In Defense of Fan Fiction

One of the most annoying things I've heard since I was about thirteen years old are variations of the "Fan fiction isn't real writing" statement usually followed by something along the lines of "You should be ashamed."
First of all:  No, no I shall not feel ashamed.  I am proud of my fan fictions.
Well, except for that one collaborative work that I took off of the websites, but we don't talk about that one, even if it is the source of my pen name.
Anyway!  Fan fiction was one of the first mediums I was able to exercise my creative writing muscles in, besides bad poetry from middle school.  Writing my first novel came after fan fiction, and I give fan fiction the credit for getting me ready to write an original novel of my own.
The stigma surrounding fan fiction can be frustrating for more serious writers like myself when we bring up that we do, in fact, write fan fiction.  The first thing that comes to mind are fan fictions like the infamous "My Immortal," painfully terrible writing, and what the fan fiction community sometimes refers to as 'lemons' (dirty fan fiction).
Cue the frustration of authors who labor diligently over works hundreds of thousands of words long, sometimes hundreds of long chapters, complex plots and fleshed out characters, works that have sweat and tears and love imbued into their very core.  I have a five book Star Wars fan fiction series that's been progressing since 2014 that I lovingly refer to as my baby (I call its main character the same thing).  It has it's own unique storyline and has been showered with praise from the community for an original character so fleshed out and well-suited to the Star Wars universe they keep expecting her to show up in the films and shows themselves before remembering she's a product of fan fiction.  That's not even my most popular fan fiction, if I may toot my own horn for a brief moment.
Works like these are just as plentiful in the fan fiction communities as the "Terrible" fan fictions that have given fan fiction its infamous stigma, and its about time that stigma was thrown into an incinerator for the sake of us authors that take our work seriously and put years of love and effort into our fan fictions--not even for money, might I add, but simply for the joy of writing and sharing that writing with others.
In a more technical viewpoint, fan fiction also allows a relatively safe space to practice one's craft.  I have lovingly referred to fan fiction as my Writer's Sandbox, a space that allows me to try new things without having to worry about any kind of repercussions or pushback.  I can try a new genres, a new point of view, any kind of new writing style, or just work on refining my current style.  When I first started writing fan fiction, I was more worried about creating intriguing plots.  This focus shifted to writing better dialogue once I felt comfortable with my plots, and then shifted to trying to find a good balance between dialogue and descriptions.  It's visible in my fan fictions over the years how my writing has improved, a fact noted and supported by the comments of readers who follow my stories.
That's another part of fan fiction that I have found invaluable:  the feedback.  All fan fiction websites include an option for readers to review each work chapter by chapter--Wattpad even has in-line comments, which allows readers to select certain passages of text and comment on that passage specifically.  While some comments act as motivation fuel with simple declarations on the quality of the work and pleas for more, others give constructive criticism, point out certain aspects of the chapter that worked well, comment on characterization--point out generally anything that they feel like discussing or commenting on.  Peer review is in fact one of the best ways to help improve your writing style, since fresh eyes can notice things you don't notice.  Also, if you're feeling particularly insecure about your writing, there are reviews that can gush over your works in a way that could give any writer a confidence boost.
Finally, the fan fiction community can be closely knit, and allows the opportunity for the author, if they so choose, to have a reliable, direct line of communication with their readers.  My inboxes for my websites frequently receive messages from fans, and I reply as often as I can, whether its to give clarification on part of a fanfiction, inform them on the next update, answer any questions they may have, or even simply talk about the books.  This kind of community allowed me to have a built up audience before I was even an officially published author--there were already plenty of people who enjoyed my works, and continue to enjoy them today, even after five years.
Fan fiction is not the terrible beast that people like to treat it as.  Yes, there are the lemons, and the My Immortals, and the poorly written fan fiction, but there are also genuine works with unmeasurable effort and love put into them by fans who are creating these works for no monetary gain.  Its a way for writers to practice their craft and get feedback, or even a way to express passion for a writer's favorite books, films, games, whatever media the writer is drawn to.  It even allows beloved universes to be explored by fellow fans, for people to gain a little more from their favorite worlds, or to simply share in common interests with others.
A little less demonizing and putting down authors would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Legitimate Authors.

In Case You're Interested

Link to fan fiction author pages:  Wattpad, ArchiveOfOurOwn, Fanfiction
Link to the Star Wars fan fiction mentioned earlier in the article, on one of the three websites I publish in.  I chose Archive Of Our Own because it has a feature that allows authors to group their series together under a collection.  Of Love and War.