Summary of "Fanfiction Has Destroyed Writing (And Everything Else)"

Summary of Fanfiction Has Destroyed Writing (And Everything Else)

This video presents a critical examination of fanfiction and its broad influence on modern literature, storytelling, and culture. While acknowledging that good fanfiction exists, the speaker argues that dominant trends and aesthetics within fanfiction communities have negatively shaped mainstream writing and cultural attitudes toward storytelling.

Main Ideas and Concepts

Fanfiction as a Neutral but Problematic Force Fanfiction itself is neutral—it can be good or bad. However, the mainstream perception and dominant style of fanfiction today are largely self-indulgent and emotionally driven. Fanfiction aesthetics and philosophies have “broken internet containment,” influencing mainstream literature negatively.
Harry Potter and Fanfiction’s Cultural Impact Harry Potter is identified as a major catalyst for the rise of fanfiction and its influence. The series allowed a generation to grow up immersed in a fictional world, fueling intense fan engagement and “shipping” (rooting for romantic pairings). Many popular modern works (e.g., Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey) originated as fanfiction, showing fanfiction’s deep impact on contemporary literature.
Core Problems Attributed to Fanfiction’s Influence
- Self-indulgence: Prioritizing the writer’s personal fantasies and emotional gratification over story quality, character development, or narrative coherence.
- Self-insert Characters: The epidemic of self-insert characters reflects narcissism and emotional indulgence.
- Smut and Sexual Content: Fanfiction is responsible for the “smut apocalypse,” flooding literature with explicit content that often prioritizes fantasy over artistic merit.
- Derivative and Meta Storytelling: Fanfiction’s derivative nature leads to a decline in originality and literary quality, including poor world-building and one-dimensional characters.
- Overemphasis on Representation and Political Correctness: Stories often prioritize modern social ideals and identity politics over historical accuracy or narrative necessity, leading to discomfort avoidance and censorship tendencies.
Self-Indulgence Defined and Explored Self-indulgence is defined as prioritizing personal pleasure and fantasies at the expense of restraint, discipline, and story quality. This leads to sanitized villains, anachronistic political discussions, and forced representation that ignores historical or narrative context. It encourages writing as therapy or narcissism rather than art. Writers avoid uncomfortable or challenging storytelling choices to maintain personal comfort and reader approval.
The Emotional Economy of Fanfiction Fanfiction functions as emotional and sometimes sexual “smut”—works designed to satisfy very specific emotional needs. Tags and content warnings on fanfiction platforms like AO3 reflect the hyperspecific emotional and sexual niches fans seek. Concepts like “hurt/comfort” (wump) stories illustrate how physical or emotional harm followed by comfort is a form of emotional gratification. This emotional indulgence is often therapeutic but not literary and can be unhealthy if overindulged.
Identity and Representation in Fanfiction Fanfiction heavily emphasizes self-representation, often requiring writers to only write characters or identities they “are,” leading to policing and censorship within communities. This attitude has spilled into mainstream publishing, where authors and publishers face backlash for characters or themes that do not align with current social ideals. The speaker highlights the danger of literature becoming a mirror for the author’s identity rather than a door to explore other perspectives.
The Smut Phenomenon and Its Origins The majority of fanfiction is romantic or sexual in nature, with “shipping” as a central driver. The permissive nature of fanfiction platforms has led to increasingly extreme and disturbing content, including underage and non-consensual themes. This content influences mainstream literature, encouraging the proliferation of explicit and sensational material. The speaker cites AO3’s lack of content restrictions as a breeding ground for problematic material.
BL (Boys’ Love) Subgenre and Its Fan Culture BL originated as fanfiction in Japan and has a large female fanbase worldwide. It often features problematic dynamics such as non-consensual relationships and large age gaps. BL fan culture is highly intense and sometimes obsessive, with real-life actors becoming subjects of fanfiction. The popularity of BL feeds back into fanfiction culture, amplifying its influence.
Concerns About Underage Content and Real-Person Fanfiction There is a significant amount of fanfiction featuring underage pairings and real people, often with explicit content. The fanfiction community’s defense of this material raises serious ethical and social concerns. The speaker links this to disturbing real-world behaviors and crimes, warning about the impact of consuming and normalizing such content.
Fanfiction as a Literary Nursery and Its Impact on New Writers Many contemporary popular authors started as fanfiction writers, carrying fanfiction’s self-indulgent and derivative storytelling methods into mainstream publishing. Fanfiction communities prioritize emotional satisfaction, representation, and social acceptability over literary quality, craft, or improvement. This leads to a decline in overall literary standards and originality. Popular fanfiction stories succeed largely due to fan engagement and emotional resonance rather than technical or artistic merit.
Recommendations and Conclusion The speaker urges readers and writers to stop reading and writing self-indulgent fanfiction if they want to improve or protect their literary sensibilities. They encourage seeking stories that challenge the mind rather than simply gratify emotions. The call is to demand higher literary standards and reject mediocrity. While recognizing the difficulty, the speaker insists that growth requires discipline and rejecting easy fame through smut or fan service. Parental supervision of children’s internet use is advised due to the availability of disturbing content.

Detailed Lessons and Methodologies

Understanding Self-Indulgence in Writing
- Prioritize story quality over personal emotional gratification.
- Avoid writing that only serves the author’s fantasies or comfort.
- Embrace discomfort and complexity in characters and themes.
- Resist social media-driven censorship or “safe” storytelling.
Recognizing Fanfiction’s Influence
- Identify how fanfiction aesthetics (self-insert, shipping, emotional smut) shape modern literature.
- Understand the derivative nature of fanfiction and its limits on originality.
- Be aware of how fanfiction communities enforce social and political norms on storytelling.
Navigating Emotional Needs vs. Literary Growth
- Differentiate between therapeutic writing and literary art.
- Avoid over-reliance on emotional gratification as the primary goal of writing.
- Seek stories that broaden perspectives rather than mirror the self.
Critical Consumption of Literature
- Question popularity metrics that reward emotional indulgence over literary merit.
- Demand stories with depth, honesty, and creative integrity.
- Avoid supporting works that cater solely to fan service or smut.
For Writers
- Strive for continuous improvement and humility.
- Challenge yourself with difficult themes and honest storytelling.
- Avoid self-insert characters and derivative plots.
- Focus on building original worlds and complex characters.
- Resist pressures to conform to fanfiction community norms in professional writing.
For Readers
- Be selective about what you read; prioritize quality over emotional comfort.
- Recognize the difference between literature as a mirror and as a door.
- Support authors who pursue literary excellence and creative honesty.

Speakers and Sources Featured

Primary Speaker The video is narrated by a single, unnamed commentator who provides a detailed critique and analysis of fanfiction and its cultural impact.
Referenced Individuals and Works
- Fran Liowitz (quoted on literature’s function: “A book is not supposed to be a mirror. It’s supposed to be a door.”)
- Various fanfiction communities and platforms: AO3, Tumblr, LiveJournal, Wattpad
- Specific fanfiction works like All the Young Dudes (Harry Potter fanfiction)
- Popular literary and media franchises: Harry Potter, Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, Star Wars, My Hero Academia, Sailor Moon, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, The Untamed
- Mention of authors like E.L. James, Cassandra Clare, Ali Hazelwood
- Reference to Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian as an example of non-self-indulgent writing

Summary

The video argues that fanfiction’s dominant culture of self-indulgence, emotional gratification, and derivative storytelling has deeply influenced and arguably degraded modern literature and storytelling. It calls for a conscious rejection of these trends by both readers and writers to restore literary quality and artistic integrity.