keelyreeves posted: " I have been reading fanfiction since I was in high school. Before I had a smartphone, I'd read it on my computer. Most of the fanfiction I read in the beginning was Harry Potter. Not a surprise there. My love for Harry Potter is matched by my love for Ta" The Inner WorkingsRead on blog or Reader
I have been reading fanfiction since I was in high school. Before I had a smartphone, I'd read it on my computer. Most of the fanfiction I read in the beginning was Harry Potter. Not a surprise there. My love for Harry Potter is matched by my love for Taylor Swift. As long as I have been reading fanfiction, I have been writing. Let me tell you, I still have some TERRIBLE (no, seriously, it's awful) Harry Potter fanfictions that will never see the light of day. Ever. I know writers say to appreciate your old writing because it shows you've grown, but yeah. No. I never want to see those fanfictions again. *shudders* Somethings, you don't want to relive. The point is that fanfiction has been a part of my life for over ten years. I started my fanfiction journey on fanfiction.net then I discovered Archive of Our Own, also known as AO3. I don't read a lot of books anymore (working on that), but I do read fanfiction. Why do you ask? Well, first, let's talk about what fanfiction is.
Fanfiction is when a writer, not the author, creates a story based off a book, TV show, comic, anime, etc.. The writer takes the characters and comes up with an entirely different story. Fanfiction has often been condemned. People assume that others write fanfiction because they can't produce something original.
I'd like to reject that very thought.
Fanfiction can be traced all the way to the 1700s when people wrote about Gulliver's Travels. Yes, that's right. It's been around longer than you think. Also, when you really think about it (and I just know someone is going to be appalled by these next words), Dante's Inferno, is basically fanfiction of the Bible. . .Yeah, digest that for a moment. I said what I said.
And I mean, think about all the books that are about Greek mythology. couldn't those also be considered fanfiction? Think about it for a moment.
So fanfiction? It's not new. People were creating zines of Spock and Captain Kirk's adventures in the 1960s. Which, hey it was the 60s, so that was probably something people kept on the down low. With the internet and nearly everyone has a smartphone, fanfiction is a lot easier to find. There are sites dedicated to fanfiction.
When I was in high school. reading fanfiction was seen as nerdy. Too nerdy. Perhaps almost taboo. It wasn't something you talked about with your friends. It was something private. Recently, it's become more mainstream. It's become more accepted. After all, how can it not when authors have come forward saying they read fanfiction? Hell, they have written fanfiction. Authors such as Cassandra Clare, E.L. James, Marissa Meyer, Meg Cabot, Neil Gaiman, and S.E. Hinton, to name a few, have admitted to writing fanfiction. We should all know E.L. James, the author of Fifty Shades of Grey.
Well, that book? It was originally an AU (alternate universe) fanfiction of Twilight. Yeah, that's right. For more on that, read this blog post.
C.S. Lewis saw the value in fanfiction, as writers could explore the world further if the author had done all they could.
That's not to say all authors write fanfiction or even that all authors support fanfiction. George R.R. Martin, whom everyone should know, wonders if fanfiction is even legal. Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander and the late Anne Rice, also doesn't support fanfiction.
As you can see, fanfiction is a mixed bag, even with authors.
So why does fanfiction get so much crap? For lots of reasons, really.
Fanfiction is seen as lazy.
There is also the fact that the fans are rabid when it comes to certain fandoms. Star Wars fans come to mind. (Not all. But the amount of hate they have towards Rey and other female characters is astounding.)
They don't like change. They don't like the idea of some other person writing their version.
How dare they make Captain America gay and in love with Bucky Barnes?
How dare they make Hermione Granger black?
How dare they.
How dare they.
How dare they.
People don't like change. That's just a fact.
Fanfiction writers, well, they have no boundaries. They will try and do anything they can do with these characters. There is nothing that is too much for them. They get to have fun. They get to interpret the story the way they see it, and that doesn't always vibe with others.
Why is that so wrong?
I read fanfiction because sometimes, the story we got, it sucked.
Season eight of Game of Thrones comes to mind. I hated how that ended. Seriously, it trashed so many character arcs. I managed to find two different fanfictions that made it better. I wanted a different ending, and I got one.
Or maybe there are no new books or episodes, etc., and I wish there were. A few of my Harry Potter fanfictions I read are about after the War. What happens after? What happened between the Battle of Hogwarts and the 19-year gap?
Fanfiction continues the story. I get to hold on to these characters longer.
And honestly, the characters are important to me.
They are. They are to everyone. There is a reason why you were drawn to certain books and shows. It's because you feel connected to them. I don't see fanfiction as disrespectful. Now, obviously, fanfic writers shouldn't claim it's their own. They're just playing in a sandbox and building their own castles out of something someone already built. I think that's a beautiful thing. I have read some phenomenal fanfiction that perfectly captured the characters I'd fallen in love with.
There is this trope of a "Mary Sue," a character who is basically yourself and being put in the movie, TV show, anime, comic, etc. (Rey from Star Wars was accused of being a "Mary Sue.") Every likes to hate on these type of characters. But why? What is so wrong with putting yourself in your favorite book, show, movie, or anime because you want those characters to comfort you?
You want Dean Winchester to hug you because it's Dean fucking Winchester. He makes you feel safe.
You want the Doctor to hold your shoulders, look deep into your eyes, and tell you that you are important. That you matter. He makes you feel special.
You want Wonder Woman to hand you a sword and a shield, standing next to you not as a superhero but as an equal. She makes you feel brave.
You want all of that.
And I don't think that's wrong.
Fanfiction is a genre of writing. It's got its own rules, own categories, own tropes. I think that it is worth exploring. People write fanfiction out of love for the fandom. Fanfiction asks the question, 'What if?' It explores the possibilities.
This is how I explained why I write fanfiction to a few people.
Fanfiction, it is for fun. It is for me. Also, for readers (if I ever publish). with fanfiction, I don't have to world-build. I get to play around with characters that I love without the headache of worldbuilding. The world? It's already there. I can make an OC (original character) and throw her in with some of my favorite characters. Or I can just play around with those characters. The stress of worldbuilding isn't there. Fanfiction, really, I think, is for the author. They had this wonderful idea and wanted to share it with the rest of us.
And I, personally, I think that's beautiful.
That's why I also read fanfiction because sometimes, I want the comfort of something familiar rather than something new.
All that being said, New Year's, I deleted over 600 notes on my phone. All were fanfiction snippets. Yes, it was terrible, and I cried (Angela is my witness), but I did it because I wanted to write more on my own original stuff. Now, I won't ignore the fanfictions I want to write and finish. I have this massive multifandom once that I am so in love with (seriously, in love). But now? I want to write my own stuff. I want my own story. It's my goal for the year.
Fanfiction, I think, is important. It is a genre. And I think we need to give the fanfiction writers some kudos because, honestly, some of the best writing I've read has been fanfiction.
What are your thoughts on fanfiction? Let me know in the comments!
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