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‘FEEDBACK MEANS THE WORLD TO ME’:
CONSTRUCTING PROXIMITY IN CANON-
COMPLIANT FANFICTION
‘FEEDBACK MEANS THE WORLD TO ME’:
LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DE LA PROXIMIDAD
EN LA FANFICCIÓN AJUSTADA AL CANON
https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_misc/mj.202410256
KATARZYNA MATLAS
University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland
kmatlas@us.edu.pl
<https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8066-5525>
Abstract
This paper examines the linguistic strategies used in English to create proximity
within the online fandom community. The study applies close reading techniques
to analyse three works of fanfiction belonging to a canon-compliant subgenre. It
explores how authors from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds establish a
relationship with their readers by demonstrating their affiliation with fandom
(proximity of membership) and dedication to the source material (proximity of
commitment). To investigate these techniques, the study employs the model of
proximity defined by Hyland (2010), extended by the findings of Suau-Jiménez
(2019, 2020). The analysis includes both the main text and the metatext, revealing
similarities in the techniques used by the authors to establish proximity through
organisation, argument, credibility, stance and engagement.
Keywords: proximity, interpersonality, fanfiction, fan studies, genre.
Resumen
Este artículo examina las estrategias lingüísticas empleadas en inglés para crear
proximidad dentro de la comunidad de fan en línea. El estudio incorpora técnicas
de lectura atenta para analizar tres fanfictions o fanficciones pertenecientes a un
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subgénero que se ajusta al canon. Explora el modo en el que autores de diversos
orígenes socioculturales establecen vínculos con sus lectores demostrando su
afiliación al fandom o comunidad fan (proximidad de pertenencia) y su dedicación
al material original (proximidad de compromiso). Para investigar estas técnicas, el
estudio emplea el modelo de proximidad definido por Hyland (2010), ampliado
por los hallazgos de Suau-Jiménez (2019, 2020). El análisis incluye tanto el texto
principal como el metatexto y revela que hay similitudes en las técnicas empleadas
por los autores para establecer las facetas que constituyen la proximidad:
organización, argumentación, credibilidad, postura y compromiso.
Palabras clave: proximidad, interpersonalidad, fanficciones, estudios sobre
aficionados, género.
1. Introduction
This paper is an attempt to explore how reader interaction is encouraged by the
linguistic strategies used in English by fanfiction writers. The first section of the
article introduces fandom as a community with defined practices, such as the
creation of fanfiction. In the following parts, fanfiction will be described as a form
of communication between writers and readers. Furthermore, I will briefly present
research on fanfiction and introduce the notion of proximity, which may be
constructed within fanfiction to facilitate interaction and engagement among
members of the community, and present the analysis of the study data. In the last
section, I will discuss the results and attempt to determine how fanfiction writers
may construct proximity in canon-compliant fanfiction and how they use language
to present and justify their writing.
1.1. What is a Fandom?
The word “fan” comes from the Latin fanaticus, which describes a devotee
(Jenkins 1992). Fans participate in activities to express their deep affection for a
certain product or person; they form a community and create texts, art and music
based on their common interest. An online group that shares traditions, opinions,
perspectives and social norms is called a fandom (Kobus 2018). Each fandom has
its object of affection such as a video game, book or television series. A fandom is
characterised by their practices of “prosumption”, meaning consumption and
production. “Prosumer”, a term coined by Alvin Toffler (1980), was defined as an
agent who both consumes a product and produces it in remade form. These
practices of “prosumption” include critical reinterpretation (Silberstein-Bamford
2023), appropriation, immersion (Van Steenhuyse 2011) and creative output.
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Fans form groups and function as communities with defined practices, constituting
a participatory culture “inviting many forms of participation and levels of
engagement” (Jenkins 1992: 2). Fanfiction writing is one of the practices used for
initiating interaction and discussion among members of the community.
1.2. What is Fanfiction?
Fanfiction is one of the most popular forms of production within fandom. It allows
the writer to disaggregate and reorganise the source material and create a text
based on another text (Hellekson and Busse 2014). By reusing features from a
well-established universe, such as characters or settings, fanfiction develops a new
narrative which refines the source material and makes it flawless in the eyes of the
author (Oberc 2015). Fanfiction is the result of deep analysis of source material
and expands on certain scenes, plotlines and character personalities. It is a process
of “retelling” carried out in a participatory culture, which allows people to assume
multiple roles simultaneously, that is, author, receiver and critic. Online writing
allows everyone, regardless of their gender, age or social status, to express their
opinions, be creative or engage in discussion with the help of the story (Menise
2020).
Classifying fanfiction can be difficult because each fandom has its own set of terms
and conventions. Fanfiction is not a single uniform category; instead, we can only
identify certain patterns and trends within it. Several taxonomies have been
developed for fanfiction over the years (see Bacon-Smith 1992; Jenkins 1992;
Pugh 2005; Kobus 2018), although there is no official system of categorisation to
date. This study focuses on canon-compliant fanfiction, a type of fanfiction that
does not change the original storyline and whose main purpose is to explain and
elaborate on certain aspects of the plot (Kobus 2018). The story may be set before,
during or after the events of the original work. Writers often interpret the original
events and draw conclusions, which are then incorporated into the new text. In
canon-compliant fanfiction, any additions to the plot must be implemented
convincingly to ensure the reader understands how they improve upon the original.
These additions function in much the same way as arguments.1 An argument is a
new element of the plot which aims to enhance and complement the original
work, increasing the satisfaction of both the author and the readers.
A fandom has an in-group register, which is also a criterion for membership. It is
assumed that several genres of fanfiction coexist within a fandom, and members
employ specific terminology to refer to original material. To be a member of a
fandom, one must possess a satisfactory comprehension of the source material and
the related terminology. Similarly, discourse communities also require “a threshold
of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise”
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(Swales 1990: 27). A fandom may be considered a discourse community that uses
specialised terminology and tropes to achieve its communicative goals.
1.3. Interactions in Digital Fanfiction Writing
In participatory cultures, shared practices such as writing and reading fanfiction
serve as means of communication. Communicative events happen mostly in the
metatext (e.g. author’s notes, comments, tags) and across multiple websites
(author’s social media), where every fan may participate.
With the emergence of the Web 2.0, most fandom activities shifted to the
internet, and several websites were established to serve as repositories for user-
generated content and to facilitate interaction. In the context of fanfiction,
authors may either post their work all at once or release it in a serialised format,
with new chapters being published on a schedule or whenever they find time.
Some authors may choose to release their work in parts to gather feedback from
readers.
The most popular webpage for posting fanfiction, Archive of Our Own (AO3),
allows users to interact with fanfiction passively and actively through two levels
—textual and metatextual. The textual level concerns the story itself, while the
metatextual level allows for interaction between the author and readers. For
fanfiction to be published on AO3, it needs to have a proper description and
appropriate tagging, as the fans use tags to search for content. Tags are
metatextual markers that inform the reader of the type of content they may
anticipate. The AO3 syntax of tagging is not specifically regulated and may be
seen as a distinctive mode of communication, or a space where the author may
include their informal reflections. At the end of each chapter, readers can post
their comments. The comments section also enables the readers to engage in
conversation between themselves or with the author. When the format of
fanfiction is serialised, AO3 allows the user to subscribe to a particular piece and
be notified of new updates via email. Readers may give ‘kudos’ to a work
(equivalent to a ‘like’ on social media) or bookmark it, that is, save it to a user
account or private collection so they may return to the story without the fear of
forgetting the title or author. A comment section may be used as a means of
communication, but the author of fanfiction may also communicate with readers
using the author’s notes, which appear before the main text. The author’s notes
may give reasons why the story was written or explain certain cultural conventions,
but they are predominantly used to share the author’s thoughts, ask readers for
opinions and show gratitude to readers for reading the story. In the author’s
notes, writers may also provide links to their social media profiles so they can stay
in touch with readers outside AO3.
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Fanfiction may be divided into parts, although the lines separating them are often
blurred. Texts open with an introduction, which informs readers about when and
where in the source material’s timeline the fanfiction takes place, while the main
body presents the arguments (author’s additions) followed by the ending.
The participatory nature of a fandom allows everybody to be a creator. Fanfiction
writers post under pseudonyms and seldom disclose personal information such as
nationality, age or gender. A fandom may be considered a safe space, and fanfiction
writing encourages participants to explore their gender identity or sexual
preferences without revealing their identity to the public (see Dym et al. 2019;
Dym and Fiesler 2020). Fanfiction provides a means for writers to reflect on and
interpret the emotions evoked by the source material, as well as to modify and
enhance the story to make it more engaging and satisfying for both the author and
the reader.
AO3 is a platform for fans to exchange feedback. Public reviews are encouraged
and valued. Readers can choose to interact with the work of other fans by sharing
their opinions on the story or the writing. Feedback can reassure authors and lead
them to improve their writing by offering constructive criticism. As Cheng and
Frens noted, such exchanges improve interpretive skills, allowing for reflection on
both source material and fanfiction from different perspectives. The ability to
improve writing based on feedback applies to creative, professional and academic
writing (2022: 402). Furthermore, more dedicated writers of fanfiction often
collaborate with a ‘beta-reader’, who reviews their work before publication.
Fanfiction is part of an online gifting culture, which determines the amount and type
of interaction expected between members and the assumed reciprocity of
contributions. Metatext is used to perform various fan activities including criticism
and appraisals. Every individual may feel a need to engage with fan creations, whether
directly or indirectly, by liking a work of fanfiction or leaving a comment (Kobus
2018). Individuals give and receive fan products, resulting in the creation of social
relationships centred around a mutual object of affection (Hellekson 2009).
Reciprocity can deepen the bond between individuals and may increase the prestige
of good authors, earning them renown for their selfless creations (Kobus 2018).
To have their work assessed, writers need to establish a certain level of
interaction with the audience. This can be achieved through the use of
metatext, engagement markers and the organisation of the fanfiction itself,
which includes the effective portrayal of characters, a well-constructed narrative
and an emotional resonance with the reader that may prompt them to engage
with the text. It has been observed that fans tend to document their observations
and discuss any rejection or reinterpretation of the established material in the
metatext (Bennett 2014).
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1.4. Previous Studies on Fanfiction
One of the most prominent studies on fan behaviour is Henry Jenkins’s Textual
Poachers: Television Fans & Participatory Culture (1992), which uses De Certeau’s
(1984) notion of poaching to describe fans as meaning-makers while placing them
in a position of resistance to the publishing industry. At first, analyses falsely treated
fans as a homogenous group (Bronwen 2011) and focused heavily on feminist and
gender overtones found in fanfiction. Russ (2014) states that fanfiction is explicitly
feminist pornography, while Lamb and Veith (2014) argue that fanfiction is a
sphere where explicit sexual content must be understood as a woman’s desire for
equality in a relationship, which does not fall under societal hierarchies of gender
roles. Woledge (2006) observes that in fanfiction texts, a woman’s hidden desire
for intercourse is reshaped as the highest form of trust and emotional connection.
In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of literature on power
dynamics within digitally-mediated communities, such as the work by Harris
(1998) and Jancovich (2002), who explored how fans’ migration to the internet
space has impacted their activity and their relationship with social hierarchies,
using theories developed by Foucault and Bourdieu. Furthermore, scholars studied
how fans are attached to media and how they interact with it in relation to fanfiction
(see Gray 2003; van Monsjou and Mar 2019). Fanfiction has been considered a
feminist genre (see Bacon-Smith 1992; Bury 2005; Woledge 2006) and a space for
activism (see Allred and Gray 2021), identity expression (see Dym et al. 2019;
Dym and Fiesler 2020) and communal literacy acquisition (see DeLuca 2018;
Rodriguez Aragon and Davis 2019).
The anthology The Fan Fiction Studies Reader (2014), edited by Karen Hellekson
and Kristine Busse, provides an overview of fan studies and situates this scholarly
work mainly within the realms of media and cultural studies. The book explores
fan creations and the ways they are written and distributed.
However, this existing research has been limited to fanfiction’s psychological,
social and cultural aspects, while its linguistic features have not been sufficiently
explored. Previous linguistic research into the genre has mostly contributed to
second language acquisition (see Black 2005, 2006), self-taught critical literacy
(see Edfeldt et al. 2012) or linguistic practices in mixed-language fanfiction (see
Leppänen 2012). What seems to be lacking is a thorough exploration of the
linguistic facets of fanfiction written in English. This paper aims to explore the
linguistic aspects of discourse within and around fanfiction.
Fanfiction is a reader-oriented type of writing. Fanfiction authors must convince
readers of the validity of their additions to receive a positive reception. This
behaviour is also present in other reader-oriented genres. In research articles,
writers establish proximity to enhance the credibility of their claims. Fanfiction
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authors may also use proximity to persuade readers, as this notion focuses on
positioning the author in relation to their text and community, which ought to
satisfy the reader’s expectations (Hyland 2010). Compared to other subgenres,
proximity may be most prominently visible in canon-compliant fanfiction due
to its purpose of enhancing the original work: authors may make specific
language choices to establish proximity, therefore increasing the validity of their
additions.
Proximity fosters reader-oriented writing, as the recipient needs to recognise the
structure and anticipate the writer’s purposes. Proximity has been applied to
academic writing (see Hyland 2010; Dressen-Hammouda 2014; Zhang and
Cheung 2018; Herrando-Rodrigo 2019) and is assumed to be part of the process
of negotiating authors’ claims in articles. Furthermore, proximity has been applied
to multimodal discourse (see Scotto di Carlo 2014; Tereszkiewicz and Szczyrbak
2022). Different facets of proximity (credibility and stance) portrayed in
promotional genres have been studied (see Suau-Jiménez 2019, 2020), but there
appears to be little or no research on proximity in fanfiction. Proximity may be a
crucial element in understanding the intrinsic reciprocity associated with writing
practices within fandom.
This article will seek to reveal ways in which fanfiction writers construct proximity
in canon-compliant fanfiction and how they use language to present and justify
their argument using Hyland’s (2010) framework of proximity as expanded by the
findings of Suau-Jiménez (2019, 2020).
1.5. Proximity
Proximity is a well-researched notion among academic, popular science and
educational genres (see Hyland 2010; Dressen-Hammouda 2014; Scotto di Carlo
2014; Zhang and Cheung 2018; Herrando-Rodrigo 2019; Luzón Marco 2019;
Hyland and Zou 2021; Tereszkiewicz and Szczyrbak 2022; Bocanegra-Valle 2023,
among others), whereas studies of proximity in other genres seem to be scarce (see
Suau-Jiménez 2016, 2019, 2020). Proximity has been chosen as the theoretical
framework for this research due to its applicability to reader-oriented writing such
as fanfiction. Whereas terms such as metadiscourse, interdiscursivity, interpersonality
and stance may also concern closeness between interactants, they touch upon
different relational aspects. Metadiscourse concerns linguistic resources that
organise the discourse, helping the reader interpret the text as intended by the
author (Hyland 2004). In contrast, proximity focuses on specific strategies within
metadiscourse. Interdiscursivity refers to connections between different texts. One
facet of proximity —credibility— may also draw on shared knowledge from other
texts. Both interpersonality, which concerns the relationship between the writer
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and the reader, and stance, which refers to the writer’s attitude towards the
information, are incorporated into the notion of proximity (Hyland 2010).
Therefore, proximity seems to be the most comprehensive notion with which to
analyse linguistic strategies used to model the relation between the author, the
reader and the presented content in the fanfiction genre.
In the context of academic discourse, Hyland argues that authors use a variety of
linguistic resources to represent themselves and their material while fulfilling the
audience’s expectations. Authors were observed to use meticulously chosen lexis
to establish readers as “interactants” (2010: 116) with whom they discuss
arguments within the norms of the community. Similar observations have also
been made outside strictly academic contexts. Both Wang and Csomay (2024) and
Scotto di Carlo (2014), using Hyland’s concept of proximity, studied how speakers
in TED talks pass their knowledge on to non-expert listeners through linguistic
strategies of engagement and persuasion. Various facets of proximity in promotional
discourse, such as stance and credibility, have been researched by Suau-Jiménez
(2016, 2019, 2020), who suggested that travel agencies and hotels construct
proximity to encourage customers to choose their services.
Proximity may be divided into proximity of membership and proximity of
commitment (Hyland 2010). Proximity of membership refers to the author’s use
of linguistic conventions to present themselves as knowledgeable members of the
community. In fandom, this is achieved through a deep comprehension of the
source material and a proficiency in the use of vocabulary and register that mirrors
the original. Proximity of commitment reveals the author’s attitude towards the
original text, that is, which elements they appreciate, which parts of the material
are in their opinion underdeveloped, and which elements should be elaborated
upon to derive more satisfaction from the reading. These two facets of proximity
are used to emphasise the “recipient design” of the text, which refers to the various
ways in which a writer may express respect and sensitivity towards other readers
through a carefully chosen lexicon and range of topics (Sacks et al. 1974: 727).
Fanfiction writers may need to establish proximity as an invitation to the reader to
enter the discourse and analyse the validity of their contributions.
Proximity is created through aspects such as organisation, argument, credibility,
stance and engagement (Hyland 2010). Here, it is worth noting that Hyland’s
model was originally proposed as applicable to English-language academic and
popular science genres. Suau-Jiménez (2016) argues that proximity is achieved
differently according to the genre in which it is constructed and is a result of at
least three variables: language, genre and discipline. These variables render specific
patterns of genre-related rhetorical functions. In later research, Suau-Jiménez et
al. (2021) proposed a new concept called discursive interpersonality. The notion of
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discursive interpersonality focuses on each text and its discourse as the starting
point for analysis. It encompasses a broader variety of strategies according to each
genre’s features, which include verbal, visual and lexical-grammatical markers (self-
nomination, evaluative adjectives, imperative verbs) not included in Hyland’s
previous model.
Organisation refers to the form of the presented argument (Tereszkiewicz and
Szczyrbak 2022), such as the structure of the text and the location of the main
argument. The argument adheres to the readers’ expectations, and it attempts to
show the author’s respect and engagement with the field of research. In fanfiction,
an author’s reinterpretation of elements from the original material can be
considered an argument. Arguments may include added scenes that seek to further
explore certain events not present in the source material, or they may elaborate on
abandoned or unresolved themes from the original text. Proper organisation
impacts the reader’s experience, as the reader may anticipate the parts in the
fanfiction where additions have been integrated to enrich the original narrative.
Organisation may also portray modifications as convincing and plausible for the
audience.
In research articles, credibility is established by demonstrating expertise in research
methods and meticulous work while maintaining objectivity. In popularisation,
credibility is maintained by using direct quotes and reporting verbs to attribute
statements to the scientist (Tereszkiewicz and Szczyrbak 2022). Suau-Jiménez
(2016) and Suau-Jiménez et al. (2021) highlight that in promotional genres, the
involvement of the reader is more marked. Writers may try to attain credibility
through direct allusions (you/the readers) or imperative verbs or personalised
agentive self-mentions (I, me, my, our) as they try to persuade the reader in a
friendly, trustworthy way. The same may be said for fanfiction: credibility may be
achieved through references to the source material and the author’s self-mentions
in the metatext.
Stance linguistically portrays the author’s perspective. Stance represents the
“attitudinal dimension” (Hyland 2005: 176), that is, how writers present
themselves and convey their opinions. In scientific writing, authors often use
modals (should, can) and hedging (seems, appear) to qualify their commitment and
present their arguments as plausible, opening up space for discussion, whereas in
popular science articles, this tentativeness is often removed, and the scientists are
presented as expert contributors through the use of boosters. Popularisations tend
to emphasise the ingenuity of research findings through evaluative adjectives like
great or crazy (Scotto di Carlo 2014: 600). In some genres, stance and engagement
markers (inclusive we) may overlap (Suau-Jiménez 2016), although they have
different functions. The authors may appear more persuasive if they personalise the
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text (through self-nomination), demonstrate membership (plural we) or use
attitudinal markers such as imposing or magnificent (Suau-Jiménez et al. 2021:
128). The research paper’s author responds to an ongoing discourse and anticipates
the reader’s response, who may only find particular arguments valid. Writers of
fanfiction also have to situate themselves within the existing discourse and
persuasively present their interpretation. As will be shown in the findings and
discussion sections, fanfiction is a highly affective and interaction-driven channel
of communication, full of evaluative adjectives and pronouns used to express the
author’s position and persuade readers.
Engagement is the direct address to readers to make them feel involved and inspire
interaction (Tereszkiewicz and Szczyrbak 2022). Engagement is reader-oriented,
as it uses inclusive pronouns, direct questions, personal anecdotes and references
to shared knowledge. In research articles, engagement is maintained by inclusive
we to indicate that the author is part of the same community and shares the same
area of interest, whereas in popular texts, inclusive we assumes solidarity. Xia and
Hafner (2021) observed that in the online popularisation process assisted by
audio-visuals, the speaker creates a participatory relationship between the speaker
and the audience through the use of the first person plural and its possessive
adjective. Furthermore, engagement can be increased by combining gestures,
humour, informality (lack of punctuation, slang, emoji) and visuals. In fanfiction,
these behaviours function on both the metatextual level (where authors may make
humorous remarks or directly ask readers for feedback) and the textual level (where
they may incorporate visuals) of fanfiction writing.
2. Methodology and Material
To conduct this study, a case study approach was adopted, and a corpus consisting
of three fanfictions was gathered from the Archive of Our Own website, the site of
choice for authors who write in English. Each is part of the subgenre known as
canon-compliant fanfiction and is based on different source material. AO3 allows
the writer to publish under a pseudonym; however, authors may refer readers to
their social media accounts in the metatext. In the present case, two of the three
authors studied have shared personal information on social media outlets (see
Table 1). Canon-compliant was selected as the subgenre studied due to its
restrictive form. Arguments or contributions have to be carefully crafted so they fit
the original narrative while being a valuable addition. Texts were selected based on
their tags (canon-compliant) or clearly established timeframe within source
material in the work’s description. To provide variety in the study, chosen texts are
based on different source materials and have been written by different authors. As
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the writer must assure the audience that they are a member of the community and
are knowledgeable of the original text through specific language cues, the texts
were analysed in search of proximity-creating linguistic techniques, which position
authors as competent colleagues who bring innovative contributions to the
community.
Title Author (gender, age,
nationality)
Type
of source
material
Number
of words
Date of
publication
online
Serialisation
“Whoops, I
Almost Killed
You Again
官赐苦,鬼拂
忌”
(WIAKYA)
TentativeWanderer
(unknown, 20+,
unknown)
Book 5,664 2020-12-11 Published
weekly over
a month
“hey son, i
killed your
daddy”
(HSIKYD)
MissingNoo
(nonbinary, 26,
American)
Manga 8,942 2021-06-07 Published
fully
“I Love You
the Same
(ILYTS)
Yllirya (female, 26,
unknown) Video
Game 3,901 2023-11-10 Published
fully
This study adopts the concept of proximity (Hyland 2010) broadened by Suau-
Jiménez’s (2019, 2020) findings to demonstrate how different authors construct
proximity through organisation, argument, credibility, stance and engagement.
Using close reading techniques, linguistic features are identified for each of the five
facets that help the writer establish a connection with their readers, both in the
main text and in the metatext.
3. Findings
3.1. Organisation
In the context of fanfiction, organisation may refer to both the textual and
metatextual levels. On the textual level, each text starts with the introduction of
the time and space, locating the novel event on the canon2 timeline. Locating the
action within a timeframe requires knowledge about the chronology of the events
and specific nomenclature which situates the author as an expert with proper
qualifications, thus expressing membership in the fandom (Examples 1 and 2):
Table 1. Corpus presentation
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(1) When had it started? He wasn’t sure. The change seemed gradual. What
had changed over the past few months? Most notably, his acquisition of an
interesting new housemate in Puji Shrine, roughly five months ago.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(2) It starts out as a deceptively nice day for this. […] The Kyoto exchange
event is over and a collective sigh has passed through the school, a deep
breath none of them even realized they were holding.
(HSIKYD, 2021)
Mentioning the important events from the source material (Example 1:
“housemate”; Example 2: “Kyoto exchange event”) confirms the author’s
expertise and belonging to the target community. Example 1 also uses rhetorical
questions to initiate interaction with the reader and represents the train of thought
of the main character, who in the original book often speaks to himself. Both
examples establish approximate location and time, shaping the spatio-temporal
characteristics of the argument in the context of important original situations.
Both examples use lexicon associated with the passing of time and motion
(“started”, “gradual”, “changed”, “over” in Example 1; “passed” in Example 2)
to enrich the dynamics of the narrative before the introduction of the argument
(additional scenes).
In the third fanfiction, which is based on a game, the introduction is placed in the
metatext. In the description and tags (Example 3: “Tag: After 4.2 AQ”), the author
specifies that this new scene takes place directly after an important plot line (called
AQ —archon quest). In the notes, the writer states that they attempt to explore the
emotional trauma that the characters endured during the events (Example 3: “fic
is the result of these. I couldn’t go by how Neuvi can feel in his old position”.)
Locating the event within the timeframe is done outside the text itself:
(3) Tag: After 4.2 AQ
Notes: 4.2 AQ left me with a lot of feelings and this fic is the result of
these. I couldn’t go by how Neuvi can feel in his old position —even
before the AQ— but especially now in the light of the new events and
truth. Knowing what is in his future. (ILYTS, 2023)
a.
Considering the metatextual level of fanfiction, some visual tools may be used at
the beginning or end of a chapter to provide context and strike a less formal tone.
In the present case, visuals are only used in the first fanfiction, which is based on a
popular Chinese novel. They segment the text and provide humorous commentary
on the previous chapter, at the same time engaging the reader. As demonstrated in
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Example 4, the author uses intertextuality to reference both the internet-specific
mode of communication known as memes and the original source by creating a
comic image (as indicated by the watermark of the site where the original meme
was modified with text boxes —Kapwing). The author establishes a connection
between their work and the audience’s common knowledge by referencing the
important event from the source material (giving the ashes), which was originally
not fully developed. This also sets a humorous tone for the fanfiction.
(4)
(WIAKYA 2021)
a.
In two fanfictions, the main addition is foregrounded on the metatextual level in
the tags. As tags appear before the main text, the reader may anticipate the
contributions and their purpose (“reasoning” in Example 3a; “Filling in the plot
hole of how Hua Cheng managed to ‘survive’ Xie Lian’s curse” in Example 4a).
3.2. Argument Presentation
Not all arguments are well-received. To conduct a proper discussion, arguments
must be negotiated as credible contributions to existing knowledge. In fanfiction,
an argument is a new addition that satisfies the audience’s needs and is relevant to
the established universe. If the source material is an ongoing series, the authors
often argue for innovations in the most topical fragments:
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(5) Renovations, that’s new. Wriothesley only nods, not seeing the need to ask
for more as he’s sure this will be explained soon. He trails along Neuvillette
as he leads them to the audience’s area —and it’s a smaller disaster. [...] To
sit in the empty Opera Epiclese’s partially ruined interior and [...] To look
at the stage that hosted their sufferings.
(ILYTS, 2023)
Example 5 is an excerpt from a fanfiction of a regularly updated video game and
refers to the newest events from the game’s story. The destruction of the theatre’s
interior is a significant event in the game’s story. However, the source material
does not mention the main characters’ reaction to the loss of the building. The
author presents their interpretation of possible reactions and links it to the original
event. This addition (argument) addresses the needs of the gamers who were
unsatisfied with the lack of continuity or coherence within the game itself.
Entextualisation may take different forms to meet the audience’s needs. As shown
by Examples 6 and 7, it may take the form of quotations from the source and
character-focused narrative (“‘In two or three years, my kid will get sold to the
Zen’in clan. Do whatever you want’” in Example 6 is a quote from the source
material) or references to the cultural aspects of the original material (in Example
7, “zhang” is a Chinese unit of length, varying depending on dynasty). Proximity
is also constructed by specific language choices, including terminology or
references to characters and objects from the original source, which establish a link
between the new text and the canon (“gege” and “san lang” in Example 8 are
official nicknames for the characters in the book). Shared knowledge also adds to
the readers’ engagement.
(6) Something flashes across Megumi’s expression. Whether it’s hatred or
hope, Gojo can’t quite tell. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
‘In two or three years, my kid will get sold to the Zen’in clan. Do whatever
you want.’
“Before he died, he told me he’d planned to sell you to the Zen’in clan”,
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(7) In the past, whenever he went fishing, there would hardly be any fish fit
for human consumption within a one-zhang radius of him.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(8) Xie Lian confessed, “San Lang, I…I lost the ring you gave me”.
Hua Cheng said, “I know”. Before Xie Lian could feel properly mortified,
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Hua Cheng added, “Don’t worry, gege, nothing bad will happen to it, I
promise”.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
3.3. Credibility
Authors establish credibility in fanfiction by demonstrating knowledge of cultural
norms followed in the original story setting (Example 9: “hebao”) or by the proper
use of honorifics (Example 10: “Okkotsu-senpai”).
(9) Notes:
Drawstring pouch: hebao 荷包, for storing small objects, hung at the
waist. For pics, see https://ziseviolet.tumblr.com/tagged/hebao
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(10) Megumi cuts in, “[...] and tried to kill Okkotsu-senpai?”
(HSIKYD, 2021)
Credibility is also maintained when an author portrays commitment and deep
knowledge of the material. ILYTS is a fanfiction of a video game, with characters
inspired by particular nations and their cultures. The source material implies that,
in addition to the global language, constructed for the game, different nations
within the game use real-life languages, based on the culture they are inspired by.
This information is less known by casual fans, so the author may use this fact to
develop the characters further and portray them switching between the native and
the second language when under emotional turmoil (Example 11). The author
may also reference more obscure or hidden elements of the plotline, demonstrating
their expertise on the subject matter (Example 12: “usurper of his predecessor” or
“Mekas are still working”). Code-switching and recontextualisation of specific
terminology can signal to the reader that the writer is knowledgeable about the
source material and is not just a casual fan.
(11) “I am yours, Mon Chéri. I love you now and I will love you forever. You
have my word”.
(ILYTS, 2023)
(12) […] the byproducts of the usurper of his predecessor and him, the ones he
could, he should hate —that freed all of them. He, somehow, even made it
happen that the Mekas are still working in the city […]
(ILYTS, 2023, emphasis in original)
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In some genres, credibility may be increased if the reader is more directly
acknowledged (Suau-Jiménez 2020). This may be achieved by direct allusions
(Example 13: “few readers”), self-mentions (Example 14: “went straight to my
heart”; Example 15: “means the world to me”) or imperative verbs (Example 13:
“Talk to me”; Example 14: “happy reading!”; Example 15: “find me”), as in the
following passages:
(13) Talk to me [...] The first few readers might not have seen it ’cause I added
it later.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(14) went straight to my heart [...] happy reading!
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(15) Feedback means the world to me [...] find me also on twt :)
(ILYTS, 2023)
3.4. Stance
Stance in fanfiction is almost unidentifiable on the textual level, but tags and
author’s notes are abundant in stance-taking expressions. Stance is mostly indicated
by attitude markers (Example 16: “I just love them” and “so much”; Example 17:
“IMPORTANT”; Example 18: “joyful enough”), self-nomination (Example 18:
“talk to me”; Example 20: “means the world to me”) and opening a space for
discussion (Example 20: “I’d love to read your thoughts”). Stance may also be
represented by a visual resource such as emojis (Example 22).
(16) Additional Tags: god. I just love them both so much.
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(17) IMPORTANT!!: AO3 is screwing with my upload time. [...] I’m writing
this to manage your expectations.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(18) Dear people who were/are joyful enough to talk to me.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(19) hey, i hope you enjoyed this! thank you so much for reading.
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(20) Feedback means the world to me, I’d love to read your thoughts, let it be
even just a few words or a bunch of emotes. I’m immensely grateful for all!
(ILYTS, 2023)
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(21) I think it’s so impractical of Hua Cheng to give Xie Lian his ashes. Probably
wouldn’t do it myself, because it looks like the set-up for a tragic Romeo-
and-Juliet death situation [...].
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(22) a Ghost King does not do take-backsies. 💍🔪💍💍💍💍🎭💍
(WIAKYA, 2021)
Example 17 directly acknowledges a framing of the argument to meet the
audience’s needs (“I’m writing this to manage your expectations”), representing
the author’s intent to avoid disappointing readers while contributing to the
fandom. Example 19’s lack of proper capitalisation indicates an informal tone,
highlighting the proximity of membership as a fellow fan. The author’s notes
may explain what was the motivation behind writing this work. As shown in
Example 21, the author wanted to explore the consequences of giving a
valuable possession (ashes) to another person (“it’s so impractical”, “set-up for
a tragic”).
3.5. Engagement
Engagement is essential to the reciprocal nature of fanfiction, as it directly
acknowledges readers and attempts to connect to them. In fanfiction, engagement
may only be seen in the metatext. While the second person pronoun you is the
most explicit way to bring the reader into the discussion, authors may use inclusive
we to introduce themselves as a member of a community with shared experience
(as in Example 23: “we saw some dust”):
(23) about the Opera: we saw some dust flying around when the Narwhal came
[…].
(ILYTS, 2023)
The second person pronoun you is also used in fanfiction as the preferred way of
engaging the community (Example 24: “If you want to, you can share”).
Engagement is also possible through directives (Example 25: “please go along”)
and questions (Example 26: “Attack until when/until what happens?”).
(24) If you want to, you can share the fic memes and info posted on my
accounts here!
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(25) […] please go along with my HC that it suffered some harm in the process.
(ILYTS, 2023)
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(26) [...] the way she phrased her order [...] “Attack Hua Cheng”? Attack until
when/until what happens?
(WIAKYA, 2021)
In the author’s notes, a number of engagement markers have been included. In
these fanfictions, the author’s notes appear to be structured similarly. First, the
writer may thank the reader for choosing their text to read (Example 28: “thank
you so much for reading”; Example 29: “Thank you for reading!”); then they try
to further establish a bond with the audience by sharing their social media accounts
(Example 27: “My Twitter:@TTTVWanderer”; Example 28: “you can also find me
on tumblr!”; Example 29: “find me also on twt”) while encouraging the audience
to leave comments regarding the accuracy of the fanfiction in relation to the canon
material (Example 27: “I welcome constructive criticism!”; Example 28:
“comments and kudos always make my day!”; Example 29: “Feedback means the
world to me”).
(27) Notes:
I welcome constructive criticism! Even stuff that’s not exactly criticism,
but suggestions or preferences. I like seeing different points of view, and
I’m not going to let them affect me unduly, so do me a favour and tell
me if you felt something was off.
🍜 Click kudos to feed me. Click comment to bless me. 󰁧Share this
fic to PURIFY. MY. SOUL! […]
My Twitter: @TTTVWanderer
My Tumblr: @tentative-wanderer
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(28) Notes:
hey, i hope you enjoyed this! thank you so much for reading. i think toji’s
such an interesting character [...]
in the meantime, i don’t really use twitter, but i’ve got an instagram
meme/shitpost page that’s mostly jjk right now. you can also find me on
tumblr!
comments and kudos always make my day! thanks again!
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(29) Notes:
Thank you for reading! Feedback means the world to me, I’d love to read
your thoughts, let it be even just a few words or a bunch of emotes. I’m
immensely grateful for all!
find me also on twt 😊
(ILYTS, 2023)
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The reader’s attention is attracted by the author’s notes which directly address them
and encourage them to interact through discourse markers (“in the meantime” in
Example 28), personal thoughts (“i think toji’s such an interesting character” in
Example 28) and non-verbal communication (emoji in Example 27; Example 29).
Additionally, engagement can be enhanced by referencing real-life events. In
fanfiction, the author’s notes may refer to personal or real-life events to facilitate
discussion (Example 30: “Happy Winter Solstice! [...] I bet many people are
celebrating it this weekend”). The use of appropriate register and slang can increase
the accessibility of the material, promoting open interaction (Example 31: “lonely
dawg. No-pressure”).
(30) Happy Winter Solstice! Technically it’s not here yet but I bet many people
are celebrating it this weekend
(WIAKYA, 2021)
(31) Or just come chat with this lonely dawg. No-pressure chats in which it’s
okay if you or I reply super late.
(WIAKYA, 2021)
In fanfiction metatext, there are numerous examples of informality, indicated by
colloquialisms, slang, emoticons and emojis. These elements may provide a sense of
genuineness and entertainment, which encourages author-reader communication.
4. Discussion and Concluding Remarks
The objective of this study was to determine ways in which fanfiction writers may
construct proximity in canon-compliant fanfiction and how they use language to
present and justify their argument. Interpersonality within the discourse community
is crucial; in the fanfiction genre, the relation between the writer and their audience
is reciprocal, as the author provides the fan with content, and the reader offers
their commentary or critique.
The study demonstrates that proximity may play a crucial role in facilitating
interaction and discussion among participants. Writers establish proximity of
membership by displaying their expertise within the area of shared interest, using
specific terminology, informality and proper organisation. Authors achieve
credibility in fanfiction through self-mentions, referencing obscure elements of the
original storyline, incorporating quotations and providing additional explanations
in metatext. The argument should be framed through cultural references, specific
language choices and overall recognisability to link the text with the original
material. Proximity of commitment is formed through stance and by displaying
personal attitudes. Addressing the audience directly and informally may increase
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their engagement by reducing the tension of the interaction. Proximity is a means
for the author to encourage the reader to engage in discussion about the validity
of a particular addition.
Established proximity may result in interaction in the comment section, as fans,
encouraged by the authors’ direct address and requests for feedback, provide
commentary in the form of praise (as shown in Example 32: “this was beautiful”),
critique (as shown in Example 33: “you should add”) and discussions about
elements in the fanfiction (as shown in Example 34).
(32)
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(33)
(HSIKYD, 2021)
(34)
(ILYTS, 2023)
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The analysis of the collected data indicates that proximity seems to be present in
fanfiction text and metatext. Establishing proximity in canon-compliant fanfiction
may facilitate discussion through various tools, such as the comment section or
authors’ social media (only two of three writers shared their social media profiles
in author’s notes):
(35)
(X account of ILYTS author – yllirya)
(36)
(Tumblr account of HSIKYD author – MissingNooo)
However, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of this study. The corpus
analysed is relatively small, consisting of only three fanfictions, totalling 18,507
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words and representing only one subgenre. Furthermore, full information about
the authors’ background was inaccessible.
Nevertheless, the texts were written by different authors and were based on
different materials, each representing a different medium, that is, a book, a manga,
and a video game. It is worth noting that these fanfictions were published in
different years and reflect different stages of the source material. While the book is
complete, the manga and video game are ongoing franchises that are constantly
evolving. Despite these differences, proximity was achieved through similar means,
facilitating further discussion and engagement.
Further research is needed to investigate the creation of proximity in different
subgenres of fanfiction and textual contexts. Additionally, methods for creating
proximity in fanfictions about real-life people or historical figures should be
explored. As fanfiction is a hybrid genre, proximity may be achieved differently
according to the tags and subgenres, which may also be taken into consideration.
Notes
1. Arguments in academic writing
are additions to the existing knowledge that
the author wants the readers to accept. They
need to adhere to readers’ expectation and to
be adequately justified (Hyland 2005).
2. Source material which serves
as the foundation for fan creations and is a
unifying force within the fandom community.
May be used as an adjective to mean “original”.
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Received: 15/02/2024
Accepted: 07/05/2024
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