I confess I've always steered clear of fan fiction.
In my defence, a lot of what is classified as 'fan fiction' is something I always believed a writer
should steer clear of for several reasons. I've never fully analysed these reasons before. Today I thought I'd do so:
First reason: Fan fiction is the haunt of those who would take a fictional world and make it a place only for sex, more sex, vampires, even more sex and then, probably, ninjas (to have sex with the vampires).
In truth, all worlds must contain sex and (probably) athletic, sneaky groups not far removed from ninjas* but you don't have to write about these things
only.
It's also true that I can't be 100% sure that all fan fiction contains any of this trinity but I feel that public perception of the genre is coloured in such a way that the sex, ninjas and vampires are definitely overrepresented.
In any case, while there are innumerable sticky, sneaky, blood sucking entries into the 'fan fiction' pantheon, these do not symbolise what fan fiction is about.
In other words - when you explore this as a reason - an excuse - for not contributing, you see that it is invalid. Even though some authors may use the written world and the fiction of others to create soft[hard]core porn, it does not mean your contribution needs to follow this path.
Second reason: Fan fiction is an area where a young writer can learn the basics of story without sitting up in the night staring at his or her monitor and thinking 'what should my world
be?'
Let writer's block, the fear of failure and the work required in constructing your very own fiction be the worry of a mature author. Fan fiction is where a young artist breaks out the crayons and colours outside the lines so that he can experience for himself
why the lines are there at all.
However, I have to stop myself (again) from using a preconception as a valid excuse: Even though a huge amount of fan fiction is from young people who are just beginning to explore their writing talent (or lack of talent - if that's something you can explore**), this world is not for the youthful only.
Third reason: Fan fiction is looked down on by those who consider themselves 'serious' writers in part because of the two reasons (and other similar reasons) above.
Again, I'm finding arguments for why this isn't a reason at all.
Science fiction and fantasy were looked down upon, frowned upon (I'm not fooling anyone -
they still are) by those who considered themselves 'srs wrtrs'. Yet look at some of the amazing work that's come from those genres.
Fan fiction has been around for a long, long time. Arguably longer than the scifi and fantasy genres. Carroll, Austen (!) and Tolkien all had their share of fans who used their worlds to create their own fiction.
In spite of all my soul searching, I still
feel it's not legitimate. Why is this so?
Well I have my own theories on that but I don't feel they're so important now.
I do feel that fan fiction is a stepping stone to greater things, a way of busting your chops before you begin the work proper of fabricating your own worlds. There is a lot of crude and poor work that may cloud your own contribution and it's not a very rewarding area to write.
BUT it is a challenge on multiple levels and
I like challenges.
How do you make something unique with so many fanfic writers churning out masses of content?
How do you create without the free reign of your own world?
How do you create within the bounds of a pre-existing world with rules, history and characters set down as 'canon'?
How do you make any of the effort required to work around the myriad restrictions worthwhile?
Well I've spotted a 'fan fiction' contest with real rewards, with judges, with competition from very able authors. Everything that will make that little pupil who seeks stars and recognition squeal with delight (an aspect of my personality I will one day crush).
It's set within a gaming universe - probably the most awkward universe to create within (in my own opinion).
And I've come up with a plan... a means of pushing at that which hems writers in when they approach fan fiction in this world. In other words I'm making it even harder for myself.
So I'm going to do it. I'm going to try fan fiction. I may or may not let folks know how this goes. Perhaps it will be my dirty little secret.
One that nearly all writers share.
After all what is regular, run of the mill, my-dog-died-and-I-learned-about-life-when-I-dealt-with-this fiction other than 'fan fiction' based on the world we live in?
* I've left vampires out deliberately. Not all worlds need vampires. Very few, if any, worlds need vampires - in fact I can't emphasise this enough: No more vampire literature! Anywhere. Ever. Unless it's stunningly new or from a crazy perspective.
**... I now remember some things that I've read, some things that I've written, and can answer: yes it is something you can explore
