Literature
EDITORIAL
BY NATASHA LAYCOCK
Though most don't realize it, even literature has its place in society's ever-changing world. With the rise of web-based newspapers, e-readers and publication websites, fanfiction (fan written fiction based on television shows, movies, books, and celebrities) has captured the public's attention. Similarly, printed pornography—labelled as erotica novels—has recently boosted in popularity thanks to the infamous "50 Shades of Grey." The book's author rose from a common Internet user to a worldwide bestseller, standing testament to the immeasurable power of the Internet.
Although more accessible and easily published, fanfiction is an unreliable, low form of reading given its unoriginal characters and scenes. Nowadays, low-quality smutty novels are more popular because of their demand and genre instead of their content and style.
On the other hand, giving everyone an opportunity to express their work helps young writers progress in their writing career. Especially with NaNoWriMo, where even the worst of procrastinators needs to put their nose to the grindstone and concentrate. The writing challenge becomes an internal battle, and anyone that completes their 50 000 word novel wins. No, seriously. They get a badge that says, "Winner!"
Great works of writing often go unnoticed today because creating a story is cheap and easy. Exploring the realms of fiction is a struggle, as writing for buyers' tastes is what puts food on the table. New products stint the growth of older ones, but never has any product been as altered as books. We've moved from only the educated scholars being granted the right to pen a novel to anyone with access to a computer, tablet, or even a phone. It's up to the public to decide whether such a transformation is an improvement or not.
Although more accessible and easily published, fanfiction is an unreliable, low form of reading given its unoriginal characters and scenes. Nowadays, low-quality smutty novels are more popular because of their demand and genre instead of their content and style.
On the other hand, giving everyone an opportunity to express their work helps young writers progress in their writing career. Especially with NaNoWriMo, where even the worst of procrastinators needs to put their nose to the grindstone and concentrate. The writing challenge becomes an internal battle, and anyone that completes their 50 000 word novel wins. No, seriously. They get a badge that says, "Winner!"
Great works of writing often go unnoticed today because creating a story is cheap and easy. Exploring the realms of fiction is a struggle, as writing for buyers' tastes is what puts food on the table. New products stint the growth of older ones, but never has any product been as altered as books. We've moved from only the educated scholars being granted the right to pen a novel to anyone with access to a computer, tablet, or even a phone. It's up to the public to decide whether such a transformation is an improvement or not.
NaNoWriMo—infernal stress creator or powerful motivator?
BY DAWSON JEREMY BENNET
It’s late at night, and a lone lamp illuminates a desk overflowing with unwritten assignments. In the center of the mess, a computer sits, open to a word document, the author frantically trying fit in the last words for the day. This is the life of a participant in NaNoWriMo on November 30th.
Every year, around half a million writers around the world take part in NaNoWriMo and throw themselves into their work to write a 50 000 word story. The little competition that started with 20 people in a coffee shop in 1999 has transformed into a global program organised by the Office of Letters and Light. The biggest tallies are in New York and London, but the NaNo contingents are everywhere — there have been 4 000 in Egypt alone.
Several popular authors have started at or have been involved with NaNoWriMo. “Pep talks” are sent frequently to the participants from successful authors, including James Patterson, Rainbow Rowell and several others. Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published, such as Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, or Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. NaNoWriMo has encouraged many to start down a path to becoming an author, or to work in the program itself.
Of course, writing a 50 000 word story in one month is no easy task, added to the normal tedium of everyday life. When asked about how NaNoWriMo affected their social life, several novelists answered with, “What social life?” The stress of coping with NaNoWriMo as well as regular work is sometimes too much, and NaNoWriMo dropouts are not uncommon. The ones who make it through the month have invested themselves fully into their story. As Thomas, a high school student said, “It's really important that you're passionate about the story and the characters you're writing for, or else you will lose interest and following through with writing every day will be hard, so you have to invest yourself fully in the story.”
When asked how NaNoWriMo was, Olivia answered with, “NaNoWriMo is like crying all the time and your tears fall on your keyboard and type for you.” Writing can be frustrating at the best of times, and when on a tight schedule with such a large amount of work to complete, NaNoWriMo can really take its toll. To fit their writing into their schedule, a lot of novelists often sacrifice sleep to finish the words they had set for the day. Vanessa said, “Anywhere there was a computer, I would write.”
NaNoWriMo is a truly unique kind of writing. As a spokesperson for The Office of Letters and Light stated, NaNoWriMo allows you to “banish your internal editor”, and to “write with abandon.” You don’t have to worry about constantly editing it; you just need it done by the end of the month. Many NaNoWriMo novels that were edited after the program have become famous novels.
Most NaNoWriMo participants took part in the event to challenge themselves. The event also helps “feel like I’m accomplishing something with my life.” Several decide to participate and force themselves to finally finish one of their ideas that have been sitting around gathering dust. Thomas said, “I’m pretty lucky because I've always liked writing and I've had a lot of story ideas that I've never really followed through with — my computer is littered with the first 20 pages of novels that I've wanted to write — so this was great because it forced me to sit down every day and work on it. It’s an interesting way to spend your time, and a great bragging topic.”
Although it has never been easier to get published, that's not really what's at the heart of NaNoWriMo. Participants are on a journey of self-discovery, attempting to tap their inner creativity. The whole event is based on the notion that getting people writing is a good thing. The whole event acts as a motivational tool. Participants love writing but it's NaNoWriMo itself that inspires them to actually get the words down on paper.
For those aspirant writers who really do have dreams of being published, it's easy to take solace from JK Rowling's story — 12 rejections before achieving stellar success with the Harry Potter series.
Finally, the writer types the last sentences of his 50 000 word story. He leans back in his chair, content. The month-long nightmare is at its end. He looks at his desk, then realizes that he has a news article due the next day.
Every year, around half a million writers around the world take part in NaNoWriMo and throw themselves into their work to write a 50 000 word story. The little competition that started with 20 people in a coffee shop in 1999 has transformed into a global program organised by the Office of Letters and Light. The biggest tallies are in New York and London, but the NaNo contingents are everywhere — there have been 4 000 in Egypt alone.
Several popular authors have started at or have been involved with NaNoWriMo. “Pep talks” are sent frequently to the participants from successful authors, including James Patterson, Rainbow Rowell and several others. Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published, such as Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, or Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. NaNoWriMo has encouraged many to start down a path to becoming an author, or to work in the program itself.
Of course, writing a 50 000 word story in one month is no easy task, added to the normal tedium of everyday life. When asked about how NaNoWriMo affected their social life, several novelists answered with, “What social life?” The stress of coping with NaNoWriMo as well as regular work is sometimes too much, and NaNoWriMo dropouts are not uncommon. The ones who make it through the month have invested themselves fully into their story. As Thomas, a high school student said, “It's really important that you're passionate about the story and the characters you're writing for, or else you will lose interest and following through with writing every day will be hard, so you have to invest yourself fully in the story.”
When asked how NaNoWriMo was, Olivia answered with, “NaNoWriMo is like crying all the time and your tears fall on your keyboard and type for you.” Writing can be frustrating at the best of times, and when on a tight schedule with such a large amount of work to complete, NaNoWriMo can really take its toll. To fit their writing into their schedule, a lot of novelists often sacrifice sleep to finish the words they had set for the day. Vanessa said, “Anywhere there was a computer, I would write.”
NaNoWriMo is a truly unique kind of writing. As a spokesperson for The Office of Letters and Light stated, NaNoWriMo allows you to “banish your internal editor”, and to “write with abandon.” You don’t have to worry about constantly editing it; you just need it done by the end of the month. Many NaNoWriMo novels that were edited after the program have become famous novels.
Most NaNoWriMo participants took part in the event to challenge themselves. The event also helps “feel like I’m accomplishing something with my life.” Several decide to participate and force themselves to finally finish one of their ideas that have been sitting around gathering dust. Thomas said, “I’m pretty lucky because I've always liked writing and I've had a lot of story ideas that I've never really followed through with — my computer is littered with the first 20 pages of novels that I've wanted to write — so this was great because it forced me to sit down every day and work on it. It’s an interesting way to spend your time, and a great bragging topic.”
Although it has never been easier to get published, that's not really what's at the heart of NaNoWriMo. Participants are on a journey of self-discovery, attempting to tap their inner creativity. The whole event is based on the notion that getting people writing is a good thing. The whole event acts as a motivational tool. Participants love writing but it's NaNoWriMo itself that inspires them to actually get the words down on paper.
For those aspirant writers who really do have dreams of being published, it's easy to take solace from JK Rowling's story — 12 rejections before achieving stellar success with the Harry Potter series.
Finally, the writer types the last sentences of his 50 000 word story. He leans back in his chair, content. The month-long nightmare is at its end. He looks at his desk, then realizes that he has a news article due the next day.
Fanfiction: The Future of Fiction?
BY KELSEY NOWLAN
The exhausted patrons hurry into the crowded Chapters, trying to make the dreaded walk from their cars through the cruel winter wind as short as possible. Bethany Mirren, Chapter’s employee, helps a shopper locate the book they want. Having already started the Christmas rushes, impatient customers throw her questions as she passes them by. Walking down the fiction section, a co-worker grabs her by the arm saying “Someone wants a book similar to 50 Shades of Grey.” Bethany automatically lists off a few authors’ names. She later explains that she’s required to know ten authors who have written books similar to the trending romance novel. Recently, 50 Shades of Grey, a Twilight fanfiction, made the move from online story to published book. Fanfiction, stories constructed by fans involving characters or people known through television shows, movies, books or bands, has become quite popular. Selling over 5.3 million copies, 50 Shades of Grey owns the title of the best-selling book ever in Britain. Every shift, five to six different people ask Bethany the question: “Where would I be able to find 50 shades of Grey?” With this novel making a huge splash in the book industry, how else is this fanfiction trend affecting the way we see literature?
During lunch break at Canterbury High School, a group of grade nine students sit in a circle, heads leaning back against lockers, listening to their friend reading a fanfiction out loud. She stares at her phone and scrolls down, describing more of the battle scene between Voldemort and Hagrid. The students laugh as the main character, Ebony, jumps into the battle, saving the day and ending the chapter with a ‘witty’ remark about Voldemort. It’s not unusual to see students reading fanfiction out loud or on their own during their free time. Student Kimberly Liu reads roughly six to seven hours of fanfiction per week. “I read more fanfiction than regular books,” she explains. “It’s easier to find a good fanfiction than a good book.” With over 3 300 000 fanfictions available to be read on Fanfiction.net, this is not surprising. Readers have access to as much free fanfiction as they please and with roughly 5299 fandoms found on Fanfiction.net, there’s something for everyone. Fandoms or “Fan kingdoms,” says Celeste Yuyitung, member of the Homestuck fandom, “are groups of people who all share the same interest in a television show, video game, or movie.” Tags such as ‘hurt and comfort’, ‘friendship’, ‘romance’, and ‘angst’, categorize these fanfictions further. People can read stories involving characters in an AU (alternate universe), or in a gender bender story, when the writer switches the genders of certain characters. Writers might choose to create a story where their ship, two people who the writer thinks should be a couple, finally start dating. Or maybe to complicate the situation, the story might involve a 3TP, a love triangle. With fanfiction, endless possibilities are within reach.
Having the ability to post fanfiction online benefits both readers and writers alike. “It really helps to have people posting reviews and telling you that they enjoy reading [your story]. It gives me a lot more motivation to keep writing,” Emma Krentz, fanfiction writer explains. “I think the best part about writing fanfiction is how incredibly rewarding it is. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of support and recognition.” Fanfiction serves as great practice for writers looking to improve their skills. When women had less of an opportunity to experiment with writing and editing, fanfiction provided an outlet for them to practice said skills. Nowadays, “for LGBT people, fanfiction has been a way to place [themselves] into the stories,” expressed Professor Bociurkiw, Associate Professor of Media Theory at Ryerson University.
An undeniably significant trend, fanfiction plays a dominant part in the world of literature. However, many still opt for good old-fashioned books. “I just find books to be more professional,” Émélie Pellerin, student, explains. Many share her point of view. Hailey Collins, reader of fanfiction, prefers books as well. Others, like Lexia Bao and Marina Fredericks, rarely read fanfiction, while some continue to be unaware of what the term even means. 50 Shades of Grey made a huge impact on the book industry. But with a unanimous “No” from those asked: “Would you ever pay to read a fanfiction?” this trend might not alter the book industry all that much. However, readers of 50 Shades of Grey and other fanfictions alike would beg to differ.
During lunch break at Canterbury High School, a group of grade nine students sit in a circle, heads leaning back against lockers, listening to their friend reading a fanfiction out loud. She stares at her phone and scrolls down, describing more of the battle scene between Voldemort and Hagrid. The students laugh as the main character, Ebony, jumps into the battle, saving the day and ending the chapter with a ‘witty’ remark about Voldemort. It’s not unusual to see students reading fanfiction out loud or on their own during their free time. Student Kimberly Liu reads roughly six to seven hours of fanfiction per week. “I read more fanfiction than regular books,” she explains. “It’s easier to find a good fanfiction than a good book.” With over 3 300 000 fanfictions available to be read on Fanfiction.net, this is not surprising. Readers have access to as much free fanfiction as they please and with roughly 5299 fandoms found on Fanfiction.net, there’s something for everyone. Fandoms or “Fan kingdoms,” says Celeste Yuyitung, member of the Homestuck fandom, “are groups of people who all share the same interest in a television show, video game, or movie.” Tags such as ‘hurt and comfort’, ‘friendship’, ‘romance’, and ‘angst’, categorize these fanfictions further. People can read stories involving characters in an AU (alternate universe), or in a gender bender story, when the writer switches the genders of certain characters. Writers might choose to create a story where their ship, two people who the writer thinks should be a couple, finally start dating. Or maybe to complicate the situation, the story might involve a 3TP, a love triangle. With fanfiction, endless possibilities are within reach.
Having the ability to post fanfiction online benefits both readers and writers alike. “It really helps to have people posting reviews and telling you that they enjoy reading [your story]. It gives me a lot more motivation to keep writing,” Emma Krentz, fanfiction writer explains. “I think the best part about writing fanfiction is how incredibly rewarding it is. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of support and recognition.” Fanfiction serves as great practice for writers looking to improve their skills. When women had less of an opportunity to experiment with writing and editing, fanfiction provided an outlet for them to practice said skills. Nowadays, “for LGBT people, fanfiction has been a way to place [themselves] into the stories,” expressed Professor Bociurkiw, Associate Professor of Media Theory at Ryerson University.
An undeniably significant trend, fanfiction plays a dominant part in the world of literature. However, many still opt for good old-fashioned books. “I just find books to be more professional,” Émélie Pellerin, student, explains. Many share her point of view. Hailey Collins, reader of fanfiction, prefers books as well. Others, like Lexia Bao and Marina Fredericks, rarely read fanfiction, while some continue to be unaware of what the term even means. 50 Shades of Grey made a huge impact on the book industry. But with a unanimous “No” from those asked: “Would you ever pay to read a fanfiction?” this trend might not alter the book industry all that much. However, readers of 50 Shades of Grey and other fanfictions alike would beg to differ.