Why do people hate BNFs?

[icarus]

I really don't understand this BNF phenomenon. I just don't get it.

I don't see why people go "whee, Icarus!" when they find out their review or whatever is from me. I understand "whee, Stories!" -- or -- "whee, Icarus' Stories!" That makes sense to me, because this is all about the stories, all about the fun of writing. If you've liked something I wrote in the past, there's good chance you'll like the next one. I'm the same way about "whee, Candy!"

But I don't know why the focus shifts from the story to the person. What the hell...?

Comments

[mad_maudlin]

This is just my random opinon, but...I think the HP fandom's mutated.

In the long wait for OotP, I think, the whole fandom got stuck in a holding pattern. We ran out of canon things to discuss; what we had was thoroughly picked over, and we had no idea when we'd be getting anything new. Therefore, I think, the focus of the fandom shifted slightly away from the books and onto itself...if that makes any sense. We had always been creating our own canon (fanon), but at some point it took of a position equal or superior to JKR's in people's minds.

So the BNFs are the creators of the fanon; Cassandra Claire is the requisite reference here, because while she didn't invent LeatherTrousers!Draco (as she will strenuously tell you) the DT made it into fanon. They're almost on level with JKR herself in the minds of many fans, and that's a phenomenon of questionable value. When so many people complained that OotP "read like fanfic," I didn't see it as an idictment of JKR's writing abilities; I saw it as evidence of our own perceptions of fanfic-as-fanon-as-canon.

Or maybe I'm insane. ::shrugs::

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That's true. I see how fanon become it's own little world after GoF.

I've also noticed it calcified around Goblet of Fire. There are relatively few fics that run with Harry's characterisation post-OotP. People are taking into account the new facts (or rebelling against them ;) and folding in the new characters. But the major changes, the softening of Snape's characterisation (he's less vicious and more broken), Harry's new aggressiveness, Ron's success outside of Harry's sphere are not being taken into consideration for many of the fics out there. It's as though GoF has become this Juggernaut that's unstoppable after two years of fanfic.

So your definition of BNF is someone who's shaped the writing of others in the fandom. That takes me off the list. None of my stuff's effected fanon. Beg Me For It created a temporary fad of Ron/Draco prison fics, but it's not fanon.

Why do they keep adding me to these BNF things? BNF Deathmatch, BeingBNF, BNFWatch, WatchTheIdiotBNFs, Whack-a-BNF, what have you. It's really thrown me for a loop. Why the extreme reactions? Either people are thrilled, or they're disproportionately nasty. I'm still dealing with this fanfic reader in class who's... just awful. We got along great until I told her I was Icarus. After shredding my work in peer-review, cutting down pretty much everything I said, I've been informed by her that her research paper is already drafted. Every opportunity she has to prove she's 'better' than me somehow, she pounces. She wasn't like that before. I'm not competing! I was just thrilled to meet another HP fan, and thrilled she'd read my stories. Every class I regret ever telling her I was Icarus.

I connect this with the experience of people squeeing and then people who are uncomfortable and others who just feel bad because they're trying to get their stories recognized, and to me it's all the same phenomena. Not a BNF? Good. But whatever the hell this is, I wish the focus would move back to the damned stories.

Icarus

[goseaward.livejournal.com]

None of my stuff's effected fanon.

I'm not sure it has to be specific facts; I know for sure I've heard people say they write Draco and Ron differently because of Beg Me For It. Subtle changes are just as important to fanon as leather pants.

...ooh, I like that sentence.

For what it's worth, I don't care if a BNF reviews by fics, but I do care if someone I know whose writing I respect reviews them. While not all good writers are BNFs, almost all BNFs are good writers or skilled readers/interpreters, so there's a squee factor; but it's not limited to BNFs. It's inclusive of them, not exclusive to them.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Subtle changes are just as important to fanon as leather pants.

LOL! I want that on a t-shirt.

Actually, I think the big contribution of DT is the exploration of a minor character, Draco Malfoy. epicyclical created a compelling picture of an isolated, vain, obsessive, and complicated person. I read DV now because I'm hooked on him.

If people look at Ron/Draco differently because of Beg Me For It, then I'm really happy about that. I hadn't read any R/D fanfic before I wrote it, so of necessity it was a different take.

The squeeing leaves me bemused, pleased, embarrassed and slightly uncomfortable. The flip-side of competitiveness really bothers me, whether it's cut-downs, or people losing confidence because their stories have been ignored or they're just starting out. It's the later, the losing heart, that bothers me most.

Icarus