Own Characters

[hazel]

I remember that episode you mention. The junior officers aren't taking anything away from the senior officers - the story is simply their point of view.

This can be done very effectively in fan fiction. Two stories that spring immediately to mind are The Eyewitness and Silent Majority, both by Marion Woods, where the main focus is on original characters. But in those stories, the original characters aren't stealing the limelight from canon characters - they are telling the story from their own point of view.

What is wrong is if canon characters are replaced by original characters for no logical or explained reason. For instance, an OC replaces a colour captain or Angel with absolutely no mention of why the canon character isn't available for duty. Are they on holiday? Are they ill, or injured? Is this story similar to a story in the fifth season of Stargate SG1 called The Fifth Man ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_St ... 1_episodes ) that dealt with the sudden addition of an extra SG1 team-member that we'd never met before. Then of course, there is Dawn, sister of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who makes an extremely abrupt entrance - the rest of that series is spent explaining who she is and why she's suddenly arrived.

I always ask myself, when I'm introducing an original character, "Is this person complementing or replacing the canon characters? If I write the story, then simply replace the OC's name with the name of a canon character, does it make a significant difference to the story?" If the honest answer to the first question is "replacing", and the honest answer to the second question is "no", I don't use the OC. It's a very fine line to tread, though, and needs a fair bit of skill to pull it off successfully.

So, to answer your question: it's not wrong in and of itself, but it can go wrong if not handled correctly.

[Intensity Angel]

So if for example, a OC hears something, then starts exploring and investigating, and this links in to something that an original character is doing, that is not stepping over the line and stealing the limelight?

[The Beta Queen]

Of course it isn't overstepping or overshadowing! You've been referred to threads that discuss Mary Sues, and there's been enough discussion in this thread to establish what is and isn't acceptable in fan fiction.

Rules of fan fiction:
1) do not contradict canon
2) do not allow your Original Characters to replace or overshadow canon characters without a damn good reason.

This does NOT mean Original Characters must not interact with canon characters in a way that is meaningful within the context of the story.


Post amended 2012-08-16 by Spectrum StrikeForce.

[Marion]

Intensity Angel wrote:

So if for example, a OC hears something, then starts exploring and investigating, and this links in to something that an original character is doing, that is not stepping over the line and stealing the limelight?

It is all a matter of degree, Intensity Angel. As I've said, you CAN use own characters. I have and do use ones I've created - as well as some created by other authors - but I try to use them to shed a light on the personality of one of the main canon characters.
In some cases the canon characters can be largely unaware of the incidental character - something I explored in 'Silent Majority'. Yet, the 'heroines' in that story were my own characters... although most of the work was done by the TV ones.
The only thing you should try to avoid, is getting so interested in your own character yourself that when you write the story, they dominate it to the detriment of the TV characters - who are the people the fans read FAN fiction for.
Well, that's how it looks to me.

[Skybase Girl]

I agree with Marion's last point. You can fall in love with your own characters, but do not jilt your canon characters in the process. After all, they are presumably the reason you've chosen to write the fanfic in the first place !

Easier said than done, sometimes, I know.

[Intensity Angel]

Tell me about it. I'm in the middle of writing a Halloween fan fic. With all the help off this thread, I've got it nailed.

[Scarlet Lady]

I know Im necro-posting somewhat here, but the following exchange just caught my attention...

So if for example, a OC hears something, then starts exploring and investigating, and this links in to something that an original character is doing, that is not stepping over the line and stealing the limelight?

Of course it isn't overstepping or overshadowing! You've been referred to threads that discuss Mary Sues, and there's been enough discussion in this thread to establish what is and isn't acceptable in fan fiction.
Rules of fan fiction:
1) do not contradict canon
2) do not allow your Original Characters to replace or overshadow canon characters without a damn good reason.

This does NOT mean Original Characters must not interact with canon characters in a way that is meaningful within the context of the story.

English literature, the last time I looked, does not teach about fan fiction writing, and therefore shan't cover things like original and own characters. If you are writing a novel which you plan to submit for publishing, the characters will be both original AND your own.

Post amended by Spectrum Strikeforce 2012-02-16

[Marion]

I have just re-read this thread - what an interesting discussion it was!
Writing fanfic is obviously a neglected art form.

I have to say that I generally just sit and scribble or type without any plot or plan and with only the haziest idea of where I am going with it. Part of the fun is finding out as I write. If I plot a detailed outline, I feel as if I have already written the story and lose interest.
Same goes for characters - somone might appear and develop and have a part to play in the plot - but they may vanish after a page or two and never been seen again. That's why I don't create characters, with the intention of using them for some specific purpose, before I start writing the story. There have been characters I considered 'expendable' who stuck around after the story and popped up elsewhere, while others I wish I had not killed off... hindsight is 20/20 vision, sure enough.

[chrisbishop]

I created many original characters and some original concepts. Some of which will never return to any other stories - either they were killed off or they're not interesting enough. Others who return from time to time and of which I'm particularly attached to. That includes good guys and bad guys alike.

Martin Conners, that I created for the short story 'The Secret', is one of them - and you can put him in any category you wish. A good guy, because he's on the side of Spectrum as his work with Spectrum Intelligence entails... or a bad guy, if you consider he's often at odds with the canon characters of the TV series. He's not a likeable character but, hey, I do like him enough to bring him back in other stories (I'll not list them here).

Amanda Wainwright - the mother of Symphony - is such a character as well. When I created her for "A Symphony in Blue" I always meant for her to be a love interest for Colonel White. She also reappeared afterwards, but always as a secondary character - or only had a mention here and there, even though she wasn't shown.

The other character - or rather 'concept' as I said earlier - that I created and that I'm particularly fond of is 'The Network' which first appeared in 'Spectrum is White' and that I used once, I think, after that. It seemed natural to imagine that a group of human beings would choose to collaborate with the Mysterons, so that eventually, they would obtain favours from them. No matter that the Mysterons had vowed the complete destruction of life on Earth, if they can prove they are on their side, surely the members of the Network - who have links EVERYWHERE even within the World Government itself - would received their just reward if they're on the side of the winners.

There are other characters, and some of them are accidental: the Svenson family, Jessica Blake, Captain Forrest, Lieutenant Burgundy that I finally killed off (sorry Captain Burgundy, wherever you are!) in "Twilight of the Gods", Robert 'Ox' Oxbury, the Donaghue family that I created in collaboration with Sue Stanhope... I'll stop here. Just to show you, you can created as many characters as you want to make them interract with the canon characters. They could be their equals, or help in the plot of your story. That's in fact, the reason why you have created them, actually: they are there to advance the plot, and not hinder it! You do not introduce an original character just because you feel like 'oh, would be fun to have a a little sister hanging around'. No, the character must be there for a reason, and needs to be a tool to work with, whatever the subject of your story.

At least, that's how I see the characters I created, and I hope that's the way I actually use them for!

[Marion]

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/fanfic/Who_what_where_fanfic.htm

Indeed, Colonel Chris, you are an expert at weaving your plots and characters together.
The link has probably been posted before, but it gives a list of significent people, places and organisations that have occured in fan fiction on the site. Some of it is now 'fanon' - at least for several writers who participate, myself included.

Own characters are essential for most stories and can be the catalysts for action and adventures. The trick is making them serve the story and not eclipse the canon characters.

[Scarlet Lady]

The first of my own characters that springs to mind is Lieutenant Lake; a character that gave me so many headaches as a writer that I eventually decided to simply not write about her any more, once I'd brought her saga to a conclusion.

Lake was created as a forum fan fiction character and was actually quite a good one. She had a quick mind and could turn her hand to almost as much as Captain Scarlet. In a forum fan fiction,, she couldn't take over a story because there were so many writers. It was when I decided to write a backstory for her that things fell apart, because I found it so difficult to control the storyline and her role within it. At the time, I couldn't understand why.

I actually write in a similar way to you by default, Marion, and I think that that was always my undoing. I'd get an idea and run with it without thinking it through properly and often ended up with a tangled mess. Of course, I'm not saying that your stories are like that - you're much older and have more experience. But I have found that as a younger person - especially when I was first writing ten years ago, as a teenager - I needed and still need much more discipline.

[Marion]

you're much older and have more experience

Much, much older - but I can still end up with plots that resemble a bowl of spaghetti and schizophrenic characters that rocket across the page like badly-made fireworks. Only, no one but me ever sees those...

[Scarlet Lady]

That's somewhat reassuring, I must say. At least I know I'm not the only one.

[chrisbishop]

That's somewhat reassuring, I must say. At least I know I'm not the only one.

Far from the only one! I think you're in good company . There are stuff I wouldn't want people to see as well...

Lake was a good character. And I remember when you created it for your first website/forum, Scarlet Lady! The Captain Scarlet, Spectrum MSN Group. I think many of those who remember it have fond memory of that website. Despite the many quirks of MSN Groups in that time, they were there to serve their purpose and they are sorely missed!

I had my own character as well to interact with the other 'site characters'... Captain Sapphire, Cloudbase liaison to Spectrum Intelligence. Ahem... I admit, a Mary-suesque character. She went around carrying a taser gun as weapon... I didn't include her in any fic, personally. Although, in retrospect, a similar character (a S.I. liaison, that is) would have been interesting to add to my personal lore of 'own characters'.

Tiger Jackson swiftly killed her off, in 'Attrition', along with other Mary-Sue creations (in a way of a tribute - sort of!). We didn't actually see the characters in that story, they're simply mentioned. Maybe the names provided for inspiration, more than anything... You could consider they're NOT the same characters after all!

A good reading, by the way. And quite a-propos, considering we're approaching the Halloween Challenge:

http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/fa ... rition.htm

[Scarlet Lady]

Yes, we had a lot of laughs on that old MSN site. It was as limited as can be and needed less computer know-how than a CD player, but I really loved it - much more so than the Angelfire site that took its place, in fact. If MSN sites were still available, the original site would still be in operation, probably being used as an extension to the current site, much like the Facebook page I now use.

Actually, that FB page limits my scope even more than the MSN site! Talk about going backwards...