Sawing off the serial numbers in the fanfic chop shop

[icarus]

Welcome to the Fanfiction Chop Shop, where fanfics are taken apart and turned into "real" fiction for the sake of creative writing instructors.

Here we demonstrate that the fanfic author can write, so that said professor will allow a certain fanfic author (namely, me) to include Nanowrimo as part of the creative writing class in the fall.

Cool, huh?

Here's the trick: It can't even look like fanfiction by the time I'm done with it. In fact, he's even iffy about genre fiction, but willing to observe a genre fic that has strong characterization and a plot that doesn't hinge on the cool sci-fi/magical shit.

This means the story I slice apart and buff a little (or a lot) needs to demonstrate:

1) I can write plot, a discernable story arc
2) I can write believable characters (trickier than you think with fanfiction, because we're riffing off canon we already know)
3) I can write setting
4) I can write a clear and consistent character POV
5) it can't be porn

Damn. Yeah. That last one's a toughie. That just took out almost all of my stories (so much for Beg Me For It).

So, the chop shop door is open. Seedy-looking criminals are ready with the grinders, welding equipment, and paint to take a story apart. Now I just need your opinion. Which story or stories should I try to turn into "original" fiction? What's doable do ya think?

[Poll #811473]

ETA: Sorry this is so wide. I wrote my own poll code and didn't know the text box would do that. Grgh. It won't let me edit the poll.

ETA2: Darn. I forgot to include Traces Through Time. Pretend it's there.

Comments

[greenling.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Why are you choosing to remix a story rather than writing a new one? No time, I guess?

I'd really like to see the First Signs of Magic stuff as original, even if you can't make it into something the professor would like. It's a wonderful concept, and original enough that it nearly is original fic anyway, even though it's certainly the Harry Potter characters.

I also liked the idea of using Cursed Artefacts For Sale, partly because the plot seems like it'd be easy to de-fanfic and even possibly de-fantasize.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Time's the issue. I need to send something very, very soon. Which it comes to original fiction? I plod. I'm still working on that gay porn story from a year ago.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Typos. When it comes to original fiction...

[tjstein.livejournal.com]

I chose Cursed Artefacts for Sale and The Hat Trick. I can picture CAfS taking place in a Antiques Road Show sort of setting.

And the Hat Trick is a really great story outside of HP.

What am I saying? All of your stories are great stories no matter what the setting.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm taking a deep breath now and deciding. *shuts eyes* I could easily remove the magic, even, from The Hat Trick. It's a story about gambling.

Icarus

[forked.livejournal.com]

I went with 'First Signs..' over 'Cursed Artifacts' because I think it would be easier to make it work as a pure standalone. I think for me, part of the charm in 'Cursed Artifacts' stemmed from it being Harry and Snape doing the shopping. All of that baggage lurking in the background setting the stage made it more powerful as a piece of fanfic than as an original story.

I mean, most good fanfic is like that to some extent. But I think the 'First Signs' stories would be easier to 'file' and require fewer changes to get the same level of emotional punch.

Let us know how it works out- I'd love to hear what a prof has to say about any of those, even in a 'filed down' version.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

All of that baggage lurking in the background setting the stage made it more powerful as a piece of fanfic than as an original story.

You have a point there. The fact that they're buying Cursed Artefacts harkens back to Snape's Dark connections. The fact Harry's willing (sort of) to go along with it says how far he's willing to got to make the relationship work. It's not just an annoying (and dangerous) hobby. It's a willingness to accept Snape's dark side as part of him.

It's true, in First Signs you can do a kid-switch, and the Drs Granger are essentially OCs. I wonder how my prof would feel about my obviously borrowing the Harry Potter universe....

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hmm. My first attempt went very poorly. I didn't realize how much my stories rely upon the implied backstory. Characterization drains out like color under a blacklight.

I'm going to try again, though, just out of stubborness.

Icarus

[villeinage.livejournal.com]

I'm unclear. Is this reworked story going to be your 'entry ticket' into the class? Or is it going to be your ongoing class project?

If the former, you should may want to rework Binary Roles. Short, powerful, poignant. Also, short.

But, Traces through Time definitely shows you can write plot, and it gives you more scope to reveal character and setting. Oohh, it really has lovely potential for an original fic story, with just a bit of tweaking and fleshing out.

See, I think Cursed Artefacts for Sale is one of your strongest stories, in terms of writing style and voice, but it feels so finished to me. I'm not sure you could wrest it out of the canon-world so easily.

Best of luck to you!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, neither, actually.

I'm asking the teacher for a favor: to let me use the classroom exercises to build a story for nanowrimo, and then use nanowrimo for my portfolio. He wants evidence first that I don't need to work on story-telling basics. Didn't phrase it that way, but I got the point.

Icarus

[sarka.livejournal.com]

Of the ones I've read (*makes mental note to read the rest*) I think the Hat Trick would be the easiest to turn into an original. Though Cursed Artifacts for Sale is one of my favourites, too...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

The Hat Trick I can reinvent to be about football (or Americanize it make the sport baseball, though hmm, nah), since the story itself is about gambling and sports. Ron as adult has outgrown Ron-the-kid.... *thinkses*

Icarus

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

i did something like that once. i was applying for the young sci-fi writers of america scholarship. i had a great short story, but it wasn't sci-fi. so i went through and changed some details so it would seem sci-fi-y... guess it didn't translate well, cause they never got back to me.
or my story was just to creepy.

i love that story *sigh* i'm gonna go read it now.. ever have those? you read something of yours, then afterwards go "wow, i wrote that?" only with awe, not "oh god, i wrote that.."... not that i'm tooting my own horn, but i think my story is really good.. enough talking about it...heh

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

^too creepy

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Cursed Artefacts For Sale was such hell to write that every time I read it I feel like I'm reading someone else's story. I story I really like, but I don't remember writing a fun, light-hearted piece of humor. I remember a torturous, miserable slog. So, hey, Cursed Artefacts is always fresh to me.

Icarus

[harveywallbang.livejournal.com]

well, writing is usually painful for me.. cause it's like.. i have this great idea...but wait, i actually have to put effort? why can't i just touch my brain, and this magnificent story writes itself, because it's already all up there.
i just love the story, cause mine have to have a kick at the end. not necessarily a twist, but they have to have the perfect ending line. and most do, because no matter how many times i read em, i always get chills from that last line.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

So it didn't work when you sawed off the serial numbers, huh?

Icarus

[theemdash]

From someone who has taken fic and done the chop shop thing, I think First Time a Soldier would be workable. You'll need to do some work filling in back story, but the voices of the characters are really strong adn the arc is totally in place and beautifully subtle.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea, yeah. I'll try that one next.

Sonic Boom... not so much.

Icarus

[theemdash]

Ha. Yeah.

Do you not have any original fiction written or has your writing just grown so much since the last time your wrote something original? (The second is my problem.)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

My original fics are very short, except for one unfinished underaged gay porn story that I certainly can't send. Oh, and then there's that action fic, but I'm not pleased with it, it's definitely more the beginning of a novel than a short story.

Icarus

[theemdash]

I totally understand. Sometimes you just have the wrong thing.

Me? I have a lot of the wrong thing. *sigh*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and a lot of my fanfics would work great. It's just a matter of, well, them working at all....

I think "First Time A Soldier" can be de-fanficced. But making up a reason for Daniel to be on a team with Jack is, well, interesting. I'm hoping I don't have to add a briefing room scene just before Daniel gets back from the first mission to explain what this "team" is all about.

What I've got though is a counter-terrorism unit that's part military, part peace corps, designed to establish relationships, develop intel, and essentially use the techniques various terrorist groups use against them. In some areas, these organizations are the only people the locals can rely on.

The idea's based on 12-man Special Forces Marine A-Teams, whose job it was to teach and equip locals to be their own insurgency. In this case, the A-Team is joined by (8?) Peace Corps-type specialists whose job it is to figure out what the local village needs and get those needs met. Basically building infrastructure in most cases, setting up schools....

Any "contacts" (people with family and friends in one of the known terrorist groups) are to be passed up the chain of command to specialists who handle that. The "Sha're" character is a contact that would only talk to Daniel, however.

On their first mission, well, it was called a qualified success, but they were forced out of the village under fire. Essentially the local (Syrian?) baddies figured what they were doing, that it was successful, and decided to put a stop to it. Daniel Then the (Syrian?) government stalled on letting them back in.

I have this (slightly vague) backstory of Daniel attempting to talk down a nutjob who spoke Farsi holding Jack and some other people hostage in a bank, and ending up shooting the guy. Jack then recommended Daniel for this new kind of team.

Is that weak?

Icarus