Fan-Fiction: A Haven for the Obsessed

Most people stare at me when I say I write fan-fiction. They get the fiction part but they are confused as to what it means when preceded by the term ‘fan’. Their ignorance is not unfounded when we consider the proportion of writers who dabble in this genre. My introduction into fan-fiction was when, for the first time in many years, I was dissatisfied with what was being delivered to me in the pages of Harry Potter. Until then the thought of digressing from canon – (the printed words in the original work) was disturbing to an obsessive fan like me. While I was vacillating between my thoughts of whether to give it a try, we were given a wonderful cliff hanger in the form of the sixth Harry Potter book, and which were to be the only words out of Miss Rowling’s pen for two whole years.  Surely that was enough to drive any hardcore acolyte into submission.

So I went in and gave it a shot. And I haven’t left ever since. Now would be the appropriate time to explain what the world of fan-fiction encompasses. Fan-fiction is, as the word suggests, fiction; except that the author bases his stories on a world created by someone else. The characters, the relationships, even the plot could already have been established in the media – be it books, TV or movies. Not satisfied with how Xena ended? Did you feel Buffy should have ended with Spike and Angel making sweet love. Disagree? You think it should have been mean, rough sex? Run along to sites like Fanfiction.net and you could select from an assortment of stories catering to your specific needs.

Readers and writers

I have experienced the world of fan-fiction both as a reader and a writer. As a reader, there was awe and amazement at the wide pool of talented writers out there. The weekly adrenaline rush when a chapter of my favorite fan-fic was up was enticing, considering how JK Rowling only permitted us that divine feeling once every two years. But my transition into a writer was more gradual. My first fan-fiction was a result of a struggle within myself to contain the dozen speculations regarding some of my favorite characters. Fan-fiction has thus been an influential tool in inspiring young minds to take up the pen. Surveys conducted on various sites show a high percentage of teenage writers indulging in fan-fiction writing.  Although 80% of these writers are women, any concentrated effort to inspire a 14 year old, be it a boy or a girl,  to pick up a pen instead of wasting away in front of Lindsay Lohan videos desires appreciation.

Controversies

Fan-fiction has also had its share of controversies. There are people who would enjoy reading and writing erotic versions of their favorite stories. However, some people get carried away and under the aegis of some of the more liberal sites, have posted materials deemed morally offensive and inappropriate for young readers – underage sex, unrated material and incest being some of the primary concerns. But in recent years, sites have been increasingly cracking down on such material and enforcing stricter regulations on such content. Nowadays most fan-fiction sites have effective moderating teams who reject stories that haven’t been properly rated.

However, if you have high expectations and are looking for the near-original-quality material, you might be disappointed. The fan-fiction world is more like a community that has authors evolving their styles and improving their writing with each work that they put out. I have personally found a mountain of difference between my first work and the stories that I post now. Also the fan-fiction community is tight knit and criticism is often delivered as friendly advices, thus removing any fears of embarrassment, from the minds of the more diffident writers.

Ownership

What about its creators? Wouldn’t you get pissed if your anti hero, the scruffy, hostile curmudgeon was rewritten as a fluffy, effulgent softie who sings 80’s pop music while cooking muffins. No I didn’t make that up. The world of fan-fiction is so vast and diverse that it wouldn’t be surprising to find some of the most ridiculously outlandish plots. So do the writers mind that their fans are shamelessly twisting the plots that they nurtured so preciously? Most don’t, however some do. One of them is author Anne Rice who apparently doesn’t take too well with any sort of hanky-panky with her characters.

While authors like Anne Rice are incorrigibly opposed to the world of fan-fiction, some others are amazed by the imagination of its writers. JK Rowling has in the past admitted to being “flattered” by people who feel inspired to base their works on her characters. Most people, myself included, feel grateful to her, as it was the relative glibness of her writing style that inspired many of us to try writing something on our own. The pleasure and fun of ending your favorite story the way you want to can be quite satisfying indeed.

But what is the ultimate motivation for a work of fan-fiction? Is it an outcome of the build up of insurmountable displeasure with the original work or simply an over infatuation with it, thereby providing a fan a conduit as a means of staying connected with it. As a writer and reader I have seen people belonging to both categories. In such a context one can understand why Anne Rice is visibly upset about the whole issue. However, authors need to understand that people spending a significant amount of their time trying to create stories, characters, names and plot points based on their world, could only be a result of a vested interest and wholesome dedication to that same world.