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.