Friday 20 May 2022

Paperback's Pondering's: Why I AM A Fan of Fan-Fiction



 A long, long time ago, in 2016, teenaged Emily wrote a blog post talking about how she didn't like fan-fiction. I don't know who hurt her at the time, but she wrote about how she didn't like it when writers continued with stories that were already finished and created alternate endings. Now in 2022, adult Emily has realized the errors of her ways and has now decided to revisit this topic and explain to you all why she IS a fan of fan-fiction. Ok, now it's time to stop writing in the third person. 

I credit Cee Arr @ Dora Reads and her Friday Fics Fix posts for getting me into this genre of writing. Every Friday, Cee posts a fan-fiction recommendation from a variety of fandoms. I mostly like the ones from the MCU, as it is one of the main fandoms that I am a part of and I love it when the writers put unconventional characters together, like for example, Tony Stark and Loki, which I had no idea before reading Cee's posts were a fan-fiction couple but I wholeheartedly support it. There is so much creativity in the fan-fiction world, and in a universe like the MCU that often falls into conventional tropes and predictable couples, this creativity is so needed. 

The problem with my previous post is that I categorized all fan-fiction under fan-fiction written about real people, like One Direction fan-fiction. However, this type of fan-fiction tends to be a bit cheesier, and if I'm being honest, a bit creepy, because folks are attempting to create a fictional life based on real people with very public lives. I don't want to shame anyone for consuming or writing that kind of content, but it definitely is not for me. However, those same limits do not exist for fictional characters. Steve Rogers doesn't really care if we write him to be in a romantic relationship with Bucky, because he doesn't exist. So, fan-fiction writers who write about fictional characters are able to build upon the unique characters and settings from these fictional worlds and put their own spin on it. These kinds of stories are able to dive deeper into characters who may not have been fully developed in canonical content, or who may have not been treated right by their canonical texts. Fan-fiction writers have the ability to redeem characters, to give them the love stories or friendships that they deserve. And to be honest, I find that kind of beautiful. 

Fan-fiction has given me the ability to revisit new stories about beloved characters, even when their canonical texts have decided that their stories are finished. I may never get a Falcon and the Winter Soldier season two, but I can continue to consume new content about Bucky and Sam to keep that world alive, and that makes me so happy! I can also read fan-fiction to keep me busy in-between seasons of a show, such as What We Do In the Shadows and The Umbrella Academy. Fan-fiction keeps worlds alive when the canon has halted them. I find that so cool. 

Lastly, as a creative writer myself, I cannot deny the opportunities that fan-fiction gives aspiring writers. While it may be incredibly difficult to get published with a major publishing house right away, posting on fan-fiction sites allows writers to have an outlet to get their creativity out, communicate with fellow writers, and even workshop their works and receive feedback. Creative writing classes and workshops are not accessible to everyone, and yet, we can do it for free and from the comfort of our own homes through fan-fiction sites. Whether these stories get published or not, they help to build a community of writers, young and old, who all appreciate the same thing. 

Overall, sixteen year-old Emily didn't know what she was talking about. Then again, she was sixteen, so we can cut her a bit of slack, but she's glad that she changed her mind about fan-fiction. I am so happy to be a part of this vibrant, diverse and unique community. And you should be too. 

Do you read fan-fiction? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

10 comments:

  1. I've come around on fan fiction too. I even wrote one which I never thought I'd do! It was incredibly fulfilling in the sense that I could put a spin on favorite characters and just for fun. But to your points- I completely agree. And yes more Bucky/ Sam.

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    1. That's so fun, Greg! I think I should get into writing them too. I think that would make writing very enjoyable.

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    2. I'd love to read yours if you ever decide to share it. :)

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  2. Thank you for the link and the saying nice things!!!! You're so awesome!!!

    Ha, my evil plan to spread fanfiction-love is *so* working! Lol.

    And it's totally fine to change your mind about things - let's face it, the world post-2016 has been... an experience. For all of us! Lol :) <3

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    1. Haha, very true, Cee! Your evil plan definitely worked! 2016 onwards has been an experience...it makes sense that I would need fanfiction to cope lol.

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  3. I totally get what you mean! I love fanfictions, but strictly about fictional characters. I can't read real person fanfiction, it felt too personal and creepy 😨

    Tasya // The Literary Huntress

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    1. I definitely went through a phase in my childhood where I didn't see the issue with real-life fanfiction, but now I feel very differently lol.

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  4. I haven't read fan fiction in a long time, but I remember looking through Wattpad for fan fictions (...though, the ones I read the most were x readers, as in the story were the reader falls in love with the character).

    I wrote a few fan fictions when I was younger, they were mostly Star Trek fanfics (that is, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Next Generation). Most of them were me exploring what would happen if these characters were put in different situations. And I remember I even brought a Star Trek character into a semi-original story at one point.

    There is definitely something nice about fan fictions, I have to admit I have been upset about how some of my favorite film franchises are going. So it's always nice to know that I can write a fanfic about it, or that there are other people out there who have.

    I also agree with you about real person fanfics, I don't...like them at all. They come off as weird.

    I really enjoyed reading your post,
    -Quinley

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Quinley! It's cool that you used to write fanfiction. Especially in series as prolific as Star Trek, or the MCU, I think fanfiction is needed in order to satisfy fans when sometimes the canon cannot.

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