In case you haven’t seen it, that’s the sneak peek teaser trailer for Breaking Dawn part 2 above. Why would I post that? Because I’m thinking about Twilight fan-fiction, of course. (Ha! Of course?) It’s all the rage. And so is a lot of other fan fiction. As long as there’s a fan willing to write it, it’s out there.
In case you aren’t familiar with it, fan fiction is just what it sounds like. Imitation fiction written by fans. Perhaps it’s a continuation of the story where the author left off. Perhaps it’s the story re-written with different outcomes. Whatever, it’s written by fans and not normally published in print form. Most often it’s usually posted online.
Time for another in the “Is it okay to _____?” series. And readers, don’t think today’s question is just for writers. It’s not. I want your opinion, too, even if you don’t write. Because you do read–and that’s what keeps writers in business.
Today’s question comes to my mind because of the buzz that’s been created around Fifty Shades of Grey.
If you haven’t heard of this novel, here’s a brief rundown of it’s author.
E.L. James: mother of two who lives in London, began with Twilight fan-fiction and turned it into a semi-erotic (NC-17, so they say) trilogy that apparently sold like wild-fire as an e-book, and now has been contracted for both e-book distribution and print copies– all 3 books. FYI- she did tweak the plot & change the names of her characters.
We aren’t going to discuss the issue of whether or not erotic fiction should be written or read by anybody– that’s for another time. And don’t get me started about my concern that this is a story & plot based on major best-sellers that were marketed for youth– and James’ books are clearly not for youth.
And no, I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey or the other books in the series. But I keep hearing about these books everywhere. Online. On the news. On the radio. Yep, someone has done some seriously fantastic marketing or something.
But back to fan fiction. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Readers– do you want more of the stories you love, even if they aren’t from the original author?
Writers– ever tried your hand at fan fiction? And how would you feel if a fan wrote something based on your story?
Share with me: Is it okay to write fan fiction? (Also with this, do you read fan fiction?)
Hale and Hearty Words 