stargate or The Sentinel). I don't recognize a lot of the pen names I've encountered. Of course, this is a hard thing to gauge in a fandom that seems to be much more diffuse than other fandoms (a result of so much of the fandom being located in LJ?).
Others might argue that HP has an inordinatly large number of canon characters, several of whom are in canon relationships, or for whom JKR is dropping anvils, which leads to the relationship-heavy nature of HP fic. However, none of these canon relationships take up a great portion of canon; JKR doesn't spend pages delving into the Malfoys' marital angst or the Weasleys' after-hours action. Even the Ron/Hermione relationship takes up relatively little space, considering they're the two principle supporting characters. One can argue that some canon or near canon shipping is to be expected, but canon pairings don't account for the vast majority of ship and slash. What of the reams of fic written about "Draco turn[ing] into a godlike were-leopard by way of buttsex with Mrs. Norris" and other similarly remote, bizarre ship and slash fic? HP fans seem to delight in pairing characters that have never appeared in the same chapter, let alone exchanged three words. Most of the pairings in other fandoms seem to arise out of fans' perception of UST. Almost all of the HP pairings have no canon UST. Not a shadow. Not a shred. Not a scintilla. And few fans even bother to argue that they perceive any. So I don't think that can be it.
All I want is
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It makes me want to hide my face in shame. I'm beginning to think I got rather spoiled over in SG, where there were so many fine gen writers. I'd put the gen SG up against the slash SG any day. And that's not even mentioning the high proportion of good h/c.
(many of them apparently under the illusion that they invented fandom)
*snort* Did I tell you about one of the HP4GU websites that I ran into where the creator claimed HP4GU coined the term 'ship'?
Maybe people just aren't seeing the same gaps in canon to fill?
That's a really good point. Most canon sources are episodic, which I think leaves a great deal more in terms of gaps. There are some examples of movies spawning huge traditional fandoms (like SW), but movies and books do seem on the whole less likely to generate traditional fanfic fandoms.
Also, the books are all Harry POV, which I suppose can be limiting. But I would think that the flip side of that is retelling stories from other characters' POV (for example, CoS from Lockhart POV has the potential to be incredibly amusing, while PS/SS or OotP from Snape's POV could be exciting).
I find there's generally scorn towards AUs, so I'm not even going into that subject, but you'd think there'd be much more room for manoeuvre, wouldn't you?
As you know, I adore AUs (esp if they are dark and tragic), so you wouldn't hear me complain, but yes, I would actually think HP would generate quite a few AUs (ie, Neville as TBWL, Harry's parents live). I came close to applying for an AU RPG because of the intriguing plot line.
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In any fandom that has more than a tiny handful of writers you get the spread of ability and imagination - sometimes that acts to spur writers on, sometimes they sit in their comfortable little niche with 'their' fans and never move from there in terms of how/what they write.
Also, the books are all Harry POV, which I suppose can be limiting. But I would think that the flip side of that is retelling stories from other characters' POV (for example, CoS from Lockhart POV has the potential to be incredibly amusing, while PS/SS or OotP from Snape's POV could be exciting).
But if you're a teen fangirl, then what commonalities do you have with a self-seeking attention whore like Lockhart or a twisty double agent like Snape? Do you have common ground with them or are you more likely to identify with the characters closer in age to you? I tend to see much better (or perhaps more realistic and *human*, I should say) characterisation in many of the slash stories I read, without (for example) the need to whitewash Snape and make him good and nice but just misunderstood really...
As you know, I adore AUs (esp if they are dark and tragic), so you wouldn't hear me complain, but yes, I would actually think HP would generate quite a few AUs (ie, Neville as TBWL, Harry's parents live).
Again we're back to motivation, imo. I would expect that the more experienced writers don't really care as much (gross generalisation but mine own!) about whether they get adulatory feedback over what they wrote, so they're going to be more willing to tread paths untrodden. If you're a first time writer, the temptation has to be there to re-tread familiar kinds of stories because you know (consciously or sub-consciously) what response you're going to get from the fandom as a whole.
Harry is the star character, naturally. Snape and Draco vie as chief anti-hero with Draco providing much more of a blank canvas for writers to use to their own desires. Sirius and Remus are there as 'nice' older characters - not quite hero but definitely not villain. Ron is the chief comic foil, while Hermione and Ginny vie to be the romantic lead. Hard to step out of those uses of those characters, I would have thought...
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What, Snape isn't a fluffy bunny?
Point taken. If slash has, as woman with long X name says, writers older than the mean, then I can see how you'd get the better characterization (particularly since older seems corrolated with old school fans...)
I would expect that the more experienced writers don't really care as much (gross generalisation but mine own!) about whether they get adulatory feedback over what they wrote, so they're going to be more willing to tread paths untrodden. If you're a first time writer, the temptation has to be there to re-tread familiar kinds of stories because you know (consciously or sub-consciously) what response you're going to get from the fandom as a whole.
It seems (I think someone else mentioned this in comments but I don't remember who) that socialization in HP fandom takes place around comments, esp to feedback to writing, so there's a perverse disincentive to write original and distinctive gen.
Well, that sucks.
Harry is the star character, naturally. Snape and Draco vie as chief anti-hero with Draco providing much more of a blank canvas for writers to use to their own desires. Sirius and Remus are there as 'nice' older characters - not quite hero but definitely not villain. Ron is the chief comic foil, while Hermione and Ginny vie to be the romantic lead. Hard to step out of those uses of those characters, I would have thought...
Leave it to you to depress me on a saturday. :P
I think that part of the problem then stems from the fact that we're talking about books rather than episodes. If we had 22 pieces of OotP distributed over a year, there'd be lots more room in the fandom for non-fiction-related interaction, so the feedback would not be such a factor. Socialization would be less about being a popular writer, so I think there'd be less pressure to write popular things.
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Your wish is my command... ;)
Re: Your wish is my command... ;)
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!