The Best and Worst of Fan Fic!

[Brandon Collins]

Since others are plugging, I will plug away too!

I haven't written much DS fanfiction. I wrote a little diddy called Murder in Collinsport that upon re-reading it really not too bad, but given the time that has passed (like 3 or 4 years) since I wrote that and now, (I've become much better, at least I like to believe that) it really lets me know how far I've come. So if you do read that, please please please please ignore the plot jumps, the passages that have run-ons and the various other mistakes that occur here.

But what I think is really something for me to marvel at is an extremely little diddy I wrote called "Firefly Dreams." It's about Vicki and Burke, and a lot of people have told me it's pretty good. I wrote it as a result of a writing challenge on some DS group or other, so check it out on FanFiction.net. If anyone goes to read it let me know what you think, good, bad, or ugly. ---->

[Midnite]

But what I think is really something for me to marvel at is an extremely little diddy I wrote called "Firefly Dreams." It's about Vicki and Burke, and a lot of people have told me it's pretty good. I wrote it as a result of a writing challenge on some DS group or other, so check it out on FanFiction.net. If anyone goes to read it let me know what you think, good, bad, or ugly.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1961112/1/

Very sweet.  I hope you continue writing.  

[Brandon Collins]

Very sweet.  I hope you continue writing.  

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! That was the story in itself, with subsequent chapters being nonexistant and staying that way. I have been itching to write a fic here lately since I have re-entered the world of DS, so to speak, after not focusing on it for a number of years. But right now with college and writing a book of short stories that only God knows when will be published, I haven't found the time!

Anyway, rants and run-ons aside, thanks for reading it. 

[Zahir]

There was a long fanfic I read some years (and three computers) ago.  In essence it followed the story of Barnabas, Julia, Quentin, etc. from when they returned to 1970.  Written in the style of the "Episode Guides" it included cast lists--and a visit to Parallel Time 1897 where the villain was 'played' by Alexandre Molke.

Never been able to find it again, alas.

[Josette]

The one that thrilled me the most was "Dark Redempton" by Stephen Rex Goode.  He used to post on the old SciFi BB that Chapter 1 was up, then Chapter 2 etc.  In those days I was going to the library every day to keep up with things and that was too much to consider reading.  In mid-October 1997 I got a new computer at home and finally had the Internet.  So, at that point I started reading it.  I finally caught up to where he had last posted and then had to wait for each chapter.  I used to send comments to him and proofreading errors.

By now I don't remember too much of it, just the gist of it, but it was a very intricate, involved story with all of the regular characters and a whole cast of new ones interacting in amazing ways.  He incorporated the descendants of the Rose Cottage family, so there was this whole additional cast of Collins characters and some other new people along with all of the familiar people.  I've always wished someone else on the boards would read it so I could get their reaction.  There was one scene in particular that I think would amaze and interest any DS fan.

Here's the URL - I hope someone tries it!

http://www.springsofwater.com/darkshad/dr/

[D_Friedlander]

There was a long fanfic I read some years (and three computers) ago.  In essence it followed the story of Barnabas, Julia, Quentin, etc. from when they returned to 1970.  Written in the style of the "Episode Guides" it included cast lists--and a visit to Parallel Time 1897 where the villain was 'played' by Alexandre Molke.

Never been able to find it again, alas.

Was it this one?   "Dark Shadows Returns:  Episode 1246 and Beyond"  by "Charles Delaware Troll"

http://members.aol.com/chasdtroll/mainp.html

This and "Dark Redemption" are among my favorites of the online DS fan-fics.

[Zahir]

Thank you, yes!  That was exactly the one I was thinking of!  

[Nancy]

A friend of mine runs a fanfic group devoted to stories about Barnabas and/or Bramwell.  The list is always looking for "new blood."  It is an adult list.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BarnabasBramwellfanfic

Nancy

[Jackie]

A friend of mine runs a fanfic group devoted to stories about Barnabas and/or Bramwell.  The list is always looking for "new blood."  It is an adult list.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BarnabasBramwellfanfic

I'm reading one wonderful ongoing story there right now! 

[Julia99]

and of course Julia stories can be found on the Yahoo Julia list or www.juliahoffman.com

didn't i post this already . .maybe i dreamt it. .

[Mysterious Benefactor]

didn't i post this already . .maybe i dreamt it. .

You didn't dream it. Or maybe you didn't only dream it. You actually posted it back on the 19th in this topic on Current Talk '05 I:

Who would have made an interesting love interest for Julia besides Barnabas?

 

[Zahir]

Something I've been tinkering with for a while, finally started to put it on the web.  If folks like, I'll continue...

http://www.geocities.com/zahir13/dark/dsi.html

[Heather]

If you're writing a DS novel in hopes of actually having it published and making a profit from it, then by all means, you'd better keep the characters the way they were originally written, and don't let the plot stray too far from the Collinwood we all know and love.
But if you're writing for the love of it, because you have a story idea you just HAVE to explore, and characters you're dying to bring to life, then write what you damn well please

Yup...
Well, I've found that creative writing is as much an outlet and at times stress reducer for me as my other artistic pursuits. When I look back on it, the creative process, regardless of what form it takes, has gotten me through some difficult times...
And personally, aside from being an unabashed and unapologetic B&J nut, I just cannot get enough of Julia fanfic {squeal}...especially since only bits and pieces were inferred about her background on the show, so its a neat area to explore. Some of my favorites include the adventures of a not so tight ass PT Julia, and a particularly well written prose about Julia and Liz coming to a discrete arrangement...

Personally, if I was to write such a novel, the opening scene would be the one where the Collins family is burying Barnabas at the crossroads of some major intersection in Maine, accompanied by the Rite of Exorcism being intoned by a Cardinal, at the very least.

LMAO....my first laugh all week. Thank you... 

[BuzzH]

And personally, aside from being an unabashed and unapologetic B&J nut, I just cannot get enough of Julia fanfic {squeal}...especially since only bits and pieces were inferred about her background on the show, so its a neat area to explore.

Heather, have you ever read Tales of Hoffman?  It's a novel-like collection of short stories taking one from Julia's childhood to post DS where she's married to Barnabas and fawning over their college age son Ben.  Good reading! 

[Pansity]

However, as long as a story or novel appears, IMO, to be well-written, I'll give it a whirl, no matter which character is in the spotlight. though complex multi-character plotlines are always appreciated.  (I've endeavored to include as many original characters as well as my own in my fan-fiction, with vital actions for all.)

Perfect way of putting it.  Personally, I have never understood -- in any fandom (and I have been involved in more than a half dozen since 1975) -- why someone would like a show enough to be involved in the fandom and read fanfiction (which used to mean buy fanzines), yet limit their reading material by only reading fanfic about certain topics or characters.

I like reading about the WORLD that DS creates, which includes all characters whether i like them or not.  Though, I must admit that I have a bit of Barnabas/Julia overload, as between all the copies of WODS I have and all the netfic I have read, the bulk of the stories tend to be B/J.

There are a LOT of underused characters out there, like Stokes.  I would LOVE to see some background stories about how he got involved with the paranormal in the first place.

Quentin is also a seriously underused character.  Someone knowledgeable in the occult wandering who knows where doing who knows what for 70 years  -- and during what is classed as one of the most volatile periods in history -- one would think that story ideas would abound.  But, aside from two or three sites with high quality well written stories, and some half written stuff that apparently was never finished there's nothing.  <Insert obligatory plug here>  Though I have had a novelette and a short novel, both about Quentin and Beth, accepted by Kathy Resch for publication.  The novel would probably appeal to some here.  Its a redo of "Quentin and Amanda go to Hell -- but Amanda is replaced by the EARLY incarnation of Beth.  Remember her, the one with the backbone who made Quentin back down more than once? The one who had her own "I don't understand!" lobotomy courtesy of the writers, and became a one note crying machine.