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Fan fiction

ClearlyExplained.Com

6th September 2006

by Kate Edwards-Fox

A straightforward and fast information
guide to Fan Fiction from ClearlyExplained.Com

What is Fan fiction?

Fan fiction is fiction written by fans about the characters or using the scenes and settings of an original work. Fan Fiction is rarely published professionally but many writers will place their fan fiction work on a website to receive feed back. Most fan fiction is written about novels and other literature but in recent years, fan fiction has progressed to such things as movies, television shows, and comics. This does not mean the fan fiction comes in these forms as to be fan fiction it must be a written work.

What
Why
News
How
History
Future

Why is Fan Fiction Important?

Fan Fiction is important as it can allow an aspiring author to improve on their writing and receive compliments and criticisms without having to familiarize readers with the scenario.

News about Fan Fiction

How is fan fiction reported in the online press? Typically there is not a great deal of press because it is a fairly low key.

• Try a Search Google news for fan fiction

But you can certainly find some of the latest fan fiction at a number of websites such as:

• htt://www.fanfiction.net
• http://www.harrypotterfanfiction.com/
• http://www.godawful.net/
• http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/
• http://www.adultfanfiction.net/

How is Fan fiction classified?

Fan Fiction, when published on a website must be categorized so that readers know where to look for the stories they are interested in.

• Firstly, the person looking to place their story must identify each section, identifying it as Book, Movie, Cartoon, Comic, TV Show, Game, Anime/Mengha, or Miscellaneous.
• From there you select which work it is based on. For some works, which may be a series, you pick the original authors name, e.g.. Janet Evanovich. For others you would pick the name of the series e.g.. Harry Potter for all five books or Pirates of the Caribbean for both movies.
• Other stand alone works are listed under their exact title and television shows are always listed this way. From here it is necessary to give your story a rating. On the main site, fanfiction.net, you pick from K (5+) to M (16+).
• Some authors will list their stories under M but give a warning saying it may be termed as MA (18+). This is not technically allowed and there are other websites that provide for this content or higher.
• If you publish a story that does not fit in the rating you give it, you will either be warned to change your rating or find your account closed and story record deleted. From here you give the story a genre such as humor, drama, angst, or poetry, and then select what language you have written it in.
• These assist readers when conducting a search for random stories that fit in categories they approve of. For some fan fiction stories, when written about a largely popular work for fan fiction such as Harry Potter or Artemis Fowl, you will be asked to identify one or two main characters. From here you write a short summary that readers will view before selecting your story.

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What are the most important fan fiction terminologies?

The summaries are very important as they identify the type of story the reader has written as well as giving warnings if it contains content a reader may find offensive. In summaries due to a word limit placed on it, most writers will select key terminologies. There are far too many to identify but the main ones are as follows

-Canon refers to the original plot line created for the work so to "follow canon" is to pick up from where the author left off and continue in a way that matches what the author would likely intend.
-AU stands for alternate universe where the fan fiction goes off on a completely different tangent from the works plot line, using the same characters but changing events for them either from where the original work started (listed in summary as just "AU") or after certain events or picking a cut off point (e.g.. "AU from court case", or "AU after Season 3").
-OC stands for original character where the fan fiction author has included a character of their own invention in the story.
-Mary Sue. This is where the writer uses an original character that takes focus off the original characters and simply focuses on this characters actions. This is not usually very popular with readers but can have some success.
-OOC stands for out of character where the characters act in a manner very different from how they would act in the original work.
-xover or crossover. This is when the writer pairs up two different works such as David Eddings and Discworld.
-Slash. This is both a descriptive term and a warning. It refers to the pairing of two male characters and is fairly common. Other similar terms are femslash and yaoi.
-Lemon. This is given as a warning of graphic sexual relations. Due to ratings it is technically forbidden on the main site fanfiction.net but if it is listed in the summaries, readers tend to avoid sending in complaints which means these works are rarely closed down. There are special sites with warnings that are designed specifically for these works and many writers who feel it is necessary to include it will simply cut the scene out of the story on fanfiction.net and supply a link for the scene if readers wish to read it.
-Lime. This is when there is sexual conduct but is toned down to fit in the chosen rating. It is still within etiquette to provide a warning however.

 

History of Fan fiction

Fan Fiction has been around for centuries but can be determined as beginning in the 18th century with unauthorized sequels to such works as Robinson Crusoe. This continued throughout the years for stories like Oliver Twist, or Alice in Wonderland, with fan fiction published in news papers and magazines but now this cannot happen due to copy write laws. Sites like fanfiction.net can exist as the writers make no profit from their stories and place disclaimers with them to give credit to the original author.

John Tenniel's illustration for "A Mad Tea-Party", 1865

Future of fan fiction

Fan fiction will be around either officially or unofficially for as long as fiction works are published. Due to copy write and infringement laws it may become impossible for sites like fanfiction.net to exist but fan fiction is such an easy and effective way for one to improve on their writing that personal fan fiction works will continue long after these sites fade away.