What's tremendously sad is that there are more pro authors who got their start writing fanfiction than people think.
Neil Gaimen, for example, wrote fanfic (as well as worked as a reporter). Diane Duane, for example, as definitely copped to writing fanfiction and defends the idea of it as "real writing," even though some of her colleagues look at her funny. I think even Ron Moore did some of it (I'm not 100% sure, and if he did I don't think he published it anywhere) before he landed the job of his fanboy dreams on Next Generation.
The fact is, for every pro-writer who laughs at it, there's a pro-writer who comes out and says they have no issue with it at all provided no one makes money. Fanfic is basically free advertising for the source material and people who view it like that are willing to put up with some fanon inconvenience in exchance for it.
However, I can imagine that JK Rowling has pulled her hair out more than once over the fact that some people are accusing her of writing her characters OOC (i.e., Draco or the PuppyShip of Sirus/Remus) because people like the fanon versions of the characters more.
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Neil Gaimen, for example, wrote fanfic (as well as worked as a reporter). Diane Duane, for example, as definitely copped to writing fanfiction and defends the idea of it as "real writing," even though some of her colleagues look at her funny. I think even Ron Moore did some of it (I'm not 100% sure, and if he did I don't think he published it anywhere) before he landed the job of his fanboy dreams on Next Generation.
The fact is, for every pro-writer who laughs at it, there's a pro-writer who comes out and says they have no issue with it at all provided no one makes money. Fanfic is basically free advertising for the source material and people who view it like that are willing to put up with some fanon inconvenience in exchance for it.
However, I can imagine that JK Rowling has pulled her hair out more than once over the fact that some people are accusing her of writing her characters OOC (i.e., Draco or the PuppyShip of Sirus/Remus) because people like the fanon versions of the characters more.