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{{Short description|Type of fiction created by fans of the original subject}}
'''Fan fiction''' (also commonly spelled as '''fanfiction''' and frequently abbreviated to '''fanfic''' or occasionally just '''FF''' or '''fic''') is a broadly-defined term for ] about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creators. Fan fiction usually describes works which are uncommissioned by the owner of the work, and usually (but not always) works which are not professionally published. Fan fiction is defined against original fiction, which exists with its own discrete universe, and against ] works within the universe. Most fan fiction writers assume that their readers have knowledge of the canon universe in which their works are based .
{{Other uses|Fan Fiction (disambiguation){{!}}Fan Fiction}}
{{redirect|Fanfic|the film|Fanfic (film){{!}}''Fanfic'' (film)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
]'' (1917) by John Rae, an early ] or fan fiction|thumb]]
'''Fan fiction''' or '''fanfiction''', also known as '''fan fic''', '''fanfic''', '''fic''' or '''FF''', is ] written in an ] capacity by ] as a form of ], unauthorized by, but based on, an ]. The author uses ], settings, or other ] from the original creator(s) as a basis for their writing and can retain the original characters and settings, add their own, or both. Fan fiction ranges in length from a few sentences to novel-length and can be based on fictional and non-fictional media, including ]s, ], ]s, ], ], ]s, ] and ], and ]s.


Fan fiction is rarely commissioned or authorized by the original work's creator or publisher or professionally published. It may ], depending on the jurisdiction and on legal questions, such as whether or not it qualifies as "]" (see ]). The attitudes of authors and ]s of original works towards fan fiction have ranged from encouragement to indifference or disapproval, and have occasionally responded with legal action.
There is some debate over whether or not published ]s based on an original work can be considered fan fiction. Some view them as a form of fan fiction because they were not written by the original creator, most especially when they are 'unofficial' or not considered part of canon by the work's ]; however, debate rages on due to the fact that unlike most other modern works accepted as 'fan fiction', they are written for profit and published professionally. Also borderline on the issue are fan contributions to ]s created by authors or a group of authors for anyone to add to, developing a whole ]. A famous example of this is ]'s ], which has seen both professional and fan contributions over more than fifty years.


The term came into use in the 20th century as ] began to distinguish between stories using established characters that were authorized by the copyright holder and those that were not.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://reporter.rit.edu/views/fanfiction-legal-battle-creativity|title=Fanfiction: A Legal Battle of Creativity|date=February 5, 2016|work=Reporter Magazine|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-date=February 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203053110/https://reporter.rit.edu/views/fanfiction-legal-battle-creativity|url-status=live}}</ref>
One of the broadest definitions of fan fiction is simply unauthorized written work based on a published one. In this interpretation, works such as the books of the ] ] are sometimes used as an early example of fan fiction, and unauthorized print sequels to popular novels such as '']'' are also considered a form of fan fiction, albeit an often illegal one.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


Fan fiction is defined by being related to its subject's ] ], either staying within those boundaries but not being part of the canon, or being set in an ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fan-Fiction-TV-Viewers-Have-It-Their-Way-1518184 |title=Fan Fiction—TV Viewers Have It Their Way |author=Schulz, Nancy |date=December 31, 2001 |publisher=] |access-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806194929/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fan-Fiction-TV-Viewers-Have-It-Their-Way-1518184 |url-status=live }}</ref> Thus, what is considered "fanon" is separate from canon. Fan fiction is often written and published among fans, and as such does not usually cater to readers without knowledge of the original media.
Fan fiction is also seen by many as a modern equivalent of the ] tradition of shared stories. In this view, retellings of ]s or ] can be considered fan fiction, especially if they significantly alter the original version of the story; in this view, the television series '']'' could be considered a form of fan fiction based on the original ]s about ].
{{TOC limit|3}}


==Definition==
Before about ], the term '''fan fiction''' was used in ] to designate original amateur works of ] published in ]s, as opposed to fiction which was professionally published. This usage is now obsolete. For the purpose of this article, 'fan fiction' will be used in its current modern context, to refer works deliberately based on a particular original work, usually without the original creator's expressed permission and usually not (legally) published professionally for profit.
The term ''fan fiction'' has been used in print as early as 1938; in the earliest known citations, it refers to amateur-written ], as opposed to "pro fiction".<ref name="sfdictionary">{{cite web | url = https://sfdictionary.com/view/223/fan-fiction | website = Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction | title = fan fiction n. | access-date = January 2, 2024 | archive-date = January 2, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240102183432/https://sfdictionary.com/view/223/fan-fiction | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="bravenewwords">{{cite book |title=] |publisher=Oxford University Press, Inc. |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-530567-8 |editor=Jeff Prucher |location=New York |page=57 |chapter=fan fiction |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iYzi8m8FbEsC&pg=PA57 |access-date=August 15, 2019 |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222192251/https://books.google.com/books?id=iYzi8m8FbEsC&pg=PA57#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The term also appears in the 1944 ''Fancyclopedia'', an encyclopaedia of ] ], in which it is defined as "fiction about fans, or sometimes about pros, and occasionally bringing in some famous characters from stories". It also mentions that the term is "sometimes improperly used to mean fan science fiction; that is, ordinary ] published in a ]".<ref name="bravenewwords" /><ref name="fancyclopedia1944">{{cite book | title = Fancyclopedia | author = John Bristol | year = 1944 | publisher = The Fantasy Foundation | url = http://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/Fancyclopedia/Fancyclopedia_I/f1.html#8 | access-date = April 22, 2015 | archive-date = January 24, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160124234443/http://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/Fancyclopedia/Fancyclopedia_I/f1.html#8 | url-status = live }}</ref>


==History== ==History==
===Before copyright===
Fan fiction as it is understood now began at least as early as the 17th century, with unauthorized published sequels to such works as '']''; the turn of the 19th century also produced parodies and revisions of ]'s ] by authors including ] and ]. There were, additionally, several fan-authored versions of '']'' stories at that time. In the 1920s and 1930s fans of ] wrote stories based on her characters and published them in ]s. In 1945, C. S. Lewis brought in elements (mostly Númenor, there spelt '''Numinor''', largely because Lewis probably never saw it written out) of ]'s then largely unpublished ] and incorporated it into the last novel, ], of his ].
{{See also|History of copyright law}}
Before the adoption of copyright in the modern sense, it was common for authors to copy characters or plots from other works. For instance, ]'s plays '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'' were based on recent works by other authors of the time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare|title=William Shakespeare – Shakespeare's sources|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=September 7, 2023|access-date=March 4, 2019|archive-date=May 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503171055/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/537853/William-Shakespeare|url-status=live}}</ref>


In 1614, ] wrote a sequel to Cervantes' '']'' before he had finished and published his own second volume.
The phenomenon of fan fiction as part of fandom and fan interaction was most popularized, however, through the '']'' fandom and fanzines published in the ]. The first ''Star Trek'' fanzine, ''Spockanalia'', was published in ] and contained some fan fiction. Many of the early zines were produced by chapters of the ] Association of Fans, and included fan fiction based not only on ''Star Trek'' but on '']'', in which Nimoy co-starred for several years after ''Star Trek'' was cancelled.


===19th century===
Most of these fanzines were reproduced via ], and a few (such as ''Babel'') by ] printing. Although the first commercial ] machine had been invented in ], the cost was relatively high until the mid-1970s, when reduced prices and bulk rates at local shops allowed fans to improve the quality of their publications.
{{Further|Pastiche|Unofficial sequel}}
Among 19th-century literature that has been subject to depictions not authorized by the original author include ]'s '']''{{'}}s depiction in the translated adaptation '']''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fleming |first1=Colin |title=The Icelandic Dracula: Bram Stoker's vampire takes a second bite |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/19/icelandic-dracula-bram-stoker-translator-powers-of-darkness-valdimir-asmundsson-makt-myrkranna |work=The Guardian |date=April 19, 2017 |access-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906023158/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/19/icelandic-dracula-bram-stoker-translator-powers-of-darkness-valdimir-asmundsson-makt-myrkranna |url-status=live }}</ref> The works of ] remain among the most popular works for unauthorized adaptations,<ref>{{cite news |title=The early adventures of the apocryphal Sherlock Holmes |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/fic-excerpt-anne-jamison-sherlock-holmes/ |work=The Daily Dot |date=January 16, 2014 |access-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030095229/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/fic-excerpt-anne-jamison-sherlock-holmes/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with a notable example of ] being '']''. Many unauthorized stories of ] by ] have been created, including ''The Adventure of the Two Collaborators'' by ].<ref>{{cite web |title=In long-lost play, the author of 'Peter Pan' spoofs 'Sherlock Holmes' and the mystery genre |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/long-lost-play-author-peter-pan-spoofs-sherlock-holmes-mystery-genre |website=PBS NewsHour |date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030070351/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/long-lost-play-author-peter-pan-spoofs-sherlock-holmes-mystery-genre |url-status=live }}</ref> Other notable works include '']'' and '']'', respectively based on '']'' and '']'' by ]; ''],'' based on '']'' by ]; and ''],'' based on '']'' by ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Hephzibah |title=The book that changed Jane Eyre forever |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161019-the-book-that-changed-jane-eyre-forever |publisher=BBC |access-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111145001/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161019-the-book-that-changed-jane-eyre-forever |url-status=live }}</ref>


===''Star Trek'' fandom===
The ] saw an expansion of fan fiction distribution and further laid the foundations of the modern subculture surrounding the genre. ''Grup'', the first ''Trek'' fanzine oriented toward sexually explicit fan fiction, was first published in ]. ] was also created during this time, allowing for a hosting of early electronic fan fiction archives. In ] ] identified and named the original character trope ] in ''Star Trek'' fan fiction, giving rise to a term that became so ubiquitous in the modern fan fiction community that it has now begun to earn a foothold in the wider ] ]. Additionally, in ] ''Grup'' #3 published "A Fragment Out of Time," the first known "]" story to be published in a fanzine, although there is speculation that the ]/] story "Ring of Soshern" was distributed privately in ] earlier than that.
]
The modern phenomenon of fan fiction as an expression of ] and fan interaction was popularized and defined by the ] and its ]s, which were published in the 1960s. The first '']'' fanzine, ''Spockanalia'' (1967), contained some fan fiction; many others followed its example.<ref name="verba2003">{{cite book | title=Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan & Zine History, 1967–1987 | author=Verba, Joan Marie | year=2003 | publisher=FTL Publications | location=Minnetonka MN | url=http://www.ftlpublications.com/bwebook.pdf | isbn=0-9653575-4-6 | access-date=April 3, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910042451/http://www.ftlpublications.com/bwebook.pdf | archive-date=September 10, 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|1}} These fanzines were produced using offset printing and ]y and mailed to other fans or sold at ] for a small fee to cover the cost of production. Unlike other aspects of fandom, women were the primary authors of fan fiction; 83% of ''Star Trek'' fan fiction authors were female by 1970, and 90% by 1973.<ref name = "Coppa in Hellekson and Busse">{{Cite book | first = Francesca | last = Coppa |author-link=Francesca Coppa | editor-last = Hellekson | editor-first = Karen | editor2-last = Busse | editor2-first = Kristina | contribution = A Brief History of Media Fandom | title = Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet | year = 2006 | pages = 41–59 | place = Jefferson, North Carolina | publisher = ] | isbn = 978-0-7864-2640-9 }}</ref> One scholar states that fan fiction "fill the need of a mostly female audience for fictional narratives that expand the boundary of the official source products offered on the television and movie screen."<ref name="cbs2000">{{cite book | title=Science Fiction Culture | publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press | author=Bacon-Smith, Camille | pages=112–113 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oCvIZpCSRA0C&pg=PA112 | year=2000 | isbn=978-0-8122-1530-4 | access-date=October 24, 2020 | archive-date=February 22, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222192407/https://books.google.com/books?id=oCvIZpCSRA0C&pg=PA112#v=onepage&q&f=false | url-status=live }}</ref>


===World Wide Web===
In ] "slash" fan fiction, and fan fiction in general, were recognized academically in a ''Grup'' article by D. Marchant. The book ''Star Trek Lives!'', edited by ], Sondra Marshak and Joan Winston, was published by ] and distributed to bookstores and newsstands. An analysis of the Star Trek fan phenomenon, it contained an entire chapter on fan fiction. David Gerrold's ''The World of Star Trek'' (]), included fan fiction in its chapter on fan activities. Neither book mentioned slash.
Fan fiction has become more popular and widespread since the advent of the World Wide Web. According to one estimate, fan fiction comprises one-third of all book-related content on the internet.<ref name="boog20080918">{{cite web |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/brokeback-33-percent_b7743?c=rss |title=Brokeback 33 Percent |work=Mediabistro |date=September 18, 2008 |access-date=January 22, 2012 |author=Boog, Jason |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210011535/http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/brokeback-33-percent_b7743?c=rss |archive-date=February 10, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition to traditional fanzines and conventions, ]s and ]s were established for fan fiction and fan discussion. Online, searchable archives of fan fiction were also created, with these archives initially being non-commercial hand-tended and specific to a fandom or topic. These archives were followed by non-commercial automated databases. In 1998, the non-profit site ] was launched, which allowed anyone to upload content in any fandom.<ref name=time>{{Cite news |last=Buechner |first=Maryanne Murray |title=Pop Fiction |date=March 4, 2002 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1001950,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218130614/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1001950%2C00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 18, 2007 |access-date=May 29, 2010 |newspaper=]}}</ref> The ability to self-publish fan fiction in an easily accessible archive that did not require insider knowledge to join, as well as the ability to review stories directly on the site, led the site to quickly gain popularity.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bradley, Karen|date=Winter 2005|title=Internet lives: Social context and moral domain in adolescent development|journal=New Directions for Youth Development|volume=2005|issue=108|pages=57–76|pmid=16570878|doi=10.1002/yd.142}}</ref>
A popular example of modern fan fiction is ]'s ''],'' which was originally written as fan fiction for the '']'' series and featured Bella and Edward. To avoid copyright infringement, James changed the characters' names to Ana and Christian for the purposes of her novels,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/holy-crow-fifty-shades-grey-crazy-similar-its-twil-215185|title=Holy crow! Fifty Shades Of Grey is crazy similar to its Twilight origin story|date=February 12, 2015|author=Marah Eakin|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=August 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818221436/http://www.avclub.com/article/holy-crow-fifty-shades-grey-crazy-similar-its-twil-215185|url-status=live}}</ref> a practice known as 'pulling-to-publish'.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brennan|first1=Joseph|last2=Large|first2=David|title='Let's get a bit of context': Fifty Shades and the phenomenon of 'pulling to publish' in Twilight fan fiction|journal=Media International Australia|date=2014|volume=152|issue=1|pages=27–39|doi=10.1177/1329878X1415200105|s2cid=140471681}}</ref> ]'s 2013 fan fiction ''],'' about the boy band ], secured a book and movie deal with renamed characters in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2014/10/after-movie-rights-wattpad-book-anna-todd-paramount-852926/ |title='After' Movie: Paramount Acquires Rights To Wattpad Book By Anna Todd |date=October 16, 2014 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=December 26, 2014 |archive-date=October 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007214745/https://deadline.com/2014/10/after-movie-rights-wattpad-book-anna-todd-paramount-852926/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ford|first1=Rebecca|title='Mom' Writer Susan McMartin to Adapt One Direction-Inspired Fan-Fiction 'After' (Exclusive)|date=June 4, 2015|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/one-direction-inspired-fan-fic-800189|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=September 2, 2015|archive-date=August 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829191949/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/one-direction-inspired-fan-fic-800189|url-status=live}}</ref> A movie adaptation, ], was released on April 12, 2019.


On May 22, 2013, online retailer ] launched a new publishing service, ], which allowed fan fiction of certain licensed media properties to be sold in the ], with terms including 35% of net sales for works of 10,000 words or more and 20% for short fiction ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 words. However, this arrangement included restrictions on content, copyright violations, poor document formatting, and use of misleading titles.<ref name="Amazon">{{cite news|last=Pepitone|first=Julianne|title=Amazon's "Kindle Worlds" lets fan fiction writers sell their stories|url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/05/23/technology/amazon-fan-fiction/?iid=HP_LN&hpt=us_bn5|access-date=May 23, 2013|newspaper=CNN Money|date=May 3, 2013|archive-date=June 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615043153/http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/23/technology/amazon-fan-fiction/?iid=HP_LN&hpt=us_bn5|url-status=live}}</ref> Amazon shut down Kindle Worlds in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://the-digital-reader.com/2018/05/15/amazon-to-shut-down-kindle-worlds/|title=Amazon to Shut Down Kindle Worlds – The Digital Reader|date=May 15, 2018|access-date=August 26, 2020|archive-date=August 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820162400/https://the-digital-reader.com/2018/05/15/amazon-to-shut-down-kindle-worlds/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The late 1970s also saw the creation of more ''Trek'' fanzines as well as fan fiction for other fandoms, including ], ] and ]. This time also saw the first fanzine convention in ] and the creation of Star Trek fan clubs in ]. In ], the publishers of the ''Star Trek'' fanzine ''Dreadnought Explorations'' received a ] order from ], however, the case was dropped when Paramount realized that the fanzine was not a professional publication.


===Japanese dōjinshi===
Both Listproc and ] were invented in ], allowing public ]-based gatherings of fans, and wider distribution of fan fiction; the internet as a whole would later become the most widely-used method of publication of fan fiction.
A similar trend began in ] in the 1960s and 1970s, as ''],'' ] ] and novels, were published by ] circles, with many being based on existing ], ], and ] franchises. ] such as ] and ] formed dōjin groups, such as Fujio's {{nihongo|New Manga Party|新漫画党|Shin Manga-tō}}. At the time, artists used dōjin groups to make their debut as professional artists. This changed in the following decades, as ''dōjinshi'' became more popular and dōjin groups formed in groups such as school clubs. This culminated in 1975 with the ], a convention in Tokyo that helped to establish the fandom.


== Demographics ==
In ] ] sent out a letter to several fanzine publishers asserting Lucasfilm's copyright to all '']'' characters and insisting that no fanzine publish ]. The letter also alluded to possible legal action that could be taken against fanzines that did not comply. Later that year, the director and legal counsel of the Official Star Wars Fan Club sent fanzine publishers a set of official guidelines. Lucasfilms supported fan publications contingent on them upholding these guidelines.
A 2010 study found that 75.2% of account holders on ] allowed the website to disclose their location and that 57% of accounts originated from the ], followed by 9.2% created in the ], 5.6% in ], and 4% in ].<ref name="Fan Fiction Statistics">{{cite web |last1=Kelvin |first1=Lord |title=Fan Fiction Demographics in 2010 |url=http://ffnresearch.blogspot.com/2011/03/fan-fiction-demographics-in-2010-age.html |website=FFN Research |date=March 18, 2011 |publisher=Blogger |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-date=January 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110121611/http://ffnresearch.blogspot.com/2011/03/fan-fiction-demographics-in-2010-age.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


A 2020 study of ] users<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Duggan|first=Jennifer|date=September 1, 2020|title=Who writes Harry Potter fan fiction? Passionate detachment, 'zooming out,' and fan fiction paratexts on AO3|url=https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1863/2599|access-date=July 10, 2021|journal=Transformative Works and Cultures|volume=34|doi=10.3983/twc.2020.1863|s2cid=224983629|doi-access=free|archive-date=June 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628002939/https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1863/2599|url-status=live}}</ref> found that of the surveyed profiles that stated a nationality, 59.7% were located in North America, 16.1% in Great Britain and an additional 10% in Mainland Europe, 6.3% in Oceania, 2.8% in Scandinavia, 2.2% in Asia, 1.8% in South America and the Caribbean, and 0.2% in the Middle East. The study did not include profiles written in Chinese, Greek, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, or Turkish.<ref name=":1" />
] was invented in ], and hosted some early fan fiction archives. But it has since been replaced by the ], which was created a year later.


=== Sex and gender ===
] also saw the publication of ''Textual Poachers'' by ]. The text explores the nature of fan interaction with ] sources and the advent of fan fiction, slash fan fiction and the culture of ]. Henry Jenkins has said, "Fanfiction is a way of the culture repairing the damage done in a system where contemporary myths are owned by corporations instead of owned by folk." His work has had a strong influence on the academic study of fan fiction, and also has lent to the view of fandom and fan fiction as analogous to the oral folk tradition.
A 2020 study of Harry Potter fan fiction writers on ] found that of the users who disclosed their gender in their profiles, 50.4% were female or ]-leaning and 13.4% were masculine or masc-leaning. 11% of users were ], 21% identified as ], ], and/or ], and an additional 3.9% stated that they identified as ] or genderless.<ref name=":1" />


=== Age ===
Fan fiction has become increasingly more popular and widespread since the advent of the ]. Many archives were created hosting specific sorts of stories, or stories for specific fandoms, and in ] ] came online. At the time of its initial creation, it accepted any sort of writing, original or fan fiction, though it has since separated its original fiction section to another website called FictionPress and banned several subgenres, including explicitly sexual stories (referred to as "NC-17" before the Motion Picture Association of America chose to enforce its ownership of the MPAA ratings system), ] and stories featuring song lyrics (the latter two in order to avoid legal problems, including ] for unauthorized use of copyright lyrics). This ability to self-publish fan fiction at a common archive, and the ability to review the stories directly on the site, became very popular quite quickly. FanFiction.net now hosts literally millions of stories in dozens of languages, and its status as the single largest, most wide-ranging, and most popular fan fiction archive online is indisputable.
The study also found that fan fiction writers tend to be in their early to mid-20s. Of these writers, 56.7% were university students and young adults, 21.3% were 30 years or older, 19.8% were teenagers, and 0.2% were of retirement age.<ref name=":1" />


==Categories and terms==
], founded in ], played a large part in the move away from ]s to ]s as a means for fan communication and the sharing of fan fiction; although much fan fiction today is published to FanFiction.net and similar archives, it would be impossible to tell if more or less fan fiction today is posted directly to LiveJournal and other blogging services than to fan fiction-specific archives.
{{See also|Slash fiction|Femslash|Yaoi|Yuri (genre)|Mary Sue}}
{{more citations needed|section|date=July 2020}}


===Genres===
For a more detailed timeline of fan fiction see .
In addition to the "regular" ], there are some genres particularly associated with fan fiction. These genres can overlap and include:


====Angst====
==Formats of fan fiction==
Stories with an ]-ridden mood that focus on a character or characters who are brooding, sorrowful, or in anguish.
There are three usual distinctions of fan fiction based on length, which are common to most fan fiction archives. Chaptered "fic" is written in a similar manner to traditional ] stories, with each chapter released separately as it is finished. Chapters may take anything from a day to several months to be updated and often remind readers of their place in the story with each new installment. Most archives allow two authors to upload individual chapters sequentially under a single title with a main link to the first chapter, and each chapter easily linked to via a drop down menu. A subgenre of this is seen in fan fiction groups frequently organised by comic book fan fiction writers which not only feature series starring certain characters but create a full shared universe much like a comic book company.


====Alternative universe (AU)====
These stories are a form of ], although that term is not common in fan fiction circles. They are often described as ‘epics’ or ‘series.’ Until they are finished, they are referred to as Works in Progress (''WsiP'' or ''WIP''s). On message boards and mailing lists, where the chapters are not easily consolidated, the chapter is usually marked as a number of the total chapters expected: 2/4, or 13/?. Authors will also often leave a link in each part to previous parts for readers who may not have seen the previous chapters updated.
{{Main|Alternative universe (fan fiction)}}
Stories that feature characters set in a universe other than their canonical one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fanworks.org/writersresource/?tool=termdict&action=define&termid=16|title=FanWorks.org :: Fan Works Inc. – Help & Tools Index|website=www.fanworks.org|access-date=January 30, 2019|archive-date=January 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130110511/http://www.fanworks.org/writersresource/?tool=termdict&action=define&termid=16|url-status=live}}</ref> There are several types of alternative universe: it may make dramatic changes to the setting, such as a "fantasy AU" that places characters from a non-fantasy canon in a world of magic; change characterization, which is often referred to as someone being "out of character" (OOC) rather than a proper AU; or change major plot events to suit the author's purposes, such as in a ].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Samutina|first=Natalia|date=July 3, 2016|title=Fan fiction as world-building: transformative reception in crossover writing|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2016.1141863|journal=Continuum|volume=30|issue=4|pages=433–450|doi=10.1080/10304312.2016.1141863|s2cid=147685039|issn=1030-4312|access-date=July 11, 2021|archive-date=February 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222192231/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10304312.2016.1141863|url-status=live}}</ref>


===== Soulmate AU =====
Single-chapter stories of any length are usually referred to as one-shots. Stories with two chapters are sometimes called two-shots, although this can also refer to a one-shot and its sequel. There are various terms for different lengths and they are sometimes used interchangeably. These include "flashfic" for stories under 500 words, and ] for stories between 500 and 1000 words. The term "ficlet" is also commonly used for stories under approximately 1000 words. A piece of fan fiction is usually considered ‘long’ if over 1000 words, although it can still be considered a short story up to about 20,000 words in terms of professional publishing, and a ] or ] can describe a story between 20,000 and 40,000 words.<ref>Rana Eros, When Size Matters, www.trickster.org/symposium/symp162.html</ref>
Stories that feature characters in a world, often very similar to canon, where ]s are real. Common mechanics include a person having their soulmate's name written on their skin at birth or a specific change that occurs when two soulmates see or touch each other for the first time. The most common trope in this genre is a character being convinced that they do not have, want, or deserve a soulmate, only to be proven wrong as they fall in love.


===== Time travel AU =====
A ] is traditionally a story exactly 100 words in length. In fan fiction writing circles, many ]s have a drabble community which sets a weekly prompt for authors to use in a drabble. A prompt can be a motif such as ‘faith’ or ‘mothers,’ a specific situation such as ‘someone is bleeding,’ an object, a line of poetry, an instruction such as ‘only dialogue,’ or ‘from the point of view of a minor character,’ etc. Some authors also regularly ask their friends to give them a prompt, or a specific pairing for them to write a story from. The resulting stories are more and more often referred to as drabbles, and the meaning has extended in some places to include anything that is less than 500 words.
Stories in which a character is sent back in time to get a second chance while having knowledge of the original plot. It is also called "Peggy Sue" after the movie '']'', in which this scenario happens to the titular character. "Groundhog Day", named after ], is a variation of this trope in which time travel happens repeatedly, usually until the time traveler "gets it right".


====Crossover====
In ]-based fandoms, textual fanfiction and fan produced ] can also come under the term ] (also sometimes ] as doujinshi). This is a ] term for self-published works, usually ], ]s, fan guides, art collections, or ]s, often sold in small runs for a minor profit. While most dôjinshi featuring fan fiction is not technically legal under Japanese copyright law, the general practice of most copyright owners is to allow it, on the grounds that it keeps fans interested in the original work and fosters the talent of amateur artists and writers who may choose to go professional, such as ].
Stories that feature characters, items, or locations from multiple fandoms. Another type of crossover is "fusion fic", in which the two universes are merged into one.


====Darkfic====
Fan fiction is also occasionally written in ] format, although ] has banned all these stories. There are several sub-genres of "scriptfic." Some are written in the style of ]s. While most are not written in the format of professional scripts, most do have the basic structure and are written in the present tense. Others are "chatfics", stories which are written like an ] or ] conversation between characters, usually as a comedic exercise; "chatfics" are somewhat similar in this sense to an ], though usually much shorter.
Stories that are darker or more depressing than the original, often done in contrast to them. This is sometimes done with media that is intended to be light-hearted or for children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fanlore.org/Darkfic|title=Darkfic – Fanlore|website=fanlore.org|access-date=February 11, 2019|archive-date=February 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212011909/https://fanlore.org/Darkfic|url-status=live}}</ref> Darkfic can also refer to content that is "intentionally disturbing", such as physical or emotional violence or abuse. However, not all stories tagged as "dark" are considered to be a darkfic.


"Dead Dove Do Not Eat", sometimes abbreviated as DDDNE, is a sub-category of darkfic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dead Dove: Do Not Eat - Fanlore |url=https://fanlore.org/Dead_Dove:_Do_Not_Eat |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=fanlore.org}}</ref> It began as an ] tag in 2015, intended to warn people that the story contained dark themes without explicitly condemning them; because the dark themes were tagged, it served to reinforce readers' attention to them. Since 2015, it has evolved into its own tag, meaning that sometimes other dark themes are not tagged and are assumed to be present in the story.
Another more unusual format of fanfiction is the ] format, where authors take the lyrics of a song and, with the song as inspiration, construct a piece of writing around the lyrics. Usually this is done by quoting lines of the lyrics in order and inserting original writing in-between. However, this format is controversial, due to copyright complications. ] has banned songfics because of this reason, but there are still many songfics on the site.


====Fix-it fic====
Fan fiction is occasionally produced in an ] format and released in the form of a ].
Stories that rewrite canonical events that the author disliked or otherwise wanted to "fix", such as major plot holes or a tragic event or ending; for instance, an alternate universe where "everyone lives". Fix-it fics that focus on correcting flaws in the original work are also known as a "rebuild fic", named after the '']'' series. If it focuses heavily on critical thinking skills and deductive reasoning, it can be considered a "rationalist rewrite", as popularized by '']''.


==Reviewing== ====Fluff====
Stories designed to be light-hearted and romantic.<ref name="FgGuideP83">{{Cite book |last=Maggs |first=Sam |title=The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: a handbook for Girl Geeks |publisher=] |year=2015 |isbn=9781594747892 |pages=83 |language=en}}</ref> Another term for this genre is WAFF, which is short for "warm and fuzzy feelings."
Unlike traditional print publication, the internet offers the option of giving and receiving instantaneous feedback. As such, most fan fiction archives feature a "Review" system where readers can post comments about the story via form, to what's sometimes referred to as the "review board" (reviews page) of a story. These systems often are programmed to notify the author of new reviews, making them a common way for readers and authors online to communicate directly. Some original fiction archives, such as ]'s sister site ], also feature similar communication systems.


====Hurt/comfort====
Since many such sites do not automatically moderate these systems, on such sites the systems are often abused and used to send ], ] or ]ing messages. For this reason, many such unmoderated systems allow the author the option of receiving only "signed" (non-anonymous) reviews, and many sites that sport such systems feature the suggestion to reviewers that they take the opportunity to give the author some ].
Stories in which a character is put through a traumatic experience in order to be comforted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://expressions.populli.net/dictionary.html|title=Fan Fiction Dictionary -- Your Guide To Fanspeak|website=expressions.populli.net|access-date=May 12, 2016|archive-date=April 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428103645/http://expressions.populli.net/dictionary.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The climax of these stories is usually when one character witnesses another character's suffering and alleviates it. Another type of hurt/comfort is whump, which focuses on the character's suffering, sometimes to the exclusion of comfort; excessive whump may also be considered darkfic.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Linn|first=Rachel Elizabeth|date=September 15, 2017|title=Bodies in horrifying hurt/comfort fan fiction: Paying the toll|url=https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1102|journal=Transformative Works and Cultures|volume=25|doi=10.3983/twc.2017.01102|issn=1941-2258|doi-access=free|access-date=July 11, 2021|archive-date=July 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711002233/https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1102|url-status=live}}</ref>


====Self-insert====
Recently fanfiction has seen greater use of the Forum format. Built around systems, stories are posted on threads with feedback interlaced and immediate. This style of fanfiction is more interactive but also can be a distraction since the stories and comments are between each other.
Stories in which a version of the author is transported to the fictional world that the fan fiction is based on, which are often ]. Self-insert fanfiction is often compared to ] characters. Some researchers argue that self-insert characters can be found in literature from the 19th century and earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Too Good to Be True": 150 Years of Mary Sue, by Pat Pflieger |url=https://www.merrycoz.org/papers/MARYSUE.xhtml |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=www.merrycoz.org}}</ref> There are several types of self-inserts, including: "y/n" (short for your name"), "xReader," and "imagines."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-23 |title=Mary Sue |url=https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/mary-sue |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Fansplaining |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=es>{{Cite journal |last1=Sapuridis |first1=Effie |last2=Alberto |first2=Maria K. |date=June 2022 |title=Self-Insert Fanfiction as Digital Technology of the Self |journal=Humanities |language=en |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=68 |doi=10.3390/h11030068 |doi-access=free |issn=2076-0787}}</ref> Several of these subgenres are unique to specific platforms.<ref name=es/>


==== Recursive | meta | fan-verse ====
==Terminology and subgenres==
Stories based on an existing fan work. On Archive of Our Own, this type of recursive fan fiction is called a "remix".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Posting and Editing FAQ {{!}} Archive of Our Own|url=https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#archivelink|access-date=July 10, 2021|website=archiveofourown.org|archive-date=June 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613004843/https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#archivelink|url-status=live}}</ref>
Fan fiction is now found in a variety of genres with sites specializing in each. Sites can be found by star, by TV show, by books (such as the Harry Potter Fanfiction forums), and by style of story such as Mystery, Crime Shows, Crossover, or Romance (for the 'shippers' - 'ship' here being short for 'relationship'- those who like stories about their favorite couples). A growth in part due to the internet, it is expected that these specialized sites will only continue to grow in popularity.


====Songfic====
For common terminology relating to fan fiction, including some specialized subgenre terms, please see the sub-article '']''.
Stories which are interspersed with the lyrics of a relevant song.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yfOTAgAAQBAJ&q=Songfic&pg=PA320|title=Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter|last=Heilman|first=Elizabeth E.|date=September 1, 2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135891541|pages=320–321|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=February 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222192408/https://books.google.com/books?id=yfOTAgAAQBAJ&q=Songfic&pg=PA320#v=snippet&q=Songfic&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WbcqDAAAQBAJ&q=Songfic&pg=PA148|title=Media Convergence Handbook – Vol. 2: Firms and User Perspectives|last1=Lugmayr|first1=Artur|last2=Zotto|first2=Cinzia Dal|date=July 23, 2016|publisher=Springer|isbn=9783642544873|page=148|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=February 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222192353/https://books.google.com/books?id=WbcqDAAAQBAJ&q=Songfic&pg=PA148#v=snippet&q=Songfic&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> The term is a combination of "song" and "fiction"; as such, it is also referred to as "songfiction". Since many song lyrics are under ], whether songfics are a violation of copyright law is a subject of debate. Some fan fiction sites, such as FanFiction.Net, have prevented authors from posting songfics with lyrics from songs that are not in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fanfiction.net/guidelines/|title=Guidelines|website=FanFiction.net|access-date=May 27, 2016|archive-date=March 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311063712/https://www.fanfiction.net/guidelines/|url-status=live}}</ref>


In an essay in ''Music, Sound, and Silence in Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', ] professor ] commented that the genre was "one of the least distinguished modes of fan production" and that "within fan fiction excessive attachment to or foregrounding of popular music is itself dismissed as immature and derivative".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TKxBuIcAoeEC&q=Songfic&pg=PA129|title=Music, Sound and Silence in Buffy the Vampire Slayer|last1=Attinello|first1=Paul Gregory|last2=Halfyard|first2=Janet K.|last3=Knights|first3=Vanessa|date=January 1, 2010|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9780754660415|pages=114, 129|access-date=October 24, 2020|archive-date=February 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222192240/https://books.google.com/books?id=TKxBuIcAoeEC&q=Songfic&pg=PA129#v=snippet&q=Songfic&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Legal issues with fan fiction==
:''See ]''


==References== ====Uberfic====
] is a form of alternative universe in which characters physically resemble and share personality traits with their canon counterparts, but have new names and backgrounds in a different setting. The term originated in the '']'' fandom<ref>{{Cite web|title=Whoosh!|url=http://www.whoosh.org/|access-date=2021-05-08|website=www.whoosh.org|archive-date=May 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501111919/http://www.whoosh.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> and was inspired by the episode "The Xena Scrolls", which featured 1940s-era descendants of the characters Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer, who are played by their respective actors, on an archaeological dig in an ''Indiana Jones'' ]. As the concept of the uberfic can be adapted into original fiction, many uberfic authors, such as Melissa Good, ], and ], have legally published their ''Xena'' uberfic as original ].
<references/>

===Terminology===
====Author's note (A/N)====
Also abbreviated as A/N, author's notes are typically found directly before the beginning or after the end of a fan fiction or its chapters, but can be written at any point in the story and are used to convey direct messages from the author to the reader regarding it.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Herzog |first=Alexandra Elisabeth |date=2012-09-15 |title="But this is my story and this is how I wanted to write it": Author's notes as a fannish claim to power in fan fiction writing |url=https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/406/337 |journal=] |volume=11 |doi=10.3983/twc.2012.0406 |doi-access=free |access-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-date=October 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008195226/https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/406/337 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Beta reader====
{{main|Beta reader}}
Also known as a beta. Someone who ] or ] someone else's fan fiction.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kelley |first1=Brittany |title=Chocolate Frogs for My Betas!: Practicing Literacy at One Online Fanfiction Website |journal=Computers and Composition |date=June 2016 |volume=40 |pages=48–59 |doi=10.1016/j.compcom.2016.03.001}}</ref>

====Canon====
{{main|Canon (fiction)}}
The original story. This refers to anything related to the original source, including the plot, setting, and characters.<ref name="FgGuideP28">{{Cite book |last=Maggs |first=Sam |title=The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: a handbook for Girl Geeks |publisher=] |year=2015 |isbn=9781594747892 |pages=28 |language=en}}</ref>

====Disclaimer====
{{see also|Legal issues with fan fiction}}
]s are author's notes which typically inform readers about who deserves credit for the original source material,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://expressions.populli.net/dictionary.html|title=A Fanspeak Dictionary|last=Freeman|first=Morgan|access-date=April 20, 2017|archive-date=April 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428103645/http://expressions.populli.net/dictionary.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and often containing pseudo-legal language disavowing any intent of ] or alluding to ]. Such "disclaimers" are legally ineffective and are based on misunderstandings of ], particularly confusion between illegal copyright infringement and unethical ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/fan-fiction-plagiarism-and-copyright/|title=Fan Fiction, Plagiarism, and Copyright|date=March 18, 2012|access-date=July 27, 2017|archive-date=November 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118222352/http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/fan-fiction-plagiarism-and-copyright/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Disclaimers have fallen out of use since Archive of Our Own's rise in popularity.

====Drabble====
A ] is a piece of writing that is exactly 100 words long,<ref name="FgGuideP83"/> although it is commonly used to refer to any short fan fiction.

====Fandom====
A ] is a group of fans of a work of fiction who dedicate their time and energy to their interest. ], such as fan fiction, is written by fans as a way to express their creativity and love for the original work.

====Fangirl/fanboy====
A person who is an enthusiastic member of one or more fandoms. The term fangirling/fanboying refers to when a person is excited about a fandom.

====Fanon====
A portmanteau of fan and canon. It is an "unofficial canon" idea that is widely accepted to be true among fans,<ref name="VoxGlossary" /> but is neither confirmed nor officially endorsed by the original author or source creator, preventing it from being considered canon. Fanon can refer to an interpretation of the original work or details within it.

====Head canon (HC)====
A fan's personal interpretation of canon, such as the backstory of a character or the nature of relationships between characters.<ref name="VoxGlossary" /> It can be drawn from subtext present in the canon, but cannot directly contradict it. If other fans share this interpretation, it can become fanon.

====Mary Sue====
A ], also known as MS, is a term which editors and writers credit as originating in '']'' fan fiction and later becoming part of the mainstream. In early fan fiction, a common plot was a minor member of the USS ''Enterprise''{{'}}s crew saving the life of Kirk or Spock, often being rewarded with a sexual relationship as a result. The term "Mary Sue", which originated in a parody of stories in the ] genre, often refers to an idealized or overpowered character who lacks flaws and is often seen as a representation of the author.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Segall |year=2008 |title=Fan Fiction Writing: New Work Based on Favorite Fiction |publisher=Rosen Pub. |page= |isbn=978-1404213562 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/careerbuildingth0000sega/page/26 }}</ref>

====One true pairing (OTP)====
An abbreviation of the term "one true pairing", referring to a person's favorite ship.<ref name="VoxGlossary">{{Cite web |last=Romano |first=Aja |date=2016-06-07 |title=Canon, fanon, shipping and more: a glossary of the tricky terminology that makes up fandom |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/6/7/11858680/fandom-glossary-fanfiction-explained |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=March 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320095339/https://www.vox.com/2016/6/7/11858680/fandom-glossary-fanfiction-explained |url-status=live }}</ref> OT3, OT4, and so on is the term used for a ] OTP.<ref name="VoxGlossary" />

====One shot====
A standalone piece of writing, as opposed to a multichapter work.<ref name="FgGuideP84" />

====Real person fiction (RPF)====
{{main|Real person fiction}}
Stories about real people, usually celebrities, rather than fictional characters. The book '']'' by ], later adapted into a film of ], was originally a real person fan fiction about ] member ].

====Shipping====
] is a variant of ] that focuses on exploring a relationship between two or more characters from the original fandom(s). It has several fandom-specific subgenres, including slash, which focuses on homosexual pairings, and ], which is similar but instead focuses on lesbian pairings. The term "shipping" can also refer to a fan who is heavily invested in a relationship between two characters. Writers of fan fiction often use the genre to explore homosexual pairings for popular characters who are not in, or not specified to be in, homosexual relationships in canon.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Hayes |first1=Sharon |title=Queering cyberspace: fan fiction communities as spaces for expressing and exploring sexuality |date=2010 |work=Queering Paradigms |pages=219–240 |editor-last=Scherer |editor-first=B. |url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/29777/ |access-date=October 21, 2020 |place=Switzerland |publisher=Peter Lang Publishing |isbn=978-3-03911-970-7 |last2=Ball |first2=Matthew |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831015102/https://eprints.qut.edu.au/29777/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A subcategory of shipping, "curtainfic", which depicts romantic couples in mundane domestic situations such as picking out curtains, was once used but has somewhat fallen out of use.

====Smut====
Also known as porn or ]. Sexually explicit or pornographic fan fiction, which can be a part of a story or the entire story. Historically, the terms "lemon", or explicit pornography, and "lime", sexually suggestive works, were euphemisms used to refer to explicit material.<ref name="FgGuideP84">{{Cite book |last=Maggs |first=Sam |title=The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: a handbook for Girl Geeks |publisher=] |year=2015 |isbn=9781594747892 |pages=84 |language=en}}</ref> These terms were once common in the 2000s, but fell out of use before becoming popular again in December 2018 due to the ] of adult content on ], as it allowed writers to circumvent "explicit terminologies" that could get their work flagged by platforms like Tumblr while still being able to tag their work as explicit.

====Trigger warning (TW)====
] are used to warn people of content in fan fiction that could be harmful or "triggering" for those who have dealt with traumatic situations, allowing them to prepare for or avoid certain content. Sometimes, content warning (CW) is used, either instead of or in addition to a trigger warning.

Trigger warnings are usually used when the subject matter of a work deals with issues such as drug abuse, mental illness, abuse, or extreme violence. Archive of Our Own has codified a system of common warnings into its core ],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tags FAQ {{!}} Archive of Our Own|url=https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tags?language_id=en#tagtypes|access-date=July 10, 2021|website=archiveofourown.org|archive-date=July 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714075845/https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tags?language_id=en#tagtypes|url-status=live}}</ref> requiring authors to either disclose or explicitly choose not to disclose if their work contains graphic violence, major character death, rape, or underage sex.

==Interactivity in the online era==
Reviews can be posted by both anonymous and registered users on most sites, which are often programmed to notify the author of new feedback. This makes them a common way for readers and authors to communicate online, as well as to help authors improve their writing through ].<ref name="Merlin">{{cite web|url=http://firefox.org/news/articles/650/11/Dr-Merlin039s-Guide-to-Fanfiction/Page11.html |title=Dr. Merlin's Guide to Fanfiction |author=Merlin, Missy |publisher=] |date=September 13, 2007 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523223635/http://firefox.org/news/articles/650/11/Dr-Merlin039s-Guide-to-Fanfiction/Page11.html |archive-date=May 23, 2008 }}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=January 2009}} Occasionally, unmoderated review systems are abused for ], ], or ]; to prevent this, an author can either disable or enable anonymous reviews, depending on their preference. Fan fiction has also been shown to improve literacy by allowing authors to have a wider audience for their works and encouraging people to write.<ref>Tosenberger, Catherine (2008) "Homosexuality at the Online Hogwarts: Harry Potter Slash Fanfiction" ''Children's Literature'' 36 pp. 185-207 {{doi|10.1353/chl.0.0017}}</ref>

Other ways that members of a fandom can participate in their community include gift exchanges and fic exchanges. A gift exchange is an organized challenge in which participants create fan fiction for other participants. They may research what the user receiving their gift enjoys or submissions may include a "letter" explaining what the recipient wants or does not want.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Romano |first=Aja |date=2012-10-01 |title=Yuletide, the Internet's biggest "Secret Santa" fanfiction exchange, turns 10 |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/yuletide-fanfic-exchange-secret-santa-christmas/ |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=The Daily Dot |language=en-US |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709150249/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/yuletide-fanfic-exchange-secret-santa-christmas/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Legality==
{{Main|Legal issues with fan fiction}}
There is ongoing debate about to what extent fan fiction is permitted under contemporary ].

Some argue that fan fiction does not fall under ], as it is ].<ref name="legal-derivativeWork">{{cite web |url=http://www.whoosh.org/issue25/lee1a.html#41 |title=What's "Derivative Work?" |work=A Brief Introduction to Copyright for Fanfiction Authors |author=Lee, A.T. |publisher=Woosh! |date=October 1998 |access-date=April 24, 2008 |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509130252/http://www.whoosh.org/issue25/lee1a.html#41 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6673573.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805092320/http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6673573.html|url-status=dead|title=Library Journal|archive-date=August 5, 2009|website=www.schoollibraryjournal.com}}</ref> The 2009 ruling by ] Judge Deborah A. Batts, permanently prohibiting publication in the United States of a book by Ryan Cassidy, a Swedish writer whose protagonist is a 76-year-old version of ] of '']'', may be seen as upholding this position regarding publishing fan fiction, as the judge stated, "To the extent Defendants contend that 60 Years and the character of Mr. C direct parodied comment or criticism at ''Catcher'' or Holden Caulfield, as opposed to Salinger himself, the Court finds such contentions to be post-hoc rationalizations employed through vague generalizations about the alleged naivety of the original, rather than reasonably perceivable parody."<ref>{{cite web |last=Chan |first=Sewell |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/judge-rules-for-salinger-in-copyright-suit/?hp |author-link=Sewell Chan |title=Ruling for Salinger, Judge Bans 'Rye' Sequel |work=] |date=July 1, 2009 |department=Cityroom |access-date=October 5, 2011 |archive-date=September 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921040104/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/judge-rules-for-salinger-in-copyright-suit/?hp |url-status=live }}</ref>

Others such as the ] uphold the legality of non-profit fan fiction under the fair use doctrine, as it is a creative, ] process.<ref name="legal-fairUse">{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions – Legal |publisher=] |url=http://transformativeworks.org/faq/legal |access-date=September 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001030602/http://transformativeworks.org/faq/legal |archive-date=October 1, 2009 }}</ref>

In 1981, ] Ltd. sent out a letter to several ] publishers, asserting Lucasfilm's copyright to all ] and insisting that no fanzine publish ]. The letter also alluded to possible legal action that could be taken against fanzines that did not comply.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/starwars.html |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |title=Quentin Tarantino's Star Wars?: Digital Cinema, Media Convergence, and Participatory Culture |year=2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309235553/http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/starwars.html |archive-date=March 9, 2009 }}</ref>

The Harry Potter Lexicon is one case where the encyclopedia-like website about everything in the Harry Potter series moved towards publishing and commercializing the Lexicon as a supplementary and complementary source of information to the series. Rowling and her publishers levied a lawsuit against the website creator, Steven Vander Ark, and the publishing company, RDR Books, for a breach of copyright. While the lawsuit did conclude in Vander Ark's favor, the main issue in contention was the majority of the Lexicon copied a majority of the Series' material and does not transform enough of the material to be held separately from the series itself.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schwabach|first=Aaron|title=The Harry Potter Lexicon and the World of Fandom: Fan Fiction, Outsider Works and, Copyright|journal=University of Pittsburgh Law Review|year=2009|volume=70|issue=3|pages=387–434}}</ref>

While the HP Lexicon case is an example of Western culture treatment of fan fiction and copyright law, in China, Harry Potter fan fiction is less addressed in legal conflicts but is used as a cultural and educational tool between Western and Chinese cultures. More specifically, while there are a number of "fake" Harry Potter books in China, most of these books are said to be addressing concepts and issues found in Chinese culture. This transformative usage of Harry Potter in fan fiction is allegedly from the desire to enhance and express value to Chinese tradition and culture.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Suman |title=Re-Reading Harry Potter 2nd Ed. |year=2009 |publisher=Basingstoke (UK); New York (US): Palgrave Macmillan}}</ref>

Some prominent authors have given their blessings to fan fiction, notably ]. By 2014, there were already almost 750,000 Harry Potter fan stories on the web, ranging from short stories to novel-length tomes.<ref>p.36 of Don Tresca. 2014. "Spellbound: An Analysis of Adult-Oriented ''Harry Potter'' Fanfiction", pp. 36-46 in Kristin M. Barton and Jonathan Malcolm Lampley (eds.). ''Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century''. London: McFarland & Company.</ref> Rowling said she was "flattered" that people wanted to write their own stories based on her fictional characters.<ref name="bcc-rowling">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3753001.stm |title=Rowling backs Potter fan fiction |author=Waters, Darren |publisher=BBC |date=May 27, 2004 |access-date=April 24, 2008 |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226122024/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3753001.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, ] has put links on her website to fan fiction sites about her characters from the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stepheniemeyer.com/ts_fansites.html |title=Twilight Series Fansites |publisher=StephenieMeyer.com |access-date=October 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006021434/http://stepheniemeyer.com/ts_fansites.html |archive-date=October 6, 2011 }}</ref> The ] was developed from a ''Twilight'' fan fiction originally titled ''Master of the Universe'' and published episodically on fan-fiction websites under the pen name "Snowqueen's Icedragon". The piece featured characters named after Stephenie Meyer's characters in ''Twilight'', ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|work=mediabistro.com|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/fifty-shades-of-grey-wayback-machine_b49124|title=The Lost History of ''Fifty Shades of Grey''|author=GalleyCat|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140727045638/http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/fifty-shades-of-grey-wayback-machine_b49124|archive-date=July 27, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=mtv.com |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685954/fifty-shades-of-grey-stephenie-meyer.jhtml |title=''Fifty Shades of Grey'': Stephenie Meyer Speaks Out |publisher=MTV |access-date=September 6, 2012 |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005112806/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1685954/fifty-shades-of-grey-stephenie-meyer.jhtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>

However, in 2003, a British law firm representing J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. sent a letter to webmasters requesting that adult Harry Potter fan fiction ("stories containing graphically violent and sexual content") be removed from a prominent fan fiction website, citing concerns that children might stumble upon the illicit content. In response, the webmasters from several websites hosting adult Harry Potter fan fiction, among other types of fan fiction, "made claims of 'fair use' and nonprofessional status" to justify their right to continue hosting the adult content.<ref>pp.36-37 of Tresca (2014)</ref>

As an example of changing views on the subject, author ] (best known for the '']'' series) once stated on his website, "to write fiction using my characters is morally identical to moving into my house without invitation and throwing out my family." He changed his mind completely and since has assisted fan fiction contests, arguing to the ''Wall Street Journal'' that "Every piece of fan fiction is an ad for my book. What kind of idiot would I be to want that to disappear?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Aja |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/05/07/sci_fi_icon_orson_scott_card_hates_fan_fiction_the_homosexual_agenda_partner/ |title=Orson Scott Card's long history of homophobia |work=Salon.com |date=May 7, 2013 |access-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-date=November 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106012700/http://www.salon.com/2013/05/07/sci_fi_icon_orson_scott_card_hates_fan_fiction_the_homosexual_agenda_partner/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, ] consistently and aggressively prevented fan fiction based on any of her fictional characters (mostly those from her famous '']'' and its sequels in '']''). She, along with ] (whose stance has been changed by her son, Todd McCaffrey, since her death) and ], asked to have any fiction related to their series removed from FanFiction.Net.<ref name="bcc-rowling"/> ] is also strongly opposed to fan fiction, believing it to be copyright infringement and a bad exercise for aspiring writers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://georgerrmartin.com/faq.html |title=Frequently Asked Questions – George R. R. Martin's Official Website |publisher=Georgerrmartin.com |access-date=October 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414222920/http://georgerrmartin.com/faq.html |archive-date=April 14, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://grrm.livejournal.com/151914.html |title=Someone Is Angry On the Internet |last=Martin |first=George R.R. |date=May 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613053918/http://grrm.livejournal.com/151914.html |archive-date=June 13, 2013 }}</ref> ] and ], creators of the ], strongly oppose fan fiction written in their universe, with Lee saying that "Nobody else is going to get it right. This may sound rude and elitist, but honestly, it's not easy for us to get it right sometimes, and we've been living with these characters&nbsp;... for a very long time."<ref>{{cite web |author=Sharon Lee, Writer |url=http://sharonleewriter.com/2013/10/the-second-answer/ |title=Lee, Sharon. "The second answer" ''Sharon Lee, Writer'' October 26, 2013 |publisher=Sharonleewriter.com |date=October 26, 2013 |access-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-date=February 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205205328/http://sharonleewriter.com/2013/10/the-second-answer/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* ] * ]
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* ]s * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Black, R. (2008). ''Adolescents and Online Fan Fiction''. New York: Peter Lang.
* ] (2017). ''The Fanfiction Reader: Folk Tales for the Digital Age''. University of Michigan Press.
* {{cite journal |last1=Dow |first1=Nardeen |date=March 2020 |title=Homosocial or homoerotic: A re-reading of gender and sexuality in Harry Potter through fanfiction |url=https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/qsmpc_00023_1 |journal=Queer Studies in Media & Popular Culture |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=27-47 |doi=10.1386/qsmpc_00023_1 }}
* ] (2013). ''Fic: Why Fan Fiction is Taking Over the World''. Dallas, Tx: Smart Pop. {{ISBN|978-1-939529-19-0}}.
* ] (1992). '']''. New York: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-90571-0}}.
* Larsen, Katherine & Zubernis, Lynn eds. (2012). ''Fan Culture: Theory / Practice''. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
* Lawrence, K. F. (2007). . Ph.D. thesis, ]. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
* ] (October 3, 2004). . '']''.
* ] (2005). ''The Democratic Genre: Fan Fiction in a Literary Context''. Bridgend, Wales: Seren. {{ISBN|1-85411-399-2}}.
* ] (July 7, 2011). . ''Time''.
* ] & ], eds. (2014). ''The Fan Fiction Studies Reader''. Iowa City: The University of Iowa Press.
* ————— ( 2006). ''Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet: New Essays''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., {{ISBN|0-7864-2640-3}}.
* Lipton, Shana Ting (February 13, 2015). . '']''.


==External links== ==External links==
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* Fan Fiction, Fan Sites, Fan Art, Videos, Photos
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* at chillingeffect
* - essay on fan fiction
* - A rebuttal to fantasy writer Robin Hobb's anti-fanfiction piece


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Latest revision as of 18:29, 30 November 2024

Type of fiction created by fans of the original subject For other uses, see Fan Fiction. "Fanfic" redirects here. For the film, see Fanfic (film).

New Adventures of Alice (1917) by John Rae, an early pastiche or fan fiction

Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settings, or other intellectual properties from the original creator(s) as a basis for their writing and can retain the original characters and settings, add their own, or both. Fan fiction ranges in length from a few sentences to novel-length and can be based on fictional and non-fictional media, including novels, movies, comics, television shows, musical groups, cartoons, anime and manga, and video games.

Fan fiction is rarely commissioned or authorized by the original work's creator or publisher or professionally published. It may infringe on the original author's copyright, depending on the jurisdiction and on legal questions, such as whether or not it qualifies as "fair use" (see Legal issues with fan fiction). The attitudes of authors and copyright owners of original works towards fan fiction have ranged from encouragement to indifference or disapproval, and have occasionally responded with legal action.

The term came into use in the 20th century as copyright laws began to distinguish between stories using established characters that were authorized by the copyright holder and those that were not.

Fan fiction is defined by being related to its subject's canonical fictional universe, either staying within those boundaries but not being part of the canon, or being set in an alternative universe. Thus, what is considered "fanon" is separate from canon. Fan fiction is often written and published among fans, and as such does not usually cater to readers without knowledge of the original media.

Definition

The term fan fiction has been used in print as early as 1938; in the earliest known citations, it refers to amateur-written science fiction, as opposed to "pro fiction". The term also appears in the 1944 Fancyclopedia, an encyclopaedia of fandom jargon, in which it is defined as "fiction about fans, or sometimes about pros, and occasionally bringing in some famous characters from stories". It also mentions that the term is "sometimes improperly used to mean fan science fiction; that is, ordinary fantasy published in a fan magazine".

History

Before copyright

See also: History of copyright law

Before the adoption of copyright in the modern sense, it was common for authors to copy characters or plots from other works. For instance, Shakespeare's plays Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, As You Like It and The Winter's Tale were based on recent works by other authors of the time.

In 1614, Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda wrote a sequel to Cervantes' Don Quixote before he had finished and published his own second volume.

19th century

Further information: Pastiche and Unofficial sequel

Among 19th-century literature that has been subject to depictions not authorized by the original author include Bram Stoker's Dracula's depiction in the translated adaptation Powers of Darkness. The works of Jane Austen remain among the most popular works for unauthorized adaptations, with a notable example of Jane Austen fan fiction being Old Friends and New Fancies. Many unauthorized stories of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle have been created, including The Adventure of the Two Collaborators by J. M. Barrie. Other notable works include The Space Machine and Morlock Night, respectively based on The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine by H. G. Wells; A New Alice in the Old Wonderland, based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; and Wide Sargasso Sea, based on Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Star Trek fandom

The Star Trek fanzine Spockanalia contained the first fan fiction in the modern sense of the term.

The modern phenomenon of fan fiction as an expression of fandom and fan interaction was popularized and defined by the Star Trek fandom and its fanzines, which were published in the 1960s. The first Star Trek fanzine, Spockanalia (1967), contained some fan fiction; many others followed its example. These fanzines were produced using offset printing and mimeography and mailed to other fans or sold at science fiction conventions for a small fee to cover the cost of production. Unlike other aspects of fandom, women were the primary authors of fan fiction; 83% of Star Trek fan fiction authors were female by 1970, and 90% by 1973. One scholar states that fan fiction "fill the need of a mostly female audience for fictional narratives that expand the boundary of the official source products offered on the television and movie screen."

World Wide Web

Fan fiction has become more popular and widespread since the advent of the World Wide Web. According to one estimate, fan fiction comprises one-third of all book-related content on the internet. In addition to traditional fanzines and conventions, Usenet newsgroups and electronic mailing lists were established for fan fiction and fan discussion. Online, searchable archives of fan fiction were also created, with these archives initially being non-commercial hand-tended and specific to a fandom or topic. These archives were followed by non-commercial automated databases. In 1998, the non-profit site FanFiction.Net was launched, which allowed anyone to upload content in any fandom. The ability to self-publish fan fiction in an easily accessible archive that did not require insider knowledge to join, as well as the ability to review stories directly on the site, led the site to quickly gain popularity. A popular example of modern fan fiction is E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey, which was originally written as fan fiction for the Twilight series and featured Bella and Edward. To avoid copyright infringement, James changed the characters' names to Ana and Christian for the purposes of her novels, a practice known as 'pulling-to-publish'. Anna Todd's 2013 fan fiction After, about the boy band One Direction, secured a book and movie deal with renamed characters in 2014. A movie adaptation, After, was released on April 12, 2019.

On May 22, 2013, online retailer Amazon launched a new publishing service, Kindle Worlds, which allowed fan fiction of certain licensed media properties to be sold in the Kindle Store, with terms including 35% of net sales for works of 10,000 words or more and 20% for short fiction ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 words. However, this arrangement included restrictions on content, copyright violations, poor document formatting, and use of misleading titles. Amazon shut down Kindle Worlds in August 2018.

Japanese dōjinshi

A similar trend began in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s, as dōjinshi, independently published manga and novels, were published by dōjin circles, with many being based on existing manga, anime, and video game franchises. Manga artists such as Shotaro Ishinomori and Fujiko Fujio formed dōjin groups, such as Fujio's New Manga Party (新漫画党, Shin Manga-tō). At the time, artists used dōjin groups to make their debut as professional artists. This changed in the following decades, as dōjinshi became more popular and dōjin groups formed in groups such as school clubs. This culminated in 1975 with the Comiket, a convention in Tokyo that helped to establish the fandom.

Demographics

A 2010 study found that 75.2% of account holders on FanFiction.Net allowed the website to disclose their location and that 57% of accounts originated from the United States, followed by 9.2% created in the United Kingdom, 5.6% in Canada, and 4% in Australia.

A 2020 study of Archive Of Our Own users found that of the surveyed profiles that stated a nationality, 59.7% were located in North America, 16.1% in Great Britain and an additional 10% in Mainland Europe, 6.3% in Oceania, 2.8% in Scandinavia, 2.2% in Asia, 1.8% in South America and the Caribbean, and 0.2% in the Middle East. The study did not include profiles written in Chinese, Greek, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, or Turkish.

Sex and gender

A 2020 study of Harry Potter fan fiction writers on Archive of Our Own found that of the users who disclosed their gender in their profiles, 50.4% were female or femme-leaning and 13.4% were masculine or masc-leaning. 11% of users were transgender, 21% identified as nonbinary, genderfluid, and/or genderqueer, and an additional 3.9% stated that they identified as agender or genderless.

Age

The study also found that fan fiction writers tend to be in their early to mid-20s. Of these writers, 56.7% were university students and young adults, 21.3% were 30 years or older, 19.8% were teenagers, and 0.2% were of retirement age.

Categories and terms

See also: Slash fiction, Femslash, Yaoi, Yuri (genre), and Mary Sue
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Genres

In addition to the "regular" list of genres, there are some genres particularly associated with fan fiction. These genres can overlap and include:

Angst

Stories with an angst-ridden mood that focus on a character or characters who are brooding, sorrowful, or in anguish.

Alternative universe (AU)

Main article: Alternative universe (fan fiction)

Stories that feature characters set in a universe other than their canonical one. There are several types of alternative universe: it may make dramatic changes to the setting, such as a "fantasy AU" that places characters from a non-fantasy canon in a world of magic; change characterization, which is often referred to as someone being "out of character" (OOC) rather than a proper AU; or change major plot events to suit the author's purposes, such as in a fix-it fic.

Soulmate AU

Stories that feature characters in a world, often very similar to canon, where soulmates are real. Common mechanics include a person having their soulmate's name written on their skin at birth or a specific change that occurs when two soulmates see or touch each other for the first time. The most common trope in this genre is a character being convinced that they do not have, want, or deserve a soulmate, only to be proven wrong as they fall in love.

Time travel AU

Stories in which a character is sent back in time to get a second chance while having knowledge of the original plot. It is also called "Peggy Sue" after the movie Peggy Sue Got Married, in which this scenario happens to the titular character. "Groundhog Day", named after the film, is a variation of this trope in which time travel happens repeatedly, usually until the time traveler "gets it right".

Crossover

Stories that feature characters, items, or locations from multiple fandoms. Another type of crossover is "fusion fic", in which the two universes are merged into one.

Darkfic

Stories that are darker or more depressing than the original, often done in contrast to them. This is sometimes done with media that is intended to be light-hearted or for children. Darkfic can also refer to content that is "intentionally disturbing", such as physical or emotional violence or abuse. However, not all stories tagged as "dark" are considered to be a darkfic.

"Dead Dove Do Not Eat", sometimes abbreviated as DDDNE, is a sub-category of darkfic. It began as an AO3 tag in 2015, intended to warn people that the story contained dark themes without explicitly condemning them; because the dark themes were tagged, it served to reinforce readers' attention to them. Since 2015, it has evolved into its own tag, meaning that sometimes other dark themes are not tagged and are assumed to be present in the story.

Fix-it fic

Stories that rewrite canonical events that the author disliked or otherwise wanted to "fix", such as major plot holes or a tragic event or ending; for instance, an alternate universe where "everyone lives". Fix-it fics that focus on correcting flaws in the original work are also known as a "rebuild fic", named after the Rebuild of Evangelion series. If it focuses heavily on critical thinking skills and deductive reasoning, it can be considered a "rationalist rewrite", as popularized by Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality.

Fluff

Stories designed to be light-hearted and romantic. Another term for this genre is WAFF, which is short for "warm and fuzzy feelings."

Hurt/comfort

Stories in which a character is put through a traumatic experience in order to be comforted. The climax of these stories is usually when one character witnesses another character's suffering and alleviates it. Another type of hurt/comfort is whump, which focuses on the character's suffering, sometimes to the exclusion of comfort; excessive whump may also be considered darkfic.

Self-insert

Stories in which a version of the author is transported to the fictional world that the fan fiction is based on, which are often written in the first person. Self-insert fanfiction is often compared to Mary Sue characters. Some researchers argue that self-insert characters can be found in literature from the 19th century and earlier. There are several types of self-inserts, including: "y/n" (short for your name"), "xReader," and "imagines." Several of these subgenres are unique to specific platforms.

Recursive | meta | fan-verse

Stories based on an existing fan work. On Archive of Our Own, this type of recursive fan fiction is called a "remix".

Songfic

Stories which are interspersed with the lyrics of a relevant song. The term is a combination of "song" and "fiction"; as such, it is also referred to as "songfiction". Since many song lyrics are under copyright, whether songfics are a violation of copyright law is a subject of debate. Some fan fiction sites, such as FanFiction.Net, have prevented authors from posting songfics with lyrics from songs that are not in the public domain.

In an essay in Music, Sound, and Silence in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, University of Sydney professor Catherine Driscoll commented that the genre was "one of the least distinguished modes of fan production" and that "within fan fiction excessive attachment to or foregrounding of popular music is itself dismissed as immature and derivative".

Uberfic

Uberfic is a form of alternative universe in which characters physically resemble and share personality traits with their canon counterparts, but have new names and backgrounds in a different setting. The term originated in the Xena: Warrior Princess fandom and was inspired by the episode "The Xena Scrolls", which featured 1940s-era descendants of the characters Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer, who are played by their respective actors, on an archaeological dig in an Indiana Jones pastiche. As the concept of the uberfic can be adapted into original fiction, many uberfic authors, such as Melissa Good, Radclyffe, and Lori L. Lake, have legally published their Xena uberfic as original lesbian literature.

Terminology

Author's note (A/N)

Also abbreviated as A/N, author's notes are typically found directly before the beginning or after the end of a fan fiction or its chapters, but can be written at any point in the story and are used to convey direct messages from the author to the reader regarding it.

Beta reader

Main article: Beta reader

Also known as a beta. Someone who edits or proofreads someone else's fan fiction.

Canon

Main article: Canon (fiction)

The original story. This refers to anything related to the original source, including the plot, setting, and characters.

Disclaimer

See also: Legal issues with fan fiction

Disclaimers are author's notes which typically inform readers about who deserves credit for the original source material, and often containing pseudo-legal language disavowing any intent of copyright infringement or alluding to fair use. Such "disclaimers" are legally ineffective and are based on misunderstandings of copyright law, particularly confusion between illegal copyright infringement and unethical plagiarism. Disclaimers have fallen out of use since Archive of Our Own's rise in popularity.

Drabble

A drabble is a piece of writing that is exactly 100 words long, although it is commonly used to refer to any short fan fiction.

Fandom

A fandom is a group of fans of a work of fiction who dedicate their time and energy to their interest. Fan labor, such as fan fiction, is written by fans as a way to express their creativity and love for the original work.

Fangirl/fanboy

A person who is an enthusiastic member of one or more fandoms. The term fangirling/fanboying refers to when a person is excited about a fandom.

Fanon

A portmanteau of fan and canon. It is an "unofficial canon" idea that is widely accepted to be true among fans, but is neither confirmed nor officially endorsed by the original author or source creator, preventing it from being considered canon. Fanon can refer to an interpretation of the original work or details within it.

Head canon (HC)

A fan's personal interpretation of canon, such as the backstory of a character or the nature of relationships between characters. It can be drawn from subtext present in the canon, but cannot directly contradict it. If other fans share this interpretation, it can become fanon.

Mary Sue

A Mary Sue, also known as MS, is a term which editors and writers credit as originating in Star Trek fan fiction and later becoming part of the mainstream. In early fan fiction, a common plot was a minor member of the USS Enterprise's crew saving the life of Kirk or Spock, often being rewarded with a sexual relationship as a result. The term "Mary Sue", which originated in a parody of stories in the wish fulfillment genre, often refers to an idealized or overpowered character who lacks flaws and is often seen as a representation of the author.

One true pairing (OTP)

An abbreviation of the term "one true pairing", referring to a person's favorite ship. OT3, OT4, and so on is the term used for a polyamorous OTP.

One shot

A standalone piece of writing, as opposed to a multichapter work.

Real person fiction (RPF)

Main article: Real person fiction

Stories about real people, usually celebrities, rather than fictional characters. The book After by Anna Todd, later adapted into a film of the same name, was originally a real person fan fiction about One Direction member Harry Styles.

Shipping

Shipping is a variant of romance that focuses on exploring a relationship between two or more characters from the original fandom(s). It has several fandom-specific subgenres, including slash, which focuses on homosexual pairings, and femslash, which is similar but instead focuses on lesbian pairings. The term "shipping" can also refer to a fan who is heavily invested in a relationship between two characters. Writers of fan fiction often use the genre to explore homosexual pairings for popular characters who are not in, or not specified to be in, homosexual relationships in canon. A subcategory of shipping, "curtainfic", which depicts romantic couples in mundane domestic situations such as picking out curtains, was once used but has somewhat fallen out of use.

Smut

Also known as porn or erotica. Sexually explicit or pornographic fan fiction, which can be a part of a story or the entire story. Historically, the terms "lemon", or explicit pornography, and "lime", sexually suggestive works, were euphemisms used to refer to explicit material. These terms were once common in the 2000s, but fell out of use before becoming popular again in December 2018 due to the censorship of adult content on Tumblr, as it allowed writers to circumvent "explicit terminologies" that could get their work flagged by platforms like Tumblr while still being able to tag their work as explicit.

Trigger warning (TW)

Trigger warnings are used to warn people of content in fan fiction that could be harmful or "triggering" for those who have dealt with traumatic situations, allowing them to prepare for or avoid certain content. Sometimes, content warning (CW) is used, either instead of or in addition to a trigger warning.

Trigger warnings are usually used when the subject matter of a work deals with issues such as drug abuse, mental illness, abuse, or extreme violence. Archive of Our Own has codified a system of common warnings into its core tags, requiring authors to either disclose or explicitly choose not to disclose if their work contains graphic violence, major character death, rape, or underage sex.

Interactivity in the online era

Reviews can be posted by both anonymous and registered users on most sites, which are often programmed to notify the author of new feedback. This makes them a common way for readers and authors to communicate online, as well as to help authors improve their writing through constructive criticism. Occasionally, unmoderated review systems are abused for flaming, spam, or trolling; to prevent this, an author can either disable or enable anonymous reviews, depending on their preference. Fan fiction has also been shown to improve literacy by allowing authors to have a wider audience for their works and encouraging people to write.

Other ways that members of a fandom can participate in their community include gift exchanges and fic exchanges. A gift exchange is an organized challenge in which participants create fan fiction for other participants. They may research what the user receiving their gift enjoys or submissions may include a "letter" explaining what the recipient wants or does not want.

Legality

Main article: Legal issues with fan fiction

There is ongoing debate about to what extent fan fiction is permitted under contemporary copyright law.

Some argue that fan fiction does not fall under fair use, as it is derivative work. The 2009 ruling by United States District Court Judge Deborah A. Batts, permanently prohibiting publication in the United States of a book by Ryan Cassidy, a Swedish writer whose protagonist is a 76-year-old version of Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye, may be seen as upholding this position regarding publishing fan fiction, as the judge stated, "To the extent Defendants contend that 60 Years and the character of Mr. C direct parodied comment or criticism at Catcher or Holden Caulfield, as opposed to Salinger himself, the Court finds such contentions to be post-hoc rationalizations employed through vague generalizations about the alleged naivety of the original, rather than reasonably perceivable parody."

Others such as the Organization for Transformative Works uphold the legality of non-profit fan fiction under the fair use doctrine, as it is a creative, transformative process.

In 1981, Lucasfilm Ltd. sent out a letter to several fanzine publishers, asserting Lucasfilm's copyright to all Star Wars characters and insisting that no fanzine publish pornography. The letter also alluded to possible legal action that could be taken against fanzines that did not comply.

The Harry Potter Lexicon is one case where the encyclopedia-like website about everything in the Harry Potter series moved towards publishing and commercializing the Lexicon as a supplementary and complementary source of information to the series. Rowling and her publishers levied a lawsuit against the website creator, Steven Vander Ark, and the publishing company, RDR Books, for a breach of copyright. While the lawsuit did conclude in Vander Ark's favor, the main issue in contention was the majority of the Lexicon copied a majority of the Series' material and does not transform enough of the material to be held separately from the series itself.

While the HP Lexicon case is an example of Western culture treatment of fan fiction and copyright law, in China, Harry Potter fan fiction is less addressed in legal conflicts but is used as a cultural and educational tool between Western and Chinese cultures. More specifically, while there are a number of "fake" Harry Potter books in China, most of these books are said to be addressing concepts and issues found in Chinese culture. This transformative usage of Harry Potter in fan fiction is allegedly from the desire to enhance and express value to Chinese tradition and culture.

Some prominent authors have given their blessings to fan fiction, notably J.K. Rowling. By 2014, there were already almost 750,000 Harry Potter fan stories on the web, ranging from short stories to novel-length tomes. Rowling said she was "flattered" that people wanted to write their own stories based on her fictional characters. Similarly, Stephenie Meyer has put links on her website to fan fiction sites about her characters from the Twilight series. The Fifty Shades trilogy was developed from a Twilight fan fiction originally titled Master of the Universe and published episodically on fan-fiction websites under the pen name "Snowqueen's Icedragon". The piece featured characters named after Stephenie Meyer's characters in Twilight, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

However, in 2003, a British law firm representing J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. sent a letter to webmasters requesting that adult Harry Potter fan fiction ("stories containing graphically violent and sexual content") be removed from a prominent fan fiction website, citing concerns that children might stumble upon the illicit content. In response, the webmasters from several websites hosting adult Harry Potter fan fiction, among other types of fan fiction, "made claims of 'fair use' and nonprofessional status" to justify their right to continue hosting the adult content.

As an example of changing views on the subject, author Orson Scott Card (best known for the Ender's Game series) once stated on his website, "to write fiction using my characters is morally identical to moving into my house without invitation and throwing out my family." He changed his mind completely and since has assisted fan fiction contests, arguing to the Wall Street Journal that "Every piece of fan fiction is an ad for my book. What kind of idiot would I be to want that to disappear?"

However, Anne Rice consistently and aggressively prevented fan fiction based on any of her fictional characters (mostly those from her famous Interview with the Vampire and its sequels in The Vampire Chronicles). She, along with Anne McCaffrey (whose stance has been changed by her son, Todd McCaffrey, since her death) and Raymond Feist, asked to have any fiction related to their series removed from FanFiction.Net. George R.R. Martin is also strongly opposed to fan fiction, believing it to be copyright infringement and a bad exercise for aspiring writers. Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, creators of the Liaden universe, strongly oppose fan fiction written in their universe, with Lee saying that "Nobody else is going to get it right. This may sound rude and elitist, but honestly, it's not easy for us to get it right sometimes, and we've been living with these characters ... for a very long time."

See also

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