Why I Enjoy Fan Fiction · 2:03am Jan 13th, 2014
I enjoy reading the literature of fans based on their favorite media; this should be fairly evident, based on the existence of this account. However, I have often posed myself the question as to why. I have recently solved this enigma, and I am ready to share what I have learned with anyone who may be reading this.
It isn't entirely because I love to read, or necessarily because of the community, or the atmosphere, or even the show itself. I love fan fiction because it is a stepping stone for budding writers. Let me compare writing to painting: a master painter can take a completely blank canvas and turn it into a beautiful piece of art, the likes of which his apprentice would have no chance of replicating. However, if the master were to provide a canvas where he had painted the lines and allowed the apprentice to color and shade it, it would bring him one step closer to becoming an independent artist. In this metaphor, the master painter represents the original writer and the apprentice is the fan. The fan, like the apprentice, has the raw potential to create a piece of art (written or painted), but typically lacks the skill or experience to properly create characters, plots, and settings from scratch.
With this being said, the metaphor has its limitations. Once a painting is complete, nothing can be added without destroying or covering up what came before. The universe of a fictional world, on the other hand, is just as limitless as our own (maybe even more). For every original story, there is an undefinable number of minds, each with unlimited potential, to shape, to mold, and to diversify that world. On fan fiction websites like these, I have the opportunity to witness the discovery of previously unknown writing talent as it is born. I have the honor of observing beautiful minds taking their first steps to ascend from fandom to greatness; The origins of minds like those of J.K. Rowling, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen King, Theo Geisel, Samuel Clemens, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. I enjoy fan fiction because it is a place where potential becomes reality.
