Structural characteristics of English fanfiction

Additional information

Author Information:

Daryna Stanko is a Candidate of Philological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of English Philology, Faculty of Foreign Philology, Uzhhorod National University. Her research interests include discourse studies, pragmatics, digital communication, and the linguistics of fanfiction.

Correspondence: daryna.stanko2021@gmail.com

Iryna Kolegaeva, doctor of philological sciences, full professor, professor of the Department of English Lexicology and Stylistics, Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology, Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University. Her research interests are Language Teaching and Learning, Stylistics of the English Language, Theory of Communication.

Correspondence: irina_kolegaeva@ukr.net

Citation:

Stanko D., Kolegaeva I. Structural characteristics of English fanfiction [Text] // Linhvistychni Studiyi / Linguistic Studies : collection of scientific papers / Vasyl' Stus Donetsk National University; Ed. by Anatoliy Zahnitko. Vinnytsia : Vasyl' Stus DonNU, 2025. Vol. 50. Pp. 196-205. ISBN 966-7277-88-7

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31558/1815-3070.2025.50

Publication History:

Volume first published online: December 04, 2025

Received: 12.07.2025

Received in revised form: 28.09.2025

Accepted: 10.10.2025

First published online: December 04, 2025

Annotation.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the internal organization of English fanfiction as a kind of secondary literary communication formed in the digital environment and characterized by genre diversity, dynamism and openness to creative transformations. Fanfiction is considered as a textual, discursive and platform phenomenon, within which artistic creativity is combined with the mechanics of social interaction and cultural self-representation. Based on a corpus of 500 texts with a total volume of about 200,000 words, selected from the fan platforms FanFiction.net and Archive of Our Own, a comprehensive study of the three levels of the structural organization of fanfiction is carried out. In the textual plane, genre models are distinguished (continuation of the canon, omitted scenes, fix-it fiction, alternative universes), characteristic plot architectonics and intertextual mechanisms that ensure the formation of a "fanon" as a collectively agreed interpretation of canonical material. The discursive level demonstrates interactivity, the presence of metacommunication, polycode and hybridity of style, combining features of traditional literary writing with elements of digital communication (jargon, emojis, comments, appeals to readers). The platform level is manifested through systems of tags, ratings and tropes, which play the role of navigational and meaning-making tools that not only organize texts, but also form the horizons of audience expectations and define the framework of interpretation. As a result, it is proven that English fan fiction functions not as a marginal product of mass culture, but as a multidimensional discursive phenomenon and communicative ecosystem, where the canon serves as a starting point for collective creativity and the development of new meanings.

Keywords: English fanfiction, secondary communication, structural characteristics, genre typology, fanon, intertextuality.

Volume 50, 2025, pp. 196-205

Structural characteristics of English fanfiction

Stanko Daryna, Kolegaeva Iryna

Article first published online: December 04, 2025

Abstract.

STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGLISH FANFICTION

Daryna Stanko

Department of English Philology, Faculty of Foreign Philology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine.

Iryna Kolegaeva

Department of English Lexicology and Stylistics, Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology, Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University, Odesa, Ukraine.

Abstract

Background: English fanfiction occupies a special place in modern linguistics as a type of secondary literary communication shaped in digital environments. It reflects the dynamics of mass culture, interactive practices of reading and writing, and collective creativity. Despite the vast number of fan texts, systematic linguistic research into their structural organization has been limited.

Purpose: The study aims to identify and describe the structural characteristics of English fanfiction as a complex communicative phenomenon by analyzing its textual, discursive, and platform levels.

Results: Based on a corpus of 500 fanfics (approx. 200,000 words) selected from FanFiction.net and Archive of Our Own, the analysis reveals a multi-level structure. The textual level demonstrates diverse genre models (continuations, missing scenes, fix-it fiction, alternative universes), intertextual mechanisms, and the formation of “fanon” as a collectively negotiated interpretation. The discursive level is characterized by interactivity, metacommunication, polycodedness, and stylistic hybridity, combining literary and digital codes. The platform level, represented by tags, ratings, and tropes, not only organizes texts but also shapes readers’ expectations and frames interpretation.

Discussion: English fanfiction is not a marginal product of mass culture but a multidimensional discursive phenomenon and communicative ecosystem, where canonical texts serve as a springboard for collective creativity and meaning-making. The findings expand the theoretical understanding of secondary discourse and offer practical applications for discourse analysis, stylistics, and the study of digital texts.

Keywords: English fanfiction, secondary communication, structural characteristics, genre typology, fanon, intertextuality.

Vitae

Daryna Stanko is a Candidate of Philological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of English Philology, Faculty of Foreign Philology, Uzhhorod National University. Her research interests include discourse studies, pragmatics, digital communication, and the linguistics of fanfiction.

Correspondence: daryna.stanko2021@gmail.com

Iryna Kolegaeva, doctor of philological sciences, full professor, professor of the Department of English Lexicology and Stylistics, Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology, Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University. Her research interests are Language Teaching and Learning, Stylistics of the English Language, Theory of Communication.

Correspondence: irina_kolegaeva@ukr.net

Article.

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