Twilight vs. 50 Shades: The Bigger Picture

Most people know that 50 Shades began as fan fiction for Twilight. However when I read the two series, I didn't really get one story from the other. The characters are so different. Beyond the changes in location and age, I get a completely different feel from each series. The biggest difference in reading one and then the other is the human vs. immortal factor. Stephenie Meyer goes to great lengths to remind us again and again that her vampires are not at all human. They don't look human, they don't feel human, they don't act human. Pre-Twilight, most people's experience in the vampire genre includes vampires that are clearly still human in appearance. When you read Twilight you are not reading about humans, you are reading about immortals, and you know this as you read. So when someone tries to convince you to transfer those characters over to 50 Shades, it just isn't possible. The characters in 50 Shades are very clearly human. They feel differently. And they read differently. I will come out and admit whole-heartedly that when it comes to Twilight, I am all Edward all the time. He is the focal point of those books for me. When I read 50 Shades, I see both Ana and Christian. When I read Twilight I am always waiting for Edward to appear, reappear, talk, do something. I don't really acknowledge Bella too much. I think that's why I prefer to read "Midnight Sun." However, with 50, I find Ana to be much more likeable. I will get to that later. The similarities I find include: poor choices in writing, poor writing, flawed editing, and lack of technique. However I'm not sure that's what people talk about when they compare the two series. In following posts I'll talk about mistakes I feel both authors made and why I think those mistakes happened.