on writing fanfiction
I've always been embarrassed about writing fanfiction.
those closest to me know this very well.
I don't really know why. part of it might be the fact that during my teenage and younger adult years, I internalized a lot of messages that fanfiction is cringe. that it's not "real" writing. that it's for people who can't come up with their own original work. I'd go so far as to say that there's a stigma associated with it. in spite of that, I've read and enjoyed some really good fanfiction. I could tell that the authors had a really good time making them. their passion showed through in those words.
whenever I write fanfiction, it's a lot of the same. sure, I could have put that creative energy into writing something original, but when my heart (and neurodivergent brain) becomes really attached to a franchise or piece of media or pre-existing concept, you bet that I'm going to make something about it.
the best way I can describe it is like a love letter; fan creations, to me, are a way of expressing my love for whatever I'm drawing inspiration from. that on its own drives my passion for making that kind of work. at the time of posting this, I've logged over 17,000 words in a Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction working closely with a dear friend of mine to flesh out the world, characters, and main plotline. I don't ever plan on sharing it with the wider world; I don't feel the need to do so. I'm writing something that I love and that those close to me love too. that's more than enough motivation for me.
that being said, it's got plenty of the things that someone could use as evidence that it's "bad" or "cringe;" a self-insert, shipping/romance with said self-insert, an OC with special powers, said OC integrating with the canon main characters and helping them to save the world, canon character shipping, an alternate universe, creepypasta characters... I could go on. sure, I could let the fact that those tropes are vilified as a reason stop me from creating at all. but my extreme passion for the concept and the support from my friends outweighs what some randos might or might not say about work they're not even going to see. making the work is the point, not pleasing others.
it's easy to forget that sometimes.
going back to the stigma I've picked up from my days of being chronically online; part of what added to my apprehension is coming across content online making fun of or even straight up bullying people who wrote something they really cared about (cringe compilations, anyone?). not to mention the endless memes and jokes that play off of often ridiculed tropes such as self-inserts, Mary-Sue OCs, and shipping. which is understandable. I laugh at them too, a lot, in fact, because on some level, it's true! you can find lots of overused and poorly done tropes in fanfiction. and I myself am a stickler for writing quality and a firm believer of objective good and bad art. I don't believe an artist can hide behind a veil of "it's just my style" or "it's supposed to be bad!" as an excuse to put forth deplorable content.
but bad content can come from anywhere, not just fanfiction. I mean, just take a look at mainstream media. not every novel, TV show, film, or music album is going to be a masterpiece on the level of classics that have prevailed throughout the ages, for example (and in my opinion, just because something makes a lot of money doesn't automatically make it good, it just means it's easy to sell). so I don't think it's fair to look down upon fan creations, fanfiction especially, as somehow "more cringe" or less worthy of being considered good writing.
if you think about it, nothing is wholly original and is often inspired by something else. I don't doubt a lot of creative work out there could be considered a "love letter" to a particular inspiration in the way that I consider my own fan works to be. the difference between the two is that, generally, original works don't include already established characters and worlds. but the inspiration that drives fan creations drives original work too. separating the two as different processes puts them on different pedestals where it's not necessary.
I think the reason this negative view of fan content happens is because of one big factor: the bar of entry is low to none. anyone can create fan content no matter who they are or what tools they have at their disposal or their experience with writing (or drawing, or music, what have you). and that's a great thing! it makes the creative process more accessible and frees up the world for new and fresh creative content to come forward. on the other hand, it also mean that there's a wider range of quality. so when something poor in quality or unorthodox or just plain strange pops up, it's easy to latch onto that and hold those one or two examples to make the conclusion that fanfiction as a whole must be bad (which is known as availability bias). there can be a lot of issues with that, particularly the blatant bullying of beginner creatives online, but that's a possible blog post for another possible time.
in the end, even though there is plenty of both high- and low-quality content in fandoms, the same can be said of just about anything that requires the creative muscle. what matters most is that the authors of said fan content are working hard doing what they're passionate about while also creating the best possible work they can do. and if they can do better, then we should offer constructive feedback and help them along their journey instead of tearing into them and telling them their work should never have been made in the first place.
the last thing we want to happen is the light inside of a promising artist being snuffed out for good.