Spark: How Fanfiction and Fandom Can Set Your Creativity On Fire

Spark is all about encouragement, permission, it's about firing you up.

Spark: How Fanfiction and Fandom Can Set Your Creativity On Fire hopes to help you believe that your fandom writing, drawing, podficcing – whatever you're creating right now – is, was, and ever shall be legitimate, important, and a fantastic way to expand your community, develop your skills, and above all help you find your voice in the world.

Spark's more than forty essays and interviews from best-selling writers Anne Jamison, Claire O'Dell, Diane Duane, Henry Jenkins, KJ Charles, Lyndsay Faye, Sara Dobie Bauer and many others discuss, encourage, and shout about how fic and fandom in all their glories can absolutely inspire you, set your creativity on fire – and change your world.

Spark features the following topics, artwork, essays, and interviews:

FIC AND FICTION — IT’S ALL FINE
We Don’t Need No Elephants in Fandom • Wendy C Fries
Speak for Yourself (and Take Up Space) • Atlin Merrick
Building on the Bones of What’s Come Before • Merinda Brayfield
In Defense of Fanfiction • L.S.
Can’t Stop the Signal • Anne Jamison
An Infinite Variety • Jayantika Ganguly
Standing Out and Beating the Odds • S.H.
I Don’t Like It, I Love It: Fanfiction as Literature • Ann McClellan
A Love Affair: Why Pros and Non-Pros Write Fic • Narrelle M. Harris

REVELATIONS, FRIENDSHIP & OTHER BIGGIES
The Performance Psychology of Fandom • Tei
Fandom and Finding (or Accepting) Your Sexuality • Jamie Ashbird
Boldly Going Where No Amputee Has Gone Before:
  Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Self-Insert OCs • Sebastian Jack
Transformative • Andrea L Farley (Altocello)
Sympathy for the Devil: Attachment Theory and Fic • Angela Nauss, LMFT
 
GOING PRO IS UP TO YOU — THOUGHTS ON HOW AND WHY
You’re More Talented Than You Think • Emily
What If I Fly? • Amy Murphy
Fanfiction Doesn’t Play by the Rules • Rosalyn Hunter
The Best of Both Worlds: Fanfic & Licensed Fiction • George Ivanoff
Down the Barrel of Someday (3 Keys for Actually Doing) • Darcy Lindbergh
From Fanfic Writer to Screenwriter • Melissa Good
Filing Off the Serial Numbers: A Rambling Guide • C. Veillon
Fandom Safe Spaces and the Limitless Ideas of Fic • Monica Micio
Losing and Finding My Voice • Dannye Chase
All Stories Grow (A Mythical 221B) • Carman C. Curton

WRITING NITTY GRITTY
Fandom Taught Me to Finish • K. Caine
BICHOK • Meredith Spies
Stealing From the Thief of Time • Dimitra Stathopoulos
A Language Not My Own • Anarion
Writing a Book: Bring Kneepads • Kameo Llyn Douglas (Kristine Polisciano)
Add Goats: Fooling Your Brain & Janet Watson Chronicles • Claire O’Dell
Down the Research Rabbit-Hole...and Back Again • Margaret Walsh
 
STAYING THE COURSE — COPING WITH SELF-DOUBT
The Garbage Will Do (On Writing Rubbish) •
  Claire O’Dell, Lyndsay Faye, George Ivanoff, KJ Charles, Natalie Conyer
Actually, No Work is Garbage • Diane Duane
Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Writers • Sara Dobie Bauer
Depression, My Cephalopod • Janet Anderton
The Gift of Fan Writing Communities • Diandra Hollman
Death of the Author (Baby in the Bathwater) • E.C. Foxglove
Why Writer’s Block Is Your Friend • Elena Piatti
The Fine Art of Positive Feedback • May Shepard
Dear Writing Friends • Hannah S.
 
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE — WHAT FANDOM MEANS TO US
A Highly Improbable Community • Hubblegleeflower
Widening the Lens: Writing Beyond Lived Experience • Audra McCauley
Don’t Give Me Heroes That I’d Happily Set on Fire • KJ Charles
Let this Day Be Your Beginning • Anarion
Changing the Script: Fandom Innovates • Henry Jenkins
What If We Were Always the Author-Gods? • Melissa A. Hofmann
Fantastically Creative Ways • Michael Bond
Transformations • Bel Murphy
Courage Works – And Your Joy is Enough • Atlin Merrick
Fangirls Save the World • Carman C. Curton
 
ARTISTS
Fire and Water • Camille Happert
Where the Light Enters • Andrea L Farley (Altocello)
Xena and Gabrielle • Lucy W
Plot Bunnies • Khorazir (Anke Eißmann)
Star Wars and Rocky Horror Crossover • S.L. Surovec
Susannah Dean, Gunslinger • Adalisa Zarate

ISBN:
978-1-922904-11-9 (hardback)
978-1-922904-01-0 (paperback)
978-1-922904-02-7 (ebook)