The short answer is yes. The long answer is more complicated.
Part of the difference, in my opinion, is that, with the exception of Romance novels or epic, genre novels (where you already know all the characters before you begin the novel), in mainstream fiction you don't read based on ship. You read based on a general plot idea, a type of story, the strength of your feeling for the author. There is something driving your interest in the book other than the relationship between the characters.
In most of the fandoms I belong to, it's the exact opposite. People base part or all of their decision to read a story on the relationship between the characters. I know that in the X Files fandom this wasn't always the case. The emphasis used to be on genfic, frienship fic or casefiles. There was a strong core of people (noromos) who didn't believe in a romantic relationship between Mulder and Scully. (Obviously the series itself affected how that fandom changed.)
I'll read fic that I'd never touch in book format because of the focus. If it's a pairing that I ship, with an author that I like, I'll try almost anything. Because, almost always, it's ultimately the pairing that the story is about--not whatever else is going on. In mainstream writing, it's generally the opposite--the pairing is secondary to what is going on in the story.
Another factor for me is time. Most fic isn't going to require two or more hours of me time. And, if it is, I'm going to be sure that there is a high likelihood that I'll enjoy it. I'm an exceptionally fast reader, but it still takes me an average of two hours to read a book. That's an investment on my part. I'm willing to entertain a far-fetched scenario or idea or situation for the twenty or so minutes it'll take me to read the story (always knowing that I can close the window if it gets too squicky) whereas I'm unlikely to invest larger chunks of time on the same scenarios when I don't know the characters or have an investment in them.
I think fic writers are able to take greater risks and go further in terms of boundaries than your average mainstream writer because part of the hard work is done. After all, most people who click the link and start reading your fic know the world, the characters, their basic histories and motivations, the rules of the universe and are already invested in these things. They're willing be to stretched and challenged because they already *care* about the characters. In mainstream writing, the author has to create all these things and encourage the reader to invest themselves in them, only then can they move you further.
As a sidenote, I think this is part of the reason that OC's are so rarely accepted in fic writing. The average reader is there with an agenda (their ship/preferred characters) and isn't really concerned with meeting new people, particularly since they're so frequently as well-developed as the characters they already know.
I don't suppose any of this actually answers your questions though.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-11-09 09:06 am (UTC)Part of the difference, in my opinion, is that, with the exception of Romance novels or epic, genre novels (where you already know all the characters before you begin the novel), in mainstream fiction you don't read based on ship. You read based on a general plot idea, a type of story, the strength of your feeling for the author. There is something driving your interest in the book other than the relationship between the characters.
In most of the fandoms I belong to, it's the exact opposite. People base part or all of their decision to read a story on the relationship between the characters. I know that in the X Files fandom this wasn't always the case. The emphasis used to be on genfic, frienship fic or casefiles. There was a strong core of people (noromos) who didn't believe in a romantic relationship between Mulder and Scully. (Obviously the series itself affected how that fandom changed.)
I'll read fic that I'd never touch in book format because of the focus. If it's a pairing that I ship, with an author that I like, I'll try almost anything. Because, almost always, it's ultimately the pairing that the story is about--not whatever else is going on. In mainstream writing, it's generally the opposite--the pairing is secondary to what is going on in the story.
Another factor for me is time. Most fic isn't going to require two or more hours of me time. And, if it is, I'm going to be sure that there is a high likelihood that I'll enjoy it. I'm an exceptionally fast reader, but it still takes me an average of two hours to read a book. That's an investment on my part. I'm willing to entertain a far-fetched scenario or idea or situation for the twenty or so minutes it'll take me to read the story (always knowing that I can close the window if it gets too squicky) whereas I'm unlikely to invest larger chunks of time on the same scenarios when I don't know the characters or have an investment in them.
I think fic writers are able to take greater risks and go further in terms of boundaries than your average mainstream writer because part of the hard work is done. After all, most people who click the link and start reading your fic know the world, the characters, their basic histories and motivations, the rules of the universe and are already invested in these things. They're willing be to stretched and challenged because they already *care* about the characters. In mainstream writing, the author has to create all these things and encourage the reader to invest themselves in them, only then can they move you further.
As a sidenote, I think this is part of the reason that OC's are so rarely accepted in fic writing. The average reader is there with an agenda (their ship/preferred characters) and isn't really concerned with meeting new people, particularly since they're so frequently as well-developed as the characters they already know.
I don't suppose any of this actually answers your questions though.
Sorry?