The Many Lives of a Fanfic Writer

Author’s Note: This essay is devoted to fanfiction writers everywhere and especially to the members, past and present of the Moonshadow Tribe.

*****

Who are we and why do we write?

Let me answer the last part first.  The answer is, for as many reasons as there are fanfic writers out there. 

We write because it gives us pleasure. 

We write because we saw an episode of our favorite TV or cable show that inspired us or infuriated us enough to set pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard to make us want to change an ending or offer an alternate one.  Or to create an entire new universe where we decide the fate of the characters.

We write because of the love for the written word. 

We write because we have something to say. 

We write because of the demons in our past that need slaying, and writing keeps us sane.

We write because a dear friend said we could write that better.

We write to briefly escape our real world to some place where we can make things better.

We write because some of us are fortunate to have the time.

We write because some of us make time at four in the morning or eleven at night when we really should be sleeping.

We write because of a mad passion or a deep frustrating anger.

We write because we can.

Who are we?

We’re mothers.

We’re fathers.

We’re lawyers.

We’re nurses.

We’re teachers.

We’re librarians.

We’re retired or not.

We’re ordinary people with a love of writing and reading, who like to share.  We have husbands or wives or partners.

If we’re fortunate to receive a compliment then that’s the icing on the cake.

So don’t blame us if a story remains unfinished or is not to your liking.  You have the option to move on to the next story.  Remember, we’re people just like you with other lives.  We may have just lost a loved one or one of our children is home sick.  Or we might have been in an accident because we are REAL people with REAL lives who write because we like it.

We make no profit from our stories.  Most of our characters belong to someone else.

We are fanfiction writers.

Sabina

8/29/2013

Return to Sabina's