What on earth is fanfiction?

Fan fiction (or fanfic) writers take an established set of characters (most popularly from t.v. shows, but also books, movies, etc.) and create stories, and often entire universes, of their own.  Some writers want to know the backstory (What was Jim’s life like before he came to Sleepyside?).  Some writers want to fill in the holes in previously written/aired stories or see it from another character’s point-of-view (What was Dan doing while the rest of the B.W.G.’s were in Iowa?).  Some writers want to explore what ifs (What would have happened to Honey if her parents hadn’t moved to Sleepyside?).  Some writers like to just pick up where the stories left off and not let them end (ah...my kind of writers!) (Did Jim and Trixie ever move beyond fond glances?  What kind of doctor did Brian become?  Did Jim open his school?  Did Trixie and Honey start a detective agency?  Did Mart ever meet a word he didn’t know or a burger he couldn’t eat?  Did Diana ever figure out what she wanted to do with her life?  Did Dan ever get to go on vacation anywhere?).

Wait!  Who are all these people you’re talking about?

Why, they’re the Bob-Whites of the Glen!  The Trixie Belden series was begun in 1948 by author Julie Campbell, who wrote the first six books in the series.  The series continued on through 39 books, written by a number of authors under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.  In 2003, Random House began a limited run of the first 15 books in the series.  Hopefully, even more fans will hop on board and convince Random House to publish all 39 and make the “retros” the first edition to contain all 39 books!  (They have no plans to do so at this time, but we can pester!).

Trixie Belden, her older brothers Mart and Brian, her best friend Honey Wheeler, and the Wheelers’ adopted son Jim Frayne form the semi-secret club the Bob-Whites of the Glen (B.W.G.’s) devoted to helping others in need with a variety of fund-raising projects, as well as assisting Trixie in whatever mystery the spunky teen with the sandy blonde curls gets them involved in.  Diana Lynch joined the club in book #4-The Mysterious Visitor and Dan Mangan became the last member of the club in book #8-The Black Jacket Mystery.  Family and friends provide a strong supporting cast for the teenage B.W.G.’s.  They often travel (Arizona, Iowa, Arkansas, Mississippi, Virginia, Idaho, England, New York City, Saratoga) but they always call Sleepyside home.  Sleepyside was based on Ossining, New York, a small town less than an hour outside of NYC, where Julie Campbell lived.

So how do Trixie Belden fans stay in touch?

You’d be amazed...I know I was!  One slow day at work, early in 2005, I typed “Trixie Belden” into an internet search engine and was astounded at all the fan sites I found.  I settled down at The Clubhouse, a message board where Trixie friends congregate and share not only their love of all things Trixie, but their real life friendships too.  In July 2007, after starting my first Trixie Belden fanfic story, I also joined up at the Jixemitri message board, with the aspiration of becoming a Jix Author.

What the heck is Jixemitri?

The term “Jixemitri” was coined by Misty, not only a Trixie fan but specifically a Trixie/Jim fan.  The word intertwines the names of Trixie and Jim.  Cathy created the wonderful website of the same name so other fanfic authors would have a place to share all their wonderful stories, along with her own prolific universe...and just look what she started! <g> Lucky for me, and a lot of other talented writers, the website (like the Beldens’ Crabapple Farm) has “stretchy walls”.  You don’t need to write, read, or even like Trixie/Jim pairings to belong.  All Trixie fans and writers are welcome!

Okay, so what kind of fanfic do you write?

As mentioned above, I don’t like stories to end.  Some of my favorite books show that – John Jakes’ Bicentennial series, following the Kent family from pre-Revolution until the dawn of the 20th century, as well as my 20+ year devotion to General Hospital, and my abject mourning of the end of Friends and The West Wing.  For 39 books, Trixie and her friends were teenagers.  I want to know:  “What happened after that?”

My stories are considered “non-traditional”.  In addition to moving the characters forward out of their teenage years (at last), I like to stir up the pot.  Why, you ask?  Well, it may come as a surprise to those of you who know me, but I’m kind of cynical.  Shocking, I know.  The idea of six teenagers (and poor, left-out Dan), meeting between the ages of 13 and 16, pairing off and staying together their whole lives, never leaving Sleepyside, each doing exactly what they set out to do in life is just too improbable for me.  I’m not into fairy tales.  Even as I read (and greatly enjoy, I must say!) traditional fanfic, I can hear my muse choking in disbelief.  I love to read it, but I don’t think I can write it.

This doesn’t mean there won’t be traditional elements to my stories (I’m a big Brian and Honey fan) and it doesn’t mean I won’t venture into more traditional stories/universes in the future.  I’m open to anything.  But I’m a realist...even in unreality.

What are those colored stars next to your story titles?

As a Jix Author, I use the Jix Ratings System to alert readers to the content of my stories.  Trixie Belden still has a lot of young pre-teen/teenage fans and some of the stories may not be suitable for younger readers.  Any stories/chapters that get the “red star” rating will be password protected or, in other words, NC-18 rated.  I cannot give you the password for these stories; you must contact JIX in order to receive it.  In addition to the ratings, I try to give a brief overview of why I chose the rating I did for each story.

Can I start reading anywhere?

Well, yes and no.  First of all, my stories, as non-traditional as they may be, assume you have read and know the original series and characters.  There will definitely be original characters as well, so you don’t want to get yourself too confused (it’s a great task for me!).

My current universe Roads Not Taken is not so much a story as an overwhelming epic.  It’s taken on a life of its own!  Many chapters (or sets of chapters) can stand alone as short stories, and I’ve tried to note these for the casual reader.  However, spoilers and background information may crop up for those who have skipped ahead and I can’t be responsible for the mayhem that may result in your brain.  I’m CDO (like OCD, but the letters are in alphabetical order the way they should be) and I start at the beginning of everybody’s universe (yes, this has caused me great eyestrain staring at computer screens for months reading all the great Trixie Belden fanfic out there) and I recommend you do the same.

Is there anything you won’t write?

I’ll never say that.  I know too many writers (not just fanfic writers, but people who actually get paid to have this kind of fun) who are surprised by where their muses have led them.  So, while I don’t see myself as strictly traditional, I won’t say I won’t go there.  And while sci-fi and crossover stories, and PWP are not my usual cup of tea, they may crop up now and then.

Sci-fi Trixie?  Crossovers?  And what is PWP?

Oh yes!  There are war-time stories, paranormal stories, Old West stories, and good old-fashioned fairy tales in Trixieland.  There are a lot of very talented writers in this world, and I only know the Trixie Belden ones!

Crossover stories take a writer’s fanfic universe and “cross it over” into another fictional universe.  The Dukes of Hazzard, Quantum Leap, Supernatural, Harry Potter, you name it!  In the spring of 2010, I took my Roads Not Taken uni to Washington D.C. for a crossover with The West Wing.

PWP...well, it either stands for “Plot? What plot?” or more brashly, “Porn Without Plot”.  If that kind of writing offends you, watch for that PWP tag and avoid.  If it just makes you red in the face or hot and bothered, go ahead and read it (provided of course that you are at least 18 years old and have requested the password from Jix).  I’ll admit I’ve enjoyed a lot a lot of these stories...just don’t tell my parents.  My red-star chapters even have some element of plot to them (shock!).

Where do your chapter titles come from?

I’m a big Robert Frost fan, as you can tell from my universe and website name, Roads Not Taken.  The more poems I looked at, the more chapter title possibilities I saw, and I decided to challenge myself to let every chapter be the title of a Frost poem.

Sometimes the title comes first; Fragmentary Blue (along with the stained glass windows in the real life Dewey Library at SUNY Albany) completely inspired that chapter.  Simple titles like Stars and Misgiving came easily to me after the chapter was already penned.  And sometimes, it’s a little bit of both; I have an idea for a chapter, put a title with it, and spur it on to even more inspiration.  Sometimes the poem title alone is the catalyst, sometimes it’s the poem itself.

Will I get through the entire story without running out of Frost chapter titles?  We’ll see…

How can I contact you to tell you I loved your story?  Or that your story sucked big time?  Or that I think you’re a crackpot?  Or to tell you you’ve got a typo/error on your site?

Click right Here and type yourself a little note.  I love hearing praise for my stories.  It’s good for my self-conscious, insecure ego.  And if you want to tell me my story sucked...well, that’s all right too.  Hopefully, I can learn from it.  And by “learn from it” I mean I’ll block your email ‘til the end of time...just kidding!  I love constructive criticism.  You are free to tell me you think I’m a crackpot, but fair warning – I already know that.  And my CDO makes me read and read and read everything a million times before I post it, so please don’t hesitate to tell me if you see any typos or errors.  I hate them!

Jix’s message board has a forum just for posting story announcements and feedback for all the talented authors.  If you read something you like, here or anywhere else in Trixieland, please share it!  The authors live for this stuff!