Playing in the Literary Sandbox: An investigation of fanfiction writers and readers, exploring relationships between fanfiction as a subversive and dialogic literary form, and issues of authorship, representation, empathy and community
Fanfiction is defined as fiction that is based on, and written by fans of, pre-existing literature or other media, and is interpreted in this thesis as a subversive and dialogic literary form. Through use of semi-structured interviews conducted with fanfiction writers, this thesis employs qualitative analysis of data to emphasise that the experiences and beliefs of members of the fanfiction community are not homogenous. Patterns are identified in interview responses and linked to theoretical understanding of four issues surrounding fanfiction: empathy, community, authorship, and representation. Analysis using mental models and Theory of Mind suggests that empathy with fictional characters often inspires fans to read and write fanfiction. The Sense of Community theory is explored to understand how these fans are then drawn together into a community of likeminded individuals. This focus on community emphasises the dialogic nature of fanfiction, introducing discussion on authorship. Theories and essays on Death of the Author, the carnivalesque, dialogism, and fanboy auteurs are used to consider how fanfiction writers subvert the traditional understanding of an ‘author’ and freely interpret texts to develop their authorial voice. Analysis of case studies focusing on the TV show Supernatural and novel The Fandom demonstrates how writers of published, traditional media acknowledge the ways that fanfiction writers subvert the original text, often motivated by empathy when doing so. Through the lens of queer theory, and further analysis of Supernatural, alongside the novels Ship It and Carry On as additional case studies, this thesis explores how fanfiction writers, following dialogue with likeminded fans and development of their own interpretations, use fanfiction to criticise traditional media and advocate for representation of LGBTQ+ characters. Ultimately, the thesis aims to highlight that empathy and community are large factors in inspiring fanfiction authors to develop their authorial voice, create new interpretations of texts, and advocate for the representation of minority groups in literature and media.
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