Hey guys, SquirtK Here.
A while ago i stumbled upon this wiki. (Custom BIONICLE Wiki | Fandom)
I was about 4 when i first experienced BIONICLE, and i knew the storyline perfectly well even though i was a very young foreign child. When i got older and began surfing the web, i noticed fanfic material for anything that has a fanbase, large or small.
Now, BIONICLE has a large fanbase all around the globe, and a lot of fans make their own creations(MOC’s) or make their own story using them. I(personally) was shocked how original some material was, but other poorly-made stories? Not so much.
In South Korea(where i live) it was popular to post their MOC’s and stories on a local fanbase. Most of the time they made Norse mythology based creations and storys, even copying battles and scenes from the mythos.
Poorly made fanfics, however, were neglected because of grammar problems, or lack of interesting elements. I stuck to the story and and made non- themed MOC’s instead just because i was so scaered of how i would get neglected.
So here’s my question. Is fanfic material good? What are the pros and cons? And most of all, what is your opinion?
Fan-fic material can be great with awesome writers, good characters, and if the writer really understands the material of the fandom they are part of. If they can create something their own yet make it fit with the source material, it can be great.
A lot of bad fan-fiction is out there, though, because people want to create the fandom into something that is very unfitting. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is good and bad.
I am lucky to know a couple, fairly good Bionicle/HF fan-fiction writers, and I know that there are some fan-fiction writers who are amazing, but it’s all really in the talent and goals of the writer.
I feel many of the stereotypical fan-fiction writers simply have the goal to put out, in writing, their fantasies of their favorite characters, and that ends up becoming something rushed, uncomfortable (in most cases), and uninteresting.
But if someone has a true passion to tell a story while simply utilizing the characters of their favorite franchises, that’s when fan-fiction becomes something more akin to actual writing. Well, I shouldn’t say “actual” writing like fan-fiction isn’t writing, it is. I mean professional writing, I guess.
So really, it all depends on what you find and who you find, and whether or not that writer wants to release their unfiltered imagination or become a storyteller!
Really, it can vary quite a lot as it just depends on the writer behind the fanfiction. I think I’ve personally read an equal amount of great fanfics, as I have read bad ones.
This is honestly the truth. As a fanfic writer myself (mostly for BIONICLE) I can say that a truly great fanfic–one that incorporates known characters perfectly while also spinning its own unique story–is very hard to find. I haven’t gotten around to posting any of my fanfics yet, so I can’t say how it affects the author once your story is out there, but I can say that fanfiction can be a great starting point for people looking to go into writing. Writing BIONICLE fanfiction was what made me want to be a writer, and without taking that step, I probably would have never built up the confidence to write my own, unique stories.
A lot of published authors whose series have gotten big discourage people from writing fanfiction in their universes, mostly because of copyright infringement, as a few authors have run into legal problems when “overambitious” writers either try to publish fanfics in universes that aren’t their own, or accuse and sue the authors for “copying” their ideas. That’s partly why Greg didn’t read BIONICLE fanfiction during his tenure as author for LEGO, to avoid the possibility of “stealing” someone’s idea. However, most types of fancfiction are written by well-intended people just looking to have fun, and using a known universe as their inspiration. BIONICLE is actually one of the more fertile and useful grounds for fanfiction, because the universe is so broad that you can create characters and stories that don’t drastically affect the canon. Plus, as a LEGO theme, BIONICLE is geared towards creativity, and has always encouraged its fans to create their own stories, whether it is on fansites like this or on LEGO websites.
Yes. Much yes. Nova Orbis is seriously one of the most inventive and unique BIONICLE fan stories out there. I’m waiting on the edge of my seat for it to start up again…
Oh yes, absolutely. I myself kinda started writing a little bit of original fiction before jumping into fanfiction, but nonetheless I view fanfiction as possibly the best entry into starting writing as well as getting practice.
This is also very true, and probably the reason why I’ve thus far only written fanfictions within Bionicle and The Elder Scrolls so far, as both of those universes are, as you say, perfect for creating your own characters and stories while also not affecting the official canon too much.
Gonna just also throw in my support for the Fractures Universe, I’ve been following the saga since 2011 and I’m so glad to see it finally got recognition beyond the Custom BIONICLE Wiki hinterlands. I used to follow a lot of fanfic on both CBW and BZP, and this is the only storyline I still keep up with.
There’s actually a surprisingly large amount of quality fanfiction buried on CBW.
In addition to the Fractures Universe, I recommend “Quest for the Masks” by Echo 1, which is an awesome rewrite of BIONICLE’s early years. Anything by Chicken Bond is also definitely worth checking out.
It can ALSO exist in that area where you’re too distracted by the downright weirdness of the idea of it to notice how poorly executed it is, and suddenly you’ve read all fifty chapters of “Kawaii schoolgirl Gali-chan’s senpaitastic adventure desu”
I feel like with fanfiction, Sturgeon’s Law (90% of everything is crap, but the remaining 10% is worth dying for) applies. I’ve read tons of works on CBW and BZP, and for every author with a ridiculously well thought out multiverse, there’s like fifty that just…aren’t.
If it’s bad fanfic you want, Custom BIONICLE Wiki has plenty of that, too! I won’t call any works out publicly, but PM me if you want a good laugh and I can direct you to relevant links.
Well I think it has to to with the author’s intent and how well it is received by the audience. I write fan fiction about Bionicle and I have seen some good feedback from it.