Fanfiction vs. original writing

I am nearing the end of yet another fanfiction story. This one, The Summer Between, is considerably shorter than most of my recent full-length works, and would probably fall somewhere between novella and novel (it should finish out at a little over 40,000 words). I could have padded it out, brought it up to at least 50,000, and if I ever go back and edit it, I might do just that, but for now, this is the story that wanted telling, so I'm not messing with it too much.

Fanfiction (also known as derivative fiction), for me, is a completely different writing process than original fiction. I don't do a tremendous amount of pre-research, preferring to look things up as I go along. I don't need to do much world-building, since I am playing in a world someone else has already established. Neither do I do a great deal of editing: no first, second, or third drafts. Once I have about four or five chapters written to my satisfaction (and this is the part that takes the longest), I start publishing. I try to always maintain that distance between what is written and what is published, about four to five chapters. That gives me the chance to go back and change something, within reason, without having to take down a published chapter and "fix" it.

So each chapter might get some individual editing, but as a whole, the story's first draft is the final draft. This makes for a less polished final product, certainly, but it also allows me to get the entire story up before my audience has tired completely of it. It's also a good exercise, for me, in getting things as right as possible the first time. I know many writers believe that the first draft should be sloppy and unkempt, but for me, it works much better to make my first draft as tight as possible, and just get it tighter and better with each succeeding draft. That's my own personal style, and fanfiction has definitely helped me hone that.

Since starting to write fanfiction, about six years ago now, I have written eight full-length or nearly full-length novels, seventeen shorter pieces, and started two Jane Austen pieces, both of which are unfinished, both of which I hope to finish eventually, neither of which I am certain when that will get done.

More important than the amount of fic has been the improvement to my writing abilities, and the friendships I have made through this community. It has been a wonderful way to meet other writing friends, and to both encourage and be encouraged along this journey.