Spark: How Fanfiction and Fandom Can Set Your Creativity on Fire

by Atlin Merrick (editor), Wendy C. Fries

Spark is all about encouragement, permission, it's about firing you How Fanfiction and Fandom Can Set Your Creativity on Fire hopes to help you believe that your fandom writing, drawing, podficcing - whatever you're creating right now - is, was, and ever shall be legitimate, important, and a fantastic way to expand your community, develop your skills, and above all help you find your voice in the world. Spark's more than forty essays and interviews from best-selling writers Anne Jamison, Claire O'Dell, Diane Duane, Henry Jenkins, KJ Charles, Lyndsay Faye, Sara Dobie Bauer, and many others discuss, encourage, and shout about how fic and fandom in all their glories can absolutely inspire you, set your creativity on fire - and change your world.

Contributors: Adalisa Zarate, Amy Murphy, Andrea L Farley, Angela Nauss, Ann McClellan, Atlin Merrick, Audra McCauley, Bel Murphy, Camille Happert, Carman C Curton, Colleen Veillon, Dannye Chase, Darcy Lindbergh, Darth Astris, Diandra Hollman, Diane Duane, Dimitra Stathopoulos, E C Foxglove, Elena Piatti, Emily Schmitt, George Ivanoff, Henry Jenkins, Janet Anderton, Jayantika Ganguly, K. Caine, Kameo Llyn Douglas, Khorazir Anke Eissmann, Margaret Walsh, May Shepard, Melissa Good, Meredith Spies, Merinda Brayfield, Monica Hotaru, Narrelle M Harris, Rosalyn Hunter, Sara Dobie Bauer, Sebastian Jack, Sherrinford Holmes, Stacey Cunningham, Verena Höhn, Wendy C Fries

Genres: Nonfiction, Fandom

383 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2023

Reviews

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It doesn't matter if there are already a thousand other stories about, for example, vampires: your story is still missing."

Thank you to Atlin Merrick and Improbable Press for a copy to review! It's a quirky mix of self-help, fandom reminiscence, and very solid advice on how to engage with fanfiction, the publishing industry, and everything in between.

Let me preface this by saying that if I had to pick a critique, it would be that this ran a little long for an essay collection. In such a work, the density can build up quick, and this was nearly four hundred pages. That said, wow, the bounty of well-meaning advice and warmhearted solidarity in these pages. While the writing community might garner the most from these pages, as a reader\reviewer involved in fandom for over a decade, most of it sticks the landing and I would recommend to my friends.

The book is split into six umbrella sections, from essays in defense of fanfiction (some stuff you wouldn't consider fanfic is just that!), to scrubbing fics for publication, to the emotional side of things, like finding gender identity and sexuality models represented in fic. I have never seen fanfiction quoted in a published book until now, and it made me teary. And as an added bonus, there's multi-fandom fanart strewn in between parts. 

Many of the contributors are Sherlockian veterans, and some of the content is very much presented through that lens, while still remaining relatable to other fannish people. Most of us Chronically Online humans have seen writers going viral for publishing fic with the serial numbers filed off, or gotten too deep into the writing communities on social media and become trapped in a thorny maze of self-doubt.

It's difficult to pick favorites, but as a reader and reviewer I related less to the writing advice essays simply by that fact. Merinda Brayfield's "Building on the Bones of What's Come Before" was a blanket of reassurance, examining just how much of western canon counts as "fanfic" and aptly denying the concept of "new ideas", particularly in fiction. In "Fandom and Finding (or Accepting) Your Sexuality," Jamie Ashbird crafted a touching rumination on discovering asexuality through fandom, a parallel to my own journey and a very comforting read. Lastly, the quote opening this review came from Monica Micio's "Fandom Safe Spaces and the Limitless Ideas of Fic", and I think it speaks for itself, particularly as online netizens in book spheres probably all know by now of the recent Twitter tea involving a white writer accusing a Black author of plagiarism, the former attempting to copyright magical solar powers: that's right, copyright the sun. 

The combination of conversational tones, approachable material and sheer usefulness of this book's content makes it a a go-to recommendation for my fandom and writer friends alike. 

[NiaKantorka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

I loved this book in parts, its positive energy and its many encouraging words for people who write or think about writing fanfiction.

I also loved some of the essays or short snippets to pieces. Essays that stood out to me were those (in chronological order) from Tei, Sebastian Jack, Dannye Chase, E.C. Foxgloves and all of the ones in section 4 of the book (that’s divided into 6 sections) - please excuse my lazy bum for not looking everyone up.
The short, poignant snippets from Neil Gaiman or Ursula K. LeGuin and many others were wonderful too.

Why not more stars then? In my opinion there was not enough variety in the fandoms mentioned. The biggest proportion was about Sherlock Holmes and his fandoms, especially Sherlock (around 70-75 %) and the other 25-30 % were also mostly fandoms of Western culture e.g. the MCU, Xena, Star Trek, Harry Potter, X-Files, Buffy, The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings and Our Flag Means Death (honourably mentioned once).

That’s in part due to the fact that Atlin Merrick, Spark’s editor, is mainly participating in Sherlock fandom and asked their friends and acquaintances to contribute for this book.

Note: I was in Sherlock fandom from around 2014 to 2016 and even wrote an exchange fic for it. It wasn’t that nice and happy place this book makes it out to be. Tumblr was one big cesspool before, when, and after The Abominable Bride came out. So this mostly rosey-dovey view rubbed me the wrong way at times, but I tried to leave it out of my rating.

But let’s be honest: Of course I would ask my fandom friends for their stories too, if I were to write a book about fandom experiences and how uplifting those can be.

What lowered my rating for real was the aforementioned lack of diversity or let me call it the dominance of the Westerner’s perspective. For example, would I have appreciated it if some of the many many contributors for Asian fandoms (anime, manga, dramas, movies, books - really, take your pick) had had a voice in this book too. You know, just one essay about the wildness of Japanese manga fandoms and how often shows deriving from them break through the 4th wall by making fun of themselves and their fans. Or the craziness of censorship in China and what (also mostly female) authors of m/m novels do to circumvent it. Or how Thai BL shows set new standards on showing boys in love and what an inspiration that has become for their fans and fandoms.

I did have a good time with this book and its content but it didn’t blow me away like I thought it would.

P.S.: I saw some controversy about KJ Charles' essay and that it was anti trans. I’m afraid, I didn’t see it. It reads mostly like an „yay, for more female representation in books compared to the usual patriarchal society“ essay to me. It might be that I overlooked some hidden aspects because of the less frequent but still sometimes there English Second Language barrier. If someone explained to me what the problem is / was, I would very much appreciate it.

[Archer L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so desperately wanted to give this book 5 stars. Almost every single essay was incredible, motivating, encouraging, and just so damn comforting, but there, was one essay that I just had to skip due to transphobia/radfem-like sentiments. The essay in question was "Don't Give Me Heroes That I'd Happily Set on Fire" by KJ Charles. Honestly, the premise of the essay was good, but the way it was written and handled was not.

However, that essay aside, this book was amazing. It was something I very much needed to read without knowing I needed to read it. I've been in fandom for about 11 years now, and have been writing fanfiction almost my whole life. I thought I already held positive views towards fandom as a whole, but this book reinforced those views and made my connection feel stronger.

This book, as with fandom, did indeed spark my creativity and passion.

[Narrelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a lot of love for both fandom and for fanfiction, having been involved in both for many decades. I developed a lot of my writing skills in the tight-knit and supportive fandom community, writing Blake's 7 and Star Trek fanfic in the 1980s and returning to that joyful, low-stress writing field in the 2010s when I was suffering severe writer's block. It freed me up, showed me I could still write, and then opened up a large number of new opportunities for me – including writing erotica (professionally) and song lyrics (I have 9 songs available on iTunes/Spotify/YouTube etc so far under the name Duo Ex Machina).

So I am especially delighted to have an essay in this fabulous book, Spark – How Fanfiction and Fandom Can Set Your Creativity on Fire.

Spark is an exploration and celebration of the joys of fandom and fan creativity, and how fannish communities and the creation of transformative works offers a supportive environment for self-discovery, positive mental health, skills development, 'finding your tribe' and even, if you want it, pathways to professional creative outlets.

Writers for Spark include both fan writers and professional writers (and sometimes those are the same person) including George Ivanoff, KJ Charles, Claire O'Dell, Diane Duane, and well-known popular culture academics Henry Jenkins and Melissa A. Hofmann, with plenty of affirming and supportive quotes from folks like Hugo and Nebula award winners like Seanan McGuire, Neil Gaiman, Mary Robinette Kowal, Alyssa Wong and John Scalzi.

Even if you're not into fandom and fannish works, Spark has some brilliant material for writers looking for support.

Struggling with imposter syndrome? Filled with doubt about your path as a writer, or even describing yourself as one? There are essays for you about how people managed those feelings and experiences. Neurodiverse, or you have significant health issues or a disability, and finding most writing advice isn't useful for you? Neurodiverse and health-diverse writers offer their tips for getting things done. Worried you'll never be as polished as that pro writer you love? Pro and fan writers talk about the necessity of "writing garbage" to get good, and how maybe none of that stuff is garbage but a necessary part of the process and improving your skills.

Spark is wall-to-wall validation and enthusiastic support, with great ideas on how to approach writing for fun (or even profit) – not by insisting on rigid, one-size-fits-all rules, but by sharing the many paths to fulfilment, the friendships and satisfaction to be found on the way, and the joy to be found in community and in creation for its own sake.

[Dhove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read many academic books on fan writing since I discovered Henry Jenkins original "Textual Poachers". What is different about this one is, even though Henry is one of the authors, it is mostly essays from the fans themselves. A collection of unique experiences all painting one part of the same picture. Like another reviewer here, I did not have a positive experience interacting with the Sherlock fandom and I know at least one of the writers in this book saw firsthand just how bad the bullying could get. But I'm sure there were plenty of people who had a more positive experience and that is what Atlin wants us to focus on. Is every entry brilliant? No. Some are overlong and repetitive to the point of annoying. And the one written by the author I mentioned earlier is probably one of the weaker ones. But it does exactly what Atlin clearly intended it to do: provide inspiration and encouragement to writers, especially ones that might be struggling with writing.

[Sarah Tollok · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES to everything in this book.

YES to celebrating creative fandom communities.

YES to real experts in media studies discussing fan works as being valid forms of art.

YES to inserting underrepresented identities into pre-existing narratives because the world needs more diversity!

YES to folks creating stories and art for the sheer joy of it and never wanting to pursue those interests on a paid professional level and YES to those who do it as a jumping off point or training ground for launching creative careers.

And a HUGE YES to Atlin Merrick bringing her unbridled enthusiasm to this project. A few years back, I had the pleasure of hosting her and other fandom experts for a lit festival panel about fan fiction. Her genuine love for this topic shines through on every page.

[Brienne Tarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, powerful, moving.
I literally had to read this in baby chunks because my psyche doesn't take well to relentless validation and encouragement. XDDD
If you ever saw that "Foxes in love" cartoon where the darker blue one safewords out of the other's kind words...If you are part of any fandom, that could be you. It was me! :-)
If you need a boost of positivity (which, let's be honest, who doesn't?) get this as a treat.

[Lisbeth Kvisten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I eagerly awaited this book to reach me from overseas, and my was it worth the wait! It’s made me laugh, cry, shout out, YES! I’ve been educated, encouraged, enlightened and left hopeful and cherished. This book is everything I hoped it would be and then some! Thanks to everyone involved and especially to the remarkable Atlin Merrick.

[Hello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even to get a peek into other fandom writers minds is fantastic ... did not expect the tears and joy along the way!!! This is so encouraging to read and feel and hold and know it exists!!!