Writing Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction: The Pressure To Perform And Conform
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| Title: | Writing Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction: The Pressure To Perform And Conform |
| Creator: | L.N. James |
| Date(s): | October 1998 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | Xena: Warrior Princess |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | Writing Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction: The Pressure To Perform And Conform 1, Archived version; Writing Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction: The Pressure To Perform And Conform 2 |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Writing Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction: The Pressure To Perform And Conform is an essay by L.N. James.
It was posted to Whoosh! #25 in 1998.
Introduction
Xena: Warrior Princess fan fiction (fanfic) has become such a prolific and influential phenomenon on the Internet that countless web sites are devoted to the promotion of this largely amateur fan activity. Indeed, web sites that index fanfic stories, such as Shadowfen's Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction Index and the Xenaverse Codex, show that there are thousands of titles by hundreds of writers (often called 'bards') in tens of different category genres. The fact that fanfic stories and sites receive tens of thousands of hits by voracious readers all over the world is a testament to the appeal of XWP fan fiction.
As compelling as the actual TV show is, many readers find fan fiction an excellent outlet and source for more in-depth exploration of the characters of Xena and Gabrielle, as well as other minor characters on the show, such as Callisto, Ares, Ephiny, and Joxer. With the diversity of viewpoints and preferences in the Xenaverse, fan fiction is an excellent medium for everyone to find their views of the characters represented. In fact, some individuals even find the fan fiction chronicling the life and times of Xena and Gabrielle to be more satisfying than the show itself. Regardless of whether reading or writing fanfic is a mere pastime or an obsession, fan fiction's commanding presence in the Xenaverse is worthy of note.
With the explosion of fanfic on the Internet beginning around the middle of Season 2 (approximately January of 1997), the quality and quantity of stories available has increased dramatically. Fans of the show have found an outlet for their creativity and have collectively contributed to the appeal and popularity of Xena: Warrior Princess. As such, exploring the fascinating realm of fan fiction is a journey that has garnered its own special issue of Whoosh! and keeps many fanfic readers and writers busy on the multitude of Internet email lists such as Xenaverse, Chakram, Xena Campfire Girls, and countless others.
It is with this widespread appeal in mind that this article discusses various aspects of creating XWP fan fiction from the perspective of the amateur fanfic writer and reader. Fan fiction has become an important component of Xena fandom that has its own culture and norms. Preserving the history of this pop-cultural phenomenon can help shed light on the people who have helped turn Xena: Warrior Princess into more than just a mere television show and rather, a celebration of the Xena Xeitgeist!
Topics
- Introduction
- General Comments: General Comments: Once upon a Time...
- Writing Fan Fiction: Pressure, what pressure? (PWP?)
- Approach/Perspective: POV, PYT, and BYOB
- Disclaimer: Blame the Flying Mammal
- Performance
- Writer Experience: New Bard or Old Guard
- Posting in Parts or Whole: 'Where's the next d*mn chapter?' Syndrome
- Writing a Sequel: Uh-oh, now what?
- Writer's Block: Between a ROC and a Hard Place
- Feedback: Use it or Lose it
- Beta Readers: To Edit or Not, That is the Question
- Conformance
- Characterizations and UberTransformations: A Warrior and Bard by Any Other Name
- Fanfic Conventions: Breaking the 'Lunacy Factor'
- General vs Alt Fiction: Are They or Aren't They?
- Gloss vs Graphic: The Good, The Bud, and The Homicidal
- Conclusion
- Biography
Excerpts
...conforming to certain fanfic conventions often entails more than keeping the characters in line with certain amorphous standards. Fanfic conventions can also take the form of specific settings, plots, behaviors, and characters. Again, none of these conventions are written in stone to guide writers. Instead, most are the result of previous fanfic stories establishing certain elements that then reoccur in other writer's stories until those common conventions become familiar and standard to fanfic readers.
Fanfic conventions offer a certain stability within the fanfic writing world. For example, most readers may expect a story to follow a certain formula and incorporate images or ideas that are familiar within the genre. These kinds of standards (e.g., Xena can sense when Gabrielle is in trouble, Xena and Gabrielle always have an inn handy to rent a room, the Amazons like to party all the time) allow for a sense of cohesiveness between the many fanfic stories available. In order to identify fanfic conventions, it is necessary to step back and review fanfic as a whole and to find common trends or themes unique to fanfic. Because most writers are themselves fanfic readers, it is not unreasonable to assume that other fanfic stories have an influence (conscious or unconscious) on the writer. It is a writer's choice whether to follow these established standards or not, though the pressure to adhere to the familiar is certainly undeniable.
The infamous 'Lunacy Factor' may be one of the best known fanfic conventions. Coined after Xenaverse fanfic reviewer Lunacy, it refers to the general notion (mainly in alternative fanfic) that pairing Xena or Gabrielle up with any other suitor, male or female, is not as preferred as maintaining a primary and exclusive relationship between the two characters. While mostly associated with alt. fanfic (see below), a writer who breaks the Lunacy Factor does not suffer any irreparable damages but many readers tend to prefer stories that focus on the exclusive relationship between the two protagonists. A writer who would prefer to explore relationship issues between Xena or Gabrielle with some other character may feel the pressure not to write such a story because of the potential negative feedback associated with portraying a different view.
For example, bards who would like to write stories featuring a romantic relationship between Gabrielle and Joxer often face the toughest adversity in the Xenaverse fanfic realm. Not only do these type of stories break the Lunacy Factor, they also go against subtextual sensibilities. Unlike other fanfic stories that explore different heterosexual romantic possibilities (i.e., Xena and Hercules/Marcus/Borias; Gabrielle and Perdicus, etc), Gabrielle/Joxer pairings tend to elicit more negativity because of the controversial nature of the Joxer character. In effect, these fanfic writers are being chastised for writing against established fanfic conventions. Much like the early days of fanfic when alternative stories containing explicit subtext were first being posted to the net and garnering negative feedback, Gabrielle/Joxer stories are currently encountering a similar reaction. However, not unlike a free market economy, if a type of fanfic story appeals to enough people, it will prevail. Because of the diversity of views of Xena: Warrior Princess and the characters, there is room for many different types of fanfic.
The challenge of this issue is whether a writer will succumb to the pressure to write only certain stories or whether the growth and diversity of fanfic will push the boundaries of fanfic convention to make more views acknowledged. Acknowledging the validity of a writer having a different perspective on the characters of Xena and Gabrielle allows for new and interesting directions in fanfic. The problem associated with fanfic conventions is that they may stifle creativity by making a writer feel like they have to write a certain type of story. While fanfic conventions give the readers a comfortable familiar warm fuzzy feeling, the danger comes when fanfic no longer challenges readers with difficult subject matter or new ways of viewing the characters because of the pressure to conform to certain standards. Growth in fanfic may best be accomplished by being able to find a healthy balance between incorporating the fanfic conventions established and subverting those traditions.
Some of the more controversial elements of Xena: Warrior Princess fanfic are graphic depictions of extreme violence and of sexually explicit material. Perhaps unexpected by the creators of the television series, fanfic has evolved in ways that mirror non-fan fiction. Essentially, fans have chosen to take the characters in directions that go beyond the bounds of the series. The popularity of fan fiction, both general and alternative, that presents graphic material shows that it appeals to many fans.
While the television series is no slouch when it comes to violence, fan fiction can often present more extreme violence and subject matter in the course of a story in graphic detail. Many fanfic stories on the net approach issues of murder, torture, sexual abuse and rape, and other such dramatic violent material. Some writers have chosen to describe these acts in detail. Given the backdrop and characters of Xena, it is not surprising that fanfic stories explore the drama associated with violence and its consequences.
Writing graphic violence entails little pressure to conform to any particular standards. Depending upon the story a writer chooses to tell, inclusion of graphic violence is more dependent upon its role in a fanfic story than on any constraints imposed by outside fanfic requirements. While extreme violence is not necessarily the norm in XWP fanfic, the choice to graphically describe that material is solely that of the fanfic writer.
Sexually explicit material is often found in Xena fanfic. Whether the material is located in general or alternative stories, the choice to write such depictions again resides with the individual writer. While more common in alt. fanfic stories, sexual descriptions vary from gloss to graphic. Writing gloss usually entails hinting at sexual activity or describing it in terms that gloss over the details of the sexual relation. Writing graphic material usually consists of describing sexual relations in more explicit detail. Everything in between gloss and graphic can be found in XWP fanfic.
Alt. fanfic stories, given their subtextual interpretation of the intimate relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, often contain sexually explicit material. While not necessary for an alt. fanfic story, sexual descriptions tend to be included and range from gloss to graphic material. Bards who write alt. fanfic usually make a conscious choice of how to describe intimate relations between Xena and Gabrielle. Because there is an audience for both glossy and graphic stories, most writers find their fanfic well received regardless of the choice they make. Subtext fans tend to find it refreshing to see their interpretation of the characters written about in alt. fanfic.
Despite there being an audience for both gloss and graphic fanfic stories, there are two potential types of pressure with regard to sexually explicit descriptions. Many subtext fans find graphic depictions of the sexual relationship between Xena and Gabrielle to enhance an alt. fanfic story because it provides a 'resolution' or 'consummation' of the relationship between two characters in love. The pressure to write this kind of material may come from feeling that readers, given the tradition of sexually explicit alt. fanfic stories, expect to be given a depiction of this event(s). If anything, the general sense among subtext fanfic readers may be the preference for graphic material, although this is not universal nor does it negate the enjoyment of a more gloss-based approach to alt. fanfic. Thus, the writer may feel compelled to write graphic material in order to please the audience.
Another type of pressure is to not write sexually explicit graphic material because of the reaction of the audience. However, this pressure comes from individuals who read a story, and despite fanfic disclaimers that tell a reader about the content of a particular story, find the sexually explicit material contained in the story offensive. In addition, because subtext and alt. fanfic has become synonymous with a lesbian relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, readers who hold beliefs against this type of relationship may chastize (and/or flame) a bard who chooses to write such material.
Email feedback that flames or insults a writer is usually a form of pressure that may discourage a bard from exercising their freedom to write stories of their choosing. To be realistic, homophobic and flame email is a risk that all alt. fanfic writers take when submitting their stories to the Web at large. It is up to the individual writer to decide if that risk is worth changing how they choose to express themselves. Because virtually every single fanfic story on the Internet contains a disclaimer and warning about material that may potentially bother some readers, it is ultimately the responsibility of the reader to censor their own reading habits rather than attempting to censor writers.
Writing graphic stories, whether describing extreme violence or sexually explicit material, is a part of the Xenaverse fanfic phenomenon. Not unlike the real world where this kind of material can be found in any bookstore or library, XWP fanfic tends to mirror this diversity as well. Because of the variety in stories available, there are many different types of fanfic to select from and to write. Deciding on the type of story and the elements contained therein is a wholly personal choice for each fanfic writer to make. While it is true that there may be pressure to write a certain way or include particular items in a story, the power and freedom to create a story is wide open for fanfic writers. The beauty of Xena: Warrior Princess fanfic is that independence and that there is an audience for every story written.