[I_Love_JennaJameson]

You'll do great

[*Lethe's Bramble*]

Keep us updated Lara!

[Misery]

Do you have enough? If not I can post it in the fan fiction section of Spashley.com for you aswell.

[trucherrygirl]

I will definitely keep you guys updated! I might even post the paper when I'm done with it. Hopefully it won't sound too boring since it IS an academic paper. I'll try and make it fun though.

Misery - Oh, really? That would be great! Go ahead and do that. The paper isn't due for another 2 weeks or so anyway, so ANY responses I can get to this would be fab! Thanks in advance!

[I_Love_JennaJameson]

I'd love to read the paper when you're done with it

I'm sure it won't be boring since the topic is so interesting and unique

[trucherrygirl]

That's what my teacher said! He's really looking forward to reading my paper. And he's such a fuddy duddy too. It's hilarious. All we do is sit around and do basically nothing in that class b/c he spends the whole time reading our papers (it's a decently sized English class). But I wanted him for a teacher cuz I needed at least ONE easy class this semester. I had him for English 1A and Intro to Literature and both times I got A's. I'm re-editing my fanfic piece now and will hopefully start the essay sometime today or tomorrow cuz I wanna have at least the Intro paragraph done for his class by the time Tuesday rolls around.

I think "We Don't Fight Fair" is really the best piece to submit as well. I just see some things I think I'd like to fix structure-wise, but other than that I'm all set.

[Misery]

TCG: I put it up. I'll give it a few days, up to a week. I'll contact you by that time.

[trucherrygirl]

'Kay, thanks!

[trucherrygirl]

OK, so I turned in my paper today! It's actually due on Thursday, but I worked on it all last night and I think it turned out alright. I'll try and post it sometime in the next few days.

It was supposed to only be 4 pages, but it turned into 8 and with the Works Cited plus the Fanfiction Writing Sample it is a total of 12 pages! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an A!

Oh, btw... I quoted the forum in my Works Cited:

Works Cited

Ameen, Lara D. "Fanfiction Survey - Please Help Me Out!!" Eliza Dushku Fan Forum. 16 Feb. 2008. 4 Mar. 2008 <http://www.fanforum.com/f74/fanfiction-thread-1-a-57626/index3.html>.



Ingrid - Please tell everyone at the Spashley forum THANK YOU!! All of their responses really, really helped. I know a lot of them will want to read my paper, so I'll post it here sometime and then you can post it over there if ya want.

[I_Love_JennaJameson]

Fanforum is proud to be used in your works cited

I can't wait to read your paper! i'm sure you'll get an A

[Misery]

I already thanked them. I'll move the thread to the archive.

[trucherrygirl]

Thanks, Ingrid!

Haha, I feel honored to use Fan Forum in my Works Cited! I'll try and post it sometime tonight or possibly this weekend.

*crosses fingers for an A*

[Misery]

We all know you will get an A. You're good like that.

[trucherrygirl]

The Fanfiction Debate Research Paper


“His hand softly caresses her cheek as he wipes the tears from them. Their eyes meet and their lips part finally crashing down, the ultimate feeling of pure undiluted bliss as they enter their paradise together. His lips and tongue are sweet and smoky; hers are savory and refreshing. The kiss continues to deepen as he slides a hand through her mysterious, wavy curls and her hand slides down the length of his back. They had each gone down these roads and made these conscious choices. He tugs at the bed sheets, increasing a tumultuous friction between them. Entangled in this unsuspecting black night in the comfort of each other’s arms, they felt at peace – in balance with the flawless clockwork of the universe” (Fanfiction.net). Sounds like the perfect ending to a romance novel, right? Although this excerpt isn’t from a novel-length work, it still accurately manages to portray the romance genre as well as the sizzling friction between the two unnamed fictional characters. This excerpt, however, is also from another “genre,” so to speak, that has a very special place in the hearts of television, movie and comic book fans alike. The excerpt written above is part of a fan culture phenomenon called “fanfiction.” Fanfiction allows fans of any movie, book, comic strip, anime or television show to create stories and poetry which are centered on the characters they already know and love. They even make up new characters of their own to interact with the already pre-existing ones. This paper will address a brief history of fanfiction, the pros and cons associated with the medium of this “genre” while discussing data I compiled by posting an online survey for readers and writers of fanfiction to fill out. In addition, I will also discuss my personal experiences in the world of writing fanfiction and how this particular fan phenomenon has developed, especially over the last decade with the ever-changing technological age of the Internet.


The modern phenomenon of fanfiction as fans know it today began with the Star Trek fandom in the 1960s. Non-professional publications of stories by fans of a certain “fandom” (like Star Trek, for example) began to be published and distributed to the general public. The various contributors of these works including the writers themselves, editors and publishers typically didn’t receive any compensation for their work. As the next several decades came and went, the fanfiction phenomenon underwent some massive changes as the World Wide Web opened up an entirely new place for fans to submit their stories. And with this emerging Internet culture and the creation of the most popular fanfiction site, Fanfiction.net, came the various pros and cons of the written phenomenon adored by fans. However, it is still often criticized by those who believe that fanfiction takes away the brilliance and intellectual underpinnings from the minds of authors and screenwriters who create the characters we know and love today.


For both readers and writers of the fanfiction genre, there are many pros associated with this unique form of socially interactive writing. According to an online article entitled “Fact or Fanfiction.net? More Time Spent Than Social Networks” by Andrew Pearlman, he states that “The average user spends over seven and a half hours on this website a month and logs in more than 34 times.” It was also ranked in this article as having the fourth highest amount of time spent per user, beating out such popular social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. I view this as seeing fanfic in a positive light as more members register for Fanfiction.net to share their work with other fans worldwide and help fuel a fandom that may have been axed by a TV network several years or even decades earlier. Other pros associated with the fanfiction medium are the benefits gained by non-native English speakers as they begin to read and write English based fanfiction stories which are posted online. Additionally, fanfiction has garnered a lot of praise and is looked upon with respect from some well-known authors and screenwriters. University of California, Irvine, professor of Education Rebecca W. Black wrote an article examining the fascination for school-age English Language Learners (ELLs) to read, write and interact within this fanfiction-based medium on Fanfiction.net. “Most fascinating of all though, is the way that fans take up characters from the animé series and use them to express concerns from their daily lives through writing. For example, many texts use animé characters to elaborate plots based on themes such as peer pressure, popularity, friendship, and family. Other fictions depict characters dealing with difficult issues such as teen pregnancy, school violence, and suicide. Moreover, readers respond to these issues in their reviews, offering advice and support, and often sharing relevant personal narratives from their own lives. Such practices illustrate how identity and social interaction are integral parts of the writing and reading practices taking place in this community” (Black, 2005). Although all of this is found as a commonality amongst all fanfic writers, both native and non-native English speakers, it continues to play an even more essential role in the lives of non-native English speakers. They are able to practice and foster their reading and writing abilities, which brings them to an entirely new level of understanding and comprehending online-based literature and language.


In addition to those non-native English speaking children who are using fanfic as a means of improving their literacy and language abilities, another positive aspect of this genre is the praise it has garnered from screenwriters and authors whose works fans work so diligently to draw inspiration from. Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon once stated “I love it. I absolutely love it. I wish I had grown up in the era of fan fiction, because I was living those shows and those movies that I loved and I would put on the score to Superman and just relive the movie over and over” (Lost in a Story). He continues by explaining that’s why he writes the stories he does; he wants his stories to live on in the hearts and minds of fans forever and not let them be forgotten long after the TV show is gone. Although screenwriters are typically forbidden to read fanfic by the television production studios, fearing that a TV writer may inadvertently use the ideas of a fan to create the next great episodic piece of television, they still can be admirers of fan-related works. Other screenwriters such as Lost writer and supervising producer Grillo- Marxuach says “I’m a big supporter and admirer of fanfic… I encourage everybody to write it at all times” (Porter & Lavery, 2006). With writers such as these supporting and standing behind the creative minds of their fans, I see fanfiction as an online phenomenon that will only continue to grow as the talented writers of books, television and movies continue to inspire us and nurture our imaginations.


Of course, with the pros of fanfiction, there are also the cons. Contrary to the praise offered by some authors and screenwriters, there is also criticism associated with the world of fanfiction. Other authors, such as Anne Rice and Lee Goldberg, have strong objections against fanfiction. Popular vampire novelist Anne Rice objects to fanfic because the characters she’s created have deep, personal connections to her. Some are based off of the now deceased members of her family; she is able to create characters based off of the memories of her loved ones and feels no one should infringe upon the rights to her sacred work. The most prevalent argument against fanfiction is that fans are stealing the characters and basic plot details involved in creating the stories that have already been created by the authors and screenwriters. While they do encourage their fans to write, they make a point in wanting them to create their own stories with their own original characters, not someone else’s. In general, most fans of such well-respected authors like Anne Rice seem to understand this and will respect the writer’s rights to their own published works. However, as long as novels, movies and TV media continue to flourish, fanfiction will still be a continuously growing medium with fans writing for the “permitted” genres of entertainment media.


In addition to the online articles I found, I also composed a short 10 question survey and posted it online. By posting and using this survey, I wanted to obtain some general information about other fans that read and write fanfiction just like I do. I was mostly looking for general patterns in age and gender as well as why fans wrote or read the type of fanfic that they did. After looking at the results from all of the fans who completed the survey, I noticed the age of the average fanfiction writer was anywhere between 15 and 30, usually falling somewhere in the 18 to 25 year age range. I also noticed that the majority of fans who responded to my survey were female and most probably still in high school or going to college. When asked which websites they usually read or post their fanfiction at, fans typically listed Fanfiction.net as the primary website for all things related to fanfiction. However, some also listed other sites like LiveJournal and sites related to a certain character or pairing of characters from a specific TV show or movie. They also said reading and/or writing fanfiction has improved their English language abilities. One fan, 18, who writes mostly Buffy and Angel fanfiction says “I think it has definitely enhanced my writing abilities. It is great practice with writing for characters and developing original stories, and the online fandom is a great source of constructive criticism and a great way to get your writing out there” (Fanfiction Survey). Some fans even stated that they used fanfiction to help them learn English, which not only made their reading comprehension and writing skills better overall but it also allows them to enjoy what they are reading and writing because they care about these characters. In general, fans read and write about the characters and pairings from the TV shows and movies they have grown to love and admire. They may only write for a specific pairing or character because they feel most comfortable writing within that fandom or they may write about characters or pairings of characters from a variety of television and movie fandoms. When asked if they think fanfic should be published, the responses varied.


Some would obviously love to see fanfic be published in novel form by fans while others would prefer it to stay on the Internet. In my opinion, I’d love to see fanfic published in media tie-in type novels (which already exist for now cancelled TV shows like Buffy and Charmed) or some type of journal or magazine publication specifically written and geared towards fans. However, I also understand the other point of view and how it may be violating unfamiliar territory with a plethora of copyright laws and infringements. Overall, the responses to this survey were thought provoking and well-written and it was interesting to read about the opinions of other fans in regards to fanfiction.


Finally, I will briefly discuss my own personal experiences with reading and writing fanfiction. I have been writing fanfiction since I was 15 years old, starting with the popular TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I didn’t know what fanfic really was, but I knew I wanted to try and write stories based on the characters that have lit up my television screen for the past several years. Since then I have branched out and written for other TV fandoms including Tru Calling, Phil of the Future and American Gothic. Writing fanfiction has definitely given me a lot of opportunity and helped me discover a wider range in my genre writing abilities. Through fanfiction, I discovered a newfound ability and unknown passion that I had for romance writing. It has motivated me to make some of my fanfiction stories more psychologically romance based and I hope to publish my own original series of psychological romance thrillers someday. Writing became the perfect outlet for me as a young person growing up with a physical disability and I was always inspired and fascinated by what I saw on television as well. I consider myself a very emotional writer and writing fanfiction has allowed me to develop and explore the varying facets of my writing abilities as I channel my personal emotions through these fictional characters. Since the majority of television I watch revolves around a central, strong female character (like Buffy, for example), I try to center my stories on the empowerment of these female characters. When I write, it goes beyond the printed page. They become more than just characters for me; they actually become a part of me. I have to eat, sleep and breathe what they are feeling, so to speak, in order to enter their minds and create an interactive dialogue between them. I have also learned from other fanfiction writers and really feel and see the need for the importance of a collaborative process. I try to give the best feedback I can to aid other fanfic writers like myself in honing their craft and I’d like to think that they usually do the same thing for me in return.


In conclusion, I don’t see the fanfiction phenomenon disappearing from our computer screens anytime soon. As long as there is plenty of entertainment media to inspire us, we will keep thinking, creating and imagining the characters we know and love in a new light – how we as fans view them versus how their original creator views them. Two fans sum up fanfiction better than I ever could. One female fan, 24, an avid reader of both Tru Calling and X-Files fanfic writes that “Fanfiction is love” while another female fanfic reader concludes with words that I will remember forever: “May fanfic never die!”


Works Cited


Airawyn. "Lost in a Story: FanFiction Supporters." Lost in a Story. 4 Mar. 2008 <http://airawyn.fiddlergirl.com/fanficsupport.shtml>.


Ameen, Lara D. "Fanfiction Survey - Please Help Me Out!!" Eliza Dushku Fan Forum. 16 Feb. 2008. 4 Mar. 2008 <http://www.fanforum.com/f74/fanfiction-thread-1-a-57626/index3.html>.


Ameen, Lara D. "Soul Meets Body: a Tru Calling Fanfic." Fanfiction.Net. 27 May 2006. 4 Mar. 2008 <http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2959428/1/Soul_Meets_Body>.


Ameen, Lara D. "We Don't Fight Fair: a Tru Calling Fanfic." Fanfiction.Net. 26 Apr. 2007. 4 Mar. 2008 <http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3509052/1/We_Dont_Fight_Fair>.


Black, Rebecca W. "Online Fanfiction: What Technology and Popular Culture Can Teach Us About Writing and Literary Instruction." New Horizons for Learning Journal. 2005. University of California, Irvine. 4 Mar. 2008 <http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/literacy/black.htm>.

Porter, Lynnette, and David Lavery. Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: an Unauthorized Guide. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2006. 171.

[*Lethe's Bramble*]

You're so getting an A for that!