Usually I tend to contemplate the positive elements of participating in such a close-knit author-encouraged fandom. However, recently I found myself pondering the pitfalls of just such a situation.

Of course, all fan fiction writers face pitfalls. Aside from the obvious danger of legal prosecution regarding copyright laws and the derision with which fan fiction is often viewed, writers face frustrations in perfecting their shared world craft.

Those writers who value sticking to canon are faced with frustration when they write stories based in a continually evolving universe such as Wraeththu. I, myself, have put off and then cancelled plans for elaborate stories because the evolving canon just didn't match my fantasies. And with conscientious authors like Storm, who has actually tweaked her original trilogy, canon is not always a constant! The revised first trilogy and the innovative retelling of some of those events in The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure turned some details of established canon on its ear!

And, even when the characters, motives, and plots are clear, any fiction written in the fantasy or science fiction realm is going to, by its very nature, be a bit fuzzy in some of the details. These gray areas (like exact Wraeththu or Kamagrian biology and or explaining just how different tribes evolved so quickly or how Colurastes hair can bleed) intimidate some writers. Even after confronting fuzzy details and evolving canon, writers must tackle the formidable task of putting themselves into the mindset of hermaphroditic beings who live in a culture much different from our own and often detest humanity.

Despite these challenges, writers consistently turn out excellent fan fiction in the Wraeththu fandom. Work so excellent that Storm herself has taken notice and has said that she enjoys reading many of the stories. One thing nearly every fan desires is positive feedback and I can think of no greater compliment than receiving said positive feedback from the acclaimed author of the original work! One would think this would cause writers to flock to the fandom in hopes of gaining some recognition from the author many of us consider a personal hero.

Interestingly, this is not the case. I know of lots of talented fan fiction and original (as yet unpublished) fiction writers who are fans of Wraeththu, but do not write any Wraeththu stories. I often encourage new fans to share their fan fiction ideas and stories; however, I am met with a lot of reluctance. Ironically, I think a major reason for this is that writers are intimidated by the idea that Storm could possibly read their work.

Not only does this make writers more reluctant to contribute, I think it significantly influences the nature of the stories that are shared. Fan fiction is often a medium used to indulge fantasies of all sorts. Other fandoms have a proliferation of lurid stories, that can be very well written (or not) and quite entertaining. But with Storm being an active participant in the fandom, there is reluctance for writers to share such stories. It would be sort of like letting your girlfriend's or boyfriend's mother see a kinky sex tape of the two of you together – just not comfortable.

Is this a bad thing? Well, the quality of the stories that are shared tends to be high, but the size of the fan fiction community remains small. Would more smut bring in more fans or do more fans simply tend to result in more smut? I really couldn't say. However, in my opinion, the irony is that if more authors who are offended by fans writing slash and S & M and lurid character torture would actually embrace fan fiction and participate in their fan fiction communities, they would probably prevent many of those stories from getting shared.

I think Storm's acceptance of and participation in the Wraeththu fandom is what has kept the quality of fan fiction so high. High enough that Storm has even begun publishing some of the works.

One would think that the possibility of getting published would be another factor that would lead to lots of fan fiction being written and shared in hopes of gaining her notice. This has not been the case. Fan fiction writers are not clamoring to earn Storm's publication. Fan fiction still has a stigma. Maybe for this reason, writers don't want their first (or quite possibly only) published work to be fan fiction.

But among those of us who are still producing potentially publishable fan fiction, Storm's generosity has resulted in a huge pitfall for her. The Wraeththu fandom is a small and usually close-knit community. Choosing some, but not all, works to be published if surely an uncomfortable process for Storm and for the staff of Immanion Press. Making the process even more complicated is the fact that quality of writing is absolutely not the only factor in choosing which works are offered publication.

I know this from personal experience. Wendy Darling and I were blessed enough to be the first fan fiction writers who were published through Immanion Press. Was Breeding Discontent the best Wraeththu fan fiction out there? Of course not. But, the story met the criteria of supporting and embellishing Wraeththu canon in a positive way that complimented the work Storm was doing.

Other works of Wraeththu fan fiction as good and/or better than Breeding Discontent that unfortunately conflict canon (usually canon that developed after the fan story was first written) simply can't get the same blessing of publication. Other criteria, known only to the publishers, also shape the potential minefield of selecting who will and will not be approached for publication.

And while the participants in the Wraeththu fandom are essentially a classy, kind-hearted and mature group, feeling can get hurt. I myself will admit to being under the thrall of the green-eyed monster even though I've been doubly blessed by Storm. It's that cursed bane of humanity — jealousy — that persists even among the most elevated of souls! Even an enlighten har can tell you that.

In essence Storm has taken upon herself a great risk and responsibility — emotional and professional. Some members of the professional writing industry may frown upon her support of fan fiction. Furthermore, her support of fans, while exceedingly generous, is a bold experiment as well. I nervously await sales numbers on Breeding Discontent, not only for my own personal vanity, but because I desperately want this experiment to be a success for Storm's sake. I want to see Storm and Immanion Press successful because she has earned it. I want to see published fan fiction successful because I want all fan fiction writers to be blessed with the same opportunity as has been given to me.

What does the future hold for the Wraeththu fan fiction community? I am not sure. I'd like to see the fandom thrive as Immanion Press pushes forward with exciting new projects (the RPG and the next books in the Wraeththu series). But, the surprising and scary truth is that a fandom such as this is such an oddity that the future is as hard to predict as the plot of the last Wraeththu novel! All we can do is support the bold experiment and support one another in our efforts to do so.