Angela Nicole Parker

Once in a while a debate will come up as to whether fan fiction is an infringement on the rights of authors. While some authors seem to understand that this comes with the territory when you create a popular work that people become passionate about, many bestselling authors resent fans writing and posting stories online based on their characters. In fact, Fan Fiction.net, one of the largest fan fiction sites on the web, has a list of author's who refuse to allow fan fiction based on their works to be showcased on the site or else....

I recently came upon this blog and it got me thinking again about just what place fan fiction has in literary circles. I've seen some authors rail against fan fiction as plagiarism, an insult to the story that they came up with, and a poor use of any writers time --- because REAL writers should play with their own characters and worlds not somebody elses'. I, however,  disagree. Personally, I'd be thrilled if something I wrote inflamed the imagination of someone else so much that they wrote endlessly about it, but I wonder how much of that has to do with my own biases for fan fiction.

I read fan friction a lot. I tend to obsess about books, shows and movies I love and fan fiction gives me MORE of what I love. As a sci-fi/ fantasy fan there is no shortage of AU fics out there about my favorite characters and I enjoy a lot of it. I think it's a valuable asset to any fandom. I'm actually a uber fan of Merlin, a BBC show based on the Arthurian Legend, because I found an amazing fan fiction story that made me search the show out and see what the hub bub was all about. To me, fan fiction keeps people invested in the characters and the world they are writing and reading about.

I also think that fan fiction is a great training ground for future writers who can use it as a springboard to improve their writing. I started writing fan fiction before it was called that. I was twelve and there was no Internet ---  just a pen, paper, markers and a Star Wars meets Indiana Jones story I was dying to tell. Fan fiction kept me writing and helped me develop a writing style. I think you can argue its place, but not that it has one. Imagine what future literary geniuses are getting their start writing about their favorite fictional character right now! I think that as long as nobody is making any money off it, it OK. It's fannon, not cannon, and doesn't take away from the "real" story being by the writer, it just gives those who want to read a little twist something to enjoy.

What do you think? Is fan fiction wrong?