TA TALKS BACK: FANFICKING!

Today, TAer LJ Summers writes in about fandom fan fiction - everything from the definition of fan fiction to the deep passion and depth of the fandom found within fan fiction.

Part the First

Fanficking: Verb. To be in the process of creating, enjoying or responding to fan fiction.

Fan Fiction: Noun. Works of fiction based (closely or loosely) upon someone else’s creative genius. Usually written in appreciation of the original by a dedicated admirer of the original work.

– Summers’ Off-the-cuff Dictionary, (c) 1980, 1992, 2000, 2009

There are multitudinous ways that people show appreciation for works of creativity in the arts. I have seen tattoos of famous literary characters in vibrant colors permanently etched into biceps. There are entire product lines dedicated to thematic money-makers (some cheesier than others) that cater to fans of all stripes and budgets. Musicians have been known to create original pieces to complement a book or movie they particularly admire. Artists of all media create works to express their involvement in and appreciation for characters and situations presented in original works. Have I mentioned dedicated websites, such as TwilightersAnonymous? Hm?

But nothing, in my experience, compares to the rich depth of fandom found in fan fiction.

Fanficking.

In terms of The Twilight Saga (hereafter known as IT or The Saga), created by Stephenie Meyer (sainted in some circles, drooled on in others, and badgered to pretty please rewrite the entire saga from Edward’s point of view by Christmas and then maybe follow up with Alice’s Visionary Guide to the Afterlife?), I have been privileged to fall into the teeming masses of fanfic authors.

I didn’t know there were teeming masses when I began. I wrote, in the beginning, to fix things (which is another drabble of an opinion for another day) and then I wrote because I wished to see how a balance could be tipped here or there in a story. I wrote solely for my own amusement and to entertain my fifteen-year-old son.

Then, I found Twilight Fandom online. And OH MY EDWARD!

There are three basic categories in which one may engage in fanficking.

One: One may read fan fiction. After reading The Saga for the fifth time, straight through, many fans wish to stay with the characters but long for a new place to see them. They want to see Edward and Bella (or Bella and Jacob or Bella and Jasper or even Bella and Alice and so on and so forth) together a century after The Saga ends. Or with their roles reversed. Or as humans. Readers long to revel in familiar characters (even when they’re out of character) and they will scroll down their screens, grinning, laughing, weeping and groaning in frustration to get their Sagalicious fix.

Two: One may respond to fan fiction. Take Number One and add voracious comments. Or, as many authors call it: Read and Review! For some responders, this is merely a brief “atta-author” and pat on the back. For others, there are detailed reactions to favorite passages in a chapter. For still others, there is a huge rejection of a point of view, plotline (the Twihards are good at that) or leaps from CANON that offend and irritate some fans. Still, they feel strongly enough about The Saga to take time to type and most of the authors enjoy this kind of interaction.

Three: One may write fan fiction. Some authors adhere strictly to canon – that is, all the rules, characterizations and situations presented as they were in The Saga (or extended but just as if Stephenie Meyer wrote them herself) and write from alternate points of view. Some authors like to take the familiar characters and give them more, um, adventurous activities. Others want to see how the vampires behave when they’re human. Still others introduce further examples of the supernatural into the familiar stories. It’s all fanfic. All of it. And all of it has an audience.

Whether you belong in any or all of these categories, you are a fanficker. Sorry, but it’s true. Join the club. And make very sure you enunciate clearly when you do so, okay? It’s a PG-13 site!

Next time: FanFics or FanFix?

So, Twilight fans, what do you think? Are you a fan fiction reader or writer? Talk back to us…