Creating a character from scratch is no easy task. It requires hours of thought and effort, even for a mediocre result. This is the process of dreaming up an entire person—from small idiosyncrasies to complex motivations and intentions. While not everyone can create original characters, many can envision their actions so vividly that they feel like old friends. The urge to go beyond what the original author has given, to explore the unknown, forms the basis of derivative works.

Derivative works are “based on or derived from one or more preexisting works that are already protected by copyright.” These can take various forms, including adaptations, remixes, translations, musical arrangements, fanfiction, and fanart. Fanfiction is “fiction written by a fan, featuring characters from a particular TV series, film, book, etc.,” while fanart is the artistic equivalent. Copyright grants intellectual property owners exclusive rights to their creations but also allows for transformation or adaptation, acknowledging both original and derivative creators.

Despite their legality, derivative works—particularly fanfiction and fanart—have long suffered from the perception that they are “lazy” or unoriginal, borrowing characters and content instead of creating something new. However, this view is far from the truth. Creating anything requires intent and effort. Rather than passively consuming media, these fans actively engage with it, expanding narratives and exploring themes that mainstream media often avoids. In doing so, they provide representation for marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals and people of different races, nationalities, languages, religions, and ages—communities that may otherwise be overlooked due to potential backlash.

Beyond representation, it is crucial to challenge the stereotype that derivative works lack quality. Many successful books began as fanfiction, proving that inspiration from existing material does not diminish originality. For example, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood started as Star Wars fanfiction on Archive of Our Own (AO3), while The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare originated as Harry Potter fanfiction. Additionally, works widely recognized as literary and artistic masterpieces are themselves derivative: West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which in turn was inspired by Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe. Even Shakespeare’s work was a form of adaptation.

Above all, these works are created out of love, not profit. Most are published on non-monetized platforms like AO3, Tumblr, and FanFiction.net. The desire to create and immortalize human experiences is deeply ingrained in us, from ancient cave paintings to Greek epics. To dismiss derivative works as inferior is both short-sighted and limiting. They are gifts of pure devotion—ones we should recognize and appreciate rather than ignore.