Creative Writing: Fan Fiction Versus Original Stories

For the uninitiated, it must sound like a case of monkey see, monkey do. 

A successful author, film-maker or playwright creates a story which resonates. Then a gaggle of amateur writers reproduce it ad infinitum.

What's the point, when the original is still there? That has to be the best too, or else so many people wouldn't be trying to copy it. 

The perception is that the fandom contribution is purely imitation. If it was jewelry or electronics, it would be akin to a cheap, counterfeit replica.  Therefore, fan fiction can't be adding anything to the cultural sum of human endeavor.

But it can, and it does. Though admittedly not most of the time.

There are notable cases of fan fiction actually surpassing the canon. For example, literature would be a much duller place, if William Shakespeare hadn't fan-boyed his own version of Romeo and Juliet.

There are certainly moments when the fanon (the collection of work and ideas produced by fans, rather than the author) has greatly enriched the original fiction. For example, the ever popular Matt from Death Note never had red hair and green eyes in the original manga and anime. He does now.

Nevertheless, none of this adds up to anything that looks like compensation, for the many hours spent penning work that can never be published. In fact, it could all so easily cause trouble for the fan writer and distress for the author.

So why don't people like me write original fiction instead?  Let me explain from the point of view of someone who has done this since 2008.

In 2008, I read the Death Note manga.

It's fair to say that the story-line gripped my imagination. The dark dystopian world, wrought by Tsugumi Ohba and brilliantly brought to life in the artistry of Takeshi Obata, was fascinating.

As the action played out, philosophical questions were raised. It was the kind of tale where you're in a constant state of asking yourself, what would I have done here?

Then it was over.  My life, enriched with fervent reading, was suddenly a little bereft. There was only one thing to do.  I watched the official anime version of it too.

Then it was really over, and I didn't want it to be.  I kind of moped around for a few days, looking for another story which could match it.  I searched the internet to see if others were discussing it. I wanted to join their debates.

What I actually found was the world of fan fiction.  I hadn't really known it existed like this before. Amateur writers were adding stories, using the same characters and set in the same universe. This collection of fanon stories appeared limitless in volume. They sated my cravings for more Death Note.

Yet, as I read on, it became obvious that the majority of stories were not at the standard set by Ohba and Obata. There were one or two creative gems to be sure, but they were few and far between in a sea of mediocrity.

It didn't take long for me to wonder if I could do any better.  It turned out that I could.

My first fan fiction novel hardly set the literary world on fire, but it was fun.  It kept me off the streets for a couple of weeks, and it gave me my Death Note fix.  It was written for pure enjoyment and exploration of the genre. 

I should imagine that most fan fiction writers would recognize that as their initial motivation too.

The field of fan fiction writing is vast.  It takes no prisoners, as it borrows ceaselessly from all on offer. 

We might as well ask why anyone would want to write a book full stop.  The myriad of answers would be held back solely by a point of clarification.  What book and where? In what genre and for what intended readership?

There is no one fan fiction genre; no single fandom; no cohesion even amongst members of the same fan communities.  It's not a label attached to a particular literary movement, but a description of a legal status.

These stories contain characters or environments for which the author does not hold the copyright.  The end of commonality.

But those who venture into this territory may share some rationale.  I have attempted to comprehensively catalog them here, though the list will never be exhaustive.

As good a place as any to start is that fan fiction is fun.

Just because an author has their book in print, it doesn't mean that their writing is perfect. They might have had a wonderful idea (which is why they have so many fans), but the execution failed in part.

If there is a plot-hole lurking, then you can be sure that the massed and focused attention of the fandom will find it. These are people who are analyzing, living and breathing that story, in a way that even the most dedicated editor can't match; and there are thousands of them at it, night and day.

Filling plot-holes has to be one of the main motivations for producing fan fiction.  Think of it as the creative writing equivalent of someone grouting your otherwise beautiful bathroom tiles.

I love doing this!  Death Note has plot-holes that you could drive a Sherpa tank through. I've really enjoyed the cerebral exercise of plugging some of them, in a way which blends seamlessly with  canon events. 

I know I'm not alone in that.

Before 2008, I had written a lot of original fiction. The reason that you have never read it is because a) most of it is juvenile crap; and b) the vast majority was written before I had ever seen a computer.

There is a trilogy, which is bursting the seams of three, extra large, lever arch folders.  It is all hand-written. 

There are others in the faded ink prints of ancient type-writers and a word processor. The combined out-put fills a shelf on one of my bookcases.

I finally did sit here and transcribe some of them onto a computer.  It crashed and took with it my entire hard-drive.  I cried.  I've not taken the time to attempt that again. It's more interesting to write new stuff.

I'm telling you all this so you know that fan fiction isn't nearly all that I've done. I came to it very late and I already knew how to write creatively.

Fan fiction is much harder to write than original fiction. I know that isn't the received wisdom, but it's been my experience. 

You control every aspect of your originally conceived world. If you want the sky to be green with purple spots, then that is how it's always been.  No-one can contradict you.  None of the personalities in your pages can ever be out of character.  How you write them is how they are. As an author, you are the creation god of this universe. You are the final word.

Not so with fan fiction. 

First you have to read, understand and analyze the canon.  You have to know it inside out, enough to reproduce it.  That takes time and research.  You have to attempt to think like the actual author, so that the narrative can naturally progress. That takes empathy.

Secondly, you have to match the tone and atmosphere of the original work. Each character has to share the same traits and speak with the same diction. You have an army of rabid fans ready to highlight any errors. That requires courage and confidence.

Thirdly, you have to restrain any flights of fantasy - the hardest thing of all for a fiction writer!  You have to pen a story which fits within the canon boundaries. Another writer has fixed the rules in stone. You cannot contradict the original story, as that is the holy text in this fandom. It is immutable.

This holds just as true, if not more so, for the characterization.  'Out of character' is one of the most common charges against a fan fiction writer's work.  If you include something even slightly unlikely, then you'd better be able to quote canon chapter and verse in support of it.

Plot progression often requires introducing new characters entirely; and that is notoriously difficult to get past your readers.  But I've already covered that in other Wizzley articles.

The restrictive nature of fan fiction is what makes it so much harder. Looking things up, or worrying about whether such and such would actually do that, really interrupts the narrative flow.

Then you get into the politics.  Fan fiction readers are accessible and, for the most part, easy-going.  Anything goes, with no holds barred, as long as your story recognizably slots into the fictional universe.

But stray too far from canon and the best that you can hope for is your readership drifts away too.  You're cheating them. You're now writing original fiction and merely slapping familiar names onto your characters. You don't deserve the attention of that particular fandom.

It could just as easily turn nasty.  You have let yourself become prey to trolls; as well as disgruntled and demanding fanatics.  Now words like 'Mary-Sue' and 'OOC' get hurled; your writing technique is torn to shreds (and your self-esteem with it); your research is called into question; and, in a worst case scenario, parodies of your work start to appear on the internet.

That is a lot to take on board, but it's the reason that I've stayed with fan fiction for as long as I have.  It's a challenge. It takes strategy and ingenuity to successfully pull it off; and, for that reason, it's far more interesting to me than merely creating my own worlds.

So many budding authors start with fan fiction.  The majority had never contemplated writing stories beforehand.

The entry point is extremely easy, especially on the internet. There are multiple channels for publishing fan-made stories on-line. 

Wherever the fandom meets, in forums, on art sites, or in bespoke fan fiction websites, it's as simple as clicking a couple of buttons and pasting words into a box.

Communities build up around them, so there's plenty of peer encouragement too.  If everyone else is doing it, then you might as well give it a shot. 

Announcing that this is your first ever story will have proud club members clucking around you, like a mother with baby's first painting. And if you do attract a troll, then the rest of the community will take them down.  But only for the first story, or until your noob status wears off.

Writing for the fandom allows ample opportunity for sampling and experimenting with different literary genres.

There's only so far you can go with the original story before a sense of sameness builds up.  Therefore one way to stand out is to keep the plot and characters, but rewrite it within a different tradition of story-telling, or in the style of *insert famous author*.

The community may help here. Fans and fandom clubs are always holding competitions - write an Easter story; or make it sound like a Disney film!  (Always interesting, when your base material comes from one of the darkest manga stories ever written.)

Fan fiction has an unfair reputation for being too easy. The characters and universe are handed to you by the original author.  Therefore, observers conclude, the rest must be 'color by numbers' for writers. 

As I've already outlined above, the reality is that it's harder.  But those dipping their toe into the writing pool for the first time don't know this.  They've heard the hype; and they have no experience of going it alone.

I should clarify that fan fiction can be extremely easy, but only if corners are cut.  If the fanfic author announces from the outset that this is all a bit of fun, experimenting with an alternative universe, then all bets are off.

It can also be a simple piece of formulaic story-telling, if the writer merely retells canon events in their own words. But their readers have been here before (with 90% of other fan fiction writers). It's not only been done to death (particularly the most popular scenes), but an original already exists, immutably better by default.

By taking the easy route, these writers won't build a substantial readership.  The curious will come, then drift away. 

Nevertheless, it is writing. It's doing so in the deep end, where the sharks are lurking behind the pretty shoals. Those who make it in fan fiction will eventually turn to original writing. They will find it much easier. 

They will also now have experience in word-crafting and a vast archive of reader feedback. This author knows what is a crowd-pleaser; and what is universally disdained. This is invaluable knowledge, which can then be transferred to other, potentially lucrative, avenues of writing.

There are two sides to every story: the writing and the reading. Those doing the latter are extremely important, and they are in the fandoms in droves.

Of course, original fiction has a readership too.  Fan communities only exist because aficionados gathered around somebody's work. But that is only the stories that broke through.

Original fiction may take time to get noticed, especially for untried authors hawking their very first story.  Some don't get read at all, which dents the writer's confidence, and doesn't provide the constructive criticism necessary to grow.

Many literary marvels get lost in this way.

Fan fiction writers never have that trouble. Even the most insipid, banal, uninspired rubbish can attract an instant crowd of readers. It's built into the genre. They might leave again as soon as they realize it's bad, but they did come.

Good writers can attract their own fan-base over time, as their authority and portfolio of stories develop.

Their learning curve speeds ahead in great bursts; and if they do make the leap into professionalism, their readers may venture out of the fandom too.

You can't see her, but she's always been here. Her influence is felt throughout my Wizzley writing.

Sareyva is one of my closest friends. She has rigorously proof-read and fact checked every article that I've written, here and elsewhere.  She will be reading this now and if there were any typos at the point of publishing, they will be gone soon.

I can't thank her enough for her generous gift of time and unrelenting moral support. She's walked with me every step of the way, encouraging my freelance writing adventure from the beginning.

That wonderful woman will merely tell me that I'm welcome.

Her assumed role isn't entirely random.  She's also a beta reader for my fan fiction.  It didn't occur to me for one moment that she would follow my writing outside our community. But that's what she could do to help me kick-start my career. It's what friends do.

Nor is she the only enduring friendship in my life, which had its genesis on a fan fiction forum.

It's a very fertile ground for conversations. We all have something in common after all, as we're enamored with the same story.  Discussions form around it to break the ice. 

Given long enough, even the most ardent fans will eventually branch off into other topics, then the way is clear for the relationship to evolve.  Nor do I subscribe to the belief that friendships made on-line are somehow not the equal of those forged in physical proximity.

That's just silly talk made by people with narrow views of what constitutes society.

The squee-ing was for real this time. 

The blog entry had just confirmed what many of us had suspected for weeks.  Two members of our fan community were publicly admitting that they had been dating for some time.

That wasn't the shock announcement (we would have been more surprised if it turned out that they were just friends).

Having traveled miles to meet in person, he had promptly proposed.  She had said yes.

They were getting married!

With time and patience, it would have been possible to trace their whole romance in our club archives. At least the public side of it.  It had begun with a comment complimenting the author's fan fiction story; and a thank you.  Then conversation; more conversation; each one always turning up where the other was chatting. 

None of this was actually unusual.  Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three couples, who met their life partner in the same manner.

It's not that bizarre, when you break it down into its components.  The fandom equates shared interests.  The community nature provides opportunities to talk.  The fan fiction comments focus attention on individuals.  You can't lurk there, not responding, as you can in group discussions on the club forum.

Fan fiction is often used as a form of self-expression and/or its evil twin, self-insertion,  or as a vehicle for cathartic venting. It's all fodder for getting to know somebody a bit better; and for subsequently falling in love.

We have surely all had instances of identifying with someone, or some scene, in a book or film. Fan fiction writers don't have to leave that to chance.  They can insert their own.

I've read many stories where the author's real life circumstances are replayed in their narrative. It might be with a happier ending, or it may represent an exploration into the possible outcomes of a real life dilemma.

Fan fiction allows for distancing. If it's happening to someone else, then it's easier to bear; even if that someone else is fictitious.

I haven't taken full advantage of this useful psychological tool, because I'm more interested in writing about polar opposite points of view.  You're more likely to find traits in my characters that are in direct discordance with my own. We would not ever make the same decisions.

For example, I'm notably an anti-death penalty activist.  One of my main characters is someone quite likely to execute villains without even bothering with a trial.

I do count this as cathartic. Otherwise I'd be burning up with frustration, at people who think differently to me (and are therefore obviously wrong).  Being forced to get inside their minds helps me understand better their real world counterparts.

Fanfiction.net
The biggest on-line repository of fan fiction on the internet. The administration banned mature content years ago. They only recently actually pursued that policy though. There is currently a stampede of users going elsewhere, so they can retain their fix of raunchier scenes.

AdultFanfiction.net
No relation to its close namesake, though it was created by former members. This is where the really hard stuff can be found. The site is very strict about age appropriateness. Users are required to disclose their birth-dates, then entry is adjusted to the legal age of maturity in the country of their IP address. It's naturally filled with youngsters lying about their age, but if discovered they are summarily kicked off.

DeviantART
One of the largest on-line art communities. The settings allow for mature content to be hidden, which is the default for new users. The site's rules expressly forbid pornography, but do accept artistic nudity and risque writing with literary merit. A common criticism is that there are hordes of administrators, each with highly subjective opinions on what is acceptable. It's noticeable that naked women usually pass muster as 'artistic', while naked men and homosexuals generally do not.

Tumblr
Tumblr hosts a wide variety of creative output. Those under 13 years of age may not use it. All mature content must be labelled NSFW (Not Safe for Work).

Archive of our Own
This is a new repository for all kinds of fan-made work. It's currently in beta mode, so expect bugs. The terms of use are still under consideration, but it looks to be 18 years across the board. Mature content will therefore be permissible, but will be tagged. Potential readers are pre-warned.

For the full potential to be met, I would like to see the following factors fall into place:

• The subject is popular on a global scale;
• It has staying power, so will continue attracting new fans over a course of several years;
• But doesn't remain so big that there are multiple fan communities dedicated to it;
• It has interest for all ages, and nothing inherently excludes any group in society.

When these things come together, then the related fan forums are optimized for educational purposes.

An international reach means that the community is multi-cultural (with the usual limitations regarding the digitalized world).  Inclusiveness safeguards the potential for anyone to take an interest in the material, as there is no implied target audience.

A mix of ages stops the conversation getting stuck in a rut.  (In my experience, the adults try to appear hip and trendy for the kids; and the younger people reach for maturity, so no-one can dismiss their opinions out of hand.  The upshot is that everyone apes being 20-something, with varying degrees of success.)

Prolonged, steady popularity keeps the fandom fresh, but largely congregated in the same place. If it gets too big, then the community splinters along like-for-like groups.  Then all that is reflected back are peer-determined mirrors. Everyone gets bored. The drama begins; and the little club falls apart under the tension.

So a good mix of people, in a medium sized community, that periodically attracts new blood.  That is perfect. The presence of difference keeps everyone polite and wanting to impress; and everyone brings their experience to bear upon the focal point.

There are seemingly endless angles to take, when such a group is over-analyzing the same thing.

I've had art students teaching me about the techniques used by Obata to draw Death Note characters; with supplementary information from a Japanese woman about what that could mean in a cultural context.  When a related tangent called for an historical viewpoint, I was there to provide it.

An illuminating thread compared all of the various translations of the manga around the world. There were at least five nations represented, reading the story in different languages. We found subtle differences in the tones, which suggested subtly different characterizations.

This paved the way for a linguistics lecture on the deliberate use of certain words to create a mood. Then a debate about the pros and cons of literal translation, as opposed to capturing the spirit of a scene, in a way which would communicate culturally with the intended readership.

On and on these kind of conversations progress, weaving through so much learning and pooling of expertise. Then the threads lie dormant for a while, as we exhaust all that we can add. Until a new person picks it up months later, adding a fresh perspective, which leads us off again.

None of this is ever boring, because it doesn't feel like a classroom. It's fueling a fix, in terms common to the whole forum, because it's about the object of our fandom. It's what we're all there to discuss anyway.

Original fiction can obviously do this too.  The novels of Charles Dickens and Harriet Beecher Stowe spring immediately to mind, as two authors who used their stories to garner public opinion around their cause.

But original fiction is slow to gain an audience.  If it's being published in book form, then it might be months before it even reaches the stores. 

Fan fiction notoriously (and helpfully) comes with a wide-reaching, ready-made readership. With no middle men nor retailers, the story can be published instantly on-line. It will then attract a large volume of people, simply because of the named characters.

The emotional content, if well written, can be an instant spur to action. In this way, activists are formed.  I've personally seen (and initiated) it happening many times.

And you thought fan fiction was all about vacuous illiterates projecting adolescent fantasies onto fictional characters! Bless.