What is fan fiction? Thanks for asking!

Fan fiction refers to texts written by a fan using characters or storylines from another existing story, usually a popular novel, series, film or video game. They are also known as fanfics, and in the digital age, the quantity of such works is exploding! Fan fiction has even become recognised as a literary genre, and has created a unique niche for itself in the publishing industry. Fan fictions were first published in the 1960s and 70s. Star Trek fans have long been known for their passionate following. So it’s little surprise that Trekkies came up with the first early such texts in their fanzines. A similar trend emerged around the same time in Japan. Manga fans began producing independently published comics and novels, known as doujinshi. The creation of the internet allowed fan fiction to develop on dedicated sites and forums. The largest online collection can be found at fanfictions.net. The site has over 2.2 million registered users, who write in 40 different languages! 

What are the common characteristics of fan fiction then?

Generally speaking, a piece of fan fiction focuses on one or more characters. The author looks more closely at the character’s personality and psychology. Certain elements of the original story, like the main characters and settings, remain unchanged. This part of the source narrative is referred to as “canon” by fans, which is short for canonical fictional universe. But a fanfic can also take place in an alternative universe, known as an AU. Fan fiction terminology includes an extensive range of genres, subgenres and other jargon terms. For example, slash fiction tells stories about relationships between two characters of the same sex, like Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. The most well-known franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel comics have hundreds or thousands of fanfics. Harry Potter in particular inspired the imagination of fans, with a multitude of alternative endings emerging. How about Voldemort triumphing at the end of the series? Or a love triangle between Harry, Ron and Hermione?

It can’t be easy for an unknown writer to make a name for themselves creating fan fiction, right? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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