(Thanks to Kyla Patterson for her awesome presentation on Fan fiction. It was both fun, informative, and inspiring for the production of my own fan fiction.)
So building off of the active engagement portion of her presentation that Kyla had us do, I’ve been thinking more and more about what I’d ever write a fan fiction of.
I gravitated towards one specific theme: Sherlock (BBC). Because, let’s face it, that show is great and they don’t come out with new episodes in nearly quick enough time.
So for those of you who either watch the show relisgiously or know the basic premise of the Sherlock Holmes thing, you know about Sherlock Holmes’ brilliant ability to solve crimes, act mysteriously, while also being quite a bit of an egotistic asshole about it all. As he describes himself, Sherlock says that he’s an ‘High functioning sociopath’ (whatever the hell that means).
But for viewers of the show, you also know the softer and more emotional side of the brilliant Sherlock Holmes. Or, to put it another way, you know about the ways in Sherlock and John Watson just need to get married/ fall in love already.
It’s been a reoccuring fan-boy type discussion: what would happen if Sherlock Holmes began to date his trusty side partner? Would that ruin the character dichotomies of the two, and would a blossoming romance between the pair ruin the business relationship that they both share?
Now, I know that most of you reading this don’t give a care in the world on this question. On the contrary, you might actively give less than zero craps about it (I know that I care about it, at least a little bit too much from the storytelling side of this question). But this entire question makes me ponder the nature of the fanfiction and how truly liberating it can be for not only the authors but also the content of the stories and the way in which stories can evolve and progress through the voices of different creators.
I thought this was a cool thought, and Kyla’s presentation last week made me think about it. Nice job!
-M
I love Sherlock too, though I am more of a Sherlock/Irene fan. You’re question and thought are really interesting. Especially for a show like Sherlock, which only releases new episodes every couple years, it is liberating to be able to explore new possibilities and content in a story world.