In Defence of Fanfiction,

I know a lot of people out there despise fanfiction. They see it as stealing someone else’s work, or as a lack of creativity or imagination. But… Honestly? I think they need to open their minds a little.

There are a lot of fanfiction writers out there who are better than the real thing. Yeah, they’re borrowing the characters and their personalities, but the stuff they make up? It’s their own. Not to mention they get a ready-made fan base of people who like to write as well. Simple, easy feedback. Fanfiction allows a fandom to continue to grow, and lets readers experience what it would be like if this or that happened in a series. It’s a fantastic outlet for Draco/Hermione fans, because honestly? That would’ve never happened. JK Rowling herself said she had no problem with fanfiction. In fact, she said she secretly enjoys it from time to time. She thinks it’s great that there are people creating and growing as writers because of what she put out there in the first place.

So, really? If you hate it, keep it to yourself. It’s a great way to grow as a writer. Fanfictions are the training wheels on the bicycle of the authorial world.