Witcher Show Writer Responds to Fan Fiction Criticism

Witcher Show Writer Responds to Fan Fiction Criticism

The Witcher: Blood Origin writer Aaron Stewart-Ahn weighs in on the debate over the merits of fan fiction that started on Twitter last week.

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Aaron Stewart-Ahn, a writer on The Witcher spinoff Blood Origin has given his opinion on fan fiction after a post criticizing the form went around Twitter last week. The Witcher, based on the popular book series by author Andrzej Sapkowski, became a huge hit for Netflix after premiering in December 2019. Season 1 was based on Sapkowski’s short story collections The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. Less is known about the upcoming season 2, which doesn’t have a release date at this time. Filming on the new season began in early 2020, but has been affected by both the coronavirus and star Henry Cavill’s on-set injury.

Considering the success of season 1, it’s no wonder Netflix has two different spinoffs of The Witcher in the works. One will be an animated movie, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, and center around Geralt’s mentor Vesemir. The other spinoff is a limited series titled The Witcher: Blood Origin. It’s a prequel set 1200 years prior to the events of the original show. Details are scarce at this point, but Stewart-Ahn is one of several writers aboard the project. Along with his work on The Witcher: Blood Origin, Stewart-Ahn co-wrote the 2018 movie Mandy and is the lead writer on Thor: Metal Gods, a serialized audio book for Marvel.

Over the weekend, Stewart-Ahn weighed in on a debate over the merits of fan fiction that was started by writer R.S. Benedict. She argued fan fiction “actively teaches you to write worse,” a stance fought by many, including Stewart-Ahn. In a series of tweets, he said “fanfic f**kin’ rules,” explaining his immersion in the world of The Witcher played a role in landing his gig on Blood Origin:

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I could never afford or get into a fancy ass MFA but I went from playing The Witcher 3 some 350+ hours to getting paid by Netflix to write some Witcher TV and didn’t starve or get evicted this year, fanfic fuckin’ rules. https://t.co/AsJgl4IBr9

Some of us are struggling to make a living from writing under enormous commercial forces in exchange to pursue our personal works. And when I wrote that Thor story and disguised Orlando as a trans space pirate I was totally putting Virginia Woolf fanfic into a Marvel story. 😹

For the most part, Benedict’s tweets were met with staunch opposition from those who both write fan fiction and enjoy consuming it. This reaction isn’t entirely surprising; fan fiction has always existed in one form or another, though it wasn’t always called that. As long as there have been stories, there has been fan interpretation, and many are fiercely protective of it. Fan fiction suggests the highest level of engagement with a work, which is why many creators are flattered by it. It also plays a role in creating safe spaces for fans to interact with one another online and has provided a way for those who don’t often see themselves portrayed in stories to finally be a part of them.

Based on his tweets, Stewart-Ahn recognizes the major impact fan fiction can have, even on one’s career. It makes sense being a fan of The Witcher is foundational to his current job. Stewart-Ahn also makes a great point about any form of writing only helping to improve the skill, as well as that even widely-consumed stories can have elements of fan fiction. It seems unlikely Stewart-Ahn’s comments will end the debate over the form. However, he’s an important supporter for those who enjoy fan fiction.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/witcher-show-aaron-stewart-ahn-fanfiction-criticism-response/

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