From the margins of mainstream literature to the endless buttons on the Wattpad home page, fanfiction, known colloquially as fanfic, has likely wormed its way into your life.
Who hasn’t curiously stumbled upon a fanfic or two? Maybe you’ve even tried to write one yourself and it’s since become your guilty pleasure. It’s a little embarrassing … right?
Wrong! You might feel embarrassed now, but based on the millions of clicks across sites like Wattpad, Archive of Our Own (AO3) and Fanfiction.net, you have no reason to be.
Fanfictions are stories written by subscribers of various online fan communities (fandoms). They are based on pre-existing literature or media but reimagined with alternative plots and story elements.
Due to the online circulation of a great host of low-quality or cringy fanfics that have been written over the years, fanfiction has gained a bad rap. Many view the amateur plots, unexpected content or newbie qualities as indicative of fanfiction as a whole. This might include stories where the term “Y/N” is used in place of “Your Name” or an unrealistic series of events leads you to being sold to One Direction and marrying Harry Styles.
Based on my experience, this assumption hinders more than it helps — and it is entirely wrong. It’s like going to the library and reading one bad book, then deciding to never read anything ever again.
Yes, there are thousands of poorly-written stories out there — but are they not proof of the magnitude of fanfiction’s impact? Fanfiction sites are an accessible opportunity for aspiring writers to practice their skills and self-publish work while also boosting community and literacy.
Fandoms are built off of the fundamental relationships that telling stories creates between authors and their audiences. With fanfiction, there is a close author/reader relationship because most sites provide chat spaces within each chapter to discuss its content. Similar to the process of peer review — which is highly encouraged in academic settings — this allows authors to receive positive validation and constructive criticism while remaining mindful of readers’ concerns.
Fanfiction democratizes literature by engaging new audiences and setting them up with the tools to be successful in academic environments. If a favorite show ended on an upsetting cliffhanger, a fan could read up on others’ alternative endings or craft their own.
For readers, the fanfiction community also holds a sense of belonging. Many popular canonical works, such as “Harry Potter,” resonate with so many but lack diversity. Fanfics mend these gaps because they reimagine fictional canons and often contain original characters to address issues of reader representation. This explains their popularity in fandoms composed mostly of marginalized identities.
And yet: Despite the numerous benefits of fanfiction, many remain opposed.
A primary concern of fanfic skeptics is copyright, or profiting off of intellectual property.
However, most sites like AO3 are non-profit and authors almost always include disclaimers to ensure the legality of their work. In this instance, the story is not eligible for profit but could still benefit the author in other ways such as exposure, feedback and practice by being available on publicly-accessible websites. This guarantees the equality of opportunity for writers to get their work out into the world minus the monetary barriers.
It is when fanfics are largely canon-focused, including the same names and settings of the original work that I agree it poses a credibility and ethical issue. It is especially an issue when the work is written about a real person or contains explicit content without their permission — even if it is based on their public persona.
Nevertheless, if the work falls within the acceptable conditions of copyright established by public figures or authors and their publishers, I don’t see the problem with these types of works getting published.
Literature is meant to provoke emotions and challenge perspectives. People shouldn’t be ashamed of their interests or feel like they have to hide their art just because others invalidate it.
There is a clear double standard in the shaming of such a popular online culture when other forms of socially acceptable fandoms exist. Take the Super Bowl, for example. The sports industry profits greatly off of fan culture where participants enjoy the same components of discussion, community and admiration as with online fandoms.
One key difference is that the majority of sports fans are males who also watch male athletes, playing a role in the social digestibility of sports over fanfictions — the users of which are mostly female and/or queer-identifying.
Fanfiction provides opportunities for both writers and readers to participate in communities centered around their interests. Discussing fanfiction and analyzing its positive effects can open up new conversations about what constitutes literature.
If you are struggling to make up your mind regarding the merits (or demerits) of fanfiction, see for yourself and give it a try.
To all of my fanfiction supporters, never feel shame for the unique community that fandoms build.
And to everyone else, stop hating on something you don’t understand.
Grace Kim SC ’27 is from San Diego, California. She loves listening to movie soundtracks, eating sour candy and reading Letterboxd reviews.
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