A big rambly rant on Narnia

[caramelsilver]

Narnia fandom really has two fandoms. If you don’t believe me, then you are not in the Narnia fandom. It took me awhile to understand this and it took me even a longer time to get to terms with this. As a reader I think it’s great, but as a writer it makes me very frustrated because I don’t know which camp I’m in. Let me explain:

There is the original fandom on fanfiction.net, the fandom that write fics based on the books and their fics are nice and pretty sugary. With straight off battles and the good people are good and the bad people are bad, and there are not many grey-zones. There’s no… meta in their fics. Here, Peter is a nice guy, and Lucy has never been drunk in her life. You get my drift.

Then there is the fandom that sprung up after the movies came out, on LJ. They talk and interpret and are not satisfied with the Narnia C.S Lewis wrote about. They talk politics, economy, law and how it really would be to rule a country. Their fics are magnificent.

Why is this relevant? Because I have a confession to make: I am really struggling with my Narnia fics. I don’t know which part I’m part of anymore. One part of me wants to keep writing fluffy pieces because I don’t want to offend my old Narnia friends and my beta, and the other part just want to say screw it and stop posting my stuff on ffnet. Because I really feel that my recent fics (An Art to It and For Duty’s Sake) really clash with what they want over at ffnet.

And what’s the main thing that’s holding me back is my beta. She’s brilliant! I admire and fangirl her so much (you have no idea how happy I was when she offered to beta for me!) but I feel that my view of the characters has changed so much from her view of the characters. (I blame bedlamsbard ) I’m actually really considering changing beta because it’s really cramping my writing and I feel so horrible!

So what I’m working up to say is this: I have been writing this fic for awhile now (it was supposed to be for the femgenficathon)

(and it’s really, really not going to fit well over at ffnet, and I’m not sure if my beta is going to like it and I don’t want her to have to beta this bigass fic that she essentially don’t like, so… )

But the thing is that I’m stuck! And I’ve also lost the second chapter when my comp. died. And… would any of you like to just read it and give me some reactionary comments? Not a fullblown beta, don’t need that just yet, I just need to know that what people think and maybe make some comments on if you think the characters are acting like they should and stuff?

Okay this was rambly and confusing. But it was nice to get that off my chest at least.

Also, read my semi-meta on why I don’t like Peter/Susan.

Comments

[caramelsilver.livejournal.com]

I guess you are right about the two groups. I guess it's just that to me, the fics that came after the first movie isn't really movieverse because it was so much like the book. Like, you don't tag it movieverse just because you used Orieus and the ages from the movie, do you? (I didn't at least.) And you are right, there are tons of great bookfic! I am not saying otherwise. Elecktrum has the best fics I've ever read (and I have to keep reminding myself that her fics are not canon) and she only posts her fics on ffnet.

I was also one of those who did not like Peter's characterization the first few times I watched PC. I can't write that Peter, but I do draw some inspiration from it. What I liked so much about PC was that I actually got some emotions! A thing I missed so much when reading the book. I hated that we got nothing on the fact that they went from ruling a country (and being adults!) to schoolchildren again. And that's what the movie-makers gave me, even if they did it slightly wrong.

I don't think you should worry about your writing. I write mostly bookverse too, I have only written one fic set in PC movie verse and that was a fic consisting of four drabbles per chapter; (chapter one was about when they arrived at the beach and I mentioned the tunnel like cave, chapter two was when they entered Aslan's How and the Centaur Honour Guard and chapter three was when they left through the three.) And even then, I couldn't write Peter as he was in the movie, I physically couldn't! What I was going to say is that people don't care if it's movie or bookverse (not here on LJ at least) just write a good story.

I am so with you about the religion thing. Have you ever been to the Lion's Call? That's were the elitist folks come from. They are so religious, can't stand slash, or anything AU, and most of their fics which they praise is religious crap based off the bible to make fit Narnia. I find it boring. I never go looking for fic on ffnet anymore. Firstly because it's basically drowning in Mary Sue fics, and two, the rest is pretty boring and unoriginal. I have a few brilliant authors on author alert, so I let the fic come to me. I still post all my fics over there, just because its easy and... why not? But I have felt a decline in people reading and reviewing because of my new unconventional writing style.

Just... write your story and screw everyone else. Post it and have fun.