I’ve been following an interesting thread of conversation on a writing message board: a debate as to whether or not the practice of writing fan fiction is healthy for an aspiring writer.

By definition: “fan fiction” are stories involving characters from a television series or movie, written by fans and usually printed in underground magazines or on the Internet for other fans to enjoy. This concept is especially popular among fans of science fiction programs, and writers of all skill levels participate. For the serious fan fiction writer, there are even science-fiction conventions which present annual awards for the best-written prose. Stories may range from histories explaining gaps in a particular TV show’s canon (e.g. what has the cast of House been up to between seasons one and two?) to rather silly missives—I once found on the Internet a Star Trek story where all of the characters had been replaced by the cast of Desperate Housewives!

Is fan fiction a healthy exercise? For one, it technically is not a legal exercise, as all television and movie characters are protected by copyright. Since fan fiction is essentially a non-profit enterprise, however, most production companies tend to turn a blind eye to the activity. Rene Balcer, an executive producer of the show Law and Order, once told a fan e-zine that he did not mind the fan fiction based upon his show, and this appears to be the general consensus so long as a writer does not try to sell his/her work.

Having written fan fiction in the past, I can say that the practice as a writing exercise has its pros and cons:

PRO – During my heaviest bouts with writer’s block, writing a story about a familiar character helped loosen the spigot. Once I pondered what would happen if Dr. Sam Beckett of Quantum Leap traveled back in time to M*A*S*H’s 4077th unit, and the result was a 20,000-word story.

CON – Fan fiction can be addictive, and if you devote too much time to the exercise you may find creating original work difficult. If you post stories to the Internet and attract a fan base, you may find yourself writing more to please this small faction of people, and that will take you away from your true calling.

PRO – While writing fan fiction I found my knack for writing smooth dialogue improving.

CON – I also found I tended to use my best “bits” for such a story, leaving the well dry when it came time to write something more serious.

PRO – By posting my fan fiction to the Internet, I was able to attract readers who in turn were led to my website and information about my book. One fan even wrote to say he had bought my book after reading my fan fiction.

CON – I’ll try not to stereotype fan fiction readers, but if you have ever visited an online repository of fan fiction you may notice a majority of stories not only portray scenes people would like to see on their favorite shows, but scenes even HBO won’t show after eleven at night. Some may argue writing fan fiction is not good for the writer’s ego, but reading some of what is posted is certainly not good if you’re at work and the boss sees you! I do write romance that is spicy, but there are lines even I won’t cross.

Should you write fan fiction as a writing exercise? A few years I may have defended its importance, but now I would suggest alternative writing exercises, ones designed to improve your writing skills and help you to become less dependent on ready-made situations. Should the pull to write a story about Agents Mulder and Scully be too strong, however, why not take the opportunity to introduce your own characters? Let Mulder, Scully, Dr. House, and all your favorite characters inspire what you want to write, but make sure the end product is all your own.

You can find a variety of amazing fiction books in the markets these days. From kids to youngsters to adults, these books are liked by everyone. The popular science fiction books include “Invisible Man,” “Time Machine” etc. These stories are unpredictable. They have suspense, thrill and fantasy.

Fiction can be defined as imagination in the form of a short story. It is imaginary and shows the hidden desires of people. These stories can be based on real life incidents or the experiences of other individuals. Sometimes they have social messages through which people learn something. The popular fiction stories include stories with a thriller element, romantic story, stories about family relationships, etc. In fiction stories, you will get to read imaginary tales, situations or places. Fiction is not limited to novels, comic books or movies only.

Romantic fiction novels can have a tragic end with a bit of action. Popular fiction like romance and science fiction stories are scary stories. We always want to know what is going to happen next. We feel as if we are in a different world and experiencing the situation of the story.

The fiction story titled “The Double Bind” is a story by Chris Bohjalian. It tells you the story of a young woman, Laurel Estabrook who is attracted with the pictures taken by one of her clients. The pictures have links to Laurel’s own past. The fictional photographs in the book tell Laurel as much about herself as they do about the photographer. The author takes you through a haunting journey of a woman. This thriller story has two main characters, Laurel and Talia. Every character in this story is truly terrific. Once you complete the story, you might feel to go to the pages of the book once more and start reading the whole book again. The twist in the end compels you to go back and read the story again and again. The book is beautifully written and is a must read for fiction lovers.

Another fiction story is “Beneath a Marble Sky,” which has been written by John Shors. This is a imaginary story of Taj Mahal that brings life to a story of love, war and beauty. This fascinating fiction is a quick page turner and has a passionate story. After reading the story, you will start taking interest in the history of India. The story grabs the reader with its thrilling plot. This historical fiction is a flashback by Jahanara, the favorite daughter of the Mughal leader Shah Jahan. The story is well written and worth reading. You would enjoy India of the seventeenth century.

The fiction story “Burning Bright” by Tracy Chevalier is another historical novel. This story takes us to the history of 18th-century London. The story is about William Blake and the relationship between young Jem and his neighbor Maggie. You would enjoy the role of characters Maggie, Jem and Mr. Blake. The plot is interesting and well laid out. The characters in the story are brilliantly crafted and you would get connected with them. The realistic and entertaining story is worth reading by everyone.

The “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon will appeal ever book lover. The cleverly written novel attracts readers with its sweet story. The story begins with Christopher finding a dead dog on his neighbor’s lawn. The novel is written as if the author was writing a class assignment. He tries to find out who killed the dog, which is a mystery worth solving. He makes some brave decisions and the joy of his achievements is devastating.

This story will make you see the world through different eyes. The novel entertains you a lot. It will engage you in the story. The writer fulfills the most important requirements of fiction. The story is entertaining and gives you some sound knowledge. This unique and compelling story would surely fascinate you.

You would be fascinated by reading popular fiction books like romance fiction books, fantasy fiction books, crime fiction books, etc. Browse through the online shops and select the books that interest you most.

There are almost as many genres of writing as there are authors.  For each author, there is a reason for writing.  This is true for traditional writing mediums (such as books) and new media like blogs as well.  Why authors write and what they choose to write about can be surprising and exciting.  One of the most exciting and boundless writing opportunities is in the area of science fiction.

There are many reasons to write a science fiction blog.  Perhaps the best reason is that the field is far from saturated, on the contrary there are few if any fantastic science fiction websites.  There is some free science fiction out there, but too many of them have bland commentary; they simply expound on what is currently the rage from Hollywood.  Unfortunately the media moguls in Hollywood have terrible judgment in this area.  Why they are ignoring great science fiction short stories from the past century?

Time travel offers a great topic for science fiction short stories.  Time machines, paradoxes, disasters, are all rich fields offering many unique stories.    But what makes a great time travel story?   It’s always about something you never expected such as a butterfly crushed on a boot, or a wife’s murderer who just happens to be a time traveling senator.  In one book messages sent back in time help prevent a global disaster caused by the startup of a new powerful atom smasher.  (Hopefully this is fiction).  What we need is a new time travel science fiction blog.

But aliens and robots truly capture our attention.   People scour the internet for either aliens or robots far more than for free science fiction or science fiction short stories.  Everybody wants a robot butler.  Everybody wants to know if alien abductions are science fact or science fiction.  Have alien robots visited the White House, has an alien ever been elected?  Now that would make a great science fiction blog post.

The time for science fiction is now.  Aspiring writers with a science fiction stories trapped in their heads should come forward and be heard.  People who have always been interested in becoming an author, but have never found the time to get started should start writing today.  There are still so many science fiction stories yet to be told.