You’ve probably heard the term, “fan fiction” and instantly pictured a blogger writing their own version of a Lord of the Rings epic or a website hosting user-created takes on Twilight and Star Trek cross-overs. Over the course of this article, we’re going to define what “fan fiction” means as well as provide examples of how it’s evolved in today’s world. Let’s dive in.
FAN FICTION MEANING
First, let’s define fan fiction
So, what does fan fiction mean? Fan fiction or “fanfic” can be any number of things in today’s world, from original stories to short films. But first, let’s cut to the core of its simplest definition.
FAN FICTION DEFINITION
What is fan fiction?
Fan fiction is an unauthorized, fictional work created in an amateur capacity by fans of a piece of popular culture. It often utilizes copyrighted materials such as characters and settings and is typically shared within fan communities as a tribute to the source material.
SOME FAN FICTION DEFINITION EXAMPLES:
- Short stories and novels
- Short films and feature-length movies
- Anime and manga
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
When did fanfiction start?
So when was the first time fans decided to pick up a pen and get in on the action? The truth may be much further back than you’d think. Authors were writing works as early as the 1600’s that utilized pre-existing characters and settings. Though this wasn’t necessarily a “fan tribute”, but rather a way for an up-and-coming author to get in on the popularity of that pre-existing work. This was largely accepted and not legally penalized due to the lack of copyright laws before the 19th century.
The modern iteration of what we know as “fanfic” really began in the 1960s with the Star Trek community, where “Trekkies” would self-publish their “fanzines” that contained new stories featuring the show’s original characters. This continued on in smaller fan communities until the 1990’s, when the Internet boom united these fans through message boards and fan sites. It’s also important to note that “Japanese dōjinshi” was also occurring around this time, and enacted a similar trend of fans creating independently published manga and novels based on previously established intellectual property (or IP).
A trailer for the documentary “Trekkies” covering Star Trek fandom
FAN FICTION GENRES
What are the types of fan fiction?
So, how do you write fan fiction? It’s not all about romance and “shipping” characters. Below are some fan fiction examples that range not only across genres, but in the very style in which they’re written.
A defense of Fan Fiction and all its tropes by YouTuber Sarah Z
Canon Fics
This is a type of fanfic that aims to stay as true as possible to the original source material. Often times, authors will take a pre-existing plot from the original IP and “re-write” it from a secondary character’s perspective (Example: the plot of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” from the perspective of Cho Chang as the main protagonist). A sub-genre to this type of fan fiction is “canon divergence” where the author speculates a story about what would have happened in the original plot if the characters had made slightly different choices.
Fan Fiction glossary by YouTuber Cora Maria
Slash Fiction
This is the most common type of fan fiction. Within these works, the author will romantically pair two characters (or more) who were not romantically paired in the original source material. This is called, “shipping” or “ships” and is a means to explore characters who may have not had any interaction in the original material, but who the audience has a vested interest in. It’s not uncommon for these fanfic authors to take “requests” at the end of their stories to see who their readers would like to be “shipped” next.
“How Slash Fiction Saved Star Trek” by YouTuber Jessie Gender
Alternate Universe Fic
Alternate Universe Fanfic or “AU” are works that place existing characters into a non-canon setting. For example, Bella from “Twilight” enrolling in school at Hogwarts or Luke Skywalker crash-landing in the Shire from “Lord of the Rings”. A common trope of this fan fiction type is putting fantasy characters into an “ordinary setting” like a work place, town, or school.
“The Unexpected FanFic AU That Charmed the Internet” by YouTuber ColeyDoesThings
Crossover Fics
Similar to “Slash” and “AU” fic, this type of fan fiction features a convergence of different source materials, usually with the aim to “ship” characters romantically who are not from the same fictional world. For example, Buffy Summers from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and Edward Cullen from “Twilight” may be “shipped” due to their commonality of the vampire fantasy world. Elsa from Frozen and Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians may be shipped due to their both having magical ice powers.
Crossover Fic is explored through Disney characters from TheThings
Original Characters Fic
These are works where authors insert original characters or “OCs” into pre-existing IP. Examples of this fan fiction type may be a new student at the Xavier Institute from “X-Men” or a new trainer within the world of “Pokemon”. A sub-genre to this type of fanfic is “imagines” or “self-inserts”, where the author writes in a second-person narrative style so that the reader may feel like they’re the main character of this new fanfic world.
An exploration of Original Characters or “OCs” from YouTuber Ando
Up Next
What is a Trope?
Now that you know what fan fiction is, it’s time to dive deeper into one of its most distinguished characteristics: storytelling tropes. For every story, there are clear characteristics that mark it as “comedy” versus “drama”; “action” versus “farce”; and so on. But how do filmmakers employ these tropes in a way that makes their work fresh, new, and surprising? Click below to learn more.
