Program Description
Event Details
Writing With Joy: The Origins, Development and Characteristics of Fanfiction
Aspiring authors of original content typically spend years in near-solitary labor as they polish their drafts and search for beta readers before they begin to pursue publishing. Fanfiction writers on the other hand have the freedom to launch their stories into fan spaces almost immediately after the author decides a piece is ready for publication. This shortened timeline to publication, as well as the dramatically different dynamic the fanfiction author has with their readers, encourages the fanfiction author to develop aspects of their craft that are often not as available to the author working only with their original content. In this discussion we'll explore the origins, genres, tropes, and modern conventions of fanfiction. We'll also discuss how fan circles provide near-instant feedback for the developing writer, and how participation in transformative fandom can strengthen a writer's understanding of their craft in ways that are also applicable to their original writing.