Fan fiction has been around for decades, but it’s only in recent years that it’s become more widely recognised as a legitimate form of creative expression. From Harry Potter to Star Wars, fans around the world have been taking their favourite works of fiction and putting their own spin on them through fan fiction.
So, what exactly is fan fiction? Put simply, it’s a type of fiction that is written by fans of an existing work of fiction. You take the characters, settings, and plot lines from the original work and create your own stories around them.
Fan fiction can range from short stories to full-length novels, and can explore any aspect of the original work, or introduce new aspects in what’s called alternate universe (AU) fan fiction.
Fan fiction has a long history, going all the way back to the 1960s when trekkies began writing their own stories set in the Star Trek universe. These early fan fiction stories were typically distributed through fanzines, which were self-published magazines that fans would create and distribute to other fans.
With the advent of the internet, fan fiction exploded in popularity. Today, there are countless websites and online communities dedicated to fan fiction, where fans can share their work with other fans and get feedback and support. Some fan fiction writers even have large followings and publish their work in physical books.
So, why do we write fan fiction?
It’s a way to explore our own ideas and interpretations of our favourite works of fiction. We may want to see different character pairings, explore alternate endings, or even create our own original characters set in the world of the original work. In game fan fiction, this can sometimes be the character that the we create for ourselves in the game world who becomes the protagonist of the fan fiction, mirroring our own experience as a player.
Writing fan fiction allows us to explore our creative side by developing our own ideas and storylines within an established fictional world. It gives us an outlet to express ourselves and try new things without the pressure of creating an entirely original work from scratch. Sometimes, we write fan fiction because we want to fill in gaps, address unanswered questions or delve deeper into an under-explored aspect of the original story. It’s also a great way to explore what happens to the characters after the story ends — particularly useful when you’re not ready to say goodbye.
Fan fiction can also be a way for us fans to connect with each other and create a sense of community around our shared love of a particular work of fiction. We can share our work, discuss our ideas and theories, and even collaborate on stories together.
Of course, fan fiction is not without controversy. Some authors and publishers have raised concerns about the legal and ethical implications of fan fiction, arguing that it infringes on their copyright and can harm the integrity of their original work. However, many others argue that fan fiction is a form of transformative art that can actually enhance and enrich the original work, and that it should be celebrated and protected.
Whether you’re a writer or a reader, there’s something special about exploring the world of fan fiction and discovering new perspectives and stories set in your favourite fictional universes.
Writing fan fiction can be a challenge, as you must work within the constraints of the original story while also creating something new and interesting. This is very rewarding for writers who like to challenge themselves and improve their writing skills.
Writing fan fiction is also a form of escapism, allowing us to immerse ourselves in a fictional world and forget about our real-life problems for a while. It’s a way to relax, unwind, and have fun, but without the pressure of having to produce a high-brow literary work. Most often, it’s a way for us to show how much we love something, and an attempt at not yet leaving that universe we felt so welcome in.
Basically, fan fiction is created when you love something so much you’re moved to engage with the original work in a more profound way, exploring the world, its characters and possibilities more deeply. And that’s essentially how all creative works come into being; you’re moved by such awe, love and inspiration that you can’t help but turn around and create something with it. Ultimately, fan fiction is a love language and any author or creator who dismisses it, is missing the point.
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