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As a latecomer to fan fiction but a professional writer and editor, I'm somewhat bewildered by the concept of "out of character" fan fic.
It seemed to me, when I started reading fan fic, that the whole point of it is to take the characters we love and write stories about them. This appears to me to require that one actually be able to identify the characters, at least well enough to, oh, pick them out of a lineup. And then, you know, write about them.
I understand that this process can get you into some subjective areas, and I'm always happy to discuss whether or not something is or isn't "in character." Let's set that aside for the moment and look at something else entirely:
The unrepentant OOC writer. The fan fic authors who put "OOC" warnings on their stories, and argue that they have the right to write OOC fan fiction, and are even proud of writing it.
Let me state right up front, authors should write anything they want. They should write bad fiction, horrible sex, stupid plots, offensive essays, treasonous treatises, really... ANYTHING AT ALL. I'm a free speech absolutist. Write it. Write it all.
But just as I defend your right to write what you want, I also have the right to express my opinion on it. And that's this:
If you're "out of character, "you're not actually writing fan fiction. You're writing original fiction, borrowing some settings and names from an existing fandom, and hoping that the story will have enough appeal to that fandom that you'll get readers.
The ONLY reason to write OOC fan fiction is to try to get a leg up on an audience. There is no other reason on earth to write a story in which Brian isn't Brian and/or Justin isn't Justin, but present it to the fandom as a Brian/Justin story. You just want to cheat.
Again, I'm not talking about the subjective areas of "out of character," where an author genuinely believes she or he has written an in character story and someone else disagrees, and neither person is completely able to defend or refute the other's position.
I'm talking about OOC-ness so egregious it can't be denied, and OOC-ness that's freely acknowledged by the author.
It doesn't matter if your story is an AU or an AR. If I hear one more person justify OOC-ness because they are writing an AU I'm going to have an aneurysm. The whole "hook" of an AU or AR is to take the CHARACTERS we know and put them in a different setting and see what happens. It's not just possible to write in character AUs, I'd argue it's essential.
If you change the characters beyond all recognition, if you have written them OUT of character, then by definition they are not that character. They're someone else. And you're just poaching on the fandom to get readers for your story.
Now, some might say there's no harm in that, and I guess that's true. And others might argue they have the right to do it, and that's true, too. But it's lazy and deceptive and cheap. If you have a story to tell about characters you made up in your head, write it. If you think it will appeal to people in your fandom, pimp it in your LJ or ask your friends to, and see if you can find a readership, as other authors, including several in our own fandom, have done. If the story's good, people will read it.
But stop bragging about your OOC Brian/Justin story, because if it's OOC, it's NOT BRIAN and JUSTIN.
The unrepentant OOC writer. The fan fic authors who put "OOC" warnings on their stories, and argue that they have the right to write OOC fan fiction, and are even proud of writing it.
Let me state right up front, authors should write anything they want. They should write bad fiction, horrible sex, stupid plots, offensive essays, treasonous treatises, really... ANYTHING AT ALL. I'm a free speech absolutist. Write it. Write it all.
But just as I defend your right to write what you want, I also have the right to express my opinion on it. And that's this:
If you're "out of character, "you're not actually writing fan fiction. You're writing original fiction, borrowing some settings and names from an existing fandom, and hoping that the story will have enough appeal to that fandom that you'll get readers.
The ONLY reason to write OOC fan fiction is to try to get a leg up on an audience. There is no other reason on earth to write a story in which Brian isn't Brian and/or Justin isn't Justin, but present it to the fandom as a Brian/Justin story. You just want to cheat.
Again, I'm not talking about the subjective areas of "out of character," where an author genuinely believes she or he has written an in character story and someone else disagrees, and neither person is completely able to defend or refute the other's position.
I'm talking about OOC-ness so egregious it can't be denied, and OOC-ness that's freely acknowledged by the author.
It doesn't matter if your story is an AU or an AR. If I hear one more person justify OOC-ness because they are writing an AU I'm going to have an aneurysm. The whole "hook" of an AU or AR is to take the CHARACTERS we know and put them in a different setting and see what happens. It's not just possible to write in character AUs, I'd argue it's essential.
If you change the characters beyond all recognition, if you have written them OUT of character, then by definition they are not that character. They're someone else. And you're just poaching on the fandom to get readers for your story.
Now, some might say there's no harm in that, and I guess that's true. And others might argue they have the right to do it, and that's true, too. But it's lazy and deceptive and cheap. If you have a story to tell about characters you made up in your head, write it. If you think it will appeal to people in your fandom, pimp it in your LJ or ask your friends to, and see if you can find a readership, as other authors, including several in our own fandom, have done. If the story's good, people will read it.
But stop bragging about your OOC Brian/Justin story, because if it's OOC, it's NOT BRIAN and JUSTIN.