Novel Progress: using fanfiction

The first assignment for Coursera's Creative Writing: The Craft of Character took me by surprise. Although the instructions didn't use the term fanfiction, that's what they described. We were to take two characters from a book, movie, etc. and place them in a conversation with a new character (in other words, an OC). After several days of indecisiveness about which fandom to use, I landed on sending Supernatural's Dean Winchester and Castiel to the world of my novel, where they encounter Amethyst. Yes, they talk to a duck.

The goal was to show the personality of the three characters as they discuss or negotiate something that the canon characters want. In this case, Dean & Castiel want to talk to Amethyst's friend Zach, and she needs some convincing. Here's the scene:

“And another thing — ” Mid-sentence, he was transported to a garden. A sharp glance to his left confirmed Castiel was here, too. “Now we’re Death’s errand boys?” Dean complained to the angel.

“If we want his help, yes.” Castiel still held the artifact Death had handed him.

“Quack!” A duckling ran out of the bushes toward them.

Castiel put the artifact in his overcoat pocket as the small, pale purple creature approached. Purple, really? She circled him and then quacked again. “Thank you,” Castiel said. “Perhaps you can help us.”

“A duck?” Dean protested. “Are you serious? We have two hours to find this guy and get him to tell us the secret behind that artifact, or Death won’t join our team. We don’t have time to play Doctor Doolittle.”

“This is no ordinary duck. She complimented me on my wings.”

“So?”

“She has an acute level of perception to notice my wings when I’m in my human vessel.” Castiel crouched. “We’re looking for Zach Ames. Can you tell us where he is?”

More quacking ensued. Dean prowled the garden, looking for any signs of this Zach person.

Castiel held out his hands an inch off the ground, and the duck hopped up. She walked from one hand to another and quacked again.

“It giving you any answers?” Dean asked.

Keeping the duck steady in his hands, Castiel stood up. It quacked and waved its wings, and he grimaced. “She doesn’t like being called it. And yes, she knows where Zach is.”

Dean faced the duck. “Awesome. Tell us.”

“Quack!” she replied in a challenging tone.

“It’s not that simple,” Castiel explained. “Zach rescued Amethyst, and she’s imprinted on him. She wants to confirm that our intentions are pure.”

“Tell her. She likes you.”

Castiel held out his hands toward Dean. “As I said, she’s perceptive. She needs to touch you to know if she can trust you.”

Rolling his eyes, Dean cupped his hands. The duck hopped over and paced back and forth. She seemed dissatisfied, and pecked at a callous on his palm. Then she slipped her bill under his sleeve for a moment to touch the softer skin of his wrist. She nestled down, appearing content, and her next quack was more like a sigh. Her feathers were soft as a whisper against his hand.

“She’ll lead us too him,” Castiel translated.

“Yeah, I figured.”

No, this scene isn't going in the novel. Maybe someday I'll post it to the fanfiction sites.

In the forums for the class, I read some negative, eye-rolling comments from students about being assigned to write fanfiction. Taking my courage in my hands, I posted that there's a lot to be said in support of fanfiction. I'm pleased to report that there were many charming submissions for this assignment. I read scenes my classmates wrote set in Narnia, in the Hundred Acre Woods of Winnie the Pooh, in the world of Harry Potter, plus fandoms that were new to me.


Read more posts about Prime
Visit the Prime page for the latest status