Fan fiction is the name given to written works about characters or settings that have been written by fans of the original works as opposed to the original authors themselves. Sometimes shortened to fanfic or FF, there is no definite date of when fan fiction first came into creation. Over the years, several websites dedicated to the art have been created – many are still active after more than ten years. It is something done all around the world, with the vast majority of writers being teenage girls.
Published authors do not always share their views on the subject. While J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter series, has stated that she is “flattered” people would write their own stories based around her characters and settings, Interview With The Vampire author Anne Rice requests that fan fiction not be written about her work. George R. R. Martin, author of A Song Of Ice And Fire, believes fan fiction to be an act of copyright infringement and a bad exercise for aspiring writers.
With so many different views out there, it begs the question – is writing fan fiction worthwhile for aspiring writers, or does it do more harm than good?
Back To Basics
In this day and age where writing long, detailed letters has been reduced to sending text messages filled with “LOLspeak”, it may be refreshing to know that many fan fiction websites encourage their users to use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Indeed, many websites will reject a chapter should you not adhere to these guidelines. So while the author may not be able to publish the fan fiction they are writing, they are learning the basics for what will be needed in future if they ever wish to publish their own work.
Fan fiction is a fantastic way for aspiring writers to learn more about plot and character development. Even if they choose to use a plot and characters that aren’t their own, there’s no way around the fact that both must develop somehow throughout the story.
So Why Not Write Original?
Most websites encourage readers to leave comments or reviews on chapters that they read, telling the author what they did or did not like about the work. Having written both original and fan fiction myself for a number of years, I can tell you from experience that many people are more inclined to read a fan fiction revolving around an existing story that they enjoy than they are to start reading an original fiction found on the same website.
This being said, writing fan fiction is a great way for aspiring authors to gain readers. If people read and enjoy your fan fiction, they are more likely to check out your original fiction. While many people may not think the amount of readers you get is important, keep in mind that these readers are in many cases also the people that will help you become a better writer, increasing your chances of being published in future.
Many websites encourage people to leave comments or reviews after they have read a chapter, telling the author what they did or did not like about the work. It is through this that authors can see what they are doing wrong and then take the steps to fix this problem.
It is often said that reading a lot is one of the best ways to become a better writer. Surely writing and having people tell you what they did and didn’t like must be a good thing for aspiring writers, too?
References:
- Rowling backs Potter fan fiction
- Important Message from Anne on "Fan Fiction"
- George R. R. Martin Official Site F.A.Q.'s
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