The nature of many fanfictions

[Malte279]

I think I"ll try to write one that has one human in it, but otherwise following the lbt universe as best I can.

Is the human so integral a part of the story. I realize that I sound like a zealot or missionary here. I have absolutely no right whatsoever to tell people what to write and what not to. But because there are so very, very few fanfictions out there that stick to LBT as we know it from the movies while on the other hand every time there had been a movie or episode which we did not approve of fans ended up shouting that fans could write better stories than that I'm always out to encourage our talented writers (and with all my harsh criticism I want it to be clearly understood that the quality of the writing as such is very good in many fanfictions) to try to write land before time fanfictions that, if turned into a movie, would leave people with a good feeling about it without upsetting the whole land before time universe.

[vonboy]

I just feel that isn't too much of a stretch, since there were aliens in the 7th movie (most believe those rainbowfaces were aliens). Besides, I was going to try to make all of the lbt characters be in character. There would be no dinosaur in that universe trying to start a war or anything like that. I was not going to deal with things like the dinosaurs learning of their ultimate demise, or learning how humans act like they are above every other living thing.

Also, The human won't be talking about where he comes from much. I don't even think he'll say he's from a different time. He says he's come from a far away place to study places and people (aka scientific research) but that's not really the reason he came. It's still very early in my fanfiction. but I was going to have the human come in with prejudices of thinking more highly of human life than dino life. He is going to slowly change over time. The main idea of my fanfiction would be of a very different and unclean person coming to a clean world, and being changed by it, not the other way around (what I feel most lbt fanfictions with humans in them are about.).

Maybe this would never work in an actual lbt movie, but it's what I want to write about.

[The Friendly Sharptooth]

I didn’t read every single post in this thread so far; my good eye was starting to complain. So if I say anything that was said already, I apologize, as I did it without my knowledge.

I’ve written a bit of both. Some that fall into pure Land Before Time material and some that do not. It can be saddening to some to see LBT characters amidst things that one would have never imagined based off of the movies. When I see a fantasy LBT story myself, I often see it as an original piece with LBT elements. That makes the style more comfortable to read. Still, a lot of fantasy elements can come about that have explanations tied to the official storyline. The Legend of the Story speakers had some magical stories in them. Movies seven and ten left a lot of to question in a sort of magical, mysterious way. I think that therefore whether a fan fiction is canon or not is more up to the writer to decide and not so much the viewers.

Sharptooth Valley has a lot of fantasy, but it is supported by an element introduced in the movie series- The Stone of Cold Fire. If I story can be backed up by a movie or episode, is it really so outrageous? Just because content would never appear in a movie doesn’t prove its impurity. There are thirteen movies, all following a base set of rules that we can recognize. Therefore, having seen a formula so much, there are many readers who want something new to keep the theme fresh. Are there really readers out there that want to see Littlefoot and company running through Reclaw’s legs every time he nearly gets them? Do they really want Redclaw to keep wasting his time roaring and staring than actually moving forward to nab the kids? New content, I agree, is not for all. But one cannot deny the popularity of fantasy in the LBT world.

Out of the Shadows has hundreds of reviews, to my knowledge, more than any other LBT story on fan fiction.net. No pure story has come close. A story can have many purposes: to teach, to explain to persuade, to entertain, and more. If a LBT story is loaded with magic and whatnot, yet it successfully manages to entertain quite an audience, I call it a success and more power to it. I think being sad about a lack of pure stories is like being sad that your backyard is full of trash. If you don’t like something, make a difference yourself. Instead of staring at the garbage, like staring at impure fan fictions, go out and pick up the garbage, or in another context, write a pure story or two of your own. And, if you can’t write your own, that is even more of a reason not to find qualms. “You can’t throw that rock very far at all!” “Oh yeah? You can’t throw it at all!” “…” Writing content within certain boundaries makes a lot of people feel trapped. Sure, some content makes even me raise a brow sometimes, but writing is about being yourself, not trying to imagine you’re one of the writers of the films.

There is one sure fire way to ensure you aren’t bothered by impure LBT stories: simply read the summary, and if the theme isn’t to your liking, then don’t open it. If someone decides to smoke a cigarette, is it the cigarette’s fault or is it yours for making a conscious decision to experience it? I doubt anyone here has been forced to read fantasy LBT stories solely from being forced with a gun to your head. Besides, if you want to guarantee you’ll get the real deal, then simply watch the real deal! Now, I am aware that a few fan fictions out there come across as pure then steer off very differently as the content goes on, but once you realize it, it’s as easy as X-ing out of the internet window. Complaining about reading an impure LBT story is like eating tons of candy then saying, “Mommy, I feel sick!” Only you decide what you read, so if you don’t like something- don’t read it!

Now I’m not saying that people shouldn’t voice their dislike of something. If you have an opinion, by all means, let it be known. However, complaining that a story isn’t your thing should not be confused with complaining that you read a story you didn’t enjoy. If a story isn’t for you, you have the right to explain why it didn’t suit your fancy; everyone does. But to say you are unhappy from reading a story you didn’t like, well, the only fault there lies with the reader for staying with it. No writer can please everyone. I say that if it interests enough people, it was a success, no matter how many did not like it.
Actually, I did something just for you, Malte279. I created a community just for LBT stories that have no out of the ordinary elements, like magic, humans, and wars. I frequently find more to add to it, so if you ever have a hankering for a pure story, here’s the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/community/Canon_...Fictions/89679/. I hope that I offended no one with my comments, and I apologize if I did.

[trulyfantasticme]

I really hate fanfictions where like Littlefoot and Ducky have sex.  That's just disquesting in my opinion.  Not to mention that in is physically impossible without causing Ducky serious injury.  Has anyone run into that sort of crap?

I know, I hate that too! What's even worse, is that they have pics of it!!!

BARF!!!

[Dima02]

There is one sure fire way to ensure you aren’t bothered by impure LBT stories: simply read the summary, and if the theme isn’t to your liking, then don’t open it. If someone decides to smoke a cigarette, is it the cigarette’s fault or is it yours for making a conscious decision to experience it? I doubt anyone here has been forced to read fantasy LBT stories solely from being forced with a gun to your head. Besides, if you want to guarantee you’ll get the real deal, then simply watch the real deal! Now, I am aware that a few fan fictions out there come across as pure then steer off very differently as the content goes on, but once you realize it, it’s as easy as X-ing out of the internet window. Complaining about reading an impure LBT story is like eating tons of candy then saying, “Mommy, I feel sick!” Only you decide what you read, so if you don’t like something- don’t read it!

Personally, I don't mind mild amounts of violence, magic, or death in LBT fanfictions. I'm a huge fan of Out of the Shadows, and I enjoy reading crossovers. After all, LBT is not fully free from death or magic. I remember being milding creeped out by the plethora of skelletons in the original Land Before Time when I was little, but I watched the entire film and loved it. The same goes for the fight between Littlefoot's mother and the original Sharptooth. Magic and science are both elements of The Stone of Cold Fire. The stone was believed to be magical, and one of the rainbowfaces held a model of an atom. After all LBT is not fully free of magic, violence, and death. Aliens have appeared in LBT 7, so why not humans?

Now, about crossovers, I hold no discrimination against them. I feel like bringing in new characters from new worlds can enlargen the plot and give the writer a greater degree of freedom and creativity. The writers can fully utilize their creativity to entertain the reader.

But guys, please remember, it is your choice if you want to read a story or not. If you don't like a story, just click the red X in the upper-right corner of your screen. At long as it's not a hatefic, I believe that someone will like the story.

I have to admit that I've been writing my own fanfic. It is now 10,000-words long. But I still hesitate to post it, because I received a lot of opposition in the beginning. I can not speak for all fanfic authors, but personally, I find writing stories a challanging task. Maybe it's just because I'm writing a technothriller, but I'm constantly looking up locations in Google Earth, researching facts about geographical locations and vehicles, and skimming LBT movies in order to maximize the realism of the dialogue. For proof, just read my article on the possible locations of the Great Valley. I put a two page description of the Great Valley into my fanfic. I wrote everything from the elevation of the mountains to the names of the creeks on Google Earth. I even painstakingly plotted a possible 880-mile route that Littlefoot could have taken, and I even flown that route on the flight sim to check for possible landmarks that coincided witht he landmaks in the movie. This was no small task. I believe that the least I deserve is a few good comments, and I don't want my fanfic to get criticized just because it contains humans.

I don't like violence. I'm a vegetarian, and I'm the president of the Vegetarian Club at my school. I also mediate, and my friends and teachers tell me that violence is wrong. But they also told me to not force my ideas onto others. I continuously have to urge the members of my club to distance ourselves from PETA, because I do not agree with their expansionist ideology (although some of my members really like their ads). Although many people tease me for being vegetarian, I never strike back, because I believe in tolerance. I believe that the same goes for fanfictions. I don't like the practice of eating meat, but I never talk back to omnivores, because I believe that they have to freedom to do what they want. It's the same thing with fanfics. If you don't like them, just don't read them.

I've read a great quote from my AP Euro text book from Friedrich Nietzsche. It reads: "“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”

And The Friendly Sharptooth, it was really nice of you to make that website. If a LBT purist doesn't like such a wonderful gift, he has no soul. Thanks, the Friendly Sharptooth.

Also, like the Friendly Sharptooth, I hope that I offended no one with my comments, and I apologize if I did.

[DarkHououmon]

I admit I do have a dislike towards the idea of a vegetarian diet. To me, a vegetarian diet doesn't make much sense for humans. If we were meant to be herbivores, shouldn't we have stronger digestive systems? We can't digest as much plant material as, oh say, a rabbit (correct me if I'm wrong). The concept of a vegetarian diet has always baffled me.

Anyway I'm getting off topic. Back on topic. The idea of a place where pure LBT fanfics can be posted sounds interesting. I might check it out, though I don't have any pure LBT fanfics to post up.

[Serris]

Going along these lines, you have absolutely no right to criticize an author for the subject matter they write about, no matter how controversial it is.

You have the right to disagree with them or tell them why you did not like their story but you do not have the right to tell them or even dissuade them from writing something.