Hi Tibby! I saw your post that Casey McQuiston was originally a prolific fanfic writer of AG/JE rpf. I had heard that they were a prolific rpf writer…but for a different fandom. More specifically Harry/Louis from 1D. And that they were one of the mysterious authors of the legendary These Inconvenient Fireworks.
I find it interesting that it’s a well known rumor that they wrote rpf, but there are differing details about which fandoms they wrote for. Though in this case, they heyday of the social network fandom was ~2010 (afaik) and 1D fanfiction peaked closer to 2014 (though TIF was written in 2012). It’s definitely possible they wrote for both.
Just curious about your thoughts on the matter 😏
hi ariel! i have never been involved in the 1d fandom, so i can't say if i know anything about the (in)famous fics within it. my knowledge begins and ends with the after films being based on harry styles/oc rpf. so i cannot offer any answer there.
i WILL also say that i cannot say with any certainty that rwrb is in fact jesse eisenberg/andrew garfield fanfiction. i just know that casey mcquiston was a prolific tsn writer back in the day, and the american guy and british guy falling in love is a very funny coincidence to me. and also that reporter guy had STRONG justin timberlake energies. honestly i've spent enough time in tsn fandom to pick up on which character was meant to represent who, but for all i know the same can be said for 1d fic or whatever.
i've also had people in the tags of that post claim that rwrb was based on a merlic fic, so who knows for sure. i personally don't think that the story itself was originally fic, but that casey was simply inspired by. certain actors or characters when writing their leads.
anyway. i didn't expect my posts to get any kind of attention outside of my immediate mutual circle, which is primarily compromised of people i know and many of whom already had the rpf knowledge. i just find the whole thing funny, and as a tsn stannie it's just something i like bringing up because it makes me laugh. i don't particularly care about fic writers becoming authors or rpf being made into movies, because. well. shit happens, it makes money, tsn is virtually rpf and one of my favourite movies of all time. there are much better hills to die on.
i am just of the opinion that if rpf/fanfic IS going to continue to be made into movies then they need to commit to the bit. cast the actual person it was based on. if that meant we needed jesse and andrew, or harry and louis, or the two guys from merlin to be the rwrb leads...then so be it. we all know it's fanfiction and possibly rpf anyway. why not take it all the way?