CameliaSpark

I know I don't often post something of this length, but I'm mostly busy with work and what I'm creating.

But I think I want to vent.

It's going to be a bit autoethnographic, because everything I'm describing is a personal experience supported by subjective feelings. But the researcher's personal feelings don't detract from the conclusions or the process being described, tbh.

Especially in a field like writing.

So, can you accuse someone of being less of a creator because they don't have any published works, but only work available for free (usually published under a pseudonym) on fan sites, and what they write is embedded in a universe they love so much that they wanted to contribute?

I'll be honest, I wasn't interested in this phenomenon for a long time. I knew it existed, I knew there were websites dedicated to it, I knew what "ships" were. But I didn't feel the need to delve deeper into the subject. I had a few favorite series – for example:

WITCH (a comic books/animated series from the early 2000s),

Avatar: The Last Airbender,

Fullmetal Alchemist (a manga and both anime series – I know Brotherhood is more well-known).

Watching and reading about the adventures of the characters has always been a great escape for me - only later did I begin to notice how much influence these series had on what I create and what themes interest me most.

I love all the different aspects of these series. But none of them really clicked for me like...

TRANSFORMERS.

How can I logically explain this? Everyone finds "something" that captivates them so much that they devour media related to it in an addictive way. For some, it's fishing, for others, photography, for still others.

And for me, it's stories set in a universe about giant, space robots.

And that's cool.

And it was this series that really clicked for me, to the point where I even started thinking about writing fanfiction set in this universe.

Why? I can answer as I did in one of my posts: because I wanted to deliver an interesting story.

And I guess that's what writing is really about, right?

It's about telling interesting, engaging stories that readers or viewers will gladly return to and read or watch again.

I know this from experience too: there are a few series I regularly return to. And I always leave feeling like it was worth it. And that's important.

THIS is what the series I mentioned above stand for.

And this is what Transformers stands for, despite the passage of time. Even though we know the fates of the characters - because the series has had so many retellings over the past 40 years - the fandom is still alive and kicking.

And the amount of fanfiction about the Transformers characters is overwhelming, overwhelmingly shocking.

Truly.

Perceiving fanfiction writing as something lesser or unworthy of recognition seems quite wrong to me. Fan content is a large part of the community. As a teenager, I focused mainly on wanting to write original stories in the future – mainly in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Later, I was inspired by speculative fiction and other literary works, developing my own way of telling stories, creating characters, giving them personality and motivations, describing the world, constructing dialogue, descriptions, exposing elements of the world, etc. I think every aspiring author goes through these phases. I read tons of books and sought out important advice on how to write well. I talked to people who wrote professionally.

And you know what?

It was a shock to me to learn that many professional writers also wrote fanfiction. And that it was a valuable experience for them.

And it dawned on me that I'd never done this before.

I'd never considered doing this before.

Well, everyone has to have their first time.

And that was a good moment.

After the pandemic, I couldn't get myself together creatively and had a really difficult time getting myself together enough to get back to writing. Various activities pushed me forward, to a greater or lesser extent, but something was missing. I had made progress in various areas, but it wasn't satisfying.

And so, in 2025, I started thinking about what to do with this situation.

And I thought back to what I'd talked about with various writers, as well as to various source texts. And to the series that gave me comfort. And then I connected the dots.

And I started writing fanfic.

Ok, but what did it give me?

What gains and losses did I notice as a creator?

Above all:

Improved craft – on every level. Literally – it's not just about expository writing, descriptions, and dialogue, but also about what to cover in a given chapter, how much information to include, what should be a MacGuffin, should there be a red herring, or should the chapter end with a cliffhanger? The way the story is told and the pace of the story have a strong impact on the overall experience. Whether we create characters that the reader/viewer will root for or perhaps grow weary of is crucial. These are the small stones that build this metaphorical wall, and it's up to us whether everything collapses or stands.

Learning by doing – you don't learn to write by reading. You must – MUST – practice. You won't get anywhere without it.

The ability to imagine and describe characters – writing about characters whose stories stretch back 40 years is a difficult experience – especially if you have to empathize with their characters, understand their behavior, motivations, thinking, decision-making, etc.

Gaining research skills – imagination is important, but the moment you start writing nonsense, the story becomes unbelievable, and the characters' decisions and behaviors become meaningless. Checking information and using reliable (even fan-made!) websites/books/publications/films is crucial. Here, my personal thanks to @emperor-kumquat, whose videos gave me so much material for researching specific topics.

Learning routine and consistency – a story won't just jump onto paper/into a document. You need to develop a routine that won't make you hate sitting down to write after a few weeks and get tired of your own story.

Becoming part of a community – Tumblr provided that for me. I found communities and individuals here with whom I enjoy spending time and spend hours talking about what we're doing.

Learning without pressure – I treat my entire experience as a pleasure, not dictated by any imposed pace.

But above all: creating a good story.

Did I notice any discomfort or did I suffer any loss?

Well, along with my creative path, which involved spending time in front of a screen, I had to introduce a new routine into my life. It was a difficult transition, but it was beneficial for my health. Literally.

So, to sum it up: it was worth it. It was one of the best creative decisions I've made.

And now that I've started writing my original story, which you can read on Wattpad, I see how much those few months of fanfiction have given me.

But just because I'm working on another project doesn't mean the current one will be put on hold. I intend to take on another challenge and work on both stories simultaneously.

Now I know I can handle it.

And in a year, I'll be wiser again after these experiences.