Decoding Desires: The Subconscious Motivations of Fan Fiction Authors

Fan-Fiction, originating from early science fiction, has become a popular culture, fuelled by the digital age and online communities. Fan-fiction is a creative technique in which fans actively connect with current media texts by creating their own stories, frequently reinventing and building on the established worlds and characters of their favourite source material. From a psychoanalytical perspective, it offers a secure environment in which young people may project their unconscious desires and thoughts onto the characters and settings they love. They can virtually experience events that could be controversial, banned, or otherwise deviate from society standards by inventing alternate narratives. Despite its easy accessibility, it can also be a source of objectification, inappropriate content, fluctuating writing quality and stereotypes, which could morbidly influence the psyche of young authors and readers. This study investigates fan-fiction from a psychoanalytic standpoint, concentrating on its diverse themes and attractiveness to the Fan-fiction community, aiming to understand its effect on its prosumers.