Fanfic Reader/Writer Showcase #2
Quick Bio: Jordan West/shadowen is a co-founder of the WTF Comics Club, a Minneapolis-based reading group for women, trans, and femme-identified comics fans. She is also a regular contributor to feminist arts and culture blog, The Mary Sue, and writes columns on comic books, fan fiction, and geek culture. With more than a decade of involvement in fan communities and a master’s degree in Sociology with a focus on gender, media, and fandom, so she pretty much knows what she’s talking about.
In addition to her editorial work, Jordan is also a prolific fan fiction writer and a vocal proponent of increased representation and diversity in fan works. In 2015, with the help of fellow fans, Jo launched the Transvengers Inititative, a year-long project aimed at promoting visibility and community for transgender and non-binary members of the Marvel fandom.
Name/AO3 Username: Jordan West, aka shadowen
Actual picture of me looking extra fab. :D
Why do you read and/or write fanfiction?
Because it’s fun, obviously! I love taking characters I already love and finding new ways to think about and relate to them or using their stories to dig into different ideas.
What is fanfiction’s role in your life?
I probably spend more time writing than I do on any other activity, second maybe to sleeping. In addition to fanfiction, I also write original fiction, comics, and articles for different websites, but of those, most of my time is devoted to fic. I’ve met some of my best friends through fan communities, including my roommate. It’s not much of exaggeration to say that my life revolves around fandom, in one form or another.
What is your favorite fandom to read, trope, fanfiction, writer, etc., and why?
I love anything unexpected, whether it’s a story that goes in a crazy direction, a totally different take on a character, or a writer with really unique style. That goes for any kind of media, not just fanfiction. I love stories, characters, and creators that can surprise me. A recent favorite is ‘To the Sky Without Wings’ by leupagus, a Star Wars fic that’s beautifully written and never takes the easy route.
Why is fanfiction important? Why is it important to understand/discuss the importance of this cultural phenomenon?
Fanfiction is important for a lot of reasons, not least of all because, at its core, it’s one of the oldest forms of storytelling. The idea of “original fiction” has only been around for the last few centuries, whereas the practice of using pre-existing mythic or historical figures to tell new stories pre-dates writing in the Western world. In its current state, fan fiction plays a vital role in restoring ownership of shared stories to, among others, the next generation of storytellers. Henry Jenkins, the founder of transformative culture studies, said, “Fan Fiction is a way of the culture repairing the damage done in a system where contemporary myths are owned by corporations instead of owned by the folk.” More and more, fan fiction is becoming a kind of folklore for media culture. So yeah, I think that’s an important thing to talk about.
Do you gain any knowledge/skills from reading or writing fanfiction, such as insight into a writer’s craft, the ability to better write/read in a foreign language, or more knowledge about a particular religion?
Absolutely! The insane amount of research I’ve done for fic has given me bits of knowledge on everything from emergency first aid to South American geography to sexual reassignment surgery. The diversity of fan communities also provides a connection to experts across a huge variety of fields and subjects, all of whom are fans and all of whom are more than happy to answer questions, fact check stories, and provide general info guides to help fic writers with information. I’ve learned so much just from talking to fans from different backgrounds and reading writing guides for different subjects. Through the shear practice of writing, I’ve also gained a lot of insight into my own creative process and become a much better - and more thoughtful - writer as a result.
What are some assumptions that society at large has about fanfiction that you’d like to address or correct?
The biggest assumption I have an issue with is the pervasive idea that fan fiction is “practice” for “real” writing. First of all, that perpetuates the classification of transformative works as a “lower” art form - which is itself tied into classist hierarchies of art and emotionality and prioritizes capitalist pursuits over amateur enjoyment - and denies the legitimacy of fan fiction as a form of folk art, having merit in and of itself. Second, whatever you’re writing at any given moment is always practice for whatever you write next. A writer who’s dedicated to improving their craft will take lessons learned from every project, whether it’s fic, original fiction, nonfiction, blog posts, meta, angry rants, or whatever, and those lessons can be transferred into the next project, whether it’s fic, original fiction, nonfiction, etc. Writing my master’s thesis did just as much to make me a better fic writer as writing fic has done to make me a better journalist. Speaking of which, my productivity timer is telling me it’s time to write for an hour, so I’m going to go do that.
