What is fan fiction?

Fan fiction is fiction continued or changed by fans.  Basically, someone may have read a book that they like so much, they find themselves wanting to add to the story.  Or, someone may have enjoyed a story but hated the ending; fan fiction gives the reader a chance to change the story–anywhere.  Or, perhaps there’s a character from a book, tv show, or movie, that someone wants to continue creating stories for; again fan fiction provides this opportunity.

There are legal considerations to fan fiction.  Basically there are two opposing sides to fan fiction.  Authors of course do not want their works to be copied and hence have copyrighted their stories.  Scholars however look at fan fiction as a way of  story telling and continuing myths.  For more information on the rights of both authors and fans, Chilling Effects offers valuable information.  (Chilling Effects is a joint project to provide Internet users with their online rights.)

Fan fiction, at its root, promotes the love of reading.  Students are especially drawn to fan fiction:  it lets them carry out a story further, it lets them change a story to their liking, and finally it lets them create a social network in regards to their own writing.  People are free to comment and change other people’s writing–continuing the act of fan fiction on and on.  

The most important fact to remember when dealing with fan fiction is realizing it is not the original author’s work; it has been changed and manipulated by fans.  If and when an author does not approve of fan fiction, the fan is obligated to listen to the work’s creator.  

Here are some popular fan fiction sites:

    For frequently asked questions about fan fiction visit here Chilling Effects.