Introduction

Fan fiction refers to a generous field of self-published and derivative texts that have been largely published online. The writing and reading of fan fiction brings together creative fans and constructs a safe environment in which they can share their fantasies, explore their writing styles, and receive or provide feedback. The intermediality of the “fan fic”, or fan text, covers an array of textual relationships – an interplay of genre characteristics, media aesthetics, references, and even personal and social experiences (Hellekson & Busse, 2006; Stein & Busse, 2012). In the previous chapter, I showed that fans use different repertoires to construct their reading of a text. These interpretations also create a fertile ground for the writing of fan fiction as both a creative act and an interpretive process.

In this chapter, I offer an intermedial reading of three fan fictions of the popular drama series Glee (2009-2015). This television series follows the events of several teenagers in the conservative state of Ohio who participate in a show choir, or “glee club”. Glee has the highest number of fan stories based on any television series on the popular archive Fanfiction.net (January 2013), and the generic intermediality of the source text creates ample analytical potential. Through the example of Glee, I explore the mediation from the television text to creative writing. This mediation takes places on several narrative levels, the most notable being focalization, genre, and narrative time. I understand this process as a sliding scale between textual fidelity and transformation, as the fan narrative transfers the themes and aesthetics of the source text but narrates new insights, combinations, and ideas.