For this week’s post, I want to breach the subject of fanfiction. Even if most people don’t know all the ins and outs of the topic, I think that everyone can grasp the general topic by dissecting the name alone. To put it simply, fanfiction is a work of fiction written by amateur writers who are fans of the source material.
It’s interesting to see the actual numbers on some of these fandoms. Presently, the current number of fics in the largest fandom, Harry Potter, on fanfiction.net is 553,909. This ranges from very short one-off pieces of less than a thousand words to novel-length works that users can follow like old-time newspaper serials. This number doesn’t look so great in comparison to the fact that the seventh book sold “a record-setting 8.3 million copies in 24 hours” the first weekend it was released in the USA (USA Today). Even though there is almost no comparison between how many copies of the books are in print compared to how many fics there are floating around online, it’s amazing when you consider the time and effort thousands of people put into these works that will never get them any professional recognition.
The legality of it all is a bit fuzzy. Strictly speaking, every writer on these fanfiction cites is guilty of copywrite infringement. But honestly, when in the course of human history has legality stopped someone from doing what they want, particularly when they don’t feel there are immediate consequences. Personally, I see fanfiction as a positive thing. Its allows the fans a chance to give back and expand the genre further and to elaborate on characters and see how they react in different circumstances. That could just be my bias as a fanfiction writer talking, but without fanfiction, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as confident about my writing abilities as I am today.
I didn't know much about the topic of "fanfiction", but after reading your post I can say that I learned quite a bit about it. I like that you used different statistics and compared them.
ReplyDeleteTo me, fanfiction is generally a great thing. Bear in mind I haven't read many, but I can vouch that it does allow readers a better understanding of the fictional universe it concerns. The fanfiction written by professional writers is purely amazing. Their works integrate seamlessly to overall plot and are very enjoyable. Of course there are bad eggs here and there but you have to start somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it should be illegal as long as no profit is made. If there were to be profit you would have to pay a royalty and maybe seek permission. Though the trouble of getting permission might dissuade some from even writing in the first place.
Very nice read.
I don’t know much about fanfiction, but I can tell by your posts that you are a supporter of it. I think you did a great job being informative without including too much bias. The bias you did include, however, makes me want to agree with you. People should be allowed to be creative and artistic. If fanfiction writers aren’t gaining from their work, they should continue to express themselves and entertain the audiences that read their work.
ReplyDeleteThough I am a diehard Harry Potter fan myself, I have to say I have never explored the world of fan fiction. From what I do know, however, I would have to agree with you when you say it's not a copyright infringement. I think fan fiction is just a way for the most loyal of fans to express themselves and indulge even further into their favorite fiction masterpieces. Great post!
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