Cultus Dispatches: Fanfiction and the Serious Business of Writer's Craft

Most Tolkien fanfiction writers will tell you that their craft matters. They work at their writing and try to improve. Fandom institutions like awards, writer's workshops, lists of beta-readers, and selective archives reinforce that this is a fandom that takes its writing seriously.

But this is not a universal, and while authors who approach their stories differently are in a minority, there is some evidence to suggest they are a growing group. This month's Cultus Dispatches column considers fanfiction and writer's craft according to data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Surveys of 2015 and 2020, focusing on the authors who didn't agree that they took their writing seriously. While a small group, they doubled in number between the two surveys and show some intriguing demographic and motive-related data.

To learn more, check out Dawn's article Fanfiction and the Serious Business of Writer's Craft.

Posted on 25 May 2024 (updated 6 July 2024) by SWG Moderators