Latest / Mini Scroll / Fan-Fiction, Wattpad & The Consequences of Re-Writing Pop Culture

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Fan-Fiction, Wattpad & The Consequences of Re-Writing Pop Culture · Mini Scroll

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deep dives going, and of course, keeping us hydrated.
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On April 8th, 2019, a new romantic drama premiered at The
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Grove in Los Angeles. The film followed a young woman
0:48
named Tessa Young who found herself in a complicated
0:52
relationship with another student, Hardin Scott, during
0:55
her first year of college. The film was called After, and
0:59
while the story might sound like just another coming of age
1:02
romance, it was actually something much bigger than that.
1:06
After was adopted from a book published by Anna Todd in 2014,
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but before After hit bookstores, it was exclusively online as a
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One Direction fan fiction about Harry Styles under the Wattpad
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username Imaginator 1D. Anna began releasing chapters in
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2013 and within a year her story had hit 1 billion reads.
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She soon landed a book deal with Simon and Schuster and turned
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the series into 5 published novels.
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Anna's story highlights two major things.
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First, the influence of fan fiction within youth and fandom
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culture. And 2nd, how fan fiction writers
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are their own kind of content creator, using digital
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self-publishing as a launchpad to build genuine writing
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careers. Despite those meaningful points,
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fan fiction isn't without criticism.
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For years, it's been dismissed as too smutty or unserious,
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leaving fan fiction readers stigmatized by the masses.
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On the R slash writing subreddit, for example, users
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have posed questions like, why is fan fiction frowned upon?
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And what are your thoughts on fan fiction, Good, bad, ugly?
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Meanwhile, over on subreddits like R Slash, fan fiction users
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have turned to the platform for help, with one user admitting,
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quote, Fan fiction is ruining my life, anyone?
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That being said, fan fiction remains a central part of fandom
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culture, so to help unpack the intricacies of this space, we
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turn to some experts. We first spoke to Alessandra
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Ferrari, head of content at Whatpad, and then we asked you,
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our listeners, to share your own experiences and opinions.
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From these conversations, two key questions emerged.
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Is fan fiction positive or negative for fandom culture?
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And how does Gen. Z perceive fan fiction from
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Centennial World? I'm Lauren Meisner, and this is
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Infinite Scroll, a podcast about Internet culture, the creator
3:01
economy, and how social media is shaping Gen.
3:04
Zed. Welcome back to Infinite Scroll
3:06
everyone. So as you might have heard in
3:09
the intro, this is a bit of a unique deep dive here because we
3:13
are combining an expert interview, our own research and
3:18
anecdotal experience and commentary from you guys.
3:21
So I hope you guys enjoyed this episode.
3:23
It was a labor of love, honestly.
3:25
As always, these deep dives are always a labor of love.
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But this one in particular we have been working on for months,
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like 3 plus months. But before we get into it,
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Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe.
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We are trying to get to 1000 Spotify five star ratings by the
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called Keep Scrolling for We publish 3 * a month on Fridays.
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If you spent years lurking on Stan Twitter, spamming your
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favorite artist to notice you, or going down a rabbit hole of
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non Canon theories about your favorite show or movie, chances
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are you have come across fan fiction.
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Fan fiction is exactly what it sounds like, stories written by
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fans about the worlds and characters they love.
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Most of the time, the writers are amateurs, often teenagers,
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who are using this medium as a creative outlet or a way to stay
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connected to their favorite celebrities or series.
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Now, the world of fandom and fan fiction is vast, going back
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decades if not centuries. So let's take a look back at
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where fan fiction came from and some of the most iconic moments
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that shaped this niche online. If you take a moment to think
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about fan fiction, you probably think about franchises like
4:35
Harry Potter and Twilight or bands like One Direction or BTS.
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And there is a reason for that. These fan objects are all
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extremely popular within fan fiction communities.
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As we will get into later, all of these topics are relatively
4:50
recent, and fan fiction has been around much longer than that.
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In a piece for the Atlantic, researcher Shannon Chamberlain
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noted how the practice of fan fiction has actually been around
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for centuries, explaining that quote.
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Some of the greatest literary classics are technically
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expansions of earlier characters and narratives.
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This idea holds true across many periods in history.
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For example, some commentators even compare ancient works like
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The Iliad by Homer to fan fiction since it reinterprets
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and expands on pre-existing stories from mythology.
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That may sound ridiculous, but if you buy into it, it just
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shows how deeply the practice of extending and reimagining
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narratives has been ingrained in the way we communicate.
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Nevertheless, in The Peace for the Atlantic, Chamberlain argues
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that the practice of fan fiction really picked up in the 18th
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century, at least in the English speaking world, specifically
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with the release of Jonathan Smith's Gulliver's Travels in
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1726. Quote not long after its
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publication, readers started to imagine its hero in
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circumstances that either were only briefly alluded to in the
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text or they themselves invented.
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The more shocking the revisions, the better.
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Many stories took the form of what was essentially fan art,
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they continue. It's safe to say that practices
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of fan fiction, while not necessarily considered fan
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fiction at the time, were dotted throughout history.
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However, it seems that many experts and historians point to
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the 1960s as the beginning of the modern era of fan fiction.
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It was through this decade that Star Trek fans started creating
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fan scenes about Spock and Captain Kirk.
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Much like fan fiction today, these fan scenes were extensive,
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but Spock and nailing, Yeah. It's considered to be the first
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fanzine to be published. It was released in 1967 and
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included original stories, poetry, art and commentary by
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fans at the time of recording. The Internet Archive actually
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has copies of Spakanalia available on the website.
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Besides fanzines, another significant part of early fan
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fiction culture was the rise of facetious being, works that
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imitate the style or characters of an existing story.
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Researchers often point to Sherlock Holmes fans as dry much
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of this movement. Now, a pastiche can take many
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forms, literary, musical or otherwise, but in the context of
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literature, it is essentially a creative work that mirrors an
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existing author or series. That is where the comparison to
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fan fiction comes in. There is still debate about
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whether the 2 are the same thing.
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Some argue that all pastiches are a form of fan fiction, while
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others insist that they are distinct.
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Regardless of what you think, pastiches helped legitimize fan
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made storytelling, and Sherlock Holmes has remained and one of
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the most popular characters to inspire them throughout history.
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Between these forms of fan made art and literary work, it is
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clear that this niche was widespread, but it was only in
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the 1990s and early 2000s that the fanfic truly exploded in
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popularity. Thanks to the Internet, the rise
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of digital platforms completely changed the game for fanfiction.
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These stories could be shared instantly with readers and
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writers from all over the world. That being said, the modern era
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of fanfiction is defined by both its volume and variety.
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From full blown book length stories to short stories or even
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single paragraphs, fan fiction exists in many formats and it
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covers just about every theme. Now, most of you listening
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probably associate fan fiction with smut or highly sexual
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content. Sure, that kind of fan fiction
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is definitely out there, but it isn't every fan fiction
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published. The tone and subject matter
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often depend on the platform. Some of the biggest platforms
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include Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, also known as AO3, and
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fanfiction.net. Tumblr was also a massive hub
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for fandoms and fanfiction, hosting many different formats,
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but one of the most iconic was the imagines found all over the
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platform. For those unfamiliar with
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imagines, they were essentially short self inserted, or Y/N Your
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Name fanfictions. The genre gained lasting
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popularity thanks to Bad 1D Imagines, A blog that brought
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together the cringiest One Direction Imagines.
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If you want to learn more about this, feel free to check out our
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deep dive into Tumblr as a social media platform.
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Aside from Tumblr, fanfiction.net is one of the
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earliest fan fiction archiving and publishing platforms.
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It launched in 1998 and reportedly has more than 12
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million registered users, but it hasn't been without its
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controversy within the fan fiction community.
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Many Reddit users believe that fanfiction.net has become more
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of a toxic space compared to newer platforms.
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Many users say that's part partly due to a lack of
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moderation when it comes to published stories.
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As one Reddit user explained on the R slash fan fiction
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subreddit, quote moderation is pretty much non existent on FFN.
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To add to that, the comment sections are much more visible
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on other platforms, so when someone leaves a nasty comment,
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all the other readers can see it and respond and put them in
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their place. On FFN, the comments are on a
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separate page from the actual fic and people have to click on
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it to see them, and even then you can't respond to them.
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We should note here that there is a group acting as a kind of
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moderation and review team called Critics United on
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fanfic.net. Critics United is described as a
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quote place for reviewers to gather and talk, exchange tales,
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and support each other as we all try to help the authors of the
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site. However, many readers feel that
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they act more like bullies than protectors of the platform.
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Taken together, the lack of moderation and the presence of
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Critics United have pushed many users away from fanfiction.net
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over the years. But what really broke trust
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within the community were the purges, mass deletions of
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stories that left readers and writers frustrated.
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There were two major purges in 2002 and again in 2012 when huge
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numbers of fanfics were removed for violating site guidelines or
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being labeled inappropriate. In the 2012 purge alone,
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estimates suggest that around 62,000 stories were wiped from
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the platform. For many users, the issue wasn't
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just what was deleted, it was how it happened.
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The purge seemed sudden, and a lot of adult content that was
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not necessarily harmful but just mature was caught in the
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crossfire. This prompted many readers to
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jump ship, with some turning to AO3 and Wattpad.
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AO3 was founded in 2007 with the goal quote to serve the
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interests of fans by providing access to and preserving the
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history of fanworks and fan culture in its myriad forms.
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Since its launch, it's become one of the go to platforms for
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fanfiction, hitting over 9 million registered users in
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August of this year and celebrating 15,000,000 published
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fanworks in May. Users praise AO3 for its
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detailed tagging system, which makes it easy to search for
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exactly what you want, or just as importantly, to avoid what
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you do not want to read about. The site also publishes data on
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fandom trends like the Ship Stats Project, a long running
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initiative that tracks the most used relationship tags on AO3.
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According to the 2025 rankings, some of the most popular ships
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include Jason Victor from Arcane, League of Legends,
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Sirius Black and Remus Lupin from Harry Potter, and Evan Buck
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Buckley and Eddie Diaz from 911. Then there's Wattpad, which many
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of our Gen. Z listeners will be familiar
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with. Launched just before AO3 in 2006
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in Canada, Wattpad is built with mobile reading in mind, making
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it one of the first fan fiction platforms optimized for phones.
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To put it into perspective, this was a year before the 1st iPhone
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was even released and right around the time when user
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generated content was just beginning to take off.
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YouTube had only just launched a year before the platform
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actually started out focused on ebooks.
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Within a year of launching, more than 17,000 were available on
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Wattpad. But the platform quickly
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evolved. It became clear that
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self-publishing and fan fiction were the real heart of the
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community. Throughout the 20 tens, Wattpad
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exploded in popularity, and today it reportedly has around
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160 million monthly active user. When it comes to fan fiction
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specifically, Wattpad has played a major role in bringing it into
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the mainstream for Gen. Z.
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Probably the most famous example is After by Anna Todd.
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As I mentioned in the intro, there was also a time when
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Youtubers were making videos reading fan fiction written
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about them, often pulling stories straight from Wattpad.
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These moments helped normalize the platform and fan fiction in
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general. But of course, these weren't the
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first time fan fiction crossed over into more mainstream pop
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culture and Internet culture. Shades of Grey was originally a
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Twilight fan fiction titled Master of the Universe,
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published on fanfiction.net years earlier, Though for many
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Gen. Z readers, that might have just
13:43
been before their time. To learn more about fan fiction,
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Wattpad's role in the creator economy and fandom, and why
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people love this kind of content, we spoke to Alessandra
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Ferrari, Head of content at Wattpad.
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Welcome Alessandra to Infinite Scroll.
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Hi, thanks for having me. Thanks so much for being here.
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I'm so excited to speak to someone who is in the trenches
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of online culture and like fandom as much as I feel we are.
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So for our listeners, before we get started and dive in, can you
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just give, you know, kind of, I guess, a brief summary of what
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you do, who you are? Sure.
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So my name is Alessandra. I am the head of content at
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Wattpad. I've been at Wattpad for just
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over 10 years now and I started kind of entry level and I've
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worked my way up very slowly but surely.
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And I've really been working at the intersection of pop culture
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and storytelling this whole time, like really understanding,
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you know, what's happening on the platform and how it relates
14:43
to broader pop culture trends and and insights.
14:47
Yeah, that's awesome. It sounds like honestly one of
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my dream jobs. It's pretty good, yeah.
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It's a very, very fun job. Yeah, yeah.
14:55
Absolutely. So for the last 10 years, based
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on the research we've done, you have been studying fandom and
15:02
online communities. How did you get involved in that
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space and were you always interested in it?
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Yeah, I mean, OK, so 10 years ago, I started at Wattpad and I
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think it was one of those like, right time, right place sort of
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situations like looking at a job board being like, oh, this looks
15:18
fun. I had always pictured myself
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working in traditional publishing.
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I went to school for publishing. I went to school for creative
15:25
writing. So I really thought that that
15:26
was the space that I would be in.
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And then I stumbled across Wattpad, and specifically it was
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like a community engagement role.
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And I had no idea what that actually meant in any way, but
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the description like lined up with kind of my skill sets and
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my interests. And so I just like went for it.
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And this was also during the Canadian tech boom, I would say
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like right smack in the middle of it.
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And so, you know, startups were everywhere and Wattpad was one
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of them. I'd always really liked working
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with writers and with creatives specifically.
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And so I was also a bit of a writer myself.
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Like I was dabbling in screen writing and and other formats.
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So I felt that this was like a nice natural step, but the whole
16:06
like online fandom space was really, really brand new to me.
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And like, I had never read a fanfic before I started at
16:12
Wattpad. And so my introduction to that
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universe was like literally on my first day.
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And I think, like, for anyone who has like knows Wattpad or
16:21
like is understand that I want to like, contextualize it.
16:23
So Zane had left One Direction like a few months before I
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started. And that fandom was like just
16:32
huge. Like, it was massive, massive.
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And so I got there and I was like, I have no idea who these
16:36
people are. And I think One Direction at the
16:38
time was like in the middle of this album and tour cycle for
16:41
Made in the AM and they had just played Toronto like the week
16:45
that I started. And obviously I didn't go
16:46
because I didn't know them. And now that's the thing I
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regret forever and ever. But like looking back now, like
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that's just to contextualize like the moment in time when I
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joined Wahpad. And I think looking back now,
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that moment really sticks with me because what I've learned is
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that woppad and fandom are so entwined.
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And anything, something really big kind of happens in pop
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culture, you will often see it reflected on the platform in
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some way. So those first few years of my
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job was like complete online immersion for me.
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Like I was reading everything, I was talking to writers, I was
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looking at data, I was going home and like going on Tumblr
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and Twitter and like, really trying to get that like
17:22
immersive experience of fan spaces that were spilling into
17:25
what I was seeing at work. And it took over like my entire
17:28
life and I really haven't looked back since.
17:32
I love that. Yeah.
17:33
Our head of partnerships here, we only recently discovered that
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she was a fan fiction writer on Wattpad when she was in like, I
17:41
don't know, she's maybe 14 or 15 and she would write One
17:44
Direction fanfic. I love it.
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We are dying. It's a rite of passage, I think.
17:50
Yes. Yeah.
17:51
Yeah, absolutely. So I'm interested to hear since
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you just mentioned Tumblr as well.
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How do you? See these platforms all kind of
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intersecting? Like, do you think that they
18:03
complement each other? Like Wattpad Tumblr, Like AO3?
18:06
Do you think that Wattpad is particularly different?
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Obviously, Wattpad has become such a driving force in fan
18:14
fiction and fandom culture online.
18:17
Yeah, I think, I think they all really do complement each other.
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Like I said, like when I was first starting, I was on
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everything and I was finding like little pieces like putting
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everything together to like create like the pastiche of my
18:29
fandom knowledge. But I do think there are some
18:31
key differences. So I think that AO3 specifically
18:35
and Tumblr like really do exist for very specific reasons.
18:39
Like AO3 is literally dedicated specifically to like archiving
18:42
fan fiction, whereas Tumblr is more of a space and has been a
18:46
space to dive in and explore existing fandoms, whereas
18:49
Wattpad does both of those things.
18:52
And it also gives, I think, writers a chance to build and
18:57
create fandoms around original stories at the same time.
19:00
So we have like, obviously a huge prolific fan fiction
19:03
community, but we also have a lot of writers who don't write
19:05
fan fiction who are writing their own things.
19:07
It's so it's not like an exclusive like one or the other.
19:10
It's kind of a mix. So it tends to be a home for,
19:12
like, all kinds. And I think, like, if you look
19:16
at some of our biggest woppad authors like Anna Todd or Ariana
19:20
Godoy, they didn't just contribute to existing fandoms.
19:23
They were also building their own in real time.
19:25
Like their work attracted fans around the world that crossed
19:28
over into multiple formats. It became like really part of
19:31
pop culture in its own right. Like even after, for instance,
19:35
which was a One Direction fan fiction at its time, is now
19:38
wholly its own original franchise with its own unique
19:41
fandom and fan base. And so I think that that's
19:43
something that Wattpad has done differently, which is just like
19:47
built into its infrastructure. And that's because Wattpad is
19:51
both a storytelling platform and a social platform.
19:54
So we're able to, like, on my end, see in real time what
19:57
readers are connecting with, what communities are forming
20:00
around which stories. And that I think is like a
20:02
pretty key differentiator for like where Wattpad sits.
20:05
Yeah, that's really interesting that you said it's both a
20:08
storytelling and a social platform.
20:10
I was going to ask where you see what pads sitting in?
20:14
I guess like the creator economy or fan fiction in general as you
20:17
mentioned, like authors becoming essentially influencers in their
20:21
own right through these online fandoms.
20:25
Yeah, I think that Wattpad is definitely a place I got, we got
20:30
color writers like they're creators, right?
20:32
Like they are creating so many different types of like creative
20:34
content. Most of it is text based long
20:37
form obviously, but it doesn't have to exclusively be that.
20:40
So I would put Wattpad in the broader creator economy space.
20:45
I think what makes them a distinct as well, kind of like I
20:48
said before is the platform itself is pretty non traditional
20:52
from a literary standpoint. Like it's not here to
20:54
necessarily be a publisher or publishing and just like
20:57
publishing plant, but a lot of writers that are on the platform
21:01
do have traditional aspirations like they are writing because
21:05
they are looking for it to publish their book someday or,
21:07
you know, want to sign with an agent or want to get their work
21:10
adapted. So I think this is kind of a
21:12
unique space where they're both kind of in that traditional
21:16
space, but also very much in an online web novel space as well.
21:21
And because like Wattpad is a social platform, so writers are
21:25
able to, like any type of creator, build a personal brand,
21:29
cultivate a following, engage with their readers, I think
21:32
their difference is just that they're engaging with their fan
21:35
base over text based storytelling.
21:38
Yeah. And it's so powerful.
21:40
I'm interested to hear if you at, I guess the the company in
21:46
general or from your experience in the industry, if you know
21:51
what traditional publishing thinks of these kinds of like
21:55
new media publishing platforms? I think that traditional spaces
22:01
are getting a lot better that understanding online
22:04
communities. It wasn't always the case.
22:06
I mean, I remember even when I first started, there were some
22:08
publishers that were like, we love you guys.
22:10
We've like are so excited to talk to you.
22:12
And there's some that were like, don't ever put anything on
22:14
Webpad. It's like not the space to be.
22:16
It was very like traditional or non traditional.
22:18
Like there was more of a line. But no, I think that publishers
22:21
are paying attention to online trends even more.
22:24
So it's kind of impossible not to like you really are seeing
22:27
these fandoms and fan bases online.
22:30
And so there isn't that line between traditional and
22:32
untraditional is a lot more blurred.
22:35
I see a lot more traditional industries including like the
22:37
film industry, for instance, is like they're experimenting with
22:40
fan engagement. They're trying to tap into
22:42
audiences and on platforms. And that's just something that
22:45
Wattpad is always prioritized like for years and years.
22:48
We also have our own publishing imprint on Wattpad.
22:52
So we have Wattpad books that like exclusively looks at the
22:55
platform for up and coming talent to publish traditionally
23:00
if they want to. So I think that there is that
23:02
blur, but at the same time, I think that it's important to
23:06
still have that gap. Like Wattpad has this great fan
23:10
first model and traditional publishing is its own thing and
23:14
it's the point like it can be separate.
23:16
Wattpad is here to exist as like that alternative space and I
23:20
think it's strengths kind of comes from being able to operate
23:23
a little bit more differently from a traditional industry.
23:26
Yeah, absolutely. Like being able to coexist in
23:29
that same way. That's how I feel too about
23:31
media, like owning a new media brand versus looking at like,
23:35
you know, legacy media brands. I don't see it as competition at
23:38
all. And I think we all need each
23:41
other. OK.
23:43
So I wanted to pivot into some discussion around like the real
23:49
world impact of fan fiction. 1st, I'm curious to hear your
23:54
thoughts on what you think draws people to fan fiction.
23:59
That's a good question. I think what draws people to fan
24:05
fiction? I mean, I think that fan fiction
24:09
is very special. Like, I think it combines like
24:12
the best of, you know, escapism, like representation and
24:16
community all into one. But I really do think that the
24:20
community aspect itself is like such a strong driver.
24:24
It's what really piqued my interest when I started reading
24:27
fan fiction was not just the stories I was reading, even
24:30
though they were like interesting and different and
24:33
phenomenal, but it was also being able to engage with fans
24:36
and other people that loved that same work.
24:38
Like I started joining discords and other like spaces where
24:42
people were just like, talking about the stories that they're
24:45
reading that they were finding and like recommending one
24:47
because like, have you read this one yet?
24:48
Have you read this one yet? And I think there's something
24:50
just really powerful about reading a story or finding a
24:53
story that you love and then being able to share with others
24:56
who feel the same way. And you can recommend it.
24:58
You can debate about what's happening in it.
25:00
You can kind of riff on it. So I think fan fiction is very
25:04
special because it does give you the sense of kinship that makes
25:08
it really formative for people. And then on the flip side, from
25:11
like a creating perspective, I think that it is so exciting to
25:15
be able to extend a world that you love.
25:17
Like you get to flex your knowledge, you get to flex your
25:20
creativity. You get to like really pour your
25:22
love and passion of a story, but not in engaging with it, but by
25:26
participating in it. And I think that feeling of
25:28
really being part of something bigger is at the to the very
25:32
core of anything in fandom. Like it extends to cosplay or
25:35
like creating like fanzines or any of that stuff.
25:37
It gets particularly amplified in fan fiction because you're
25:41
actively contributing to that universe with your own, like
25:45
heart and soul. Yeah, I feel the same way about
25:49
the Bravo universe. I'm the biggest fan of like the
25:54
Housewives and the Bravo universe, and it's the first
25:56
true fandom that I've been a part of that I really am
26:01
dedicated to, like, engaging with and participating in in a
26:05
different way than just being really passive.
26:07
And I love it. It makes the experience of
26:09
watching the shows. So.
26:11
Much more enjoyable for me to be in, like, you know, all of the
26:14
forums and all of the groups and following all the Instagram
26:16
accounts and all of that kind of stuff.
26:18
Yeah. I mean, think about, like on,
26:20
you know, TikTok where you get commentary, like there are
26:24
people that are engaging with the content, but they are also
26:26
expanding the content just by, like, giving their opinions on
26:29
what's happening in the latest episodes or doing recaps.
26:31
I think that that's in a way like, it's not.
26:33
It's an extension of, you know, participating in that culture.
26:36
Fan fiction just happens to be on the like fiction side where
26:40
you're like actually creating and adding on to that space as
26:44
well. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
26:47
I'm interested to hear if you think there's an element of
26:50
identity exploration in fan fiction, especially for younger
26:55
users. Yeah, I think fiction in
26:58
general, but obviously including fan fiction is definitely a
27:01
space for identity exploration, Self insert fan fiction.
27:04
So like Your name is like literally puts you in the story
27:08
as the main character. And it's a really popular type
27:10
of fiction that we see on Wattpad all the time.
27:14
But I do think that you can kind of apply that same premise to
27:17
any type of creative writing or creative expression.
27:20
We all want to be able to find the narratives that encourage us
27:24
to explore emotions, relationships, any of those
27:27
experiences that feel relatable to us.
27:30
I think where fan fiction comes in in particular is with that
27:33
familiarity piece. So writers and readers of fan
27:36
fiction aren't starting from scratch when they enter a story.
27:40
Presumably they're already invested in that fandom in some
27:43
capacity. They like saw something, they
27:44
watched it, they read it, they listen to the music, whatever,
27:46
and they want to engage in it further.
27:48
So they're already diving into a world that they understand the
27:52
rules of to some degree. And so the nuances of the
27:56
exploration that you can get in a fan fiction are much more
27:59
immediate, right? Like you can spend so much more
28:02
time on that like emotional meat of the story because you're not
28:05
world building or character building from scratch.
28:09
Yeah, yeah, that's a great point.
28:12
So I think one of the criticisms around fan fiction is that they
28:18
do often revolve around various tropes like the bad boy,
28:22
forbidden love, soul mates. Can you speak to how you see
28:28
this impacting readers and if there's any work behind the
28:32
scenes to address that? Yeah, I mean, lot powders love a
28:37
good trope, like, period. They just love a good trope.
28:40
And I think that that's kind of the the point of fiction in a
28:45
way. Like readers want to explore
28:47
these scenarios that are heightened or sensational in
28:50
like this really fun, escapist way.
28:52
And so Wattpad has really become that place for that choose your
28:55
own adventure option, which is like letting readers choose that
28:58
specific flavor of the story they want to engage in.
29:00
And sometimes that means, like, you know, you can layer on
29:03
tropes upon tropes upon tropes to find the exact kind of thing
29:06
that you're looking for. But I mean, like you said, I
29:10
think at the same time, it's important to engage critically
29:13
with like any media that we're consuming, right?
29:15
Tropes are really compelling and emotionally satisfying
29:20
containers, but they're not meant to be a guide for real
29:23
life. They were like live as that
29:24
trope kind of space for a reason.
29:27
I think that Woppet allows readers to mix and match what
29:30
they like and like kind of form their own thing, but it's all
29:33
under the guise of like it's fiction, right?
29:35
I think the value is that imaginative, kind of like
29:38
playground that you can create is can help like readers explore
29:44
different relationships or different feelings different
29:46
like as a means of entertainment, but like also
29:48
understanding obviously the difference between fantasy and
29:50
reality. Yeah, I see it similar similarly
29:54
to when you're watching, you know, like a ROM com, like being
29:58
a millennial growing up with all the ROM coms and it's like you
30:01
kind of, yeah, might give you a slightly unrealistic
30:05
expectations for your dating life.
30:06
But, you know, once you're a bit older, you're like, OK.
30:10
That was actually. Kind of fun, and now it's so
30:12
nostalgic. Yeah, and it's nice to to have
30:15
like that escapism and then also be like, OK, I have my real
30:18
world, but then I also have like my book boyfriend who I can
30:20
always like that kind of thing. Yeah, I love that.
30:25
OK, so a fan fiction has been around for so long, for decades.
30:30
Why do you think it has such staying power?
30:33
And how do you think the Internet has changed or even
30:37
just like Jen said, like they are so into fan fiction, how
30:41
kind of their generation coming up online as the dominant
30:43
generation online has changed the dynamic there?
30:48
Yeah, I think, I mean, I love that you say Gen.
30:51
Z, by the way. I just have to say that.
30:52
Yeah, like Canadian. Yeah, so Canadian.
30:55
I always say Gen. Z, but maybe I'll switch that.
30:58
So I think which N said is definitely like the yeah, I
31:03
think they're the generation that really, really grew up with
31:06
fan fiction, at least fan fiction as we know it, like
31:09
accessible online, like pretty prolific.
31:13
I would also argue that I think fan fiction in some form has
31:16
been around for like centuries. Like I actually think it's
31:18
always kind of been around being remixed just how we know it now.
31:22
Online is like its own particular flavor.
31:24
But I'm pretty sure we had, like, Emily Dickinson was
31:27
probably, you know, yeah, watching or writing fan fiction
31:31
in some form. But I think, like, the short
31:34
answer for it being so, like, have such staying power is that
31:39
it's, like, really fun, right? Like, fan fiction is stories
31:43
written by fans of existing work.
31:45
They take it, they remix it. They remix characters, plot
31:48
lines, all that stuff. And they're engaging in this
31:50
transformative work because they love it and because it's fun.
31:53
And it's this creative way to dive deeper into a world or
31:56
explore like character or pairings or things that never
31:59
actually happened in the Canon, or really answering those
32:02
burning questions of like, Oh my God, what if this happened?
32:05
And that's kind of like that creative engine that I think
32:08
we're all really equipped to have and to ask about.
32:13
I also think, like with fan fiction in particular, it's such
32:16
a great way into figuring out your own creative process and
32:19
your own creative craft. I know that from my experience,
32:23
a lot of Watt patterns start out writing fan fiction and then go
32:26
on to write epics and franchises and like become go on to become
32:31
original fiction authors in their own right.
32:33
But fan fiction is where they really, like cut their teeth.
32:36
And so I think it can be a really great creative gateway
32:39
for a lot of people Ultimately, like I think it comes back to
32:42
engaging in fandom as a whole really supports this desire for
32:47
community. And it's such a great way to
32:49
play around in that space. And, you know, as technology has
32:53
continued to evolve, it has only made fandom in general, fan
32:58
fiction, cosplay, access to fandoms that you might not
33:01
otherwise have so much more accessible and so much more
33:04
normalized because we're seeing it more and more and more.
33:07
So, yeah, as a creative outlet, I think that staying power
33:10
really comes down to how we're able to access it.
33:12
And we're able to access it so much more freely than we have in
33:15
the past. Yeah, absolutely.
33:18
And the last thing I would love to hear from you is how do you
33:23
think fandom will continue to shape mainstream pop culture
33:27
moving forward? Especially if you think about to
33:30
what you just said about the techno technological advances
33:33
and how quickly everything's evolving and AI and all of that.
33:36
Do you see it changing? Do you see it?
33:38
Becoming more influential in pop culture.
33:42
I would argue that fandom is pop culture.
33:46
Like it just is. Like it's the beating part of
33:48
pop culture. I think in the past, engaging in
33:51
fandom often required like a direct introduction to something
33:55
like, oh, my sibling came home and gave me this CD that she
33:59
loves. Or, you know, my parents
34:00
introduced me to their favorite franchise or their favorite
34:03
sports team. And like now that's my favorite
34:04
sports team. So there had to be like this
34:06
direct passing of interest because like, how else would you
34:09
find something in most cases? But obviously the digital has
34:13
completely revolutionized this and we're able to access new
34:17
content and discover new things online and have access to
34:20
communities that we never would have otherwise found.
34:23
So we're no longer constrained by our geography, by our social
34:27
circle, like physically around us, by even the language that we
34:30
speak. And so now that means that
34:33
there's so much more content to consume.
34:36
And because of it, it means that fandom has been able to both
34:39
spread really, really wildly and also splinter into a million
34:43
different pockets. I don't think pop culture will
34:45
ever be one thing anymore. I think it's going to be a
34:48
myriad of interest to just pile on top of each other and you're
34:52
able to curate that through whatever you're engaging with as
34:56
like your own specific, here's my pop culture.
34:58
Like I think it'll be very unique to each individual
35:01
depending on like the technology that we're using and like where
35:04
we're where we find ourselves. So yeah.
35:06
And like, as somebody who is trying to keep up with a lot of
35:09
it, it is impossible. Like you actually genuinely
35:12
cannot be an expert in pop culture across the board because
35:15
you kind of have to drill down into the the spaces that you can
35:18
do. Like I'm AI would say I'm an
35:20
expert when it comes to Wattpad and that intersection there, but
35:24
there are so many other facets of the Internet that I'm like, I
35:27
have no idea. So yeah, I think, yeah, I mean,
35:30
what becomes mainstream is really going to be, you know,
35:33
what has sticking power, but that's going to continue to
35:36
become like so much harder to do and to breakthrough.
35:39
Yeah, I completely agree. I think we've really lost, for
35:44
better or worse, these kind of monocultural moments.
35:47
And it's all about the silo that you're in.
35:50
You know, what's viral for me is not going to be viral for you
35:53
type of thing. I completely agree with that.
35:55
And I think fandoms going to become even more influential in
36:00
the kind of pop culture because of, I guess, especially with the
36:04
rise of AI. Like I look at it with media and
36:07
it's like if you don't have kind of a parasocial relationship
36:10
with the media brands that you consume, if you don't have
36:13
personalities literally fronting these media brands, you know, at
36:17
the end of the day, how are they going to survive?
36:19
So I think it's so true. It's going to become
36:21
increasingly important, especially in our industries.
36:26
For sure. I also think that fandom can't
36:28
really be taken for granted either.
36:30
Like, it is something that is earned.
36:31
Like it really is something where you have to listen to fans
36:34
first. You can't just assume that
36:36
everything is going to have a fandom or everything is going to
36:38
hit hard. And there's a little bit, we're
36:40
in an area now where everybody wants it, but it's like, do you
36:43
truly understand, like how to nurture and cultivate A fandom?
36:48
And so much of that comes down to for us, it's like listening
36:51
to our creators, listening to our audience, like seeing how
36:54
that organically grows. Not everything is going to land
36:57
right. And that's OK.
36:58
It doesn't have to. So that's the other pieces is
37:00
really paying attention. Now back to the key questions of
37:03
this episode. If we consider what Alessandra
37:06
shared, it's clear there are some very real positives to fan
37:09
fiction. It builds community, gives
37:12
emerging writers a platform to share their creativity, and
37:15
offers readers the chance to explore different experiences,
37:18
world views, and identities. There is an especially strong
37:21
link between the LGBTQIA Plus community and fan fiction.
37:26
Space has a long been a home for greater representation and
37:29
diversity. It's a place where readers can
37:31
move beyond the CIS, heteronormative storylines that
37:35
dominate so much of mainstream media.
37:37
There is a small but growing body of scholarship that
37:39
explores the impact of fan fiction, touching on many of the
37:42
same points that Alessandra mentioned.
37:44
But to really understand how fan fiction is shaping young people
37:48
today, we wanted to hear directly from you.
37:50
So we asked our listeners to share their own experiences, the
37:54
good, the bad, and everything in between.
37:57
We set up a Google form and gave participants 3 days to answer 7
38:00
short questions. In total, we received 65
38:03
responses from listeners aged between 17 and 39.
38:07
The key areas we wanted to explore were the most common
38:10
ages at which people started reading fan fiction, whether the
38:13
content they engaged with was age appropriate, what they found
38:17
enjoyable about it, and what, if anything, they learned from the
38:20
stories they read. We asked 5 questions covering
38:23
these themes, along with two additional demographic slash
38:27
contextual ones. We found that the respondents
38:29
read fan fiction across a wide range of ships and fandoms, but
38:33
the most frequently mentioned were definitely Harry Potter,
38:37
One Direction, and BTS. Having said that, we should note
38:40
that a sample of 65 is still a relatively small sample in the
38:44
scheme of things, so it can be difficult to make
38:46
generalizations. But Even so, clear themes
38:49
emerged, making these anecdotes useful for examining perceptions
38:53
toward fan fiction. Off the back of some of
38:55
Alessandra's comments, let's start with the positives.
38:58
Participants in our survey had an overwhelmingly positive
39:02
sentiment toward fan fiction. When we asked our listeners
39:05
about the lessons they learned from fan fiction, approximately
39:08
2 thirds, 44 people, had something positive to say.
39:12
The remaining third was split between negative and more
39:15
neutral responses. A couple of themes really stood
39:18
out. The biggest one was self
39:20
identity and discovery. Many people talked about how fan
39:23
fiction helped them understand themselves and the world better.
39:27
It gave them space to explore love, relationships, and even
39:30
their own sexual identity. One listener, Georgia, who read
39:34
fan fiction most often in her mid teens, said quote.
39:37
It definitely aided in learning about my sexuality and feeling
39:40
comfortable with my sexuality. I struggled to come out to my
39:43
peers, so I found a lot of solace in reading about queer
39:46
identifying characters. Others mentioned that fan
39:49
fiction helped expand their for worldview, exposing them to
39:52
different sexualities, experiences and perspectives
39:55
they may not have encountered otherwise.
39:57
Another listener, Christy, told us it made her more empathetic
40:00
and open minded quote. There were a lot of fix where
40:03
authors candidly wrote about topics like the LGBTQIA plus
40:07
experience. Eating disorders, substance
40:09
abuse, self harm, etcetera. Topics that I as a teenager and
40:13
a conservative religious family didn't have wide access to
40:17
through traditional publishing. Respondents also talked about
40:20
the sense of community they found through fan fiction and
40:23
how writing it taught them practical skills in
40:25
storytelling. A respondent named Aaron summed
40:28
it up perfectly. Quote fan fiction creates such a
40:31
beautiful community of people who have a like minded interest.
40:35
It is not something driven by profit, but rather a creative
40:38
outlet married to a passion for a book, television show, movie,
40:41
etcetera. I've made long lasting friends
40:43
in people whose work I've read and people who've read my work.
40:47
Of course, these are just some of the reasons why readers love
40:49
fan fiction. When we explicitly asked
40:52
participants why they enjoy this type of content, many said it's
40:55
a way to get closure around their favorite ships or
40:58
characters. For fans, it's fun to see
41:00
alternate scenarios come to life or to explore a character's
41:04
lore, even if it it isn't Canon. This can feel especially
41:07
powerful once a beloved series has ended.
41:09
And this isn't exactly a surprise.
41:11
We know just how nostalgic Gen. Z is, especially after last
41:16
week's episode. This is something 2 listeners
41:18
personally experienced. For example, a respondent named
41:21
Ruby told us they often turn to fan fiction between seasons
41:25
saying quote. It was a way to still interact
41:27
with the characters I loved so much while waiting for their
41:30
next season. I also loved the different
41:32
explorations of the same themes, another listener, Nina, said
41:36
Quote. I really enjoyed being able to
41:38
extend the fictional world I fell in love with through my own
41:41
writing and reading. I felt like I was missing some
41:44
of these characters after finishing the books, and there
41:46
were really good writers who made it feel like a natural
41:48
extension, which was more impressive in the pre Gen.
41:52
AI era. Here, Nina makes an interesting
41:54
point about how the rise of AI could impact fan fiction moving
41:58
forward. The reality is now almost anyone
42:02
can generate their own fan fiction using tools like
42:05
ChatGPT. That's not to say it will ever
42:07
compare to human written story, but it does pose a threat to fan
42:11
fiction as we know it, especially when it comes to
42:13
building community, exposure to new perspectives, and the
42:17
integrity of self published work.
42:19
But no matter where fan fiction goes next, one things for sure,
42:23
it will continue to be a source of escapism for many readers.
42:26
This was another major theme that came up in our survey, with
42:29
listeners saying they turn to fan fiction for the same reason
42:32
a lot of us turn to TV shows, movies, and books to escape the
42:35
difficulties and hardships of their real life, even if just
42:38
for a moment. One participant who asked to
42:41
remain anonymous, was generous enough to share how fan fiction
42:44
was his form of escapism while he was struggling with gender
42:47
dysphoria. While he initially started
42:49
reading fan fiction to feel closer to certain celebrities,
42:53
this changed as he got older. Quote I started reading MLM fix
42:56
of specific pairings such as Louis and Harry from one DI
43:00
didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, what I enjoyed
43:03
about these fix was that I got to read from a male's
43:05
perspective in a relationship. I struggled with gender
43:08
dysphoria my entire childhood but didn't have the words to
43:11
describe what I was feeling, so I tried ignoring it.
43:14
However, once my body was going through puberty, I really began
43:18
heavily reading MLM fanfics as a form of escapism.
43:22
It was definitely a way for me to imagine a life as a man so
43:25
that I didn't have to think about the then reality that I
43:29
was becoming a woman. All in all, it is clear that fan
43:32
fiction offers some real benefits to readers, but it
43:35
isn't All +1 of the biggest criticisms of fan fiction is
43:39
that it exposes young readers to inappropriate content, and
43:43
there's definitely some truth to that.
43:45
Fan fiction is known to be quite sexual or smutty at times.
43:48
That's not necessarily a bad thing, and it's not something
43:51
that should automatically be condemned, especially when
43:54
adults are actively seeking it out.
43:56
But that same content can be confronting for younger readers
43:59
who might not be ready to engage with it.
44:01
Of course, that depends on the person, but in our survey, the
44:04
average age of those regularly consuming fan fiction was
44:08
approximately 16. Some respondents, though, said
44:11
they started as young as 11 or 12.
44:13
Now, we don't need to go into the types of sexually explicit
44:16
content that's available, but let's just say that it can be
44:19
quite graphic and sometimes toxic.
44:22
Granted, most platforms like Wattpad and AO3 include content
44:26
warnings or tags that describe the themes or give a maturity
44:30
rating, but that doesn't always mean that readers will stick to
44:33
them. Aaron, who I mentioned earlier,
44:35
admitted that this was something she ignored as she wrote quote.
44:39
I was around 12 or 13 when I first started reading fan
44:41
fiction, and I was pretty much immediately lying about my age
44:45
to get into restricted fiction spaces.
44:47
I fully admit that I wasn't supposed to be in that space,
44:50
and anything I saw that I didn't like, that's on me, not the
44:53
person who created the fan fiction.
44:55
Whether some readers were unwillingly exposed to this type
44:58
of content or actively sought it out, most respondents in our
45:02
survey said they had read something inappropriate.
45:05
Out of the 65 people who filled out our form, almost twice as
45:08
many said the content they consumed wasn't age appropriate
45:11
compared to those who said it was.
45:13
Around 10% said it was difficult to say one way or another,
45:16
arguing that it really depends on factors like cultural
45:19
background. A few listeners also noted that
45:22
while some stories featured explicit or graphic content, the
45:25
way those themes were handled, like whether or not consent was
45:28
included, did make a difference. And others mentioned that they
45:31
had come across equally inappropriate content elsewhere
45:34
online, not just in fan fiction. That being said, one of the
45:38
biggest issues with reading this kind of content too young is
45:41
that it can shape your understanding of sex,
45:43
relationships, and romance in ways that aren't always healthy.
45:47
A few respondents in our survey said that this was their
45:49
experience. The anonymous participant
45:51
mentioned earlier actually told us that reading explicit fanfics
45:55
when he was younger contributed to being in his words.
45:58
Quote, a late bloomer as he wrote quote.
46:01
I did also read a lot of smut fanfic which I really had no
46:04
business reading. I honestly only read smutfix
46:07
because all my friends did. Looking back, I don't think
46:09
reading smutfix were appropriate for me.
46:11
I think part of the reason I was such a late bloomer was because
46:14
these fanfix made me fear sex, mostly due to how a lot of these
46:18
fix involved rough sex or BDSM elements.
46:21
It was hard for me to picture sex as anything but painful or
46:24
aggressive. Another respondent, Eden, shared
46:27
that while fan fiction did have a positive impact for them,
46:30
especially as someone who is asexual and a romantic, it also
46:33
came with some challenges. They explained that they quote
46:36
started with a lot of heavy stuff, hardcore sexual content,
46:39
themes of abuse and toxic relationship dynamics, and more.
46:43
Because I thought I was edgy and cool.
46:45
Now I know I was just trying to deal with my own trauma.
46:48
Overall, it's clear that fan fiction is a complicated topic,
46:52
and the question of whether it's good or bad doesn't have an easy
46:55
answer. From our research and what our
46:57
listeners have shared, it's evident that fan fiction can be
47:00
a powerful tool. It can definitely help readers
47:03
expand their world views, challenge built in
47:06
heteronormative ideals, and find community in the process.
47:09
At the same time, it seems that no amount of moderation can
47:13
completely prevent harmful or age inappropriate content from
47:17
slipping through the cracks. And that, of course, leaves
47:20
questions around free speech, creative freedom, and what
47:23
responsibility platforms have to protect their youngest users.
47:27
While that might be up for debate, it becomes complicated
47:30
when we see platforms capitalizing on young people's
47:33
passion without doing enough to keep them safe.
47:36
However, all of these questions are not isolated to fan fiction.
47:39
It is part of a larger conversation about how we move
47:42
through the online world, especially as age verification
47:45
becomes more widespread. All in all, it's clear that fan
47:48
fiction continues to resonate with youth audiences and shapes
47:51
pop culture in that traditional media fails to capture or even
47:55
care about. What becomes clear though is
47:58
that the written word and fandom culture have staying power even
48:02
in a time when short form video, rage bait and brain rot reigns
48:07
supreme. Infinite Scroll is a podcast
48:10
produced, presented and Co written by me, Lauren Meisner
48:13
for Centennial World. This episode was researched and
48:16
Co written by Annabelle and David.
48:18
Editing is by Izzy Phillips. Thank you so much for listening.
48:21
I love you guys and I will talk to you next week.
48:24
Bye.