Xena Fan Fiction: Methods, Resources, And The Future

[1] Quite simply, Xena fan fictions
are short stories, novels, novellas, poems, vignettes, and
scripts written by fans of the syndicated TV show,
Xena: Warrior Princess. However, this fiction
is anything but simple. The amazingly broad spectrum of
fiction written in this field includes a wealth of material
inspired by the TV characters Xena, Gabrielle, Argo,
Callisto, Autolycus, and Joxer, to name a few. Fan fiction
(FF) writers also generate new characters to grace the pages
of their creations.

[2]Xena fan fiction is often
divided into categories, of which the two most popular are
alternative (often called "alt" or subtext FF) and general
fan fiction. Alternative, or "subtext" fiction, refers to
stories with adult romantic themes between Xena and
Gabrielle. Sometimes alternative fiction also refers to
fiction that is unusual, or disturbing. Here are a few
samples of other fan fiction categories:

Uber-Xena (which refers to fiction about the descendants
of Xena and Gabrielle, or characters suggesting Xena and
Gabrielle in a different time and culture)

Cross-Over (stories which contain characters from the
Xena series and other TV series, such as
Star Trek and The X-Files)

Episode Stories (Xena fiction based on, or
which continue episodes that have already aired)

Parody (humorous Xena fiction and skits)

Children's Stories (designed for younger
Xena fans)

[3] This list is by no means exhaustive, and it
continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. So far, there are
over 1500 Xena fan fiction works on the Internet by over 500
fan fiction writers (referred to as "bards").

[4] There are a number of websites that index and
categorize the vast literary works of the Xena
bards. The webmasters of these sites spend many long hours
to provide an indispensable service. Here are three of the
most complete Xena fan fiction index sites:

Gabrielle gets bogged down in the fine
print in ATHENS CITY ACADEMY OF PERFORMING BARDS.

[5] The necessary legalities concerning
Xena: Warrior Princess are very important, but
in this section I will only touch on the most important
issues. An in depth treatise on this subject would be best
handled as an article unto itself.

[6] Copyright issues can be more complicated than
the strands of life woven by The Fates. Suffice it to say,
Renaissance Pictures, and Universal/MCA owns the copyright
to Xena: Warrior Princess. As it stands,
Universal and Renaissance Pictures have been very gracious
to allow Xena fan fiction to be written. So
far, they have not taken restrictive action against a writer
of Xena FF.

[7] The Xena bards write their
fiction with incredible enthusiasm, creativity, and respect.
It would be safe to say that hurting the Xena
TV show by abusing the copyright is the last thing on their
minds. In this respect, criteria for presentation of
Xena fan fiction has been established by most
of the Xena bards:

Each FF piece should be preceded with a disclaimer
stating copyright ownership of Universal and Renaissance.

Each FF piece is not to be sold for profit under any
circumstances.

Notification in each disclaimer should alert a reader as
to the contents of the FF piece (i.e., the story contains
violence, subtext, etc.)

[8] These conditions could be subject to change
at any time. So far, Universal and Renaissance Pictures seem
comfortable with the current arrangement. After all,
Xena fan fiction helps to promote the
television show).

[11] There are as many methods of writing
Xena FF as there are authors. Many
Xena FF stories emphasize action, intensive
character development, emotions, humor, and romance. Here
are a few suggestions for guidelines to follow:

Use the Xena TV show to get a feel for the
characters, settings, and current story lines.

When using the characters from the show, do not have
them do anything that seems out of character.

The creation of well-developed new characters adds spice
and dimension to each FF story.

The characters in your story should learn and grow from
their experiences.

Each story should have a well-developed plot (unless the
FF piece is a poem, a vignette, or "stream of consciousness"
writing).

Examine each story for inconsistencies (i.e., time
elements, logic, etc.) and correct anything that is
incongruous.

Sentence structure and cadence affect the "flow" of the
story. Example: Longer sentences can be used to create a
relaxed mood, while shorter sentences can evoke a feeling of
excitement.

If you start a Xena FF story, I encourage
you to finish it and share it with as many people as you
like (see the section on presenting your
FF).

If you are not sure how to write Xena fan
fiction, read Xena FF and emulate (do not copy
-- be original) the authors that you like.

Always edit your story by checking the spelling,
punctuation, and grammar before presenting it.

The Resources section of this
article contains places to get tips on the technical aspects
of writing.

When writing your story, seek feedback from other
writers about your story. Xena FF bards and
readers can be very helpful in the writing of your story.

[13] The test readers on this site have
volunteered to offer suggestions on "beta" stories
(Xena FF stories that are currently not
finished). Please do not inundate Lunacy
with requests to review stories, as she only reviews FF that
she chooses from finished stories that have already been
archived at Internet sites.

[14] Lunacy has also created another section on
her website titled
"Resources
For Xenite Bards". This is an excellent page with
valuable links to sites containing information on Greek
history and mythology and essays about various ways to
improve writing.

[15] This section contains Internet addresses to
gather information helpful in the creation of
Xena fan fiction. The resources listed here are
just a sampling of the many places where this information
can be obtained. Whoosh! offers an extensive
list of
frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the
Xena TV series.

[16] The FAQ list at the Whoosh!
site offers information in the following categories:

[17]Xena
Online Resources (XOR) offers a section of their website
that provides lists of FAQs on other websites. XOR provides
links and information about Xena message
boards, chat rooms, e-mail lists, and Internet news groups.
These areas of the web can be helpful to fan fiction
authors. To access these lists, choose a category:

[23] On my website, I have a
reference
section with information useful in writing
Xena fan fiction. Some of the topics include
Greek cities, ancient weapons, and wilderness survival.
Other items to be posted soon include authentic Greek foods,
Greek names, and a map of Greece.

[24] Greek myths are an important part of the
Xena TV show. The addition of myth and legend
to Xena fan fiction creates an authentic
setting for the story. Information on Greek mythology can be
obtained from the following links:

[26] After an author has edited and rewritten his
or her Xena FF, there are several options for
presentation to other fans. The best method of presenting
Xena FF is to contact a website that archives
Xena fiction. The list of sites that offer this
service is quite extensive. For a sample list of websites,
see the websites section of this
article. For more complete lists of websites that post
Xena FF, visit one of the fan fiction indexes
at the URLs listed in the What is Fan
Fiction? section of this article.

[27] When choosing a site to contact about
archiving your story, determine what type of fiction the
site will accept (for example, some sites only archive "alt"
fiction). E-mail the webmaster of the site to obtain their
submission criteria.

[28] Another method of presenting
Xena FF is to post it on the Xena
NetForum (for the address, see the
Resources section of this article).
Posting FF on the NetForum is not advisable for long term
storage. The NetForum eventually purges files because of the
large amount of posts they receive. It is best to post a FF
story on the NetForum as a secondary option for increased
exposure after the story is already archived at a
website.

[29]Xena FF can also be posted on
other forums. Three examples include:

[30] Many stories are posted on e-mail lists (for
information about e-mail lists, see the
Resources section). Use good judgment
in posting stories here, because some moderators do not want
FF posted on their lists.

[31] E-mail is the main avenue of submitting
Xena FF to most places. For those authors who
are not sure how to submit via e-mail, I offer the following
instructions:

[32] To submit Xena FF in the body of an e-mail:
After saving your story file in your word-processing
program, use your mouse cursor to highlight the entire body
of text. Once this is done, go to the EDIT menu, and select
COPY. Then open your e-mail program and prepare an e-mail
with the correct address of the place you wish to send the
e-mail to. Make sure your cursor is blinking in the body (or
message) portion of the e-mail. Use your mouse pointer to go
to the EDIT menu of your e-mail program, and select PASTE.
The entire text of your story should appear in the body (or
message area) of your e-mail. At this time, send the
e-mail.

[33] Sometimes it is not practical to send an
e-mail this way because of the length of the story, so I
offer another option that is the most widely accepted method
for submission:

[34] Submitting Xena FF through e-mail file
attachment: Most e-mail programs allow computer files to be
attached to the e-mail. To do this, simply select the
ATTACHMENT option. You can attach the original word
processor file to an e-mail in this manner, however, some
webmasters and editors might not be able to read the file
because they do not have your word processing program. To
avoid this, I highly recommend you send an ASCII text file
of your story.

[35] In order for you to send a file of this
type, you must convert the original story file into ASCII
text by going to the FILE menu of your word processor, and
select EXPORT. This will convert your file to ASCII text.
The file extension (the last three letters of the file name
after the dot) should read .TXT, or .TEX. At this time, you
are ready to attach the file to the e-mail using your e-mail
program.

[37] Fan fiction on a large scale began in the
1960s and 70s with Star Trek. These fans were
hungry for more adventures of their heroes, so they penned
their own stories. Since then, the fan fiction phenomenon
has grown with other TV series such as The
X-Files, and of course, Xena. With the
advent of the Internet, the scope of fan fiction has grown
dramatically.

[38] Prepare to wear sunglasses, the future of
Xena fan fiction looks very bright. Currently,
there are over 1500 Xena FF pieces on the
Internet written by over 500 bards, and these numbers are
growing fast.

[39] Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor are
contracted with the show until the year 2000, but even after
the show ends, Xena fan fiction is poised to
continue their adventures.

[40] What is it that inspires authors to write
Xena fan fiction? I will not go into too much
detail since this is a subject that also merits a whole
article. Suffice it to say, Xena: Warrior
Princess inspires authors to write FF because the
characters on the show are highly developed, and the
audience can easily identify with their human foibles and
struggles. This TV show reflects the endless possibilities
of the human journey through life. With this in mind, I
think it is safe to say authors will continue to write
Xena FF for many years to come.

Barry L. Marshall
Barry has acquired a wide variety of experiences in his life
including: a stint as a sergeant in the U.S. Army repairing
helicopters, a commercial artist, and an Assistant Warehouse
Manager of a leading company that sells Point Of Sale and
computer equipment. Barry has written five children's books
and is currently working on three other writing projects.
Favorite episode:THE ROYAL COUPLE OF THIEVES (17/117)Favorite line: Gabrielle: "Can we cook with your juices?" A DAY IN THE LIFE (39/215)First episode seen:CRADLE OF HOPE (04/104)Least favorite episode:THE BITTER SUITE (58/312)