What is fanfic?

Fanfiction is fictional work based on existing characters and settings. It’s written by fans in an amateur capacity and is posted episodically like a modern-day Dickens serial—or as a one-shot—to sites like Fanfiction.net, Wattpad, or Archive of Our Own. 

Inspiration could be a popular book series or tv show, anime, video game – the possibilities are as endless and unhinged as the human imagination. Which is to say: very. 

Since the dawn of time (my teenage years), there is one trope that can be counted on to generate buzz among passionate people. (I was going to say young adults here, but I found that to be exclusive of people like me who are very opinionated and often convinced they are correct.) The love triangle will always be a tried and true classic of the romance genre.

In the first episode of Disney+'s new television show Percy Jackson and The Olympians, Sally Jackson imparts to our titular hero, “Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero, and not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster.” I had already been anticipating this adaptation for months, but that was the moment I knew I was going to love it. Neither the scene where Sally takes Percy to see his namesake’s statue at The Met nor that thematically on-point quote are in books, but (and I will fight Rick Riordan on this) both feel like they should have been. And that’s exactly what a good adaptation should do.

It's been a while since we explored one of the eight classic FMC archetypes. With a new Mean Girls movie hitting theaters across the globe, we figured it was a fitting time to shine a spotlight on The Nerd. After all, would "mean girls” even exist without them?

Opposites attract. While the previous sentence may not be true for all human beings, the phenomenon happened often enough for the saying to become a cliche. It still pops up in romantic comedies from time to time, usually in the form of a loving jibe or tell-tell remark from a quirky or mysterious supporting character. These days, it is more often implied than said aloud. Many different pairings illustrate this trope, but the most common and beloved is a couple we have come to define as grumpy/sunshine.

It’s impossible to miss Y2K’s fingerprints all over pop culture right now – even The Associated Press has deemed it relevant and widespread enough to report on.

Crop tops, wide-leg jeans, glittery eye makeup, claw clips, and flip phones are all the rage. Britney Spears is as beloved as ever, with her latest book selling over 1 million copies in its first week. Shania Twain is on tour. Walmart has gone viral for a Mean Girls-inspired ad. Survivor is 45 seasons in with a cult following of all ages. It’s enough to feel transported back to 2004.

Whether it stems from escapism, nostalgia, or Y2K really is just that girl, the 2000s resurgence is strong and doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. That leaves two choices: Cringe or join in on the fun. Here at The FMC, we love a good trend and finding joy wherever we can, so we say, “That’s hot. Lean in.”

Recently, I was asked, “What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?” Being a massive horror film fan—living for the thrill of a good scary movie in a darkened room, hoping that I’m unable to guess who the killer is so that I can fully enjoy the final act of the movie and their reveal—it was hard for me to think up a film that really scared me. Hulu’s No One Will Save You was probably the closest I’ve been to “on the edge of my seat” in the longest time, but it was a fun watch overall and left me with many thoughts and comparisons to Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s episode “Hush” (also pretty disturbing). So I wracked my brain: “What is the scariest thing I’ve ever seen?”

It hit me that the most truthful answer is probably Poltergeist, but only because I watched it when I was in 6th grade. I also have an irrational fear of clowns (which I thought I was free of when sitting down to watch the horror classic, but I guess you’re never really safe from clowns, are you?). I had to sleep in my mom’s bed for days after that. But I really wanted to share something I’d watched as an adult. And then I realized that the scariest or most disturbing thing I’d seen in the last decade was probably from The Haunting of Hill House.

With Halloween quickly approaching, there is an archetype that must be discussed: The Warrior. The Warrior is easy to spot in media, especially in October, as she is essential to any good horror film. If you are a fan of the genre, you might know her as 'The Final Girl.'

Romantic tropes exist on a realism scale that varies by individual. While we may love a particular scenario with all our heart, we know we will never fall for it in the real world. For instance, the closest my soul, mind and overall attitude will ever allow me to come to an enemies-to-lovers arc is eating my words concerning fictional men as they develop over multiple television show seasons (Hello, Jamie Tartt). Because, as my friend Geneva so gracefully put it, once I decide I hate a man, that door is closed, bolted, and barred, never to be opened again. However, one trope in particular is universally regarded as one of the most realistic: the antithesis of the beloved E-T-L, Friends-To-Lovers.

A hot minute has passed since I dove into one of the eight FMC archetypes. Previously, I covered the kind, caring and charismatic Girl Next Door. Next, I will focus on a character who usually serves as her antithesis. In direct contrast to the "desirable" traits of the GND, the Femme Fatale's overt self-confidence and resolve made it easy for her to be branded a story's villain.

If you consume romantic media in any way, shape or form, you are likely familiar with the tropes often found within it. Those specific plot devices, scenarios or settings that an audience encounters again and again and yet somehow of which they never grow tired. Every viewer has their favorite, the one that makes them instantly swoon, hold their breath in anticipation or wipe tears from their eyes. Some of the more experienced consumers even have tropes with which they outright refuse to engage. Who can blame them? With instances as commonplace as these, it is easy to be burned.

I know the millennials reading this (and perhaps those in Gen Z as well since Buzzfeed still seems to be thriving) are no strangers to personality tests. Many we took were sanctioned by our schools or current employers, giving us brief identifiers that summarized our personalities and allowed us to be grouped with like-minded or counter-thinking individuals. I, for instance, am an ENFJ or a 3x2 enneagram type. Others were less official. They consisted of the many "Which character are you?" quizzes found in Tigerbeat, J-14, and Cosmogirl or hosted on websites such as Quizilla, Playbuzz or, later in the game, Buzzfeed, as previously mentioned. Growing up, if I liked a TV show or book, I carved outside validation to prove I was most similar to the character I liked best. In some ways, I still do. But, as an adult, I'm much better at relating my strengths and weaknesses to the fictional women in my life and owning the result, even if it's not entirely complimentary.

It is no secret to those who know how much I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, I can catch those of you that don’t up with the following sentence: I once took part in a three-day franchise marathon hosted by the El Capitan Theatre so that I could watch Avenger’s Endgame a few hours before everyone else. It’s that intense of a relationship. Yet, my appreciation for all superheroes is rooted in an undying love for one in particular.