In the midst of tedious teenage lives, we seek action and adventure. In order to distract ourselves from the everyday issues we worry about, we imagine our lives in the most unrealistic and perfect way.
The phenomenon of fanfiction has increased this way of thinking and has highlighted our imagination of how certain characters act in certain situations.
Fanfiction is the continuous writing of a particular character or celebrity. Some stories are based off of what happens after the credits roll in a movie or how would that person act if they were an everyday person, living an ordinary life.
Every fandom has massive amounts of fanfiction, ranging from short one-shots to lengthy novels. Most authors are teenagers who don’t have writing degrees, but can attract an audience from a few to millions.
Some fanfics have become so popular that they have been re-written and published as actual books. When E.L James wrote “50 Shades of Grey,” it was intended to be a “Twilight” fanfiction. The book has now topped best-seller lists all around the world and was made into a film adaptation.
So why is it that we’re so attracted to fanfictions? What is it about these stories that keep us far more interested than regular books? The character.
Your attachment to a particular character is what fuels your drive to continue reading. When you read a book, you’re initially introduced to a character that you’ve never know about or don’t much of.
With fanfiction, you’re reading about a celebrity or character that you’ve come to love through your favorite movie, TV show, band, etc. You know this character, therefore you feel like you’ll be able to read about them with much more fascination.
And the storyline possibilities are endless. Every author has a different vision for the character and you, as the reader, can choose what you want to read. If you’ve ever thought about your favorite character in a different role, besides your own, there’s a story out there for you.
The idea that fame-induced charterers, like Superman or Harry Styles, can live normal lives allows us to imagine ourselves in that world with them.
In reality, they are famous or fictional and we are not, but in these stories, our world mesh together to create the ultimate imagination.
I recall first asking my friend if she read fanfiction and she warned me about the dangers of getting addicted to this literary drug.
That’s exactly what it is. Once you read one story, you’re hooked. You’ll find ones that you’re not that into, but you’ll also find the ones that you’ll continually read whenever you’re having a bad day.
If you’re an avid reader, you’ll understand the addiction of constantly trying to find the best stories, the ones that trigger our emotions into a fan-crazy frenzy.
One distinct difference between fanfiction and books is that books come in there completed form. If you’re anxious to know the ending, you can skip right to it. Most fanfiction sites such as, fanfiction.net, Wattpad, Quotev, etc. feature stories that can either be published all at once or chapter by chapter.
The author can decide when they wish to upload, which constantly keeps readers on their toes, as they anticipate what’s to come and when.
The connections that readers have towards character have a heightened sense of intensity.
You love them so much, that you seek to know more about them and their personal lives. You know how they smile, how they laugh, the certain way they say things and specific personality traits.
Whatever emotions they go through, you go through them too. It’s just as addicting as watching a TV show and falling in and out of love with certain characters.
The authors are within the same age group so they tend to write about and discuss the issues that we all face in our own lives. Just so we know that no, we’re not the only ones who go through this as well.
Just because this person is rich and famous, it doesn’t justify the very real emotions that they go through as well.
