Fan Art And Fan Fiction

Even if they’ve never shared it with anyone else, I think most fans have created either fan art or fan fiction (or both) at some point in their lives.

My first foray into fan fiction was before I became a fan of anime. A friend and I started a Doctor Who fiction fanzine back in the mid 80’s. Eventually I turned it over to her and went on to pursue other writing. I did come back to Doctor Who fan fiction briefly and created an entire series of stories about one of my favorite characters (Nyssa) after she left the series. My dream had been to submit the first story I wrote about her to the series of novels about the adventures of the Doctor’s companions after the characters left the series. By time I had the first story done, though, that series of novels had already ended.

I have also written fan fiction for a TV series I’d never actually seen.  It was very short-lived and by time I’d become a fan of the actor who starred in it, it was no longer being shown on TV.  I was able to get a feel for the main character, as I’d read quite a bit about the series and did eventually see an edited version of the TV Movie pilot for the series. I submitted a story to the actor’s fan club newsletter and the president told me how good a job I had done capturing the spirit of the TV series. I don’t think I ever told her I hadn’t actually seen the series!

A few years ago, I wrote a series of stories about Angelique Limoges and Randy, Guardian of Wind, for a Facebook community called 30 Kisses. (Angelique and Randy are from the game/manga/anime/CD drama series Angelique.) It required writing 30 stories or doing 30 fan art pieces, or a combination, each involving a kiss and based on a particular theme. It was a great deal of fun. I also tried – but was unable to complete – another series using Nani and David from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch.

I have written some fan fiction about Parn and Deedlit from Record of Lodoss War, set after the events of Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight. Actually, the two stories I wrote were set in mutually exclusive timelines. One was a humorous story and the other was serious. They were fun, but I wrote them strictly for my own enjoyment. No one else has ever seen either story.  I’m not even sure if I still have copies of them.

While I am learning to draw in manga style, fan art is beyond my capabilities at this point in time. I do have several fan art ideas in mind once my skill is up to speed.

A word of caution about trying to sell fan art and fan fiction: while it is legal to create it and to share it, it is illegal to sell it. It is a violation of copyright. The BBC could have taken legal action against my friend and me for selling Doctor Who fan fiction. They didn’t, but they could have.

Anime fan artists and fan fiction writers probably have an easier time of it as far as copyright violations. Doujinshi, which is the Japanese equivalent of fan-created manga, is popular in Japan. I’ve never read about anybody in Japan receiving a “cease and desist” order for marketing doujinshi.

Some companies, such as Lucas/Disney, are more protective of their copyright than others.  I had approached Lucas about doing some Doctor Who/Star Wars crossover fan fiction and they told me they frowned on fan fiction, so those stories were never written. Star Trek fan fiction has been around for years, but I don’t what Paramount’s attitude is. I know many, many years ago a woman sold a novel-length Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover fan fiction.

The only fan fiction I ever sold was my Doctor Who fan fiction. All of my other fan fiction was distributed for free. When I’m ready to create fan art, it will also not be sold, but will be shared for free.

Enjoy creating and sharing fan art and fan fiction. Just use caution when it comes to selling it. To avoid potential legal issues, don’t try to sell it. Share it on free websites. If an army of copyright lawyers start breathing down your neck because of your sales of fan art or fan fiction, remember, their clients are the ones whose rights have been violated.

Disclaimer: This is a reprint of a blog entry I did a few years ago on a blog I no longer use.