fanfiction/speculation (more)

[davewitley]

No: HPFGUIDX 31331

Gwen wrote:

> The answer I seem to be hearing from non-fanfic writers is that 
while you
> still think about things like that, and maybe even get elabourate 
in your
> theories, you don't put your thoughts together in a single place. 
You let
> them roll around in your heads and once in a while something 
bubbles to the
> surface. What about cross-referencing? Is it just not important? Is 
it
> flavour of the month? If you don't have to worry about making sure 
the
> "facts" are internally consistent, does it mean that you maintain a 
broader
> outlook, not getting into minute details (this group? Get into 
details?
> Nah....)?
> 
> Please understand I'm not accusing or trying to prove anything 
here. I'm
> just curious. 

At the risk of seeming off-topic, I am reminded of a story I heard 
years ago.

An astronomer, a physicist, and a mathematician were travelling 
through Scotland on a train.  Looking out of the window, they saw a 
black sheep.

The astronomer said 'All sheep in Scotland are black'.
The physicist frowned and said 'No, we can't say that; all we can say 
is that some sheep in Scotland are black'.
The mathematician smiled and said 'There exists in Scotland at least 
one sheep, which is black on at least one side'.

The point of this story is so obvious that I won't insult you all by 
explaining it.  Well, OK, we are trained to think in different ways 
and what is natural to one is alien to another.  I leave it to your 
collective judgement where the canon reader and fanfic writer sit on 
the train. (I could pretend that the train is the Hogwarts Express - 
but it would only give the impression that I lack confidence in the 
essential on-topicness of this post, which I don't)

David, a mathematician and proud of it