Coloring Books?

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

I have been reading the posts about Fanlib's attempt to co-opt fan fiction. Much more articulate people than me have done a really good job of identifying the issues and posing questions back to Fanlib. However,  one of the statements from Fanlib's site really poked at me.

 So, here is my two cents worth of opinion regarding this quote Fanlib sent to  potential investors,  "As with a coloring book, players must 'stay within the lines.'"

To start with, coloring books are not art. They may fall within the guidelines for craft work, since that often involves following directions exactly;  they may be considered calming to color in, too. But. They. Are. Not. Art.

It's not art to end up with a picture that is identical to anyone who also chooses that picture. There is no creativity. There is no process of defining for yourself what your concept is, it's already laid out for you.
And as a child, if you do try and deviate from the expected,  color your sky purple and your ground pink,  you will be told you are not doing it right. (Because if your teacher understood about the creative process, you would have been asked to draw for yourself and color to suit what you think your picture needs).

So what is Fanlib's message saying to fan fiction writers?
That they are equating us with children?  Children are the group that mostly uses coloring books. If we are the children then what corresponding role is marked for Fanlib, parental or educational?  They are going to monitor us for correct coloring behavior and make sure we don't step out of line.  Does that sound like adult to adult interaction to you?  Since we are not in fact children, in need of help or supervision,  the context of that quote is insulting.

I have never liked coloring books and have never substituted them for actual art work with any children I have ever taught.  I will do my stories the way I want them to be, not what Fanlib tells me is acceptable. I won't stay in lines that have no purpose but to take away my choices.  I won't be joining Fanlib because actions send messages and their behavior tells me they do not respect the very group they are trying to entice into supporting their program.
 Laurie

05/26/2007 update I added djinanna's icon, just 'cause it's cool.

Comments

[aerynvala.livejournal.com]

Coloring books in their quote above is pretty much what they want. Or something like madlibs, which is actually what I think their name is based on. They (or the show) provides the framework and users/players can just 'add color'. We, creative fans, have never really been who they hoped to create content for them, IMO. They want random tv watcher (of the 'right' demographic) to see their site, buy into their BS and write up some fanlibs that will give them plenty of page views for their ads.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

Wow, I totally had not made the FanLib/MadLib connection, but yeah that does make a lot of sense.

[aerynvala.livejournal.com]

The name of their site never made sense to me until I associated it with madlibs. From all the surfing around on this topic I've done lately I see that the latest company line is that they just loved fan fiction so much that they've decided to expand past the original (and entirely coloring book/madlibs) mission statement. But given their modifications of submitted stories (re-rating or deleting is all I've heard of so far), I feel they are still too deeply in bed with the rights holders for me to trust.

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

I just love how people are putting together the picture from all sorts of different perspectives and clues. Madlib to Fanlib,eh. I never heard of Madlib before your comment.
Laurie

[aerynvala.livejournal.com]

*nod* Yeah. I'm thrilled to see all this collective skill and personal experiences in fandom turned to rooting out the motives and origins of this company.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

Actually, madlibs were the first thing I thought of when I heard of FanLib. It confused me.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

I actually love coloring books and at various times in my adult life have colored in some of the incredibly lovely Dover books. It's a nice soothing thing to do and it gives me a chance to play with color in a fun way.

Having said all that, my love of coloring has very little to do with my love of writing fan fic. When I write, I'm being creative and saying something in my own ways. It's not soothing and it's usually not pretty and while a story I write might have the same elements as other slash stories, it is unique to me in certain ways.

It seems a little pretentious to say that what I write is art, but I will say that that's what I'm striving for. When I color all I'm doing is turning my brain off the way I would be playing solitaire.

So yeah, that one sentence would have been more than enough to turn me off even if I'd thought FanLib was a great idea or even if my mental jury was still out.

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

My daughter and her friends colored in college in coloring books to help relieve stress, so I know it can be a soothing experience.

Conformity is what is asked for with coloring books and from what I see, also is what Fanlib is asking for from it's writers.
Laurie

[rike-tikki-tavi.livejournal.com]

I think it's a really telling comparison on FanLib's part. Come on, be a nice little kiddy and paint within the lines.

To bad for them that the most fun about coloring books is to go beyond the lines or to do them in weird colors.

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you color in them be a noncomformist.
and write your stories any damn way you please.
Laurie