Fan Fiction - Popularity Contest or Formula for Orthodoxy?

[louisev]

I started writing fan fiction, as an experiment, a couple of years ago in conjunction with some online role playing I was trying at the time.  Many of the roleplayers had selected characters from a couple of different fan fiction fandoms (ones I did not follow), and I waded into it slowly.  When I became a Brokeback Mountain fan, I found some fan fiction stories and, being a novelist, decided to try my hand at finishing the tale for myself.

Being a babe in the woods with regard to fandom and its peculiarities, I was bewildered and amazed at the range of attitudes and reactions I had to my story about Ennis moving on to find a new life, and I discovered for the first time, an active, engaged, and interested audience.  I also discovered what I first identified as a sort of popularity competition amongst fan writers for the fan audience, but upon deeper consideration, I see as a kind of orthodoxy, as in established religions.

This orthodoxy sets an expectation and rewards those authors who follow certain step patterns in the plot of a retelling of Brokeback Mountain.  To the extent that the author "hits these marks" will determine the breadth of the audience and its enthusiasm, since this orthodoxy has grown out of the collective emotional need for finishing the story in a certain set manner.  I also believe that the orthodox expectation is far more plot driven than character driven, and that the plot, here, dictates the characters'  believability.

The result of the established plot orthodoxy is that due to the high approval given to orthodox conformity, the amount of deviation in plot becomes less and less (rather than more) as time goes on.  As a result, the most widely read stories are the ones who meet the highest number of marks in the orthodox plot, and those who deviate from them will be read less, or by a specialized audience looking for "that type of story."

This is what I have observed among popular BBM fan fictions as orthodox plot elements:

1) The story must be AU - it must not end in Jack's death.  The threat of the tire iron (imminent death) must be mitigated in some way or avoided - so that Jack will not die in the course of the au tale as well.
2) Jack develops more courage to confront/deal with Ennis, forcing the issue of their relationship with him
3) Jack makes a proposal as part of forcing the relationship issue
4) Ennis balks at it (or accepts it first and complications arise, or he balks after a time delay)
5) Jack gets a chance to punish Ennis for 4), or has a crisis or complication of his own, thus leading to pain and suffering for Ennis (this is critically important.  Ennis MUST suffer at this phase of the story.)
6) Ennis goes through "the torments of hell"
7) A reconciliation or rapprochement occurs between Ennis and Jack, Ennis is contrite, and they THEN live happily ever after.

In reading a variety of AU, Canonical (where Jack dies) and original present time stories which preserve only the characters "Jack and Ennis", the audience enthusiasm and commentary seem to correlate to how many of these plot marks are hit by the author.

I have posted this to open discussion, because while I am pretty confident of my observations, here, I still don't understand why, or how, this has evolved in the few months since Brokeback Mountain was released.

[pastorfred]

I think you have hit the nail on the head. A religion seems to be forming around BBM and an orthodoxy of fanfiction is no surprise as a result. The deeply spiritual and mythological elements of the story and movie provide fertile ground for the development of a grass roots popular cultural phenomenon. The actual founding of religious institutions may or may not be the result.

I also think it is no accident that this particular kind of relgion is forming in our times. Worldwide there are ultra-right wing religious groups attempting to take over their national cultures and their own nations' political institutions. One of the characteristics of right wing takeovers is the singling out of vulnerable minorities as scapegoats for all that has gone wrong in the world. In our times, LGBT persons are the vulnerable minority.

Popular culture tends to swing like a pendulum.  In the religion forming around BBM we may be seeing the beginning of the swing in the other direction.

[twistedude]

Louisev: Being a strictly cannon writer (though I don't know why! I love all the AU stuff), I know you're right.
When I get inspired, I write. That's it. Sometimes it takes me DAYS to figure out why a character did something--as it just did with the Juarez stories...but there's usually a reason.

You forgot to mention sex. Though not completely essential--I have 3 stories with only references to sex, no actual sex at all--it's pretty important. I remember when I first read Leslie's second chapter of LBFS--whoaa! I had to re-define pornopgraphy for myself: (Oh yeah--and if it's to be het sex, Jack better be in it at least...)

PORNOGRAPHY: Something i DON'T LIKE.
  EXAUSTIVE LIST OF EXAMPLES:
       1) Okra, in any form.
       2) anything that causes more pain than present or promised pleasure.

Also: you forgot to say that everyone has his own quirky rules: some can't stand the thought of Ennis ever looking at another guy after Jack's death--er, that wouldn't be you! As far as I know,. I have lost friends because of a controversial topic in one of my fanfictions, but since nobody had asked me--nicely or otherwise--to remove it, I haven't. . Oh yeah, and Jack was never seriously interested--for more than one blow job, or one ash hauling,--in any man but Ennis. Give me a break...although i think it's basically true, it's only because he didn't live past 39.  And there was also life before Ennis...seems to me I make more enemies sticking to the cannon than anyone else does ripping Jack and Ennis out of the tragedy of the stiory and having them live happily ever after.  Of course, Leslie and MadLori write better than me, but, who'sdcounting?
Peace..and good writing is rewarded, cannon or no cannon...

edited THREE TIMES to remove offensive material...hope this is O.K.

[dragonlady]

Louise, you have made some very insightful comments.  Seems to me that there is room for every kind of story. I try to read a wide cross section of stories and I don't think its so much of a popularity contest as it is a visibility thing.  I read a lot of stuff on FF.net and Wranglers and BBSlash.  I have never seen your story posted on these forums.  I wouldn't even know about them if I hadn't come here.   

Brokebackslash has a very high readership and generates literally hundreds of comments from readers.  Seems like most people will give anything a try, controversy or no.  I remember a HUGE blowout over one fic, where the author actually turned off her LJ comments.  Think she has Ennis being a drug dealer and I don't read that one anymore.  I think most people want Ennis and Jack and when Jack isn't in the story they can't read it.  I like just about everything I read so I will read stuff where Ennis moves on, but when Ennis moves too far away from that guy I fell for in the movie, I stop reading.  Like being a drug dealer. 

But that doesn't mean there aren't people out there that like it, obviously there are people who like everything, like me.  Some things stand out, and some writers are better than others.  I write fiction but I would never, ever compare myself to Madlori or Jenna, and thats ok.  I am a fan as much as the rest of us and I see their writing as something to aspire to, to give my readers as much pleasure as they do.  I could never be jealous of someone else's talent, I would be inspired by it.  I could nevrl stop writing, and I cannot hate them for being better than me. I think again everyone has to find a niche, and stick with what works for them and don't worry about things that really in the end matter little.   

About the formula,  I think most people want to see Jack and Ennis get that happy life, because anything else was already covered in the movie and AP's story.

[pastorfred]

I recognize what opinions are like, since everybody has one, but in my not so humble opinion, there is a gold standard in alternate universe fanfiction, and that is the not so orthodox lazylfarm, A Love Born from Steel.

The gold standard for canon fanfiction is the Laramie Saga, beginning with Taking Chances, by Louisev, links to be found under Chez Tremblay on the Ennis and Ellery thread.

[MaineWriter]

I recognize what opinions are like, since everybody has one, but in my not so humble opinion, there is a gold standard in alternate universe fanfiction, and that is the not so orthodox lazylfarm, A Love Born from Steel.

The gold standard for canon fanfiction is the Laramie Saga, beginning with Taking Chances, by Louisev, links to be found under Chez Tremblay on the Ennis and Ellery thread.

While I am flattered to be considered as a gold standard, it think this is somewhat of Louise's point. Those fics that adhered to the orthodoxy and by extension, their authors, are the ones that become popular. Rather than have it be a popularity contest, maybe it is better to judge each story on its own merits. My writing style may not appeal to others, just as X's writing style does not appeal to me, even though that fic might be wildly popular.

Leslie

[notBastet]

I don't have much to contribute but have really enjoyed reading everyone's comments.  I never heard of fan fic/slash before Brokeback.  I find it fascinating that what seems to be happening in the Brokeback world has happened in other fan fic worlds. (I can't think about it too deeply right now or I sorta get myself all freaked out... is it merely a parallel for what is happening the world over?)

[magicmountain]

I read with interest your theory regarding orthodoxy in fan fics and tend to agree with this analysis. True Love along with the Environment, Peace and Human Rights often substitute for religion in this secular age.

[Marge_Innavera]

While I am flattered to be considered as a gold standard, it think this is somewhat of Louise's point. Those fics that adhered to the orthodoxy and by extension, their authors, are the ones that become popular. Rather than have it be a popularity contest, maybe it is better to judge each story on its own merits. My writing style may not appeal to others, just as X's writing style does not appeal to me, even though that fic might be wildly popular.

I've read fanfiction before, especially ffc for the Earth's Children saga ("Clan of the Cave Bear" was the first and best-known).  But this is the first time I've read any significant amount of it, and followed readers' reactions. And there are definite differences between fanfiction and conventional fiction, other than restrictions related to copyright. Those mostly center around the fact that the writer is dealing with characters and a background story that is already established and already known. Readers come to it with certain expectations.

e.g., in an independent fictional work, you could have Jack die and Ennis move on in various ways, with fewer and fewer references to Jack over the years. The reader can reasonably assume that Ennis wouldn't have forgotten him but that's just the reality when someone dies. No matter how much you loved someone, if you outlive them for a significant amount of time there gets to be a higher and higher percentage of your life that they're not actively a part of.  And the part of it when they were significant recedes further and further into the background.

But with BBM fanfiction specifically, the basic story is Ennis and Jack, and when Jack disappears from the story it gets more and more problematical. Some stories deal with that by putting in flashbacks (Widower) or having Jack in the story postmortem as a spirit (Louise's Warm Wind Blows, still my favorite of her fics). Or a combination of both, in the case of what I'm currently attempting.

Orthodoxy when applied to anything creative is, IMO, a foreshadowing of decline if people take it too seriously. What makes me uneasy about anything being touted as the "gold standard" is that it inevitably leads to a pattern of judging work mainly in the context of how well it imitates a previous creative work that's already finished.

Getting a little far off in left field here, but you can see that happening in entertainment when something is hugely successful and it's followed by a procession of thinly veiled imitations and "spinoffs", generally becoming less and less interesting with every repetition.

[magicmountain]

I've read fanfiction before, especially ffc for the Earth's Children saga ("Clan of the Cave Bear" was the first and best-known).  But this is the first time I've read any significant amount of it, and followed readers' reactions. And there are definite differences between fanfiction and conventional fiction, other than restrictions related to copyright. Those mostly center around the fact that the writer is dealing with characters and a background story that is already established and already known. Readers come to it with certain expectations.

e.g., in an independent fictional work, you could have Jack die and Ennis move on in various ways, with fewer and fewer references to Jack over the years. The reader can reasonably assume that Ennis wouldn't have forgotten him but that's just the reality when someone dies. No matter how much you loved someone, if you outlive them for a significant amount of time there gets to be a higher and higher percentage of your life that they're not actively a part of.  And the part of it when they were significant recedes further and further into the background.

But with BBM fanfiction specifically, the basic story is Ennis and Jack, and when Jack disappears from the story it gets more and more problematical. Some stories deal with that by putting in flashbacks (Widower) or having Jack in the story postmortem as a spirit (Louise's Warm Wind Blows, still my favorite of her fics). Or a combination of both, in the case of what I'm currently attempting.

Orthodoxy when applied to anything creative is, IMO, a foreshadowing of decline if people take it too seriously. What makes me uneasy about anything being touted as the "gold standard" is that it inevitably leads to a pattern of judging work mainly in the context of how well it imitates a previous creative work that's already finished.

Getting a little far off in left field here, but you can see that happening in entertainment when something is hugely successful and it's followed by a procession of thinly veiled imitations and "spinoffs", generally becoming less and less interesting with every repetition.

Some thought provoking points there Marge. I would add the thought that while the basic story is about Ennis and Jack, Ennis does emerge as the principle character (reflecting this weighting, Heath was nominated as leading actor while Jake was nominated as supporting actor). The main drama revolves around Ennis struggles, his marital dramas and divorce, his relationships with his daughters, his attempts at a relationship with Cassie, his relationship with Jack, his tragic loss and his agony in the aftermath of that. Jack's story shadows that of Ennis as a parallel but subsidiary drama. Of course the grand, doomed love affair is the centrepiece. But when Jack dies we are invited contemplate Ennis continuing his story alone, albeit haunted by Jack and spiritually still connected to him.

In the novel The Forsythe Saga the heroine Irene has a similarly doomed grand love affair with Philip Bossiney who also dies. She goes on to marry Soames Forsythe and we trace her fortunes as well as other members of the family in subsequent years. I guess it depends where we train our focus and whether we stop at one segment of Ennis' life - the Love Affair of which both Ennis and Jack are integral parts - or whether we continue on with Ennis as the main protagonist as he journeys through different parts of his life.