For what it is worth, I'm interested in unexplored settings and time periods with OCs.

Aside from AQ, there's Für Das Größere Wohl, Madam Minister, Stranlicht, With the Devil. Probably a few others I'm forgetting.

They might have little to do with canon events, but exploring magical societies in other parts of the world in different time periods is something that holds a lot of appeal to me regardless.

 

But are they really writing FanFiction then? Or are they just using Harry Potter's magic system to write their own original fiction. If there is nothing linking those stories to cannon, beyond the use of wands, I'm not entirely sure it's still FanFiction. Or maybe my definition of it is just different.

 

For me, fan fiction is using the world that they set. Using references to characters that have been explained, or even creating important people out of nearliy realised historical references. This is as much fan fiction as if I were to write a story about Scorpios rather then treat him as a secondary character.

---------- Post automerged at 05:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:41 PM ----------

I had ment earlier, and what I mean is that it seems to me that, as people are saying, it is because of the somewhat larger mass of bad fiction, as many people who learned how not to write bad stuff from here and other places moved on, that it can be harder to consider in retrospect.

---------- Post automerged at 05:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:46 PM ----------

I'm just asking why it is "in name only" to set a story in the universe, just about different people in say... new York, 2008

 

Well, because the magic system is not the core of Harry Potter, rather it's the story and the characters that makes the series. Wizards in Venezuela, well, it's just not going to be Harry Potter. You are of course free to write it, but it will be so far removed from the books that it's pretty much original fiction.
Which is nothing bad, but then you've removed the crutches that fanfiction gives you and it may be alienating to potential readers who do not want to invest the effort to get to know 10-15 new characters and a bunch of new places.

 

But you still have hundreds of years worth of history to work with. You still have a bunch of information about people and the wizarding world. And, realy, what is the problem with it coming out almost as original fiction. The only reason I ever write fan fiction is because the world is interesting in some way. I mean, the us would probably be just as affected by the great battles, in the last because of how it would effect international relations.

 

I agree that there are hundreds of years of history in the wizarding world not know to us. That's one of the reasons a lot of people seem to enjoy fics set during the foundation of Hogwarts, me excluded. However, because of the way you seem to be planting your story, I'd have to guess you won't be writing about Merlin or the Hogwarts' founders. And there is where the issue lies.

Do you plan to write a story where Voldemort's actions affected your characters? If so, why not use the next generation? Because as other have said before, what you seem to be wanting to write isn't really Harry Potter fanfiction.

 

Why not use the next generation? because 1 theirs enough bad romance fiction their to suficate me and 2 I want to use more charecters then just those from hogwarts.

 

I don't see why the first point would be an issue. You have no need to write about romance. Hell, you could write one of the best stories about them.

Regarding the second issue. I ask again. Will those characters be directly affected/connected to what happened with Voldemort? Because if not, my first question still remains.

 

Maybe not directly. Not everyone in the world was affected, and since it is the next generation anyone who is affected is probably affected through their parents. I just mean, at this point, it's probably easier to find crap about the next gen then their is about OCs. But in any case, well, I am going to use them I just still want to use other schools. All of the non-vocational scools.

 

Can you tell us why you want to use an OC instead of an exiting character? There's no reason to use existing fanfiction as an excuse since a story should be good regardless of what somebody else wrote.

What year is your story set? If you want to set it any time before the 1900s then that's acceptable but there are a wide variety of names to choose from after that time. Even then, to make it less OC, just stick a familiar surname onto the character.

 

It's supposed to be set about a decade or so after the books, around now, and around the time the end of the books is set. I would assume that the Hogwarts character should go in the same year as the new kids in the ending. But I really want to explore the other schools. How interesting would it be to really look into a school where they don't really use broomsticks often but have a stable of flying horses? What about a school where the continuation of magic, no matter it's purpose, is taught to all students. What are the differences about a school in Africa, Russia, Japan or Brazil? This is what I want to explore, and the main argument I have for using completely new characters since... well, it makes logical sense.

As for the Hogwarts fic, no matter what people will have some conceptions of the characters that were mentioned in the epilogue. I want to get a handle on that, and maybe use a character not mentioned their. Have a new character who will, with whatever skills he may have, befriend some of that cast or make enemies of them.

 

It's interesting to see the different viewpoints on OCs/time periods/new locations here. I wonder, would you guys be interested in an HP fanfiction that's set in mid-80's Hogwarts, and follows three complete OCs (with the occasional canon cameo)? I'm experimenting with writing such a story right now, and the posts about how OCs and unexplored time-periods are not "true HP fanfiction" sort of bug me. The characters are somewhat influenced by canon events, but not in an immadiate way.

Personally, what I liked most about HP is the settings and the worldbuilding, rather than the characters themselves. I view it as one great sandbox, which you can't use to write original fiction because you will be obviously sued.

 

If you want to explore other countries, then you still have a bunch of family names to choose from. The Delaclours are a French family after all and you can even have Teddy attend Beauxabatons att he behest of Fleur.

By the way, it's not like they use flying horses to play Quidditch, it was mostly just a way to show off for the other schools.

If you want to do a school other than Beauxabatons (Any particular preferences?) then just stick a familiar surname onto the character to lessen the OC feeling. You can make an excuse like saying the Lestranges fled Europe or something.

As for it being interesting...To tell you the truth, for me, it wouldn't. The main reason most people liekd Harry Potter was because of the simplicity of the Magic system. There was no Fairy magic or Ancient Magic, the closest you got were the Dark Arts and even they were pretty simple in comparison to magic in other media.

You can do it about Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Tonks or anyone else who we know lived in that period. Their personalities at the time are a blank slate and >10 years can really change a person.

The thing you both have to understand is that when you're writing about an OC, it's a fine line between Fanfiction and Original Fiction.
time.

Let's say I write a Harry Potter fanfiction where Harry has dwarfism and due to this can't access his magic. Let's say that his aunt Petunia died for unknown reasosn so it's just him and his uncle. Let's say that Dumbledore is slightly more powerful and proactive and is still friends with Grindewald who doesn't seem all that bad at first. Let's say that the Black family is actually royalty and Sirius has to redeem his family line. Let's say that the only horcrux Voldemort has left is the Ring. And let's say that this was all set thousands of years ago and the planet was called Middle Earth back then.

The above is an exaggeration, but you get my point. Kogitsune, yours is much closer to straying into this than Atrams but in all fairness Atram has more characters to choose from and make cameo experiences.

TL;DR: Why use OCs when you can just stick a familar surname onto the character?

 

I'm fairly sure that none of the characters you mentioned can fit into the characteristics I have planned, not to mention that they need to be in the same age - and a very particular age.

I guess I'm alone in preferring OCs to canon characters that you have to bend in order to fit the story, mainly because I don't appreciate OOCness.

 

This is pretty much my argument. Their are, like, how many students that go to hogwarts alone? We know from the epilogue what's going on there, and a character should be going in the same year as Albus and the Malfoy kid. In that case I only claim it's easier to use an original character because you will be able to control all aspects of their life. In the other cases, it would seem out of charecter based on this whole thing for them to be their. I want the story to exist, in this case in the 2000s, in the same universe as the epolauge.

 

Taking a cue from television is a dubious guide, but I'm reminded of a number of spin-off shows that were successful- Trek variants mostly, but also the CSI and NCIS shows, not to mention Torchwood. The producers would insist that an early episode if not the pilot have a major storyline that includes one or more of the source characters to help draw in the existing fanbase and enact a 'passing of the torch'. It would help to ground the audience but also to distinguish the new series in the change of tone from the original.

 

It's actually one of my pet peeves when every OC around has the surname of a student from Harry's year. If the characters are OC in the first place, then let them be so completely. Naming your characters after some random dudes in Hufflepuff we know nothing about isn't going to make me any more invested in their fate.

On the other hand I tend to completely ignore any story where Harry isn't the main character, unless it's a oneshot short story.

 

Thats interesting, but the question would then be to try and understand how to do that? The best Idea I have is that, on some sort of summit on dark magic at the grand convention the main storyline takes place in, the main charecters discuss the dark lord and defeating him.

---------- Post automerged at 10:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 PM ----------

Well, considering how things were going in this thread shortly before... that is an interesting interpratation.