If designing and populating an entire world feels overwhelming or if you just want to explore a story idea that hasn’t yet been addressed by a book/game/movie creator, fan fiction might be something for you to try. I like both reading and writing fan fiction because it allows me to spend time in a world with characters I love.

For example, Jonathan Mayberry has edited three collections of professionally written X-Files fan fiction. I just started volume 2 as an audiobook. Each new story in the collection offers a fresh perspective on agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully and their adventures together working for the FBI. I can’t stop nerding about it, honestly, because I love these audio collections so much.

A few years ago, I tried my hand at X Files fanfic, but didn’t get a whole story written. What I’ve enjoyed writing and talking with people about is Supernatural fanfic. Like X Files, Supernatural has a very open world with lots of minor characters and both major and minor plot arcs. I love how the writers of Supernatural have built in nods to the “shipping” of various main characters and Supernatural fan events, as well as several story lines linked to Supernatural fanfic.
Having a hard writing day? Need a break from your current project? Give Fan Fiction a try.