The Story Behind The Story

It's crap. If you'd asked me early last year what I thought of fanfiction as well as those who write it, that would have been my reply. I also would have made the following statements about fanfiction as a whole:

■ They are pieces written which unwisely continue stories that are otherwise well and truly finished (and should have, therefore, been left alone). If a story is over, let it be over.

■ They are penned by hack writers who can't firmly grasp the characters, plot, and themes in the original story. Thus, these writers can't continue a plausible tale.

■ They are usually full of inconsistencies, ridiculous melodrama, mindless fluff, and adventures that the original author would have never dreamed up for his/her characters—or even wanted to. (As well as an overabundance of exclamation points. They should be used sparingly, people!)

Hence, as a reader, fanfiction wasn't something I was interested in bothering with. As a writer, I'd always seen fanfiction as something done by three sorts of people:

■ Newbie writers who needed the training wheels of someone else's story until they could come up with their own.

■ Readers turned writers who just wanted to dwell forever in the afterglow of the tale they were copying.

■ Veteran writers who can't come up with their own stuff.

As I was none of these people, I steered clear of fanfiction.

So how does a person who feels this way end up writing something like Daylight? The answer is simple. It was a dare.

I have two friends, both writers, who I've known for quite some time. We get together at least once a month to have brunch, complain about our manuscripts, and talk about whatever books we're currently obsessing about. One of my friends (we'll call her Jane) is a fanfiction author with 15 stories under her belt and is presently fighting her way through her first "real" novel. The other friend (we'll call her Mary) is a science fiction novelist on hiatus due to a massive case of writer's block. She's not a fanfiction writer, but she has read a couple of fanfiction pieces she's raved about in the past.

Consequently, the three of us were sitting together outside of a little café enjoying the cool breeze on an otherwise hot Saturday afternoon in May of 2011. We were arguing over Breaking Dawn, the movie (mostly because Mary disagreed with the idea of it being split into two films). The conversation eventually turned to Breaking Dawn, the book, as well as the problems with the Twilight saga as a whole. I expressed my frustration that Stephenie Meyer (even though she wrote a truly compelling story) had left many plotholes that had never been completely filled and loose ends which had never been tied up. I felt this happened because she was still an inexperienced writer when she'd completed her manuscripts and, unfortunately, hadn't had an editor force her to address the copious problems, inconsistencies, and implausibilities in parts of her story.

Jane mentioned that she'd written several books retelling her own version of the Twilight saga, trying to deal with these issues. I scoffed, touting my many bad opinions on fanfiction. As a writer, it bothers me to have people messing with something that innately belongs to someone else. Therefore, I believe what I said was something along the lines of . . . "Writing fanfiction is like walking into someone else's house, trying on their clothes, and pretending to be them around all their friends. It's creepy, like Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something."

Jane argued against me, describing how supportive the fanfiction community was and how she'd grown as a writer just by being a part of it. Mary then pointed out how fanfiction is the original writer's exercise, as it is writing in its purest form. The writer writes. The reader reads. Basic give-and-take. There's no middleman, no monetary concerns, and nobody keeping score. The writer either writes a compelling story encouraging the reader to come back for more, or they don't. Advertising, hype, and all the rest of the things that sometimes encourage readers to buy books they might not have otherwise touched would be out of the way.

"Think of it as the one, true test every writer of merit should pass," Mary declared.

I remember her words exactly because I actually considered it for a moment before sticking out my tongue just to be contrary. Our conversation probably would have turned to problems I was having with my own current manuscript had it not been for what Jane said next.

"You think you could write a realistic sequel to Twilight, Becca?"

I rolled my eyes and said something like I could do it even if I was in a coma. She upped the ante by bragging that she could write one better than me. As I have many, many years of experience in writing over Jane, I asked her if she sincerely meant what she'd said. She affirmed that she did. Then, she spoke the next nine words and a writer's contest to end all contests was born.

"I dare you to write a fanfiction story better than mine."

Unfortunately, I have a fiercely competitive nature. It's my downfall. So, without further thought or consideration, I accepted her dare. Mary, ever the voice of reason, stepped in and started laying the ground rules, which consisted of the following:

■ Each author has to write a sequel to Twilight using the characters of Nessie and Jake as the hero and heroine. (We'd both agreed that this was the most logical place to start a sequel.)

■ Authors can write as much or as little as they want, but the contest would last from May 31 and end on September 30, 2011. Whether the story was completed was irrelevant.

■ A complex point system was set up for reviews, views, author alerts, and story alerts, assigning a rising scale of points depending on how many of each (as well as what type) a particular author received. Mary was appointed referee and would have unlimited access to both author accounts in order to accurately tally the points. This final total would decide the winner.

■ No author was able to solicit reviews at the end of their chapters. Reviews had to be given freely by the reader. (We could, however, talk to our readers through reviews, or PMs if we wished.) Neutral reviews would receive no points. Negative reviews would deduct points from the author's overall total. Positive reviews would, of course, add points. (Mary was the final judge on what constituted a "neutral," "good," and/or "negative" review.)

■ Authors were not allowed to read each other's stories before the final deadline. Mary, however, was encouraged to read both tales.

■ Jane, Mary, and I would meet every month to gauge each other's progress. Mary would announce who was currently winning and give a point total for each author.

So, there you have it. A simple, little contest, right? I wasn't worried. I could write circles around Jane. It would be a walk in the park. So, without any finite concept of a plot, I decided to write a sequel which could do the following:

■ Fill in all the gaps and loose ends I felt Stephenie Meyer had left in her story.

■ Be as realistic and true to the series and characters as possible.

■ Give Nessie an authentic, defined personality separate from her parents.

■ Force Jacob to finally step from the shadows of supporting character into a solid hero role. (If you're wondering, in terms of Bella, I'm strictly Team Edward.)

In any case, I wrote my first chapter and uploaded it on May 31, 2011. Within the next month, I'd posted two more chapters and was arrogantly confident of my literary superiority as I went into our monthly author brunch. Unfortunately, my superiority complex didn't last long. Jane was kicking my butt. She wasn't just kicking my butt, she was boxing it up and sending it home to Mama. I'd written and posted three chapters. She'd posted nine. I had eight reviews. She had twenty-two.

Shame and irritation were my companions on the drive home. I sat down at my computer, watching the cursor blink mockingly at me. Was I really going to just lie down and let her win? Was fanfiction going to be the one hurdle in my writing career I couldn't jump?

Of course not. So, I started furiously typing out Chapter Four, and, before I knew it, I was on Chapter Seven. I uploaded each to my site, waiting impatiently to see if anyone was reading these words I was putting out there in the universe. It was torture. When I finally got a new review, my stomach clenched. I was so worried that I might be received negatively. Then, as each positive review came in, I found myself addicted to knowing what people thought of my work. Suddenly, I was a fanfiction crack 'ho' in need of a review fix. (Pathetic. I know.)

Just as suddenly, I found that I, as a reader, wanted to know what was going to happen to Jake and Nessie in Daylight. This simple, little love story I'd envisioned began to balloon out and become more intricate. (It's good for the reader, but bad for the writer.) I was also freaking out because, once I uploaded the latest chapter, I couldn't make any major changes. What I'd written in the heat of the moment had to be right the first time.

All in all, it was a LOT of pressure. Believe me. So, I went into July's brunch on pins and needles, unsure if I'd done enough to even remain in this competition. Turns out, I'd made up a lot of ground in the month since we'd last met, but Jane was still holding her own. (Even though I'd uploaded more chapters, she had more reviews and fans than I did.) Irritated, I asked if she was doing the old tease-n-tickle. (For those of you who don't know, this is when an author has her two main characters set up in a compromising position on purpose without any inclination to have them follow through on their physical desires. Usually, this is done too early in the story merely for the sake of generating reader interest rather than furthering the plot, relationship, or character development.) In any case, it's tacky. (And, no, I never did it in this story. What kind of writer do you think I am?)

When, Jane blushed under the weight of my accusation, I knew I'd figured out part of her strategy, but I didn't let that stop me. If anything, it only pushed me to write a better story. At this point, I wasn't just interested in winning this contest, I wanted to write as true a sequel to the series as possible. I knew it meant I was going to have a slower build and pace overall, but I also knew—if I could pull it off—it'd be worth it in the end.

Thus, my main strategy became to take the tortoise role in this race and let Jane be the hare. (We all know who wins that one.)

By the end of the following month, I was so deeply involved in my story, I'd nearly forgotten about the contest. Every few days, I was uploading another chapter. I was as much on the edge of my seat in this adventure as I imagine a lot of you were. I was shocked as all get out when Constantine attacked Nessie, and I couldn't believe it when Nahuel showed up. (I know it is hard to understand how things could happen in a book that the author doesn't even know about, but that's how I write.) The biggest issue I faced in writing by the seat of my pants was that—as I said before—once a chapter was uploaded, I couldn't go back and make any large changes. It proved a handicap, but one I managed by trying to plan ahead as much as possible.

The next brunch was there before I knew it. This time, Jane and I were neck-and-neck in this race. I'd outstripped her in chapters, and tied her in points. In addition, I was gaining reviews and subscribers at a more rapid clip. My strategy seemed to be working, but I wasn't pleased. I was worried. You see, I didn't want this experience to end. I'd become hooked on the entire cycle: Writing words I knew people would immediately see and react to. I needed these reactions more than I was ready to admit. And, still, I continued writing.

My full-time job became almost a nuisance to me as all I wanted to do was dive back into this Twilight world I had created for myself. This was especially weird in that I hadn't felt that way since I'd first read the original books by Stephenie Meyer. I was pleased by this development, but I was also growing more frightened as the days passed. What if my story started out wonderfully and ended dismally? What if I didn't have a real ending at all? With my other manuscripts, this never bothered me. After all, I had all the time I needed. I could put my writing aside, think about the issues, and come up with an acceptable conclusion. I remembered when I'd neared the end of my first completed manuscript. It took me three weeks of constant fretting to come up with a satisfying ending. And, even then, it wasn't the one I'd originally envisioned when I'd first begun to write. (Actually, it ended up being better.)

But, Daylight was different. I had to work within the parameters set by the canon, I had to keep the elements, descriptions, and characters I had developed in my story, and I had hundreds of people counting on me to weave something more spectacular each week. (Pressure-ville, Population: Me.)

In that moment, I realized my outlook on fanfiction was forever changed. Never again would I glare disdainfully down my nose at these kinds of authors. Fanfiction authors who finish their stories shouldn't be mocked. They should be praised and given medals. (Even those who overuse exclamation points.) After all, they've survived this hell-like torture and come out on the other side.

So, I kept pushing forward in my story even as it grew more complex with every stroke of my finger across the keyboard. I knew it would be finished if I could only keep going.

The deadline for the end of our contest came, and I found I really didn't care who'd won. In fact, I was more frustrated because it was time I'd have to spend away from my computer, time away from Daylight. This was shocking to me because, no matter how good this story is, I can never publish it. I'll never get paid for this work or become famous because of it. It is writing in its purest and most basic form. It is writing for no other reason than to write. It was freeing and confining at the same time.

And, I loved every minute of it.

When, at last, I wrote the final words of the epilogue of Daylight, I cried out of exhaustion, frustration, and exaltation. I was exhausted from the sheer pace I'd managed to keep up in getting this out by myself. (No Beta.) I was frustrated because, as a reader, I had never wanted it to end. (No, there won't be a sequel. Although, if I was going to write one, it would be called Harvest Moon and I'd have . . . Nope, not going there. That is where I get in trouble.) And, I was exalted because I'd finished this project when there were many times I hadn't been sure I could or would.

So, thank you, fair reader. Thank you for sticking by me throughout this. Thank you for making my humble, long-winded narrative mean something in this crazy world of ours. Thank you for opening my eyes to how fanfiction can be a wonderful experience because I see that it can be. And, now that I have completed this important hurtle in every writer's career, I'll go back to my own manuscripts and continue to try to get published. (Believe me, you will see the name Becca Austen again—and probably where you least expect it.)

Until then, my cursor is blinking at me, daring me to delve into another story, this one involving characters entirely of my own design. Thank you for your time in reading my ramblings. Fanfiction, it seems, is not the crap I once believed it to be. In reality, it's wonderful, inspiring, and one of the toughest challenges I've ever experienced.

Thank you so much for sharing it with me. It means more than I could ever type.

All the best,

Becca Austen

PS – In case you're wondering, I won the bet. (C'mon. You knew I was gonna.) Not only did I win, I trounced Jane so thoroughly that she said if I put her real name on here she'd stab my typing hand with a dull pencil. Still, I won, which is something I'll definitely be bragging about for the next few author brunches.

PPS – Check out my author profile page to read the FAQ's about Daylight. Hopefully, any burning questions you still might have about this story will be answered there. If not, drop me a line.

PPPS – Hey, what are you still hanging around reading this crap for? Whether you loved it or hated it: Review! Review! Review! If I get over 1000, I'll beat Jane's all-time record! ; )