Hannibal Proves Fan Fiction is Cool

And that's a good thing

Reboot. Reimagining. Made for modern audiences. These are all code words movie and tv creators like to use. But we know what they really mean, don’t we?

Authorized fan fiction.

Taking old movies and shows and creating new, entirely different versions of them with new actors and plots that are palatable for “modern audiences.” This tendency has had some pretty horrific outcomes, but every once in a while, they do it right.

Back in 2013, for instance, we were given the show Hannibal, based loosely on the characters in Thomas Harris’ series of novels.

I am only just now watching the series on Hulu, and I love it. This is despite how wildly the plot of the show diverges from the events in the books that I have read and loved.

This is the result of fan fiction done right and I think writing it is a fantastic exercise to strengthen your skills. Let me explain.

Fan Fiction As Plotting Exercise

Creating a story based on an existing IP means you are constrained by a world someone else has created. Th…