When you're a fan of a particular television show, movie or novel sometimes what the creators provide you with is never enough. As a fan you want to know what happens once the TV screen goes dark, you read "The End" in a series of novels you've been following, or worse still, the show you've been watching for years comes to an unexpected or unwanted end. Thankfully we can now turn to the internet and once again get involved in the lives of our favourite characters through such things as fan fiction (fanfic) and fan art.

Whether it's a much loved TV character, novel or even an Xbox hero or villain there's bound to be something online in your chosen fandom to satisfy your need to keep in touch with your character. From fiction stories that take what you see, or have seen, on TV in a totally new direction to incredible art montages that depict images of your favourite show, novel, movie or game etc. the supply of fan related work is endless.

Of course many read and write fanfic for a variety of different reasons: Some use it as a way to get their creative juices flowing, after all what better way to break through writers block than to write a scene about a character you already know and love?

Some read fan fiction to keep themselves occupied between seasons while others read it to remind themselves why the loved a certain show before it went off the air, others still read and write it to put their own spin on what they think should have happened; whether it's a relationship between character X and Y (instead of X and Z like the show's creators wanted) or to give some unexplained event a real and logical meaning.

Searching through the internet for your chosen fandom will not only provide you with a lot of incredible fanfic or fan art but you will also come across a variety of fan communities, based right around the world, that are actively involved in many different things; from raising money for their chosen charities to providing their own fan related contests etc. Dig a little deeper and you may also find that your much loved published author got his or her start through writing fan fiction.

So the next time you wonder what your favourite character may get up to behind the scenes you see on TV or read in a book etc try your hand at reading or writing some fanfic or dive into the creative world of fan art.

About the Author

For further fan related fiction and art in a variety of fandoms take a look at FanFic or the blog for Fanfic updates