Here’s a roundup of fanfiction stories that might be of interest to fans:
- The media continues to keep trying new angles on Fifty Shades of Grey stories. Some of the more interesting ones focused on an analysis of whether readers are actually finishing the book, the ethics of pulling fanfiction to publish, and the plans of its original publisher: “Caught in the blinding arc lights of a publishing phenomenon, Hayward was spent. The publicity was intrusive and bruising, the fun of the original enterprise curdled by lawyers and confidentiality agreements. Sitting on a panel at the Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival in July, Hayward was representative of the new force of social media and niche publishing. The passion of that audience of book lovers reminded her that the real purpose of publishing was to tell stories, a dawning that rekindled her flagging enthusiasm.”
- Indeed news stories about fellow Twilight-AU writer Sylvain Reynard, suggest that going pro can be a real hit to one’s privacy. The author lauded the embrace of the fan community in an MTV interview. “C.S. Lewis once said, ‘We read to know that we are not alone.’ I would add to that, ‘We write to know that our words have meaning.’ When I began writing my first novel, I was writing for myself. I was examining issues of suffering and loss, love and forgiveness and trying to find meaning. As a first-time novelist, I knew little about where to go or what to do in order for my work to be read. This community welcomed my words and me. Members of the community continue to read my writing and to encourage me. In addition, the community is very active in raising awareness and donations for various charities, including organizations that help children, cancer patients, and for humanitarian efforts in the wake of recent natural disasters at home and abroad. They are one of the most socially active and generous groups of individuals I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.”
- Author MG Harris suggested that we’re all writing fan fiction now. “As a former writer of fanfic, I tend to stick to the original principles – it should be free. Like many, I was baffled by the craze for poorly-written erotica, not because I doubted that people wanted to read it, but because I was baffled that people didn’t know how to type ‘free erotic fiction’ into a search engine, and were therefore prepared to pay to download it.” At least some journalists seem to have taken the search advice to heart. It seems like all current news stories now have their accompanying “fan fiction pointer” stories — whether it’s the Olympics or the selection of a vice-presidential candidate. But Harris pointed out something else: “I’d say that fanfics have already surpassed the earnings of their inspirational texts. All vampire stories are Dracula fanfic, but Anne Rice probably earned more than Bram Stoker and Stephanie Meyer earned more than Anne Rice. EL James looks set to earn even more than Meyer.”
If you’re already building a fanfic search engine, or drawing your inspiration from the AP Newswire, share your experiences on Fanlore! Contributions are welcome from all fans.
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