BronxWench

There are a few things that would leave me equally squicked be it a celebrity or a fictional character, and that's just to be expected, I think. We all have our personal likes and dislikes, after all. But I will admit that my threshold is lower when I know that the subject of the story is an actual person, with actual family and friends out there who might read something less than wholesome.

VOTE HILTON/SORVINO IN 2038.
Don't Let "It" Happen Again.
[/Eagle Flying Past Fluttering Flag And Scenes From WW3 Battlefields]

I like your reasoning here, BronxWench, setting the bar for real-person fic AU at something that is outside the realm of possibility. It's simple and easy to apply. I am pondering a couple of stories that I wasn't sure where I was going to put them. Now I feel confident about where they belong.
Thanks for your input.

If you think about it, isn't all celebrity fiction set in an alternate universe? Specifically, an alternate universe in which the celebrity protagonist interacts with you or me or with the antagonists we writers set for them? I guess what I'm saying is, Isn't it understood that a celebrity fanfic is set in a different universe because we all know Celebrity X never did this or that, so it's clearly made up?
Or do you believe the alternate universe tag is reserved for a world in which, say, Jennifer Lawrence never got famous, or Ariana Grande was always a singer who never dabbled in acting, or Jena Malone and Jamie Chung never became friends, or Mira Sorvino was elected the first female president?
What do you think?

...and I'm probably the user you've seen being somewhat anti-real person fanfiction from a personal perspective. I used to write it. I think I had 12 or 13 stories at one point. Internet being the internet, they're still out there somewhere. I did a couple since then that my muse made me write and those you won't find. They're at the bottom of a well, guarded by a girl with long black hair.

Initially I stopped because of various lawsuits and criminal prosecutions against writers of real person stories in various worldwide jurisdictions that made me feel it was not worth the hassle, later I stayed stopped because of things like this, and this, and similarly, with Twitter and the rest of social media it is ridiculously easy for those fics now to be sent to the subject of the story in question by trolls. general nutjobs or anybody with access to Sony's email server.

Hell, Jimmy Kimmel has the subjects of rude tweets read them out, and you can go on youtube and see other hosts get the likes of Daniel Radcliffe to read slash. So that's another reason, I just don't like to think how celebrities would feel if they read something I'd written. Especially as many of my stories were at the, uh, less romantic end of the spectrum.

Still, other folks have fun writing and reading them and I don't have any problems with that so it's fair to say my opinion is fairly self centred.

For me, it's definitely the real person being involved that stops me. Take them out and I'm pretty fine with most content. I'll avoid things with characters below 16 in sexual situations but beyond that I'll try most things. I've even re-written one or two of my old celeb stories into non-celeb stories to re-use the better descriptive passages (that's relatively speaking, of course, better for me is still trash!).
Any fantasy that needs to be shared feels, to me, like it can be written with a fictional character, even an "OC" with strong similarities to a famous person. Apart from a RPF gaining additional readers from fans of a specific celebrity, which writing hobbyists always enjoy, there don't seem to be other benefits except, well, folks enjoy writing real person fiction. I did. And that's why, although for my own personal reasons I've stopped I don't hold anything against folks who do still write them or share them, or have them tattooed across their back so that Nathan Lane can read them in that long fantasised chance encounter in Broadway men's room.
Look! A RPF ref! Aren't I the most awful hypocrite!
Anyway, good luck with your celeb fics and I wish you all the best.

Nice to hear from you. For the record, I'm not worried about your impartiality as a mod. I am curious, however about your yearning for a shower after reading some celeb fic. If you read the exact same story starring an OC, would you still feel the need for a stiff drink afterward? In other words, is it the use of a real person as the protagonist that squicks you, as opposed to the events of the story?
And I am also very eager to hear from other writers of celeb fic!

As a fledgling writer of real person fiction myself, I cannot help but notice that celebrity fiction doesn't seem to be all that popular around here. Judging by number of posts in the form and general lack of discussion, it feels like celeb stories are the poor relation in the fan fiction family. I even remember one of the mods here (it doesn't matter which one) mentioning he or she doesn't like dealing with celeb stories.
So, given that -- assuming it is true, and not just my fevered imagination -- why do you, gentle writer, continue to employ celebrities as characters in your stories? Surely it is easy enough to change your protagonist's name to something fictional. So why do it?
I'll kick off the answering with a couple of reasons of my own:
1. It's a tribute. I only write about celebrities I like/admire, so to me inserting her into a story is a kind of tribute. I never want anything unfortunate to happen to my faves in real life; this all just my imagination working overtime for people I really like. And I consider it a compliment, no matter what happens in the story.
2. The stars are well-known. When I write about, say, Vanessa Hudgens, everyone knows what she loiks like, so every reader is picturing her in the same way (within reason) in their minds while reading, so that, to me, suggest more of a communnity experience and shared bond and sense of community among readers. It's almost like we're seeing the story in our heads the same way. We all give the Vanessa in the story the same look (based on the story's description) and we hear her voice the same way. I think it helps, anyway.
So that's me -- but I'm sure everyone has reasons of his/her own, and I'm interested in hearing what you have to say!

::raises hand::
I would be that mod, and I'm not actually shy about admitting it. However, that doesn't mean I can't be impartial when sweeping that archive. I just occasionally feel the need for a long, hot shower and a stiff drink afterward.
In truth, I'm actually interested in hearing why people choose to write this particular form of fan fiction. It's always useful to see other people's points of view, and I would really appreciate seeing this from a new perspective. So I do hope some writers of celebrity fiction will chime in.

::raises hand::
I would be that mod, and I'm not actually shy about admitting it. However, that doesn't mean I can't be impartial when sweeping that archive. I just occasionally feel the need for a long, hot shower and a stiff drink afterward.
In truth, I'm actually interested in hearing why people choose to write this particular form of fan fiction. It's always useful to see other people's points of view, and I would really appreciate seeing this from a new perspective. So I do hope some writers of celebrity fiction will chime in.

Given the right person, I might very well have chosen to explore submission. I would, however, make a miserable slave. I can't offer the obedience required of a slave, It's just not part of my make-up.

I'm glad it was useful! I think when a writer takes the time to research and get it right, the story is so much more powerful, so cheers for you for putting in the extra effort!

Content which is willfully intended to upset readers is considered a form of trolling. Based on the responses received by staff to your recent story, which was in large part a duplication of prior postings, it was determined that your content met that standard, and had crossed the line between free expression and provocation.

Content which is willfully intended to upset readers is considered a form of trolling. Based on the responses received by staff to your recent story, which was in large part a duplication of prior postings, it was determined that your content met that standard, and had crossed the line between free expression and provocation.

I'm entirely attracted to the VK look of a lot of the J-rockers myself, and I'm a heterosexual woman. It just works for me.

I would read that...

So..."None of your damn business!" is a bad summary?

I look at old summaries and die inside while laughing at myself, because I am that bad. I gave up after a while and just chickened out with : "Response to AFF Challenge Prompt [whatever] and then tags. VERY creative of me.

I look at old summaries and die inside while laughing at myself, because I am that bad. I gave up after a while and just chickened out with : "Response to AFF Challenge Prompt [whatever] and then tags. VERY creative of me.

Oh, I've done that! I just found and realized that, along with my lackluster writing, I write in a obscure fandom. Not too many will venture to it, let alone to the pairings that I tend to write! Most prefer to read about just Batman or something extremely kinky involving DC super villainess...es. ... O_o the bad girls! It's something that I've learned to live with, something that the only thing I can do is just... update and cross my fingers! I know that my blurbs need working on as well; that's the first thing people see.
It's gonna be a loooong editing process...

Ah, yes: summaries! I'm learning. Because I hate spoilers, my summaries were basically: Something happens to OC. *insert fandom* *insert disclaimers* *insert tags* *thank people for reading*
I was always afraid that I would be one of those who told the entire story in my blurb. At least with my old way, I wouldn't run into that problem! XD

My epic mess of a fan fiction is in a very obscure fandom as well, so I can sympathize entirely. I have one fan fiction set in the Dragon Age: Origins world, which some gamers know, but no one remembers Neverwinter Nights 2, let alone the Forgotten Realms lore that my geeky little heart adores.
And I write the worst summaries known to mankind. I'm beginning to take pride in how awful they are.

The first time I had to deal with an editor was probably the most emotionally fraught thing I've done as a writer. There is absolutely nothing more demoralizing than having a total stranger read your work, work that a publisher has offered a contract for, and hear, "This is a great story. Really. Now, let's just pretty much rewrite everything from the dedication onward, shall we?"
I cried literal tears. I was sure the emotional heart of the story had just been gutted. I knew I'd never be able to recognize what was going to come out at the other end of this literary grinder. I whined with great enthusiasm to my editor, my family, my friends, and anyone who'd listen. I even blogged my woes. And then I knuckled down and started making the changes, one by painful one. The end result was a much tighter, much more coherent story (although I still take issue with all the descriptors). I did apologize after the second pass, when I could see how much better the story was, but gods... It was brutal. I mean, I welcome concrit, but this was concrit with a box cutter.
So, the second time around, I tried very hard to incorporate what I'd learned in that first editing massacre. My second manuscript that was accepted was (I thought) lots tighter. And I had a new editor as well, so fresh eyes. Okay, I expected comments. You always get comments. I got a list of words to banish, a huge amount of tweaks as far as those pesky descriptors, and a guitar. Don't ask. I had no idea one of my MCs could even play. I whined about certain things, yes. I wasn't quite as blindsided as I'd been the first time, but it was still hard, and it hurt to have to cut some of what I cut.
However, this second time around, I remembered something. This is really important, too, and deserves saying, over and over again: It's MY story. There were some points where my editor and I butted heads, and I stood my ground. If I thought it was important to the story, it stayed. I dropped whole scenes when we simply couldn't make them work. I gave in places, and I stood firm in others, and the manuscript ended up as MY story.
Well, except for the guitar. We're losing the guitar in the next book in the series.

WOW guys...i never knew writers were so self conscious!
Now that I made a terrible joke...take a deep breath and partake of the relaxant of your choice. Don't take it to heart, editors are like you third grade grade english teacher, it may seem like they hate you, hate your story, and utterly despise your characters and they may, but remember its your world and you decide what gets changed. The editor can only make suggestions after all. So Kokoa, if you want a universe populated by people who speak like 5 y/o hulks, whose to say that's wrong?

I can't imagine going through a real professional editor. Christ on a cracker, Bronx, that must've been hard.
Every single time I post a story - hell, even when I post to a thread or in the shoutbox - I'm a bundle of nerves. Even when it's something I'm proud of, that I've gone over a dozen times with a fine toothed comb and came out the other end loving the finished product. As soon as I click that submit/post button, the anxiety hits me. "Did it sound too stilted? Too clinical? Was that sentence too long? Did I start too many sentences with the same word? OMG is that what I call a transition?!"

I usually end up doing a bazillion post-finished-product-edits. In case anyone's wondering: yes, it is entirely possible to over edit.

I sympathise, KoKoa.

I'm sorry but I'm laughing over here. Not because it's funny but because I've held off on asking anyone to beta my stories for me for the same reasons as you're freaking out about. I'm afraid that they'll tell me to stick to writing excuse notes for the kiddies and leave the real writing to the professionals.
Though my grammar isn't usually that bad, I used to have a problem with run on sentences but I've gotten much better with that, I have a wandering mind. I'm not sure sometimes if my stories bounce around like my thoughts do or if they are more coherent. Oh look a butterfly...
I'm sure that you're harder on yourself than you should be. Hearing someone pick apart your work will probably not be easy but maybe you'll end up with an amazing finished product for your readers to enjoy.