Interesting conversation. For myself, I can see your point, in that fanfic is a work of fiction coming from the ficcer's imagination, and in that sense, there should be no limit to it. If you want to create a new character and call her "Luna Lovegood", what's to stop you? That freedom is part of what's so awesome about writing.

However, even in the sphere of original fiction, there are restrictions on this freedom. Principally, the reader. A storyteller has to be able to pull the reader into the story. The reader has to feel that it's real, for the time that she is reading. That's hard to do if the reader can't suspend her sense of disbelief about the whole thing. That's why many readers of fanfic insist on things like characterization and setting consistent with canon. I hate to start reading a fanfic, expecting the characters and setting that I grew to love in the original, only to find a strange world populated with people I don't recognize. It breaks the spell. Of course, this doesn't bother everyone, any more than shoddy characterization and weak plotting bothers everyone who reads a book or watches a movie. But we don't lower our standards for them to the lowest common denominator.

But I have a question: You said you came here because you were "interested." Interested in what? You may cite opinion, but the violations Neshomeh cited are standard for the PPC. They were decided upon way back when the PPC started, and we, as a community, have decided to work by them. They are not merely her opinion, but all of ours. So my question is, have you come here because you are interested in the PPC as a community and story-universe, or have you come here because you are interested in criticizing our standards for fanfiction?

Hello again. {= )

As I was saying, a lot of the things I've said are kinda the general consensus hereabouts. You might want to have a look at the FAQ: For Other People on our Wiki. Its tone is often snarky, but that's because we're used to dealing with people who aren't good sports and we get a little impatient. Please forgive us. It does, however, thoroughly answer the questions we've encountered over the years.

As for WHY we have these opinions, let me try another analogy:

Many, many people have compared writing to giving birth, and one famous male author (whose name I cannot for the life of me come up with) said something to the effect that writing is the closest men can come to bearing a child. So, consider that an author's work is like their child; their characters are their children. Lots of authors are good enough to let other aspiring authors play with their children, because they know it's a good way for the aspiring authors to learn. That's fanfic.

Now, is it right for the fanfic writers to do anything they can think of to someone else's children just because they can? Is it right to ignore the way the child was brought up and to try to force them to become something else, whether it's right for them or not? I don't think so. Some authors don't think so, either--that's why they don't allow fanfic of their works. The ones that do are trusting us to play nicely with their children, and as an aspiring author myself, I respect that.

So, that's why I feel the way I do. It's a matter of respect for the original author, whose pure creative genius created the world they're graciously allowing us to play in. Their house, their rules; have fun, but don't break anything; and so forth.

~Neshomeh