This is probably a question that people hate to be asked

[potentiality_26]

But I'm going for it.

When I write fic, I pretty much have to go with what's in canon.  Unless I'm specifically writing a 'what if x happened instead of y' A.U., I have to at least work around what happened.  I don't mind reading other people's stories that ignore canon, I just have trouble with it myself.

But a while ago, I started an OUAT story.  I basically forgot about it, but I was looking at it again and I still like it.  I'm not caught up on the show, but I don't mind spoilers for this particular series, so I know what happens.  And I know that basically everything in my story has been jossed, but like I said, I still like it.

Anyway, what I'm wondering is whether most people have my hang-up about canon or not.  If I wave my magical writer's wand and say "Everything after The Doctor is unhappened (which is a word that I just made up).  Any resemblance to stuff that happens after that is legitimately incidental.  Okay?  Okay.  Here we go..." will most people want to run with that?
 

Comments

[pasiphile.livejournal.com]

I think few people would have a real problem with that, actually. I've written one or two of those and seen a lot of those around. The only thing I can think of that would turn people off is like big characterisation changes compared to canon. And there's plenty of fics which get jossed halfway through and keep writing anyway, so you're probably good :)

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

I'm probably just going to say it's A.U. and let the chips fall where they may- it just bugs me to write something I don't even normally read.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Most people don't mind. Really in the end, they're all AU no matter if you follow canon or not. There are few readers out there that picky about it, though.

*HUGS*

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

That's about what I thought.

[verdande-mi.livejournal.com]

I don’t care one way or the other. I guess I consider every fanfic an AU in a way, or at least a what-if-representation of canon events. So I say keep writing!

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

True enough.

[liliannabelle.livejournal.com]

One of the best things about Rumbelle is the HUGE proportion of AUs/Anyelle/departures from canon/OOC fics out there, I LOVE it, it's my kind of writer's heaven! I can't tell if it's unique to OUaT (or just Rumbelle) or fandomwide these days, because it has been yrs since I've been hung up on an OTP to the point of fangirling and fic writing for it. My former shows over which I obsessed had only such AUs as a rarity, and re-writes of eps were almost as rare. There was no equivalent to Anyelle, and OOC-ness was considered a huge faux-pas. I think it's telling that Ao3 has a tag of "OOC" - like the writer is saying "yup, I know the actual canon characters wouldn't do this" and it's OKAY! I think this is a beautiful evolution from the days when I would get flamed for having a strong woman character occasionally show a more tender side (of which we only saw hints in canon, but it WAS there!)

Anyway, my point is, go for it. I read a FABULOUS AU Rumbelle fic today that was awesome despite being riddled with typos and having both our beloved duo behaving very OOC throughout. IT was still THEM, only it was them if their life circumstances had been different--and that's most of the Rumbelle fic I find actually. I think it's a big step closer to our being able to break out like 50 Shades did -- filing off the serial numbers (only with better writing ;))

tl;dr - you go girl!

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. It probably depends on the fandom- I think in OUAT, most fan writers are only really interested in a couple of characters- like Rumbelle, or SwanQueen, or whatever their cup of tea might be- and when they don't have to juggle to huge cast of the show they maybe have a better grip on what should come next and what makes the best sense for the people than the showrunners sometimes do.