fanfic – Allison Thurman

It’s my fondest hope that one day readers will write fic based on my work. That’s *engagement*.

— Allison Thurman (@adotnon) November 6, 2017

So I said a couple of weeks ago. I’m not alone in the sentiment if the thread is any indication. Mind, I’m biased. I got my start as a fanfic writer.

Fanfic is often unjustly maligned as the refuge of the lazy and unoriginal. This Imaginary Worlds episode explains well the origin of these stereotypes and refutes them quite well. A good number of published authors got their start in fanfic (DailyDot found these 10; Google will find you many more).

Media franchises are the modern version of mythology. People want to tell and share new stories about characters they already know and love. It’s a wonderful way to interact with other fans, speculate about future developments, offer alternatives to canon, and keep canceled properties alive.

Mind, I’ve not run into much fanfic based on historical fiction (though fic writers love to use historical “alternative universes”). Still, I nurture a foolish hope that I’ll run into Dee/Kelley slash someday. Even more than being on a bestseller list, if my books can involve people that much I’ll know I’ve truly arrived.

So: could you, would you, have you written fanfic? If so, in what ‘verses (you can probably guess one of mine)?

Author Anna Kaling found me through Twitter and we twitted about our mutual love for the strange and unknown. She invited me to guest blog about Nessie, my great childhood love and how could I say no? Her WIP takes place at Loch Ness and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
The only fair use image of the Notorious LNM I could find is an acknowledged hoax. Courtesy Wikipedia.
Cosplaying 16th century Holy Roman Emperor Charles V is a thing – at least during the Ommegang parade, held yearly in Brussels to commemorate his 1549 visit. Part of the larger Carolus V Festival, the parade appears to show dragons, stilt-walkers, and all manner of medieval-ish costume.
Hamilton is fanfic, and its historical critics are totally missing the point – I finally listened to the “Hamilton” soundtrack. I’m not “Greatest. Thing. EVAR!!!!” fervent, but I enjoyed it. Ear wormy songs make things like the Federalist Papers and John Adams election memorable and fun. This article frames the musical as fan fiction of canonical history and I can see the argument. Thoughts?
How acceptable is artistic licence in history entertainment? – ask this question and you’ll get a million different answers. I’m always tickled when correct details reveal research as thorough (pedantic?) as my own. At the same time historians have biases and new information is discovered all the time, making “historical accuracy” a constantly moving target. Still, I’d weep if something as over-the-top as The Tudors tried to pass itself off as a quasi-documentary.

Tag: fanfic

playing in other people’s sandboxes

biweekly links 7-13-2016