Cosplay and Fan Fiction

Robin Hobb (who is also Megan Lindholm) once remarked at a book signing that she thinks of fan-fiction as a misuse of limited time.  We're all given a limited period within which to make our art and she thought that fan-fiction (and to a lesser extent commissioned work like film novelizations and filling in for deceased authors as Brandon Sanderson is for Robert Jordan) was time poorly spent.  Instead, she advocated that authors invest in themselves: that instead of playing in someone else's sandbox, they should be making characters and worlds of their own.  I think it's good advice, but it's not advice that I gravitate to.

You see, I started in Wheel of Time fan-fiction.  I'm sure much of it is still floating around the interwebs and my success (or lack thereof) might be an effective scale by which to judge Robin Hobb's advice.  But I have a hard time accepting that the hundred of hours and millions of words (yeah, I counted once) were wasted.  I have to believe that I gained valuable insights into the mechanics of story, plot, narrative, and characterization.  And though those words will never be published, that's okay.  I erred often and frequently, but I learned from those mistakes and I carry them with me still; they influence how I write this blog, how I write papers, how I write articles, short stories, and novels.

Similarly, as I was thinking about fan fiction, I got to thinking about cosplay.  For those of you not in the loop (an orbit I barely inhabit) cosplay stands for costume play and is devoted to fans of particular works of fiction wearing the attire, or acting in the manner of, their favorite characters.  There's quite a bit of ruckus being made as to whether it's part of nerd culture, or geek culture, somewhere in the middle, or something else entirely.  It has the feeling of a Renaissance Fair without the obvious anachronisms.  Or, at the very least, entirely intentional anachronisms.  And it's also related to steam punk, which is a whole other kind of nerdery on which I'm not qualified to comment.

But it strikes me that the investment of time, energy, and creativity so prevalent in cosplay is a kind of misappropriation of talent, skill, and dedication.  For the same reason as Robin Hobb advised against fan fiction, I have to wonder if these people couldn't excel at their own endeavors.  Much like the teacher who wonders if little Johnny couldn't be a prodigy if he just applied himself, I wonder if cosplayers are just not applying themselves.

But I have to take a step back.  After all, I was a writer of fan fiction.  I loved it.  It gave me a sense of community and included me in a creative world that was also a creative outlet and source of inspiration.  Possibly, cosplay does the same.  Nerd, geek, whatever.  It's the community that formed around common interests that really matters. 

But still.  I have to wonder.