Alright, so here is a major geek-out moment: I have become momentarily obsessed with fan-fictions, mainly in relation to a couple characters in the all-popular Harry Potter series (but that’s for another post).

Fan-fiction, I feel like, are the truest way to express your love for a series; and perhaps, one of the more healthy ways.

Recently, I perused the latest controversy in the upcoming Harry Potter tv show that is being created. From what I understand, the whole POINT is that they wanted to create a show that stayed true to the CANON of the books. The movies are fantastic, but there are big differences, major omissions and differences that true Potterheads go loony over.

The controversy is that fans, if you can call them that, want the show to go one way – in a non-canon sort-of way – and Rowling, the author and one of the major people who are part of the creation of this show does not want it to, because as I stated it’s about keeping with the story as she wrote it.

As a writer, I cannot imagine someone wanting to literally CHANGE a story I’ve written because some fan wants more or less of something or wants to affect some major change to characters or storyline.

No one would ask an artist to change their work of art to suit them.

Today, though, people seem to think that the only opinion that matters is their own. Now, I won’t go into politics, but I will say this :

“If you want a certain opinion, viewpoint, relationship, etc and so on write the story yourself. Do not bully, force, and cancel writers, musicians, and other artists to do it for you or change themselves to suit you.”

As a writer, I completely understand Rowling. These characters are something that are inside her heart. If you aren’t a writer who have created characters, built them, built an entire world around them, you cannot possibly understand the connection that you feel towards them. It’s like this wonderful web of intimacy between you and your story. To have anyone come in and say, “Change it because we want it this way”, is like having that story threatened by knifepoint and being a proper mother or papa bear you will protect it.

Now, with that being said, fan-fictions like I said are a great medium.

In fan-fiction’s you can post online the off-canon, canon-adjacent, or completely off-kilter entirely new story you want based off one or even more stories. There are so many sites that host thousands, if not millions, of these fanfics.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that some of these woven tales are down-right salacious, like pornhub has nothing on these guys, but a lot of them are masterpieces written by absolutely brilliant writers who really have worked on these ideas.

I don’t know what published authors, such as Rowling, think of this sort of thing, but, personally, I think this is probably the healthiest way to express differing ideas about a favorite story. From my albeit brief interlude into this world, from my understanding there are contests and, just like everything, I’m sure it even has gatherings.

If you need an example, wait for my next post about my recent obsession into something called Harmonny.