Interaction, Feedback, and Negotiation in Serial Fanfiction

Abstract

Creative fan works like fanfiction stories refer primarily to popular series. They interpret and expand the universe of a series and emphasize which series, which characters, or plots, receive high attention and are as such popular. However, they are also a space for participation, interaction, and negotiation amongst fans. This contribution deals with these practices, forms, and dynamics of the participatory culture. The main focus here is on the digital platform Wattpad. Principles of serial fanfictions, their popularity, and the practices of the online participatory culture can be observed precisely on this platform, because interaction (e.g., online comments) and popularity (e.g., rankings) are both visible and measurable here. The analyses will focus on digital fanfiction that refer to the Marvel fandom.