 Drama: October 21, 2020 Issue [#10429] |
This week: Spoiler Alert Edited by: Kit  
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Is there a movie, novel or TV series that you wish would have ended differently? If so, you are not alone.
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about the world of fanfiction. It also includes a mini review of Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade.
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I believe that I have mentioned this before, but I quite enjoy the occasional fanfic. It may not be a well-regarded genre, and some might question its very right to exist, but there is no doubt that it’s attracted some excellent authors over the years. Nor is there any doubt that it speaks to a not-insignificant amount of readers.
Why do people write fanfiction? Why do they read it? Sometimes stories end in a way that does not make sense. My introduction to fanfiction was a piece inspired by Game of Thrones. I clicked on it out of curiosity, because its author was displeased about the series’ final season. Feeling less than pleased myself, I wondered what her thoughts were about how it should have ended. The first thing I noticed was that she was very talented. The second was that she had picked up on the same problems I had: the destruction of character development, the inconsistencies, the dumbed-down dialogue, along with everything that simply did not make sense. Reading the story, I felt understood. I felt less alone. Because I, too, had dreamed about what could have been.
Of course, different fanfiction writers write their pieces for different reasons. Some may wish for certain characters to get together and where a movie or series fails to head in the desired direction, they write those stories themselves. I guess that in the Game of Thrones universe I am considered to ‘ship’ (wish for a relationship between the characters of) Sansa and Tyrion, and Jaime and Brienne. Perhaps these relationships will develop in the books. We will find out when The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring are released. Perhaps, too, in these novels Daenerys Targaryen won’t undergo a complete personality transplant within the space of a few seconds. One can hope.
I have not written any fanfiction of my own. I don’t think that I could take another author’s work – their world, their characters – and do it justice. I struggle enough with my own characters, let alone anyone else’s. As said, though, I do enjoy reading the occasional piece. I’ve even enjoyed a couple of stories adapted to a modern setting. Fanfiction – good fanfiction, at least – is a labour of love, and it shows.
It was a fanfiction author who recommended to her readers Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade. Spoiler Alert is a novel about two people who form a connection writing fanfiction about the most popular TV series in the world. Much like Game of Thrones, that series has fallen prey to the destruction of character development, to inconsistencies, to an increasing lack of sophistication after they left behind the source material. You get the feeling, reading it, that Dade saw her opportunity to express her frustration and took it. And she does so in a very entertaining manner.
The novel is so much more than that, though. It is fun, yes, but it also has a lot of heart. It’s made me smile, it’s made me laugh, and it’s brought a tear to my eye. Her characters are utterly endearing and well-developed. Marcus, an actor on the show, is known for his good looks but few see beyond that, to the man he really is. April has spent a lifetime being judged on her appearance. As someone who, like her, is not exactly a size 0, I am happy for her existence, and I can relate to the treatment she has been on the receiving end of.
Not that she feels sorry for herself. She is a strong character, talented and intelligent, warm and kind. Likewise, Marcus is far from your stereotypical romantic hero. This novel takes a lovely, original approach to romantic comedy, and I was hooked. There are some real treats to be found in it, including but not limited to the snippets of scripts that are included.
If you love your fanfiction, then, or if you have ever felt passionate about a show, I recommend giving this novel a go. It’s also worth putting on your list if you like a sweet, romantic story. We can all do with a smile, can’t we?
Kit
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Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Drama Newsletter Team
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