Here’s why fan fiction is one of my favorite genres
Every time I fall in love with a movie or a TV series, there is something that my mind just cannot let go of. So, I go online and check out fan fiction. Sometimes, I just browse. But, sometimes, I find something worth my while and emotionally invest myself in that fandom. Like a barometer, it predicts what will happen in the fandom: what sort of people are writing and what kind of stories they write.
Once I have decided to stay, it has me in a chokehold. I would devour everything that I see like a man sent to the gallows. I would start reading it in the morning and end just a few hours later. Every day, I would reach for my phone and read from either Archive of Our Own or sometimes browse some short analysis on Tumblr. I’ve been doing this since I was thirteen and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
Here’s why fan fiction is one of my favorite genres
Fan fiction is more than a story.
Almost every produced piece of media to date has some kind of fandom behind it. Every fandom has fan fiction. It doesn’t matter if 50 or 50,000 people like the same piece of media. As long as there are media, there will always be fans. And, as long as there are fans, there will always be fan fiction.
Now, if you’re thinking that fan fiction is just stories written by fans, you’re not seeing the bigger picture. It’s a convention of ideas, congregated to either praise, fix, or expand what’s already written. Out of something either mediocre or remarkable, people can create something new. Just like magic.
The possibilities are endless. From reading romantic comedies and angsty divorces to strange alternate universes, anything can and will happen to your beloved characters in fan fiction. Everything is on the table.
If you’re lucky, and there are many fan fiction writers contributing to the fandom, whatever you’re thinking, someone is probably writing it. If there are fewer writers, you’re probably going to be the one to write that idea. And, at this point, that won’t be the worse thing ever.
Fan fiction is also a place to grow and belong.
As a writer, I have a lot to thank to fan fiction and its writers. It is basically a free writing workshop. You are given a set of characters you already know, and the next part is easy. You just let your imagination run wild.
Because the pressure of creating a new world, characters, and even setting is taken off of the initial stages of writing, you can create a story as fast as your mind can do so.
It’s great practice and a safe place to overcome hurdles as a writer. With the allure of anonymity and a supportive fandom, any writer can blossom and improve their skills.
As long as you can take care of yourself online, fandom and fan fiction can be a beautiful experience. There’s something for everyone. As a writer, you get to write what you know and get feedback from others. As a reader, you can just enjoy exploring and reading everything in your fandom.
