Fanfic ~ I don’t get it.

What is fanfic? According to Dictionary.com it is:

1. fiction written by fans of a TV series, movie, etc., using existing characters and situations to develop new plots.
2. a work of fiction in this genre.

And according to the Collins World English Dictionary it is.

• Fiction written around previously established characters invented by other authors.

So, by both definitions, fanfic is where people take characters created by other people and have them do different things. In my experience, they are generally things that are out of character. To me this ruins the experience. I just don’t understand why you would want to make a person, any person, real or imaginary, do something they wouldn’t normally do.

Whether it’s to have Dudley be nice to Harry, and treat him as a person, or the shallow, lifeless Bella Swan venture into a BDSM relationship, it’s not something either character would do, even in their wildest dreams.

Now, if you want to create a character of your own you can give them any personality and history you want, and make their actions in character for them. Tell us their story. That I can get into.