Fan Fiction: Part 2

The Good and Bad for Readers 

The Good for Readers

How many times have you finished reading a book (especially the final book in a series) and wished it hadn't ended? Unless the author has done a good job of writing a satisfying, cathartic ending, it can leave the reader feeling unfulfilled. But the opposite can be true as well, no matter how perfect the ending, a reader may still want more. Fan fiction is a great way for readers to continue on the character journey in many different ways.

A quick search for the average age of fan fiction readers resulted in the above graphic. Granted, the data is almost eight years old, but it confirms my suspicion that most fan fiction readers are teens. That's a good thing, in my opinion. In today's world, anything that will get teens to READ and interact with other readers is good. Fan fiction provides not only entertainment for these kids, but also may give them courage to write their own fan fic story. Write what you know, right? Getting young people engaged in literary pursuits grows more important as these subjects, in my experience, are receiving less attention in the school setting as more focus falls on STEM subjects. (I'm not knocking the sciences, but a good balance is necessary.)

One of the many genres of fan fiction is Self-insert fan fic in which a version of the author finds himself inside the particular fandom's universe. This allows readers alternative characters that may better represent them. In the early Star Trek fan fiction years, most of the writers and readers were female because it allowed them to create and consume more "female-as-hero" story lines. As in the Harry Potter series, fans can imagine which house the sorting hat would place them into, or even create a fifth, secret house, or a blend of houses. The possibilities are endless. There are entire community boards dedicated to this one subject. It's fantastic.

The 9th Doctor, Doctor Who

There are many more reasons that fan fiction is good for readers, but now let's move on.

The Bad for Readers

Let me first say that just because there are bad things about fan fiction, it doesn't mean that writers should stop creating fan fic stories or that readers should stop reading them. People should be aware of the downsides, especially given that most readers are teens and preteens. 

1. The number one bad thing about fan fiction that parents should know about is the more than ample amount of Smut fic. The stories may only contain a single sexually explicit scene, or the entire piece may fall into the category of pornography. Apparently, the key words "lemon" or "lime" may be an indicator of smut (I'm naive enough to not understand those terms and I don't want to). Just like anything else online, it's the wild west, so parents beware. Note: Shipping, or Romance fan fic should not be confused with Smut.
2. Fan fiction writing may be grammatically or thematically of poor quality. Although there are community boards where people can offer their beta reader services, some really bad writing can squeak through. However, I tend to think that readers are very smart and will naturally select well-written content over poorly written content, which moves the best stuff to the top of the results lists. The first few stories I read at the top of the lists on FanFiction.net had decent writing, actually quite better than I had expected.
3. Reading some fan fiction may ruin a reader's vision of a character. By their very nature, fan fiction is a fantastical creation of the fan. They can be very personal. Writers are free to change a character's entire personality, however, they do so at their own peril in some cases. Again, the readers decide what becomes popular. But a reader should remember to separate the content, story, and character that the original author created from that of fan fiction. I'm not sure I could do that if I read a lot of fan fic.
4. One comment I came across in several articles about fandom and young people reading fan fiction is that fangirls and fanboys tend to become totally immersed in their fandoms, to the detriment of the real world around them. They tend to become obsessed, spending hours and hours in their rooms devouring fan fiction. In my opinion, there is a need for balance, but this describes pretty much any teen I've ever known. If they're not obsessed with music or sports or video, it'll be something else.

Generally a Good Thing

In my research, I have come to the conclusion that fan fiction and the resulting online communities are a good thing for readers of all ages. As long as parents understand the potential hazards and monitor their child's reading habits, there should be no problem. I think these communities are a fun and creative way to explore beloved characters and universes from all genres and all mediums. 

If I were in charge of the internet world, I would give fan fiction a big thumbs up. But I know my opinion doesn't really matter and I'm just a lurker, or a noob, or whatever they call people who have just dipped their toes in to the Fan Fic world.

Next week, I'll discuss the ways fan fiction is good and bad for writers.