First world problems: Fanfiction

I really like fanfiction. Mainly because there's only so much canon material in existence, and then what do I do when I run out? Move on to something else? Pffft. There's a vast sea of fanfiction out there.

Why it's great:

“Television has trouble with quiet moments of all kinds; it also can’t get inside the characters’ heads. Fanfiction doesn’t just fill in the gaps between the adventures; it (hopefully) makes the characters deeper”
- Fanfic author Lyricwritesprose in a reply to a review

In movies and TV there's often way too little time for casual moments between characters, that are just there to flesh out the characters and their relationship, without the need to move the plot forward. There's also the limitation that there are very few ways you get to hear what a character is thinking, unless it's via narration or exposition. Fanfiction has this covered. It also allows for a story that's pretty much all character interactions, and not much plot. I do prefer that a story has a plot of course, but sometimes it's also fun to read something that's, for example, just an exploration of how other characters view my favourite character.

I guess most people's issue with fanfiction is that it's not written by the same author, and I completely understand that. This doesn't really bother me though. As long as the new story is well written, and the characters feel in character, I have absolutely no problem with a new author taking over. Reading a good fanfic is pretty much like being right back in that universe.  

"I get to see my favorite characters come back to life through the power of words. The puppeteer might be different, but, in the best fics, anyway, my beloved puppets are back and better than ever".
– from the post "Why I’m Not Going to Read Your Fanfic"

However:

A big problem with fanfiction is that you have to look through lots and lots of crap to find the good stuff, so you have to have a ton of patience, and willingness to try something new out, and abandon it if it sucks.

Self-publishing, especially in the virtually cost-free environment of the Internet, makes the cruddy 90% visible to the public; it no longer languishes in an aspiring writer's desk drawer. This often leads to the false impression that Fan Fic attracts poor writers; the fact is that the poor writers have always been out there, but until recently, their poor writing had few outlets to the public. As one writer put it, "flipping through Fanfiction.net is like flipping through hell with an occasional slice of the heavenly cheesecake thrown in."
– TvTropes, "Sturgeon's Law"

Fanfiction sites and collections are a huge mix of everything. People have different preferences, ideas, favourite characters, pairings, and genres. It's really hard to find that one story that ticks all the boxes for what I want to read. I have spent so many hours looking through story after story with terrible grammar or characterisation before I finally stumble upon something great. 

Another problem is that it feels a bit awkward to talk to people about fanfiction. The story might be well written, engaging, emotional and the length of a book, but the word "fanfiction" sort of has a negative, "amateurish" ring to it. Depending on who I'm talking to, I might lie and say that I'm just reading "a book".

It's a struggle!

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Last edited: 13. may 2023