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--- Creative Vs Cannon (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=1750)
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 01-04-2008 at 04:32:
Creative Vs Cannon
I was thinking about this... and i know sometimes cannon is needed, but is it really?
After all it is an intricate weave to place a story inside of another plot- which is what we do when we write fanfiction.
BUT how much is it needed, or should we let our own imaginations run loose more.... 
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Posted by SJ_SwanJun on 01-04-2008 at 12:21:
I think it's up to the writer.
I personally loathe the "well, in canon that would never happen" comments to fics.
If the writer has waded outside of the "canon" universe as long as they make it clear up front, then there really shouldn't be a problem.
Fanfiction isn't something that fans have to pay money for (unlike the comics which, although good, were so AU it was barely BotP).... So what's the big deal??
I love an AU fic, myself.
SJ
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 01-04-2008 at 13:32:
I don't see anything wrong with going outside of canon, if that's what the author wants to do. I have read many non-canon and tenuously canon fics that I have really enjoyed.
That being said, I enjoy sticking to canon myself, if I can. There's something about filling in the missing pieces and still having it all make sense that appeals to me. Even better, I love to write 'behind the scenes' type fics, where I interweave canon eps with my story, so that next time you watch the canon ep you think that my story COULD have actually been happening. This is especially fun with BOTP, which can be sooo annoying at times with all of the cut scenes and Zark interludes.
But really, it's up to the author. There are no rules in fanfic. 
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Posted by amyltrer on 01-04-2008 at 16:16:
I usually tend to stick to the cannon, especially when I don't know the plot very well. As in Gatch case. But I do let my imagination wander free as musch as possible!As TJ said behind the scene stories are easier to write, because there aren't major action parts and we get more character building!
What I hate the most in a fanfic is distorting a character's attitude, behaviour or principles. Making him too mushy. There are good stories with where that happens, but a good plot line is required. Such as putting him in an unusual situation and notice his reactions. That's one of my favourite type of fanfic!
Okay, I know I am actually doing this by trying to hook Ego with the Swan. Or creating things in the Eagle's detriment! But I try to make them so they apper real in the cannon's boundaries!
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Posted by meridianday on 01-04-2008 at 18:24:
There are a lot of areas that people write fanfiction in that just aren't covered by canon, for example stories relating to the Swan's childhood.
However, I personally don't believe that canon puts a restriction on creativity. It just means things have to be thought around differently - if a really good fanfic idea doesn't fit the canon, then how can you change it so it fits?
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Mallanox : "My mother was Irish and my father was an alien. I was an only child and I dress funny." Posted by Ebonyswanne on 01-04-2008 at 22:15:
SJ I like AU's as well, and your right in saying that the author has to be clear about it up front.
I have had a tendency to put Tenuously canon on my archive fics, just in case I miss something important to the reader, then at least they don't start it thinking is all canon and get confused.
Mmm TJ...there are no rules in fanfic!!! Thats an open statement. 
From the comments I have seen on other sites some people think there are... but in this crowd of writers I find that applies more. Rarely do I hear you girls say "Well thats not in canon, you should change it etc..." (By the way, thats not a comment directed to me or some personal thing etc...)
I wandered into so other sites that people post original stories... you know not based of anything, more like topics such as a romance,fantasy,sci-fiction.
Whhooo hooo the comments people put on those stories!!! Some were not very nice at ALL. No encouragement and some were like pages long of comments...now thats scary!
Fanfic reviews from what I have seen don't pull it apart to that degree.... even if it goes off from canon.
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by lborgia88 on 01-04-2008 at 23:38:
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Considering how many different versions there already are of Gatchaman (BOTP, G-Force, Eagle Riders etc.), we'd have to be pretty flexible about canon, wouldn't we?
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 02-04-2008 at 03:18:
I just read my last post...it was a bit wonky... I meant that we're more flexable with canon, not so worried about it.
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by gatchgirl on 02-04-2008 at 13:15:
I agree that AU can be a great read. Sometimes I think people have to remember that everyone may not view the cannon story line the same way.
Still I love to read all the great stories out there. Cannon or not.
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Posted by CricketBeautiful on 02-04-2008 at 17:08:
It all depends on your intended audience. Fanfic audiences always enjoy stuff that's close to canon, otherwise they wouldn't be fans of the series.
Whether they enjoy stuff that's further from canon depends on the audience. Some audiences will accept anything as long as Ken and Jun get together. Some won't accept that pairing at all.
I write canon, unless it's a parody. I like exploring before and after the series. The characters aren't the same, and I have to explain why. My epic starts before they've seen action. In Opportunities, the war is far behind them. During the series is too confining for my muses.
I find canon easier to get into when reading. I know what to expect and there are fewer jolts. However, if you do a good job of introducing me to a good AU, I might enjoy it a lot.
Then there's fanon. Each group builds their own interpretation. Some place a lot of emphasis on a single word or look.
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Posted by gatchgirl on 03-04-2008 at 13:20:
I was thinking about my last post in here while I worked last night. I think the problem that someone like myself has with writing cannon is, I have had the characters of BOTP in my head for 20+ years. So in my mind things can become a little hazy from what the show actually does. There were times that I think I spent more time in "their" world then in RL. I can still remember going to a big amusement park and being the odd man out. While I still wanted to fit in, I was afraid of the rollercoasters. So I had the Eagle beside me through it all. At least I didn't feel so much like the third wheel.
Ok enough crazy talk from me, I'll let the topic go now.
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Posted by clouddancer on 03-04-2008 at 13:42:
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This is my problem with my writing as well. I have lived with my characters for so long, like you 20+ years, and I can see they have changed from the original characters. Some characteristics are the same but so many have changed either by becoming more or less exagerated.
As for the characters invading my RL that happens all the time, when I am driving, either the Condor or the Eagle are whispering in my ear, when I go for energetic walks, the Eagle usually comes with me. For some reason the Swan joins me when I am cooking, (Probably because I cook about as well as her). And for those lazy summer days by the lake, when we used to take out my father's sailboat, I imagine the Owl.
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Posted by Madilayn on 03-04-2008 at 21:05:
I tend to mix both. I do, however, try so hard to keep my characters canon character - whether it's BotP or Gatch.
Is probably my pet peeve - where the characters are OOC.
I also try to keep their environment cannon - for example, Spectra/Galactor always attacks with a mecha, Zoltar/Katse always uses an escape pod to get away.
Sometimes, I find 100% canon to be a little boring - after all, one has to go outside canon to write other than what is already written in the series!
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 03-04-2008 at 21:34:
I like to keep close the canon environment too...
I is harder to do that if its past the time frame of the original series.
In one story that is Gatch based I mixed it up a bit with Katse. Gel sadra, and Egobossler.. Only because I was going with the idea of the Eagle and Katse suddenly vanishing and the world changed and events happened in a different order.
I like missions.. they bring action into a story.
But I find stories that are too close to canon that they almost become just a re write of an EP a bit boring...
One of the few stories that I have read that was very,very close to canon, but keep me interested and well executed was by Springie... "Storm Front."
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by Fairlight on 09-04-2008 at 15:16:
I've never written a fanfic, but I'm an avid reader. Regardless of the subject--Gatch, Lord of the Rings, Resident Evil, etc.,--I have the most fun reading stories that retain the personalities of the original characters while shaking up the settings and circumstances. Kind of like "what would they do in this situation?" Some writers can be very creative with their stories, and that's great--as long as I have an anchor to hang onto in the characters. Let's face it, we love our faves for a reason. Who wants to read about a sappy, doe-eyed condor or rat-bastard eagle? Maybe some, but not me. I guess tenuously canon fits my favorite fanfics.
Posted by Springie on 09-04-2008 at 20:23:
OOPS! Double post! Now it's time for a commercial break...
Are you tired?
Listless?
Do you poop out at parties?
It's time for VITAMEATAGATCHAMAN...
Just one tablespoon from this little bottle will have you Flying High in no time!
Now back to our regularly scheduled fic talk...
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Posted by Springie on 09-04-2008 at 20:24:
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Awwww... Ebony! Thank you! You've made my day...I don't really think of myself as much of a writer...so it means a lot to me that my ficcie stood out to you!
I usually hover in the "mostly canon" and "tenuously canon" range...mainly because I am afraid of making the characters not seem like themselves...and I like to try to bridge gaps in episodes, or write what I would like to have seen "behind the scenes"...and I know....it usually involves a certain Eagle and a certain Swan...
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Posted by meg on 09-04-2008 at 20:29:
RE: Creative Vs Cannon
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I think that a story inside of another story makes it more interesting. It can bring some more detail to the characters for example.
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 09-04-2008 at 22:22:
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ITA Meg!... after some thought I have come more to that conclusion. I light what Fairlight said, the reader has to have an anchor.
When I used to just read fanfic I looked for stories that had an element of creativity to them, but kept the personalities of the team.
Eg. Sometimes the Condor would be much more aggressive. Then at other times when reading a ficcie he was almost tooo good. (Especially Jason, most people tend to write him without his sarcasm or his other complexes. Like the fact that he wanted to be in command... He becomes tooo much like Joe in some BOTP fics, Joe was more supportive of Ken, even if he was reckless at times and disagreed.)
When I'm writing a ficcie I try to keep the reader part of me in mind. I don't know if I always succeed but thats up to the reader to decide... I've been going over my very first ficccies fixing up grammar. I notice I have improved heaps since I started out... But also the way I write the characters has changed as well.
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by meg on 10-04-2008 at 11:30:
Yes, well said Fairlight. Even if a writer makes up his/her own story, the personalities are very important for me.
Another thing is the reference to the events/things we've seen in the film/episodes. It gives the plot and the characters more depth. Ebony, your fic "When lightening strikes" - which is jaw-dropping by the way 
- fx. you mention the Cressent Coral base that was destroyed. Ken "lecturing" Jun and Joe about bringing him to the new base even though they were suspicious of him being an impostor, etc.
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