The way I see it is this - fanfiction, just like any other fiction that you could write - is literature.

The difference is, that you don't 'own' that literature. You don't own the characters, or the world,
for example. That to me is the simplest way to describe it.
But, I have to ignite up a really good discussion here because now it got me thinking about what
do we class as fanfiction? For example, right now I am drafting a story and it's all about the
world of fairy tales and how fairy tales were once part of our world but the world was separated
and we forgot. Now, the world is about to crash into our own. Why am I mentioning this?
Because, my story is based on the idea that those stories were real, I use existing Fairy Tales,
twist them, and in addition to that, I create worlds inspired by those I loved as a child, only
darker and more adult. But I would never consider what I have written to be fanfiction, you
know? But then, I am twisting original work, so maybe it is.
All I am saying is, what do we class as fanfiction? Is it just the manipulation of characters in
worlds we didn’t create, rewriting their stories, or does it go further?
Here is a definition of literature that I have learned in my 21st Century Literature class back at
senior high school to which I think really applies to this topic. I don't remember the exact words
or the person who came up with it but it’s basically saying that literature is every written piece
that when there are plot holes like skipping to the next week or simply introducing a character
that you don't know about everything about still works.
In a sense, fanfiction is literature since the reader of a story simply writes down what he
imagines in his head while reading that and then continues in a different direction. I believe that
fanfiction is pretty much a part of the original story that a reader who while reading takes part in
creating his own. isn't the whole point of reading to read between the lines? And why would
writing down what you found there be any less of literature then what you read in ink?
Honestly, if you don't believe that fanfiction can be literature, just pick up Wicked by Gregory
Maguire. I dare you. He took the story of Oz and gave it the complete backstory it never had,
created these personalities around these characters we already knew and gave them meaning and
drive, explaining how they became who we know them to be in the movie. It gave them a
motive. He completely reshaped Oz.
Yes, they live in Oz, there is the Emerald City and Yellow Brick Road, but he gave Oz states, or
provinces, whatever you wish to call them, gave it politics and different nationalities within the
country. He completely created something original based on an old idea. Not all fanfiction is
literature, but some of it is. It depends on the content and what that content added to the original
work, how it complemented it.
Moreover, some of the best stories I have ever read were works of Fanfiction. I alternate between
Archive of Our Own and published books because seriously some stories in there deserve to be
recognized for the literary beauty and genius they are. And honestly sometimes I prefer
fanfiction over published books because they are based upon characters I already love and adore
and desire more of post whatever series or movie that has ended, and fanfiction authors provide
me that addiction patch when I need it.
While fanfiction might borrow things the author hasn't come up with and therefore can't be fully
claimed as that authors own it is still literature! Also, if you start writing fanfiction somewhere
along the way your story will have left its inspiration entirely so that by changing some simple
details it would be an original piece. The plot within a specific fanfiction story is obviously
thought up by the writer of that specific fanfiction story so it's not all other people's ideas.
Now let’s get to the bottom of this. Just like any other written piece of work. Yes, the people
who write fanfiction haven't created the world or the characters in their stories, but that’s what
makes it hard to write in some ways. The characters are not their own, yet they have to know
their personalities. They didn't create the world but they have to know it well enough to make it
believable when they write it. And just because they are taking already established characters
into their stories, it’s still their stories, their creative minds work and weave new narratives and
even creating their characters to enrich their stories.