Fan Fiction Failure
Well-written original stories always trump fan fiction
Millions of people read or write fan fiction. Their stories center on characters or events drawn from popular movies, TV shows, books, and comics. Dozens of websites and forums are devoted to spotlighting fan fiction. The largest ones like FanFiction, AO3, and Wattpad each boast millions of registered users. Obviously, a massive and passionate audience exists for fanfic stories.
I don’t count myself in their numbers.
Have I ever read fan fiction? Only long enough to learn it doesn’t suit my tastes as a reader. I vowed never to write fan fiction when I decided to be an author, and I never broke that vow.
Well-written original stories populated by original characters will always be superior to derivative fan fiction tales in storytelling quality.
Flaws of Fan Fiction
Fan fiction holds a wide appeal because of the community aspect. It fosters connection around shared interests and offers readers and writers alike a sense of belonging.
Some beginning authors use fan fiction as a tool for developing their writing skills. It becomes their vehicle for practicing elements of storytelling from developing characters to creating dialogue. Writing fan fiction, for these authors, offers a low-pressure way to gain experience ahead of creating stories centered around their own original characters and settings.
I definitely see some positive aspects in the fanfic community and understand why it exists. Fan fiction sites often give a voice to people who may otherwise be silenced or marginalized.
Still, far too much fan fiction lacks storytelling creativity and quality. You’ll find countless stories littered with cardboard characters, paper-thin plots, and overused tropes. Characters inserted into these stories are often a shell of what they were in the original source material. They turn into mere puppets, existing only to gratify an amateur author’s whims and fantasies like a troop of genies granting the customary three wishes.
Beginning authors are better served tinkering with their own original stories populated by original characters they’ve created. Platforms like Substack, for example, make it easy to share early story drafts and get feedback from fellow authors and readers alike. You can still create the same sense of community as with a fan fiction site but do it through building your own original fictional worlds.
Earning positive feedback on a story where you created all the characters and settings from scratch — rather than relying on an existing popular IP to do all the heavy lifting for you — feels more meaningful and rewarding. It offers a much better path to gain lasting confidence as a storyteller versus receiving mild praise for creating yet another head canon version of Luke Skywalker or James T. Kirk.
Fanfic Authors vs Original Authors
Fan fiction exists on a conceit that the original author or creator didn’t get certain things right with their original stories. Many fanfic tales present what-if scenarios grounded in the idea of reshaping narratives from the original source material. These scenarios introduce alternate endings, change specific character arcs, or create new romantic pairings (also known as “shipping”). The worst fanfic tales often drop a “Mary Sue” character into the mix — a practically-perfect-in-every-way extension of the author who takes over a story.
Published authors vary wildly with their attitudes toward fan fiction. Some embrace having their fans write fanfic stories derived from their works. Others threaten legal action to stop those stories from being posted anywhere online.
My attitude toward fan fiction is nuanced.
If I learned a few devoted fans of my books had written tales based off those stories and characters, I’d feel flattered they enjoyed my stories enough to create their own fan fiction. I can’t picture myself freaking out if I learned stories derived from my Alien People Chronicles trilogy, or any other stories I’ve written, popped up on some random free fanfic forum.
That being said, I’d oppose fan fiction derived from my stories if the authors ever tried to make money from those derivative works. My published stories are all registered with the United States copyright office, and I treat copyright violations quite seriously.
From a purely philosophical perspective, I would never enjoy reading fan fiction derived from my stories. My stories are written how I envisioned them in my head. I tell my stories exactly how I want to tell them. Fan fiction would only feel like someone else was trying to impose their own competing vision upon my stories and my characters.
Beyond philosophical concerns, I will never read a fanfic story derived from my published works for practical reasons. It’s a safeguard against any potential lawsuits claiming I plagiarized from fan fiction to write other stories.
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99% of stories published--traditionally and indie--are also riddled with ridiculous plots, cardboard characters, etc... I don't see that as a fanfic only problem.
I get why personally folks may not like fanfic. That's fine! But I'm fairly deep into fanfic spaces for a couple of very small fandoms, and I can honestly and truthfully say that some of the fanfic writing I've found there is some of the best writing I've read in my life. So I wouldn't dismiss it just because the majority of it is bad. :)
Also, I've found it useful as an author to write fanfic as a way to practice specific techniques. By not having to worry about coming up with a world, characters, etc, it freed my brain space up to focus only on the techniques I was worried about. So I think there are ways it can be useful to authors.
I think anything that prompts people to read more & write more is great. I haven’t read any fan fiction so can’t judge the quality.