Fanfiction/speculation

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 31228

"Hillman, Lee" <lee_hillman at u...> wrote:
> Ditto werewolves. Lots of questions unresolved about werewolves, 
many with
> conflicting canonical evidence (i.e., the plot-hole-that-must-not-
be-named).
> Are they contagious all the time or just in wolf form? When exactly 
does
> transformation occur? How quickly do they heal? Are they immune to 
other
> diseases or illnesses? How strong are they? Do they have 
supersensitive
> hearing and smell all the time, or just near the full moon? What 
are the
> procedures and regulations that govern the Werewolf Registry? When 
does a
> werewolf change jurisdiction from the Registry to the Support 
Offices, and
> from either to the Capture Unit? What exactly is the Werewolf Code 
of
> Conduct, and how did it come to be? Is this an international 
standard of
> control or just Britain's way of doing it?

Firstly, er, what is the plot-hole-that-must-not-be-named?  I'm new 
hereabouts, and clueless, and ashamed to say that I couldn't find 
reference to this in you all's many and thorough FAQs and Guides and 
things.  I'm open to a private email explanation, in light of the 
must-not-be-named-ness of the subject.  :)

Secondly, re all the rest of the werewolf stuff ~ what the huh?  
Registry, Support Offices, Capture Unit, Werewolf Code of Conduct?  
*eyes cross, brain dribbles out ears*  I suddenly feel as if I slept 
through all the HP books.  Is *any* of that stuff mentioned in the 
books; or is it stuff JKR mentioned in interviews/chats/whatever; or 
is it pure fanfiction (which, I'm guessing not, because the above 
paragraph speculates as if upon established canon.  Ack! I'm so 
confused!)?

> For those of you who can speculate and theorize without turning to 
the
> actual writing of fanfiction, how is it that you keep track of all 
the
> interwoven details to keep things straight? 

Just...mentally.  While reading.  And while the books are fresh in my 
mind. Thinkage applied to readage, I guess.

>How do you determine your handle
> on the characters and how they'd react to the kinds of questions we 
at HP4GU
> attempt to answer? 

I...read the books.  And then I wonder and ponder, and often 
speculate.

>How do you keep your speculative colourization from
> tinting the limited black-and-white print of the books? 

I don't.  I know that I bring my experiences/POV/other such 
subjective and colorizing things to the reading, and I go with it, to 
a point, at least.

>Where do you decide
> to cut off your horizons and edges and place your vanishing points 
so that
> you keep everything in perspective without creating a canvas that 
is either
> too widely or too narrowly focused?

Well, knowing that Rowling intends 3 more books, wherein all sorts of 
things could be answered or changed, right now I'm content to tell 
myself, "Self, if it's not in black and white and undeniable per the 
published books, any speculation amounts to running in place 
mentally.  Fun, envigorating, but ultimately has no bearing on the 
outcome of the race."  Except that I say it less metaphorically, er, 
naturally.  

Really, I do very much appreciate the joys and uses of fanfic.  I've 
written fanfic, and any universe that catches my fancy invariably 
ends up with me in it in my own little head (I have a long commute, I 
have to do *some*thing with my brain to pass the time!  ;->).  On the 
other hand, I refuse to take anything not published in the books ~ 
not even Rowling's hints about the future books, because obviously 
things could change between an interview and time of publishing ~ as 
canon.  So for me, there's no need for complex organization; only the 
books, and whatever fun, but unsubstantiated, theory I like at any 
given moment.

Which likely makes *no* sense at all.  But this is an awfully 
fascinating topic!

Mahoney
having a wretched air-head day, sorry.  Not enough coffee.