reasons for fanfic THE CANON

[Ebony AKA AngieJ]

No: HPFGUIDX 16448

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Rosmerta" <tmayor at m...> wrote:
> Steve wrote,
> 
> You forever lose JKR's own version of the characters 
> > she has created. 
> > 
> 
> I wonder how fanfic fans, shippers in particular, will feel when 
> Books 5, 6 and 7 come out and don't conform to their anticipations? 
> There have been some messages previously about what JKR "owes" the 
> readers in terms of following up on foreshadowing etc. But it seems 
> like some of these expectations are being permaturely fanned by 
> fanfic? 
> 
> ~Rosmerta
> who's trying to remember the Italian word for opera fans who sing 
> along with the divas


Or music lovers that sing, scat, chant, rap and hum along with their 
favorite CDs.  ;-)

I'll begin by picking up on your opera analogy.  When Jessye Norman 
sings, she does not sound like Pavarotti.  Neither does she sound 
like Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, or Joni Mitchell.

I read the posts about those who want to remain "unsullied" from the 
fanfiction mire... and I shake my head.  

I started reading fanfiction 3-4 months before the release of GoF.  I 
don't think that I got any less from the book than any of the non-
fanfiction readers.  Of course, the volume and caliber of HP 
fanfiction was quite different in those days, but I didn't 
feel "sullied" at all.  

It's quite easy to separate Lori's Hermione, Penny and Carole's 
Sirius, Cassie's Draco, Heidi's Lucius Malfoy, and Al's Harry from 
the JKR Authorized Version.  Anyone beyond the intelligence level of 
a cockroach can do it, and do it easily.

Why?  Well, there's a little thing that we English teachers 
call "style" of the Strunk & White variety.  The style of fan 
writers, even the best of the best, is not JKR's and we all know it.
IMO, my favorite fanfics bear the stamp of genius, and I believe that 
many of those writers will end up publishing original work sooner or 
later, as most of them were "writers" before ever setting foot into 
HP fandom.

But their best songs won't be those with Harry, Ron, or Hermione 
notes, nor Draco codas and Snape overtures.

When it comes to the world of Harry Potter, Jo Rowling sings the tune 
the *best*, hands down.

I don't like the books any less because of reading fanfiction... I 
love them even more.

I can speak only for myself.  But this avid fanfic reader, tongue-in-
cheek fanfic writer, and enthusiastic shipper doesn't place any 
expectations on JKR.  At all.  There are a couple of things I'd like 
to see happen in future books.  There are a couple of things I 
wouldn't like to see.  

So what?

Pre-GoF, I was expecting several things to happen that didn't.  No 
Weasley died.  There was no evil female character.  Cho is not 
Harry's girlfriend, nor did they date.

JKR owes us *nothing*.  If today's post in HP4GU announcements is 
correct, in seven months I'll be once again transported into JKR's 
world... and when all is said and done, I'll be thrilled to be 
there.  She has promised to tell the story *she* set out to tell in 
the beginning, and whatever it is, I'm with her until the end.

--Ebony AKA AngieJ (whose voice, in the course of a single evening, 
regularly morphs into those of D'Angelo, Jay-Z, The Beatles, The 
Chieftains, The Stylistics, Lea Salonga, Stevie Wonder, Billie 
Holliday, and Sade... which is why I may seem unbalanced at times. ;-
))