I remember a time when people criticized other writers who fell in love with fan culture. But despite this, I, along with others, have somehow managed to slip down the rabbit hole, and dedicated my time to writing fanfiction. Yes, if you haven’t guessed by the title, I’m going to try to convince you to write fanfiction.

I fell in love with many different shows, and wanted to bring those passions to my writing, particularly the characters in the shows. Admittedly, most of these shows were anime, and my writing made me more nihilistic than necessary. But even so, it showed me how to write well, as well as develop a network of friends that share my passion for both writing and the original work itself. But the benefits don’t end there.

Experimentation - When you’re writing about something you’re passionate about, oftentimes you’re going to pay more attention as to what ideas you’re conveying. Perhaps you’ve been pondering on a recent philosophical ideal. Maybe you wanted to know how your favorite character would behave in a situation. Either way, fanfiction is a great way for you to think through situations you may not have been able to think of otherwise.

Expressing yourself - Fanfiction can also help you express yourself and your ideas. Whether they be about certain character traits, or simply because you feel connected to certain characters, you begin to start expressing yourself in a way that you may not have been able to had you decided to write your own story. Perhaps you need a foundation to base your characters on. Maybe you need rules in order to operate so that you will be better able to fine tune your own writing style. Fanfiction already builds the world for you so that you can explore yourself through other characters, regardless of where they came from.

Developing respect - As much as some writers may not want to admit it, we have our own inspirations, many of which may not be from the books themselves. Whether they be from the classics, or from movies, or even video games, writing fanfiction about our favorite things helps us develop a respect for other storytelling mediums. We learn from other artists, and broaden our horizons because we saw something in the stories they tell. They also challenge us to push traditional boundaries, and to write something that, while it may not be acceptable to some, is controversial or unique enough to generate discussion.

Of course, there are many issues associated with fanfiction. Some people may consider it outright theft, since fanfic writers use other people’s characters and worlds to propagate their own. Others simply disregard it as nothing more than freakish ideas created by a lonely, single person who has fallen in love with fictional characters.

However, despite this stigma, there have been many avenues in which fanfiction has been successful. For example, 50 Shades of Grey started off as a Twilight fanfic, and while many critics have torn the work apart, it’s still regarded as a commercial success. There are publishers and literary journals dedicated to fan culture and how to make fanfiction writing better. There are even companies who pay writers to write fanfiction. At the end of the day, it’s simply a fun activity that allows people to come together and develop their writing skills. Whether that be through ideas, grammar, syntax, or even the original work itself, it’s clear that writing fanfiction is far from being a waste of time.