Fan-fiction, a Microcosm of Too Many Things.

When I think of fan-fiction, the term generally recalls some of the most painful, poorly written, sic-laden pieces of Internet writing I have ever encountered. What I've read generally goes beyond perverse in its attempts to integrate the writer/narrator into the story as the sexually desired counterpart to their favorite male lead in fantasy writing. While I suppose the sentiment is understandable, in sublimating sexual desires, the idea of it being literary in any way is a bit laughable to me, though I haven't exposed myself to enough of what I guess would be considered its higher echelons to make an entirely balanced assessment, and perhaps this will be the impetus for that venture.

When I couldn't come up with a purely academic title for this post, as is my preference, I decided on something that communicates everything these kind of forums encapsulate for me, namely burgeoning, externalized sexuality, an imaginative desire to live in a fantasy realm, away from the familiar trappings of girlhood, and the communities that form around a shared sense of desire for adventure. I really appreciate the observation in "Me/Her/Draco Malfoy" that an almost exclusively female forum creates a safe space for expressing a desire for sexual dominance, or at least, control of one's own sexuality and all of the factors that can preclude or advance a fantasy-caliber sexual experience. The anonymity is also essential to this because I don't think that level of honesty is possible in any forum without the assurance that it won't be seen and judged by those closest to the writer. As Warburton also notes, there is a certain weariness of "Dateline-esque" creepiness that has become a huge part of how everyday people view the internet: that is, that it always has a predatory underbelly that needs to be staved off with precautionary measures (Warburton 126).

I accept right now it's probably not fair to possess negative opinions about fan-fiction, having never looked into it with vigor, and that my opinions have nothing to do with feminist ideals or anything of the sort, as much as an abhorrence of writing mediums that purport to be formed in the same vein as literature when it's only derivative (and in my experience, not well written), and in that sense, an insult to that which it takes its formulaic style from, and that opinion is much less relevant to the content of this class. It makes sense to me that Twilight is one of the most often cited examples of novels that are used as templates for fan-fiction, as it seems to be written with just this crowd in mind anyway. I suppose it's empowering for girls to be able to own their sexualities in an almost pornographic manner, but they are choosing to do it through a novel which reifies gender norms in a really offensive manner, and I don't think anything "transgressive" can come from that. And if queerness "is restricted to a virtual realm as they live their 'real' heteronormative lives," I don't see how it's being resistant or political in any way either (Warburton 128). I can appreciate the identity construction aspects of fan-fiction, that the writer is creating her own role models, or at least, manipulating them into more interesting situations that suit her needs, but again, I don't see this as much different than any other mode of creative expression, except that it's manufactured, and in terms of the community aspect, it mirrors every other forum I've ever heard of, the only difference being that it's girls who are creating the community around their shared love of dubious story-telling. I can respect the motivation behind it, but that doesn't mean I'll ever understand or like it, and for that reason, for now at least, the jury is out.