Fanfiction:The Fans Take Over!

[Dani257]

Did you know that Mulder and Scully from the X-files have been having hot passionate sex for years? How about Mulder and Krycek? Ever wonder what would happen if the cast of ER and the cast of Buffy met? Angry that your favorite character died? What if it was all a dream? Well, it can happen, and I'm not talking about some bad 'Bobby in the shower' tv Dallas moment. I'm talking about fanfiction.


First of all, what is fanfiction? Fanfiction, or fanfic, are stories written by fans of various tv shows (also of books, but mainly of tv shows). These people continue the adventures of the characters on the screen, or create entirely new adventures and post them to newsgroups and mailing lists on the internet. No tv show is immune. From Buffy to X-Files, ungoing and canceled shows alike have all been given the fanfic treatment.


I honestly couldn't tell you when I first stumbled upon fanfic. But, I can tell you my earliest readings were most likely Quantum Leap or Macgyver stories. I then moved on to ER, Lois and Clark, The West Wing, and The X-Files. X-Files fanfic has a special place for me, because if I hadn't accidentally stumbled upon an X-Files story, I would never have watched the show.

I can tell you my first attempt at writing fanfic. After reading enough stories dealing with the characters of Remember Wenn, I decided "I can do that!" And, I managed to write a pretty decent story. I've since branched out to a few X-Files stories, and one West Wing tale.

Some people roll their eyes at fanfic writers. People with no lives, who are obsessed with tv, they say. No, these are mothers, students, business-people, etc, who just happen to be creative and choose to express themselves in fanfic.

A few things to know if you decide to write or read fanfic for the first time. The general rules of writing are:1. Technically, it's a violation of copyright (bad wannabe writer, me!). However, I don't know of any tv producer who has ever complained. Common courtesy says you should acknowledge that the characters belong to whoever created them and no infringement is intended. Most people become creative with these disclaimers, saying things like "I broke into Whoseit Studios and stole Muffy the Wolf Girl. I'll return her when I finish." 2. Spoilers: If your story deals with some major issue in the show, like character death, please say there will be a spoiler. Especially if the story takes place after a recent episode. Some people may want to wait until they see it happen on tv. 3. Speaking of character death, it's best to warn about excessive sadness. Some evil people (raises hand) enjoy reading these stories, but others cringe away from them. 4. It's usually a good idea to get someone to proofread or beta-read as we say in fanfic land. It helps to make sure the story makes sense and is actually good. (I admit, I don't always do this. Bad fanfic writer, me!)

For those just toying with the idea of reading, here are a few things to keep in mind. 1. Categories: These usually come after the helpful disclaimer saying the writer didn't make up the characters. They differ from genre to genre (for instance you won't see MSR -Mulder/Scully Romance in a story about Animaniacs, unless Mulder and Scully make an appearance), but there are some standards. Drama, Humor, Au (Alternate Universe, where things that have never or will never happen on the show are fair game), Romance, Angst (for the evil in all of us), Crossovers (Buffy meets Malcolm! Gilmore Girls move to Dawson's Creek),Post-Episode (where you see what happens after the credits end), and Slash. Slash, for the uniformed are stories involving same sex relationships. This is by far the most popular genre. Just as practically any show has been 'fanficked' practically every character has been slashed. Mulder seems to be the most popular character to slash. I don't see it, but apparently, to many writers he gives some highly charged homosexual vibes. If this isn't your cup of tea, don't worry. Any good writer will identify what category they're writing. Also, 2. Ratings: This will tell you if a story is G rated or NC17 and everything in between. NC17 stories are usually called nfics. 3. Virtual Seasons: What happens when a show has been canceled, and you miss seeing it weekly? Never fear. Sometimes groups of writers take it upon themselves to post stories for shows on a regular basis, usually with continuing storylines. There are virtual seasons of shows like Macgyver, Quantum Leap, Lois and Clark (but I think they stopped Lois and Clark) and others I probably don't even know about. And, a show doesn't even have to be canceled to merit it's own season. Many fans were disatisfied with the way things were going on The X-Files during the eighth season. So, they created their own eighth season, taking a complete detour from what was happening on the screen. Now, The X-Files Virtual Seasons has just started it's ninth season.

Where can you find fanfic? People usually post on newsgroups. you can search on Deja.com. Or try signing up for a mailing list dedicated to the show. These can be found at Yahoo Groups. The easiest way to find them is to go to a search engine and type 'my favorite show and fanfiction'. You'll be amazed at how many results you come up with. Another good place is fanfiction.net which houses stories from different tv shows and other venues of entertainment, although I confess I don't always like the quality of some of the stories. Yes, there are good fanfics and bad fanfics just like any other stories.


For those of you who still view fanfic as a waste of time, just keep in mind that some writers go on to write published novelizations of the tv shows. And even if no one ever offers to let you write a sanctioned version of the show, it's a harmless and fun pastime.