Fanfic as ART? I think so.

So dragonscholar, recently proposed that fandom is the link between Art and Entertainment here. There are problems with the definitions of art (Requires effort, focused on uplifting and educates, is experienced intimately by individuals, about individual interpretation, not aimed at general groups) and the definition of Entertainment (Does not require effort, is totally or largely for fun only, is experienced more passively by individuals, aimed at general demographics, "open" to anyone) but there is enough of an idea to open the idea up.

To me, Art has a certain timeless quality that supersedes the era of its creation. Entertainment has a very immediate purpose. Now, of course, Entertainment can become art. We all know of a movie or novel that is so well crafted and timeless that it stays with you for years to come and can shape the way you view your world. What more can a masterpeice of art ask of me then to profoundly affect?

Fanfic can be Art too. There’s always that one great fic that will blow your mind and bring you to tears. Fanfic is just writing with someone else’s characters, but a good writer still deals with issues of acceptance, love, family, and finding your place (just to name a few) and these can be dealt with in highly engaging ways. Fanfic can wiggle its way into your heart and stay with you for years to come. Bedroom Window by Fablespinner (no longer hosted except on my hard drive) has been with me for nearly a decade. I remember it. I internalized it. It meant much more to me than a hundred books or movies on the same topic. My friend Cobalt_27, says Link_Worshiper’s Smells Like Teen Spirit rocked her world.

The fact is, fanfic is just a different media to write what can come to mean the world to its readers. Fanfic can be art.