Why Fanfiction is not Evil
Go on. Admit it. You've written fanfiction. I've written fanfiction! I still write fanfiction! I've got two going right now. Even if your not on the site, you've made up a story about some star you liked or some show you watched.
He, he! Then, get this, then Troy Bolton will kiss me! And... oh! And then Gabriela walks up, and sees us!
Oh, eleven year old me. I know you had a thing for characters that were starting to go out of date, but really.... the same story again?
The Upsides to Fanfiction
Fanfiction is good in a few main ways.
1. Practice: You can get practice for the real writing here without actually having to sit down and try to be profound on the first try.
2. Experimentation: Also, this is great for children who don't yet know how to make their own stories (or adults). It's great for experimenting in different styles. Never written in 3rd person? Write a fanfiction. Go ahead! Post it! As long as it's spell checked you out did at least a few of the fics there.
3. Fun: And they're fun! You get to put characters that already seem so real into situations they've never been in before. And it's different, because they're fixed. You can't just decide. "Oh, actually.... so-and-so is no longer allergic to peanuts. It's getting kind of annoying to keep mentioning it." So you have restraints to push at.
4. No pressure. And there's no pressure since you won't have to publish it. (Don't try. That's illegal. Unless it's on fanfiction.net)
1. Practice: You can get practice for the real writing here without actually having to sit down and try to be profound on the first try.
2. Experimentation: Also, this is great for children who don't yet know how to make their own stories (or adults). It's great for experimenting in different styles. Never written in 3rd person? Write a fanfiction. Go ahead! Post it! As long as it's spell checked you out did at least a few of the fics there.
3. Fun: And they're fun! You get to put characters that already seem so real into situations they've never been in before. And it's different, because they're fixed. You can't just decide. "Oh, actually.... so-and-so is no longer allergic to peanuts. It's getting kind of annoying to keep mentioning it." So you have restraints to push at.
4. No pressure. And there's no pressure since you won't have to publish it. (Don't try. That's illegal. Unless it's on fanfiction.net)
The Downsides to Fanfiction
Some people get too wrapped up in fanfiction. They forget to work on their own stuff, or they lose the ability to. Yes, fanfiction is good practice for writing your novel, but you have to write it some time.
Some authors don't like fanfiction. Maybe they don't like other people messing with their plots and characters or something. If I ever get published though, which is the plan, I will be totally okay with it. Because fanfiction isn't about ripping off someones characters/plots/story/work. It's about exploring someone else's world because you love it that much that you don't want to leave.
Fanfiction is not evil. You can take it that way, but that is not the intention of the writer, so I wouldn't. If someone is spending the time to write 2,000 words every week about your characters, they probably fell in love with them.
So don't feel inferior. Try it. You probably already have.
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