Let's talk about AU

I love AU. There is only so much you can do within the canon universe, especially with TSOM. I do love missing moments but it gets to a point where things get a bit same, same but different.

I loved your AU “The Widow” because it still had the integral characters and motivations but was something new and fun. And, of course, you just write exquisitely well.

But yes, AU is exciting! You don’t know what’s going to happen and that’s part of the fun, well it is for me. And I think it’s more of a challenge to both the reader and the writer in AU.

It is FanFiction after all, and if I wanted to read the movie plot, I would just go watch the movie. A lot of my other fandoms, pretty much everything I read is AU (particularly one because the pairing is not canon) and it’s so interesting seeing different takes on the characters. It’s give you more space to explore those characters and how’d they behave in a different setting.

I still love missing moments. Your “Bank Shot” is one of my all time favourites - goodness, I sound like such a fangirl but I guess I am haha And those kind of stories make me all happy and exhilarated.

I think I just waffled like there’s no tomorrow but I love AU. It doesn’t even have to be that drastic an AU. The only kind I’m not really a fan of is when they make Georg and Maria closer in age (such as a school AU). I prefer a seasoned gentleman, not an errant schoolboy, thank you very much.

Definitely! Can never have too many.

And yes, the characters have to be true to themselves or else you are just writing a story with the characters names *cough*fiftyshades*cough*

Personally I looooove AUs. When I first started reading fanfic I wasn’t all that keen, but Downton Abbey modern AUs changed everything. They were the characters I loved in a totally different situation, and because I loved the actors too it was so much fun to pretend it was a whole other tv show in my head (which I realise sounds a bit crazy 😄)!

As for SoM AUs, I like them because the canon is inherently much more restrictive in a movie, and like others have said it does get a bit samey after a while. I mean, there are only so many situations you can put a retired sea captain and a former postulant in... 😉 I think AUs can develop the characters in ways that more canon stories can’t always do.

As for space aliens thebeestings, there must be some Star Trek 6 crossover fic somewhere 😉

You aren't the only one who reads DA modern au like a whole new TV show!  In my mind BC and JoFro have acted endlessly together 💖💖💖.

And I think that also opened my mind to au as well.  It's fun to explore characters in new situations.  You get to know them better.

Not at all! Your story was wonderful.

50 Shades, or Master of the Universe as it was originally called, took characters and changed them completely. And I just dislike it for its inaccurate representation of its subject matter. Your story, however, was both hot (very much so!) and believable.

This is true. Of course, no offence meant to anyone that likes either. I had my Twilight phase too, when the books were first released. But I got over it, I think I even gave them to a cousin. I remember I enjoyed her other book, the Host, more than Twilight. I never read the original FF but I read 50 shades to see what all the fuss was over.

Yeah same, I read around the same time as Twilight. I think they made it into a movie as well. I've only seen the first Twilight movie, I was over it by the time any others came out.

Hmm true. Well if adaption is a form of fanfic than that makes so many films and shows fanfic! I mean, if you take someone else's character and give the new stories and such, it's basically what we do (except we ain't getting any moola). I know people have said that about a few franchises like Sherlock, Doctor Who, Marvel and DC universes. Interesting topic for discussion.

WOW! I stole a few minutes from work (OK, and from publishing a little something new) to find this amazing discussion! Thanks everyone for your thoughts, and INeverExplainAnything for your kind words. In your honor I'm writing a sequel to Bank Shot! thebeestings, you know that FSOG story was one of my absolute favorites and I realize that while I wrote you a long and gushy PM about it, I did not review it for the world to know of my utter adoration for it. I've got to fix that!

Thanks everyone for such intelligent and interesting responses!

Kind of bringing this up again because I'm really curious about everyone else's thoughts!

I, for one, love a good A/U. Plus, I really do love trying to be able to challenge myself to write something that isn't canon (though I've been told by quite a few people that my A/Us are too sad, oops). And like many previous responders, I find them immensely exciting to read. There is always uncertainty about what will happen + I love to see how differently writers interpret the characters to put them in a world created by their imagination! I also really adore crossovers, and I LOVE seeing how well the author meshes two different storylines together to create something fresh and beautiful!

Well, to be honest, I'm just really a sucker for M and G and I'd GLADLY read anything that involves them -- whether it be canon or not :')

I don't mind AU but like very much their character especially M and would more like with familiar outcome