1) Should fanfics follow in official art's footsteps?
Well, because this is a voluntary hobby, I don't think there's any 'should' or 'must' about it. We do this for fun... and usually too for the gratification of receiving recognition and feedback. But from my own perspective, the answer is clearly 'yes' - because that's what makes it fanfic instead of original fiction. If you're going to just use the characters' names, but make their situations and personalities completely different to what's shown in canon, why are you even bothering? Why not just write original fic?
Having said that, I've got no problem with stories that build on hints in canon (about relationships, plotlines, etc) and turn them into full-fledged storylines. Nor with AU stories which change one specific element, but keep the others the same, as a deliberate stylistic device. That's transformative art, which is what makes fanfiction artistically valuable in its own right: showing familiar things through a new lens.
2) Should fans criticise other fans or just ignore the stuff they don't like?
Unfortunately, I can only really answer for myself here, since I know my view on feedback will be different to many other peoples. And it's influenced by several factors:
Firstly, my job involves writing (brochures, press releases, etc) which are then reviewed, corrected and criticised by several other people, and I have to incorporate the revisions into the draft - or argue my case as to why my original wording is better than their suggested change.
Second, I come from a Usenet and web-forum background where challenging someone's posts and arguments is par for the course - if anything, it's a compliment; it shows that your essay/meta/review/etc was interesting enough to provoke a discussion.
And thirdly, I'm male, and thus socially and hormonally conditioned to be competitive and not back down from confrontation. ;)
All of which means that I've got no problems with receiving constructive criticism. I wouldn't say I would welcome negative feedback - nobody likes someone being harsh about their baby, and my first reaction would be to defend what I wrote rather than accept the other person's comments. But I hope I'd be able to get over that and listen to what they had to say... and deep down, I'd be glad they took the time to give that feedback. It would be far worse if nobody at all commented, after all. :) And it may be trite, but it's still true: if you're not pushed to get better, then you don't.
That said, there are of course ways to give negative feedback that are less painful to hear. :) The old "point out the good things first, before you raise the negatives" one. And phrasing the feedback as your own reactions and opinions, rather than an objective fact: "I didn't really understand what was happening in chapter 2" rather than "your plotting and dialogue in chapter 2 were awful". Be specific about things that didn't work, rather than making sweeping statements. And, obviously, avoid personal insults like calling someone a rapist lover...
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1) Should fanfics follow in official art's footsteps?
Well, because this is a voluntary hobby, I don't think there's any 'should' or 'must' about it. We do this for fun... and usually too for the gratification of receiving recognition and feedback. But from my own perspective, the answer is clearly 'yes' - because that's what makes it fanfic instead of original fiction. If you're going to just use the characters' names, but make their situations and personalities completely different to what's shown in canon, why are you even bothering? Why not just write original fic?
Having said that, I've got no problem with stories that build on hints in canon (about relationships, plotlines, etc) and turn them into full-fledged storylines. Nor with AU stories which change one specific element, but keep the others the same, as a deliberate stylistic device. That's transformative art, which is what makes fanfiction artistically valuable in its own right: showing familiar things through a new lens.
2) Should fans criticise other fans or just ignore the stuff they don't like?
Unfortunately, I can only really answer for myself here, since I know my view on feedback will be different to many other peoples. And it's influenced by several factors:
Firstly, my job involves writing (brochures, press releases, etc) which are then reviewed, corrected and criticised by several other people, and I have to incorporate the revisions into the draft - or argue my case as to why my original wording is better than their suggested change.
Second, I come from a Usenet and web-forum background where challenging someone's posts and arguments is par for the course - if anything, it's a compliment; it shows that your essay/meta/review/etc was interesting enough to provoke a discussion.
And thirdly, I'm male, and thus socially and hormonally conditioned to be competitive and not back down from confrontation. ;)
All of which means that I've got no problems with receiving constructive criticism. I wouldn't say I would welcome negative feedback - nobody likes someone being harsh about their baby, and my first reaction would be to defend what I wrote rather than accept the other person's comments. But I hope I'd be able to get over that and listen to what they had to say... and deep down, I'd be glad they took the time to give that feedback. It would be far worse if nobody at all commented, after all. :) And it may be trite, but it's still true: if you're not pushed to get better, then you don't.
That said, there are of course ways to give negative feedback that are less painful to hear. :) The old "point out the good things first, before you raise the negatives" one. And phrasing the feedback as your own reactions and opinions, rather than an objective fact: "I didn't really understand what was happening in chapter 2" rather than "your plotting and dialogue in chapter 2 were awful". Be specific about things that didn't work, rather than making sweeping statements. And, obviously, avoid personal insults like calling someone a rapist lover...