FanFiction: Good Practice for Future Authors

FanFiction is an art which can't be explained in words by any other than those who write and read it. Please welcome this Question and Answer with various FanFiction writers.

1. What inspired you to write FanFiciton?
Jane Hickman: "Actually finding the site and finding out I wasn't the only one that did it."
Nattie Rice: "Actually reading fanfiction is what inspired me to write it. I was reading all these stories, and were some pretty bad but most of of them were so awesome, that I just felt like I had to add in my own."
Franziska Lange: "Transformers originally, as that particular fandom helped me through a lot of hard times and forced me to learn English which was necessary back when I started with it."
Cross Astarte: "Originally it was the idea of 'What Ifs', if the situation were different, if the story had ended differently, if A had happened instead of B. Fanfiction is a way of appreciating a show/book/etc. for me, because it helps to appreciate the show from more angles, and looking deeper into characters, and even constructing a back story for them to appreciating and giving under appreciated and under developed plot points/characters a voice. It was the ease of playing with a pre-constructed toy box, and then taking it part and putting it back again to see the different ways it would fit together again without losing the original."

2. What got you interested in FanFiction?
Becca Marshalla: "I had always thought up alternative endings and characters and little scenes to include in my favorite books, movies, TV shows ect. I was thrilled when I discovered that others did that and wanted to see it! I also loved reading more parts if my favorite series that I had finished!"
Cross Astarte: "I think originally it was the displeasure of having a character in a book that I was reading being given inadequate treatment by an author. I was unhappy with how it had ended, and along the lines, a friend of mine had introduced me to fan fiction sites. Seeing that there is a dedicated space where people can write, and publish, and exchange ideas in relation to their own fandoms was a great motivation for me to try writing my own to contribute back in my own way to the show, and to join in on what fellow fans are also creating together, and share in our enthusiasm for it."
Julianne Frost: "I got interested in fanfiction when I googled a book series that I used to love. I came across a wonderfully written, multi-chaptered fic that I fell in love with. I had never heard of FF prior to this, and I was so excited to learn that people were writing stories about my favorite books, TV shows, and movies."
Sara Schneider: "Funny story. One day I just decided to google to see if people wrote original stories using a certain fandom's characters... imagine my surprise when I learned I was about 20 years late to the game."

3. Why do you write FanFiction to this day?
Elena Goldberg: "Because it's fun to express yourself in writing rather then telling people about problems you can put it in your writing per say you could kill of a character if your mad."
Clare Boyle: "I write FanFiction to this day because even though I was born in Great Britain and am a native speaker of English, my education was sorely lacking because I have a learning disability and since the condition I have is so incredibly rare my teachers barely taught me anything in secondary school. When I was twelve years old, I did not know that I am profoundly Dyspraxic even though my handwriting was so illegible that it was affecting my education. While on summer vacation from school that year, I took it upon myself to practise my handwriting and while doing so, I discovered that I was creative. When I went back to school my teachers were thrilled that I had finally done something about my lousy handwriting but they didn't care that I was interested in creative writing, they were more interested in the academia so I nurtured the ‘gift’ myself. I feel like I have a lot to learn about grammar and so by writing FanFiction and having people critique what I write I am improving the ‘skills’ I have."
Michael Linggoputro: "I write fanfiction to this day to release my creative urges as I get new ideas on a regular basis and I have to get it out somehow and so that is why I still write."
Franziska Lange: "In the beginning I wrote it to get rid of emotional build ups and to improve my writing skills. Nowadays I write it with friends to distract ourselves from the real world and problems we have were. And still in order to improve my skills."

4. What application do you think FanFiction has to everyday life?
Lacey Ownby: "Because the more someone continues to write stories, for some people, their writing sometimes gets better and people who write now, are kind of practicing for being book writers."
Elena Goldberg: "Creativity because it inspires people to be better writers."
Clare Boyle: "Writing fan fiction made me want to join writing groups in my local area. To begin with, I was afraid that might not be an option because of the learning disability and profound dyspraxia, one of the support workers I had at the time, suggested a group that met not far from where I lived back then and I joined the group. That group no longer exists; however, I am a member of three other groups and have not looked back since. Thanks to the writing groups (and by proxy, thanks to writing fan fiction) I have even participated in National Novel Writing Month."

5. What do you love about the art of FanFiction?
Rhapzody Kairu: "Everything."
Michael Linggoputro: "The art of fanfiction is a beauty because it allows budding writers to write what ever they wish to without having to decide as many things as an original writer would and also that we can do all this without charge helps too."
Cross Astarte: "What I love about fan fiction is that no matter of time, and age, it will still continue to be relevant. And that as the fans grow, the nature of the fandom will change, as will the topics, and the issues that fan fiction stories are written about. There are people as young as 15 (and younger) writing, and there are people, married with children still creating for their fandom. And that there is no restriction at all, there is great ease to just jump in and create, and the only one deterring anyone from it is simply yourself."
Becca Marshalla: "I think it's a good way to start writing and makes us think more deeply into the media we consume. We have to figure out what makes characters tick in order to keep the IC, which requires analysis and reflection on our favorite books or movies which is something not many people do anymore."

Special thanks to: Jane Hickman, Nattie Rice, Franziska Lange, Cross Astarte, Becca Marshalla, Julianne Frost, Sara Schneider, Clare Boyle, Elena Goldberg, Lacey Ownby, Michael Linggoputro, Rhapzody Kairu, and the FanFiction.net Writers Unite! Facebook group for hosing my question.

Check out the authors:
Sara Schneider
Julianne Frost
Elena Goldberg

Provided By:
FanFiction.net
FanFiction.net Writers Unite!