Fanfiction: it's a word that makes people either cringe or celebrate. I've never met someone who was ambivalent to fanfiction, everyone either had a positive or negative reaction. The biggest reaction I've ever seen though was from the great Geoge R. R. Martin, best known for being the man behind Game of Thrones. He hates the idea, and says that it is the worst way to learn writing due to not having to create characters. I take a different stance though, and although I'm not anywhere as important to the literary canon as Martin, I hope I can add something to the conversation.
Martin is right though, fanfiction means people don't need to do as much world building and character creation; that's its greatest strength though. Fanfiction gives new writer a way to learn the mechanics of writing without having to focus on world and character. It's the same as people using public domain works. People can hone their skills at dialogue, plotting, and making a story flow in general. Creativity can't really be taught, but mechanics can, and fanfiction is probably the best sandbox to learn in. That's just part of the story though; fanfiction is part of the way fans connect to what they love. When a story is well told, people are bound to want to contribute to it. Fanfiction was one of the first ways in which fans could add to their favorite mythos. No matter what stories you love, there are people trying to retell or expand upon them. As a content creator, not just of fanfiction but original stories as well, I truly appreciate how much of a blessing fanfiction is for aspiring writers. One author can only do so much, and with fanfiction hundreds upon thousands can help build out a massive world. It doesn't stop there however.
Fans will always try to expand on work in any way they can, and they've brought forth some great projects. Whether it be short films, web shows, fan edits of films, or even video games, fans are always coming up with creative new ways to approach the stories they love. It's true that a lot of fan work isn't that great, but the fact that people can even try is incredible. Some of my favorite works of fiction in existence, from "Pokemon Light Platinum," to "Nightwing: the Series," were fan projects. The biggest reason I support fan work though, is that it's done purely out of love. We don't get a single dime off of what we do, but we do it anyway. All we want is to share our ideas with the world, and help others get more of the series they love. It's such a noble idea, that I find it hard to accept anyone putting it down. So yes, I write fanfiction, and I say that with pride.
