The Art of Fanfiction: Why Teens Write and Read It—Written by Isha Popat

Oftentimes, people find themselves dreaming into the alternate realities in which they dream to live in. Fiction books provide the endless limits of imagination and those book-lovers find solace and comfort in finding themselves in a character. They feel a sense of excitement and fear as they imagine their alternate ego go through life, dictated by the thoughts and creativity of the author. This will once in a while lead to disappointment as the reader may not find the ending that they had dreamed for. This is one of the leading causes of fanfiction. 

Readers find themselves so close to a book to the point that they can not seem to stop imagining it and feel the protagonist or once in a while the antagonist to be them. When an author has a different idea than what the reader had expected, rage and frustration are bound to rise in the minds of the readers. This is when they put into thought their happy ending and how they feel that the book should have ended. Fanfiction is almost always taken up as a result of this dissatisfaction that the readers have towards a book. 
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Fanfictions often reflect the greatness of a book or series. It proves that the books are emotionally welcoming and that individuals feel a great connection to it and feel the need to get their own happy ending. Now one must wonder why fans would create alternate lines or endings at times if the book is so great. This just proves the greatness of the book, the author's goal is to create a craving feeling in the readers. They want them to feel excitement and disappointment. Those are great qualities in books and the way to tell the greatness of a book. Overall, fanfiction creates a community of individuals who have a pure love for a storyline and who want to spread it with the world. 

This blog post was written by Isha Popat.