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Contests & Activities: February 15, 2017 Issue [#8128]

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Contests & Activities


 This week: Fanfiction
  Edited by: spidey Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey Author Icon, and I'm your Editor this week!



Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor


Fanfiction


I admit it openly: I read fanfiction. Do you?

While I haven't actually written any fanfiction, I admire those who do (partly because I enjoy reading it!), and I think it often doesn't get the recognition it rightly deserves.

So, what is fanfiction, for those of you who may not know?

Wikipedia defines it as this: Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, or fic) is fiction about characters or settings from an original work of fiction, created by fans of that work rather than by its creator. It is a popular form of fan labor, particularly since the advent of the Internet.

Basically fans re-write or create new fiction based on a fictional world, and one thing I think is really interesting about it, is even though the internet has popularized and spread the activity, the history of fanfiction dates back to way before the internet was created. Fans wrote their own fictionalized stories within the Star Trek universe in the 1960s!

Here on WDC, it seems as though fanfiction (or "fanfic") shows up often in the form of Interactive Stories, where fans can add chapters to known universes or "Fandoms."

Here are just a few terms that often come up with regards to Fanfiction:

Fandom - Like I stated above, it's the basic "universe" in which the fiction takes place, such as Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Harry Potter. (Fandoms can be nearly any type of medium, from books to movies to TV shows, etc.)

Crossover - A Crossover features more than one Fandom, usually combining two Fandoms. For instance, you might have Star Wars characters in the Marvel universe. (What would a Jedi think of a Superhero?)

Canon - Canon is the original story, including characters, plot, settings, etc. If a fanfiction is "Non-Canon," it typically means it strays from the original in some way.

There are many more terms, but those are just a few basics to get the idea.

One thing I love about fanfiction is the level of creativity and inspiration. Writers can take a stab at "guessing" what will happen next, or take a sideline to attempt to explain something going on in the background during the main story-line. It can be a great writing exercise!

It's also a way for fans to connect and a way to wait for the next installment of their favorite TV show, book, movie, etc.

Just like contests with specific prompts, I think writing fanfiction can be a great writing exercise or a way to inspire creativity! There are some drawbacks, however, with copyright laws. It's difficult to find a clear idea of whether or not fanfiction violates any copyright laws, and it tends to come down to whether or not the original creator is okay with it. It's an interesting subject, and if you are a fanfiction author, you do yourself a service by researching copyright laws with regards to fanfiction.

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Editor's Picks







Official Writing.Com Contests & Activities:

 
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Good Deeds Get CASH! Open in new Window. [E]
Write reviews to win cash prizes!
by Writing.Com Support Author Icon

 
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Quotation Inspiration: Official Contest Open in new Window. [ASR]
Use the quote provided to write a story and win big prizes!
by Writing.Com Support Author Icon





Contests/Activities:

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DreamTime Dragon's Poem Contest Open in new Window. [E]
A Poetry contest with a dragon prompt. Round 16. Closed til Next time!
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The Grim Reaper Contest - Closed  Open in new Window. [13+]
This is a Horror Flash Fiction Contest. See you in October 2025!
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With a monthly prompt, the Supernatural Writing Contest returns!
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Open in new Window. [ASR]
Which character from the first book is your favorite
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Free your imagination and create your best word art! "What if?"
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What in the Word?!  Open in new Window. [13+]
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Some contest resources:
How to Create a Contest Open in new Window. [ASR]
Things you need to know before you open a contest. Includes a contest template.
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"Create/Edit a Message ForumOpen in new Window.
Newbie Hyperlinking 101 - Bitem Format Open in new Window. [E]
Learn the ins and outs of creating a link using the bitem format.
by NickiD89 Author Icon





Know of some gems that deserve exposure? Submit them in the feedback form or submission form at the end of this Newsletter, and I'll put them in my next one!



 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer


My last newsletter, ("Contests & Activities Newsletter (January 18, 2017)Open in new Window.), discussed celebrating music.

HI Spidey! This was fun to read and the music muse is alive and well. I like your list of topical contests too and the polls! Who knew there were so many and yet it makes sense! Thanks for sharing.. ~ 1starstrong

Thanks! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who loves music as inspiration!


correction:

"What a Character" is sooo last month. It's "Dear Me," dear. "Dear Me."

Long boring dissertation about use of music and lyrics in fiction will have to wait other than a short mention that, while writing a review, I found it helpful to use lyrics from Jim Croce's Operator to help re-imagine a paragraph in need of help.
~ chopstixd

Ah, you're quite right. Thanks! *Smile*



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