Novels based on fanfic?

[hat-and-goggles]

Hey guys! This entire topic has been on my mind for months now, so I figured I should go ahead and ask.

I have a couple of AU fanfics up on AO3 that are so far removed from their original source material that they're virtually just a round of name changes and removal of clever references away from being a completely original work. And because I've since fallen out of love with the fandom and source material I've written most of these stories for, I think "originalizing" these fanfics for Tapas would be a good way to motivate me to at least write proper endings for the stories.

But then again, I don't know what the general consensus on "originalized" fanfic is among Tapas novelists, so I figured I'd ask!

How do you guys feel about people posting original novels based on what was once their own fanfic?

[HGohwell]

I think it can work if you put in the effort to originalise it properly. I've taken inspiration from my own pervious fanfics. Fancharacters I've become fond of have developed on their own and become just OCs, certain plot points I like have been incorperated into other places. With AUs it's especially easy. But, an AU should still have the characters recognisable. So really you need to rework it so someone familiar with the fandom can't go "that's character X's personality and that's character Y you just changed the names." I think things like 50 Shades have given it a bad name but lets not forget how many classic stories have just been retold and retold and still work without changing anything (take all the different Alice in Wonderlands or retellings of Robin Hood). As with most things, it's all about how well you do it.

[nostalgicroxas]

"It can work" said the fanfic author from Twilight who went on to write Fifty Shades of Gray. Will it be liked by the fandom if you, you know, do bad stuff and all of it's online, and the waybackmachine and people can call you out for years and years later about how horrible of a person you were with your bad decisions...? Eh.

In that sense you wouldn't have to just change people's names and tweak appearances, you'd have to adjust some plot elements to make it, effectively, not look like you're just doing copy/paste stuff to a story already released online under your name. It won't garner the same attention. Also realize that anything that is not fanfic is likely to have less views than something that's original.

[hat-and-goggles]

Yeah, you've got a good point there! I keep forgetting I'd have to change the characters to not be too familiar as well. Thank you!

[hat-and-goggles]

I get where you're coming from, I wouldn't call the whole Fifty Shades situation a success story either That's the whole reason I'm asking for advice and other writers' feelings on the matter in the first place.

I do realize that I would have to completely rework the fic and characters to make it not completely the same (I would have to rewrite a lot of it anyway, since I started writing it over two years ago, and I like to think I got better at writing since then ), but there were some dynamics and plot/character points the story touched on that I really liked, so whereas the synopsis would largely stay the same, everything else would be subject to change.

There's one bit in your reply that I hope you can clarify for me, though:

Also realize that anything that is not fanfic is likely to have less views than something that's original.

I personally read this as "be prepared that fanfic that has been made original will garner less views than an original work that was original from the start", which may very well be true, but I'm not entirely sure that's what you meant, so I'd like to make sure

[nostalgicroxas]

Also realize that anything that is not fanfic is likely to have less views than something that's original.

I'm speaking from my own personal experience with posting stuff online of my own writing. Anything I wrote that was fanfic got and still gets 10x more views and likes and hearts than anything I write that is original. I've even tested the hypothesis with smut writings, fanfic and not, of similar writing quality and it's the same. I can get into a rant about it, but that's my own personal experience with the internet. "Hates original, loves fanfics." Also note that if you're planning to publish the original work on Ao3, you'll be met with push back in viewership (one site where I did my stat testing oddly enough). There was a thread here a while ago where someone argued that Ao3's policies / ToS now are written to not allow for original work at all on there, but upon reading myself I couldn't find the clause they were thinking meant that - and when asked here on the forum - I don't recall if they were able to provide the exact legal clause or statement that stated Ao3's position (either way) on original work being posted there.

As for, monetary success - Fifty Shades has, what two movies, out now plus large amounts of books sold and even the joke readings on youtube point to it's "success" if only in infamy. But it's enough attention on any one thing to get it movies. Can't say that went that well for other book serie's : The Black Cauldron, Tales from the Earthsea, and Howl's Moving Castle. Of those thing, you're like to think Howl's is actually good - well not if you've read the books. It's much like any book made into a movie Such is reality sadly.

As for honestly - write whatever the damn well you feel like. If you like the core ideas and thoughts that your fanfic stirred up, then see them through and follow them. I am not ashamed to admit some of my earliest honest efforts into writing a longer story with meaning came in the form of a fanfic. I ended up with a large cast of characters, a deep world, and parallel worlds - if you look at my novel today you'd think the only thing I kept was my crappy sense of humor and the idea of parallel worlds. And that's not a fanfic rewrite. It's just writing what I wanted to and the stuff organically formed its way into the story. But I don't plan at all Lots of my stuff are feeling "I want it to go like this" so if this character feels like this right now, then later they should be able to feel "this"? laughs nervously I hope that makes sense.

[Iris-Grimoire]

I'd apply the same rules people use for taking art references to this. Do a draft or just rush a sequence of events without the non-original concept, then do it again, so it really becomes its own thing. Even excluding 50 Shades and its... Legacy... I've seen fanfics turned original before where people just overlooked things that are signature from a franchise and it was still there in the new story, because that isn't something you pay attention to on your first go. Always try a fresh set of eyes, give it a break, try to write something from scratch then reintegrate the elements, that sort of thing.

The story that Splitting Image shares a universe with started out as a very removed Touhou fanfic(like a western mythology version of Genosokyo). It took a LOT of reimagining so I could actually say it was my story, because every time I looked at my notes, there was something that immediately made me say 'I took this from Touhou, why is it still here'. I only really got serious about it when I could say with certainty that what stayed were themes or elements that I liked(like say, the banality of magic use, or spells placed on cards to even out a battle), not lore or rules.

[hat-and-goggles]

Thank you so much! That really helped!

And as for your tested hypothesis, I kind of expected it would be like that, and I have no problems with it. I already have one novel up here that's finished and one that's still a work in progress, and it's not nearly getting the numbers I'd get with my fanfic on AO3 (where I'm not planning to post my original works, by the way It's apparently not that they don't allow it, it's just that they prefer authors don't post original works there so they can make the strongest case for their protecting the right to make fanworks. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but I'm sure I've read someone from the OTW say it in a Tumblr post), but I'm not going to let some pesky numbers stop me from doing what I like.

Again, thanks for your response! It was very educational!

[ivanskilling]

Unlike Ao3 which is primarily meant for fanfics, Tapas is more welcoming of original works imo. So far I haven't seen too many fanfic works on Tapas but then again, I just joined this site 4 months ago lol.

I think it's perfectly fine to originalize fanfics and post it on Tapas btw. Especially since your fanfics are already an AU. Personally, I've converted quite a few of my fanfics into original stories and posted them here because I always viewed those fanfics as close-to-original-except-for-one-borrowed-character.

For example, this series of mine

Shackles | Tapas

was originally an Attack on Titan fanfic! The worldbuilding and character development are completely original, so I only needed to change one or two names.

Basically, go for it! There will always be people who are attracted to your story's plot or worldbuilding.

[hat-and-goggles]

Oh, I hadn't even thought about doing it like that! That's actually super interesting, so I'm sure I'm going to at least try doing that a few times over. Thank you!

[hat-and-goggles]

Yes! Thank you for the encouragement!

[k5rakitan]

I think it's totally awesome! My boss thinks that we can convert my current one to original fiction someday, but for now, I'm going to keep plugging away at the path I'm already on because Seto Kaiba is my muse. I'm still in love with him after all these years