defense

I have been hearing a lot of things about fan fiction lately, almost all of which I don't agree with. Why do we write Hanson stories? Well, I have my reasons and I bet everyone else has theirs, too. I guess that I can explain myself until I'm blue in the face and the detractors won't care, but I guess it's worth a try. Why did I start writing "Glint of Heaven"? Hint: it wasn't because I wanted to hook up with Taylor Hanson. Nope. I wrote it because one day this summer I heard an amazing song on the radio. A song that made me smile through some really tough times. And the group behind the song made me smile too, almost without fail. They were so... young. Bouncy. Happy. It was easy to imagine the world as they would see it: a place filled with new experiences and possibilities.

This was all well and good. They were a cute little band that made cute little music, or so I thought. After awhile, though, the reality of the situation crept into my mind. The youngest member of the band was 11 years old. What had I been doing at 11? Sucking my thumb and watching She-Ra was my best guess. And here was this little boy... writing songs. Not just writing them , but performing them. And people *liked* them. Self doubt washed over me in a wave, and I could easily have gone several directions with it: I could have hated Hanson for their success, but instead I used my head. If these little boys could conquer the world, what the hell was I waiting for? Youth only works as an excuse for a select few. Maybe most people the age of any Hanson brother, even the oh-so-elderly Isaac, haven't released an album... let alone three. But this band proved that it was possible. The success that this band has experienced is a concrete example that with work, perseverance, and imagination, the world could be yours.

All of these truths struck at once, and I realized that time was awasting. So I sat down and grabbed a pencil; singing may be what the Hanson family is good at, but I am more of a writer. The words flowed almost without conscious effort, and they took shape around this band. I realized I was writing a Hanson story well into "Glint," and I must admit I was rather dismayed. In retrospect, though, what better way is there to honor people like Hanson than by developing my own talents? This is where I think fan-fiction can become a valuable tool. Twelve year olds who may never have so much as dreamed of writing fiction may be inspired by Hanson, or even by fanfiction. This twelve year old will grow up thinking of writing as an escape, a release, a positive thing. Maybe this girl (or boy!) will have a different support system than some of the older Hanson fans had. Maybe that well chewed CVS pencil will be his or her retreat, and their lens through which to view the world.

How then can Hanson fanficiton be bad? I can almost guarantee that no author sets out to intentionally hurt anyone, be it Hanson or reader. In the process of writing Hanson stories, which may look hopelessly childish to some, the people of generation "H" are broadening our horizons, opening our minds, and learning valuable lessons about our language, technology, and even life. I would like to think that Hanson themselves would be flattered if they were ever to stumble across any of the multitudes of fan fiction sites devoted to them online. Fanfiction is not destroying -- it is not tearing down. It is creating, and building; it, in its best incarnation, is giving the gift of self esteem and power to a world full of uncertain adolescents of every age.