- Joined
- Jun 21, 2013
- Messages
- 11,740
- Reaction score
- 10,564
- Location
- In my head
- Website
- thewanderingquille.blogspot.com
And that's what it comes down to for many writers - a safe place to play with and develop their writing and their confidence, and gradually move into totally original work. I can see no down side to that (with the caveat, obviously, that one is playing in the yards where it's okay to do so).
This. Fanfiction is a fantastic way for someone who's just learning to improve, find their weaknesses and strengths, get critique (and learn to take it). It's a way to get your hands dirty without bringing all your own plants and gardening tools, so to speak. And even when you're experienced, it's a way to practice and keep honing skills. I honestly hope one day, people will write it for something of mine. I may never read it, but I want them to make it, using my characters and settings until they're confident enough to work in their own garden.