What do you look for in a fanfic? (Rant, be warned)

[Regulus]

^ Well I meant original characters only, as it is set many years before the events of the movies. So no canon/semi-canon/shot-out-of-a-cannon characters whatsoever.

Then how is it a fanfiction? How does it relate to the realm of TLK?

[Kal]

No wayyy am I self-inserting, don't worry! Yes, those were my concerns completely. I didn't at the time profess to be really knowledgeable about the TLK universe, so I felt as though a more original story would better suit me. I wouldn't be able to think of a plot without treading on the toes of somebody else, what with all the fanfics that are already out there!

References are crucially a crucial part of the story, yes, but hopefully the depth of the characters and strength of the plot would entice also! This is no half-measure project, definitely.

May I say how nice it is to have a fanfic kind of discussion thread also - I love talking writing! ^^


Regs - It's basically kind of a history of the Pridelands. The predecessors to Simba, Mufasa, etc. So it is intended as part of the TLK universe. The story of their lineage, if you like.

[Regulus]

You know... maybe I'm not as original as I thought.

[Kal]

^ There's a lot of room there for originality - maybe I didn't summarise mine very well there. The point I wanted to make clear is - it is set in the past, but within the universe.

That doesn't mean it is at all similar to yours. (If this worries you.)

And if I'm hijacking this thread I apologise, and will desist!

[DGFone]

Regulus, if you want to be an "original idea TLK fan-fic author", you go to before the first movies. I know it's a bad term, but the "hipster" fan-fic authors all default to Mohatu and pre-Mohatu times. After all, one of the most famous TLK fan-fic, the Chronicles of the Pride Lands, started in the Mohatu era. So no, your idea is not as original as you think.

Which reminds me: the biggest failings of Chronicles of the Pride Lands, in my opinion, is the basically forced inclusion of Christianity into the TLK universe. If you watch the movie, the characters have a form of spirituality and the whole "kings of the past are stars and are watching you" deal. But at the end of the day, non of the characters mention, or even reference, any sort of God-figures, (Aiheu). So in one scene in Chronicles, Simba is basically being poisoned by the bug diet. What do Timon and Pumbaa start doing?

SUPER PRAY!!!!!

Spoiler alert, but it's not due to Timon and Pumbaa that Simba survives. /spoiler. A real annoyance button for me, IMHO.

Let's just say that while I enjoy the Chronicles of the Pride Lands because of how well written and developed it is, there are many times when I just couldn't continue reading without a long break because of the God/Jesus/Aiheu deal that the author for some reason chose to shovel in. I mean... really??

[Chizuna]

To me, I feel like when an author uses a semi-canon character it's almost the same as just using an OC. I mean, sure, we know Mohatu was a great King and that we know a moment in his life...but what about his cubhood? What fears did he have? What struggles did he have to get through to be lion he was in The Brightest Star? As an author, you still have to fill in those gaps yourself just like with an OC.

Also, I do think that self-insert fanfics, like everything else, can be done well...though, admittedly I haven't read one in this fandom

[Regulus]

Nah, that was only a joke. As far as I know, my story is pretty original, for reasons that Chizy explained.

There's only so many ways you can write a sequel to SP, but when it comes to the foundation and principles of the kingdom, there's much more freedom for interpretation on the writer's part.

[DGFone]

There's only so many ways you can write a sequel to SP, but when it comes to the foundation and principles of the kingdom, there's much more freedom for interpretation on the writer's part.

Except that with a prequel, you have all the freedom to follow any road you want as long as it leads to the same destination. With a sequel, the initial point is the same, but there is no set end-point that you have to follow. So for this reason, I see more good sequels than prequels, because the author has more room for creativity during the build-up, climax, and resolutions. After proper application of sturgeon's law, of course.

[Ninaroja]

Sorry to change the subject, but back to Crackfics, which were mentioned quite a while ago.

I have read one Crackfic. And it was so horribly disturbing that I haven't read one since.

For anyone interested ( ) it's called "Games", and it's among the most favorited stories in the TLK section (turn on the filter.)
I can't link to it, it was so bad. Even though the author has listed it as T for teen it definitely should be higher D:

So, in my book, Crackfics are to be avoided.