Whirlwind history of fanfiction

Fanfiction has been around for a long time. Homer's Illiad is one of the oldest sources of inspiration for other writers. For example, some of Euripides' plays (5th century BCE) drew heavily from the characters and events of the Illiad, and Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid (1st century) is a continuation of the Illiad, focusing on the Trojan character Aeneis and his journey to found a new city after Troy was destroyed by the Greek army. In Virgil's case, his main goal was to tie Rome to the legends of gods and heroes and to legitimize the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Other uses of fanfiction can be found in, for example, Shakespeare's play King Lear (early 1600s), where during the 18th and 19th century the ending was re-written by theatre companies and the tragic ending removed.

Often referred to as pastiche works, new storylines based on existing characters became particularly popular with Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (1887-1927). There is speculation that Conan Doyle was aware of the existence of fanfiction based on his characters, and that these stories persuaded him to write one last book chronicling Sherlock Holmes' adventures.

Zines and self-published collections of fanfiction continued throughout the 20th century, where fans traded copies and sold them at conventions, and gained even more popularity once Star Trek first aired in 1966, capturing the imagination of viewers since.

With the advent of the internet, fanfiction can now easily be found for just about any book, tv series or movie, the quality ranging from abhorrent to brilliant.

But, why?

The reasons for writing and reading fanfiction range from a desire to see beloved characters interact in ways the source material never shows, keeping a favourite story alive and active, creating a happy and emotionally satisfying ending, or even to practice writing before pursuing publication. Each fan will have their own reasons for engaging with the source material through fanfiction and fanart, but one thing they almost all have in common is a passion for the source where the original creator has inspired and inflamed the imagination of the reader.

What kind of stories will I find? (Or what is gen, het and slash?)

Most of fandom exists in the realm of subtext, where a subtle or brief moment between characters that a reader picked up on can create a whole world, backstory, or future. There can be a strong focus on romantic pairings, regardless of whether they are together in the source material, and this separates into either heterosexual couples or same sex couples, commonly referred to as slash or femmeslash. Gen, a type of story that features no romantic pairings, is also a popular category in some fandoms, sometimes consisting of character sketches or vignettes that explore motivation, actions, or even just a way to reconcile two seemingly disparate decisions that occur in canon. Small and seemingly insignificant characters are given life, and main characters are followed through new adventures.

But what about the original author?

Some fandoms have the blessing of the creators to engage in and develop new material (occasionally inviting amateurs to submit completed works for competitions and as a way of gaining more writers to contribute to movie or tv tie-ins), others are aware of it but prefer to keep in a realm that they don't come across it and never read it, while other authors take legal action against any and all fan-created content. It really depends on the authors perception of what fanfiction is.

One thing to note, the vast majority of those who participate in “fannish” content creation greatly disapprove of making any profit from the sale of fanfiction, because they aren't creating their own original content but playing in another person's sandbox.

So, what can I find?

Stories, graphics and icons, comics, artwork, and videos are all available online for sharing and enjoyment. At conventions, you can also find cosplay, where fen dress up as their favourite character, and the detail of many of the costumes and prosthetics can be breathtaking.

Where can I find it?

Each fandom will have its own dedicated set of archives, but here are some general multi-fannish ones to start off with:

LiveJournal, InsaneJournal, Dreamwidth - when yahoo groups and other mailing lists became less popular, communities were set up on the various journaling systems, and most active fanfiction thrives here today. All mediums are represented (fiction, art, vids, etc).

Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) - Unlike other sites (with the exception of Dreamwidth), OTW is run for fans by fans. Currently in closed beta, but they're always looking for volunteers.

Skyhawke - invite only (i.e. someone with an existing account has to invite you), that mostly means the quality of fanfiction will be fairly decent. Fiction only.

FanFiction.net - one of the oldest archives, with a very mixed bag of quality - read at your own risk, but sometimes a fantastic story can be found. Non-graphic fiction only.

AdultFanFiction.net - just like its name indicates, only fanfiction of a sexual nature can be found here. As with FanFiction.net, quality is very mixed, but thankfully reader reviews can usually indicate whether a story is worth reading. Erotic fiction only.

Yuletide - Conceived of as the ultimate multi-fannish secret fiction exchange for obscure or rarely written fandoms. Fiction only. Deviant Art - home to both original and fandom-related art.

FanHistory wiki (http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/Main_Page) - Dedicated to documenting the history of fandom, including notable fandom contributors, notable dates in fandom history, etc.

FanHistory blog (http://blog.fanhistory.com/) - Collaborative project dedicated to documenting events in fandom. Fandom Wank (on Journalfen) - Because sometimes fandom can be a wanky place.

Meta Fandom (on LiveJournal) - A community that collects links to fan discussions and posts that talk about the fannish experience.

Last words

Fandom is ultimately about community. While reading a great book or watching an exciting movie is a solitary experience, with fandom, one can share, explore, pick apart, imagine and enjoy the source material with others who feel just as passionate. It's a way to meet friends from all over the world, and keep your favourite story from ending.

Each month, I'll be exploring some of the biggest fandoms, such as Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, Supernatural, Buffy/Angel, Bleach, etc. Check back for fanart, popular pairings, where you can find fen today and more.

Dru

Fangirl since the age of 4, collecting different versions of and rewriting Cinderella.