50 Shades Of Harry Potter

Most of you are probably aware, even if you aren’t an indie author, of the story behind 50 Shades of Grey. It originated as fan fiction based on the Twilight books, was subsequently stripped of any connection to Bella and Edward, and quickly became a publishing sensation.

Hugh Howey over at Slate has written an interesting article on the state of fan fiction today and details his own attempts to write in the world of Kurt Vonnegut. I especially like the way he compares historical fiction to fan fiction. They both involve authoring stories based on previously established characters. The only real difference is that you can be issued a cease and desist letter for writing the latter.

The article has me thinking about fan fiction. My affection for the mashup is already well-established (and Ahab’s Adventure in Wonderland is currently available on Amazon). What other worlds would I like to dabble in? Harry Potter comes to mind first. Of course, in China, there’s a whole culture of author’s writing stories in another author’s world, as this list of fake Harry Potter stories can attest to. Number 9 on the list actually became quite popular, and thanks to marketing itself as book seven before the Deathly Hallows actually came out, some Chinese still prefer it to the real thing.

This all brings me to the Kindle Worlds program at Amazon.com. I think it’s a clever endeavor, one that creates more value for intellectual property while also providing more content for fans. And based on the popularity of some of the titles, it’s been a successful venture for Amazon and indie authors as well.

Unfortunately, none of the available worlds are ones that I’m very much interested in (other than Kurt Vonnegut, though as much as I love his writing, I can’t envision trying to match his voice or style). G.I. Joe comes the closest, but although I’m a fan of the new movies (in a decidedly tongue-in-cheek way) I think I’d go crazy if I got serious about writing a Snake Eyes adventure.

I suppose I’ll just have to wait until a world I’m more interested in comes along. Like Battlestar Galactica. I’d love to have a chance to make up for some of the horrendous plot and character decisions those showrunners made along the way.

Do any of you have experience writing for Kindle Worlds?

Check out Decater's new novel, available now at Amazon. Plus, don't forget his earlier books: Ahab's Adventures in Wonderland and Picasso Painted Dinosaurs.