Here's a roundup of fanfiction stories that might be of interest to fans:

• MTV's recent announcement of a fan fiction contest for Teen Wolf fandom has had some fans contacting the OTW with concerns about the contest rules. While the content restrictions are pretty wide ranging, OTW Legal Chair Rebecca Tushnet notes that the language does not throw up the kind of concerns seen a few months ago in an audio contest hosted by Random House. She writes:

  "Crucially, it specifies that the rules apply to your entry, and don't require you to say that "all my fanworks are done only with permission" the way Random House did, so it has no effect on your ability to create other Teen Wolf fanworks. Here's the relevant language:

  Entrant shall retain all copyright in and to his/her Essay; provided, however that entrant agrees that by entering into this Contest he/she is granting Sponsor (and any and all of Sponsor’s subsidiaries and affiliates and affiliated broadcast stations and networks, successors and assignees and licensees) the non-exclusive, worldwide irrevocable right and license, but not the obligation, to exhibit, broadcast, copy, reproduce, encode, compress, encrypt, incorporate data into, edit, dub, superimpose, rebroadcast, transmit, record, publicly perform and distribute and synchronize in timed relation to visual elements, the Essays and/or any portions or excerpts thereof....

  This language is broad in what it lets MTV do with your entry, because MTV might not be sure exactly how it's going to deal with the winners. But the language is not broad in what it claims: you just gave MTV a license, and you can't take it back, but that's pretty much the minimum that MTV needs to be confident that it can promote the winning entries.

  One possibility is that they might incorporate your story into a later actual script, whether the story wins or not. A far more likely scenario: a submitted story is broadly similar to a storyline they were going to do anyway. In either case, this language prevents someone who submits a story from successfully suing MTV saying "you used my submission in your canon!" But this is probably a fair trade from the fan's side, though if you wrote for TV you might start to worry about what happens to your salary if this becomes common."

  In short, "Random House treated fan fiction like a foreign and risky thing it wanted to control, but there are alternatives even for official producers engaging with fans."

• At least some in the press are not eager to see more fanfiction making its way across professional borders. In The Independent, columnist John Walsh acknowledges "It wouldn't do to be sniffy about works of fiction that feed off others. Literary history is full of important works that are shameless retellings of others." However there is still panic afoot. "But we might begin to wonder what has become of readers. Once they were content to read a book, enjoy the plot and feel warmth or dislike for the characters. Now, increasing numbers are driven to invade the book's pages, wrestle the characters away from their creator and provide their own plot twists. Most, of course, are wholly unequipped to write their own novel or to handle prose with much grace or vividness. But what happens if, in the free-for-all of online publication, a spin-off book starts to eclipse the original from which it derives?"
• Sometimes, though, those original authors are interested when they have inspired others to create, as is the case with poet Sarah Kay whose work inspired a Teen Wolf fanfic hosted at the AO3. "A friend of mine forwarded me this link and it took me a while to figure out what was going on...this particular entry seems to be a piece based on the TV show “Teen Wolf.” The catch? This author finds a connection between some of the characters on the show and my poem “B.”...I have never seen Teen Wolf before, so I don’t know anything about any of the characters referenced, but the general concept of fan fiction fascinates me."

If you're writing for yourself, others, or fanfic contests, why not include yourself in Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup. Links are welcome in all languages! Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories about how fandom has arrived that might be of interest to fans:

• YPulse, a Millenial marketing site, focused on fan fiction as part of their check-in on youth trends. "What once was a nerdy pastime is now the norm, and fan fiction goes well beyond creative writing. Teens are still writing fan fiction stories, but now they're also creating videos of themselves acting out scenes from books and movies, crafting animations of their favorite stars in stories they devise, and recording covers of songs with their own twists to the music and lyrics. And Millennial stars and brands are embracing this form of co-creation."
• Indeed, discussions of brands and marketing revolves around fandom talk. "Stephenie Rodriguez, of social-media consultancy Mighty Media Group, says there's no question the internet is enabling people to become more verbal about their views. Without the passionate few, Rodriguez says, the online world would be contrived and disengaged. 'I believe the presence of a hater or fanboy is an indication of a healthy community,' she says. 'A forum or community without conflict reeks of artifice. For brands, nothing sounds as dead as no discussion, no query, no conflict, no advocates.'"
• Fandom is also the focus of many an academic, one of whom recently discussed "Minions, Memes, and Meta: The Varieties of Online Media Fandom Experience" at The University of South Carolina, Sumter. The presentation focused on "the origins of media fandom, its activities and...fannishness as a philosophy of engaging texts."
• Of course the OTW itself hosts many an academic work about fans as well as various other fannish projects, at least one of which led us to believe we've arrived when someone created a "me/ao3 otp" fanmix.

If you're in "brandom", create fanworks or are an acafan, why not write about it in Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup at transformativeworks.org. Links are welcome in all languages! Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of views of fandom stories that might be of interest to fans:

• Discussions that surround fandom in the media tend to take on some familiar themes, such as in the recent study of Bieber Fever that concludes fandom is a disease (spread, no doubt, by fans of Rudolph Valentino or Frank Sinatra in the last century), but there are also often discussions of religion. LiveScience discussed how Twilight may be a religious substitute for some teens. "In Denmark, where religion is not a large part of daily life, teens seem to use media — often, American media — to explore questions of good and evil, life after death and destiny, Line Nybro Petersen of the University of Copenhagen's film and media studies department has found. The communal experiences of hardcore fans of the series can even echo religious communities." Persephone Magazine begins their own discussion by quoting Joss Whedon "'I guess the thing that I want to say about fandom is that it’s the closest thing to religion there is that isn’t actually religion.'" The article focuses on sacred texts, rituals, and communities of faith.
• Many companies, however, are less interested in the temple than the marketplace. Diverse strategies to commercialize fans through new services continue to make the news. Fans in commerce for themselves are not new however, although long-term success is always a challenge.
• Isaac Butler recently wrote about the significance of fandom in an article which compared his reaction to an uncle's death to that of Community's showrunner being fired. Meanwhile cartoonist Nicolas Mahler spoofed superhero comics and their fandom. "With Mahler's interest in the culture surrounding superhero comics, the cartoonist also has a bit of fun with Angelman's 'fans,' who are a thoroughly miserable lot, complaining about every issue (except the ultra-violent one). 'I have seen a lot of those fanboys at comic festivals over the years, and the funny thing is that they are completely the same everywhere,' Mahler told CBR News. 'I think behind any collector, there lurks a sad, unfulfilled person.'"
• Sports blogger Hayden Kane would disagree however. "Having been fortunate enough to attend three Rockies games this week, I was reminded of something: nobody actually knows what the fan thinks, because the idea that there is some embodiment of what every single fan believes is a fiction. We can speak from the perspective of a fan, not the fan." In describing different motivations and activities while attending games Kane resolves "We should all quit trying to lump these groups together. We should quit trying to speak for all fans. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy being a fan and to have interesting discussions about the team’s future..[events] will resonate differently with different fans. That’s a good thing." The Atlantic takes that view too, declaring presidential candidates Obama and Romney to both be serious Star Trek fans.

Fanlore was created as a place to record fannish history from diverse points of view so that all fans could share their perspectives. If you're a fan, why not contribute to your own stories?

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on commodification of fandom that might be of interest to fans:

• The TV series Chuck's demise was covered by various media outlets but NPR focused on the fandom. "Chuck's life and death speaks in surprisingly potent ways to how television is changing" writes Linda Holmes. "More than anything, Chuck is a story about the rise of the fan. Not only because the show has organized devotees — that's not new." Rather it was that "Chuck fans, in their businesslike enthusiasm, sold themselves as a product."
• A review of the recent novel Convent says that while it "skewers just about every aspect of organized fandom and the publishing industry (sometimes literally) there’s rarely any meanness in it, more like family poking fun at a favorite — if slightly strange — uncle. ConVent is just great fun, a laugh riot from beginning to end and largely drawn from real-life experiences at cons." There is also a sequel planned.
• An article about a controversial YouTube user focused on how the DMCA is being utilized, not just by entertainment entities attempting to control use of their products, but also the "growing use of copyright claims as a cudgel against enemies and rivals." The misuse of the law can also hurt artists. "Last September, one person falsely claimed copyright over music videos by Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. It took hours for the videos to be restored. And that was an unusually fast response. It can normally take days or weeks for YouTube to restore a video —- and that’s if the person who posted it responds with a counterclaim against the original DMCA request. Nearly 8,000 YouTubers have signed a petition calling on Google to reform how it handles DMCA notices.""
• By contrast, Portals is a music blog collective of sixteen bloggers raising money through Kickstarter to help artists. They describe the site as ""a daily destination for MP3s, videos, mixes, interviews, artist's writings, and cultural commentary -- curated for quality, and with an emphasis on emerging artists and musical movements that best exemplify the new grassroots, Internet-fueled DIY."" But one of the writers "balked at the idea of wielding "influence" over a readership" explaining "I'm not trying to become more influential. I guess the goal of expanding who we're reaching is something, but I don't want anyone to listen to something because I said so. I just want to let as many people know it exists as I can. I want these bands I think are amazing to at least have the chance to be heard. I just don't think influence is the right word.""

If you are a fan of Chuck, are a music fan, use YouTube, or attend cons why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.