Moki's Fanfiction Blog

The interesting thing with me is that I’ve kind of gone backwards with the fanfiction thing. When I first starting writing fanfiction I was very young and to me, it was just something that I did.

I told all of my friends and family and kept them in the loop of how my writing was going. I would ask many of them to read my stories to offer feedback any change I got. I would even go as far as share links to some of my stories that I barely talked to, because I was just proud of whatever it was that I was working on.

Since then I’ve been becoming more and more closed off with who I share my fandom life with. Sometimes I feel like I should keep the fanfiction and my live action life separate. Although my closest friends still know that I spend more time reading fanfiction than I do books. : )

What’s really interesting is that I wrote a lot more in those days than I do now. It’s got me thinking that it was a lot healthier and easier to be creative when there were people who would be willing to read a story and offer some feedback.

well,… i wouldn’t call it a secret, but i don’t openly i don’t talk about it,…and talk to too many “normal” people in RL,… so… yeah… ^_^;;

LOL Snail.

Wow Trin, that is interesting. I sort of wished I had gotten into fanfic when I was younger, then again they didn’t really have the internet back then so it would’ve been hard.

I know what you mean about it being healthier to feel like you can be creative when you know you have people willing to read and feedback on your work. I really hope you get back to writing again, if it’s something that you like and want to do. Fanficiton is a great way to do that.

Hmm. I think that you are absolutely right. Fanfiction is a ‘dirty little secret’ and I definitely try and keep what I write a secret from all but people I absolutely trust. To me, writing fanfiction is a part of myself that I keep private and the things I write are my way of de-stress. Like tinytrinity says, she tries to keep real life and fanfiction life separate… I think the same way.

I would love to be a professional author and publish a beautiful work of art that turns into a best-seller, but would hide my true identity to the world.

Interesting idea Sensue. You know, I’ve actually struggled with that idea myself. When I started writing full time, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to use a pen name or my real name. I stuck with my pen name, but mostly because so many people already know me by that name. It’s just a coincidence that it also keeps my true identity hidden.

I’ve ever only told my husband and children and swore them to secrecy. One sister inadvertently found out and promised not to tell anyone else. They are the only ‘real life’ people that know.

There was no Internet when I was younger and began writing it and hiding it away. No one ever read it but me. It seemed to me like a wierd hobby back then since I didn’t know anyone else who did the same. I was amazed and thrilled when I discovered so many others had the same hobby and posted their work online.

I love reading it. When it’s going well, I love writing it. I’ve really enjoyed interacting with other fans who read and write it. But, I do keep it a secret off-line.

Awesome post, Moki – touching on a lot of true and interesting things. I kept my interest in Fanfic a secret for a long time…but I was also mostly a reader and not a writer for a long time. When I started writing (and publishing on fanfiction.net) I did share it with my parents. I’ve since then shared it with a couple other people I know, especially when I finished my first story with a real plot just a few months ago.

I still don’t find it easy to just tell people – like you said, I get a touch nervous every time I do – but so far no one has ridiculed me or tried to burn me at the stake or anything! In fact, one of my friends actually asked to read my NCIS fic – despite the fact that she only knew enough about NCIS to ask me if Tony was the one with the grey hair (which prompted me to write her a short “crash-course in NCIS”) – and she loved it!! That was very encouraging, so I’m guessing that the circle of people I entrust with this knowledge will keep getting bigger, even if it does happen slowly.

Sharing my fanfic (and my original work), whether it be with the people that I love or on fanfiction.net has been a great courage-and-emotional-fitness-building exercise already. And to me, that’s one of the most valuable things there is. My real goal is to become a better, stronger, more confident, more conscious, more centered person. For me, writing (both original work and fanfic) is primarily something I leverage to that effect.

I look forward to the day when it’s as easy as breathing to tell people that I write fanfiction…though as I take on more and bigger original writing projects, my time for writing fanfic gets to be less and less. I hope to find a balance that will allow me to maintain both for a while yet.

Zee – thanks for the idea for this post, by the way. It is great discovering that there are others who share the same joy in reading and writing fanfic.

KindleLyn – LOL, I love the idea of a “crash course in NCIS”. Very cool that your friend didn’t even know the show and still loved your work. One of the problems I have with sharing my fanfic with friends is that most have no interest in the same shows I do and those who do, have no interest in reading fanfic. I also hope that you continue to find the time to write fanfic, seeing as it has helped you (like me) to get encouragement in your life. That is the biggest reward of all for me, by far.

I could go on and on about this…but the short version is yes, absolutely. The only people IRL who know I’ve been writing fanfic are my husband and my parents, and it took me months to tell them. The only one I’ve let *read* it is my dad. It was after my first story was completely finished and I swear I felt like I was going to throw up for hours after I sent him the link. And I’ll tell my dad almost anything.

There are, actually, two more people who know, because I talked about the fact that I was writing it in my Livejournal, and a couple of friends know I have one. I don’t know that I’ll ever post a link to what I write, though. I hope I’ll have the nerve to someday. I’m slowly getting more comfortable with it…VERY slowly.

I love Sensue’s idea, and I would love to do that too. Aside from my parents, I hate letting people I know read what I write (unless that’s how I met them in the first place). It just feels too exposed, somehow.

Great post!

Excellent post! It really made me think both about how I treat my fanfic reading ways & what others do. For me reading fanfic is somewhat of a dirty little secret. When I was younger my grandfather didn’t want me online merely reading “stories” which now that I look back…at least I was reading. Because of his adverse reaction, I starting hiding the fact that was reading. Until about 2 years ago, I kept it a secret from everyone. The only reason it came out was when a friend & I were watching NCIS & I starting talking about how I hated the idea of “Tiva” which outed me. Good thing she reads fanfic too! Until reading your post and everyone’s comments, I guess I never realized that there are others out there that hide their love for writing and reading.

Steph – I feel your pain. I remember the first time I sent my fanfic off to someone who was a fan, I too wanted to throw up. Before my writing coach and I started working together, he asked to see a sample of my work and the only things I had completed back then were fanfics. So I sent him a Firefly story and felt sick for days until I heard back (he liked it).

pandi19 – So glad this post got you to see how many of us there are out there. I’ll bet there’s many more, too.

Okay, I found this post — and your blog — in the most round about way. I’d nominated a friend’s fanfic for Supernatural on Sensue’s site and went to check on it. While there, by pure accident, I saw that she’d rec’d some NCIS fic. I have the hardest time finding stories for that show I consider ‘good’ and because I fly very much under the radar outside the SPN-arena, I didn’t know who to ask.

I saw your NCIS fic “Sibling Rivalry” rec’d there, read it, liked it, went to see if you had more, and saw this blog.

I tell ya, it was like taking a deep breath. Thank you for your candor and for bringing it forth so eloquently. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as “fanfiction” until the summer of 2005. I wouldn’t have found it had I not been hungry for any news about the show Supernatural after it’s first season ended with a major cliffie. Stumbling on fanfiction.net was like finding a secret stash of dark chocolate. People wrote stories that I liked to read — about characters I couldn’t get enough of… and it was FREE!

I tried my first story that October and haven’t stopped writing since. It’s become my solace, my quiet place, my ‘me’ time. I’ve found friends I would never have otherwise met with commonalities I would never have otherwise confessed. I’ve rediscovered a passion I let die out when RL got to be too all-encompassing.

I don’t write outside of Supernatural (with the exception of one story), and I don’t participate in the ‘fandom’, per se. But I certainly enjoy what I do, and I love that I can freely say that here.

That said, when I started to venture onto LiveJournal and write episode reviews, I realized that I wanted to keep the Writer Me separate from the Real Me. I stay safely inside my identity and even use ‘code names’ for my husband and daughter when the come up in LJ posts for one reason or another.

My family calls what I do “writing my little stories” — because it’s a fad, you see. A phase I’m going through. Some of my friends understand that I write, but not why or what. One or two have read my stories but even that has petered out a bit due to either “lack of time” or the “it’s hard to read on the computer” reasonings.

When I say that I write, and am pressed for “what,” I usually respond vaguely. “Fictional stories…just creative writing bits…enough so that I don’t turn to dust…” It becomes almost too cumbersome, in a way, to explain the thrill that is writing fanfiction to…well, the laymen. It’s hard to think of the right words to say to help them understand, and it’s semi-insulting to feel as though I have to. Why should I justify my passion just because they don’t get it?

So, for me, keeping fanfiction a “secret” has been less out of embarrassment or shame and more out of protection. Both of my time and of my craft. I don’t want it marred in any way by the conclusion-jumping of the outside world. I don’t want to be judged when they haven’t even read what I have done/can do. I know I can tell a good story. I know that others — most of whom I’ve never met — think I can tell a good story.

And that feels good. So until I go ‘mainstream’… I keep Writer Me separate from Real Me. And y’know? I may even do that when/if I publish, as Sensue suggested. Keep the escape separate from the reason I’m escaping.

Wonderful post, wonderful blog. I shall be bookmarking you and reading more. May I also share with others?

Welcome Gaelic! I am so happy that you stumbled across my blog. Your story reads like mine and much of us up here. I really want this to be a safe place for fanfic writers to come and talk about our love of fanfic, without fear of insults, etc.

Yes please feel free to share wherever you like and I look forward to hearing more from you in the future. I shall also be looking you up on ff.net as I am now interested to read some of your stories as well.

Hey! I was sent over here by gaelicspirit and I can now see why. I have actually had many discussions with her and many others over this subject and admit that although it writing fanfic is probably one of the biggest hobbies I have and I can talk about the ins and outs of it with fellow fanficcers I hesitate when asked by someone out of the loop. Thankfully my family knows about this obsession to write in fandom and they support it. My grandmother has read the stuff I print out for her, my brother boasts about my writing to his friends even though he is not the reading type lol and my mother reads and attempts her own. So I am not as alone as some others in the fandom world.

But as example when I went out one night with my younger brother and his friends I was at the bar with one of his female friends and we were both ordering a drink. She goes onto say that Matt had told her that I wont writer of the month (at Ungen in Jan). I was like “yeah!” then she of course went on to ask what I write. I hesitated and then shrugged my shoulders and said “It’s only fanfiction.” The last part was almost said in a mumble and she asked me what Fanfiction was. I gave her a brief description. She only partly gave me that blank look you can sometimes get from people who have no idea and told me that was great. But I have had worse reactions lol I love that my brother is so proud but i remember thinking CRAP when his friend had brought it up. And as I have spoken to gaelic before, I don’t understand why that happens. I am an avid fan of fanfiction, was an avid reader before I took up writing it and yet when someone asks me what I write I reply with “Oh it’s only fanfiction” And it’s something I dont understand because I think the fanfiction world is great for those who just like to play or those who need a practice ground for more serious writing. It shouldnt be a dirty secret but even those of us who are proud of our fanfiction achievements seem to have that “weird” stigma hover over us regardless … I’ve found a lot of people have that same problem.

I found your post enlightening. Thanks for sharing.

Tara (lovinjackson)

When I first discovered fan fiction, I wasn’t too hesitant to share with people what it was…but after some of the weird or bewildered looks I got, I kinda backed off on being so free with info about it.

My family does know I write and read it, but I try not to allow them to find links to my stories. Mostly because I’m afraid they’ll think it sucks or something awkward like that.

Thank you for writing this blog, I really enjoyed reading it. It is comfort to be reminded I’m not alone out there. If you are interested in more specific thoughts on what you had to say, I left a post on my LJ (my website) that is more lengthy…I thought it might be a little too long to leave those thoughts here.

I don’t write fic (im not that creative lol) but i love to read them. more then i love to read books.
I go as far as printing them putting them in folders/binder and reading them in public, at work, at the park ect, lounging on the couch, in my back yard on a sunny day.. I don’t feel that fanfiction should be strictly read while sitting in front of a computer. i’ve got some weird looks when someone asks if im doing homework lol. No im reading a fanfiction. some will raise a eyebrow at me, others start asking more questions.

people who matter to me (friends/family) they all accept that i love fanfic, and they should, its nothing to be ashamed of. fantastic fanfic writers deserve to have they’re work read and loved.

Hmmm….I was going to post at greater length, but I can’t seem to stop my response from turning into a diatribe about prejudice in fanfic subject matter rather than fanfic as a whole. So I’ll just say, no, I don’t talk about my fanfic habit to anyone who might know what fanfic is. If the subject comes up in my mundane life, I might mention that I write stories about the characters in a show I like, but I don’t go into details and I never give out my pen name lest someone wander onto my lj and be appalled lol.

Hmm: I’ve never hidden my fanfiction writing. I started as a kid in the 1960′s before I ever knew other people did it, too; I just knew I loved certain characters in certain shows and wanted to explore how they would react in situations I imagined and wished they would use on the show. I didn’t invite readers then because the stories were just for me, and they stayed that way for a long time, apart from being shared with a very few friends. I never shared my stories with strangers until I discovered a little online community of “Starsky & Hutch” fans back in the early 1990′s. Suddenly, I found people who wanted to read the things I wanted to write, and that was a new experience.

I’m not prolific, but I’ve never stopped writing fanfic since. My family, friends, and co-workers are well aware of my current “Supernatural” addiction, and a number of them have visited my blog and my fanfiction.net account. Printed copies of some of my longer fanfic — the “Starsky & Hutch” novella “Opened Minds” and my collection of four stories from “The Professionals” — have actually circulated in my office, passed from hand to hand by people curious about what I do on my own time. Some have been fannish folk, but most were not.

The fun thing is, non-fannish people learning about my fanfic have not looked down on it at all, nor has knowledge of it had any impact on my sterling reputation in the office. Most people ask if I’m ever going to write a book of my own, but it’s not been said disparagingly; it’s come because they enjoyed what they read. And one of these days, I’d like to give that a shot.

So many people have gotten involved in this discussion. You’ve created a monster. LOL.

Sensue – I know! I came home last night after a day out with my mum (it was her birthday) and saw all these comments. It’s great! I’m going to be looking everyone up on Livejournal too.

Tara – Oh man, I have so done the “it’s only fanfiction” mumble when someone has asked me about my writing. I think it’s so awesome though that your brother is proud of you for it.

Nicole – You are definitely not alone, as you can see from all the comments. LOL. I will definitely be checking out your post on Livejournal as well.

Kristy – Oh I’ve done that too! I used to print out fic and then read it on my lunch break at work, sitting in my car and snarfing a sandwich. I think I still have a folder somewhere w/some of my favorite Supernatural fics in it.

Serena – You have an interesting point about there also being prejudice about fanfic subject matter, as well as with fanfic itself. Methinks I may have to do a post about that as well.

Bardivoice – Wow, that is so amazing that your stories went so far as to be printed and passed around your office. It’s nice too that it could be responsible for you publishing your own work someday.

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. I am really enjoying hearing from so many other fanfic writers.

I’ve always wanted to write fanfiction to boost my writing skills and get the immediate reader feedback it provides. But admittedly I felt uncomfortable moving deeper into geek/fanboy territory than I usually do. For me how secret I kept it would depend on what type of fanfic I wrote.

Well I think you should go for it, no matter what type of fic you choose to write, I’m sure you’ll find an audience for it. Then you can get the feedback you want to help improve your skills as a writer.

I’ll throw in my two cents worth. I was really embarrassed to admit to a friend of mine that I read fanfiction to begin with, but I soon got her addicted hee hee, and we even have a joint account now posting our own co-written story, but none of our other friends know we have a joint one. They know we read it (especially me) and that we have our own accounts, which we refuse to tell each other (the usernames and such of our separate accounts that is). Another one of our sort-of-friends has an account and has been going on about a story she’s going to post for months now.

I’d say none of my friends know just how addicted I am to fanfiction though (more reading than writing) and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with them reading things I wrote. I’d never ever tell my family – they think I’m strange enough!

Than again, I get uncomfortable with people I know reading anything I’ve written. Fanfiction or not!

But I guess it was my dirty little secret for a while, and why I never leave my laptop alone with people!

I am a very busy young Mum with 5 young’uns under 4 (multiple births if anyone is doing the math – lol). I am not a naturally gifted writer but love FFnet and the opportunity it provides to read the wonderful stories of other writers and to learn from them and network with them.
The one person I told about FFnet told me that my attention should be on my children rather than on some silly website. I was horrified and have never told another soul in RL.
I loved the comment from GaelicSpirit stating “It’s become my solace, my quiet place, my ‘me’ time.” I feel exactly the same way. I spend approx 1 hour per day on this site (usually when my children are sleeping) but I doubt I will EVER tell anyone else about it.
When I did have an idea for a little story, I very timidly approached one of my favourite writers who immediately embraced my idea and generously gave of her time, ideas and encouragement. THAT’s what I love about FanFiction. So many people willing to help.
I contacted Moki privately this week as I have been reading her writing tips and found them so valuable that I’ve decided to attempt to write another story. Thank you Moki for the enormous time you have placed into this blog and for the help and encouragement it has provided me and hopefully, many other novice writers wondering how to take the first step. Liz

Sorcha – That’s great that you got your friend addicted and even went so far as to start writing with her. How fun!

Liz – As I said earlier this week, I’m so happy to find out my site has helped you to take the steps towards writing you next fic. Just knowing that this blog had something to do with that really made my day as that is one of my goals with it.

Also I just wanted to say that I can’t believe that someone would say such a horrible thing to you. I don’t know any mom out there who doesn’t need (and rightfully deserve) some “me time”. Who cares if yours is reading fanfiction? It makes me wonder if they would’ve said the same thing if you’d told them that you sat down to read a book every day for an hour…..somehow I doubt it. So why then is reading fanfic so different? Ugh. Those are the exact stereotypes that I hate.

So you keep on reading and writing girl! Now you know that you’ve got other fanfic authors who are on your side.

Very few people know that I read and write fanfiction. Most of those who do know simply chalk it up to me being eccentric and move on. I have been blessed in that none of them have stated blatantly that they think I am crazy, but I have no doubt they think it. Most of them want to know why I waste my time and energy on something I will never be compensated for when I could be putting my efforts on a piece of original fiction. But, like you, I have decided to come out of the closet. This is what I enjoy – who are they to judge?

you are absolutely right, Gargantua. Who are they indeed to judge? If we enjoy writing fanfic, that is our business and to me it’s a hobby like any other.

Okay, saw this link from Gaelicspirit and couldn’t resist adding my thoughts. Hope I’m not too late.

I have been writing fanfiction for a long time. I am not prolific, write very slowly, but absolutely love writing it. And yes, I keep it a secret from most of the world.

My husband and children know, and my husband, bless him, has read most of my work and is a big supporter. A couple of my close friends know, but that’s about it. I am a professional in LA and work on a television studio lot. I am surrounded by ‘real’ writers and creative people, who have a natural disdain for fanfic. You know fanfic doesn’t get a lot of respect when a character on Family Guy makes a comment that Meg (the daughter in the family that is always frowned upon) is going to be obese and write Ugly Betty fanfic when she grows up. You also know that it’s bigger than we think when Family Guy is talking about it.

Last Christmas we got one of those syrupy letters from family friends boasting that their 12 year-old daughter was heavily involved in fanfic. My kids thought this was the funniest thing! And it just made me hide even more.

But here’s the thing – while writing fanfic my writing has been validated through the process of those instant gratification reviews. It has made me a better writer and given me the confidence to write more of my own original stories.

It’s unfortunate that fanfic has such a bad rep in the mainstream, because there are some very talented fanfic writers out there. I read a lot of books too, and some of the fanfic I’ve read over the years is right up there with some of the best books I’ve read.

Okay, I’m rambling. Thanks for the great blog. I applaud you for taking a stand and coming out, so to speak. Unlike Sensue (hi Sensue) when I do get published I want the world to know it’s me – and then I think I’ll tell the world that my writing career started in fanfic – maybe give it a little validation along the way.

EFW – nope, definitely not too late to comment on this post.

I hope that you do get published, so that you can let everyone know that fanfic writers are good at what they do. I agree, I read a lot of books too (well, not as many these days as I tend to read more fic at the moment, lol) and I’ve seen many writers who were not only as good as some of the published work I’ve read, they were better.

I find it very interesting that you work at a studio and also write fic. For some reason I always figured anyone who actually worked in the biz, would totally put their nose up at it. That’s what I get for letting myself go along with a stereotype.

I’m in LA too, maybe we should start a support group for fanfic writers.

i’ve been reading & writing fan fiction so long, i forget that it’s not normal behavior, i suppose. I think anyone could enjoy fan fiction, as long as they enjoy the “fandom” that it’s about!

I’m always flabbergasted when people don’t know what fan fiction is. I mean, even if they haven’t heard of it before, shouldn’t it be obvious by the name itself?

Another refugee from LJ and Gaelic’s post!
It’s been really interesting reading everyone’s responses to your question – so many similar experiences.
I realised once I joined a FF community via Supernatural that I had been writing FF for years without ever realising anyone else in the whole wide world did it too – or indeed that that is in fact what it was. I started with Robin Hood, Alias Smith and Jones and (of all things) Billy Bunter!!! This was when I was still at junior school, and I never wanted to share this fact with anyone apart from my best friend, who had no interest at all in such things. So yes, a very guilty secret.

I just kept on writing fan fics along with anything else that came into my head, until three or four years ago I had an idea for a book and started working on that. All the lessons I’d learned from all the work I’d done did help with putting that together, and although that one (a fantasy novel) lies unfinished, I then moved onto something new. With the kind encouragement of the friend who introduced me to the SPN FF community, I actually finished. For the first time in my life, a completed writing project! Wayhay!

Ok it still needs a lot of work, and I’ve been distracted from polishing it by writing a sequel and writing SPN FFs – but I’d never have got that far (some 90k words) without the FF links and encouragement.

So this is an opportunity to say thanks to everyone out there that reads and writes and reviews! I publish on FF.net and Supernaturalville and those reviews are so wonderful to have, I cherish them all, even if I’m only drabbling. Yes it is instant gratification, but it also gives an affirmation that something about your writing has appeal to someone other than yourself, which is lovely.

I do talk to people in RL about my writing, but never without blushing and feeling embarassed – which is silly because while clearly some folk think I’m totally bonkers, others have been nothing but impressed. I guess it does still feel like a hobby that most people won’t understand and the FF in particular, especially as most people I talk to have never watched Supernatural either!

Nobody outside the SPN community has read anything I’ve written and at the moment I can’t see that changing.
Is that a bit sad? I don’t know really.

Great to hear from you Amber and all about your experiences with fanfic. Yes it does seem that most of have followed a similar path. Awesome to hear that writing fanfic encouraged you to start on a book of your own.

My foray into fanfiction occured when I was a teenager. I stumbled upon a lengthy X-Files story online and found myself absorbed in its epic fantasy.

Before that, I had no idea that fanfiction ever existed as an official thing. Up to that point, I had assumed that I was the only one on this planet who was actually strange enough to think up additional stories and adventures starring characters I’d already seen on TV and in movies and read about in books.

It was exciting and liberating to find out that I wasn’t alone. That there were other people like me, whose ambitious imaginations and attachment to certain fictional characters could be expressed openly and without restraint. People who weren’t afraid to share it with others and have someone actually appreciate their creative work.

Due to my loner tendencies, overactive imagination, and love for books, I began seeking out more and more fanfiction to satisfy my craving for interesting reading material in my teenage years. But I continued to keep it all hidden from friends and family, always afraid that someone would find out and I’d be ridiculed by those who just didn’t understand.

I read fanfiction secretly and steadily for two years before attempting to write down any of my own and share it with the online public. It’s been over a decade now, and I’ve written about 50 stories for several different fandoms over many years.

Thousands of people have read my writings published online under my penname, but with the exception of one former college roommate, nobody who knows me in “real life” has a clue.

Some of my friends might understand, but I still fear being exposed. Why? Because I know my family and how they’d react. I know that I would be met with extreme disapproval and total lack of understanding if they knew about my secret life in fanfic.

They would not see the art and passion that goes into mapping out a good plotline, creating deep and meaningful dialogues and finding the right words to narrate a piece so it doesn’t come out sounding cheesy or awkward or just plain terrible.

Instead they would see wasted time, wasted attention, and wasted effort. Things that could have been spent on something “worthwhile”. And nothing valuable accomplished by indulging my imagination in something that, in the end, is technically useless.

But fanfiction is not worthless to me. It’s fun. It’s my release…my guilty pleasure.

It’s definitely my dirty little secret.

Hi Belle and thanks for letting us in to how you got into fanfiction as well. Wow, 50 stories? That’s amazing. Great to hear from you!

I’ve been creating up stories for anything I like (TV shows, manga etc) since I was little, but I just began writing fanfiction about a year and a half ago. Not so long ago my mom found out that I write fanfiction, and that’s because she keeps asking what I’m writing and why I don’t ever show her, so I told her (and she almost never asks anymore since I did). I got raised eyebrows too from her whenever I mention it. The only other one who knows I’m writing is my brother, and I even got him to read fanfictions (not mine though – he’s interested in different fandoms). Due to my mother’s response on my confession I am reluctant to tell anyone I write fanfiction – I barely even tell anyone I read it in fear of being frowned upon and such. I’m absolutely glad to find out I’m not the only one.

Great post, anyway!

Hi Sonata,

Nope, you’re definitely not alone, as you can see.

It really sucks that you’ve gotten that kind of response but most of us have at one time or another. Hopefully you’ll meet more people in the future who like fanfiction. Until then, keep on writing!

Ha ha! Dirty little secret yeah…what would it take for me to tell others openly? Well my family knew, I’d been writing it since I was 18. My husband knows, but he doesn’t read it because he’s too logical to get fantasy.

I have people on one side of the coin that only know me as the fanfiction author under my pen name. No idea who they think I am. Then I have my actual readers who buy my novel, and they don’t know either.

Until the world gets it figured out-fanfiction illegal or not illegal, I try not to let the two worlds cross paths. But if we ever get a clear ‘fanfiction is fair use’ you bet I won’t be ashamed to let both sides of the coin know I write fanfiction and the classic over 800 reviews story.

But until then, my lips are sealed.

Hi Melanie and welcome!

Yes the illegal thing is something I do worry about. I just hope that discussing the subject of fanfiction isn’t considered illegal. But I also went to that big media event in San Diego this past weekend known as Comic Con. One of the panels being held there was a “Twilight Fanfiction Author’s Group Meeting”.

Seeing that on the schedule made me very happy and had I not already been committed to attend (and report for my editors) another panel at that time, I would have happily gone.

So you see? We might be closer than you think.

By the way, I went and checked out your blog and loved it! I have also joined your Facebook page.

I’m glad to see so many others who have this dirty little secret! LOL.

Although a few close friends know I write, no one knows it’s fanfiction. I got hooked on Kay’s Phantom when I was only 9, then fell back in love with it when I saw the stories on the site.

But no one can know, in my case…I’m a classical composer who is in the process of making somewhat of a name, and Broadway is generally looked down upon. Worse, I teach in an academic environment and will soon be going by “Dr.” However, I would just love to moonlight as a published author…

Imagine my reaction when a teenage student of mine confessed during a lesson that she loved reading the Phantom stories on fanfiction.net. I had to pretend I didn’t know about it!

But who knows? She might even have written a review for one of my stories…

That’s a great story Jenks! Someday I hope we can all “come out of the closet” as it were and not have to hide our love of reading or writing fanfic. )

As a reader of fan fic, my biggest complaint concerns writers who read other fan stories, pick out the parts they like (situations, character names, and details) and then recyle them in their own stories. Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. These folks are usually backed up by their own little circle of close friends who then attack the original writer or anyone who dares question that this is an original story. I’ve seen that happen more than once. I’ve talked to other readers and fan fic writers and nobody seems upset about this practice. Then these same people wonder why fanfiction is not respected like they think it should be. I always thought that fan fiction should be as original as possible, despite the source material. It bothers when I see writers hijack even the same character name. That’s why I don’t read much fanfiction anymore.

Yes I agree, stealing another person’s work is never okay, no matter what the forum. I’ve never had it happen to me but I’m sure I would be upset by it, even if a part of me was a little flattered.

I think that unfortunately there will always be people who do things like this and all the rest of us can do is keep writing good stuff ourselves and try to set the best example we can.

I’m very proud of the fact that I write fan fiction, and if anyone is unfortunate enough to ask me about it, I admit I will talk their ears off until they run away. Doesn’t take much to get me to go on on and about writing fan fiction. 
 
I can see why other folks are reluctant to admit they write or even read fan fiction, though. I started writing in 2006, and I’ve seen some really underhanded stuff out here. The biggest problem seems to be the general perception (right or wrong) that anything goes. There’s no code of ethics. It’s okay to steal (oh, they say “borrow” now) anything that another writer comes up with. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me “Oh well, it’s just fan fiction” I could go on a cruise to Hawaii. Fan fiction is fluff, it’s not to be taken seriously, and when people see and hear about all the junior high school antics (the cliques, the personal attacks against other authors by groups of trolls) I can certainly understand why some fan fic authors prefer to go undercover. Human nature being what it is, I have to admit I don’t see that changing any time soon.
 
I was ripped off a few years back, and I can assure you I never felt flattered.

First up let me just say that I didn’t mean my comment about being flattered to sound flippant. I actually spoke about this subject with a friend of mine last week and that’s what came up. Perhaps I’ll feel different if or when it happens to me and no, I definitely don’t think that “just because it’s fanfiction” it’s okay to steal other people’s work. Nope, no way, no how. 

I love that you’re not afraid to talk about fanfiction. Though I’m still a little reluctant and do it with a great many blushes (I’m sure), I will definitely talk to people about it and I too, will talk the ear off of anyone who gets me started on it. 

Yes, my writing has always been my dirty little secret. When I was at school, I told my two best friends about what I was doing, and they – dabbling in fantasy writing themselves and being fans of Tolkien – were practically repulsed that I was committing such a heinus act.

I’m 25 now, and after a long break I’ve resumed writing for my old fandom. And I love it. I really, really enjoy reading it, and I love writing it all the more; there are fan fictions that have made me cry before – like true, grief-striken tears. When writing quality is that good, does it really deserve to be kept secret? I can’t go up to my friends now and say: “I’ve just read the most amazing Aragorn and Legolas story”. It makes me feel a bit alone in that respect.

On the other hand, the reviews that I get – as close to payment as my fan fiction author is likely to get – more than make up for it all, I feel.

Thanks for commenting! 

This really hit home for me:
“On the other hand, the reviews that I get – as close to payment as my fan fiction author is likely to get – more than make up for it all, I feel.”

That is so very true and even though I am a working writer now, nothing makes me quite as happy as getting comments/reviews on my work. 

I started writing fan fiction at the ripe old age of 43.  I’m now 57.  And I’m writing about a sci-fi show that went off in 1968.  LOL.

Unlike some, I use my real name when I write, as does my collaborator in crime and writing partner.  I guess I’m of an age when I don’t give a flying rat’s ass who knows and who doesn’t.  I’m not ashamed of it.  Far from it – I’m damn proud of it.  It’s literally led me to places and allowed me to meet people I never dreamed of.  Before FF, I would have never dreamed of writing fiction (I’m a paralegal by trade, so research and facts are what I deal with).  But it’s been fun to spread my wings and write fiction AND to write erotica as well.  And my husband gets a kick out of it too. 

I just ‘came out’ this year about it and it’s great. I even got my friend to start writing Phantom of the Opera fan fiction!

That’s awesome! Yay you! )

That is so cool! I so know what you mean about it leading you to meeting new people and going to new places. That’s the best part of it for me, for sure. )