In Defence of Fanfiction: An Introduction

The term "fanfiction" has a tendency to inspire a few similar ideas: horrid grammar, ridiculous plot lines, flat characters. The worst figure in all of fanfiction, the dreaded Mary-Sue, is arguably also the most well-known. For those who don't know, a Mary-Sue is typically a self-insertion by the author, taken to the extreme. She is usually gorgeous beyond all belief, has a tragic past (often orphaned by a tragic accident), every boy in the story falls in love with her, and she faces adversity at every turn but magically overcomes it because she is just. that. awesome.

Fanfiction is more than that, though. Fanfiction requires an understanding of the complexity of characterization, something made even more difficult when the characters aren't ones own. Taking another person's characters and expanding their canon lives and changing details around and constructing an entirely new world takes skill, and it takes determination, and it takes creativity. Each author leaves a certain imprint on their work, and it becomes clear just from the tone who the author is. More than that, though, fanfiction itself has a distinct tone.

I've been reading fanfiction since I was 13--I started with blink-182 fanfiction, and yes, I did write it. Other than a few drabbles and one multi-chapter fic, I haven't written much fanfiction. But I've read it for the past five years, and I've been involved in numerous fandoms--Harry Potter, Criminal Minds, The Baby-Sitter's Club. I think the last time I wrote fanfiction was in grade 10. Math class. I wrote a Criminal Minds ficlet centred around a season 2 episode.

Fanfiction has always meant something for me, and I plan to explore that. More than that, though, I'm going to collect some of the more memorable fics that have shaped my love for fanfiction. It's going to be fun.