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Diplomarbeit

Titel der Diplomarbeit

Character Formation in Fan Fiction Based on
Popular TV Series

Verfasserin

Manuela Scherf

angestrebter akademischer Grad

Magistra der Philosophie (Mag. phil.)Wien, 2008

Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt:Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt:Betreuerin/Betreuer:

A343 332
Diplomstudium Anglistik und Amerikanistik
ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Monika Seidl

Thank You:

… Frau Prof. Seidl…. Mama, Papa, family and friends

I am so very grateful for your patience, encouragement and support.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction

1

2. The Shows, the Characters and Their Fans

3

2.1. The Shows, the Fans, the Fiction
2.1.1. The Shows
2.1.2. The Fans
2.1.3. The Fiction

3
3
7
13

2.2. Breakout Characters: Spike and Logan
2.2.1. The Development of the Term
2.2.2. “Who do you kill for fun around here” – Spike
2.2.3. “Sometimes, I’m up all night, just thinking about myself”Logan
2.2.4. How to Become a Breakout Character

16
16
19

2.3. Action Chicks: Buffy and Veronica
2.3.1. The New Tough Action Heroine
2.3.2. Buffy and Veronica as Action Heroines
2.3.3. The Quest for Normality

27
27
29
32

2.4. The Concept of the Other
2.4.1. The Heroes and Their Otherness
2.4.2. The Other Sexuality
2.4.3. Fan Fiction and Otherness

36
36
38
40

2.5. The Concept of Romance in Fan Fiction
2.5.1. The Ideal Romance
2.5.2. Canon vs. Romance
2.5.3. Romance in Fan Fiction

45
46
49
52

22
23

3. Fan Fiction: Issues and Practices

56

3.1. The Copyright Debate

56

3.2. How Fans “Play” with Their Favourite Characters
3.2.1. Genres
3.2.2. Narrative Situation
3.2.3. Reinterpretation

61
61
62
64

4. Close Reading: Classifying Character Formation Processes

67

4.1. Character Formation Processes in Spuffy and LoVe Fan Fiction 67
4.1.1. Categorising Character Formation Processes
67
4.1.2. The Outcomes of Character Formation:
Character Change vs. Character Switch72

4.2. Diminishing Offending Otherness: Weakening
4.2.1. Weakening through Illness
4.2.2. Injuring Toughness

74
74
84

4.3. Overcoming Otherness I: Knowledge Enhancement
4.3.1. Artificial Enhancement
4.3.2. Natural Enhancement

93
94
98

4.4. Overcoming Otherness II: Knowledge Restriction
4.4.1. Artificial Restriction
4.4.2. Natural Restriction

102
102
106

4.5. Eliminating Obstacles Getting in the Way of Romance:
Eradication of Differences
4.5.1. Radical Eradication
4.5.2. Realistic Eradication

109
111
114

4.6. Meddling with Romance: Matchmakers
4.6.1. Supernatural Matchmakers in VM Fiction
4.6.2. Supernatural Matchmakers in BtVS Fiction

117
118
121

4.7. Playing with Canon: Breadcrumbs
4.7.1. Covert Use of Breadcrumbs
4.7.2. Blatant Use of Breadcrumbs

124
125
128

5. Conclusion

132

6. Bibliography

134

7. Index147

8. Appendix

149

9. Abstract

153

10. Curriculum Vitae

155

1
1. Introduction

To write is to produce the text; to read is to receive it from someone else
without putting one’s own mark on it, without remarking it. In that regard, thereading of the catechism or of the Scriptures that the clergy used to recommend
to girls and mothers, by forbidding these Vestals of an untouchable sacred text
to write continues today in the “reading” of the television programs offered to“consumers” who cannot trace their own writing on the screen where theproduction of the Other – of “culture” - appears. (de Certeau, 169)
Michel de Certeau’s clear distinction between what he perceives to be two separate
practices, namely writing and reading, gets blurred when applied to fannish practices.
One fannish practice in particular challenges de Certeau’s theory: the writing of fan
fiction. This powerful fannish tool reflects both the fans` fascination with a particularsource text as well as their frustration with it because it cannot fulfil all their needs.1
In many cases, this combination leads fans to attempt to remedy perceived flaws of
their favourite source text by literally rewriting it. Most often, this does not takeplace in private, but is shared with other likeminded fans via the internet. Thus, thisfan practice cannot be dismissed as an ineffectual attempt of some frustrated fans toshape the object of their adoration according to their liking. On the contrary, theinternet allows fan fiction to reach large communities of people who share the sameinterests. Commonly, it influences the way a fan community understands the source
text. Therefore, fan fiction clearly annihilates the clear-cut distinction between
writing and reading, production and consumption. It has to be acknowledged thatfans do not aim to simply reproduce a given source text. As this fan practice does not
only reflect fannish adoration, but to a large extent also fannish frustration, it actuallyaims to interpret, appropriate and reconstruct the source text. 2 Therefore, fan fiction
is not just a copy of something else, but a distinct artistic product that is merely basedon a particular source text.

It is the aim of this study to examine how fan fiction writers incorporate the source
text into their stories. More precisely, it is concerned with the way members of media
fandom manipulate characters of two contemporary television shows – Buffy the
Vampire Slayer (BtVS) and Veronica Mars (VM) – to suit the purposes ofheterosexual romantic fan fiction. The first part of this study will take a closer look at
1
2

Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 162.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers,162.

2
media fandom in general, and at BtVS and VM fandom in particular. Assuming that it
is not so much the shows themselves that capture the audience’s interest and ensure
fan fascination, but actually the characters and their relationships, the first part will
also examine these two factors more closely. The second part of this survey will thenconcentrate on the close analysis of actual fan fiction stories. Deborah Kaplan claims
that fan fiction is predominantly treated as a sociological, but not as a literary form. 3
In contrast to that, this study is interested in the literary content of fan fiction.
Accordingly, the second part of this study will examine the content of romantic BtVS
and VM fan fiction of varying length, in order to discover how characters that are
based on a canonical source text are constructed in fan fiction. Distinct character
formation strategies applied in BtVS and VM fan fiction shall be identified andanalysed. Thus, it is the aim of this study to create a typology that explains character
formation processes in romantic fan fiction based on episodic television series. A
similar classification scheme does not yet exist. Nevertheless, the theoreticalframework constructed to facilitate a close analysis of distinct fannish character
formation processes necessarily coincides with other methodologies of adjacent
fields of literary and cultural studies.

A study that is concerned with fan fiction stories that deal with the romantic
heterosexual relationship of two characters is inevitably also concerned with female
fan communities. Fan fiction in general, and relationship centred fan fiction inparticular, are predominantly written and read by women. 4 Thus, this study does not
only aim to show that female consumers have indeed found a way to influence theirfavourite television shows – and, thus, to somehow “trace their own writing on thescreen” –; but it is particularly concerned with how they do so.

34

Cf. Kaplan, 134.
Cf. Bury, 2-3.

3
2. The Shows, the Characters and Their Fans2.1. The Shows, the Fans, the Fiction

2.1.1. The Shows
In recent years, few shows have caused a fan upheaval similar to that created by
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and Veronica Mars (2004-2007). What makes
this development particularly remarkable is the fact that both shows managed tocreate loyal, strong, and very active fan bases, despite their chronically rather low
viewer ratings. These faithful fans, which remain actively devoted to their favourite
shows even after their cancellation, have founded the cult status that is now assigned
to both programmes. This is not the only thing these formats have in common. The
resemblances are numerous and frequently pointed out.

First aired in the year 1997 on the public network the WB, Joss Whedon’s creation
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), which was produced by his company Mutant
Enemy, was actually based on a Hollywood movie of the same name from 1992, that
was also created by Whedon. A few years later, he was asked to turn his concept of ayoung girl, who is chosen to protect humankind from vampires, into a TV show.
Although, the show was not very successful in the beginning, it steadily gained fans.
When it moved to UPN in 2001, it was one of the WB`s most successfulprogrammes. However, the show’s ratings always remained lower than those of
successful broadcasts on other networks. After seven seasons and 144 episodes with
an approximate length of 45 minutes each, Buffy actress Sarah Michelle Gellar
decided to leave the show in the year 2003. Her departure marked the definite end of
the series. Even though BtVS is no longer aired, the canon is continued in a different
form, namely through the comic book series Buffy season eight, which has been
produced since March 2007 by Joss Whedon. 5 Moreover, there are countlessacademic, as well as fannish publications that keep the show alive.

With three seasons and 64 episodes with an approximate length of 45 minutes, thelifespan of Rob Thomas` show Veronica Mars was considerably shorter than that of5

See Wikipedia s.v. `Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)`.

4
Whedon’s more successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 6 It premiered in 2004 on the
public network UPN and although, the show constantly received high praise fromcritics, viewer ratings were low from the beginning. Only the support from renowned
critics, and a very loyal and vocal fan base, helped the format to survive the firstseason. The viewer ratings of the show about a teenage girl, who works as adetective, did not improve much during the second season. Still, when UPN and the
WB merged to form the new network the CW in the fall of 2006, the show was
picked up for another season. It now aired on Tuesdays right after Gilmore Girls.
The network officials hoped that this would push viewer ratings, as Gilmore Girls
was a very well established show with a similar audience. When this tactic did not
succeed, Veronica Mars was cancelled in 2007 after three seasons. However,Thomas is continually hinting that the series may not be dead for good. He is not
only thinking about a Veronica Mars movie, but also considers a comic book series
in the style of Buffy season eight. 7

The content of Veronica Mars, which is basically quite similar to that of Buffy, andother parallels to the antecedent show, practically invite comparison. The fact that
VM appeared shortly after the cancellation of BtVS, consolidated Veronica’s status as
Buffy’s successor even more. Many Buffy fans recognised the resemblance between
the tiny blonde detective and the tiny blonde slayer and, thus, embraced the newformat as a means to fill the void left by Buffy’s departure. Indeed, the perceived
similarities between the shows are pretty valid: A petite blond girl has to fightagainst vampires and other monsters and saves those around her from torture anddeath. A petite blond girl investigates criminal cases and saves those around her frominjustice, deception, and possible death. Of course, this description of the shows isvery superficial, ignoring the complex universes surrounding both formats.
Nevertheless, it clearly shows that the basic concepts of VM and BtVS are noticeably
similar. Thus, it is no wonder that many Buffy fans should feel drawn to the otherprogramme, avidly trying to find correspondences between their favourite shows.

The way the series` officials deal with this development makes clear that the fans`comparison of the shows is not only welcome, but quite actively encouraged. Rob
Thomas himself acknowledges that there are semblances between the series that
6
7

See The Internet Movie Database “Veronica Mars”.
See Wikipedia s.v. `Veronica Mars`.

5
invite comparison. Although, he stresses that he has never really watched Buffy, andthat Veronica Mars was definitely not deliberately designed to resemble that show,
he confirms that he is not averse to possible comparisons. “I would catch an episodehere and an episode there. But I knew, certainly, going into this that it would be theshow that we would be compared to most, and it was a comparison that I welcomed.”(Havrilesky, “The man behind Veronica”) The actions taken by the producers of
Veronica Mars suggest, however, that the similarities to BtVS are not quite asaccidental as Thomas likes to pretend. Not only were the former Buffy actors Alyson
Hannigan (Willow) and Carisma Carpenter (Cordelia) hired to play minor roles inVeronica Mars, but even Buffy creator Joss Whedon made a guest appearance in theshow. These cameo appearances served to actively emphasise the shows` close
connection. Furthermore, Whedon continually praised the show in public. On
Whedonesque, a website dedicated to Joss Whedon and his shows, he enthusiasticallyraved:
Best. Show. Ever. Seriously, I've never gotten more wrapped up in a show I
wasn't making, and maybe even more than those. Crazy crisp dialogue.
Incredibly tight plotting. […] These guys know what they're doing on a levelthat intimidates me. It's the Harry Potter of shows. There. I said it. People
should do whatever they can to check out this first season[.](Whedon, “Post: Joss Luvs Veronica”)
This makes clear that any association between the shows is not merely inadvertent,
but a clever and actively planned strategy to promote Veronica Mars. After all, it cannever be bad for a new and relatively unknown show to be compared to such a wellestablished format.

Fact is that both shows were designed by relatively small networks to appeal to aparticular niche market that – though rather small – would secure a consistent base ofregular viewers: cult TV fandom. The fact that cult TV fans tend to be very loyal totheir favourite show – commonly maintaining their commitment even after it has
ended – naturally appeals to smaller TV networks, as it virtually guarantees steadyviewer ratings. Matt Hills supports this assumption by stating that “[f]andom has
begun to furnish a model of dedicated and loyal consumption which does, in point offact, appeal to niche and non-terrestrial TV producers and schedulers operating
within a fragmented multi-channel media environment.” (Hills, 36) Both networks
that aired Buffy can count as niche networks. Warner Bros. and UPN were both

6
founded in 1995 by large business corporations (AOL Time Warner and ViacomCBS respectively), and were considerably smaller than big networks like ABC or
NBC. 8 Also the product of the merging of the two networks, the CW, is significantly
smaller than the aforementioned bigger networks. At its highest the viewer numbersof Buffy the Vampire Slayer amounted to 4.5 million viewers per episode. Comparedto other shows at bigger networks like E.R. (Emergency Room) at NBC (22.5 million
viewers) the viewer ratings of Buffy were rather low. However, for the WB and later
UPN, the viewer numbers of this show were very impressive. Moreover, the series
had a loyal fan community among a very important viewer group, namely young
educated white viewers. 9 The situation was similar with Veronica Mars. Although,viewer ratings remained rather low throughout three seasons, the show managed tosecure a loyal fan base among young white educated viewers and, therefore,
appealed to a target market that was very important for UPN, and later the CW. 10
Their extremely loyal fan communities mark both shows as cult TV programmes. It
has already been mentioned that cult TV fans are commonly very dedicated to theirfavourite show. Although, this dedication proves to be beneficial for the interests of
TV broadcasters, it also poses a potential problem for them. Hills claims that fannish
devotion to a particular show does actually not agree with the unstable nature of the
TV industry. He argues that “[t]he fans` emotional investment also results in (and iscompounded through) an attention to detail and programme continuity which is often
at odds with the producers` need to tell new stories over the duration of a TV series”.
(Hills, 28) Nevertheless, cult TV fans remain a very desirable target group that holds
a considerable fan power and is therefore actively pursued by smaller networks. 11
Thus, the similarities between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars stemfrom the fact that they are both designed to attract the same niche market. Bothshows were meant to inspire cult TV fandom; and both managed this task
successfully.

For the most part, fans of the shows appreciate the similarities. However, there arealso critical voices who demand that Veronica Mars should be respected for its own
accomplishments, instead of simply being worshipped because of its resemblance to

8

Cf. Williamson, The Lure, 90.
Cf. Williamson, The Lure, 90.
10
See Wikipedia sv. `Veronica Mars`.
11
Cf. Hills, 36-37.
97
Buffy. In a reaction to an article titled `Veronica Mars: Better than Buffy` on Chicago
Tribune Com Carrie wrote:
I honestly get a little tired of the repeated comparisons of the two shows. Why
can't VM just be recognized as awesome in its own right, instead of people
trying to squish it into a "Buffy" mold [sic!]? Okay, they're both shows thatfeature blonde protagonists in high school, and they both have so-called cultfollowings. But they're completely different genres, and each is worthy ofpraise for what it is, not what it might possibly maybe sort of resemble if you
look at it one particular way.
(Carrie, “Comment on 'Veronica Mars': Better than 'Buffy'?”)It is important to note that it unquestionably would be wrong to treat Veronica Mars
simply as a copy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Despite the many correspondences,both shows remain individual products that create different reactions among theaudiences they attract. Accordingly, Veronica Mars did not just catch the attention of
Buffy fans, but it appealed also to people who didn’t like the other show because of
its fantastic content. 12 Thus, VM is not simply a refuge for Buffy fans in desperateneed of a new addiction. It is a separate broadcast with a separate fan base; a fan basethat, again, invites comparisons to that of BtVS, as both are extraordinarily active andpersistent.

2.1.2. The Fans
Fandom is a very complex concept. Its flexibility and the variety of shapes it can takemake it hard to grasp. There are countless different fan cultures. When looking at afannish product that is based on popular TV series – as it is the case with BtVS and
VM fan fiction – one has to concentrate on a very particular form of fan-culture,
namely media fandom. Henry Jenkins defines this particular fan culture as “anamorphous but still identifiable grouping of enthusiasts of film and television”(Jenkins, Poachers, 1) According to him:
This group is largely female, largely white, largely middle class, though it
welcomes into its ranks many who would not fit this description. Thissubculture cuts across traditional geographic and generational boundaries andis defined through its particular styles of consumption and forms of culturalpreference. (Jenkins, Poachers, 1)

12

Cf. Ryan, “‘Veronica Mars': Better than 'Buffy'?”.

8This group of predominantly white, middle class women takes already existingmaterials and appropriates them to fit their own needs. In the case of BtVS and VM,
fans take the material provided by the series and work with it in a way that makes itmeaningful to them. This does not necessarily mean to write fan fiction, but caninvolve all kinds of activities that are related to these TV shows. Accordingly, fansmay discuss their favourite shows in online discussion threads, found or join online
communities concerned with their favourite shows, characters, or character pairings,
make photo galleries or fan videos (fanvids) featuring their favourites, or cometogether at fan conventions to meet actors and producers of the show, as well as tobuy the latest fan articles. Thus, this kind of fandom can obviously take many forms.

Not every member of the fan community is involved to the same degree. There aremany different levels and ways of engagement. However, no one lives entirely
within this fan culture. Media fandom exists between mass- and everyday culture.
The fact that it consists of women, who insist on making meaning from materials that
others have considered insignificant, makes this form of culture an outsider culture. 13

Fan culture in general is usually treated cautiously. The stereotypical conception of
the fan as an emotionally instable person, who is unable to deal with reality andinstead devotes all of their time to things that are commonly considered to be
unimportant and useless, forces fans into the defensive position of the Other, andbans fandom to the margins of society. 14 This prejudiced stance towards fandom istaken one step further when it comes to female fandom. Even within online fancommunities, female fans are marginalised. Rhiannon Bury argues that, although,computer mediated communication (CMC) was originally meant to avoid
discrimination based on physical markers, the reality is different. 15 Very often,
female internet users were recognised, ostracised, and even humiliated by male users
because of their opinions and statements. For that reason female cyberspaces wereformed. Bury identifies sites that are dedicated to particular characters and/or actors,
as well as fan fiction sites – particularly those that are relationship-centred – astypically female cyberspaces. 16 These cyberspaces enable women to talk about the13

Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 2-3.
Compare Jenkins` description of the stereotypical perception of fan culture, 17-19.
15
Cf. Bury, 3.
16Compare Bury’s conception of female cyberspaces, 2-3.
14

9
topics they like in the way they like. But as already mentioned, these female
cyberspaces, and female fans in general, are frequently put at the fringes of fannish
society. Fangirl is a particularly derogatory term for female fans who openly admire
male stars. 17 It implies that female fans generally harbour an improper sexual desire
for their favourite characters and/ or actors, and suggests that all female fandom is
actually driven by childish longing. However, recent developments show that femalefans have appropriated this term to suit their own purposes. Many refer to themselves
as fangirl. Their definition of this term diverges from the popular description of theobsessed and frequently hysteric female, who is madly in love with a fictional
character or an actual movie star, and who has lost any touch to reality. In contrast,
they define a fangirl as a woman, who openly expresses her appreciation for a malefictional character and/or a male celebrity, but who is fully aware that her adoration
is just that, and will never lead to something more. These attempts to redefine an
initially derogatory expression show how female fans fight to uphold their right toengage in fannish activities without having to endure ridicule and humiliation. It
becomes clear though that even within the marginalised fan culture there is always
someone, who is regarded to be more extreme or peculiar, and is then marginalised
and put in the position of the Other.

Milly Williamson shows that confrontations between fans are not restricted tomatters of different sexuality or different fandoms. Taking the official Anne Rice’s
Vampire Lestat Fan Club (ARVLFC) as an example, she demonstrates that hostility
does also commonly occur between fans of the same fandom. Distinguishing
between official fans (those who are members of officially recognised fan clubs) andordinary fans, she shows that fandoms have hierarchies, and that these hierarchies
commonly lead to considerable struggles between the members of a fandom. 18 Using
Anne Rice fans to exemplify her claims, she shows that both the official and theordinary fans make a point to draw distinctions between their own fannish practices
and beliefs and those of the other party. The collection of items connected to Anne
Rice and the characters of her books and films, turns out to be considered a very
important mark of distinction between official and ordinary fans. Members of the17

Cf. Bury, 37.
For more detailed information on Williamson’s concept of fan hierarchies and the resulting
problems within fandoms see Williamson, The Lure, Chapter 6, 119-141.
18

10
official fan club commonly tried to distinguish themselves from the ordinary fans by
stressing that they only collected items of economic value, while the other fanscollected just about anything. Most ordinary fans, on the other hand, stated that they
thought the artistic value of an item to be more important than its economic worth. 19
Thus, Williamson concludes that “[t]he collecting habits of the unofficial fans seemto be more in-line with the autonomous values of cultural production”. (Williamson,
124)This issue corresponds to Matt Hills` theory on the status of economic consumption
in fannish societies. Hills shows that there exists “an expressed hostility within cultfandoms towards commercialisation and commodification” (Hills, 28), which leadsfans to make a distinction between `good` fans and `bad` consumers. 20 Thisdistinction is based on the assumption that devoted fandom is incompatible witheconomic matters. However, Hills claims that it is impossible to separate theimagined subjectivities of the fan and the consumer, as fandom always also involves
consumption. 21 Applying this model to the collecting habits of the official andordinary fans of Williamson’s study shows, how consumption habits are used tojustify distinct fannish subject positions. By stressing their own exclusive taste
concerning the collection of fan memorabilia in contrast to the unrefined collecting
habits of the ordinary fans, the members of the official fan club tried to stress that in
the light of the immaturity of their opponents, their sophistication justified theirhigher status in Anne Rice fandom. In contrast to that, the ordinary fans – in accord
with Hills` distinction between `good` fans and `bad` consumers – claimed that theirlack of interest in the economic worth of fan items marked them as `true` fans, as itshowed that they were interested in the subject of their fandom and not in their own
economical enrichment. Both parties tried to use the subject of consumption habits toassert their claims. This shows that economic consumption, and how to incorporate it
into `good` fannish practices, is an important issue within fandom. It also serves tostress the fact that the diversity of fannish societies does not only lead to hostilities
among members of different fandoms, but frequently also among the members of thesame fandom. Thus, the amorphous and varied nature of fandom makes it impossible
to treat its members as one uniform group of people.
19

Cf. Williamson, The Lure, 124-127.
Cf. Hills, 27.
21
Compare Hills` concept of consumption in cult fandom in Hills, Chapter 1, 27-45.
20

11

Analogous to the changeability of media fandom, VM and BtVS fandom is very
diverse and copious. Sites and communities are dedicated to the shows in general orparticular characters, pairings, and/or actors depicting them. Fanvids, picture
galleries, fan fictions, discussion threads, and fan conventions cover virtually any
possible aspect of these broadcasts. One factor that promotes this enormous degree of
fan activity is that it is explicitly encouraged, and even actively promoted by thecreators and producers of the shows. In contrast to many other series, where fan
involvement is barely tolerated, Joss Whedon and Rob Thomas actively seek thecontact to the fans and cleverly use it to their own advantage. This active
involvement of the series` creators in fan activities is yet another aspect that marks
the two shows as cult TV programmes. Matt Hills claims that it is typical for cult TV
formats to possess an identifiable author figure, which he calls auteur. This auteur
comes in the form of an “Executive Producer-Creator-Writer figure” (Hills, 132),
who signs responsible for the program, and whose name is inextricably linked withthe show. 22 Both Joss Whedon and Rob Thomas fulfil these requirements and, thus,
play the part of the auteur. They act as mediators between the media world of theseries and the media fandom of the fans. This causes them to occupy a hybrid
position, because they “are both the producers of fans` preferred cultural products
and objects of fandom themselves”. (Williamson, 132) That the auteur’s close
contact to the fans does not only serve to assert their strong involvement with theshow, but actually influences the development of the fandom, becomes apparent
when taking a closer look at Joss Whedon’s involvement in the affairs of the Buffy
posting board The Bronze. It was created as a forum for Buffy fans, where they could
meet and discuss the onscreen and offscreen developments of their favourite show.
What made this posting board special from the beginning, was the fact that Joss
Whedon did not only acknowledge its existence, but became an active member of thecommunity. Along with writers and actors of the show, he used this format to stay incontact with the fans. 23 This contact was deepened when the first Posting Board
Party that was meant as an informal meeting between fans, actors, and series
officials, was held in 1998. However, what was supposed to be an opportunity tobring the media world and the media fandom together, actually served to divide thefan community, as the members who attended the party used this experience as a
22
23

Cf. Hills, 132-133.
Cf. Zweerink, Gatson, 247.

12means to justify their higher status within the community. 24 Similar to thedevelopments in Anne Rice fandom mentioned above, fans divided into two groups,
namely those who actually met Joss Whedon and the cast, and those who did not.
The former soon took over leading roles in the organisation of the website, as well as
in the planning of the next Posting Board Party, whereas the latter felt themselves tobe excluded and increasingly pushed to the margins of this fannish society. Thus, theclose connection of this community to the series creator and other officials caused it
to split. 25 However, although Joss Whedon’s involvement did cause the fancommunity’s crisis, it also enabled it to survive. The fact that The Bronze was the
only website Whedon actually used, made it the exclusive place to get into contact
with the makers and actors of the show. 26 Therefore, this online community
continued to exist despite its problems. Nowadays, another website rivals The
Bronze’s status as the only place to get into contact with Joss Whedon. The online
discussion board Whedonesque.com, which has already been mentioned above, wasfounded in 2002. In contrast to The Bronze, it is not dedicated to one of Whedon’sshows, but to him and his works in general. Thus, the focus of this fannish
community lies not so much on the product but on the auteur himself. Much like at
The Bronze, Whedon and many of his writers and actors actively participate in theactivities of this posting board. Therefore, The Bronze seems to have lost theexclusive status of Whedon’s preferred website. Yet, the case of this online
community shows that an involvement of the auteur in fannish affairs does notnecessarily have positive effects on the fandom concerned. Still, Whedon’s close
contact to the fans proved to be beneficial for both sides: it enabled the fans to get incontact with the actors and the crew of their favourite show, and it enabled Whedon
to reinforce the fans` commitment to his product.

Like Joss Whedon, also Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas maintains the contact tothe fans via the internet to secure their dedication to the show. He in particular,
knows the power of the Veronica Mars fans, as their extraordinary commitment tothe show, and their willingness to take active measures to save it, managed to keep
the format alive for three seasons. He tries to mobilise this fan power by staying in

24

Cf. Zweerink, Gatson, 242-243.
For more detailed information on Joss Whedon’s relationship to The Bronze see Zweerink, Gatson,www.buffy.com – Cliques, Boundaries, and Hierarchies in an Internet Community.
26
Cf. Zweerink, Gatson, 247.
25

13
touch with them. In a letter to the members of Neptune Rising, a community of
Veronica Mars fans, who fight for a Veronica Mars movie, Thomas writes:
I know there are many who would like to know the specifics on when and if I'll
be able to continue the VM story. I'm afraid I don't have a definitive answer
other than to say I want to do it. Unfortunately right now, I need to pay thebills, and I'd have to write the movie on spec. It's difficult to consult on a show,
develop new pilots and knock out comic books and/or a feature script. I'm
grateful that there are fans anxious for it, and I remain motivated.
(Thomas, “Letter”)
Obviously, Thomas does not only aim to reassure the fans, but obliquely encourages
them to keep going. The reactions to this letter were very positive, as mostcommunity members fervently vowed to fight for a VM movie.

Thus, the female fans are not just silly girls, whose mad crush on some malecharacter or star boarders on obsession, but they are actually a considerable force thatcan - to some extend - influence the television landscape. However, this fan power is
not always used in favour of the shows. It has already been established that fans are
not just passive recipients who mindlessly worship their favourite broadcasts. They
are willing and able to openly express their disapproval with any given aspect of aprogram. They even go so far as to attempt to remedy perceived flaws. The mostprevalent method to do so is fan fiction. The following part will take a closer look at
this popular fan activity.

2.1.3. The Fiction
Henry Jenkins argues that the fans` commitment is shaped by a combination offascination and frustration. Their fascination with a certain medium makes it
impossible for them to dismiss it, and forces them to find ways to deal with thefrustration they feel when their favourite show fails to satisfy them. 27 This makes
clear that fans do not passively accept what they are given, but they actively makemeaning from the texts they receive. Michel de Certeau refers to this phenomenon as“poaching”. He argues that readers do not simply accept the writer’s intended
meaning, but shape the meaning of texts after their own liking. He compares readers
to travellers: “they move across lands belonging to someone else, like nomads
poaching their way across fields they did not write[.]”. (de Certeau, 174) Henry
27

Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 23.

14
Jenkins adopts de Certeau’s concept and calls fans “Textual Poachers”. But incontrast to Michel de Certeau, who keeps up a sharp distinction between readers andwriters by stating that the meaning readers produce is short-lived, as it is notrecorded anywhere; Jenkins assumes that the meaning made by fans is not fleetingand inconsequential, but actually quite powerful and significant. 28 As most fannish
activity takes place in a larger community, interpretations are shared among thecommunity members and, thus, influence the way they perceive the source text.
Moreover, this strict distinction is further destroyed, as fans actively produce theirown series-related products. 29

One of the most popular fannish produced goods that mirrors the fascination as wellas the frustration fans experience with their favourite media, is fan fiction. Sheenagh
Pugh identifies two motivation factors for fans to write fan fiction: they either write
because they want `more of`, or `more from` the source material.30 Thus, they either
write because they feel there is not enough of the source text, or because they are nothappy with it. This makes clear that fan fiction does not only serve to express
appreciation of the source text, but also to alleviate frustrations. A large part of fan
fiction is written because the writers are unhappy with the canon, or want to explore
certain aspects of it that they feel are not satisfactorily elaborated. If everything
played out the way fans wanted it to be, there would be no need for fan fiction.
Therefore, it is beneficial to this genre if the canon does not spell everything out, but
leaves space for fannish interpretation and debate. 31 Such gaps are necessary for fan
fiction.

Jenkins claims that fans frequently emphasise the subliminal romantic elements ofthe source text. 32 Because of that, it is no wonder that a large part of fan fiction isconcerned with the romantic relationships between characters. In this sense, Buffy the
Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars provide the ideal conditions for fan fictions
dealing with the relationships between Spike and Buffy (Spuffy), and Logan andVeronica (LoVe). Stories dealing with these particular ships – a term used in fan
communities to refer to the romantic involvement of two particular characters – are28

Cf. De Certeau, 174.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 45.
30
Cf. Pugh, 19.
31
Cf. Pugh, 41.
32
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 135.
29

15
promoted by the canonical treatment of these pairings. Both shows bring thesecharacters together in, more or less, romantic relationships, but in both cases these
couples eventually break up. The fans are denied to experience a happy ending and,
therefore, are practically forced to create it themselves. The complicated and, forfans, mostly frustrating relationship between these characters is the reason why
stories dealing with Spuffy and LoVe pairings are by far more popular than stories
based on any other possible ship. Thus, when it comes to the romantic relationshipsof their protagonists, BtVS and VM leave plenty of gaps for authors to explore.

However, fan fiction authors have to be very careful how to fill these gaps. It is notpossible for them to simply change canonical characters or events in any way theylike. Modifications of canonical circumstances have to be as realistic andcomprehensible as possible. Here, two terms, which play a major role in fan fiction,
become relevant: canon and fanon. These concepts are closely linked. However, it is
not entirely clear how the relationship between them should be defined. The notionof canon is quite clear-cut: canon includes all characters and events that have been
established by the source text. Thus, canon provides the basis for fannish activities. It
names a common ground for the fan community. 33 It gets more difficult when it
comes to the concept of fanon. Sheenagh Pugh defines the term as following:
Now and again, a fanfic writer’s addition to canon seems so apposite to otherwriters in that fanfic universe that it becomes “fanon” – i.e. although it wasnever part of the canon it is generally accepted and used by other writers. […]The logical end of this process is entire fanfic “universes” spinning off thesource canon and it frequently happens. (Pugh, 41)
According to this definition, every new invention of fan fiction authors influences theway a fan community views and interprets the source text, and, therefore, adds to alarger “universe” surrounding the canonical source material. Because of that, every
new addition to this “universe” is part of the fanon. Deborah Kaplan supports thistheory by stating that “fanon, the noncanonical knowledge about a source text, is thesum of the community’s shared interpretive acts”. (Kaplan, 136)

A slightly different view of fanon is promoted by Catherine Driscoll. Her approach
looks at fanon in terms of realism and fantasy. Thus, fanon is seen as fantastic
33

Cf. Driscoll, 88.

16deviation of the reality of the source text, which is based on the needs and desires ofan individual writer. Consequently, fanon inspires rather negative associations. It is
not only linked once again to immature women who harbour a silly crush on a certain
character and/or celebrity, but it is also associated with inferior writing styles. 34
From this perspective, fanon is no longer simply an addition to canon, but a negative
outcome of fannish interpretation and fan fiction. However, fanon is acceptable aslong as it stays as realistic – meaning as close to the source text – as possible. Thus,
the production and consumption of fan fiction ideally happens at the “intersection ofrealism and fantasy”. (Driscoll, 88)

To summarise, fan fiction is a tool that allows fans to dip even deeper into the worldof their chosen medium. It enables them to expand their favourite universes, and to
do it in a way that corresponds to their wishes. But the possibilities of the fan as
textual poacher are not as unlimited as it first seems. In fact, fanfic writers have tostick to certain rules that ensure the fan community’s approval of their work.
Accordingly, deliberate, incomprehensible changes of the source material are notapproved of, and viewed as immature and inferior pieces of fanon. Fanon is only
acceptable as long as it is sensible, and as faithful to the canonical conditions as
possible. It becomes clear that in fan fiction really everything is allowed on condition
that it stays convincing.

2.2. Breakout Characters: Spike and Logan

2.2.1. The Development of the Term

Spike came in and I started getting fan mail and everything. Everybody waspleased. And Joss took me aside and said: “Dude, this is not the “Spike-Show”.
It’s not gonna be the “Spike-Show”. You are here because we don’t want tohave to kill off a villain every single episode, so it doesn’t become Scooby
Doo. (James Marsters Interview. Best Of Buffy Collection 4: Spike, 00:02:30 –00:02:49)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer never became “The Spike-Show”, but it definitely wastremendously influenced by this character, which originally was only planned to last
for a few episodes. Spike’s development from a minor character to one of the most34

See Driscoll`s concept of fanon, 88-90.

17important and adored members of the whole cast exemplifies what defines a breakout
character.

The term breakout character was coined fairly recently. The online encyclopaedia
Wikipedia defines the concept as following:

A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books orother media (TV, comics, literature, games etc) that evolves from a minor role
to a major role, sometimes becoming the main character of the show. In
television programs, movies and other episodic media, a character that
becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated is a breakout character.
Most often a breakout character in a series captures audience's imagination andpopularizes it, sometimes inadvertently. Breakout characters are known tocome from intended single appearances. (Wikipedia s.v. `Breakout Character`)
It is important to note that this definition is accompanied by an explicit warning
concerning the veracity of the statement. Users are warned that this entry may
contain “unverified claims” as well as “poor or irrelevant examples”.35 Thus, in orderto get a broader and more reliable view of this concept, and to back up the claims
made by Wikipedia, it is necessary to turn to the source of its development, namely toonline communities.

When researching “breakout character” on the internet, it quickly becomes apparent
that the term, although it is increasingly used, is far from common knowledge. Thus,
it is a common feat to introduce the term before starting a discussion about it.
Accordingly, the SitcomsOnline Discussion Thread on breakout characters wasstarted with an explanation of the term: “Many shows seem to develop supporting
characters that become so popular that the show's plots gradually change to give the"break-out character" more to do.” (“Break-out characters”, SitcomsOnline) A
similar discussion thread on the online role-playing community City of Heroes starts
with the words: “A “breakout character” is a minor character, often meant to only be
used once, who ends up growing into a major role. It can be an Alt that turned into
your Main, or a RP character you made for one story who ended up being usedeverywhere.” (“Who’s Your Breakout Character? “, City of Heroes) The J.R.R.
Tolkien online encyclopaedia Tolkien Gateway marks the The Lord of the Rings
character Legolas as a breakout character: “Playing Legolas in the trilogy was
35

Cf. Wikipedia s.v. `Breakout Character`.

18
Orlando Bloom's breakout route to superstardom. His handsome features andLegolas' "coolness", so to speak, as depicted in the film, have led to the character
becoming an unprecedented fan favorite with both fangirls and fanboys, not tomention other Tolkien fans.” (Tolkien Gateway s.v. `Legolas`) Thus, Peter Jackson’smovie adaptation has not only made the secondary character Legolas a breakout
character, but also the actor who portrayed him.

The message of all three descriptions is basically the same and conforms to thedefinition supplied by Wikipedia. Hence, a breakout character typically starts out
being rather unimportant and disposable, but develops into a leading character forvarious reasons. Furthermore, these entries verify that the term is used in various
areas of popular culture – ranging from TV, to literature, comics and video games –which proves that the claims of the Wikipedia entry are quite accurate. What is evenmore important is that it seems to be accepted among users. On 9 Nov. 2007 a
discussion thread concerning the top ten breakout characters was started on The List
Universe Forums. Unlike the previous examples, this thread did not start with adescription of the term but jumped directly to the matter at hand. However, thereaction of another user, who apparently had never heard of the term, prompted Brian
Moo, who started the thread, to post an explanation:
According to the Wiki: “A breakout character is a fictional character indifferent episodes, books or other media (TV, comics, literature, games etc)that evolves from a minor role to a major role, sometimes becoming the main
character of the show. In television programs, movies and other episodic
media, a character that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated isa breakout character. Most often a breakout character in a series capturesaudience's imagination and popularizes it, sometimes inadvertently. Breakout
characters are known to come from intended single appearances.[“](“Top 10 Breakout Characters?”, The List Universe Forums)
The Wikipedia definition of breakout character, then, is not only accurate, but also
accepted among fans. Therefore, all further mentions of this term in the course of thisthesis will be based on the definition provided by this online encyclopaedia.

It may be tricky to work with a concept that is still so novel and seemingly
unexplored; it is necessary, however, when dealing with VM- and BtVS fan fiction
concerned with the characters Logan and Spike. Both can be classified as breakout
characters. Moreover, this status is commonly acknowledged and reinforced by their19fans. Bestuff, a site which invites its members to vote on the best of pretty muchanything, “whether it be a song that inspires you, your favourite little Indian
restaurant, or the best explication of Kantian aesthetics” (“About Us”, Bestuff) also
hosts a voting for the best breakout character. Both Spike and Logan are included in
the list of possible choices. Logan’s nomination is justified by the statement: “He’son basically everyone’s shaglist. Played by Jason Dohring in “Veronica Mars”.
Originally intended to be the antagonist to Kristen Bell’s Veronica, the character’s
popularity grew, and by season 3, Dohring was promoted to leading male.” (“Logan
Echolls”, Bestuff) Correspondingly, Spike is recommended as best breakout characterwith the words:

Spike (aka William “The Bloody”) is a character created by Joss Whedon forthe cult TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and Angel. Portrayed by James
Marsters, he is considered a breakout character. Spike evolved from villain – tocomic relief – to hero – lover of the titular character, Buffy – and coming toparallel Angel in terms of motivation. He became one of the show’s primary
focuses in its final season, and then moved to its spin-off Angel. He appearedon the Angel season 5 DVD covers alongside its titular character. (“Spike”,
Bestuff)
This description bears a remarkable resemblance to an entry in Wikipedia that also
named Spike as a breakout character. 36

This shows that these two characters do not only formally fit the description of abreakout character, but are also actively acknowledged as such by their fans.

2.2.2. “Who do you kill for fun around here”- Spike
It has already been established that the two series have quite some things in common.
Thus, it is not really surprising that also the development of the two male breakout
characters the shows have produced should be remarkably similar. Although, one is a
bloodsucking vampire, and the other is a conceited rich kid, these two charactershave a lot in common.

First appearing in the season two episode “School Hard”, Spike, or William theBloody, was originally meant to serve as a disposable villain. 37 Even in his very first
episode, the vampire with the striking resemblance to Billy Idol attempts – and36
37

Compare the character description of Spike at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakout_character>.
For more detailed information see episode 2.3 “School Hard”.

20
nearly succeeds – to kill the slayer. Even though Spike was portrayed as a dangerous
enemy for Buffy, he and his vampire girlfriend Drusilla were designed to be killed
off by the slayer and her friends. However, when it became apparent that Spike wasvery popular with the fans of the show, Joss Whedon decided to refrain from killing
him just yet, and merely injured him instead. 38 In her book The Lure of the Vampire,
Milly Williamson takes a closer look at Spike’s ascend from a disposable secondary
character to one of the main stars of the show. She describes this development asfollowing: “Joss Whedon, who is a well-known `lurker` in Buffy Internet
newsgroups, was surprised by the fan response to Spike, but he responded to it bydeveloping Spike’s character and story arc in line with the more complex `vampire
star` that engages fans”. (Williamson, 75) The character’s change into a “vampirestar” does not become apparent immediately, as the rest of the season sees Spikequite amusingly bidding his time in a wheelchair. Only the final two episodes ofseason two hint at an upgrading of his status: without help, Spike manages to regain
his strength and decides to help his archenemy to stop the world from being sucked
into hell. His explanation for his very “un-evil” decision is actually quite reasonable:
We like to talk big. (indicates himself) Vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy theworld.' (looks at the officer) That's just tough guy talk. (steps over to the car)
Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. (sits on the hood) The
truth is, I like this world. (pulls the cigarette pack from the officer's shirt
pocket) You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. (pulls one out and drops
the pack on the officer) And you've got people. (exhales) Billions of people
walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. (lights thecigarette and takes a drag) But then someone comes along with a vision. With areal... (exhales) passion for destruction. (takes another drag and looks at Buffy)Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Picadilly [sic!]. Farewell, Leicester Bloody
Square. You know what I'm saying? (Transcript, episode 34 “Becoming Pt. II”)

This speech already hints at the character’s increasing complexity. Spike is slowly
brought away from the picture of the thoroughly bad villain, and gains additional
layers to his personality. This development is explored further from season four
onwards, when the “Big Bad” becomes a regular cast member. He was intended tofill the void left by Angel and Cordelia, who left the show to star in the BtVS spin off
Angel. Thus, Spike did not only have to fill the position of resident vampire, left
vacant by Angel, but also had to provide the snarky antagonism of Cordelia, which

38

See Wikipedia s.v. `Spike (Buffyverse)´.

21prevented the show from becoming too sleek and fluffy. 39 Actor James Marsters
described the role of his character as following: “I was supposed to be the one whostood at the side and said “Buffy, you’re stupid and we’re all gonna die.” (James
Marsters Interview, Buffy Season Four DVD: Introducing Spike,00:03:41-00:03:47)
In order to enable this character to fulfil this new role, the writers and producers had
to alter his status from enemy to ally. This was achieved by implanting a computer
chip in his head that makes it impossible for him to hurt humans. “Neutered” like
this, the vampire is forced to seek shelter with the slayer and, eventually, togrudgingly help her to fight evil. The personality of this vampire, who takes up more
and more space in the show, becomes even more complex when he develops an
obsessive crush on Buffy in season five. This love for his enemy influences all
further development of this character. Spike, whose ability to love always set him
apart from other vampires, slowly reveals more and more features that mark him as
different. Not only does his affinity for human food, soap operas, and poker games
add a definite human side to this character, but flashbacks in various episodes
throughout the series slowly reveal his past as a shy human gentleman in VictorianEngland, as well as his history as a vampire. At the end of season five, Spike is a far
cry from the purely evil vampire that first entered the show. His violent love affair
with the slayer, and its nearly fatal ending in season six, add another tragic layer tohis personality. Season seven brings about yet another change, not only in his
personality, but also in his relationship with Buffy. Disgusted with his attempted rapeof the woman he loves, Spike goes to Africa to get his soul back. His re-ensouled
status then enables him to reconnect with Buffy. A strong relationship based on
mutual respect and trust that even hints at the possibility of a romantic relationshipestablishes at the end of season 7. The final episode, however, destroys thispossibility, as Spike sacrifices himself to save the world.

True to the laws of the BtVS universe, where to die does not necessarily mean to be
actually dead, Spike is resurrected for the final season of Angel, where he takes overa leading role as well. It was rumoured that series creator Joss Whedon had planned
to grant the punk-vampire his well earned reunion with the slayer; however,problems with the contract of Sarah Michelle Gellar defeated this enterprise. 40

39
40

See Wikipedia s.v. `Spike (Buffyverse)´.
Cf. Höhl, 46.

22Anyhow, the turbulent history of this character and his slow but steady developmentfrom minor villain to leading man, unquestionably make Spike a breakout character.

2.2.3. “Sometimes, I’m up all night, just thinking about myself” - Logan
Like Spike, Logan Echolls was originally planned to serve as a stereotypical villain,antagonising the show’s heroine Veronica Mars. Series creator Rob Thomascommented on this character:

It’s been repeated many times. Logan was never meant to be a Veronica loveinterest. I created him to be the antagonist – the “psychotic jackass” who would
foster confrontation and keep Veronica in her place (which, certainly, was not
the 09-er table).” (Neptune Noir, 170)
Which is exactly what he does during the first few episodes of Veronica Mars. As
the son of two famous Hollywood stars, Logan is the unrivalled leader of the 09-ers,a group of rich kids, who live within the prestigious 09 zip code. The first episodesof the series firmly establish him as the heroine’s adversary. In the very first episode,
Veronica introduces Logan with the words “And let’s not forget Logan Echolls. His
dad makes twenty million a picture. You probably own his action figure. Everyschool has an obligatory psychotic jackass. He’s ours.”(Transcript, Episode 1“Pilot”) Throughout the episodes that follow, Logan is shown to use every
opportunity to hurt and humiliate Veronica. Nevertheless, fans of the show reacted
enthusiastically to this character, because of his perceived chemistry with theheroine. Logan’s fixation on Veronica and the way he continually stares at her were
easily interpreted as signs of his underlying feelings for his archenemy. 41 The
producers reacted to this development by granting this character a larger and morediverse role. Similar to the tactics the BtVS writers employed to add layers to Spike’s
character, flashbacks were employed to reveal new facets of Logan’s personality.
Thus, it is revealed that Logan and Veronica actually have been close friends before
the murder of Logan’s girlfriend Lilly Kane, who was also Veronica’s best friend.
Feeling betrayed and helpless, Logan blames Veronica for all that has happened anduses his power as the most popular guy in school to ostracise Veronica, causing the
sweet and naïve girl to turn into the tough fighter that is portrayed in the show.
Insights into his family life further add to the complexity of this character. His father
Aaron is shown to be a cruel adulterer who abuses his wife and son, while his mother41

Cf. Hook, 172.

23
Lynn turns out to be an alcoholic and drug addict. This display of Logan’s abuse andhis frantic attempts to hide it put this character and his actions into a different
perspective. The façade of the perfect family starts to disintegrate when Lynn Echolls
commits suicide. This event also brings Veronica and Logan closer together. A
tentative friendship starts that rapidly develops into a secret love relationship. Still,
doubts, distrust, and their past prevent a real relationship, and eventually cause themto break up, when Aaron Echolls is revealed to be Lilly’s murderer, and Logan is
accused of having murdered another student. Season two, similarly to season one,starts out with the two protagonists being estranged and hostile towards each other.
Logan reverts to the old destructive behaviour of the “psychotic jackass” Veronica
makes him out to be. However, their re-established antagonistic relationship does notprevent Veronica to try and proof Logan’s innocence in the murder. Like season one,season two shows how they slowly reconnect, until they come back together in the
final episode. Season three, then, features a much matured Logan, who wants to use
college as a new start, and is willing to work hard to make his relationship with
Veronica work. However, her tendency to constantly bring herself into dangerous
situations, and her unwillingness to trust him, put a strain to the relationship.
Logan’s behaviour turns into that of an overprotective boyfriend. The already tense
relationship ends when it turns out that Logan has slept with an old enemy ofVeronica. The series ends ambiguously with Logan and Veronica sharing ameaningful glance after Logan beats up a man, who humiliated Veronica.

Rob Thomas attempted to continue Veronica Mars for another season, in which hewanted to show the heroine’s life a few years into the future. The cast list also
included Jason Dohring, who portrayed Logan Echolls. However, the show’s host
network, the CW, did not pick it up for another season. 42

2.2.4. How to Become a Breakout Character
When taking a closer look at the history of these two characters, it becomes apparent
that, although, factors like the talented play and the good looks of the actors surely
cannot be disregarded, the chemistry they were perceived to share with the show’s
leading lady, seems to be one of the most important reasons for their elevation fromminor villain to leading man. Thus, it can be deduced that the success of these male42

See Wikipedia s.v. `Veronica Mars`.

24
characters - to a large part - is due to the relationships in which they featured.
Hundreds of websites, threads, and fan fiction stories dedicated to these
relationships, validate this claim. It seems that no matter how good and original aseries is perceived to be; only an intriguing romantic constellation can hook the
predominantly female fans irrevocably to the show. In her contribution to Neptune
Noir Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars, assistant psychology
professor Misty Hook provides a very fitting account of her personal experience withthis phenomenon:
I liked it. It was smart, funny, poignant, highly entertaining, and extremely
well-acted. […] I looked forward to it every week but I wasn’t obsessed. I
sometimes only just remembered that it was on. That wee bit of sanity about
the show, however, remained only until The Kiss, which is what diehard
shippers (as in those who favor specific relationships) call the first time
Veronica and Logan Echolls locked lips. After that I was a goner. I bought thefirst season DVDs, joined fan forums, attended a fan event in Austin, read
fanfiction about the couple, and eagerly scoured the Internet for all things
Veronica Mars. (Hook, 171)
Obviously, a truly engaging romantic relationship has the power to not only improve
the status of one character, but to improve the status of the whole show. As long as aromantic pairing is sufficiently intriguing – possessing the right amount of chemistry
to keep the viewers` interest – it is not even necessary that the relationship is a happy
one. It actually seems to be enough to keep up the possibility of a happy ending.

This phenomenon ties in with Martha Nochimson’s concept of screen couple
chemistry. According to her, screen chemistry is a very rare occurrence thatgenerates a partnership between two onscreen characters “that [takes] on a life of its
own, beyond the plans of the individual actors, the creative teams that made themovie, and even the studios that theoretically controlled all the materials andpersonnel concerned”. (Nochimson, 1) Nochimson calls onscreen couples who
possess this special kind of onscreen chemistry Synergistic Couples, claiming thatthe energy of such couples is so intense that it becomes a synergy between the two
actors. 43 The author states that true Synergistic Couples become bigger than themedium they star in. The relationship becomes more important than the story, and itis therefore also the onscreen couple that fascinates the audience and creates loyal

43

Cf. Nochimson, 3.

25
fan communities, and not the film or series that features said couple. 44 It is also
important to note that there is no narrative recipe for the creation of a Synergistic
Couple, meaning that it is virtually impossible to deliberately create such a couple.
The special energy of the Synergistic Couple is due to the chemistry between its
members. It is unique to the two particular actors and cannot be artificially
reproduced. 45 Applying Nochimson’s concept to the two onscreen couples discussed
above, it becomes apparent that both pairings fit the description of a Synergistic
Couple. The partnership of both actor pairings unquestionably took on a life of its
own, as both were initially never meant to become a couple. They were notdeliberately created, but brought together by the tremendous chemistry they wereperceived to share. Furthermore, it is plainly obvious that once they came together,both pairings became bigger than the shows they appeared in. As mentioned above, it
is not the shows that fascinate the fans, but the romantic relationships they feature.
Thus, the chemistry between two actors proves to be a very important factor in film
making. However, Martha Nochimson concedes that it is very hard to put thisphenomenon into theoretical terms:

Chemistry, though a central feature of the mass media concept ofentertainment, lurks vaguely on the periphery of informed discussion. For goodreasons. It is unquantifiable, a given rather than a constructed phenomenon,
difficult to study – much like the challenge for physics of dealing with smoke
and clouds. (Nochimson, 8)
Even though the concept of screen chemistry is very hard to define, it is still a very
important factor that obviously does not only influence the development of certain
characters and their story arcs, but is powerful enough to have an impact on the
success of a certain movie or television show.

It is important to note, however, that the screen chemistry between two characters
may be a significant factor, but it is not the only reason for an insignificant characterto gain importance. In the case of Logan and Spike, another feature plays a vital role
for their unexpected appeal to fans, namely their outsiderdom. Milly Williamson
claims that the success-oriented nature of European and Anglo-American culture
automatically produces outsiders, as it demands a level of personal success which

44
45

Cf. Nochimson, 4-5.
Cf. Nochimson, 9.

26many cannot achieve. 46 Their inability to fulfil the societal demands puts them at themargins of the community, and marks them as outsiders. Also Logan and Spikeoccupy the role of an outcast. What lets these characters stand out is the way theiroutsiderdom is depicted. Far from being pathetic or shameful, their outsiderdom israther glamorous and appealing. As a vampire, Spike is forced to exist at the margins
of society, but the romantic idea of vampires as dark and rebellious – doomed to lead
their existence at night and struggling with this fate and their need to kill in order tolive – constructs an alluring notion of vampiric outsiderdom. This idea of glamorous
vampirism started with Byron and survived well into the present day, also aided byAnne Rice` popular depiction of the tormented but noble vampire. 47 Spikecorresponds to this image, which automatically makes him a stock character,although, he himself tries to escape this stereotype. He refutes the romantic notion ofvampirism by mocking: “People still fall for that Anne Rice routine. What a world!“.
(Transcript, episode15 “School Hard”) However, Spike cannot escape the idea of theglamorous outcast that is strongly linked to the vampire. Furthermore, it is not only
his status as a vampire that makes him an outsider. Throughout the series Spike isconstantly rejected and ostracised. He is not only abandoned by his sire and thewhole demonic community for helping the slayer, but also by the slayer herself as
well as by her friends. Thus, the way this character is depicted deliberately links him
to the romantic notion of the vampire as a fascinating but misunderstood outsider.
Thus, Spike remains a stock character. Also Logan fits the description of thestereotypical glamorous outcast. Although, his status as the leader of the mostpopular group of students at school first suggests otherwise, it soon turns out that
Logan is actually all alone. He has no real friends and cannot count on the protectionof a loving family. Hence, he is forced to deal with his problems alone. However,both characters do not meekly accept their situation, but are shown to defiantly
embrace it. By doing so, they offer an appealing way to deal with difference and toaccept situations that are commonly deemed unacceptable by society. 48

But Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars do not only inspire the formationof fandom related to the series. The way the shows depict outsiderdom speaks to

46

Cf. Williamson, Spike, 294.
Compare Williamson’s description of the history of the sympathetic vampire in Spike, Sex andSubtext, 293.
48
Cf. Williamson, The Lure, 1.
47

27
members of fandom in general. The misconceptions and presumptions that areassociated especially with media fandom definitely make this fan culture an outsider
culture. Fans who are part of this movement can relate to the outsider status of thesetwo characters. They know what it is like and feel sympathy towards them. Veryoften, this sympathy even leads to attempts to remedy the situation of thesecharacters by means of fan fiction. Thus, the fact that Spike’s and Logan’s status as
outsiders strikes a chord within many fans clearly is a considerable reason for theirimmense popularity.

It can be concluded that both the energy created by the onscreen couple, and theappealing outsiderdom depicted in both shows, add to the popularity of these twomale breakout characters. The next chapter will take a closer look at the female
members of these two Synergistic Couples, and at how they contribute to theironscreen chemistry.

2.3. Action Chicks – Buffy and Veronica

2.3.1. The New Tough Action Heroine
Recent years have seen the rise of a new kind of action hero. This new hero is tough,witty, and independent; not needing the help of others to survive. 49 This alone isn’t
all that new. In fact, this description neatly fits that of the average male action hero.
As a matter of fact, this new kind of hero isn’t different from the “normal” action
hero, apart from the fact that this hero is actually female. Of course, this development
isn’t entirely new. Tough female heroes like Wonder Woman, Red Sonja, Emma
Peel, or the girls from Charlie’s Angels, have charmed and fascinated their audiencefor years. 50 However, it is a quite recent occurrence that the toughness of these
women reaches a level that can be compared to that of the male action hero. Former
action heroines might have been tough compared to other women, but they could
never have competed with their male colleagues. Furthermore, their toughness nevershowed in their outward appearance. No matter how strong and dangerous they were,
they always appeared like the picture of an attractive, beautiful, and sexuallydesirable woman. 51 This trend has only changed in recent years. The heroine’s
49

Cf. Inness, 12,13.
See Inness` history of action heroines, 2-3.
51
Cf. Inness, 3.
50

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toughness-factor does not only equal that of the male hero, but it also shows in their
physical appearance. Heroines like Buffy, Xena, Nikita, and Sidney Bristow, do nolonger represent the ideal of the soft, curvy, yielding female. On the contrary, theirbodies are wiry and well muscled, corresponding to their male counterparts` bodies
of steal. 52 This does not mean that beauty is unimportant for this new sort of action
heroine. Good looks still play a major role in the overall construction of thesecharacters. However, they stand for a new kind of beauty; one that reflects their
toughness at a physical level. On the surface, this development appears to be a
crucial step for the emancipation of women from patriarchal oppression. These newheroines are clever, strong, and independent, thus, capable to fight on their own.
They call into question the conventional gender roles of patriarchal society. In thisfashion, they can serve as role models for women. 53

It is important to note, however, that these new images of female action heroes are
not as independent from patriarchal conventions and traditional gender role
expectations as the first impression suggests. The new action heroine ispredominantly white, coming from upper- or middle class, and being styled in a waythat is conventionally considered heterosexually attractive. Their well trained bodies
may be impressive for a woman, but is still nothing compared to that of a man.
Similarly, their independence and their freedom to act violently lie within certain
boundaries. Their violence is only allowed to an extent that is not threatening to men.
Their violent behaviour is not to diminish their sexual attractiveness, in the sense thatthe heroine triggers fear in men rather than lust. 54 This means that female action
heroes might look and be tough, but only to an extent that is still considered female
by patriarchal society.

Nevertheless, the importance of these new images of women is not to beunderestimated. They show that a woman can be considered womanly and desirable,
even if she does not conform to the stereotypical notion of the weak, soft, and docile
female. A woman can be tough, violent, and independent, and still be consideredutterly feminine and sexually attractive. 55 Thus, the new action heroines do much to52

Cf. Heinecken, 1.
Cf. Inness, 8.
54
Cf. Inness, 8.
55
Cf. Inness, 15.
53

29
open up a new gender role for women; one that allows them to be tough without
being considered shrewish.

2.3.2. Buffy and Veronica as Action Heroines“See ... I've had a lot of people talking at me the last few days. Everyone just lining
up to tell me how unimportant I am. And I've finally figured out why. Power. I haveit. They don't. This bothers them.”(Transcript, Episode 90 “Checkpoint”) With thisspeech, Buffy frees herself from the council of watchers, a group of men, who try tocontrol her as the slayer, and who continually play down her importance andcapability as a fighter. This short speech also sums up the ongoing struggle
seemingly every action heroine has to face: men being jealous and unable to face awoman more powerful than them, consequently, trying to negate her power and to
break her. Therefore, action heroines do not only fight against whichever adversary
they might have to face, but they also always fight against patriarchal domination.
This phenomenon can also be witnessed when looking at Buffy and Veronica. Bothin their own way do not only have to fight against antagonistic forces, but also
against problems and preconceptions that automatically arise for tough females in amale dominated society. Although, the two characters represent quite different
versions of female action heroes, their problems are strikingly similar.

Buffy Summers, the heroine of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is a model example for thisnew type of action heroine. As the slayer – the one girl in the world chosen to fightvampires and other monsters that endanger the survival of mankind – she hasenormous physical powers; powers that are reflected in her well-trained, muscularbody, and displayed through her astonishing fighting skills. Nevertheless, this girl is
not the hard, emotionless killer one might expect a character with such a profession
to be. Quite the opposite, she is the girly blonde cheerleader-type, who likes to wear
frilly clothes and is not immune to the kind of teenage angst that might befall a
sixteen-year-old girl. Consequently, she fights against her adversaries wearing highheels and mini skirts, while fretting over her relationship with her emotionallyunavailable boyfriend. In spite of her outward appearance and her personality, there
is no doubt that she is an extremely dangerous and deadly predator. But the real
problems this girl has to face are not demons or impending apocalypses, but life andits many trials and dangers. Moreover, it is not only the life of a superhero that

30
troubles her, but the life of a young girl who tries to find her place in the world. This
circumstance is one of the reasons for the series` success. Despite its fantastic
content, it invites the viewers to identify with the characters and their emotional
world. Thus, in between fighting ghastly vampires and averting looming
apocalypses, the characters have to deal with the problems common to teenagers andyoung adults. 56 They experience love, lust, loss, friendship, future-angst, and sorrow,and they invite the viewers to experience these things right along with them. The
enormous online fan activity surrounding Buffy shows that the concept works. Fancommunities discuss their favourite characters and their relationships, and countless
fan fiction stories attempt to explore these characters and relationships even further.
It becomes apparent that it is not Buffy’s superhero status that fascinates fans in thefirst place, but Buffy the girl, who hopes, loves, and dreams like every other young
woman her age. Of course, the fact that this young woman has supernatural abilities
to boot only makes her more attractive for identification.

In short, Buffy may not fit the picture of the emotionally and physically toughsuperhero. She is tough, but she is also a girl who is far from being able to live herlife without the aid of others. The combination of two essentially stereotypicalfemale roles – the tough action heroine and the cheerleader – creates a new complex
character that appeals to fans and stirs their fantasies.

This concept also works with Veronica Mars, even though the heroine of this series
represents another type of action heroine. Unlike Buffy, she is not physicallypowerful. Her toughness operates on a different level. Veronica Mars stands in a long
tradition of female detectives who solve their cases with wit and logical thinking,rather than with physical force. Her status as an action heroine is not legitimated by adivine calling, but comes as a result of her decision to work as a private investigator.
Nevertheless, her being a P.I. is as important for the formation of the wholecharacter, as Buffy’s being the slayer. The way this petite blond girl acts in her
function as a private eye, makes her the high school version of the hardboiled
detective. 57 In his article The Simple Art of Murder, Raymond Chandler defines the
hardboiled detective as following:

56
57

Compare Heinecken’s description of Buffy’s appeal to its viewers, 94-101.
Cf. Vaughn, 35.

31
He is a relatively poor man, or he would not be a detective at all. He is acommon man or he could not go among common people. He has a sense ofcharacter, or he would not know his job. He will take no man’s money
dishonestly and no man’s insolence without a due and dispassionate revenge.
He is a lonely man and his pride is that you will treat him as a proud man or bevery sorry you ever saw him. He talks as the man of his age talks, that is, withrude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for
pettiness. The story is his adventure in search of a hidden truth, and it would be
no adventure if it did not happen to a man fit for adventure. He has a range ofawareness that startles you, but it belongs to him by right, because it belongs to
the world he lives in. (Chandler, 1950)
When looking at Veronica, it becomes clear that she fits this description. She deals
with biker gangs, catches philandering spouses, and solves murder cases in a fashionthat would make Mike Hammer proud. Consistent with the typical female detective,
she has an ambivalent relationship to class and money. As a private investigator she
is part of the working class. Her income is not steady, but she is independent and getsto do things usually only done by men. 58 Moreover, the way she does her job
suggests that she is as good in it as her male counterparts. But, of course, similar to
Buffy, her profession is only part of the story. Series creator Rob Thomas summarises
the content of Veronica Mars as following:
Executives always tend to ask you the question, “What’s it really about?” Well,it’s about a seventeen-year-old girl who happens to be a detective…. “No,
what’s it about?” Oh, that. The zeitgeist, etc.? It’s about this prematurely jaded
generation of teenagers who are exposed to too much too soon. They canaccess anything. They are sexualized too early. Veronica will be the poster
child for loss of innocence. (Neptune Noir, 194)
The loss of innocence, and the struggle to cope with the repercussions of the eventthat caused said loss, is one of the main concerns of this show. In a way, the wholeconcept is very similar to that of Buffy. Being called as the slayer at the age of 16 –consequently being pushed into a world full of horrific monsters – Buffy loses her
innocence and is forced to grow up very early in life. Similarly, Veronica is rippedfrom her sheltered life when her best friend is murdered. Ostracised by her former
friends, she has to learn to cope with their cruel behaviour towards her. A second
horrific incident eventually causes her to lose her innocence in every sense of theword, and triggers her change from innocent girl to tough fighter. This change is also
reflected in her physical appearance. Flashbacks reveal that after the party, where she
was drugged and raped, Veronica abandons the long blond hair and girly dresses of58

Cf. Mizejewski, 4.

32
innocent “Pink Veronica”, in favour of the funky haircut and the biker boots of tough“Veronica 2.0”. 59 (Fig.1, Fig.2) With the changed looks comes a changed attitude.
This new Veronica is not a passive victim, but gives as good as she gets. Moreover,
she helps other victims to get justice. Thus, much like Buffy, she fights to protect
innocents from dark threats.
Veronica the hardboiled detective is witty and tough, but Veronica the girl faces
problems and fears just like every other teenage girl. With parents, who are aiming to
get divorced, a mother, who is an alcoholic, an ex-boyfriend, who dumped herseemingly without a reason, and her blooming crush on said ex-boyfriend’s bestfriend, her problems are all too normal. Again, it is this normal side of her that
attracts fans. Fan discussions are usually not concerned with Veronica’s latest case,but with the latest development in her relationships. Likewise, most fan fictions do
not depict her exciting assignments, but her struggles in the love department.
This shows that the female action heroes do not simply need to be tough to catch theinterest of the audience. It is their softer side in particular that fascinates their fansand causes them to get emotionally involved with the shows and the characters.
2.3.3. The Quest for Normality
The two female characters find themselves in similar circumstances: their job plays avital role for both heroines, and both harbour the secret wish for a normal life
(meaning the life of an average white, middle-class, heterosexual female). Of course,
Buffy’s being the slayer is obviously more than a mere job. Yet, the way in which
Veronica’s relationship to her chosen profession is described suggests that it is also
more than a mere job. It actually more resembles a calling. This calling starts withthe death of her best friend Lilly Kane, which changes her life drastically. She does
not only lose her friends, but is also forced to give up the lifestyle she is used to after
her father loses the prestigious position as the sheriff of Neptune. Her struggle withthese changes is closely linked to the struggle to find Lilly’s murderer, who isactually responsible for the changes in her life. Thus, the quest to solve this murdercase is symbolic for Veronica’s quest to find her place in this new world. Only if
Veronica manages to find the person that ended Lilly’s, and changed her own life
59

These terms are frequently used in Veronica Mars fandom to refer to the different versions of thischaracter.

33
forever, will she be able to deal with, and to accept, said changes. Consequently,
Veronica does not simply choose to be a private investigator, but she needs to be one,in order to cope with her life.
Compared to that, the situation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is more straightforward,
even if not easier for the heroine. Buffy’s being the slayer is explicitly presented as
her calling: “In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.” (Transcript,
Prelude BtVS) Buffy has no choice; she was called as the slayer and is now forced todeal with the consequences. In this respect, her situation is very similar to that ofVeronica; as are the ways she tries to handle it. Both women are forced into asituation they do not like, and both have to find ways to deal with it and succeed.
Nevertheless, secretly they both wish to lead a normal life as an average white,
middle-class, female teenager, away from their calling. Sara Crosby argues that thissecret longing for normality is typical for, what she calls, an “ideal republican
heroine”. 60 She states that these heroines “would prefer to be “just a normal girl”
who shops, adorns herself, and bakes cookies but, instead, finds herself forced fromher “natural” protective cover and discovers mainly misery in the adventure.”(Crosby, 162) This longing is particularly strong in Buffy, who continually struggles
to unite her calling with her desire to be normal. In Veronica Mars this longing
seems to be subdued, but traces of it can still be detected on various occasions.
Probably the strongest indication for Veronica’s secret longing for a normal life ispresented in her dream in the episode “Not Pictured” that fans of the seriescommonly refer to as her “graduation dream”. The night before her high school
graduation, Veronica dreams of how her graduation could play out had her life notundergone such drastic changes. The dream features Veronica, once again with long
blond hair, wearing a nice dress. Her parents are not divorced, her old friends neverabandoned her, Logan presents the picture of the perfect boyfriend, and Lilly returns
from college to watch her best friend graduate. But the downsides of this version ofher life become apparent even in the dream. Veronica’s new best friend Wallace isnothing but a stranger, and her naivety causes some amusement among her friends. 61
Thus, even in her dream, Veronica realises that her old normal life would notnecessarily be a better life. It is when they get the chance to live a normal life that
60
61

Cf. Crosby, 162.
For more detailed information see episode 2.22 “Not Pictured“.

34
these heroines discover that normal is not meant for them. Accordingly, in the season
three episode “Anne”, Buffy, who has left her family and friends behind to live as thehuman waitress Anne in Arizona, realises that she cannot escape her calling. 62
Similarly, Veronica cannot give up her profession after solving Lilly’s murder case.
Instead of embracing a normal life with her normal boyfriend Duncan Kane, shefinds that she cannot simply stop to think and act like a private investigator.
The lack of normality, and the constant struggle to deal with it, is also reflected in thelove relationships of the heroines. Nothing is normal when it comes to their love life.
They continually fall for the bad boys, and even if they occasionally date a good
reliable guy, they inevitably turn out to be bad. However, good and bad are relative
categories, also in the BtVS and VM universes, were psychotic jackasses turn out toharbour a heart of gold, and reliable boyfriends hide dark secrets. In general, theinstability of character is a major issue in both series. Buffy continually has toquestion the genuineness of identity, as the whole series is based on the concept thatevil has penetrated everyday life and often comes in an unrecognisable guise. 63
Likewise, Veronica uncovers dark secrets and the true character of people that appear
to be perfectly harmless. Therefore, it is no wonder that this instability of charactershould play into the love relationships of these heroines. Their special status asaction heroines predestines them to also have relationships that are out of theordinary.
Correspondingly, Buffy has a tendency to fall in love with vampires, who should
actually be her prey. But even among vampires there are some that are more evil thanothers. Her first boyfriend Angel falls more into the light category of the evil
vampire. Cursed with a soul, he walks on a path to redemption. That, together withhis love for the slayer, motivates him to suppress his evilness and act as her
protector. His constant concern for her safety, and his refusal to acknowledge that
Buffy is not a helpless girl but a powerful fighter, lets him appear more like anoverbearing boyfriend, than a darkly mysterious vampire. In turn, Buffy acts like agirl around him and tries to ignore her slayer side. This ends abruptly, when her firstsexual encounter with the vampire causes him to lose his soul, consequently, turning
him into cruel, heartless Angelus. Buffy, then, is forced to deal with him as the slayer
62
63

For more detailed information see episode 3.1 “Anne“.
Cf. Heinecken, 106.

35
and eventually kills him in order to save the world. Fan fiction picks up on Angel’s
inability to accept Buffy’s slayer side. It is common in Spuffy fan fiction, to show
Buffy trying to act on Angel’s wish for her to be normal. Naturally, her attempts fail.
True to the canonical assumption that Buffy needs “a little monster in her man” 64, it
takes Spike to show her that a normal life would never be good enough for her. He isshown to be the right man for Buffy, because he cannot only match her strength, butalso acknowledges her as a girl, as well as, as the slayer. Because of that, he can help
Buffy to come to terms with her calling and accept her special status as the slayer.
This notion is actually quite accurate, and supported by the source text. Writer andDirector David Fury states: “He is definitely in many ways her counterpart and closer
to her than a lot of the other characters. He goes to the dark side of what Buffy is. He
goes to what slayers are and what it means to be different in this world.” (David
Fury, Buffy Season Six DVD: Season 6: Überblick, 00:12:20-00:12:35) However,
his acceptance of her superhero persona and the strength that comes with it is notenough. Their relationship in season six is depicted as being thoroughly unhealthy
for both of them. No matter how sincere his love for her might be, Spike is still asoulless demon, and as such, he draws her onto the dark side and sullies her callingas a fighter for the good. 65 Thus, his demonic nature cannot be unified with her
heroic nature. Spike finally accepts that and concludes that he needs to change inorder to have a chance with her. Spike actor James Marsters remarks: “He is in lovewith someone truly good. And so he’s gonna try to be the kind of man that Buffy
would like to have.” (James Marsters, Buffy Season Four DVD: Introducing Spike,
00:06:22-00:06:28) Thus, a bit of monster is good – even necessary – to satisfy theslayer; but the monster has to be tamed and neutered as not to sully her calling.
The same applies to Veronica’s dating situation. Although, she tries to date “goodguys”, in the end it is “bad boy” Logan who manages to hold her interest. For thatreason, her reliable boyfriend deputy Leo gets dumped after Logan kisses her for the
first time. Moreover, she has to learn that her first love Duncan Kane is not as
desirable for her as Logan. Like Angel, Duncan ignores his girlfriend’s calling,
picturing her as sweet and innocent instead. And just like Angel, also Duncan
eventually leaves Veronica behind. Veronica, like Buffy, is left to wonder why

64

Spike tells Riley that Buffy needs a monster in her man in the episodes “Into the Woods” and “Asyou were”. For more detailed information see the transcripts of episode 88 and 115.
65
Cf. Heinecken, 120.

36
normal is not meant for her. When she gets back together with Logan, he, like Spike,has to admit that their relationship can only work when he abandons his selfdestructive behaviour. Because of that, season three features a matured Logan, who
is trying to change his ways in order to make their relationship work.
It seems that the tough action heroine needs an equally tough and partly antagonistic
man who is able to accept her calling and offers her a challenge to keep herinterested. However, said man must neither be too strong, nor too antagonistic, as tonot put her hero status in danger.
2.4. The Concept of the Other

2.4.1. The Heroes and Their Otherness
The heroines` toughness and the heroes` status as glamorous outcasts put them at themargins of society and, therefore, automatically put them into the position of the
Other. However, theirs is an appealing Otherness. It has already been mentioned thatboth series depict the outsiderdom of their characters in a way that appeals to fans,and opens up new ways to deal with situations that are not accepted by society. Thus,
the concept of the Other is very useful when dealing with these characters. It will
become apparent, however, that their Otherness loses its appeal when it comes toromance.
[T]he term the Other (or sometimes an Other) refers to any person or categoryof people defined as different from – and functioning outside the convention of– the dominant social group. Virtually any ideology involves the identificationof some group as the Other, whether by virtue of language, ethnicity, class,gender or sexuality. (The Bedford Glossary, 320)
Both the male and the female heroes of Veronica Mars and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
fit into this category of the Other as someone who does not conform to the
expectations of the dominant social group. As already discussed, Veronica and Buffy
cannot live like other young women their age; no matter how hard they try. Theirstatus as a heroine with a calling automatically sets them apart from most otherpeople and, thus, marks them as the Other. As their special abilities and occupations
make it impossible for them to blend into the normal crowd, they surroundthemselves with other outsiders instead.

37
The series pilot introduces Buffy as the new girl in school. She is keen to seize theopportunity for a new start, after her calling has caused her to be expelled from her
old school. However, she quickly realises that it is impossible for her to start anew asa member of the popular crowd. Eventually, she finds true friends in the geeky
students Willow and Xander, who are willing to ignore her reputation as atroublemaker, and can even accept her dangerous after-school activities. It is only
when Buffy accepts her Otherness that she finds the comfort and support of truefriendship. This friendship is provided by people, who – like her – are considered tobe the Other. The situation is similar in Veronica Mars. In some way, the series pilot
introduces Veronica as the new girl in school as well. The new tough and spirited
Veronica is nothing like the shy, sweet girl she used to be. The dominant group,
represented by the 09-ers, considers her as a traitor and a freak, thus marking her as
the Other, who is not to be associated with. Still, like Buffy, Veronica attracts theattention of other outsiders, who prove to be loyal friends.

The friendship shared by these Others is depicted as very strong and sincere, whereas
the friendships among the dominant social group are shown to be shallow and based
only on opportunism. Thus, being an outsider looses its sting in these series, as they
depict outsiderdom in a way that makes it preferable to being popular. Whereas, theexistence of the popular kids is marked by dull loneliness, the heroines` Otherness istheir ticket to an exciting life filled with friendship and love. Similar to the depictionof the male breakout characters` glamorous outsiderdom, this positive depiction of
Otherness aims to appeal to fans.

However, the Otherness of the male heroes of these series works in a different way.
It has been mentioned before that their status as the lonely tormented outsider
awakens recognition and sympathy in the fans and consequently, not only causes
fannish identification but also the urge to remedy their situation by means of fan
fiction. But there is also another side to their Otherness that makes it very appealing
to fans. Spike and Logan both have characters trades and other assets that definitely
mark them as different from the average guy. Spike is not only a vampire – a very
exotic and intriguing feature in itself – but on top of that he is also British. His accent
automatically makes him intriguingly different. The show consciously plays with his
accent as a marker of difference. In a very humorous scene during “Tabula Rasa”,

38
where Spike, who - like the rest of the gang - has lost his memory as a result of one
of Willow’s failed spells, to his horror has to learn that he is British:

GILES: We'll all get our memory back, and it'll all be right as rain.
SPIKE: Oh, listen to Mary Poppins. He's got his crust all stiff and upper withthat nancy-boy accent. (everyone looking at him) You Englishmen are always
so... (pauses) Bloody hell! (ticks off on his fingers) Sodding, blimey, shagging,knickers, bollocks, oh God! I'm English!
GILES: (puts glasses on) Welcome to the nancy tribe.
(Transcript, Episode 108 “Tabula Rasa”)
His white blond hair and his punk appearance add further to the exoticism of thischaracter and indicate that he is totally different from any other guy. But Spike is not
only different from humans, but also from other vampires. His poetic heart and his
unprecedented ability to love make him the Other in the demon community as well.

Unlike Spike’s, Logan’s Otherness is not signalled by his outward appearance. On
the contrary, his clothing and the fact that he chooses to drive around in a rather beatup jeep, lets him look rather like a surfer than the enormously rich son of a movie
star. In contrast to the other characters, it is his status as a member of the dominantgroup that marks Logan as the Other. He is not only rich, but the stardom of his
parents has also made him famous. The fact that Logan is a public figure, and his
struggle with this role, is repeatedly emphasised in the series. Like the heroines, hedesperately wishes to be “normal”, but his status denies him this wish. Thus, Logan
has to deal with nosy paparazzi, has to do publicity charity work, and has to endure
media reports about his tragic family life. His fame and fortune is definitely out of
the ordinary, and, therefore, it is his popularity that makes him the Other.

2.4.2. The Other Sexuality
A factor that adds to the appeal of these male characters, and reaffirms their
Otherness, is their sexuality. It is important to note that both shows are primarily
concerned with the depiction of heterosexual sexuality. Both Spike and Logan arecanonically depicted as being sexually attractive for, and attracted to, women.
Moreover, their sexual prowess is continually emphasised. Both characters arerepeatedly shown to engage in sexual activities with female characters other than theheroines. Their skills as lovers are even confirmed by the heroines themselves. The

39sexual attraction between the protagonists is depicted as so strong that it is virtually
impossible for the heroines to stay away for good.

Obviously, their sexuality is a very important part of these characters. It does not
only make them attractive, but also sets them apart from other male characters, as
they are portrayed to be more desirable and more experienced than anyone else.
However, even if their sexual prowess exceeds that of all other male characters, thenature of their sexuality can by no means be considered as being purely heterosexual.
Quite the opposite, it is actually very ambiguous. Dee Amy-Chinn develops theconcept of Spike’s sexuality as being queer, in the sense that as a lover, he can act
out the masculine, as well as the feminine part, and his repertoire ranges fromromantic sex, to more unorthodox sexual practices.66 According to her, neither his
gender, nor his sexuality is secure: “His gender switches from male to female, andhis sexuality from `vanilla` to more varied and non-traditional forms of eroticism,
giving him access to a broader repertoire of behaviours than anyone else in the`Buffyverse`.” (Amy-Chinn, 316) But his ability to switch from extreme masculinity
to extreme femininity is never presented as having any impact on his status as a real“manly” man. Rather, he is shown to be confident enough in his masculinity to beable to also embrace his feminine side. It does also have nothing to do with his
choice of the gender of his sexual partners. BtVS has Spike choosing solely womenas his partners. 67 Nevertheless, it is hinted that Spike also has experience with men.
In his relationship with the slayer, Spike unquestionably plays the female part. It is
her who initiates their first sexual encounter, as well as most of the following ones;
and it is also her, who acts out the dominant part during these encounters. Moreover,while Spike, who is in love with Buffy, hopes that their relationship might develop
into something more than mere sex, Buffy uses him solely to reach sexual
gratification. Thus, Buffy as the aggressor takes over the active role ascribed to men,while Spike acts out the passive role typically attributed to women.

Logan’s situation in Veronica Mars, once again, is very similar. Like Spike, he isable to act out his femininity without feeling threatened in his masculinity. And likethe vampire, he is forced to act the feminine part when interacting with the heroine
on an emotional level. It is Veronica who turns their relationship into something
66
67

Cf. Amy-Chinn, 316.
Cf. Amy-Chinn, 316.

40
sexual when she initiates their first kiss. After that, it is also she who calls the shots.
She alternately lets him close or keeps him at a distance. While he wants to talk, shecannot seem to bring herself to trust him enough to do so. While he wants
commitment, she rather embraces her freedom. Again, the heroine behaves in a waythat is usually considered typically male. As a result, the hero is forced to take overthe feminine part.

It seems that the action heroine’s innate toughness necessarily forces the hero to act
out a more passive role. The Otherness of these characters does not simply cause
behaviour that is considered different from the dominant patriarchal norm, but it
makes such behaviour necessary. If they want a relationship to work, the maleprotagonists have to accommodate the heroines` behaviour by changing their own
ways. Thus, their Otherness causes a total reversal of the typical gender subject
positions. However, the canon makes clear that this cannot be a permanent solution.
Neither the relationship of Buffy and Spike, nor that of Veronica and Logan works
out. It seems that their Otherness make a happy ending ultimately impossible.

2.4.3. Fan Fiction and Otherness
It is the main concern of most of the LoVe and Spuffy fan fictions to remedy thissituation. The couples are to be brought together in a happy relationship, despite thecanonical circumstances that get in the way. As the characters` Otherness proves tobe one of the main obstacles on the way to a happy ending, fan fiction authors haveto find strategies to deal with it.

There can be distinguished two ways in which authors deal with this Otherness: theyeither stress it, thus, make it even more prominent; or they tone it down until any
problems that may arise as a consequence of Otherness do no longer exist. Generally,
it can be said that positive effects of Otherness are stressed, while negative effects
are toned down. Hence, Spike’s accent – obviously a positive aspect of his Otherness
that increases his erotic appeal – is stressed, while his vampiric predilection for
torture and murder is toned down. So, in fan fiction pet names, which are obviously
equalled with British accent by a very large number of fan fiction authors, are usedextremely often to stress Spike’s accent. In many cases, it seems that the vampire
cannot utter a sentence without including words like “kitten”, “pet”, “love”,

41“sweetling”, “ducks” or “poodle”. Furthermore, swear words that are considered
typically British, like “bloody” or “bugger”, are a very important part of his
vocabulary.

“What do you want? I mean, um, what are you doing? Here? Uh… I mean…”
She trailed off blushing furiously and trying hard not to stare at the ground.
[…] “Well pet, to be honest I just wanted to see what happened before? Wewere talking and then you just run off? I mean, you don’t strike me as a crazychit but you never know.” His smirk grew into a full blown smile as she stared
at him in confusion.
“Chit?”“Yeah, you know, chit. Bint?”“Huh?”“Bloody hell. It means, like a woman,” he said in exasperation.
Oh. Ok. Well next time try speaking English for a change if you actually wantpeople to understand you.”“I am English for Godsake! You ‘Mericans are the ones that mangle the bloody
mother tongue in the first place.”“Uh huh. But that doesn’t explain why you wanted to talk to me?”(squawks, Chapter 2)
This is a very good example for the way fan writers utilise, and very often
exaggerate, Spike’s British accent. Conversely, the fact that Spike is a cruel killer
who has slaughtered thousands of people for fun is put into perspective. Fan fiction
frequently tries to shift Spike’s image away from that of the ruthless killer by arguingthat he does not kill out of some perverse need to see other people suffer, but becauseof “the warrior in him, who would fight if he could”. (dreamweaver, Chapter 1:
Something New) In some way, this assumption is even canonically sanctioned: whena governmental group of demon hunters implants Spike with a microchip that makes
it impossible for him to hurt humans, his biggest problem seems to be that he is nolonger able to fight. Therefore, when he finds out that he can hurt demons, he does
not hesitate to do so. This canonical occurrence is frequently used by fan writers toargue that Spike does not simply kill for fun, but – true to his warrior nature – simply
loves a good fight.

The character of Logan is manipulated in a similar fashion. His wealth – definitely apositive part of his Otherness – is stressed, while his nasty tendency to hurt and insult
Veronica is toned down. In fan fiction Logan is not only rich, but mega-rich.
Although, he is very often described to despise his money, because it was
accumulated by his hated father that does not stop him from spending it liberally:42

Eventually when neither could decide on another film he switch [sic!] thetelevision onto the cable shopping network and they spent the good part of anhour mocking various items for sale as Logan tried to buy every second thing
they saw. She pulled herself up in the large armchair she was slowly sinking
into, taking a sip of her soda before she berated him. “You don’t need a multispeed whisk, Logan, you don’t cook.” He just shrugged at her, punching insome numbers before throwing her the remote. “Yeah, but I might want to one
day.” […] He smiled back beautifully as she continued, “you probably haveone already,” she considered, “anyway that’s flawed, like buying a housesomewhere just on the off chance you might ever wanted to live in thatcountry.” He just stared at her and she could see him mentally counting up thevarious homesteads that the Echolls family owned around the globe. […]“Whatever, we all need a hobby PI Polly.” She sucked her bottom lip in
between her teeth, trying not to respond as she turned away from him fallingback into the chair in a mild sulk as he laughed at her little display. “At least
my hobby doesn’t involve throwing money away,” her comeback was about
five minutes too late. He quirked his mouth. “You know that commercial that’s
on every five minutes – about his last film?” “Yeah,” she replied quietly.
“Every time that gets shown my limit might as well get upped,” he admitted,“what better way to spend money from trash than on trash?”(sexycereal, King Of The Castle)
So, his bank account seemingly even puts that of Dagobert Duck to shame. Of
course, this money is frequently also used to indulge the heroine. Thus, Veronica
commonly gets to stay at the biggest mansions and the most luxurious hotel suites,
and is also offered boat trips on extravagant yachts and excursions to exotic
locations. As Logan’s darker side and his past wrongdoings cannot be entirely
ignored, attempts have to be made to explain his behaviour. His tragic history as theson of an abusive father, and his subsequent inability to deal with his problems
without using violence, are recurrently used to account for his cruel behaviour
towards Veronica.

“Come to kick the wounded?” […] “I’m not going to fight with you, Logan.”“Why not?!” he screamed, throwing the box that held the poker chips, the boxthat Veronica had bought him for his sixteenth birthday. She had to jump out of
the way to avoid head trauma, and she stared at Logan in shock that he would
be so out of control. “Fight with me! This is your chance! Just do it!” Moving
cautiously, she repeated, “I’m not going to fight with you.” “C’mon, I’ll get
you started!” Throwing his voice, he intoned, “Nice dad you got there, Echolls!
I wish my dad was a fucking asshole that cheats on my mom with whores atparties, that humiliates my mom in front of the whole goddamn town,
that…that beats his kids with…with belts…like they’re animals…!” Veronica
wrapped her arms around his shoulders as Logan slid to his knees, sobs
wracking his body. Brushing her fingers through his hair, she shushed him,

43rocking back and forth as he had done to her after one of her mother’s first
drinking binges, wishing that she could spare him this pain. Jackass or not, no
one deserved this. (lit_chick08, Part 2)
His actions are presented as the only way he knows how to protect his fragile heart.
He concentrates all his hatred towards Veronica, because she is actually the only
person that means something to him. As he cannot show her how he truly feels, hereverts to violence. Only when Veronica signals him that she feels something for him
apart from hatred and disgust, can he slowly open up and show his hidden loving andcaring nature. Again, the canon seems to support this approach, as the show also uses
his tragic childhood to account for this character’s behaviour.

Another aspect of Otherness that is definitely stressed in fan fiction is the maleprotagonists` sexual prowess. Where it was important in the canonical source text, it
becomes one of the major assets of these characters in fan fiction. Consequently,
Logan and Spike are not simply attractive and capable in sexual matters, but they are
portrayed as the ultimate lovers. Because of that, they are the only suitable match forthe heroines. As no other man can compete with them, there is also no other man
who could possibly fulfil the heroines` needs the way they can.

Feeling his hands on her body again was making her light headed. As always,
he knew just what touches drove her crazy and he didn't stint on giving them toher. Her eyes widened as they stared into his, and her lips parted as she tried to
speak. "Tell me," he urged, squeezing gently. "It's just...I missed this so much.
The way you touch me. The things you do. I was...I was afraid I'd have to live
the rest of my life and never...never feel this way again." Spike grinned, a little
arrogantly. "Well, you can put THAT fear right out of your mind. I'm backnow, baby...and I'm planning to make up for all that lost time." His tone
amused her. This was one of the things she loved about him, his "I'm the only
man for you, Slayer, and you never had it as good as me" attitude. Once upon atime, it had pissed her off mightily...es-pecially [sic!] when she'd begun torealize that it was true. (pattyanne, “Back Where We Belong”)
Logan was barely eighteen, but he did not make love like a fumbling teenager.
He had sharpened his skills against hardhearted playmates. There were regrets
in there somewhere, if he allowed himself to feel them. But at the moment he
was grateful. He was a concert pianist playing Carnegie Hall. He might never
be here again and it was important to make this the show of his life. […]Veronica gasped beneath him, overcome with the sensations this boy, this man,
managed to evoke. No wonder he had grown women falling at his feet. She felt
the intensity of his worship for her body and it made her feel like a goddess.
(gertinator, “Strange”)

44

Both descriptions of the male protagonists correspond to Janice Radway’s concept of
the ideal hero in ideal romance. Spike and Logan are not simply fabulous lovers, but– in the fashion of the true romantic hero – they are the only ones who can awaken
and satisfy their lovers` sexual needs. This corresponds to Radway’s claim that only
the ideal hero can uncover the heroine’s natural sensual nature.68 Thus, it can beconcluded that in fan fiction and in the ideal romance alike, the heroes` sexuality
destines these male characters to be the ideal partners for the heroines. They are theonly ones who can make these girls happy, not only because they understand themand accept who they are, but also because they can guarantee their sexual
satisfaction.

The way in which fan fiction emphasises all aspects of the heroes` Otherness that are
beneficial for a happy relationship, while alleviating those that are not, also applies tothe treatment of the heroines` Otherness. Closer inspection shows that the main
negative feature that has to be toned down appears to be the heroines` blatant
toughness. It has already been established that the extreme strength andindependence that come with their action heroine status make a happy relationshippractically impossible.

The brutality and cruelty inextricably linked to the work of a slayer have caused
Buffy to harden. The fact that she lives in a world where she has to use violence toprotect herself and others, makes it hard for her to trust anybody enough to show
them her vulnerable side: “[…] violence isn't going to work. Not on this one. […] Oh
God, why does she have to be such an iron fist. Why can't she be the velvet glove?
Where did all her kindness go?” (Throstle, “Try a Little Tenderness”) In order tomake a relationship between Buffy and Spike possible, the heroine has to become
more like the “velvet glove” than the “iron fist”. The same applies to Veronica Mars.
Previous traumatic experiences have caused her to toughen, and make it hard for her
to trust in other people. Thus, the heroines` toughness seemingly deactivates theirsofter caring side, and makes them appear overly masculine, forcing the men in theirlife to take on the feminine role. Therefore, the reduction of their toughness turns out
to be the main objective of Spuffy and LoVe fan fiction. The strengthening of positive
68

Cf. Radway, 126.

45
aspects is inextricably linked to this movement, as the weakening of their negative
toughness, inevitably causes the reinforcement of their positive softer side.

“No matter what bullshit we put each other through, you’re still the best friend
I have, Veronica. I just want to keep you safe.”“You don’t have to-“Pressing a finger against her lips, stilling her words, he asked, “Why won’t you
let me?”“I’m afraid,” she admitted.
Startled, Logan pressed, “Of me?”Veronica minutely shook her head. “Of me.”
“Why?”“Because what if you can’t? What if I’m too… ruined-“ He silenced her with akiss, long, sweet, and surprisingly chaste. Logan had always had a way of
devouring her mouth, but tonight his kiss was as tentative as could be, hishands not embarking on a quest for her curves, his tongue staying inside hismouth. This was a kiss of comfort, a reassurance wrapped in a promise andVeronica could’ve wept at the sincerity behind it. Cupping her face in his
hands, he ordered against her lips, “Don’t ever say that. You’re perfect just likethis.”(lit_chick08, Part 3)
Veronica has to accept that – despite his previous behaviour towards her – Loganwould never intentionally hurt her, because his extreme love for her would neverallow it. As soon as she recognises this as a fact, she can stop protecting herself fromhim, and allow him to come close enough to experience her ability to love and takecare of him. Similarly, Buffy has to learn that Spike is not just a soulless thing, but aman who genuinely loves her. As soon as she realises that she can rely on Spike, shestarts letting her guards down, showing him her caring, passionate nature, andallowing herself to love him in return. Thus, the heroines have to learn to trust theirdesignated partners, consequently realising that they can let themselves go in theirpresence and show them a more vulnerable, weaker side. Only then can arelationship between these characters work out.

This treatment of the characters` Otherness proves to be necessary to achieve thedesired happy ending. Only when all obstacles caused by the protagonists` extreme
character traits are eliminated, is the establishment of a happy relationship possible.

2.5. The Concept of Romance in Fan Fiction

46
2.5.1. The Ideal Romance
As this study deals with fan fiction that is concerned with the romantic relationshipof two particular characters and, thus, is very closely linked to the genre of romancefiction, it is necessary to take a closer look at this genre, and to determine how it
influences works of fan fiction, and the way its characters are developed. Here, themain focus lies on Janice Radway`s concept of the ideal romance as a form ofromantic fiction, which develops its plot and its description of the characters in a waythat is considered very enjoyable by the majority of readers. This chapter will look at
this concept and how it is employed in fan fiction.

In her work Reading the Romance, Janice A. Radway establishes criteria that
determine whether a piece of romance fiction is considered enjoyable by the majorityof readers or not. Works that are considered enjoyable are those that enable thepredominantly female readership to escape their real life for some time, providingthem with the emotional nurturance they lack. 69 According to Radway, it isespecially this “intensely felt but insufficiently met need for emotional nurturance”
that “drives these women to repeated encounters with romance fiction”. (Radway,
119) Radway calls works that fulfil this need, ideal romances. It is important to notethat stylistic features of a story seem to be only marginally important for readers’evaluation. Narratives that do not meet the expectations of the ideal romance are notconsidered bad because of stylistic shortcomings, but because of the intense negative
emotional responses they elicit from the readers. While the ideal romance provides
harmless entertainment that makes light of the readers` real anxieties and problems,
the failed romance presents topics that are far too close to the audience’s real
problems and, therefore, actually reminds them of their real life, rather than to help
them escape it. 70 It becomes clear that, in order to be deemed pleasurable andworthwhile by the readers, it is vital for a piece of romance fiction to adhere tocertain conventions that are considered essential for a “good” romance.

A very important factor that settles whether a romance is considered ideal or failed,is the way its characters are developed and presented. Here the main focus
necessarily lies on the depiction of the two protagonists. Readers of romance fiction
seem to share common ideas about how the ideal hero and heroine have to look and69
70

Cf. Radway, 119.
Cf. Radway, 158.

47
act. The way the two main characters are portrayed is vital, because – more than theactual plot – it determines whether readers will feel drawn to a text or not. The
women need to be able to identify with the heroine and to feel attracted to the hero.
Only then will they be susceptible to the plot and feel inclined to keep on reading.

Radway tries to discover the basic features a character has to possess in order to beconsidered an ideal hero or heroine. According to her, the ideal heroine, apart frombeing extraordinarily beautiful, possesses special attributes that set her apart fromother female characters: “To begin with, the ideal heroine is differentiated from her
more ordinary counterparts in other romance novels by unusual intelligence or by an
extraordinary fiery disposition. Occasionally, she even exhibits special abilities in an
unusual occupation.” (Radway, 123) Commonly the ideal heroine is not aware that
she is considered extremely beautiful and appealing by her male counterparts. On thecontrary, she is prone to exhibit tomboyish behaviour, refusing to adhere to the rules
patriarchal society issues for women. She does not wish to appeal to men but wants
to be treated as their equal. 71 However, by this depiction of the heroine’s behaviour,romances do by no means attempt to challenge the stereotypical masculine/feminine
gender division. They actually tend to support the traditional role models for men
and women. 72 This first portrayal of the heroine as rebellious and headstrong,
actually serves to emphasise the development she undergoes in the course of thenovel. In order to take part in a happy relationship that is based on mutual love andunderstanding, the heroine has to overcome her insolent, unfeminine behaviour, anddisplay a more compassionate and caring side that is depicted as coming naturally towomen. 73 It is also very important that the ideal heroine acknowledges her
womanhood and discovers her sensual side, so that she may satisfy her partner’s
sexual needs. Typically, she is very innocent, completely unaware of her own
sexuality, and lacking any experience with the other sex. Only the encounter with thehero awakens her carnal needs and, eventually, leads her to explore her innately
sexual nature. 74 Only when the heroine is able to combine her compassionately
caring side, and her womanly sensuality, will she be able to achieve the satisfying
relationship she longs for; because it is this combination that causes the emotionally71

Cf. Radway, 124-126.
Cf. Radway, 123.
73
Compare Radway’s concept of the development of the ideal heroine, 123-127.
74
Cf. Radway, 126.
72

48
unavailable hero to give up his independence, and to overcome his inability to show
his caring side. 75 Thus, it becomes apparent that the heroine’s beauty – although
important in the sense that it makes her sexually attractive – is not the most importantquality of the character. The actual emphasis lies on her inherently nurturing andsensual nature that turns out to be the basic requirement for a happy heterosexual
relationship that conforms to patriarchal structures.

In contrast to that, physical appearance plays a very important role for the portrayalof the ideal hero. Descriptions of the protagonist’s looks are generally very detailed.
The feature that all descriptions have in common is the hero’s exceptionalmasculinity:

The hero of the romantic fantasy is always characterized by spectacularmasculinity. Indeed, it is insufficient for the author to remark in passing thatthe romantic hero has a muscular physique. The reader must be told, instead,that every aspect of his being, whether his body, his face, or his generaldemeanour, is informed by the purity of his maleness. Almost everything about
him is hard, angular, and dark. (Radway, 128)
It is important to note, however, that not everything about the hero is hard andmasculine. It is an essential aspect of his character that he possesses one quality thatdeviates from his otherwise flawless appearance. This slight aberration, then, signalsthat behind his seemingly impenetrable hardness he hides a genuinely affectionate
and gentle side that is only waiting to be released by the heroine. 76 Like his partner,
he has to undergo a change in order to become the caring and understanding lover
she deserves. However, in both cases, the characters do not really change per se.
Rather, they learn to embrace sides to their personality that they previously did notknow, or were unwilling to reveal. 77 Thus, the ideal romance does not suggest thatthe ideal relationship is achieved by a complete change of character. It actuallyshows how the two protagonists help each other to uncover what is already there.

According to Janice Radway, romance readers have clear ideas about how, and underwhich circumstances, the protagonists` transformation should play out. It is a crucial
feature of the ideal romance that the focus lies exclusively on the development of the75

Cf. Radway, 127.
Cf. Radway, 128.
77
Cf. Radway, 148-149.
76

49
relationship between hero and heroine. Along these lines, the description ofrelationships between the protagonists and other characters are usually notappreciated. The ideal romance introduces antagonistic characters, but they are neverreal rivals for the hero or heroine, as they do not put a threat to the development of
their relationship. So, rival figures never really call into question were the affectionsof the protagonists lie. What follows, is a significant lack of triangular relationships.
As most readers prefer romances that concentrate only on the portrayal of one
relationship, this lack of triangular relationships is a very important feature ofromances that are considered pleasurable by the majority of readers. Thus, they do
not want to read about how the couple struggles to come together. They prefer toread romances that show how two people, who already know that they belong
together, strive to make their relationship work. 78

In short, in the ideal romance the ideal hero and heroine have to work hard, not to be
together, but to be happy together.

2.5.2. Canon vs. Romance
O.T.P. (One True Pairing) refers to the relationship of one particular character
pairing. 79 Hence, Spuffy and LoVe fan fictions both belong to the category O.T.P. In
a way, these fictions are very similar to the ideal romance, as their focus also lies on
the relationship between two specific characters. However, it is important to note thatfan fiction operates under very special conditions that make it impossible to simply
equate narrations of this genre with those of romance. Therefore, it is important totake a closer look at these conditions and how they influence the way the concept ofromance is realised in fan fiction.

When examining how the concept of the ideal romantic hero and heroine plays into
the portrayal of the BtVS and VM characters, it is necessary to be aware of the special
circumstances linked to the depiction of characters in fan fiction in general. Most
characters that are featured in fan fiction stories are not original products of theauthor’s imagination, but are based on an already existing concept. Of course, also
fan fiction allows for the creation of entirely new characters (original character

78
79

Cf. Radway, 122-123.
Cf. Hellekson, Busse, 11.

50(OC)). 80 However, the construction of these original characters is a tricky business.
The conditions under which readers of fan fiction are willing to accept charactersinvented by the author are very narrow. Usually, fans are prepared to accept new
characters as long as they fit well into the fanfic universe, and do not interfere with,or overshadow, the canonically established characters. However, many fans –especially hardcore character junkies, who are devoted to one or more characters of afannish universe and disapprove of any other characters that distract attention fromtheir favourites – categorically reject the invention of original characters.81
Moreover, there is always the risk of such a new character being – or being
considered – a Mary Sue. 82 This is a derogatory term that refers to characters that areconsidered to be idealised versions of the author. Typically, such characters are not
only perfectly beautiful, but also immensely intelligent. They flounce into the fan
fiction universe, charm the leading characters with their extraordinary wit and good
looks, and manage to solve everybody’s problems with ease. It is the greatest shamefor every fan fiction author to be accused of creating such a character. 83 Thus, theinvention of new characters may be officially possible, but the conditions underwhich such original characters are really accepted remain very strict.

However, the portrayal of canonically established characters is not less difficult. As
most fans – but especially the character junkies – are very involved with theirfavourite characters, they are also very anxious that they be depicted faithfully. To befaithful to the canon is of essence in the depiction of characters in fan fiction. 84 Thus,
when writing a story about Veronica and Logan, it does not suffice to simply invent
two characters that bear these names. When writing fan fiction, one has to beprepared to work with characters that are already complex creations with apersonality, a history, and a well known appearance. Furthermore, one has to deal
with a torrent of fan interpretations that reflect and influence how these characters
are perceived. 85 Thus, when writing about Veronica and Logan, one does not simply
write a story about two already existing characters. As soon as the story is publishedon the internet, it contributes to the fannish universe of Veronica Mars. The rewriting80

Cf. Hellekson, Busse, 11.
Cf. Pugh, 82.
82
Cf. Hellekson, Busse, 11.
83
Cf. Pugh, 85.
84
Cf Pugh, 70-71.
85
Cf. Kaplan, 135.
81

51
of these characters becomes an interpretive act that is not just based on the author’s
individual perception of these characters and their universe, but is also influenced by
the perception of a larger fan community. The author’s work is influenced by, and at
the same time, influences the fannish universe in which it is written. 86 Therefore, it
can be said that a fan fiction story, and the characters and situations created in it, arenever only the product of an individual, but, in some sense, are always based on the
fan community’s understanding of their fannish universe.

This makes clear that an investigation concerned with the representation ofromance’s ideal hero and heroine in fan fiction can never be straightforward. There is
not one author that invents characters after their own liking. There are preconditions
and regulations by the source text, as well as the fan community, that govern thework of a fan fiction author, and that have to be taken into consideration.

As the characters of VM and BtVS fan fiction are already shaped by the source text, itis necessary to look at these canonical manifestations first. Only then can be
determined how fans work with these canonical requirements, and whether they
shape them in a way that brings them closer to the concept of the ideal hero andheroine of romance. At first glance, the heroines of Buffy and Veronica Mars comevery close to the description of the heroine in romantic narratives. Both are beautiful
young women, who possess certain attributes that mark them as different from otherfemale characters. These special talents cause them to break out of the role society
prescribes to young women. Instead, they rebel against typical patriarchal structuresand demand to be treated equally to their male counterparts. However, contrary toromance, where the heroine overcomes this rebelliousness to embrace her feminine
nature, these heroines never stop their “unfeminine” behaviour. The way they act is
not just a phase, but the result of their unique situation. Unlike in romantic fiction,
the qualities that make them special are not just means to attract the opposite sex, butthey are a vital part of their personality and determine who they are. Furthermore,these heroines do not just wish to be able to act and be treated like men. Their
strength and wit allows them to do things that are normally considered utterly
masculine. Moreover, in many cases they are described to be even superior to men. It
becomes clear that Veronica’s and Buffy’s behaviour is not just a stage in their86

Cf. Kaplan, 136.

52
steady development into the ideal woman. Because they are strong action heroines,
their personality and behaviour does not depend on a man and on how to please him.
Of course, men do play a role in the lives of these heroines, but they do not
determine who they are and how they act. Their calling makes it impossible for thesecharacters to orientate their lives after a man. Thus, possible lovers have to adjust to
the heroine’s needs, often being forced to take on the more feminine role in theprocess.

The characters Spike and Logan reflect this necessity by displaying an alreadymentioned queerness to their character. Both male protagonists cannot really bedescribed as models of the ideal hero. Their whole appearance does not correspondto the ideal of the tall, dark, hard, and angular hero. Both are not very tall and rather
lean. Although, Spike’s physique is quite trained and even described as “strong andmysterious and sort of compact but well muscled” (Transcript, episode 96“Intervention”), his cocky talkative nature, and his peroxide blond punk appearance,
effectively destroy any traces of the ideal hero he might possess. (Fig.3) Similarly,
Logan’s tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve, and his surfer looks, would
probably make him a dorky minor character in romance, but definitively not the hero.
(Fig.4)Thus, it is safe to say that the canonical depiction of both male and female charactersdoes not have much in common with the picture of the ideal romantic hero/heroine.
Moreover, the relationships between said characters in the series, which have beenoutlined before, agree even less with the standards of the ideal romance. Therefore,
fan fiction authors who are concerned with the portrayal of a romantic relationshipbetween these characters, have to shape them into a form that – different than in thesource text – enables them to really have a happy relationship that fulfils therequirements of the ideal romance.

2.5.3. Romance in Fan Fiction
The special circumstances surrounding fan fiction and character development havealready been outlined. Now it will be examined, how fans play with the canonicaldirections, in order to shape their favourite characters more in the fashion of the ideal
romantic hero/heroine, to make a happy relationship between them possible.

53

It is a very difficult task to change characters, and at the same time stay faithful tothe canon. Changes have to be subtle and comprehensible, so that they won’t destroy
the character’s credibility. Working with figures whose looks and character traits are
so well established, leaves seemingly little space for creative interpretation. It is avery important skill of any fan fiction writer to be mimetic and, thus, be able toimitate the ways of the onscreen character. Only if the voice of a character is right,
will fan fiction readers accept a story. To get this acceptance often proves
ridiculously hard, because many fans – but especially the “character junkies” – are so
involved that they believe to know their favourite characters better than anyone else;very often even better than the series creators themselves. 87 Getting these fans toapprove of changes inflicted on “their” characters is not an easy task to accomplish.
However, the space for interpretation is not as narrow as it first seems. It is all about
artfully reinterpreting what people think they already know. 88 This, again, is closely
linked to Driscoll`s concept of realism and fantasy in fan fiction: all is acceptable aslong as it is realistic. This means that as long as the voice is right, it does not matter
whether Spike is a peroxide blonde vampire, a shy and insecure poet, or a serious
lawyer. All that matters is that he keeps the essential character traits and physicalindicators that mark him as Spike. Hence, it is possible to shape the characters in a
way that brings them closer to the ideal of romance without endangering their
credibility.

The moulding of the characters following the guidelines of romance is closely linked
to the way fan fiction authors work with their Otherness. It has already been
established in previous chapters that positive aspects of Otherness are commonlyemphasised, while negative aspects are weakened. As Otherness prevents a happy
relationship, it is necessary to change it. The tactics used by fans to work with thecharacters` Otherness turn out to be significant tools in the creation of romance in fan
fiction. Accordingly, the weakening of Veronica’s and Buffy’s action heroine
toughness, and the related strengthening of their womanly compassionate and caring
nature, is not simply a necessary change of their Otherness. This change actuallyturns them into the ideal heroines of romance. Similarly, the extreme sexual prowess
ascribed to Spike and Logan, and the fact that they are depicted to be the only ones
87
88

Cf. Pugh, 70, 71.
Cf. Pugh, 69.

54
who are able to sate the heroines` needs, match the romantic conventions of the ideal
hero, and his ability to bring out the heroine’s sensual side. Thus, the authors`
meddling with the characters` Otherness that proved to be necessary to make a happy
relationship possible, conforms to the principles of the ideal romance.

A similar meddling can also be detected when it comes to the description of the maleheroes` outward appearance that, as already mentioned, does not really correspond tothat of the ideal romantic hero.

Before looking at examples of how writers tend to describe the physical appearanceof Logan and Spike, it is necessary to point out a very prominent aspect of the fan
fictional writing style. Fan fiction authors generally rely on their readers to share
their knowledge of the canonical source text. This shared knowledge, then, allows
them to write in a very compact style, leaving out long descriptions, as their readers`knowledge of the source text enables them to comprehend what the writer is referring
to. 89 This tactic may be beneficial for the writers, who are not forced to spell
everything out, as well as for knowledgeable readers, who are not forced to put up
with descriptions of things they already know, but at the same time, it excludes
readers, who do not possess the background knowledge necessary. This aspect of fan
fiction writing is also reflected in the portrayal of the characters:
She had noticed him as soon as she walked through the doors with her tray but
had tried to ignore his presence until she reached his side. Buffy was alreadyfully aware of what he looked like; platinum blonde hair that should haveappeared bizarre but somehow came off as striking, amazingly deep blue eyes
and unbelievable cheekbones. She was also conscious that his expensive,
tailored suit seemingly contained a lithe and toned body that could not becompletely concealed. (squawks, Chapter 1)
Logan was standing in her kitchen, perusing the contents of the refrigerator
with an intensity that rivaled her father's. […] He really was a beautiful boy.
Long, lean muscles; a tall, trim frame. Warm brown eyes...oh, and his smile.
His smile made her melt, even when he was acting like a complete ass.
(Madame Librarian, Part 1 )Depictions like these are very common in BtVS and VM fan fiction. Writers rely on
their audience to know what Jason Dohring as Logan and James Marsters as Spikelook like and, therefore, refrain from long descriptions of their stature. Instead, they89

See Pugh`s description of the special relationship between fan fiction producers and consumers, 3334.

55
use the most prominent features of these characters` to describe them. Thus, themention of “platinum hair”, “unbelievable cheekbones” and “deep blue eyes” isincentive enough for the experienced reader to conjure the picture of James Marsters
in the role of the cocky vampire. Similarly, “warm brown eyes” and the descriptionof his patented smile will automatically conjure a picture of Jason Dohring’s
portrayal of Logan Echolls in the minds of knowledgeable Veronica Mars fans. The
additional description of their very well-trained bodies, then, serves to enhance themental picture fans have of these character. Originally, the onscreen appearance of
these figures does not really conform to the picture of the hero who sports a muscularbody that is hard as steel. However, the writers´ depiction of their body turns theminto ideal heroes with a strong masculine physique.

Possible shortcomings in their physical appearance are further reduced by stylingthem as being preferable to those of other male characters, especially those, who
serve as love interests for the heroine in the show. Accordingly, compared to
Duncan’s big choking presence, Logan’s more slender frame offers Veronica
security without smothering her. Similarly, Buffy finds that she prefers Spike’s wirybuild to the huge and bulky stature of her former lovers Angel and Riley. While they
continually dwarfed her with their overbearing bodily presence, Spike’s lean but
strong body fits comfortably, and makes her feel save at the same time. Thus, incontrast to romance fiction, the lean and less threatening frame of these characters ispresented as more desirable than the hard and perfect form of the ideal hero,
represented by the former lovers.

This comparison to other lovers brings up another notion that differentiates fan
fiction from romance fiction. The depiction of triangular relationships that is mostly
avoided in romance is a very common feature in fan fiction. The canon frequently
introduces other lovers for the heroines. In order to stay as faithful to canon as
possible, and to only introduce changes that won’t threaten the characters`
credibility, it becomes necessary to deal with their relationships with other characterson some level. Naturally, these relationships come to an end, and are depicted as
being inferior to the relationship of the O.T.P.; still, they are dealt with.

56
As expected, the concept of the ideal romance plays an important role in fan fictionthat is concerned with the romantic relationship of two particular characters.
However, the special conditions that characterise this genre also cause considerable
divergence.

3. Fan Fiction: Issues and Practices

3.1. The Copyright Debate

I do not allow fan fiction. The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly
to even think about fan fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write
your own original stories with your own characters. It is absolutely essentialthat you respect my wishes. (Rice, “Post: Important message from Anne on fan
fiction”)
This statement was made by the popular writer Anne Rice and released at her official
homepage. It points to a very prominent and hotly debated question that concerns all
fan fiction: the question of copyright and its infringement. Thus, one of the biggest
issues of fan fiction is the question to whom the characters belong once they arepresented to a broad audience, and who has the right to further “play” with them.
Many authors are as “terribly upset” as Anne Rice when thinking about thepossibility that just about anybody could tamper with the characters they invented
and, thus, consider to be rightfully and exclusively theirs. In the United States ofAmerica this claim is legally supported by the copyright law; more precisely by its
definition of “derivative work”:

A “derivative work” is a work based upon one or more preexisting works, suchas a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion
picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation,or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A
work consisting of editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or othermodifications, which, as a whole, represent an original work of authorship, is a“derivative work”. (Copyright Law Chapter 1: Subject Matter and Scope of
Copyright)
Fan fiction is considered a derivative work and, therefore, becomes illegal. In
addition, fan fiction stories based on characters of popular American TV shows areconfronted with yet another law. The trademark law applies, because these characters
are trademarks of the producing companies to which the shows belong. By writing

57
fiction based on TV characters, fans breach the copyright of these companies.
Therefore, authors have to ensure that their characters cannot be confused with theoriginal ones. 90 This is usually achieved through disclaimers in which the authors
explicitly state that they do not own any of the characters, and that their stories are
not to be confused with the original source text. The form of a disclaimer is not
fixed, but depends on the author. Its length ranges from a few words to a few lines,
and its content ranges from straightforward to humorous.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Duh. (Sarah, “Lucky Charms”)
Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are owned by Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe
upon anyone's rights, only to entertain. (Pet, “Meeting William”)
Disclaimer: Rob Thomas lets me take them out of the box and play with them,but they go home with him at the end of the day. (Tiana, “Rain Check”)
Disclaimer: I wished on a lucky penny, a rainbow, and a cross-eyed, onefooted rabbit, but I still don’t own Veronica Mars. (StarCrossedSparrow, “OneThousand and EightyEight Miles”)
Disclaimers such as these can be frequently found in fan fiction stories based on TV
series. However, this does not mean that every story is accompanied by a disclaimer.
As this safety precaution cannot legally prevent copyright holders to press charges,
many authors choose to forgo it.

Fan fiction authors have to find other strategies to ensure that they are not beingsued. Many try to justify this particular fannish activity by referring to the “fair use”
section of the copyright law, which proclaims certain limitations to an author’s
exclusive rights. Accordingly, the copyright claims of the creator of a work may not
apply when the derivational work is of non-profit nature and does not influence thevalue and the potential market of the copyrighted work. 91 Furthermore, the use of
copyrighted works “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is
not an infringement of copyright.” (Copyright Law Chapter 1: Subject Matter andScope of Copyright) Fan fiction proponents use this section of the copyright law totheir advantage. They argue that they neither gain any profit by writing fan fiction,
90
91

See Wikipedia sv. `Legal issues with fan fiction`.
See Copyright Law Chapter 1, section 107.

58
nor cause the author of the original work any damage - financial or otherwise.
Authors who aim to forbid this fannish practice do not accept this argument.
Accordingly, fantasy writer Robin Hobb harshly criticises the practice of writing andreading fan fiction in her heatedly debated “Rant Against Fan Fiction”. In this shortessay, which was published at her personal website in the year 2005, she not only
presents fan fiction as being intellectually and artistically deprived, but, furthermore,declares it to be a criminal intrusion into an author’s intellectual property.92 She
fervently rejects the notion that authors are solely against fan fiction for commercial
reasons and states:

Fan fiction doesn't attempt to make money off the stories, so it doesn't reallyviolate anyone's copyright. I beg your pardon? Where did you get the idea thatcopyright is all about money? Copyright is about the right of the author tocontrol his own creation. That includes making money off it. But it also
includes refusing to sell movie rights, or deciding that you're not really proudof your first novel and you don't wish to see it republished. It's about choosing
how your work is presented. (Hobb, quoted in “In Defense of Fanfiction:
Guestblogger Justin Goes Robin Hobbnobbing”)
Hobb repeatedly stresses that she does not only dislike fan fiction because of thepossible financial damage it could inflict, but because she does not want to accept
that strangers simply alter the way she wants her stories to be presented. 93

Naturally, this essay caused strong reactions among fan communities. Fan fiction
supporters disapproved of the views Hobb propagated in her essay. They felt
offended by the fact that she blatantly denied fan fiction to have any artistic value,and criticised the “incredibly cliché [i]dea she has about fanfiction”. (Puretide,“Comment on “In Defense of Fanfiction: Guestblogger Justin Goes Robin
Hobbnobbing””) However, not all reactions were negative. On the contrary, aconsiderable amount of people understood the author’s argument.

I can understand how Hobb might resent people changing the characters andevents of her stories. I'm not going to deny that I'd be a little miffed at first if
someone manipulated the world and characters that I had so carefully thoughtup. But then, what of all the fanfics that are written with an amazing depth and92

Hobb`s essay can no longer be accessed on her personal website. In order to view the whole “Rant”,
as well as a detailed reply, and positive and negative fan reactions, look at Justin’s “In Defense of
Fanfiction”.
93
Cf. Justin, “In Defense of Fanfiction”.

59
understanding of the characters and world? They cannot be condemned as
worthless or perverse merely because of their being fanfiction. So, it comes
down to this. As an author, do you feel comfortable with your readers
exploring your characters? Following threads left untied? Robin Hobb feels
uncomfortable with it, and so as readers, I think we should respect her wishes.
(atropos, “Comment on “In Defense of Fanfiction: Guestblogger Justin Goes
Robin Hobbnobbing””)
Hobb’s article and the reactions it caused among fan fiction opponents andproponents, serves to show the anxiety and the controversy that surrounds this genre.

As shown above, the claim that the production of fan fiction is legal because it does
not pose a threat to the financial profit of the original author, is generally notaccepted among its critics. Thus, efforts were made to prove the legitimacy of thisfan practice by arguing from a different angle. Correspondingly, Henry Jenkins
reasons that the act of writing fan fiction is not merely a way for fans to satisfy theirunfulfilled needs and desires by changing an original work (thereby disrespecting theintentions of the creator); in contrast, he presents it as a fannish tool of criticism. In apost on his personal website he concentrates on the part of the fair use section that
excludes works of criticism from copyright infringement and argues:[A] key point here is that I regard all or at least most fan fiction to involvesome form of criticism of the original texts upon which it is based -- criticism
as in interpretation and commentary if not necessary criticism as in negative
statements made about them. (Jenkins, “Post: Fan Fiction as CriticalCommentary”)
His line of reasoning points towards the concept of the fan critic. 94 Jenkins claims
that within their fannish realm fans are the highly informed elite. Their close
relationship to the source text, and their superior knowledge about it, surpasses thatof academic critics and makes them the actual authorities. However, as their status is
not officially recognised, this elite of fan critics lacks the social power of theacademic critics. 95

Fan fiction proponents support Jenkins efforts to legitimise fan fiction. Among themost active supporters are the members of the Organization of Transformative
Works (OTW). Picking up Jenkins` line of argument, this organisation defines fan
94
95

For more detailed information on Jenkins` concept of the fan critic see Jenkins, Chapter 3, 86-119.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 86-87.

60
fictions not as derivative but as transformative works which provide critical commenton the source text, and claims that, as such, they are in fact legal. It is the goal of themembers of the OTW – among them lawyers, college professors, and authors – to get
fan fiction to be officially recognised as transformative work by the U.S. copyrightlaw. 96

Despite many attempts of supporters and opponents of this genre, to legalise or toprohibit it, respectively, fan fiction currently seems to exist in a grey area. Right
now, the most important factor that determines its right to exist is whether thecreators of the original texts tolerate it or not. Many, like Joanne K. Rowling, Terry
Pratchett, and Joss Whedon, welcome this fan practice. 97 Others, like Robin Hobb
and Anne Rice, do not. Both authors claim that because their characters are theircreations, they belong to them alone, which gives them the solitary right to decide
their fates. This belief is shared by numerous authors. For them, fan fiction is aviolation of what they consider to be their rightful property.

However, whether characters can truly be considered the sole intellectual property of
their creators is questionable. Sheenagh Pugh argues that characters do not come tolife through the author’s depiction, but through the reader’s imagination. The
characters are not what the author wants them to be, but what the reader imaginesthem to be. This assumption leads Pugh to claim that characters do not belong tothose who created them, but to each and everyone who brings them to life throughtheir imagination. 98 This would mean then that the author’s control over theircreations ends, as soon as they present them to other people, who then – in theirfunction as textual poachers – appropriate them to fit their own needs. The matter ofownership becomes even more questionable when it comes to characters of movies
and TV shows. There are so many people involved in the creation of such charactersthat it is hard to determine who could rightfully claim to own them. 99

96

More detailed information on the organization and its goals can be found at the official website:
Organization for Transformative Works.
97
For an overview on authors and producers who support fan fiction access “Fanfiction Supporters” atLost in a Story – Airawyn`s fanfiction site.
98
Cf. Pugh, 22-23.
99
Cf. Pugh, 22.

61This again raises the initial question: to whom do the characters belong, and who has
the right to “play” with them? This issue is fundamental for the whole genre, yet – asshown above – it is far from being resolved. The aforementioned struggles show thatfictional characters are powerful forces, which can inspire awe and dedication, as
well as serious conflicts. But what proponents and opponents of fan fiction ultimately
seem to have in common, is the belief that the characters are worth the struggle.

3.2. How Fans “Play” with Their Favourite Characters

3.2.1. Genres
It has already been mentioned that the stereotypical view of the fan as someone
whose actions serve solely to satisfy inconsequential and immature fantasies anddesires, is energetically challenged by fans and academics. The concept of the fancritic establishes fans as members of interpretive communities who actively andcritically interpret a chosen source text. According to that, the production of fan
fiction can be seen as a valuable tool of criticism. 100 It reflects the individualinterpretation of the author, as well as the collective interpretations of the fancommunity in which it is written. Character formation in fan fiction then represents
one possible interpretation of the primary text that unites and reflects the author’s, aswell as the community’s, understanding of the canon. 101

The character formation strategies used by fans to represent the canonical charactersin their works are copious, and vary depending on the focus and the length of a story.
Necessarily, strategies used for a short story are different from those used for alengthier fanfic. Much in the same way, a romantic fan fiction imposes different
requirements for character formation, than a story that is concerned with thedevelopment of one single character. Thus, length and focus are two importantfactors to be considered when dealing with character formation in fan fiction. 102 This
study is concerned with fan fiction stories of varying length that deal with theromantic relationship between two characters. Fictions of this category arecommonly referred to as het (meaning fictions that are concerned with the romantic –and very often erotic – relationship of a heterosexual pairing). They are distinguished100

Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 88-89.
Cf. Kaplan, 136.
102
Cf. Kaplan, 138.
101

62
from gen fics (stories with non-romantic content), and slash fics (stories that deal
with the romantic and/or erotic relationship of characters of the same sex). 103

Generally, it can be said that fan fiction favours the depiction of relationships
between characters, whether they are romantic or not. Television based fan fiction
initially started mainly because fans felt that their favourite series were entirely too
action-based, and did not spend enough time depicting the relationships of theircharacters. Although, this is no longer true, fan fiction still distinctly favours
relationship-based plots. 104 This preference is reflected in the development of special
genres, which support the emotional interaction between characters. PWP stories
particularly concentrate on the interaction of the characters. The meaning of theacronym PWP (Plot? What Plot?) already establishes that stories of this genre
disregard action in favour of interaction. 105 PWP stories are frequently linked to fluff
stories, meaning stories that depict characters and relationships in a light andromantic way, in order to make an emotional impact. 106 Another genre that aids
character interaction is hurt/comfort. Stories of hurt/comfort (h/c) content typically
depict one character’s emotional and/or physical breakdown and their subsequent
rescue by another character. H/C stories again are closely linked to another genre,
namely angst. Angst stories do not deal with what happens, but with the way
characters struggle to deal with what happens to them. 107 The focus of these genres
differs, but they are all used to bring characters together, and to promote
relationships between them.

3.2.2. Narrative Situation
Character formation strategies may change according to the length and the focus of awork, but there is one device that always remains the same: focalisation. This method
is a veritable tool in fan fiction, and is frequently used to present the events from acharacter’s viewpoint in order to encourage the reader’s identification with them. 108
Focalisation has to be distinguished from narration. While the former indicates the
viewpoint from which a story is told, the latter refers to the agent who tells the story.

103

Compare Deborah Kaplan’s description of the subcategories of fan fiction in Kaplan, 138.
Cf. Pugh, 75-76.
105
Cf. Pugh, 76.
106
Cf. Hellekson, Busse, 11.
107
Cf. Pugh, 76-77.
108
Cf. Kaplan, 138.
104

63
Thus, focalisation and narration can be viewed in terms of “who sees” and “whospeaks” respectively. It is important to note that focalisation and narration can be, but
are not necessarily attributed to the same agent. 109

Before looking more closely at the narrative situation in fan fiction, it has to beacknowledged that it is different for book-based and TV-based fiction. TV shows
naturally operate with dialogue. Characters can actually be seen on screen and their
voices can be heard. This makes it easier for the writers to adapt them. Writers andreaders of television-based fan fiction already share a general notion of how thevoice of a particular character sounds. 110 Thus, the viewpoint from which a story is
told is secondary as long as the overall voice – meaning “a characteristic vocal or
tonal quality projected through a text” (Jahn, N3.1. Narration (voice)) – is accurate
and reflects the canonical character. 111 In contrast to that, the viewpoint is of vital
importance in book-based fan fiction. It makes a difference, whether a book is told
from the point of view of a character, or by an authorial voice. Authors of bookbased fan fictions frequently are forced to adopt the narrative situation of theoriginal, as changes often fail to capture the voice of the source text in a way that isdeemed satisfactory by their readers. 112

As already mentioned, the main criterion for a television-based fanfic is that thevoice is right. “However striking the ideas, however gripping the plot, if the voice iswrong nothing else will compensate for it.” (Pugh, p 71) It is particularly hard forwriters to capture the right voice, thus to depict the characters in a way that is
considered realistic – which means as close as possible to the source text –, because
most readers of fan fictions are so involved with the primary text that they believe toknow all about it. 113 Fan fiction authors face the challenging task to create a versionof these already existing characters that is close enough to the original to enable thefan community to not only recognise it, but to accept it. At the same time, theircreation has to be innovative enough to attract the audience’s interest, so that theirown text can exist apart from the source text. A narrative situation that makes it
particularly hard for writers to master a faithful mimetic reproduction is the first109

Cf. Rimmon-Kenan, 72.
Cf. Pugh, 72.
111
Cf. Pugh, 70-71.
112
Cf. Pugh, 72.
113
Cf. Pugh, 70.
110

64
person point of view of a character, as it demands total control of the voice. Becauseof that, for a long time most fan fiction was written in third person. Only recent
developments suggest that first-person narration becomes increasingly popular in thisgenre. 114

Conversely, a feature that is particularly common to fan fictions concerned withromantic relationships is the shifting of the viewpoint. 115 This means that both partiesof a romantic pairing serve as focalisers. Because of the shifting point of view, thereader is able to experience the emotions of both partners. This method is very
common in gen- as well as slash-writing. 116 Furthermore, it is closely linked toanother method that is very common to romance fiction: the dual perspective.117 Thisnarrative technique enables the reader to experience the actions presented to themfrom the heroine’s point of view, as well as from the point of view of an omniscientnarrator. This means that the reader can adopt the heroine’s narrow viewpoint wheninterpreting the hero’s actions and behaviour – and, thus, feel her indignation, rage
and fear –, but at the same time, the additional information provided by theomniscient narration reassures them that the hero’s motives are in fact honourable.
The dual perspective allows the romance reader to feel both sides and, therefore,heightens the pleasurable experience. 118

Generally, focalisation that is close to the characters allows authors to establish
facets to these characters that are not presented in the source text. It can show acharacter’s underlying emotions and motivations and, thus, present them in a newlight. 119 Under ideal circumstances focalisation changes the readers` preconceived
notions of a canonical character and gets them to open up to new possibilities.

3.2.3. Reinterpretation
On the whole it can be said that, although, there is a considerable amount of
restrictions and regulations for fan fiction authors to consider, this genre also opens
up infinite possibilities for its writers and readers. As Sheenagh Pugh puts it:“ There114

Cf. Pugh, 71.
Cf. Jenkins, 199.
116
Cf. Jenkins, 199.
117
See Radway 140-141.
118
Cf. Radway, 140-141.
119
Cf. Kaplan, 139.
115

65
are things you cannot do, and far more that you can. […] You can re-interpret what
your readers think they know.” (Pugh, 69) This notion of reinterpretation ties in with
the idea that fans write fiction based on their favourite shows because they want“more from” the source text. 120 They feel the need to adapt the source text to meettheir requirements. Henry Jenkins claims that because of that, fan writing exceeds its
critical function:
These fan stories build upon the assumptions of the fan meta-text, respond tooft-voiced desires of the fan community, yet move beyond the status ofcriticism and interpretation; they are satisfying narratives, eagerly received bya fan readership already primed to accept and appreciate their particularversions of the program. (Jenkins, Poachers, 155)
Thus, fan fiction does not only serve as a means of criticism and interpretation, but it
satisfies the fan community’s needs. In order to fulfil these needs, the source text has
to be reinterpreted. Jenkins claims that:” fan writers do not so much reproduce theprimary text as they rework and rewrite it, repairing or dismissing unsatisfying
aspects, developing interests not sufficiently explored.” (Jenkins, Poachers, 162)
Correspondingly, Jenkins suggests ten strategies which fans employ to rewrite theirfavourite programs so that they may meet their requirements:

1)

Recontextualization
Fictions present scenes that are felt to be missing in the show. These scenes are used
to fill gaps, to show the characters` underlying feelings, or to provide explanations
for their onscreen behaviour.

2)

Expanding the Series Timeline
Canonical hints about the characters` past or future are taken up and used as the basis
for stories about events that precede or follow the series` timeline.

3)

Refocalization
The canonical events are presented from a different point of view, frequently that ofa minor character.

4)

Moral Realignment
Stories question the moral code of the source text, shifting the canonical focus bymaking the villains the protagonists. These stories aim to explore the series` universe

120

Cf. Pugh, 19.

66from the point of view of the villains and, thus, blur the canonical boundaries
between good and evil, and right and wrong.
5)

Genre Shifting
Stories present the source text in a different generic tradition by changing the focus.
Genre shifting takes place for instance when the description of the romantic
relationship between two characters is favoured over the description of the action,
thus, turning the story into a romance.

6)

Cross Overs“Cross-over” stories combine characters and situations of different source texts, thus,
blurring the boundaries between these source texts and the fandoms surrounding
them.

7)

Character Dislocation
Characters are taken away from their original environment and put into an alternate
universe. Frequently they are even given different names and identities. The
canonical characters serve as the basis for vastly different fan creations.

8)

Personalization
Fan fiction authors try to combine the fictional universe of their favourite television
show with their real life by introducing characters that are fictional versions ofthemselves (“Mary Sue”).

9)

Emotional Intensification
Fans emphasise moments of emotional crisis. Traumatic experiences often serve tobring characters closer together and to reveal their hidden emotions for each other.
This method is particularly common in the hurt/comfort genre.

10)

Eroticization
The erotic aspects of the relationships between characters are explored, frequently bydepicting the romantic and/or sexual relationship of a non-canonical pairing. 121

Many fan fictions conform to one category, but in many cases the boundaries of therewriting methods are blurred within a single story. 122 Overall, this categorisation
provides a useful tool for the analysis of fan fiction in general.

As this study is particularly concerned with fan fiction of romantic content, anotherconcept has to be mentioned here, namely Janice A. Radway’s notion of the ideal
121
122

Cf. Jenkins` `Ten Ways To Rewrite A Television Show` in Jenkins, Poachers, 162-177.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 176.

67
romance. Radway does not only identify the characteristics of the ideal romantic heroand heroine, but she also accounts for the transformation of both protagonists that isnecessary to make a romantic relationship between them possible. Therefore,
Radway’s model is very useful for the interpretation of the character- and plot
development in Spuffy and LoVe fan fiction.

Combined, both Jenkins` and Radway’s categorisation schemes can serve as valuable
tools for the analysis of romantic fan fiction in general. However, when it comes tofan fiction characters in particular, these approaches are only partially helpful. As
already mentioned, character formation in fan fiction is a very important and very
complex process. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to develop a classification
system that accounts for the special means and techniques that are characteristic forcharacter formation in TV-based fan fiction.

4. Close Reading: Classifying Character Formation Processes

4.1. Character Formation Processes in Spuffy and LoVe Fan Fiction

4.1.1. Categorising Character Formation Processes
As the following model was particularly devised to account for character formation
processes and their outcomes in fan fiction of romantic content, it will to some extent
bear resemblance to both Jenkins` and Radway’s typology. Generally speaking, allfan fiction stories analysed in this study belong to Jenkins` category Genre
Shifting, 123 because they change the focus of the source text by concentrating entirelyon the development of the romantic plot. Thus, they also fall into the category
Eroticization, 124in the sense that they are concerned with the romantic – andfrequently also the erotic – relationship of one character pairing. Because of that,they essentially do also conform to Radway’s concept of the ideal romance.
Therefore, all these models are bound to overlap.

This study is based on the assumption that authors create their versions of thecanonical characters intending to stay as faithful to the originals as possible. Only
123
124

Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 169-170.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 175-177.

68
then, will the fan community accept their creations. Thus, the actual degree offaithfulness of fan fiction characters will not be examined. It is the aim of thisclassification scheme to illustrate the fannish strategies used to alter the canonicalcharacters in a way that makes it possible for them to engage in a relationship that
conforms to the requirements of the ideal romance. Concretely, it will be examined
how characters are changed; how said changes are brought about; and, eventually,
what the newly created versions of the canonical characters look like, and how they
relate to the source text.

Generally, it can be distinguished between two types of character formation
strategies: those, which modify characters from the inside, and those, which modify
them from the outside. This means that the inside strategies cause an alteration that istriggered from within the character(s). In contrast to that, the outside strategies cause
an alteration that is brought about by outside forces.

Inside Strategies
It has already been established that the inside strategies of character formation workfrom within the characters themselves.

WeakeningThis strategy is inextricably linked to the hurt/comfort genre. Therefore, it can also
be related to Jenkins` category of Emotional Intensification. 125 Meeting therequirements of this genre, one character that is part of the O.T.P., takes care of theother party of the pairing, who is emotionally and/or physically injured. In the courseof this interaction, the couple gets to know each other better. Character traits andmotivations of each character that have been previously hidden or misinterpreted are
uncovered and put into perspective. The growing closeness and intimacy between thecharacters does not only enable them to overcome their problems and fears together,
but also causes them to develop romantic feelings for each other; or to acknowledge
and embrace romantic feelings that have already been there, but were previously
suppressed. Thus, the weakening of one character ultimately lays the groundwork fora happy relationship. Sheenagh Pugh claims that “female characters are relatively
immune from being used in this type of story, partly because it makes the readers
125

Cf. Jenkins, 174-175.

69
feel uncomfortable”. (Pugh, 81) This does not apply to BtVS and VM fan fiction.
Spuffy and LoVe stories frequently feature Buffy and Veronica as the injured party.
This is probably due to their status as action heroines. Their innate toughness
obviously deactivates any reservations authors might have concerning the injuring of
women. Moreover, as this toughness presents one of the major obstacles for the
success of the romantic relationship, the weakening of the female character serves asa useful tool for fan fiction writers to overcome this problem. By diminishing theextreme strength that makes her an action heroine, the offending Otherness thatstands in the way of romance is reduced.

Knowledge Enhancement
Frequently, fans expand the knowledge of one or both members of the pairing, sothat they know more than their canonical versions. This grants them a better
understanding of their current situation, and allows them to deal with – and to
overcome – their problems more effectively; or to avoid them altogether. It also
gives them a better understanding of each other. In the fantastic universe of Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, the additional information is introduced through prophetic dreams orapparitions. Another strategy that is limited to BtVS fictions are timetravel stories. 126
In the case of knowledge enhancement, these stories feature one or both main
characters as coming from the future. They then have a profound knowledge of the
future, and act in a way that allows them to avoid mistakes that hinder a happy
relationship. Another way to enhance the characters` knowledge is to set fan fiction
stories in the future. Such futurefic stories commonly feature wiser and more matureversions of the characters, whose enhanced knowledge enables them to interact
differently. This method is particularly common in Veronica Mars fan fiction. Both
timetravel fics and futurefics belong to the greater category of AU (alternative
universe) fictions. AU stories put the characters in a new setting (that may or may
not be based on canon). 127 The information related above shows that knowledge
enhancement partly corresponds to Jenkins` categories Expanding the Series
Timeline, and Character Dislocation. 128

126

For more detailed information on the different categories in Spuffy fan fiction look at the Spuffy
archives Elysian Fields and The Spuffy Realm.
127
Cf. Hellekson, Busse, 11.
128
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 163-165, 171.

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Knowledge Restriction
In contrast to the previous method, this strategy limits the characters` knowledge andcauses them to know less than the canonical characters. Instead of enabling thecharacters to deal with, or to avoid possible problems, this strategy usually negates
canonical problems altogether. In the BtVS universe spells are often used to restrict
the characters` knowledge. Moreover, timetravel stories that feature one or both
members of the Spuffy pairing coming from the past, introduce versions of thecharacters that have no knowledge of the obstacles that normally obstruct a romantic
relationship. Furthermore, pre-series fics, which are set before the canonical events,
present another variant of knowledge restriction. They are set at a time, when said
obstacles do not exist or can be easily avoided. Their limited knowledge then allows
the characters to permit, and to accept their mutual attraction more easily. Pre-series
fics are particularly common in the fairly realistic universe of Veronica Mars. Again,
this strategy is closely linked to Jenkins` categories Expanding the Series Timeline,
and Character Dislocation. 129 Together with the previously introduced knowledge
enhancement strategy, this character formation device presents another way fan
writers deal with the offending Otherness of the protagonists. The enhancement of
the characters` knowledge provides them with information that enables them tounderstand and to deal with problems caused by their Otherness. The restriction of
their knowledge, on the other hand, keeps them ignorant of such problems.

Outside Strategies
Character formation strategies that modify the characters from the outside typicallyfeature external forces that cause an alteration of the characters.

Eradication of Differences
This method instigates the elimination of the emotional and physical differences thatstand between the members of the O.T.P. In this case, emotional and physicaldifferences are frequently seen as being inextricably linked. Therefore, the author’s
alteration of the physical appearance of one or both characters often causes – orstands synonymously for – the eradication of the emotional barrier that stands
between the main characters. By changing the personal background of the charactersand the circumstances they find themselves in, the basic conditions for their129

Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 163-165, 171.

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relationship are changed. This enables them to act and interact in a way that favours
a romantic entanglement. Again, this method is inextricably linked to the genre of
AU fiction. AU stories that favour this strategy are pre-series fics and futurefics.
Additionally, BtVS fan fiction knows the sub-genres of allhuman fics and vampireverse fics. 130 The first puts Buffy and Spike in an environment were everybody ishuman. Thus, resolving the couple’s vampire – slayer antagonism problem. The
latter puts them in an environment were both are vampires and resolves theaforementioned problem as well. Yet again, these strategies are closely linked toHenry Jenkins` Expanding the Series Timeline, and Character Dislocation
concepts. 131

Matchmakers
This strategy relies on outside forces that help the couple to overcome theirdifferences and influence them in a way that makes them realise their hidden feelings
for each other. The meddling of these external forces prompts the main characters tochange. Matchmakers do not only signify secondary characters who try to bring theprotagonists together, but this term also applies to supernatural forces that intervenein favour of the couple. It is important to note that supernatural matchmakers are not
restricted to the fantastic universe of Spuffy fan fiction. Various LoVe fics featureparanormal matchmakers, almost exclusively in the form of Veronica’s murdered
best friend Lilly Kane. Another strategy that is very popular with fan writers involves
the introduction of an extraordinary situation in which the intended lovers aretrapped, and which ultimately forces them to acknowledge their feelings for eachother. In a broader sense of the term, this tactic can also be counted as amatchmaking device. This character formation device is not restricted to specific fan
fiction genres, as it can be employed seemingly in any story.

Breadcrumbs
Frequently, fans take canonical occurrences that suggest the possibility of a happyromantic relationship between the members of their favourite ship, and expand theminto a universe where this possibility is realised. Thus, they latch on to breadcrumbs
provided by the source text. Very popular canonical breadcrumbs for Spuffy and
LoVe fan fiction are provided by the BtVS season four episode “Something Blue” –130131Compare “Categories” in Elysian Fields and The Spuffy Realm.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 163-165, 171.

72
in which one of Willow’s spells has Spike and Buffy madly in love and planningtheir wedding –, 132 and the VM season two episode “Not Pictured” – which features a
dream of Veronica that shows an alternate reality, where Lilly has not died andVeronica is in a happy relationship with Logan. 133 Fan authors who make use of thisstrategy, either work with the original concept as introduced by the source text, or
merely use the basic idea of the happily coupled O.T.P. stories that are based onbreadcrumbs necessarily belong to the category of AU, as they present versions of
the characters that – even though they were insinuated by the primary text – arefundamentally different from the canonical characters. Like with the eradication ofdifferences, the backgrounds and the situations the characters find themselves in areradically changed, which allows them to interact more easily. Thus, also this strategy
relates to Jenkins` concepts Expanding the Series Timeline and Character
Dislocation. 134

It has to be acknowledged that these strategies are not strictly separate categories.
There are, of course, stories that make use of only one strategy. However, it is very
common for the aforementioned character formation strategies to occur
simultaneously within a single work of fan fiction. This will also become apparent in
the close analysis of fan fiction stories in the following chapters.

4.1.2. The Outcomes of Character Formation: Character Change vs. Character
SwitchIt is the ultimate goal of all these character formation strategies to alter the charactersin a way that allows for a happy relationship of the Spuffy and the LoVe pairing.
Although, the desired end result is most definitely a suitably revised character; theactual outcomes vary considerably. I would like to propose four distinguishable ways
in which a character can be altered by the abovementioned character formation
strategies.

Generally, it can be distinguished between two different basic results: characterchange and character switch. These can, then, be further categorised.

132

For more detailed information see episode 4.9 “Something Blue”.
For more detailed information see episode 2.22 “Not Pictured“.
134
Cf. Jenkins, 163-165, 171.
133

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Character Change
Character change denotes the comprehensible modification of one or both member(s)of the romantic pairing. It can be further classified into gradual- and abrupt characterchange.

Gradual Character ChangeThis involves the gradual and observable change of one or both character(s). Thischange is either triggered by a crucial event (this can, but need not be a canonicalevent), or it presents a natural development that results from the canonical or
fanfictional storyline. The behaviour, the attitude, and the motivations of theresulting character(s) differ slightly from those of the canonical versions, but thebasic character traits remain intact. The heroine, who is weakened by illness andforced to turn to the hero for help, and who - through this interaction - slowly accepts
that she can depend on him, and that she can allow herself to love him, would be an
example for a gradual change.

Abrupt Character Change
Here, the change takes place abruptly. It is not observable, yet comprehensible. Mostoften only one character is affected by the change, that is always triggered by a
crucial event (canonical or fanfictional). The abrupt change of one member of the
O.T.P. then triggers the gradual change of the other member. As with the gradualchange, the basic character traits remain untouched. Fantastic events like prophetic
dreams or apparitions, or more realistic events like illness or accidents, frequently
serve to induce an abrupt character change.

Character Switch
Character switch indicates the substitution of one or more canonical character(s) byan entirely new version of said character(s). Again, this category can bedifferentiated further, namely into comprehensible - and radical character switch.

Comprehensible Character Switch
This involves the fannish invention of an entirely different character. However, thisnew character is still based on canonical occurrences. This means that the newversion of the character is based on suggestions made by the source text.

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Manifestations of the comprehensible switch include depictions of human Victorian
William, Victorian girl Buffy, and pre-murder/innocent Logan and Veronica. The
switch predominantly affects both characters. Although they are radically altered, theway they speak and behave still corresponds to that of the canonical characters.
Because of that, they can still be recognised and accepted as versions of thecanonical characters.

Radical Character Switch
This category only applies to Spuffy fan fiction. Again, an entirely different characteris invented, but said new character is not based on canonical occurrences. Very often,
this switch of character is also accompanied by a switch of setting. Thus, stories thatfeature human Buffy and Spike (very often then referred to as Elizabeth andWilliam) take place in a setting were vampires and slayers do not exist at all. Other
versions of the radical switch involve the portrayal of Buffy as a witch, or Spike as aslayer. This switch always affects both characters. Although, they are not based on
canonical incidents, their speech patterns and actions still correspond to those of thecanonical characters to ensure the fannish acceptance of the new versions.

The following analysis of various Spuffy and LoVe fan fictions will try to illustrate
how the aforementioned character formation strategies are applied, and what theiroutcomes presented above actually look like.

4.2. Diminishing Offending Otherness: Weakening
As already mentioned, this character formation strategy is inextricably linked withthe genre hurt/comfort. The general structure of hurt/comfort stories always stays thesame: one character experiences physical and/or emotional pain and needs the helpof another character to overcome it. However, the actual ways in which such stories
can play out are innumerable.

4.2.1. Weakening through Illness
Among the more innocuous realisations of this genre are stories that describe one of
the members of the One True Pairing as being sick. Commonly, this involves one
character suffering from an illness that is not actually life threatening – preferably a
cold, or the flu –, and the other character taking care of them. Unlike the heroines of

75
other fandoms, who are hardly ever put into the position of the suffering party
because it makes readers feel uncomfortable,135 the female protagonists of BtVS and
VM fan fiction are not immune to suffering. Thus, it is not surprising that many
authors should choose to present Veronica and Buffy in the weak position of the sickpatient.

In fact, the heroine’s illness presents an easy way to induce a change of the character.
Illness weakens the heroine, thus, temporarily eliminates the offending Otherness
produced by her extreme toughness. At the same time, it gives the hero theopportunity to show his nurturing and caring side, without being punished for it by
the heroine. The weakness of the heroine, and her resulting need of protection andattention, enables the hero to act out the typical male role of the protector. Therefore,
the stereotypical male-female gender roles are temporarily restored. Even though thissituation is not permanent (the heroine’s toughness returns as soon as she recovers),
it still lasts long enough for the female protagonist to see her male counterpart in a
new light. She has to acknowledge that he is worthy of her trust and affection. In
turn, the hero can prove to her – and himself – that he is able to take care of her, andto keep her safe when she is too weak to look after herself. His behaviour towards theheroine shows her, as well as the reader, that he is truly in love with her. Commonly,
it is suggested that all his negative features are by far outweighed by the genuine
affection he has exhibited towards her.

The LoVe story “The Benefits of Being Lost”, and the Spuffy story “Fevered” both
deal with the illness of the heroine and, thus, help to illustrate the abovementioned
features of this variety of weakening.

When analysing television based fan fiction it is important to look at the canonicaltime frame in which a story is set. While AU stories that place the characters in an
entirely different environment naturally exist independently from canonical events,
the canonical background is of major importance for fan fictions that are based on
the actual events of the show. For stories that deal with a special ship – in this case
LoVe and Spuffy – the canonical timeframe is particularly important, as it determines
the relationship of the two main characters. In many cases, authors include an
135

Cf. Pugh, 81.

76
explicit statement as to the timeframe in which their story is set, in the preface. Thisis a short synopsis that provides the basic features of the story. It usually includes
information about author, genre, ship, word count, important publishing dates, andrating of a story, as well as a short summary of the content and a disclaimer. (Fig.5,
Fig.6) 136“The Benefits of Being Lost” by Madame Librarian contains 13623 words and wasposted in February 2006 at LiveJournal. It does not provide an explicit mention of
the timeframe in which it is set. However, clues from the text indicate that it takes
place in the middle of season two of Veronica Mars. Accordingly, Veronica andLogan entertain a shaky friendship after Veronica has broken up with him.
Furthermore, Logan, who is being accused of murder, has returned to behaving likethe “psychotic jackass” of season one, which includes having affairs with various
women. In this situation “The Benefits of Being Lost” is set.

The summary provided in the preface already hints at the basic content of the story:“Long ago, Logan swore he would never again come to the rescue of one Veronica
Mars. He was wrong.” (Madam Librarian, Summary) This suggests that Veronica isin trouble and needs Logan’s help. However, the nature of Veronica’s dilemma is not
at all clear. Schooled members of Veronica Mars fandom will possibly infer from thetypical storylines of the series that the heroine’s troubles are related to one of hercases, and that she needs Logan to rescue her from a dangerous situation. This trainof thought is further encouraged in the first paragraphs of the story. Logan, who has
noticed Veronica’s prolonged absence from school, fears that she has gotten herself
into trouble while investigating one of her cases:
Concern for Veronica had grown from curiosity to near-panic as he began to
imagine all of the precarious situations she could have managed to get herself
ensnared in. No one was pesky like Veronica Mars, and most of the criminal
element around town knew it, too. What if her dad was out of town and didn't
realize she was in trouble? […] She hadn't returned the two phone calls he hadalready made to her between his first and second period classes, and the worry
that had crept into his quiet heart was starting to gnaw. (Madame Librarian,“The Benefits of Being Lost”)

136

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate examples of such prefaces in two of the main BtVS and VM archives: The
Spuffy Realm and LiveJournal.

77
The first impression of Veronica being in imminent danger is strengthened by thefact that the first part of the story is told exclusively from Logan’s point of view.
Veronica is completely absent. As Logan serves as the focaliser, the reader is only
provided with his restricted knowledge. Because of that, the audience is enquired toshare Logan’s belief that Veronica may be in serious trouble. The mystery of
Veronica’s whereabouts is solved, when Logan comes to her apartment and realisesthat his assessment of the situation was only partially correct. Veronica is certainly inneed of help, but not because she is in trouble with the criminal elements of Neptune,
but because she is seriously ill:
Veronica coughed raggedly, and Logan was by her side in two long strides.
[…] “Logan?” she murmured, her eyes fluttering open. The normally-azure
orbs were a dark indigo, her features twisted in pain. “Veronica, what's
wrong?” Logan leaned over her, wrapping his right arm around her hip, his left
hand came up to stroke her cheek, her brow. Her face was burning hot, she wasfeverish. Her hand grasped his at her waist, her skin was clammy. “You're
sick,” he declared needlessly. Veronica nodded miserably, and coughed. Logan
moved his arm as if to brace her, to help her into a sitting position, but she
stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Don't. It hurts to move. It hurts so bad,”
she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. “Why didn't you call me?” Logan
whispered, brushing sweat-dampened locks of hair from her eyes. It was thenhe noticed that she was beginning to smell, like stale perspiration and saliva.
He pressed his lips to her forehead, determined that she was well above ahealthy temperature. He needed to get her to a doctor. She licked dry, cracked
lips, her voice thready. “Can't.... My dad's out of town.... Can't...” “You could
have called me,” Logan repeated, still touching her face gently, unable to break
the tenuous truce, the fleeting contact. “Can't do anything about it,” Veronica
huffed, wincing in pain. “I'm going to call for our family doctor,” Loganpromised, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. Veronica clutched his
wrist futilely. “We...can't afford it,” she whispered, the heat of shame coloringher cheeks. Logan smiled, bent his forehead to hers, pressing down on hers
lightly, sweetly. “This one is on me,” he murmured.
(Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being Lost”)
Thus, the basic outline of the story is established. Veronica is too ill to take care ofherself, but is too proud to ask for help. Logan, who – despite their issues –obviously still feels deeply for his former girlfriend, is determined to look after her.
However, he is well aware that she only lets him take care of her because she is too
weak to stop him, and that she most probably will not appreciate his efforts once she
feels better:

This was much worse than he had initially thought. Not only was she hacking
up blood, but poor, proud Veronica Mars was willing to let him pay for78
something. Though she'd probably accuse him later of being overly dramatic,
Logan decided to forgo the physician and take her straight to the hospital.
(Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being Lost”)
The fact that the hero acts totally unselfishly and does not entertain a hidden agenda
is vital for the further development of the story and its characters. Only when his
actions are totally selfless, can they fulfil one of the main criteria of the ideal
romance: the heroine – as well as the reader – has to be convinced that he does not
only want her for sex, but respects her as a person. 137 Thus, it is not enough for the
male protagonist to prove that he possesses an innately tender and loving side and is,therefore, capable of caring for the heroine. It is as important for him to demonstratethat he does not only use his nurturing skills to lure her into his bed.

The same basic scenario of the heroine, who is too sick to take care of herself, butdoes only allow the hero’s selfless attentions because she is too weak to reject his
help, can also be found in the Spuffy fan fiction “Fevered”. The story by kantayra
was posted in November 2006 at the Spuffy archive Elysian Fields. It contains 18709
words. The preface explicitly states that the story is set “in a somewhat happier earlyS6”. (kantayra, Summary) Members of the fandom can immediately deduce that thisstory takes place at a time, when the newly resurrected Buffy, who struggles to deal
with the loss of the perfect happiness she has experienced in heaven, turns more andmore to Spike. At that time, Spike is already deeply in love with her and tries to
comfort her. Although, this story presents a more comedic approach to the topic of
illness than “The Benefits of Being Lost”, the main features are remarkably similar
to those of the other story.

The whole story is almost entirely told from Spike’s viewpoint. Only short sections
provide the reader with the point of view of other characters. For the largest part,however, the reader has to rely on the hero’s biased perception. Similar to the LoVefan fiction, this story starts with a wrong assumption concerning the reasons for theheroine’s absence. Buffy has not shown up to patrol the cemeteries of Sunnydale,
although she has asked Spike to accompany her the day before. The vampire, who
has secretly hoped that this was meant as a date and not as a mere working
arrangement, feels hurt because he believes that he has been stood up:
137

Cf. Radway, 133.

79[W]as it so crazy for a bloke to think that maybe he had a chance after all? Thatmaybe tonight had been a date in more than just his own mind? And theanswer, of course, was yes. He should’ve learned his lesson by now, known
that nothing she said or did with him would ever mean anything more than that
she begrudgingly tolerated his presence. It was the most he had any right tohope for, really. But still… Did she have to stand him up? (kantayra, Chapter1)
Spike’s interpretation is actually quite comprehensible considering the canonicalpreconditions. Therefore, readers who are familiar with the nature of the canonicallyestablished relationship between Buffy and Spike will easily accept his assessment of
the situation. Relying on the first paragraphs, it is quite feasible to assume that –based on the canonical situation – this story presents a take on Spike’s unrequited
love for Buffy, and his attempts to make her see him as more than just a friend.
However, the plot takes a sudden turn when Spike enters Buffy’s home and finds theentire household anxious and distressed. The hero suddenly finds himself in an
utterly chaotic situation he cannot really make sense of. Moreover, Buffy remains
absent. The reason for all the agitation is finally revealed to him by Buffy’s sister
Dawn:“Bit,” he repeated with a falsely sweet smile, “what on earth is—?” Not for the
first time that evening, he was cut off. But this time he finally got his answer:“Disaster.” She gulped, looking terrified. “Buffy,” her voice dropped to a low
whimper, so that she practically squeaked out the words, “has the flu…” […]Now, Spike hadn’t realized the gravity of Dawn’s statement when she said it.
Yeah, he had dim recollections from his human days about being ill. Mostly
what he remembered was his mother’s coughing and the like. Now, that had
been serious, nothing like a little bout of flu. And, the way Dawn talked about
being sick most of the time, his more recent impressions had been that themodern flu consisted of staying home from school and enjoying yourself infront of the telly. (kantayra, Chapter1)
Spike is immediately recruited to take care of the patient and the “gravity of Dawn’s
statement” becomes clear to him as soon as he enters the heroine’s bedroom:“Spike?” The voice was quiet, subdued, and uncharacteristically meek.
“Slayer?” Head cocked to one side, he approached the bed. “Christ, you lookawful…” She coughed. “Should’ve known you’d have no bedside manner,”she grumbled sleepily, propping herself up on the pillows. “Is that soup?” “Uh,yeah.” He handed over the tray. “And orange juice, and… You all right?” He
knew his initial reaction had been a bit too blunt, but he hadn’t been able tohide his surprise. After all, he’d seen this girl through the best and worst of
everything. […] But never had he seen her like this, with that spark that was so

80
uniquely Buffy gone from her eyes. A few germs were all it took to bring down
the best warrior he’d ever seen. Hard to wrap his mind around that concept.
(kantayra, Chapter1)
Like Logan in “The Benefits of Being Lost”, Spike immediately feels compelled totake care of the sick heroine, although he knows that she only lets him help because
she is too weak to stop him: “This was probably the only chance he’d get while she
was all soft and needy”. (kantayra, Chapter 3) However, readers familiar with Spuffy
fandom are aware that Spike’s assessment of the situation is again wrong. Although
they are only presented with Spike’s narrow perspective, the knowledge of Spuffy
fans is much broader than that of the character who acts as the main focaliser. Basedon their knowledge of the basic conventions of Spuffy fiction, readers can look at thewhole situation from a different perspective. Thus, despite Spike’s subjective
interpretation, fans can infer that Buffy is not ignorant of what Spike is doing for her,and is actually quite touched by his tender and caring behaviour. The knowledge ofthe common conventions of Spuffy fandom tells well-informed readers that Spike’s
situation is far from hopeless, and that his selfless and caring actions will eventuallylead the heroine to reveal her growing feelings for him. This occurrence relates to
Janice Radway’s concept of the double perspective. As already established, it allows
the reader to experience both perspectives: “She can identify with the heroine’s pointof view and therefore with her anger and fear. […] On the other hand, she can rely on
the greater knowledge accorded to her by the narration[.]” (Radway, 140/141) In thiscase readers identify with the viewpoint of the hero, but the basic concept remains
the same.

Thus, experienced readers of Spuffy and/or LoVe fiction know that the hero’s actions
will eventually have the desired effect of uniting the two members of the O.T.P. in alove relationship, despite the protagonist’s assumptions to the contrary. Nevertheless,they also know that the hero has to further prove himself, in order to make theheroine realise that she harbours feelings for him and, more importantly, to make hertrust him enough to reveal these feelings to him. Thus, it is not enough that the herotakes care of the heroine when she needs him. It is necessary to convince her that hedeserves her trust and affection.

81
This becomes apparent in “The Benefits of Being Lost” when a change of focaliser
provides the reader with Veronica’s point of view. While Logan’s viewpoint led thereaders through the first part of the story, they are now granted a look at the sickheroine’s thoughts. It immediately becomes clear that his selfless actions alone are
not enough to sway her negative attitude towards him:
Logan had stayed. He had come, he had taken her to the hospital, and he hadbrought her home again. And now he'd stayed. Suddenly exhausted, she lay
back on her pillow, unable to muster the energy even to kick him out of herapartment. He was quiet. He wasn't bothering her. Backup wasn't ready to tearout his throat. He could stay. (Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being
Lost”)
The first reaction of the heroine seems to confirm the hero’s assumption that she
does not really appreciate his efforts. However, it soon becomes clear that his actions
do indeed manage to penetrate her weakened defences:
A calm peace stole over her heart at that moment, like moonlight on a meadow.
She couldn't believe Logan would stay, would play Florence Nightingale toher, pander to her. She knew she should hate him, she should want him toleave... but she just didn't have the energy to reject him. (Madame Librarian,“The Benefits of Being Lost”)
His astonishing behaviour combined with her weak disposition slowly initiate achange in the heroine’s attitude towards the male protagonist. She is not only
thankful for his help, but slowly begins to realise that, even if she was strong enoughto reject him, she really does not want him to leave. Thus, she enjoys his company
and slowly begins to understand that he does not have ulterior motives, but is there
for her because he genuinely cares for her. Still, it takes one more major sacrifice on
the hero’s part to finally win the heroine’s complete trust: he has to withstand sexual
temptation when he is confronted with it. Only when the male protagonist does notgive in to his sexual desires for the heroine – even in a situation where he ispresented with a perfect chance to act them out – can the heroine be sure that he is
not just in lust, but actually in love with her. “The Benefits of Being Lost” provides
Logan with this chance to prove his sincerity, when Veronica is too weak to get outof the tub alone:His arm reached around the jamb blindly, feeling for the plush terrycloth. He
pulled the robe off it's hook, and pushed the bathroom door open. “Alright, I'm
going to hold it in front of me like so.” He held up the cloth like a banner,completely obscuring her from view. […] “Okay,” I'm just going to ...close my82eyes, and reach down and put my hands underneath your arms. Logan tucked
the robe under one arm as he squeezed his eyes closed tightly. He reached out
fumbling hands, and Veronica enveloped them into her own. She brought themdown underneath her arms, his fingers just barely brushing her left breast,
accidentally, as she did so. “Sorry!” Logan bleated, nervously, and Veronica
couldn't help but grin. If anything, he was more worried about this encounter
than she was. (Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being Lost”)
The way he tries to ensure that she does not feel embarrassed in this awkward
situation and the fact that “he is more worried about this encounter than she was”,
proves to Veronica that his motives for helping her are not sexually motivated.
However, it is not acceptable for the hero to be too withdrawn, as that might lead theheroine to think that he simply does not find her sexually attractive. Accordingly,
Veronica has to learn that it takes great efforts for Logan to keep up his gentlemanly
behaviour and to fight the immense attraction he feels for her: “Veronica looked up
to his face, and found his eyes were now open, and locked on her. The fire in his eyesburned straight through to her belly, a low flame rocking slowly in the depths of her
abdomen. He still wanted her…”. (Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being Lost”)
The heroine does no longer have to fear that she might only be seen as a sexual
object. On the contrary, the hero’s actions have shown her that she is not only desired
but also loved. Janice Radway suggests that it is essential for the ideal romance thatthe heroine’s fears are “banished effectively by the hero because he is finallyportrayed as excited by the heroine’s sexuality and respectful of her identity as anindividual.” (Radway, 133)

As soon as the heroine’s doubts and fears are eliminated, she can finally give in to
her feelings for him and act upon them. She can not only allow possible advances ofthe male protagonist, but can also initiate them herself. Correspondingly, once
Veronica feels secure enough with Logan to acknowledge the strong feelings she
harbours for him, she does not hesitate to act accordingly:

She set up and urged him up onto the couch next to her, pushing him back into
the cushions as he sat down next to her.
“Veronica,” Logan sounded broken, and a little lost. “I don’t want to hurt you.”“You’re not,” she insisted. “I’m fine. Practically perfect.”
Logan appraised her with ravenous eyes. “That you are,” he agreed, husky.
Veronica blushed. She has merely meant she felt practically perfect, but what
did it matter now that Logan was staring at her like that, licking his bottom lip
nervously, his breathing a little more choppy?

83
She leaned forward and slanted her mouth over his as she bobbed upwards inher seat on his lap, brushing against his erection as she came down again. “Ilove you,” she whispered into his ear, holding him as close as she could
without crushing him, holding him desperately. “You could never hurt me…
[“] (Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being Lost”)
Thus, it is the heroine who eventually initiates the sexual encounter. This marks not
only the climax of the story, but ultimately also the beginning of the romantic
relationship between the protagonists.

Again, the situation is similar in the Spuffy story “Fevered”. Like Logan, Spike has toprove that he is not only sexually interested in Buffy, but also respects her as aperson. He does so, when Buffy accidentally finds out that he is aroused whileslumbering against him on the couch. His guilt drives him to risk his life by leaving
the house in broad daylight, so that she is not longer subjected to what he considers
to be an inappropriate reaction towards her. The fact that he is more concerned about
her feelings than about his own needs, lets Buffy realise that he is worthy of her trustand her love. Like Veronica, she then makes the first step and declares her feelings
for him:
He frowned. She’d somehow moved closer to him in the course of their little
conversation, that and her body language seemed to indicate that she wasflirting with him. He was usually spot on about noticing these things. With
Buffy, though, he seemed doomed to be endlessly second-guessing himself.
“Are you…flirting with me?” he finally came straight out and asked it. Afterall, he’d never been good with subtlety. Her face turned bright red. “Sort of…”
“Sort of?” “OK, yes!” she exclaimed, eyes flashing angrily from having to
make that admission. “Is there anything so wrong with that? You’re cute andfunny and sweet when you want to be, and I know you like me so… Why not?”He cocked his head to one side and looked her up and down hungrily. “Whynot, indeed…” (kantayra, Chapter 4)
In both cases the heroine calls the shots. The hero has to win her trust and approval
to make a romantic relationship possible, and it is she who ultimately initiates said
relationship. Although the beginning of each story shows the male hero to be mad at
the heroine, in both cases their attitude changes abruptly, triggered by the knowledge
that she is weak and in need of help. Without preamble they abandon their toughbehaviour to reveal their innately caring nature. In contrast to that, the change of bothheroines is gradual. Their weakened defences, together with the heroes` efforts, letthem slowly change their attitude towards the male protagonists, which ultimately

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leads to a change of the characters themselves. Their toughness, while still there, issomewhat toned down by their newly discovered knowledge that they don’t have to
be strong all the time, because they now have a partner to rely on. Only when thisgradual change is completed, can a romantic relationship commence. Consequently,
the heroine’s change is vital for the success of the romantic relationship. Thissuggests that it is her Otherness as a tough action heroine in particular that is gettingin the way of a romantic relationship between the O.T.P.

It is important to note that the toughness of the female characters is only reduced to adegree where it does no longer stand in the way of a romantic liaison. Consequently,
the basic situation between the male and the female protagonist remains the same:the heroine plays the active role of the aggressor who decides the pace of theinteraction, while the hero remains the passive party who caters to his partner’s
needs.

4.2.2. Injuring Toughness
The negative effects of her offending Otherness caused by her status as a toughaction heroine are specifically emphasised by another type of Spuffy and LoVe h/cfiction. The plot of the stories that are part of this special category follows theconventions of the hurt/comfort genre, showing the hero to be severely physicallyinjured and in need of the heroine’s help. What makes this particular brand of h/c fan
fictions special is the fact that the male protagonist’s injuries are shown to beinflicted by the heroine. This fact stresses the unsuitability of her extreme toughness
by suggesting that it does not just stand in the way of a happy ending, but is actually
dangerous for herself, and those around her. The BtVS story “Crippled”, and the VM
story “A Feather’s Weight”, together with the sequel “Technicolor”, all belong tothis special brand of hurt/comfort fiction.

The story “Crippled” by Enchantress contains 25293 words, and was publishedbetween April and May 2005 at The Spuffy Realm. It is “[s]et during Season 6
sometime after Dead Things”. (Enchantress, Summary), which means it is set at atime, when Buffy tries to overcome her desperation over having to leave heaven by
maintaining a violent sexual relationship with Spike. The first chapter provides adetailed description of the fight that leaves Spike crippled. Buffy serves as the main

85
focaliser. Only occasionally are the readers granted glimpses of the viewpoint of
Spike or other characters. Accordingly, the events that cause Spike’s injuries are also
narrated from the heroine’s perspective.

The story starts with Buffy, who can no longer contain her anger over the fact that
she has been ripped out of heaven and resurrected by her friends. In a cemetery shemeets Spike and takes her frustrations out on him in a brutal one-sided fight. His love
for the slayer prevents Spike from fighting back; a fact that Buffy in her blindingrage does not realise: “He screams but she doesn't care. He cries but she doesn't hear.
All that matters is what she's feeling.” (Enchantress, Chapter1) Although, the author
describes the heroine’s brutal and merciless attack on Spike vividly and quite
thoroughly, she emphasises that Buffy is not actually aware of what she is doing.
From the very beginning, the reader is encouraged to understand that she does notpick a fight with him because she wants to harm him. In fact, she does not want toharm him at all. It is made very clear that she only attacks him because she does notknow how to deal with her situation otherwise. Thus, her actions are partiallyexcused by the author by presenting them as a desperate attempt of the heroine tocope with her situation. The assumption that the female protagonist does not want tohurt the hero intentionally, and is not even actively aware that she is doing so, isessential for the whole story. To some extent, it enables the author to alleviate theheroine’s blame by arguing that she cannot be held entirely responsible for her
actions as she was not sane at the time. Indeed, Buffy only realises the state Spike isin when it is already too late:[H]er anger turns to passion, and this isn't a battle anymore, it's a dance. He's
brought her to life. […]And it's then she realizes.. he isn't dancing. He's buried
beneath a pile of burning rubble, soft moans coming from him. She races
forward and tears it all away frantically, crying his name in a panic. "Spike?
Spike?" She stares down at him. He's bruised, battered, bloodied. Tears andblood and sweat run down his face in floods of pain and he lifts one hand
weakly, reaching out to her in desperation. "Buffy.." He croaks in agony, hisbody sagging with the weight of the pain she’s caused him. “God, Buffy..”"Yeah." She suddenly notices his legs. They're crushed, burnt, and deformed.
They're barely even legs. She stares at them in horror and feels absolutely ill.
And then he says something that will change everything. "I can't feel them.. I
can't feel my legs.." He sobs, glaring at her loathingly, wailing, "You've
crippled me. You've fucking crippled me." (Enchantress, Chapter1)

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The fight has managed to alleviate her anger and frustration. Only after she isrelieved of this burden, and manages to think clearly again, does she comprehend
what she has done. Her reaction to this revelation serves to further reinforce theassumption that she never intentionally wanted to hurt Spike. She is horrified withherself and her actions and immediately sets out to help him. The rest of the story
deals with her attempts to help him - and herself - to cope with the repercussions ofher actions. The damage done is not only physical, but also emotional. Thus, it is notenough for her to nurse him back to health. She also has to prove to him that she isstill worthy of his love. Furthermore, she has to deal with her own guilt over thewhole situation. Therefore, it becomes apparent that in order to repair the damages
done, the heroine does not only have to convince him to forgive her, but also herself.

Although, the hero’s injuries are not actively inflicted by the heroine herself, thebasic situation in the LoVe stories “A Feather’s Weight” and “Technicolor” is very
similar to that of “Crippled”. Utsusemia’s story “A Feather’s Weight” was publishedin June 2006 at LiveJournal, the sequel “Technicolor” was published in September ofthe same year at the same archive. The first story contains roughly 8500 words. The
sequel is slightly shorter and contains approximately 6900 words. The plot is set in
the middle of season two. Accordingly, the contact between Logan and Veronica isvery strained, resembling the barely civil relationship they entertained in early season
one. Both have to face serious problems with the criminal and highly dangerous
Fitzpatrick clan, whose members are not only prime suspects in one of Veronica’s
cases, but also play a key role in Logan’s murder case.

An indiscretion on Veronica’s part marks the beginning of “A Feather’s Weight”.
The story, which features Veronica and Logan as the main focalisers, starts out fromthe heroine’s point of view. Veronica relates Logan’s whereabouts to a member of
the Fitzpatrick clan, even though she knows that she puts him in serious danger.
However, she decides that “beating the shit out of him” is “[a]lmost always a fineidea in her book—these days”. (Utsusemia, “A Feather’s Weight”) A change infocaliser grants the reader a first glimpse at the consequences of Veronica’s decision.
Logan, who is at a cemetery visiting his mother’s grave, gets attacked andoverwhelmed by aggressors unknown to him: “He doesn’t hear them come up behindhim. Not, he thinks as his nose crunches and the familiar taste of blood fills his

87mouth, as though it would have made any difference.” (Utsusemia, “A Feather’s
Weight”) The parallels to the BtVS story are striking. Both protagonists are attacked
at a cemetery and do not have much of a chance to fight back: Spike, because his
love for Buffy forbids him to; Logan, because the surprise attack makes it impossible
for him to really defend himself. In both cases, the heroine is responsible for the
hero’s situation. It has already been mentioned before that Veronica’s hero status –unlike Buffy’s – is not defined by physical toughness, but by her extraordinary wit
and talent for logical deduction, typical for the hard-boiled detective.
Correspondingly, she does not physically hurt Logan herself, but causes his injuries
by purposefully disclosing important information about him to people who want toharm him. Thus, she can be held as accountable for Logan’s situation, as Buffy for
Spike’s. However, the same tactics as in “Crippled” are also employed here to relieve
the heroine from part of the blame:

Somewhere on the walk between Chemistry and English, Veronica realizes
what she’s done. It’s a little weird, actually, as though she’s spent the last threehours in a vengeful haze that only now has rationality managed to conquer. It’s
his locker that does it. She looks there almost automatically, expecting to see
him leaning against it, smiling that tight, almost hopeful, smile. Tilting hishead and bantering with her in that absurdly sexy sotto voice that always
makes her knees shake. And she realizes why he’s not there. Because theFitzpatricks are going to kill him. Not fake death. Not imagined, “Logan, how
the fuck could you!” death, but actual cessation of vital functions. The
irreversible eradication of that smile and that head tilt from the face of the
goddamn planet. […] What was she thinking? That they were just going torough him up a bit and turn Logan on his merry way? They are fucking killers.
She knew that. (Utsusemia, “A Feather’s Weight”)
Again, it is suggested that the heroine cannot be held fully accountable for her
actions. Although, Veronica on some level knew about the consequences, the“vengeful haze” she was in prevented her from grasping the graveness of thesituation. How serious the situation really is, becomes clear when the narration once
again picks up the male protagonist’s perspective. Logan finds himself in the back ofa truck. The hazardousness of the situation is stressed by the drastic description of
the state he is in:

From the way his side feels right now, he imagines they’ve probably broken atleast eight. His face, judging from the amount of blood he’s still trickling onto
the rusty truck bed, is a mess. His right arm...well, he doesn’t really want tothink about it. He’s sort of scared that anything can hurt that much and still

88
leave him conscious. He remembers the crunch when Liam’s steel toed bootconnected with his elbow. That was bad. When he kicked him again, in theexact same place? That was much, much worse. (Utsusemia, “A Feather’s
Weight”)
Logan’s attackers intend to kill him. Veronica, who has regained her senses, knows
that, and sets out to help him before it is too late. Barely able to stop the Fitzpatricks
in time, she finds Logan dumped in the woods and brings him to a hospital. Like the
BtVS fiction, the rest of the plot describes the consequences of Veronica’s mistake,and how the two protagonists deal with them. However, the focus of “A Feather’s
Weight” is slightly different from that of “Crippled”. The author of the latter story
concentrates on the depiction of Buffy’s attempts to take care of Spike, and to get
him – and herself – to forgive her. In contrast to that, Logan, unlike Spike, does notknow that the heroine is responsible for his injuries. He only learns of Veronica’s
involvement at the end of “A Feather’s Weight”. Because of that, the main focus of
the first story lies on how Veronica deals with the repercussions of her behaviour.
Much more than “Crippled”, “A Feather’s Weight” stresses the heroine’s guilt andself loathing, and her inability to deal with these feelings. Her betrayal sends her into
a serious identity crisis: “How do you dissect a betrayal? A casual word, a momentof anger and every good thing she’s ever believed about herself is proven as facile asa politician’s lies. There is no excuse for her, no justification.” (Utsusemia, “A
Feather’s Weight”) The fact that she cannot seem to get over what she has done also
plays a prominent role in the sequel “Technicolor”.

In contrast to that, the heroine’s situation in “Crippled” is noticeably different.
Although, Buffy is also shown to feel guilty over what she has done to Spike, themain focus lies on the way she tries to make it up to him. Veronica is too overcome
with shame to actively try to regain Logan’s trust and devotion. Buffy, on the other
hand, deals with her guilt by doing exactly that. Thus, the situation in “Crippled”
forces the two protagonists closer together, whereas the same situation causes themembers of the O.T.P. in “A Feather’s Weight” and “Technicolor” to drift further
apart. To grasp the reason behind these contradictory developments, one has to take acloser look at the nature of the damage done to the heroes. It becomes apparent that
the LoVe fictions put the stress on the emotional injuries inflicted by the heroine’s
behaviour. Although, Logan’s injuries are so severe that he has to suffer the

89consequences even weeks after the initial attack, it is the knowledge of Veronica’s
betrayal that truly bothers him:

He's thought a lot--too much--about how she felt, what she did, those threehours before she decided to save him. Did she think of him at all? Did her guilt
build slowly or drown her like a tidal wave? When did she realize she had left
him to die? Even if he had the chance to ask her (even if she would answer), he
isn't sure he wants to know. He's afraid the truth is worse than anything hecould imagine. It's hard enough loving someone who tried to kill you. It might
be worse knowing how long it took her to decide it was a bad idea.
(Utsusemia, “Technicolor”)
The outcomes of her betrayal become secondary to the question how she could
possibly commit the betrayal in the first place. The fact that he still loves her, eventhough she has nearly killed him, makes it even harder for him to deal with the wholesituation. Thus, the emotional damage by far outweighs the physical damage inflictedon the hero.

This stands in stark contrast to the hero’s situation in “Crippled”. Contrary to Logan,
who is injured but not helpless in a way that would make it necessary for him to relyon another’s help, Spike’s injuries have rendered him literally crippled. Buffy’s
attack has left him immobilised, unable to use his feet. As no one else is willing tohelp the vulnerable vampire, he is forced to depend on the person who inflicted his
injuries: Buffy. And the vampire slayer does everything in her might to make it ascomfortable for him as possible and to nurse him back to health. However, hersudden change in behaviour, and the overly affectionate way she suddenly treats him,
does not have the desired effect. Instead of encouraging his forgiveness, herbehaviour causes resentment.

"Buffy, stop it!" Spike snapped finally, glaring at her. "I fucking hate this. You
pitying me. Just stop it. I don't need your help, okay? So just leave me the hellalone." "You do need my help." Buffy insisted in a tiny voice, shrinking awayfrom him as he retored [sic!] bitterly, "Yeah, well whose fault is that?" Spikeglowered up at her. "Just leave me alone." Stung, she moved towards the stairs
and slunk up them shamefully, peeking back at him with tears in her eyes. "I'llcome see you later." "What, and break my arms to render me completely
fucked up?" Spike snarled, glaring at her, the fury in his eyes matching that ofwhich she'd seen in Dawn's earlier. (Enchantress, Chapter3)

90However, it becomes clear very soon that he is not angry at her because she is
responsible for his injuries, but because he believes that her newfound feelings forhim are caused by pity and guilt, rather than genuine affection: “[E]verything she
supposedly feels for me is utter bollocks.” He replied bluntly. “Come on, it didn’t
start until she did this to me. It’s pity is all..and it all seems completely fake.”(Enchantress, Chapter 6) Thus, it is not enough for Buffy to change her behaviour
towards him. Because the way she previously treated him was marked solely byanger and violence, the hero believes the sudden change of her behaviour to beinsincere and fickle. Therefore, it is not enough for Buffy to allow herself to reveal
her hidden affection, but she has to prove to him that this affection is genuine.

Hence, the positions are reversed. Now the heroine has to prove to the vulnerable
hero that she is capable of truly loving him. But while the male protagonists had toprove that their emotions were not just based on sexual interest by taking care of theheroine without following ulterior motives, this does not work the other way around.
Both female protagonists try to win back the heroes` love by making use of theirsexuality. Accordingly, Buffy tries to gain Spike’s forgiveness by seducing him:

"Lemme make it up to you then." Buffy said in a hushed voice as she moved
on top of him and kissed him passionately, her arm snaking around him to pull
him closer. Her other hand wriggled underneath her top and stroked his abs,
her nails scraping over the hard surface. She heard Spike groan and familiar
rushes of lust hit her hard and Buffy deepened the kiss, her hand slipping down
to his thigh. "Wait." Spike interrupted, a small frown on his face. "I think weshould take this slow." "I don't wanna." Buffy whispered and slipped her
fingers under the waistband of his jeans. Spike took her hand away and pressed
soft kisses to her fingertips. "I don't just think we should take this slow.. I needthat right now." "Okay, baby." She murmered and went to kiss him again but
he stopped her. (Enchantress, Chapter 5)
Buffy uses sex to soften Spike’s resentment towards her, not knowing that her
behaviour intensifies his anger even further. Because his rage is only partially causedby the fact that she has crippled him, and mostly by the fact that he believes that her
feelings are insincere, her sexual advances make their situation even worse.

Also Veronica uses sex to her advantage. However, in contrast to Buffy, she does notuse it to make Logan feel better and to get him to forgive her, but to alleviate her
own feelings of guilt.

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And then she’s kissing him, twining her hand in the back of his head andsliding her tongue along his like she might die without him, or drown becauseof him. He’s surprised, she can tell, but he doesn’t stop it. Maybe he’s just as
helpless. Frantically, she tosses the cane to the back seat and then crawls overthe median to straddle him. He groans--her weight must be hurting him--but hestares at her with such matching desire all thoughts of stopping flee her head.
[…] “What are you doing?” His voice is slurry with pain and desire, and she
doesn’t want to know how much of each. “I thought it was obvious.”“Veronica...we can’t. Not now.” “What, you’re afraid of people seeing us?”“You know that’s not it.” […] “Am I hurting you?” “Yes.” “Is that why you
want me to stop?” He grimaces. “No. Veronica, I don’t know why you’re doing
this, but it’s nothing good. (Utsusemia, A Feather’s Weight”)
Veronica wants to have sex, even though she knows it is physically and emotionallyhurting him. Thus, it becomes clear that this is not about him in any way, but about
what she wants and needs. Her sexual desire turns into another transgression, andsimilar to the situation in the BtVS fiction, it causes more resentment and pain. In
relation to Radway’s concept of the ideal romance, the aggressive sexuality of thefemale protagonists unquestionably violates the characteristics of the ideal heroine.
She is pure and innocent, unaware of her own sexuality. The role of the sexual
aggressor is solely reserved for the ideal hero, whose sexual advances awaken theheroine’s sensual nature. 138 Thus, the aggressive behaviour of Buffy and Veronica
presents a definite breach of the ideal romance’s etiquette. In this respect, thenegative outcomes of their advances are not at all surprising.

It is important to note that, although, both heroes resent the way the heroines
supposedly toy with their feelings, the depth of their own feelings remains
unquestioned and unchanged. For both Logan and Spike it is indisputably clear thatthey love the female protagonist despite all her wrongdoings. Their problem is not tolove, but to forgive. This difference between love and forgiveness is very importantin all three stories.

"Do you still love me?" She flinched as he frowned down at her and pulledaway. "It's okay if you don't. After what I did to you, feelings of love aren't
exactly gonna be happening easily, I know. It's just.. I want you to know, if you
don't.. that's alright." "I still love you." He said softly, pulling her back into hisarms. "I still love you more than anything else in the world." "But look at you."
Buffy said sadly. "Look at what I've done to you. And you said to Dawn you
138

Cf. Radway, 126.

92
haven't forgiven me yet." "I haven't, pet. Not for this." He looked away andwhispered distantly, "I don't know how to yet." (Enchantress, Chapter 5)
What stands in the way of a happy ending for the One True Pairing is not love, but
forgiveness. Buffy and Veronica need the forgiveness of Spike and Logan
respectively, but they also need to forgive themselves. It has already been pointed outthat in these stories forgiveness is inextricably linked with the sincerity of emotions.
However, it is not enough for the female protagonists to convince their malecounterparts that they do really love them. It is as crucial that they admit this tothemselves. In both cases the heroines come to this realisation when it is almost too
late.

Buffy sobbed harder, falling to a ball on the floor, weak, aching, and utterly
filled with self-loathing.
For hurting him like she did.
For ruining things like she did.
For letting him fall out of love with her like she did.
For letting it all happen within the space of weeks when she suddenly realized
the love she bore for him could have lasted a lifetime.
(Enchantress, Chapter 6)

Similarly, Veronica has to accept that she has “loved him all along, despite fucking
everything”. (Utsusemia, A Feather’s Weight) It becomes clear that it was not hatredor antipathy that motivated their cruel behaviour towards the heroes, but love. Theirinability to admit their hidden affection, and the resulting feelings of anger, jealousy,
and frustration, caused them to lash out at the heroes. This crucial realisation leads
the heroines to break down. Whereas Buffy suffers a serious depression, Veronica’s
despair even leads her to try to commit suicide. Once again, the roles are reversed. It
is once more on the heroes to rescue and take care of the heroines. They do so by
finally granting them their forgiveness and assuring them of their love. The heroines`
obvious despair convinces the heroes that their emotions are not false, and helps
them to truly forgive the betrayal committed.

Although he is the injured party, the male protagonist ends up taking care of his
female counterpart. Thus, it seems that no matter who is injured and in need of help,
it is the main aim of Spuffy and LoVe h/c fiction to weaken the overly tough heroine
to an extent that allows her to admit her feelings for the hero. Once again, the93heroine’s Otherness seems to be the main factor that hinders possible romantic
developments. Even though she tries to take care of him, her motives for doing so aremostly selfish. It has already been shown that, as soon as the male protagonist
realises that the heroine is in need of his help, he immediately reveals his
compassionate nature and selflessly takes care of her. He has no problems toacknowledge that he acts out of love. The heroine, on the other hand, takes much
longer to admit and reveal her true affectionate feelings. Thus, although she too takes
immediate care of the injured hero, her change is still gradual. In contrast to that, thehero’s devotion to her remains unchanged. Therefore, it can be said that the main
goal of Spuffy and LoVe hurt/comfort fiction is always the same: to make the heroine
weak enough to fit into a happy heterosexual relationship.

Obviously, there are countless different ways in which Spuffy and LoVe h/c fiction
can play out. However, the examples given above serve to illustrate the main featuresof this genre in relation to BtVS and VM fan fiction rather adequately.

4.3. Overcoming Otherness I: Knowledge Enhancement
The title already suggests that this fannish character formation strategy aims toenlarge the knowledge of one or both members of the O.T.P. By doing so, the fan
writer allows their characters a better understanding of their current situation and,thus, enables them to overcome their problems more easily, or to avoid themaltogether. It has been suggested elsewhere that the more fantastic strategies ofknowledge enhancement, like prophetic dreams, apparitions, and travelling throughtime, are for the most part restricted to the BtVS universe. As the fairly realistic
setting of Veronica Mars does not really allow for such strategies, writers in thisfandom have to find other ways to broaden their characters` horizon. Commonly,
they do so by writing futurefics, meaning they expand the series timeline into the
future, where the increased maturity of the protagonists makes a happy relationshipof the One True Pairing possible.

As the enhancement of the characters` knowledge obviously takes different forms in
BtVS and VM fan fiction, it becomes apparent that this character formation strategy
can be divided into two distinct subcategories: artificial enhancement and naturalenhancement. Artificial enhancement includes the fantastic methods applied in

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Spuffy fiction that enhance the protagonists` knowledge by making use of
supernatural means. Natural enhancement, on the other hand, refers to the strategies
applied in LoVe fan fiction where the improved wisdom of the characters is the resultof a natural development. The following subchapters will take a closer look at bothvarieties of knowledge enhancement.

4.3.1. Artificial Enhancement
Generally speaking, this strategy allows the writer to change their protagonists very
quickly. By granting them information that offers them a new perspective on theirsituation, and allows them to deal with their problems more efficiently, or to avoid
them altogether, writers can change their characters` attitude and behaviour at once.
Thus, instead of putting the characters through an extensive process of slow
realisation like in hurt/comfort fiction, the same end result is achieved much quicker
by applying artificial enhancement. The supernatural setting of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer affords writers who work in this fandom with a sheer endless number of ways
to artificially enhance their characters` knowledge. As the enormous number ofpossible strategies makes it impossible to take them all into account, this study willtake a closer look at one particular method of artificial enhancement, namely theprophetic dream.

The story “Careless Memories” by Peta, which contains 32326 words, and wasposted between April 2005 and January 2006 on The Spuffy Realm, is told from both
Spike’s and Buffy’s point of view. This story will be used to illustrate this strategy.
“Careless Memories” lets Buffy experience a very powerful slayer dream 139 that puts
her into a comatose sleep for three days and shows her the events taking placethroughout the rest of the series, as well as all the events of the BtVS spin off Angel.
As this story is set at the beginning of season four, this means that Buffy acquires
detailed knowledge of everything that happens from season four to seven of Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, as well as from season one to five of Angel. Thus, all thecanonically established trials the characters have to go through could be avoided.
However, her ability to prevent these major tragedies from happening becomes139

The slayer dream is a canonical invention. These prophetic dreams do not only provide the slayer
with glimpses of future occurrences, but also enables her to get into contact with the source of her
powers in the mythical form of the first slayer.

95
virtually unimportant, as her dream has also let her experience the love she feels for
Spike at the end of season seven. The heroine, who has previously felt nothing but
hatred and revulsion for the vampire, suddenly finds herself in love with herarchenemy.

It was real. For some reason the Powers or someone had given her an intense
peek at her life so she could alter, fix her mistakes and change her reactions
and/or behaviours. She could save lives, save relationships, save herself andGod, she could consume herself with enormous potential love.
(Peta, Chapter 3)
Buffy immediately embraces her newfound feelings and decides to use her
knowledge to win Spike over. The fact that the heroine is the one who is in love andtries to charm the hero to convince him of her feelings, differentiates this story fromthose examined previously. “Careless Memories” is set at a time when Spikedesperately hates Buffy and continually tries to kill her. His superpowers are not yet
restrained by the chip, and he is not at all willing yet to admit his secret attraction to
the slayer. Thus, Buffy faces an extremely difficult situation. The entire story isconcerned with her attempts to force Spike to develop feelings he is actually meant
to experience much later in the series.

In order to achieve her goal, Buffy makes use of her enhanced knowledge. Instead ofpreventing tragic events, she anticipates them, and uses them to her advantage.
Correspondingly, she does nothing to stop the government soldiers from capturing
and experimenting on Spike. She only comes to his rescue when she can be sure thatthey have already chipped him and, thus, made it impossible for him to use his
vampiric powers against humans. Buffy knows that the chip will cause Spike painand desperation, but she accepts that fact, because she is sure that the only way tomake Spike fall in love with her is to weaken him enough to make him need her:“She was destined to be with Spike, and she knew he came to her. True, it took somemajor metalwork in his head, but things would be A-OK in the long run. And it
would be best if she began laying the groundwork right now. […] She had a vampire
to tame.” (Peta, Chapter 3) In order to be together, Spike needs to be tamed. This
assumption has already been confirmed by the source text, where his extreme
toughness and independence were shown to prevent him from considering theheroine as anything else but an equal adversary that has to be fought and conquered.

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Only when he is weak and in need of her help, does he take a closer look. His
weakened state affords him with a different perspective and lets him see the girl, andnot just the slayer. Thus, his toughness stands in the way of a romantic relationshipand has to be weakened. This corresponds to the notion that the heroine’s toughness
has to be weakened for a happy relationship to work that has been discussed inprevious chapters.

However, Buffy’s endeavour to make Spike vulnerable does not have the desired
effect. Instead of bringing them closer together it drives them even further apart,when Spike realises that Buffy purposely let him get implanted with the chip.

He couldn’t believe it. He knew the Slayer resented the fact that he was strong
and had so nearly killed her on numerous occasions. But was she so jealous she
had to render him completely unable to defend himself? After the fifth attempt
to sink his fangs into a succulent and promising neck, he’d about keeled over inblinding pain. He was in the process of looking for something sharp so hecould cut his own head off, anything to stop this mindless torture. And thencame the knowledge that he needed help, and it galled him [to] no end that he’dhave to almost crawl back to the evil troupe that called themselves White Hats.
They were more evil than he was for what they’d allowed. She could have juststaked him, given him a challenge and a death worthy of the master that hewas. Was. Hardly a master now when he couldn’t even hunt and feed himself.
Instead, she’d bloody neutered him like some troublesome dog. As Satan andAngelus was his witness, he’d find some way to snap that pretty golden neckbefore he was done, or have his head explode while trying. (Peta, Chapter 8)
The hero is disgusted with what he believes to be an unfair attempt on her side to
defeat him. Instead of seeking her out for help, his weakness heightens his hatred forher, because he knows that she is the one who caused it.

Thus, so far, Buffy’s enhanced knowledge has not improved the situation of the
O.T.P. On the contrary, it has strained the relationship of the intended romantic
couple even further. Her inability to give him the time he needs to realise his feelings
for her by himself, causes him to turn further away from her. He is puzzled by hisarchenemy’s peculiar behaviour. His inability to understand the motives for her
actions causes him to despise her even more. However, the hero’s negative reaction
to her advances does not deter Buffy. Her scheming ways peak out, when she uses
her superior knowledge to trick Spike into marrying her under the influence of aspell. Believing that a marriage would irreversibly bind Spike to her, Buffy is

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crushed when he rejects her still. She starts to question her own behaviour andeventually acknowledges that she has gone too far:She couldn’t blame him for being angry. She had to have the control overeverything, and no amount of thinking that he would eventually love her could
make her get back to believing what she’d done wasn’t pretty much what hesaid. Manipulative. Just call her Buffy the Vampire Manipulator. For the firsttime since sleeping three days away, Buffy could feel the cold hand of doomsqueezing the breath from her lungs. She’d been so arrogant, so assuming in
her unrepentant chase to have Spike be the vampire that he was going to be in
two years time. How could she be so dense? How could she be so cruel?
(Peta, Chapter 14)

Buffy eventually realises that no matter how much she knows about the future, shecannot force someone to love her. She decides to give him the time he needs to comeclean with his feelings on his own: “On a broken sob she tore the ring off her finger,at last accepting that this was something she’d had no right to push. It was beyond
hard to let go. To back off and wait for those years of development and realisation
before Spike could truly accept her. But at least she would be ready when he finallywas.” (Peta, Chapter14) At this point, it seems that the enhancement of the heroine’s
knowledge does not have the desired effect, as it does not unite the members of the
O.T.P. Nevertheless, this strategy serves a purpose, namely to prepare the heroine toaccept the love of the hero, and to make her realise in time that she loves him in
return. Thus, the groundwork for a happy relationship of the intended couple is laid.

As already mentioned, Buffy knows that she has made a mistake by trying to force
Spike to love her and fears that she may have destroyed everything they were boundto have, because she tried to rush things. However, when the narration switches to
Spike’s point of view, it becomes apparent that her attempts were successful after all.
Although, he is furious, Spike starts to rethink Buffy’s actions and realises that she
really just wanted to make him love her. Moreover, he has to acknowledge that –despite all the trouble she has put him through - he has fallen in love with her as well.
Still, he is not at all happy about it: “Bloody NO. I wasn’t ready! Couldn’t you
perverse bastards have given me the time to get to know it on my own? Now I’ve got
that over my head and a Slayer that thinks she can push me into any situation thatwill benefit her[.]” (Peta, Chapter 14) Still, he accepts that he is “[l]ove’s bitch
again” (Peta, Chapter 14) and eventually gives into his feelings for Buffy. Thus, the98final chapters of the story reveal that the applied character formation strategy does
not just lay the groundwork for a future relationship, but manages to bring theromantic protagonists together after all.

Thus, the heroine has, in fact, managed to tame the hero by turning him from a
bloodthirsty monster into a man who loves and cherishes her. This development
stands in stark contrast to Janice Radway’s concept of the romantic relationshipbetween the protagonists in the ideal romance. She proclaims that the romantic
heroine can never truly change the hero. Even though his development from aseemingly fierce and cruel man to a caring devoted lover suggests otherwise, theromantic hero does not really change, but simply reveals “traits and propensities thatare part of the hero’s most basic nature”. (Radway, p 129) Therefore, the hero does
not change his nature, but simply reveals a new side to his personality. 140 Although,the author of “Careless Memories” suggests that Spike is destined to love Buffy, shealso makes very clear that he is not in love with her at the time Buffy receives theslayer dream. Thus, Buffy does not simply reveal a softer side to him by uncovering
his hidden feelings for her, but she actually physically and mentally changes him.
She restricts his physical power by letting him get implanted with the chip and, thus,
weakens the offending Otherness caused by his status as an evil, bloodthirsty
vampire that stands in the way of a romantic relationship between them. The fact that
he falls in love with her in spite of her actions, also changes his attitude towards her.

In short, the artificial enhancement of the heroine’s knowledge leads to an abruptchange of this character. This change then triggers the gradual change of the maleprotagonist.

4.3.2. Natural Enhancement
As mentioned above, this type of knowledge enhancement is predominantly used inthe Veronica Mars fandom due to the realistic content of the series. Usually, it
involves a prolonged separation of the main protagonists, which allows them to gain
some space to view their situation from a different angle. During this lengthy
separation period both characters typically go through a lot of changes and make aneffort to abandon their destructive habits, in order to regain the control over their life.
140

Cf. Radway, 129.

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Thus, when the two characters meet again, the conditions are changed. Both aregrown up and have learned from their past mistakes. This maturity helps them to
finally acknowledge, and act upon, their mutual attraction, but it also helps them toavoid past mistakes. Thus, it can be said that Veronica and Logan meet undercircumstances that altogether favour a successful romantic relationship, because - forthe most part - previous obstacles do no longer exist.

The story “Not the Traditional Way of Things” by blue_icy_rose follows this generaloutline of natural enhancement. The comparatively short story contains 5555 words,
was published in January 2006 at LiveJournal, and is told entirely from Logan’s
point of view. The summary already hints at the content of this story: “Logan
couldn’t remember the last time a woman had stirred him up as much as Veronica
Mars did. In the thirteen years since he’d seen her, not one had even come close.”(blue_icy_rose, Summary) Thus, the general outline of the story is established:
Veronica and Logan meet again after thirteen years of separation. Logan, who nevertruly managed to get over his teenage girlfriend, has to acknowledge that time hasdone nothing to weaken his feelings for her, even though the Veronica he encounters
now has changed considerably. Instead of the streetwise teenage detective, thisVeronica is a newly divorced single mother of two, who tries to make a living as a
private investigator. Yet, she is not the only one who has changed. Also Logan is not
the same anymore: “He’d built a life for himself, one where people rarely, if ever,thought of him as “that Echolls boy” or “Aaron Echolls` kid””. (blue_icy_rose, “Not
the Traditional Way of Things”) To get away from his old life and his bad reputation,
Logan has taken on a respectable job as a realtor, has bought himself a modest house,
and gotten himself a dog to go along with it. He has exchanged his image as a richbad boy for that of an average white working man. Thus, both have given up theirmore extravagant lifestyles as girl detective and rich son of a movie star, in favour ofa fairly normal middle-class existence. Consequently, the Otherness of bothcharacters that previously made a happy relationship virtually impossible, does nolonger exist. However, while Logan seems to be perfectly content with his current
situation, Veronica is not:Her eyes stayed on the dock for a moment and he knew she wanted to ask what
had made him come here, just on the outskirts of Neptune, where he had grassin a backyard that led to the ocean and was only a mile or so from the beach.

100[…] He could tell her that he’d wanted to do something with his life rather thanjust throw his money away, that he had wanted to look at the house, the boat,
the car and know that he’d earned them. He could volunteer all that
information, tell her how he’d built the dock himself, but he didn’t. Instead hejust waited until she looked at him again and when her eyes found his, there
was a sadness there behind the Veronica Mars he remembered that punched
him in the gut. (blue_icy_rose, “Not the Traditional Way of Things”)
The newfound normality that has invigorated Logan has drained Veronica. Her
marriage to a successful lawyer, and the ensuing divorce, has damaged her selfesteem. After constantly being belittled, patronised, and eventually even physicallyabused by her husband, Veronica cannot help but question herself and hercapabilities:“Do you know the worst part? I don’t know why I let it happen. I know itsounds stupid to say that I let it all happen, but let’s face it Logan. There was atime where I didn’t take crap from anyone, where I would have fought toothand nail against someone taking away all my means of getting anywhere. And
instead, I just sat back. I didn’t fight. I wanted so desperately to be normal, tobe who I thought everyone expected me to be that I let myself be buried anddidn’t do anything about it until he hit me.[”] (blue_icy_rose, “Not theTraditional Way of Things”)
Once again, the issue of the heroine’s desperate quest for normality, that has alreadybeen discussed, becomes significant. Veronica wishes to live the normal life of awhite middle-class devoted wife and loving mother, but finds that she cannot unite
this life with her role as a tough private investigator. Thus, the heroine cannot
combine her dreams of normality with her reality of the strong action heroine. Her
attempts to lead a normal life have left her weak and insecure. In this respect, thisstory is different from those discussed before. Whereas, it was the main goal of theprevious stories to weaken the heroine, so that her overabundant toughness does notstand in the way of a romantic relationship; in this story it is the heroine’s weakness
that constrains this goal. Veronica has not only lost her belief in herself, but she has
also lost her faith in love. She has given up the hope to find happiness and security ina relationship. Instead, she concentrates all her efforts to guarantee the happiness andsecurity of her children. This lack of trust in love on her part, of course, makes it
virtually impossible for the pairing to successfully resume their relationship. Before
any attempt at a happy relationship can be made, Veronica has to believe that such athing is even possible for her. Thus, in order to convince the heroine that they have a101real chance to be happy together, Logan has to help her to regain her old selfconfidence:“Do you think that makes you weak?” Veronica shrugged. “I honestly don’t
know.” Her voice was quiet and it set Logan off. “That’s just bullshit.” Heshoved his chair back and stood, beginning to pace. “You don’t know if itmakes you weak? I’ll tell you then. No. What you did wasn’t weak. It may
have been frustrating to those who saw what was going on, but you’re not
weak. You didn’t take the easy way out, you didn’t decide to stay with him andlet it continue. You left. You got yourself and your kids out and you fought forthem. Maybe some people think you should have fought for yourself, but who
the hell cares? You fought for the two people who matter most and I’ll bedamned if I sit here and just listen to you make yourself sound like a moron
who can’t do anything.[“] […] She hesitated a moment before speaking andwhen she did, let go of the hurt that she’d been holding onto. (blue_icy_rose,“Not the Traditional Way of Things”)
With Logan’s help Veronica begins to rediscover her old self-assured and energetic
self. She slowly realises that the past bad experiences have not really made her
weaker, but stronger. She has gone through a lot and come out matured and wiser.
Moreover, in Logan she has found a man who does not want to shape her into
something she cannot be. Thus, with Logan’s help, Veronica has not only found backto her old toughness, but she has also found love: “You’ve already given me morethan I thought I’d have. You’re giving me a father for my children and a man wholoves me because…just because.” (blue_icy_rose, “Not the Traditional Way ofThings”)

The two protagonists are described to fit perfectly together because they have finallylearned to accept themselves and each other as they are. Logan finds that her
inquisitive nature turns him on: “[D]id I ever tell you it makes me want you morewhen you’re annoying people?” (blue_icy_rose, “Not the Traditional Way ofThings”) Similarly, Veronica realises that she loves his cocky arrogance. The factthat the heroine does no longer have to try to conform to some imagined ideal
enables her to lead the normal life she desires: she finally has a husband, kids, a dog,
and a modest home. What is more, she does no longer have to hide her hardboiled
detective persona and is able to continue her work as a private investigator. Thus, thecharacters` enhanced knowledge does not only make a romantic relationshippossible, but it also allows them to live the normal life they both desire.

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The change of both characters is abrupt. By weakening their Otherness enough tofacilitate a romantic relationship, the change conforms to the already establishedpattern. However, the heroine’s change proves to be too extreme as to favour any
romantic development. Thus, it becomes apparent that, while the heroine’s toughness
has to be reduced, the author has to be very careful not to make her too weak. She
has to be softened enough to accept the help and love of the male protagonist, but not
to an extent were she is entirely broken. Accordingly, “Not the Traditional Way ofThings” has Veronica partly change back into her tougher self; but only enough to be
still able to accept Logan as her partner.

4.4. Overcoming Otherness II: Knowledge Restriction
It has already been established that this character formation strategy aims to limit theknowledge of the characters so that they know less than their canonical versions.
Generally, this has the effect that possible problems and obstacles caused by theprotagonists Otherness that stand in the way of a romantic relationship, do not exist
at all.

Yet again, the distinctive features of the supernatural BtVS universe and the more
realistic VM universe cause the knowledge restriction strategies employed in therespective fandoms to vary considerably. The distinction between artificial andnatural strategies, which has already been established for knowledge enhancement,
can also be applied to knowledge restriction. Artificial restriction strategies include
spells, as well as timetravel stories, that typically unite one member of the O.T.P.
with the other member coming from the past. These methods are restricted to the
BtVS fandom. Natural restriction, on the other hand, mainly makes use of pre-series
fics, which are set before the canonical events; at a time when the problems of theintended romantic couple do not exist, or can be easily avoided. This restriction
variant is predominantly used in VM fan fiction, but does occasionally also appear in
the BtVS fandom. This study will now take a closer look at an example of artificial
restriction induced by a spell, as well as an example of natural restriction in a preseries story.

4.4.1. Artificial Restriction

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The story “More Than Candy” by Kari Mouke presents an example for knowledge
restriction provoked by a spell. The medium length story contains approximately
19180 words, and is told from the multiple perspectives of the two protagonists aswell as several minor characters. Unfortunately, the exact release date of this story is
not accessible anymore, as the author is no longer an active member of the Spuffy fan
fiction community.

The story takes place at Halloween in early season two, at a time when Spike has justarrived in Sunnydale with his psychic and slightly crazy vampire girlfriend Drusilla,
intending to kill his third slayer. Both Buffy and Spike buy costumes at the shop of
the evil sorcerer Ethan Rayne, not knowing that he has put a spell on his costumes toturn his customers into what they masquerade as. Unwittingly, they buy matchingoutfits. Buffy, who is “tired of always being the slayer” and “for one night” justwants “to be a girl” (Kari Mouke, Chapter 1: The Dress), purchases a Victorian
wedding dress; while Drusilla forces Spike to buy the matching groom’s suit. The
aim of Ethan’s sinister plan is to make the slayer vulnerable by turning her into a
helpless Victorian lady. The fact that a vampire wears the suit belonging to the dressendangers Buffy even more. It puts her at the mercy of her archenemy with no means
to defend herself.

However, things do not go according to plan. The way in which the author describes
the heroine’s preparations to wear the dress, already insinuates that this spell will domore than forcibly bind two enemies together:

She took her time getting ready. She soaked in vanilla scented bathwater,
adding a hint of cinnamon to spice things up. After toweling [sic!] herself off
she rubbed lotion all over skin, making it silky soft. She carefully pinned herhair up and applied her makeup. She walked out of the bathroom and into her
bedroom. Time for lingerie. She had her hand on a sexy black lace bra andpanty set, but suddenly decided to go with white. […] Joyce walked up thestairs and her breath caught in her throat. Her little girl looked so beautiful. So
grown up. She felt tears come to her eyes. “I need help doing this up,” Buffy
explained. She turned around to give her mother access, completely unaware of
the emotion on her mother’s face. Joyce did up the ties with shaky fingers. For
some reason this felt momentous. (Kari Mouke, Chapter1: The Dress)
Buffy does not simply put on some dress to get ready for a Halloween party with her
friends. The way she prepares herself, more resembles the actual grooming routines

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of a bride on her wedding day. Also the way her mother reacts to seeing her daughterin the dress suggests that something “momentous” is about to happen. Thus, thisdescription lets well educated readers of Spuffy fiction know immediately that what
Buffy faces is not imminent death, but a real wedding.

Indeed, once both wear the costumes, the spell is activated. Both the slayer and thevampire are not only made entirely human, but they are turned into humans with a
Victorian frame of mind. They neither remember anything of their former lives andoccupations, nor do they know anything about the world beyond the 19th century.
The only thing they know for certain is that they have to find each other. Thus, theknowledge restriction that is triggered by the spell causes an immediate switch ofboth characters. The author turns Spike into his human version, the Victoriangentleman William, who appeared in the show in several flashback sequences.
(Fig.7) Buffy, on the other hand, is turned into the frail Victorian girl Elizabeth,similar to the one she turned into during the season two episode “Halloween”. 141(Fig.8) As both manifestations are supported by the canonical source text, the switchof both characters is comprehensible. It is important to note, however, that in any
other case, depictions of entirely human Spike and Buffy would count as a radical
switch of these characters, because such manifestations are not based on canonicaloccurrences. Only in this special case, where human versions of the characters arepresented that are actually based on the source text, is the character switch
comprehensible.

The restriction of their knowledge lets them forget the mutual animosity and therivalry that stand between them. With these obstacles no longer getting in the way,
the protagonists can freely acknowledge their true feelings for each other, and also
act on them:

He looked into her eyes. “Elizabeth, my wife, my hope, my future, how I loveyou.” Elizabeth had tears running down her face. This was her William. Hereverything. She reached up with her hands and ran them down his back. “I love
you too, my sweet,” she whispered to him. (Kari Mouke, Chapter 4: The
Consummation)

141

For more detailed information see episode 2.6 “Halloween”.

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The story suggests that the total loss of memory caused by the knowledge restriction
strips them of the doubts and prejudices that make a relationship between these two
characters impossible, and uncovers their suppressed needs and desires. Thus, only
their ignorance enables them to be together; a fact that does not at all meet with therequirements of ideal romance. Janice Radway stresses that mutual love andappreciation of the individual personality of the partner are paramount for the happy
ending of an ideal romance. 142 Accordingly, a relationship that is based on theignorance of the partner’s true personality cannot be seen as a satisfying conclusionof the romantic plot. Thus, for a truly happy ending, it is not enough to unite William
and Elizabeth, but the author has to find a way to unite Spike and Buffy as well. For
that reason, the knowledge restriction has to be revoked. Accordingly, Kari Mouke
has Buffy’s friends find a way to break the spell. As soon as it is no longer working,the two main protagonists regain their memory and have to learn that the person they
declared to be in love with is actually their worst enemy: “Buffy sobbed, a terrible
heart wrenching sound that echoed in Spike’s ears. He wished he could do the same.
This was a nightmare. To be given everything, and then to have it torn away. He wassure he’d just fallen from heaven. “(Kari Mouke, Chapter 5: The Realization). With
the cancellation of the knowledge restriction, naturally also the comprehensible
switch is revoked. However, the feelings they have for each other are not: “Her mind
recognized that William didn’t exist. It had come to accept that it was all just a spell,
but her heart and her body refused to listen. They remembered. They remembered
and they called out during the quiet times for their mate.” (Kari Mouke, Chapter 9:
The Stick) Although, she finds it hard to reconcile the memory of her husband
William with the fierce vampire Spike, the feelings she harbours for the man who
stands behind both personas remain unchanged. Spike experiences the same
dilemma, as he is having “thoughts he [is not] supposed to be having over thesoddin` Slayer”. (Kari Mouke, Chapter 8: The Living; Spike) It becomes apparent
that the vampire and the slayer cannot simply go back to being enemies, as the
restriction of their knowledge has caused them to change permanently. Thus, theremnants of the knowledge restriction cause an abrupt change of the two
protagonists. The love they feel for each other, then, helps them to overcome theaforementioned obstacles caused by their status as the Other, that become valid again

142

Cf. Radway, 170.

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as soon as the knowledge restriction is no longer effective. The author is very careful
to stress that their emotions are not generated by the spell, but are in fact genuine:[“]You silly bint, I love you!” “You do? But I thought it was just the spell.
That you’d feel disgusted for making love to me.” She said shakily. “No, no,kitten. Doesn’t work like that, does it?” He looked at her knowingly. “Spell justmade me a groom and you a bride. Didn’t make us love one another. I’d bet
money the original wearers of those outfits didn’t give a fig about each other.
Marriages were usually arranged by the parents back then. Love had nothin’ to
do with it.” He leaned down to kiss her swollen lips. “We did the love part allon our own, baby.” (Kari Mouke, Chapter 12: The Attack)This makes clear that the love they feel for each other is real and not spell-induced.
Now, all the requirements for a truly satisfying conclusion of the romantic plot
according to the requirements of the ideal romance are fulfilled. The hero andheroine do not love each other blindly, but know and accept their partner. They evencompromise and try to find a way to live together that is acceptable for both thevampire and the slayer. Accordingly, Spike decides to “give up snackin` on theinnocent”, as long as Buffy gets out “of this Chosen One crap”. (Kari Mouke,
Chapter 12: The Attack)

Therefore, the knowledge restriction not only causes them to acknowledge theirsuppressed feelings for each other, but also to act on them. Although, it is not
permanent, it has permanent effects.

4.4.2. Natural Restriction
In contrast to the BtVS fiction “More Than Candy”, where the knowledge restriction
is only temporary, the author of the next story restricts the knowledge of thecharacters permanently. The VM story “The Sweet Life” by gertinator contains
32768 words, and was published between October and November 2006 at
LiveJournal. Also this story is told from the multiple perspectives of various major
and minor characters; however, the point of view of the two main protagonists ismost important. The story is an alternative universe version of season one and partsof season two. It starts out with the rewrite of a flashback sequence in the series thatshows the last time Veronica saw Lilly alive, and develops from there. As it is set
before the actual events of the canonical source text, this story belongs to thecategory pre-series. The story presents versions of the characters that were hinted at

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in the source text and, therefore, utilises a comprehensible switch to shape thesecharacters. The knowledge of all characters is naturally restricted by depicting themat a time when they are still innocent and carefree, not yet traumatised by the murderof Lilly Kane. What is even more important is the fact that this fiction keeps theirknowledge restricted by omitting this crucial event, sparing them to experience therepercussions. This story depicts an alternative universe were Lilly Kane is alive. As
a result, the characters lack the experiences that shape the canonical versions.
Accordingly, Veronica has no incentive to turn into the tough girl detective.
Similarly, there is no reason for Logan to turn into the bitter “psychotic jackass”.
Thus, the offending Otherness of the more jaded versions of these two charactersnever comes into being. Furthermore, various minor characters, like Lilly’s brother
Duncan and Veronica’s father Keith, are spared the crucial consequences of Lilly
Kane’s murder.

Thus, the omission of this central event has extensive effects. Not only does it allow
the author to restrict the characters` knowledge permanently, but it actually changes
the conditions for the further development of the plot, as the major part of season one
was based on Lilly’s murder and its consequences. It not only motivates Veronica to
become a detective but, furthermore, causes her to become an outcast and instigates
the hatred between her and Logan. However, with the major motivating factor for thecanonical events of season one missing, the author gets the chance to develop a newseason one that is – to some extent – based on the source text, but necessarily
develops differently.

Right from the beginning, it becomes apparent how the author incorporates canonicalevents into her story, using them in a way that supports her own plot. “The Sweet
Life” adopts the basic canonical conditions. Thus, it starts at the time Lilly and
Logan, as well as Duncan and Veronica, have recently broken up. According tocanon, Lilly dies shortly after. However, in this story she does not. The reasons why
Lilly escapes death remain unknown. The story does not further expand on Lilly’s
love life. Therefore, the affair with Logan’s father Aaron that eventually leads to hermurder is only vaguely implied. Even though Veronica suspects something, she does
not further investigate into it: “Veronica thought Lilly might have even had an affair
with the father of one of their friends, though she very much did not want to know

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for sure. And she absolutely positively did not want to know who.” (gertinator, Part
3) Contrary to the tough and witty Veronica that is featured in the source text, thissweet and slightly naïve version of Veronica prefers to remain ignorant of Lilly’s
affairs. As a large part of this story is told from Veronica’s point of view, it isessentially due to her innocence and her resulting lack of criminological intuition thatthe cause for Lilly Kane’s survival is not revealed to the reader.

Hence, readers of the story simply have to accept that the conditions for thedevelopment of the story, and all the characters in it, have changed. The restricted
knowledge of the two main protagonists, combined with said changed conditions,seems to guarantee the speedy and uncomplicated development of a romantic
relationship between them. Veronica and Logan are both single, and theirrelationship is friendly. Thus, there are no antagonistic feelings hindering a budding
romance. However, it is important to note that, unlike in “More Than Candy”, where
the knowledge restriction immediately unites the intended lovers, the effect in thisstory is not as instantaneous. Even though, this character formation device keeps thetwo members of the O.T.P. comparatively innocent and, therefore, removes the main
obstacles in the way of a romantic liaison, it does only provide the basis for a LoVerelationship. Accordingly, Veronica and Logan start out as friends. It soon turns outthat the changed conditions for the development of the plot cause new obstacles for aromance between the two main characters:

She needed to think of Logan's string of bimbos, gorgeous girls with hot bodies
that liked to put out. There was no way he would be interested in her; she wasmore like a little sister to him. Best to keep that firmly in her mind. Also best
not to look at him anymore. (gertinator, Part 2)
Logan Echolls was a horny teenaged boy and Veronica Mars was a hot
teenaged girl. That was what he told himself whenever he got those funnystirrings from being with her. How could it be anything else? She would nevergo for a fuck-up like him, and anyway, Lilly would castrate him for eventhinking it. And Duncan, Duncan would never forgive him. (gertinator, Part 2)
This makes clear that, although, they are attracted to each other, the insecurity ofthese naïve versions of the characters prevents them from openly declaring their
feelings for each other. Furthermore, the prospect of hurting the Kane siblings`
feelings discourages both from giving in to the mutual attraction.

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Thus, in this case the knowledge restriction is not enough to unite the intended
lovers. To achieve this desired effect, it has to be combined with other character
formation strategies (eradication of differences, breadcrumbs), which will be
discussed in the upcoming chapters. In this case, the natural restriction of thecharacters` knowledge serves to remove the main obstacles that stand in the way of alove relationship of the O.T.P. Furthermore, it facilitates a friendship between theintended lovers that paves the way for romantic developments. However, therestriction of their knowledge alone is not enough to unite the two lovers. In “The
Sweet Life”, this character formation strategy provides the basis, but not the main
incentive, for a romantic liaison of the One True Pairing.

4.5. Eliminating Obstacles Getting in the Way of Romance:
Eradication of Differences
This method not only aims to abolish the emotional differences between thecharacters, but more importantly any physical differences that stand between the twomain protagonists, as well as possible differences in their social situation.

This approach aims not only at a mental, but also at a physical change of thecharacters, as well as a change of their social situation. Thus, this strategy actuallyaffects their outward appearance and their environment. Therefore, it can be counted
among the outside strategies, meaning those approaches that rely on forces outside
the characters themselves to change them. Nevertheless, it is closely linked to bothknowledge enhancement and knowledge restriction that both belong to the insidestrategies and, therefore, aim at a change that is generated within the characters. The
eradication of differences changes the characters so that offending differences
between them do no longer exist. Thus, when either their maturity (knowledge
enhancement) or their innocence (knowledge restriction) enables them to meet undercircumstances that favour a romantic entanglement of the protagonists, thedifferences between them are automatically eradicated. However, knowledge
enhancement/restriction removes mental differences, while the eradication ofdifferences is more concerned with the elimination of physical and social differences.

Yet again, the conditions for this character formation strategy are not the same in thetwo fandoms. In the universe of Veronica Mars, in which the characters have to be110changed by somewhat realistic means, the eradication of differences is particularly
closely linked to the enhancement or restriction of the characters` knowledge. The
emphasis lies on the elimination of the emotional differences. As the realistic VM
universe does not allow for drastic changes in the physical appearance of thecharacters, they become secondary to the alteration of the characters` emotional state.
Although, the innocence or maturity of the protagonists is usually reflected by theway they dress (innocent Veronica mostly wears girly sundresses, whereas mature
Logan often wears suits), the change in their outward appearance is never too drastic.
However, their mental state does also influence their social situation. This means that
innocent Veronica does still belong to the higher middle class and is part of the
popular 09er clique, as the event that deprived her of this status – Lilly’s murder –does not take place. Likewise, many fan fictions show mature Logan to prefer arather simple lifestyle, because he wants to distance himself from his past and his
extravagant existence as the son of two movie stars. Thus, whereas the physicalappearance of the characters is only marginally affected by the eradication ofdifferences in VM fan fiction, the effects on their social situation are quite significant.
The elimination of differences between the lifestyles of the two protagonists enables
them to meet on common ground and, thus, promotes potential romantic
developments.

The situation is slightly different in the BtVS fandom, where the supernaturalenvironment allows for more radical measures as far as the eradication of differences
is concerned. Here, the physical alteration of the characters is much more important.
It does not only signify the emotional change of the characters, but in some caseseven triggers it (i.e. when Buffy is turned into a vampire, the physical change triggers
the emotional change). Accordingly, the fan fiction “More Than Candy” eliminates
the differences between the intended lovers by making them entirely human. Other
fictions attempt to reach the same goal by turning Spike into a slayer, Buffy into avampire, or by making them both human and putting them into an environment were
vampires and slayers do not exist at all. These methods are also linked to theenhancement and restriction of knowledge, however, the change in the physicalappearance of the characters is much more important than in Veronica Mars fan
fiction. That the utilisation of the aforementioned inside strategies does not always
lead to an immediate eradication of the characters` differences and to the change of

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their outward appearance, is shown by the story “Careless Memories”. The
enhancement of Buffy’s knowledge does neither cause her to change her physicalappearance, nor does it eradicate the differences between her and Spike. Thus, in
BtVS fan fiction the degree to which the enhancement and restriction of knowledge
and the eradication of differences are linked varies.

4.5.1. Radical Eradication
To show how the eradication of differences is employed in BtVS fan fiction, the close
analysis will again concentrate on the already established fiction “More Than Candy”
by Kari Mouke.

The differences between Buffy and Spike are temporarily eradicated when they both
turn into humans. Consequently, the slayer-vampire barrier between them does nolonger exist. Thus, by making them entirely human, the author manages to abolishthe offending Otherness that is caused by their status as supernatural warriors, andstands in the way of a romantic relationship between the protagonists. The heroine’s
extreme toughness is due to her being the slayer, as the hero’s evil nature is due tohim being a vampire. The author simply extinguishes their Otherness and its negative
effects. Moreover, by turning them into a Victorian couple she very firmly
establishes the stereotypical male-female gender roles and, thus, favours the romantic
development of the plot even more:

Elizabeth ran into William’s open arms with a sob. “I couldn’t find you. I was
so scared. These strange people tried to hold me hostage. One of them was a
vampire. I think the others were witches. Oh William, I’m so afraid. What
we’ll we do?” […] “Shh, Elizabeth. It’s okay my love. I’ve got you. Your
William’s got you. We’ll seek shelter in one of the houses until morning. Then
we can head out and find a church of some kind. We’ll be fine. Nothing canhurt us if we’re together.” She nodded into his chest. She knew he was right.
Her William could do anything. […] He scooped her up in his arms. “William,
put me down! You can’t possibly carry me all the way to shelter!” Elizabeth
was protesting but secretly overjoyed to be so safely ensconced. “The hell I
can’t!” He said saucily as he continued to carry her. “William! You swore,”
Elizabeth said with a giggle. He could be such a beast at times. “I did, didn’t
I?” William found that Elizabeth brought out the primitive in him.
(Kari Mouke, Chapter 3: The Spell)
Buffy turns into the human lady Elizabeth and becomes the picture of a damsel in
distress. Correspondingly, Spike’s human alter ego William turns out to be noble and112
brave and acts as her saviour and protector. The role allocation seems to favour aromantic plot corresponding to the requests of the ideal romance: the strong hero
loves and protects the vulnerable heroine. However, as soon as they leave thedangerous public sphere of the streets of Sunnydale, and enter the save private sphereof their shelter in the form of an old mansion, their roles change.

Elizabeth wandered up the stairs with William following. It was funny how he
had taken charge outside and now it was her turn. She walked to the first door
in the upper hall and looked in. It had a faintly musty smell that indicated alack of recent occupancy. It would be perfect. William walked into the room
behind Elizabeth. He was terrified. He’d never done this before, hadn’t wanted
to. He was a born believer in true love and destiny. And here it was standing
before him. He closed the door and engaged the lock. He walked towards her
on shaky legs. She turned and gave him her back. “Undress me, my love.”(Kari Mouke, Chapter 4: Consummation)
In the secure and private realm of their shelter, it is Elizabeth who takes the lead.
This mirrors the stereotypical concept of private and public places that views theprivate realm of the home as a typically female domain, and the public realm of theoutside world as a typically male domain. 143 The behaviour of the heroine
corresponds to this model, but at the same time it contradicts the notions of ideal
romance. Elizabeth does not simply take the control over the household, but she
takes sexual control:

Elizabeth knew that if she wanted things to proceed, she was going to have totake them into her own hands; literally. She reached out and began to undress
her husband. She removed layer after layer of clothing until he stood before her
in nothing but the skin he was born in. She’d never seen a naked man before in
her life. (Kari Mouke, Chapter 4: Consummation)
She is the one who initiates the sexual intimacies of their wedding night, and she isalso the one who causes said intimacies to proceed. Elizabeth’s role as the sexual
aggressor and William’s virtual passiveness stand in stark contrast to the principlesof the ideal romance, where the hero “forces his attentions upon her” and the heroine
is “inevitably “awakened” by his “probes,” and overcome by her own bodily
response which she cannot control”. (Radway, 126) Thus, ideal romance features asexually experienced male character that carefully seduces a virginal andinexperienced female character and, by doing so, slowly uncovers her inherent
143

Cf. Heinecken, 2.

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sensual nature. “More Than Candy” does not stick to this model. Not only is the heroas sexually inexperienced as the heroine, but he takes the place of the timid virginwhose inherent sensual nature is uncovered by the sexual advances of the heroine.
However, as soon as said hidden sensual nature is awakened, the roles are reversed
once more, and William takes control, while Elizabeth takes a more passive role: “Hepicked her up and laid her down upon the bed. He gave her one last hungry glance,basking in her naked glory, before he fell upon her.” (Kari Mouke, Chapter 4:
Consummation) Hence, when he has recovered from his initial timidity, William
takes over the role of the sexual aggressor that in patriarchal society is typicallyascribed to men. Accordingly, Elizabeth gets more passive and willingly receives her
partner’s sexual attentions. Eventually, they behave in a way that corresponds to thenotions of patriarchal culture and, therefore, also to those of the ideal romance.

This traditional allocation of gender roles is also kept up once the eradication ofdifferences is reversed when the spell of the costumes is broken. Buffy finds out that
her one night with human William has left her pregnant. Realising that this is her
chance to get away from her calling and to live the normal life she desires, she rejects
her role as the tough warrior in favour of her new role as a mother and wife.
Correspondingly, the encounter with his human alter ego William leads Spike toremember the hopes and dreams he has harboured as a human. Therefore, he happily
embraces the idea of being a husband and father and assumes the role as the protectorof his family. As such, he finds a way to relieve Buffy entirely of her duties as aslayer. This is necessary, as the story stresses that Buffy cannot be a tough action
heroine and a mother at the same time: “Slayers weren’t supposed to have children. It
was all about the mission for them. They didn’t have time for things like bottles andlittle league.” (Kari Mouke, Chapter 10: The Telling) Therefore, Spike, with the helpof his sire Drusilla, locates the second slayer Kendra. The series introduces thischaracter in season two. There, Kendra is called as a slayer after Buffy’s short deathat the end of season one. By bringing this new slayer to Sunnydale, Spike enables
Buffy to give up being the slayer so that she can concentrate on being a mother andwife instead.

Thus, the temporary eradication of their differences has permanent consequences forthe characters. The comprehensible switch caused by the spell is turned into an

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abrupt change of the two protagonists as soon as said spell is broken. Although, thedifferences that are caused by their Otherness re-emerge as soon as the spell is nolonger in effect, the lovers find a way to overcome the obstacles that stand between
them on their own. Thus, although their differences are not eradicated permanently,
this character formation strategy leaves the characters changed in a way that makes ahappy relationship between them possible.

4.5.2. Realistic Eradication
To examine how this character formation device is typically applied in Veronica
Mars fan fiction, the examination will return to the story “The Sweet Life” bygertinator.

It has already been mentioned that the author manages to change the conditions forthe development of the characters and the plot, by simply omitting Lilly Kane’smurder, the crucial event that influences all main characters and – to a large extent –the development of season one. Thus, the eradication of differences employed in thisstory is also triggered by said omission. The absence of this traumatic event causes
all characters, but most importantly Logan and Veronica, to develop differently thantheir canonical counterparts. The fic works with the innocent versions shown inflashback sequences in the series. Thus, the characters are comprehensibly switched.
The eradication and the subsequent switch of the characters, do also affect theirsocial situation. Lilly’s death does not only cause the rift between Veronica andLogan, but also the loss of her social status. As Lilly does not die at all, the heroine
does not have to make any of the consecutive negative experiences. Thus, Veronica
and Logan still entertain a friendship; Veronica is still part of the prestigious 09er
group; her father is still sheriff of Neptune; and the marriage of her parents is stillintact. Thus, the basis on which the events play out is changed entirely. Veronica has
no reason to get tough, as well as Logan has no reason to become resentful. Thus,
like in the BtVS fiction “More Than Candy” before, the offending Otherness of thetwo protagonists is successfully eliminated. Furthermore, the differences in theirsocial rank that also stand in the way of a happy relationship in the source text, do nolonger exists in this fan fiction.

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With these major obstacles eradicated, the author can now concentrate entirely on thedevelopment of the romantic plot. She does so, following the conventions of the ideal
romance. Her versions of the characters conform to the stereotypical male-femalerole allocation of patriarchal culture that has been mentioned before. Therefore, theyalso conform to the ideal romance’s image of the ideal hero and heroine. This
Veronica presents the picture of a soft and sweet woman, while Logan is a strong andmanly man. The way in which their romantic relationship develops also conforms torequirements of the ideal romance. Accordingly, the sexually innocent heroine meetsthe sexually experienced hero and, through him, discovers her sensual nature.
Veronica is not only sexually inexperienced, but totally unaware of her own beautyand natural appeal to men:

"You slay me, Ronnie. Absolutely slay me. You treat me like your own
personal jungle gym, climbing all over me all of the time. You have no idea
what it does to me. I'm not a eunuch, you know. I'm a seventeen year old guy
whose hormones are in overdrive." Veronica laughed uneasily, even as she slid
off his lap, popcorn forgotten. It was hard to break his gaze; it held her trapped.
"Oh, give me a break, Logan. We're just friends. You've always got gorgeous
sexy girls hanging on you. Why would you even look twice at someone likeme?" […] "Ronnie, I'm here in your house alone in the dark with you. Do you
really think I'm watching the movie?" Logan's voice was low and raw andcarried a strange intensity that Veronica had never heard before. (gertinator,
Part 6)This concurs with Janice Radway’s description of the ideal heroine who is herself
unaware of her attractiveness, but who “is considered by everyone else, including thehero, to be an extraordinary example of full blooming womanhood.” (Radway, 126)
In compliance with Radway’s claim that it is the ideal hero who eventually gets theheroine to realise her own sex appeal 144, it is Logan who convinces Veronica that she
is “a very hot girl”. (gertinator, Part 6) The fact that Logan, who has had many sexual
partners, finds her attractive fortifies Veronica’s self-confidence, and makes her feel“strong and sexy”. (gertinator, Part 4) Paradoxically, this excessive sexual activity ofthe male protagonist is another factor that marks him as a romantic hero according to
Janice Radway. She claims that most ideal heroes are described to have been
extremely promiscuous before their encounter with the ideal heroine. This behaviour
is condoned, because it indicates the hero’s extraordinary virility. Moreover, the factthat his previous sexual encounters were only means to gratify his sexual needs does
144

Cf. Radway, 126.

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not hint at his selfish nature, but at his reluctance to trust women, who – by hisexperience – are scheming and cruel. Only the romantic heroine can convince thehero that not all women use sex to get what they want. 145 As soon as she convinces
him that he can love and trust her, “his promiscuous impulses are curbed”. (Radway,130) The situation is the same in “The Sweet Life”, where Veronica’s innocent
attentions and her unpretentious behaviour towards him, let Logan realise that all his
previous encounters were meaningless, and that he desperately wishes to experiencegenuine affection:

Her nimble fingers felt like an angel's touch, and Logan squeezed his eyes tightto keep the hot salty tears in. His body was out of his control, wanting to touch
Veronica, make love to that sweet touch, but also wanting to be held like achild, chastely. He had never really made love, he realized, had never known agentle loving touch like hers. He had always had rough, wild sex. Meaningless,stupid, teenage sex. He ached with sudden need to be loved.
(gertinator, Part 5)
Thus, the hero and heroine learn from each other. She introduces him to genuine
affection, while he introduces her to the physical aspects of said affection. It is very
important to realise that love and sex are shown to be inextricably linked. It is a vital
aspect of the ideal romance that the heroine’s “sexual response is something to beexchanged for love and used only in its service”. (Radway, 126) Accordingly, thesexual encounter that stands at the end of the story, and finally seals the love of the
One True Pairing, can only take place after the hero has professed his love for theheroine, as well as his sincere intentions to spend the rest of his life loving only her.
To show that he is serious, Logan presents Veronica with a promise ring that ismeant to assure her of his love for her. Veronica returns the sentiment by offering
him her virginity:"Ronnie, I am so lucky to have you. I can't imaging [sic!] my life without you,but I also know it is too soon to try to tie you to me. So I am giving you thisring, and making this promise. No matter what else happens, you will always
be the person who knows what is inside my soul." Logan let out a breath as hefinished the speech, ready to take a big gulp of champagne to smooth down his
rough edges. But Veronica threw herself at him and was smothering him inkisses. […] "Do you have any condoms?" she whispered in his ear, her voice
husky with desire. Logan froze in shock. Finally he managed to squeeze out,"Um, I didn't plan... but maybe, in the bedroom... I'm not sure." […] "Ronnie,
145

Cf. Radway, 130.

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you don't have to do this - " he said nervously, startled by the sudden change
from innocent into sex kitten. Veronica laughed. "Silly. You make it sound likesome kind of chore." She laughed again. "Like I'm going to lie here and thinkof England. I want to do this, as much as you do." She met his eyes, and hergaze was provocative. "You gave me your promise, and now I'm giving you
mine. You are the person I share my soul with, too." (gertinator, Epilogue)Thus, their mutual love for each other has led the hero to discover genuine emotions,and the heroine to discover her sensual nature. To make this romantic union possible,
it is necessary to eliminate the obstacles that stand between the intended lovers. The
eradication of the (social) differences that usually stand between the protagonists
supports the development of the romantic plot. Therefore, this character formation
strategy proves to be a useful device to bring about a happy relationship of the O.T.P.

4.6. Meddling with Romance: Matchmakers
It has already been established that this character formation device particularly
depends on external forces to unite the protagonists in a happy relationship. Said
external forces can take the form of secondary characters who try to bring theprotagonists together, or of supernatural entities that have the same goal.
Surprisingly, the realistic environment of Veronica Mars does also allow forsupernatural matchmakers. However, it does not permit just any supernatural force toappear, but actually tolerates only one specific paranormal entity to act as amatchmaker: the dead Lilly Kane. This concurs with the canonical source text, where
throughout season one various characters experience vision-like dreams of themurdered girl. Thus, although Lilly Kane’s ghostly meddling disturbs the realistic
VM universe; her appearance is somewhat canonically approved.

But the term matchmaker is not restricted to natural or supernatural beings. In a
broader sense, it also applies to extraordinary situations that bring the intended lovers
together, and force them to deal with their problems, as well as their feelings for eachother. The BtVS fiction “Fevered” and the VM fiction “The Benefits of Being Lost”,
that have already been discussed elsewhere, provide examples for the matchmaking
qualities of extraordinary circumstances. In both cases, illness is the factor thattriggers such a special situation. The illness of the heroine and her ensuing
helplessness, oblige the protagonists to deal with each other. Moreover, it forcesthem to spend an extended period of time together in the same place, with no way to

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avoid each other. In fact, their situation makes it virtually impossible to escape eachother: the hero’s fear for the heroine’s health prevents him from leaving her, and theheroine’s weakness makes it impossible for her to refuse his help and make him
leave. The way the two heroines react to their temporary forced dependency on thehero differs slightly. Veronica appears very reluctant to accept Logan’s help at first,
lamenting the fact that she is “unable to muster the energy to even to kick him out ofher apartment”. (Madame Librarian, “The Benefits of Being Lost”) Buffy, on theother hand, seems much more willing to allow Spike to take care of her. She does not
simply tolerate his caring attentions towards her, but encourages them: ““I woke up,
and you weren’t there.” Her voice sounded meek, almost scared. “Oh. I was out inthe yard. Usual place.” “Silly vampire,” she sighed. “I need you here…””. (kantayra,
Chapter 2)

The heroines` reaction to their situation notwithstanding, their illness literally forces
the intended lovers to spend time with each other. The outcomes of this enforced
closeness have already been discussed: the two main characters slowly reach a newunderstanding of each other, which leads them to acknowledge and, eventually, togive in to their mutual affection. The fact that the illness of the heroines puts theprotagonists in a situation that forces them to face each other, and ultimately leads
them to engage romantically, shows that extraordinary circumstances can indeed
have matchmaking qualities. The following subchapters will look at the way VM and
BtVS fan fiction employs supernatural matchmakers.

4.6.1. Supernatural Matchmakers in VM Fiction
To give a general idea of how Veronica Mars fan fiction employs the canonicalcharacter Lilly Kane as a supernatural matchmaker, this study will take a closer lookat the story “Dead Girls Know Best” by InTheVast. This short story contains 4531
words, and was posted in December 2006 on fanfiction.net. Veronica and Logan, as
well as Lilly serve as focalisers.

This fiction presents an alternative version of season two, where Logan did notforgive Veronica for falsely accusing him of being Lilly’s murderer. The story is set
on Halloween of season two. Logan is hosting a Halloween party, but the appearanceof his dead ex-girlfriend makes it impossible for him to enjoy it:119

It was an hour before midnight on October 31st, and nothing spelled
Halloween to Logan more than his dead ex-girlfriend sitting in the living roomof [his] casa, bitching at him. “You’re such a jackass, Logan,” Lilly said,
flopping on the couch as she sighed dramatically at the ceiling. “Why don’t
you just give Veronica a call already?” “Fuck you.” The vodka burned down in
his stomach as he tipped his head back, gulping down the liquid, throat
convulsing. “Why are you here, anyway? Shouldn’t your soul be, I don’t know,
rotting in hell? Where it belongs?” (InTheVast, “Dead Girls Know Best”)
At first, this meeting between Logan and Lilly does not seem remarkable. The way
the author treats the encounter between the hero and this secondary character makes
it seem like an average meeting between two people, and does not really reflect thefact that one of them is actually dead. This impression is reinforced by the fact that
Logan seems to be neither too surprised, nor disturbed by the fact that a dead girl issitting in his house. Thus, the first account of this peculiar encounter does not reallyallow the reader to decide what to make of the sudden appearance of a dead girl inthe otherwise quite realistic VM environment. However, educated Veronica Marsfans might deduce that this Lilly Kane is only an alcohol-induced hallucination, as
Veronica Mars and Duncan Kane experienced similar dreamlike encounters with
Lilly in the show. (Fig.9) The way in which the plot develops, supports thisassumption. Logan, who is obviously high on alcohol and drugs, takes a closer lookat the appearance before him and thinks about the peculiar relationship he has withher:
Logan allowed himself to really look at Lilly for the first time since her spirit
had appeared to him some ten minutes before. The blood-splattered, dead-eyed
Pep Squad Lilly of old had been replaced by this glowing apparition sometime
during the summer—presumably after Neptune’s own Nancy Drew solved thecase. And this Lilly, Ghost 2.0, well, she had a sadistic penchant for showing
up for his darker moments to tell him what he was doing wrong. […] Damn, it
really sucked having a dead ex-girlfriend as a conscience. (InTheVast, “DeadGirls Know Best”)
The fact that this is not the first time he has seen her, and that he believes that she is
the personification of his conscience, because she always appears to remind him of
his faults and to make him feel guilty, strongly suggests that this Lilly is in fact only
in Logan’s head. As she tries to get him to forgive Veronica and to make him realisethat he needs her as much as she needs him, readers may conclude that she reallystands for his subconscious feelings, and his hidden desire to get back together with
Veronica. It becomes clear that this assumption is not true, however, when Logan120
disregards Lilly’s suggestions considering his behaviour towards Veronica. As soon
as he turns his back on her and leaves the room, it becomes clear that Lilly exists
independently from Logan’s imagination: “Had he looked over his shoulder, hewould have seen Lilly watching his retreat, emotions flashing on her doll-likefeatures: worry, concern, confusion, and then a devious smile.” (InTheVast, “DeadGirls Know Best”)

The fact that the Lilly Kane in this story is not just a figment of the hero’s
imagination becomes even clearer, when she also starts to interact with Veronica:

Veronica woke up feeling a little strange. […] In her dream, Lilly had beenhovering over Veronica’s bed and smiling, all golden and beautiful as her pinklips lowered to Veronica’s own parting mouth. But then Veronica had woken
up. Her body felt warmer than usual as she pushed her covers back and kicked
her legs out of bed. It was how she usually woke up, but there was something alittle abnormal about this… Her body was moving of its own accord. She
flexed her fingers and they wiggled just like they were supposed to. “I’m really
going crazy,” (InTheVast, “Dead Girls Know Best”)
Even though – like in the canonical source text - their encounter only takes place in a
dream; the effects of this meeting are very real. It soon turns out that Veronica is“feeling a little strange” because Lilly has partly taken over her body. By doing so,
she somehow enhances Veronica’s knowledge. She does not only convince her toattend Logan’s Halloween party wearing a very sexy outfit, but she also lends her thenerve to actually confront him. With the help of her dead friend, Veronica manages
to gather enough courage to talk to Logan, and to plead for his forgiveness for her
behaviour towards him. Furthermore, Lilly persuades her to reveal her romantic
feelings for him. Thus, this supernatural matchmaker makes the heroine stronger bylending her the courage to face the hero. But at the same time, it also weakens her toan extent that allows her to make her feelings for him known. The plan of thisghostly Lilly succeeds. Logan forgives Veronica and the couple reunites.

In agreement with the standards of the ideal romance, their reunion can only be
sealed by a sexual act, when it is ensured that said intercourse is indeed motivated bylove and not just by lust. For that reason, Logan resists the sexual advances ofVeronica to reassure himself of her feelings for him:

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“Wait, wait…” Logan groaned, wanting nothing more than to be out of thetight confining leather of his pants, but afraid they were moving too fast.
Veronica disobediently popped the button anyway, and he bit his lip hard when
he heard the rasp of his zipper. “God, are you sure?” He pulled her hands away
so she could focus on his face. […] "I need to know." Logan insisted, gathering
every little bit of willpower inside of himself to halt her hand in its maddening
quest. "Logan, I want this more than I've ever wanted anything." He looked
into her eyes for confirmation and was blown away by the lucid honesty, thelove reflecting back at him. So her words weren't exactly a cure-all, but Logan
was a firm (very firm at the moment) believer in working with what he wasgiven. She must love him, she had to, or she wouldn't have come to him
tonight, like this. She wouldn't have looked at him like that.
(InTheVast, “Dead Girls Know Best”)
Contrary to the conventions of the ideal romance, where it is the ideal heroine who
only gives into sexual advances when they are motivated by love, 146 here it is thehero who insists that love has to be involved in their sexual relationship. As soon as
he has assured himself that the heroine is indeed in love with him, even though she
has never openly declared her feelings, he easily gives in to her sexual advances.
Thus, it is enough for the heroine to vaguely signal her feelings for the hero to satisfy
his needs. The following sexual encounter between the members of the One True
Pairing then does not only serve to cement their reconciliation, but marks the
beginning of a relationship between them that is based on mutual love.

The end of the story does not only show the lovers to be happily reunited, but it also
provides clues concerning Lilly’s status as a supernatural being:

Lilly always knew Veronica had potential. All she needed was a little bit of
Lilly's own fabulousness to bring it out. Halloween had been the perfect time toslip into Veronica's skin and get her to do all the things she knew her bestfriend secretly wanted but was afraid to do on her own. Lilly smiled fondly at
her beautiful friends, curled up together on the bed as she floated above. Afterall, what would they do without her? (InTheVast, “Dead Girls Know Best”)
Thus, she is not just a figment of both protagonists` imagination. The way she
behaves, rather reminds of a guardian angel who watches over them.

4.6.2. Supernatural Matchmakers in BtVS Fiction
Another kind of supernatural matchmaker can be found in the BtVS fiction “MoreThan Candy” by Kari Mouke. While the image of a guardian angel protecting the146

Cf. Radway, 126.

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protagonists does not strictly conform to the realistic universe of Veronica Mars, fanscan still accept the author’s creation, because it corresponds to general religious
patterns and beliefs of a higher celestial realm. Thus, to some extent, the author’s
introduction of the supernatural matchmaker still takes the requirements of thisfandom into account. The fantastic environment of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, on theother hand, allows for more fanciful creations. In a universe full of supernatural
warriors, witches, and monsters, it does not appear implausible that a vampire should
meddle to bring the intended lovers together. Therefore, “More Than Candy”
introduces Spike’s eccentric girlfriend and sire Drusilla as a supernatural
matchmaker. Although, at first glance it seems that the evil wizard Ethan Raine
inadvertently acts the part, as he weaves the spell that brings the protagonists
together; it soon becomes clear that it is actually Drusilla who is the true mastermind:“We’ll take it,” she said to the naughty shopkeeper. Dru gave him a sly look.
This man thought he was in control. Silly man. Dru knew the truth of it. Ethan
was nothing but a puppet. It was time for her Spike to become William again.
It was time to meet up with the destiny that he had been created for. It was also
time for Dru to get back to her daddy where she belonged. (Kari Mouke,
Chapter 2: The Suit)
The Drusilla in this story has not much in common with the crazy and bloodthirsty
vampire that is featured in the show. On the contrary, the author shows her to begenuinely concerned for the well-being and happiness of her childe Spike. As her
visions have shown her that it is his destiny to be together with the slayer, she does
everything in her power to make that happen. It has to be mentioned however, thatthe actions of this secondary character are not entirely selfless. Unlike, Lilly in“Dead Girls Know Best”, whose sole motivation is the happiness of her friends,
Drusilla has ulterior motives for her actions. She does want to see Spike happy andloved, but she also knows that a union between him and the slayer also benefits her
own situation. It is canonically established that Drusilla - although she has been in alove relationship with Spike for well over a hundred years - wants nothing more thanto be together with her sire, Buffy’s first love, the souled vampire Angel. Consistent
with these facts, this story has Drusilla try to achieve this goal by bringing together
Buffy and Spike. She hopes that a relationship between these two will relieve Angeland herself of their partners, so that they can get back together.

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It soon becomes apparent, however, that it is not enough for her to awaken the twoarchenemies` feelings for each other. In order for her plan to work, she needs toenable them to actually be together once the initial spell that temporarily unites themwears off. Therefore, Ethan’s spell marks only the beginning of her plan to bring
Buffy and Spike together. The temporary restriction of their knowledge uncovers the
feelings the two protagonists harbour for each other. But said feelings alone are notenough to keep them together once the restriction is removed and the obstacles thatstand in the way of a relationship re-emerge. It soon turns out that Drusilla is wellaware of the fact that the spell can only serve as a basis for a relationship between
Buffy and Spike. This becomes apparent, when she reveals to Spike that she hastaken careful measures to enable him to truly be together with the slayer:“How exactly am I supposed to keep her, Dru? I’m a vampire and she’s aslayer.[“] […] “You are to go for an airplane ride and bring back the Slayer.
The true slayer. The one you’ve got has been playing someone else’s turn, andthat’s wrong. […] “Do you happen to know how I can find this other slayer,
pet?” Spike asked thinking it would be too good to be true. Dru whirled aroundand ran to her dresser. She pulled several pieces of paper out of the top drawer
and handed them to Spike. Spike looked down at the paper in his hands. Airline
tickets? She’d bought airline tickets? […] “You leave tomorrow night. You
don’t even have to go out of the airport. I had the minions spread the news all
over, that William the Bloody was headed to Jamaica. Miss Edith says that thereal Slayer will be at the airport, ready to stake you. I bought a ticket for her
too.” (Kari Mouke, Chapter 12: The Explanation, Again)
Thus, this supernatural matchmaker does not exclusively rely on magical means tounite the intended lovers. The spell that initially brings them together does only lay
the groundwork. A large part of her meddling consists of strategic planning. By
helping Spike to find the second slayer, she makes it possible for the couple to retireand concentrate on their role as parents. Moreover, she also reaches her own goal:
her reunion with Angel.

Angel saw Dru walk in the doorway and he opened his arms. Drusilla let out ajoyful cry and crawled on his lap. […] Angel was struck with the feeling of
coming home. He hadn’t realized just how lonely he’d been over the years until
this dark little beauty was resting in his arms. This wasn’t at all how hepictured things working out, but somehow they made sense. He felt a rightness
with Dru that he’d just never felt with Buffy. (Kari Mouke, Chapter 16: The
Leaving)

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It has been mentioned before, that in this story, the restriction of the characters`
knowledge, and the ensuing eradication of their differences, provides the basis for a
happy relationship between the members of the O.T.P. However, now it becomesapparent that these two character formation strategies were actually triggered byanother such device, namely by a matchmaker. As Drusilla purposefully uses thespell to unite Buffy and Spike, it is the supernatural matchmaker who triggers thetwo abovementioned character formation devices. Thus, only the combination of all
three devices actually produces the desired result: a happy relationship of the One
True Pairing.

Of course, by no means all matchmakers in BtVS and VM fan fiction aresupernatural. It has already been mentioned at the beginning of this chapter thatextraordinary situations can have matchmaking qualities. But also canonical or
original secondary characters can act as matchmakers. Generally, however, the roleof all matchmakers is the same: they meddle with the characters` lives, andencourage them to change in a way that enables them to overcome their differences
and to acknowledge their mutual attraction.

4.7. Playing with Canon: Breadcrumbs
This category refers to the custom of fan writers to take up canonical occurrencesthat hint at the possibility of a happy relationship between the members of the
O.T.P., and to shape them in a way that enables them to make said happy relationshiphappen. However, this is not the only method authors apply when working withcanonical breadcrumbs. Another way of working with this device, involves therewriting of key scenes that are generally considered to be responsible for the failureof the romantic relationship of the One True Pairing. Furthermore, writers frequently
take up canonical incidents and interpret them in a way that puts the characters andtheir behaviour in a more favourable light than in the source text. In general, theunderlying aim is always the same: fan fiction authors use breadcrumbs to promote aromantic relationship of the O.T.P.

To show how the abovementioned strategies concerning the use of canonicalbreadcrumbs are realised in Spuffy and LoVe fan fiction, the close analysis will returnto two stories that have already been examined before, namely the VM fiction “The125
Sweet Life”, and the BtVS fiction “Careless Memories”. Both stories make extensive
use of this device. However, the way in which it is actually applied in the two stories
is quite distinct.

4.7.1. Covert Use of Breadcrumbs
It has already been mentioned that the story “The Sweet Life” presents an AU
version of the first two seasons of Veronica Mars. More precisely, this story is basedon what fans commonly refer to as Veronica’s “graduation dream” in episode 2.22
“Not Pictured”. The author explicitly states that her story is “[t]he AU of Veronica’s
graduation dream” (gertinator, Summary), where Lilly is not killed, Veronica isinnocent, and Logan is nice. It can be argued that all stories that feature a plot were
Lilly is alive, and, consequently, Veronica and Logan do not turn into their morejaded versions, are actually AU versions of the aforementioned “graduation dream”.
Therefore, all stories that belong to this category can automatically be considered as
being based on breadcrumbs of the series. Thus, “The Sweet Life” is entirely basedon a breadcrumb occurrence. Moreover, as it takes canonical events and lets themplay out differently, it actually makes use of numerous canonical breadcrumbs of theentire first, and parts of the second season.

It has been mentioned before that the story begins with the description of a canonical
flashback-scene. In the series this flashback-scene shows the last time Veronica sees
her best friend alive. As Lilly does not die in this story, however, this scene serves as
the starting point for the imminent romantic developments in the relationship of thetwo protagonists. Logan, who secretly watches the two friends washing cars for acharity performance, acknowledges that his relationship with Lilly Kane is reallyover. He realises that his former girlfriend never really loved him the way he wants
to be loved, and decides that it is time for him to move on. Secretly, he alreadysuspects with whom he could experience the love he longs for:Logan wasn't about to admit how desperately he wished someone loved him
enough that he would want to die for them. Lilly killed him on a regular basis,but it wasn't the same thing. But Veronica, Veronica was a girl that would
make sacrificing everything...seem like a bargain, if it got you her love in theend. (gertinator, Part 1)

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Thus, the author reinterprets this canonical occurrence in order to pave the way for aromantic relationship between the intended lovers. The profound way in which theauthor works with the source text becomes apparent when one takes a closer look at
how she modifies canonical incidents to suit her purpose. Her description of the firstscene and the circumstances surrounding it, gives the impression that she provides
the reader with a depiction of the events that is faithful to the canon. However, on
closer examination it becomes apparent that, although, her description to a large
extent conforms to the canonical source text, she has left out one vital event. A major
reason for the end of their friendship is the fact that Veronica has told Lilly that
Logan kissed another girl, causing the couple to break up. Consequently, Logan feelsthat Veronica has betrayed their friendship and banishes her from the prestigious
09er clique. However, this incident, which has a fatal impact on the further
development of the relationship of the two protagonists, is not mentioned in the story
at all. As a result, Logan does have nothing to blame Veronica for and can instead
concentrate on the budding romantic feelings he has for her. This shows how theauthor cleverly uses the canonical breadcrumbs to promote the LoVe relationshipwhile keeping as close to the source text as possible.

The author’s clever omission of two crucial canonical events, namely Lilly’s murder
and Veronica’s betrayal of Logan’s trust, founds the basis for the further
development of the story, and the way the characters act. The author is now able torewrite further canonical scenes in a way that can be considered plausible inconsideration of the changed preconditions. She uses this opportunity to modify
occurrences of the source text in a way that presents the characters in a more positive
light, all the while promoting the impending relationship of the O.T.P. An example
for how she accomplishes this feat is the way she works with Veronica’s rape. It has
already been mentioned that the heroine is drugged and raped at a 09er party in theseries. It later turns out that Logan did not only buy the GHB with which she wasdrugged, but that he also witnessed the state she was in and did not help her, but
made fun of her instead. Thus, the male protagonist is indirectly responsible for
Veronica’s rape in the series. This situation is changed drastically in the story. As
Logan has no reason to hate Veronica, it is plausible for him to react differently thanin the source text, when he realises that she needs help:

127"Ronnie?" Logan asked tentatively. "Veronica?" Veronica tried to look at
Logan, but clearly couldn't make her eyes focus. Logan came to a quick
decision. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
"What the hell?" Dick protested. "Me and Ronnie were having a good time.""Not in your wildest dreams," snorted Logan, already headed for the door.
(gertinator, Part 1)
Her treatment of the canonical breadcrumbs does not only enable the author to sparethe heroine yet another traumatic experience that eventually causes her to turn into
the tough Veronica 2.0., but it also allows her to turn Logan into a hero, in a situation
where he is actually a villain according to the source text. Furthermore, this incident
serves to bring the two characters even closer together; a development that is
supported by the author’s treatment of other canonical occurrences. Hence, when – incompliance with the series – it turns out that both characters are betrayed by theirpartners, they turn to each other for comfort. While, in the series Veronica is the one
to find out that Caitlin Ford cheats on Logan, and that her own boyfriend Troy onlyuses her to get back together with his old girlfriend, this sweet Veronica is totally
unprepared for these revelations, and needs Logan to help her cope. In some way thispoints at the negative side effects Veronica’s perfect “graduation dream” is shown tohave in the series. It has been pointed out before that Veronica’s naivety, and the factthat she has never gotten to know her best friend Wallace because she never left her
old circle of friends, are presented to be decidedly negative downsides of the carefree
existence Veronica is afforded by Lilly’s survival. However, the story does not adopt
this negative interpretation. As the characters do have nothing to compare theircurrent situation to, they have no reason to suspect that they are actually missing
something. In the series, Veronica knows what she is missing; in the story, she does
not and, therefore, does have no reason to be discontented.

Thus, the author’s clever use of canonical breadcrumbs allows her to develop her
story in a way that is beneficial to the development of a romantic relationship of the
O.T.P., without straying too far from the source text. The strategic omission ofcertain canonical events enables her to keep the characters` knowledge restricted, andto keep the differences that stand between them to a minimum. Thus, her skilful
manipulation of the source text makes it easy for the author to alter the characters ina way that aids a romantic relationship, but can be considered plausible at the same
time.

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4.7.2. Blatant Use of Breadcrumbs
The situation is somewhat different in the BtVS story “Careless Memories”, where
the author makes very special use of the canonical breadcrumbs. In contrast to “The
Sweet Life”, where it is the author who discretely manipulates canonical events to fit
the demands of her story, in “Careless Memories” the author lets one of her
characters change the canonical source text. As a consequence, the modifications are
not subtle like in the VM fiction, but they become a major issue that motivates thewhole storyline. It has already been established that this fan fiction lets Buffy
experience a slayer dream that reveals to her what is going to happen between season
four and season seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as the entirety of eventsof Angel. The heroine has seen her future like a film. Thus she can work with theinformation she has been given like the fan author works with the canonical source
text. Like the author does with occurrences in the show, Buffy treats future events
like canonical breadcrumbs and manipulates them to suit her purposes. Thus, it canbe said that in this story this character formation device is employed on a meta-levelwithin the text. The enhanced knowledge of the heroine allows her to play with theevents that are going to take place, like a fan writer with canon.

The story is based on the events that take place between episode three (“The Harsh
Light of Day”) and episode nine (“Something Blue”) of season four. This means thatit covers the period within which Spike first unsuccessfully tries to kill the slayer
with the aid of the Gem of Amara - a ring that makes him invincible and enables him
to face the sun -, then gets caught by the governmental unit “The Initiative” and is
implanted with a microchip that prevents him from hurting humans, and eventuallygets engaged to Buffy due to one of Willow’s failed spells. 147 Buffy, who has not
only obtained knowledge of the future occurrences, but also about her future feelings
for Spike, uses all these events in order to make Spike love her long before his
feelings for her are actually meant to surface. Thus, like the fan fiction author, Buffy
aims to create a romantic relationship that is not meant to be according to thecanonical source text. She tries to manipulate future incidents like breadcrumbs, andto use them to her advantage. However, her attempts are not very successful. Insteadof bringing them closer together, the heroine’s meddling with the canonical events
causes the intended lovers to drift apart even further. The male protagonist, who does147

For more detailed information see episode 4.3 “The Harsh Light of Day”, episode 4.7 “TheInitiative”, and episode 4.9 “Something Blue”.

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not share the heroine’s enhanced knowledge, does not know what to make of thesudden change of her behaviour towards him. The fact that she does no longer wantto fight him, and instead showers him with affections, disconcerts him. Thus, wheninstead of trying to kill him for his abuse of the powerful Gem of Amara, she wants
him to share a coffee with her in the park to enjoy the sun; he cannot help but beoverwhelmed: “The chit was cracked. Gone barmy in the head or had amnesia anddidn’t know who the hell she was dealing with. Still, he didn’t fight her off when she
took his hand in her free one and tugged him by way of downtown, and the everpopular Espresso Pump.” (Peta, Chapter 2) However, the heroine’s manipulation of
the events does not have the desired effect. Instead of endearing herself to him, his
confusion over her behaviour, as well as over the conflicting emotions he suddenly
feels for her, leads him to dread her:

The bloody bint had managed to curtail his normal activities and thoughts withthe bizarre change of attitude towards him. It had him so completely out ofsorts that all he was left with was the useless swirling in his head. One minutehe was all set to tear out there and rip her head off her shoulders, but then thenext he remembered her voice; quiet and sweet and caring. And her mouth,
those lush lips that made offers that he should never have received. (Peta,
Chapter 6)
It becomes apparent that his inability to deal with the situation is due to the fact that
Buffy tries to force him to experience feelings that he is meant to have much later inthe series. Thus, he is not ready for Buffy yet. The heroine’s inability to accept thiscircumstance makes their situation even worse. When she deliberately lets him get
implanted with the chip, in order to make him weak enough to need her, his
resentment towards her increases. Buffy knows that she “needed him to get the chipso he could be part of her life”. (Peta, Chapter 7) The hero’s toughness and hiscorresponding unwillingness to consider the heroine as anything else than a worthy
opponent, make a romantic relationship between the two impossible. Thus, said
toughness has to be weakened. Although, the female protagonist knows that, shestarts to doubt whether she has the right to use her enhanced knowledge in that way:

“M-maybe I made a mistake?” she said as she looked and found thesympathetic glances of her friends and watcher. “Maybe I shouldn’t have let
him get chipped. I was being selfish. I had no right, and now he may neverforgive me and I’ve ruined everything the Power’s showed me. What good ishaving visions if I just muck them all up?” (Peta, Chapter 8)

130Spike’s renewed hatred towards her only serves to reinforce her doubts. However,that does not prevent her from using her knowledge to trick him into marriage. The
episode “Something Blue” is a very popular breadcrumb occurrence in Spuffy fan
fiction. Innumerable fan stories present rewrites of this episode, where Buffy andSpike get engaged due to Willow’s spell. It is so important in Spuffy fandom, because
it marks the first time Buffy and Spike are together as a couple. Moreover, thegenuine affection the characters display in “Something Blue” is far from their
abusive affair in season six, and instead concurs with the happy relationship mostfans desire for the couple.

“Careless Memories” takes the engagement scenario of “Something Blue” one stepfurther and lets them actually get married under the influence of the spell. Again,
Buffy deliberately uses this event for her purposes. Moreover, she does not simply let
it happen, but actively takes measures to ensure that everything turns out according
to her wishes. Thus, she has not only organised a “matching gold band set” and a“Justice of the Peace” (Peta, Chapter 12), but also all the necessary papers to legalise
their marriage. She does so, assuming that a marriage will somehow force him todevelop the feelings for her he is meant to have: “[D]espite knowing she was bad andwrong and she didn’t deserve this happiness that swelled inside her, she couldn’t
help but smile at her achievement. He couldn’t reject her now. Could he?” (Peta,
Chapter 13) Once again, her plan goes wrong. Spike does not only reject her, but
now plans to kill her in earnest. However, Buffy’s friends help the vampire to cometo a realisation that puts a halt to his plans to murder the slayer:“Spike, I am so sorry—” “Can it, Red. Had all the sorrys I can take for one
day. I just want you to do a forgetting spell so I never have to think about thisrepulsive day for as long as I stay undusty. No way am I wanting to remember
being in love with the Slayer. An’ what the bugger possessed you to will
something so bleeding stupid in the first place?” Another long swallow slid
down his throat before Spike became aware of all the eyes staring at him in
horrified fascination. “Did you say love? ‘Cause from where I was being
cursed, the mighty powerful Wills only wished you guys to get married.”
Xander gulped at the furious blaze of amber that stared him down[.] (Peta,
Chapter 14)
The argument employed here is similar to that used in the BtVS fiction “More Than
Candy”. Spike has to realise that Willow’s spell did not generate artificial feelings
for the slayer, but that it simply made him reveal what he has kept hidden. However,131
this interpretation of the events does not agree with the canonical source text. There,
Buffy also admits that she has truly been in love with Spike during the spell, but her
feelings are interpreted as being due to the spell. In the story, on the other hand, thespell forces Spike to acknowledge his innate romantic feelings for Buffy. Although,the heroine’s use of breadcrumbs appears to be not very constructive at first, it
eventually has the desired effect. The members of the O.T.P. are united in a happy
relationship.

The way in which the canonical breadcrumbs are used in this fan fiction, differs
drastically from the methods applied in the VM story. While, the author of “The
Sweet Life” tries to keep her interventions as imperceptible as possible, aiming to put
down deviations of her text to the changed preconditions; the changes in “CarelessMemories” are not only quite blatant, but the main topic of the story. However, thereason for using this device is the same in both stories: by manipulating canonicalevents, the authors interpret the characters` actions in a way that makes it possible toromantically unite two characters that were actually not meant to be together.

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5. Conclusion
It was the aim of this study to examine how members of media fandom work with
their favourite characters in heterosexual romantic fan fiction. Two contemporary
episodic television series whose canon is closed – Buffy the Vampire Slayer (19972003) and Veronica Mars (2004-2007) –, and the related media fandoms, served as
the basis for this investigation.

These particular shows are obvious targets for a joint examination, because they are
essentially very similar. Even though, they feature different topics, have different
creators, and are also temporally removed, the two programmes have much incommon. The way they are created and presented by their home networks, as well as
the way they are treated and interpreted by their fan communities, clearly marks
them as cult television programmes. Thus, the fandom related to both series can betermed cult fandom, meaning that its members are particularly faithful to theirfavourite shows, and are committed to them even after they are no longer aired. But
this is not the only aspect the two shows have in common. Both feature exceptionally
tough heroines – either physically (Buffy) or mentally (Veronica) –, whose
toughness puts them in the position of an action heroine. On the other hand, they also
feature male breakout characters that were initially meant to serve as antagonistic
figures, but eventually ended up as the leading male characters. In both cases, thepromotion of the male characters is partly due to the exceptional chemistry they areperceived to share with the heroine, which Martha Nochimson calls screen couple
chemistry. 148 Furthermore, both shows pick out outsiderdom and Otherness as
central themes. The special situation of both the female and the male protagonists
forces them to live at the margins of society and, therefore, puts them into theposition of the Other. And finally, although the onscreen couples in both series areperceived to have an exceptional onscreen chemistry, they ultimately do not end up
together. Thus, the wishes for a happy ending of the majority of BtVS and VM fanswere not fulfilled in the end.

In the second part of this study, close analysis of various Spuffy and LoVe fan fictions
served to illustrate how fan writers try to remedy this perceived flaw by writing
148

Compare Nochimson, 3-9.

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romantic fan fiction. Six distinct character formation strategies were identified; aswell as the resulting outcomes. It is important to note that the changes made, and theresulting outcomes, are not as intense as one might assume. Careful enquiry ofromantic BtVS and VM fan fiction proves that fan writers generally do not aim tocreate totally new versions of the characters. On the contrary, they do only reshapethem enough to make a romantic relationship between them possible. Because ofthat, it is the main goal of all character formation strategies to weaken the characters`
Otherness in general, and the heroines` toughness in particular; but only enough tofacilitate a romantic relationship.

Thus, character formation in Spuffy and LoVe fiction is not about the creation of
totally different characters. The fan communities` reluctance to accept such newversions, 149 and the fan writers` own fascination with the source text, 150 does notallow for such an endeavour. Fan fiction writers do only alter the characters enoughto alleviate their frustration with the source text. Still, their equal fascination with thesource text causes them to keep their versions of the characters as close to it as
possible.

But what does all this mean for the initially presented assumption of Michel deCerteau, that writing and reading are two distinct processes and that television fanshave no chance but to passively accept what they are shown? 151 This study has
shown that the assumed division between writing and reading – production andconsumption – gets blurred by fan fiction. The predominantly female fans are far
from passively accepting what the creators and producers of their favourite televisionshows present them with. On the contrary, their fascination with the source text does
not prevent them to openly acknowledge their frustration with it. What is more, they
do not only voice their complaints, but take active measures to remedy perceived
flaws by writing fan fiction.

Thus, these “Vestals” do no longer submissively accept an “untouchable sacred text”(de Certeau, 169), but have no qualms to express their own wishes and to reshape thesource text accordingly.
149

Cf. Pugh, 70-71.
Cf. Jenkins, Poachers, 162.
151
Cf. de Certeau, 169.
150

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137

Williamson, Milly. The Lure of the Vampire: Gender, Fiction and Fandom from
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Dictionaries / Encyclopaedias
Murfin, Ross, and Supryia M. Ray, eds. The Bedford Glossary of Critical andLiterary Terms. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2003.
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Fan Fiction Stories
blue_icy_rose “Not the Traditional Way of Things”<http://community.livejournal.com/loveathons/49657.html> (8 July 2008)
dreamweaver “Something New”
<http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewstory.php?action=printable&psid=30827>(5 May 2008)
Enchantress “Crippled”<http://www.spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewstory.php?action=printable&psid=10455> (24 May 2008)
gertinator “Srange”<http://gertinator.livejournal.com/15376.html#cutid1> (19 November 2007)
gertinator “The Sweet Life”

138<http://gertinator.livejournal.com/10441.html> (19 November 2007)
InTheVast “Dead Girls Know Best”< http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3301363/1/Dead_Girls_know_Best> (4 April 2008)
kantayra “Fevered”<http://darksolace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?action=printable&textsize=0&sid=650&chapter=all> (11 April 2008)
Kari Mouke “More Than Candy”<http://vampires-kiss.net/fics/morethancandy.htm> (10 April 2008)
lit_chick08 “The Best (and Only) Kept Secret in Neptune”<http://lit-chick08.livejournal.com/7723.html> (4 April 2008)
Madame Librarian “The Benefits of Being Lost”<http://taken-with-you.livejournal.com/31295.html> (20 October 2007)
pattyanne “Back Where We Belong”<http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewstory.php?action=printable&psid=2382>(24 September 2008)
Pet “Meeting William”<http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewstory.php?sid=28276>(25 September 2008)
Peta “Careless Memories”<http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewstory.php?action=printable&psid=10420>(1 July 2008)
Sarah “Lucky Charms”<http://community.livejournal.com/loveathons/70405.html#cutid1> (4 April 2008)
sexycereal “King of the Castle”<http://www.vm-fic.com/viewstory.php?sid=43> (22 September 2008)
squawks “Secretary”<http://www.spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewstory.php?action=printable&psid=24008> (29 April 2008)
StarCrossedSparrow “One Thousand and EightyEight Miles”<http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3210979/7/One_Thousand_and_EightyEight_Miles>(4 April 2008)
Tiana “Rain Check”<http://users.livejournal.com/__tiana__/36798.html> (7 April 2008)
Throstle “Try a Little Tenderness”<http://www.allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=58> (6 March 2008)

139
Utsusemia “A Feather’s Weight”<http://community.livejournal.com/veronicamarsfic/1090291.html>(28 October 2007)
Utsusemia “Technicolor”<http://community.livejournal.com/veronicamarsfic/1370151.html>(28 October 2007)

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AnneRice.Com – The Official Website“Home”. AnneRice.Com.
<http://www.annerice.com/index.htm> (25 September 2008)“Anne’s Messages to Fans“. AnneRice.Com.
<http://www.annerice.com/ReaderInteraction-MessagesToFans.html>(25 September 2008)
Bestuff“About Us”. Bestuff.
<http://bestuff.com/static/about> (25 March 1008)“Best Breakout Character”. Bestuff.
<http://bestuff.com/category/breakout-character> (25 March 2008)“Logan Echolls”. Bestuff.
<http://bestuff.com/stuff/logan-echolls> (25 March 2008)“Spike”. Bestuff.
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Bloodshedverse. Spuffy With a Bite.
“Bloodshedverse Home”. Bloodshedverse.
<http://www.bloodshedverse.com/> (2 November 2007)“Authors”. Bloodshedverse.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gallery“Home”. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gallery.
<http://buffy.fan-sites.org/gallery/index.php> (3 October 2008)“Main Cast”. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gallery.
<http://buffy.fan-sites.org/gallery/index.php?cat=7>
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140“Home”. buffy the vampire slayer screencaps.
<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/index.php> (3 October 2008)“Season 2”. buffy the vampire slayer screencaps.
<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/index.php?cat=3> (3 October 2008)“Season 5”. buffy the vampire slayer screencaps.
<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/index.php?cat=6>
Buffy vs. Angel“Home”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/> (5 May 2008)“BtVS Episode Guides and Transcripts”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/guide.shtml> (5 May 2008)“Buffy Episode #1: "Welcome To The Hellmouth" – Prelude; Transcript”. Buffy vs.
Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_1a.shtml> (5 May 2008)„Buffy Episode #15: "School Hard"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_15.shtml> (11 May 2008)“Buffy Episode #34: “Becoming, PtII”; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_34.shtml> (5 May 2008)“Buffy Season 5 Episode #88: "Into the Woods"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_88.shtml> (11 May 2008)„Buffy Season 5 Episode #90: "Checkpoint"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_90.shtml> (5 May 2008)„Buffy Season 5 Episode #96: "Intervention"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_96.shtml> (11 May 2008)“Buffy Season 6 Episode #108: "Tabula Rasa"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_108.shtml> (5 May 2008)“Buffy Season 6 Episode #110: "Wrecked"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_110.shtml> (11 May 2005)“Buffy Season 6 Episode #115: "As You Were"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
<http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_115.shtml> (11 May 2008)“Buffy Season 7 Episode #144: "Chosen"; Transcript”. Buffy vs. Angel.
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City of Heroes

141“Who`s Your Breakout Character?”. City of Heroes.
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316619>(25 March 2008)
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<http://www.henryjenkins.org/> (3 June 2008)“Archives”. Confessions of an Aca-Fan.
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Copyright – United States Copyright Office“Home”. Copyrigh.t<http://www.copyright.gov/> (3 June 2008)“Law and Policy”. Copyright.
<http://www.copyright.gov/laws/> (3 June 2008)“Copyright Law”. Copyright.
<http://www.copyright.gov/title17/> (3 June 2008)
Elysian Fields“Elysian Fields Home”. Elysian Fields.
<http://dark-solace.org/elysian/index.php> (2 November 2007)“Authors”. Elysian Fields.
<http://dark-solace.org/elysian/authors.php?list=authors> (2 November 2007)“Categories”. Elysian Fields.
<http://dark-solace.org/elysian/categories.php> (2 November 2007)
FanFiction.Net – Unleash Your Imagination“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer”. FanFiction.Net.
<http://www.fanfiction.net/tv/Buffy_The_Vampire_Slayer/> (2 November 2007)“Veronica Mars” FanFiction.Net.
<http://www.fanfiction.net/tv/Veronica_Mars/> (2 November 2007)
LiveJournal“Veronica Mars Fic Recs”. LiveJournal.
<http://community.livejournal.com/vm_fic/> (2 November 2007)“VM Fanfic Utopia”. LiveJournal.
<http://community.livejournal.com/vmfanficutopia/> (2 November 2007)

142“Fic From Mars”. LiveJournal.
<http://community.livejournal.com/fic_from_mars/> (2 November 2007)“Loveathons”. LiveJournal.
<http://community.livejournal.com/loveathons/> (2 November 2007)
Lost in a Story - Airawyn's fanfiction site
“Home”. Lost in a Story.
<http://airawyn.fiddlergirl.com/index.shtml> (2 June 2008)“Support Fanfiction”. Lost in a Story.
<http://airawyn.fiddlergirl.com/fanficsupport.shtml> (2 June 2008)
Neptune Rising“Home”. Neptune Rising.
<http://neptune-rising.weebly.com/> (6 May 2008)“Forum”. Neptune Rising.
<http://neptune-rising.weebly.com/forum.html> (6 May 2008)“Mission Statement”. Neptune Rising.
<http://www.freeforums.in/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=454&mforum=savevm> (6 May
2008)
Organization for Transformative Works“Home”. Organization for Transformative Works.
<http://transformativeworks.org/> (2 June 2008)“About”. Organization for Transformative Works.
<http://transformativeworks.org/about/> (2 June 2008)“Our Projects”. Organization for Transformative Works.
<http://transformativeworks.org/projects/>
SitcomsOnline“Break-out characters”. SitcomOnline.
<http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=171944&page=2>(25 March 2008)
Something-Happens.Com - Logan and Veronica Online“Homes”. Something-Happens.Com.
<http://something-happens.com/gallery/index.php> (3 October 2008)“Veronica Mars”. Something-Happens.Com.
<http://something-happens.com/gallery/index.php?cat=2> (3 October 2008)

143“Promotional Shots”. Something-Happens.Com.
<http://something-happens.com/gallery/index.php?cat=7> (3 October 2008)
Swifty, Writing – Edmund Yeo’s blog
“Home”. Swifty, Writing.
<http://swiftywriting.blogspot.com/> (2 June 2008)
The List Universe Forums“Top 10 Breakout Characters?”. The List Universe Forums.
<http://listverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=235&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=
asc&highlight=&sid=674aad4e4e94d6caa51689dbb91503ce> (25 March 2008)
The Spuffy Realm [A Buffy and Spike Fic Archive]“Home”. The Spuffy Realm.
< http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/index.php> (26 September 2008)“Authors”. The Spuffy Realm.
< http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/authors.php?action=list> (26 September 2008)“Categories”. The Spuffy Realm.
< http://spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/categories.php> (26 September 2008)
The Tolkien Gateway“Home”. The Tolkien Gateway.
<http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Main_Page>“Characters”: The Tolkien Gateway.
<http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Characters>
vm-caps.com – Veronica Mars Screencaps“Home”. vm-caps-com.
<http://vm-caps.com/caps/index.php> (3 October 2008)“Season 1”. vm-caps-com.
<http://vm-caps.com/caps/index.php?cat=2> (3 October 2008)
vm-fic.com“Home”. vm-fic.com.
<http://www.vmfic.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=cfd4c688f1d06bc3104ab1ff5a1ddda7>(25 September 2008)“Authors”. vm-fic.com.
<http://www.vm-fic.com/authors.php?list=authors> (25 September 2008)

144
Veronica Mars Transcripts“Home”. VM Transcripts.
<http://vmtranscripts.com/> (5 May 2008)“Season 1”. VM Transcripts.
<http://vmtranscripts.com/Season_1/> (5 May 2008)“Season 2”. VM Transcripts.
<http://vmtranscripts.com/season_2/> (5 May 2008)“Season 3”. VM Transcripts.
<http://vmtranscripts.com/season_3/> (5 May 2008)“1.01 Pilot”. VM Transcripts.
<http://vmtranscripts.com/Season_1/1_01_pilot/> (11 May 2008)
Whedonesque - Joss The Way We Like It“Home”. Whedonesque.
<http://whedonesque.com/> (6 May 2008)“About Whedonesque”. Whedonesque.
<http://whedonesque.com/?read=about> (6 May 2008)“Archives”. Whedonesque.
<http://whedonesque.com/?archive=current> (6 May 2008)“Recent Comments”. Whedonesque.
<http://whedonesque.com/comments/list> (6 May 2008)

Films
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Best of Buffy Collection 4. Spike. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar,
Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Marc Blucas, Emma Caulfield, Michelle
Trachtenberg, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head. Production: Mutant Enemy
Inc. / Kuzui Enterprises Inc./ Sandollar Television Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox
Television 1997, 1998, 2000. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2003.
Running Time: 180 minutes (4 episodes).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season One Collection. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast: Sarah
Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, David
Boreanaz, Anthony Stewart Head. Production: Mutant Enemy Inc. / Kuzui
Enterprises Inc. / Sandollar Television Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Television
1996, 1997. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 2007. Running Time: 440
minutes (12 episodes).

145
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season Two Collection. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast: Sarah
Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, David
Boreanaz, Anthony Stewart Head. Production: Mutant Enemy Inc. / Kuzui
Enterprises Inc./ Sandollar Television Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Television
1997. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 2005. Running Time: 479
minutes (22 episodes).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season Four Collection. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast:
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Marc Blucas, James
Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head. Production: Mutant Enemy Inc. / Kuzui
Enterprises Inc./ Sandollar Television Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Television
1999,2000. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 2005. Running Time: 479
minutes (22 episodes).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season Five Collection. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast:
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Marc Blucas, Emma
Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head.
Production: Mutant Enemy Inc. / Kuzui Enterprises Inc./ Sandollar Television Inc.
and Twentieth Century Fox Television 2000,2001. Twentieth Century Fox HomeEntertainment 2005. Running Time: 479 minutes (22 episodes).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season Six Collection. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast: Sarah
Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Emma Caulfield, Michelle
Trachtenberg, James Marsters. Production: Mutant Enemy Inc. / Kuzui Enterprises
Inc./ Sandollar Television Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Television 2001, 2002.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 2005. Running Time: 479 minutes(22 episodes).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season Seven Collection. Creator: Joss Whedon. Cast:
Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Emma Caulfield,
Michelle Trachtenberg, James Marsters. Production: Mutant Enemy Inc. / Kuzui
Enterprises Inc./ Sandollar Television Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Television
2002, 2003. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 2005. Running Time: 479
minutes (22 episodes).
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars. Die komplette erste Staffel. Creator: Rob Thomas. Cast: Kristen Bell,
Percy Daggs III, Teddy Dunn; Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Enrico Colantoni.
Production: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. 2008. Running Time: 935 minutes(22 episodes).
Veronica Mars. Die komplette zweite Staffel. Creator: Rob Thomas. Cast: Kristen
Bell, Teddy Dunn, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Ryan Hansen,
Kyle Gallner, Tessa Thompson, Enrico Colantoni. Production: Warner Bros.
Entertainment Inc. 2008. Running Time: 930 minutes (22 episodes).
Veronica Mars. The complete third season. Creator: Rob Thomas. Cast: Kristen Bell,
Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Julie Gonzalo, Chris Lowell, Tina
Majorino, Michael Muhney, Enrico Colantoni. Production: Warner Bros.
Entertainment Inc. 2005. Running Time: 930 minutes (22 episodes).

146

Online Images“Dead Lilly Kane”. Photo. vm-caps.com. 29 October 2005. (3 October 2008)<http://vm-caps.com/caps/thumbnails.php?album=32&page=4>“Pink Veronica”. Photo. vm-caps.com. 30 October 2005. (3 October 2008)<http://vm-caps.com/caps/thumbnails.php?album=33&page=6>“Punk Spike”. Photo. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gallery. 3 September 2007.
(3 October 2008) <http://buffy.fan-sites.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=76>“Surfer Logan”. Photo. Something-Happens.Com. 25 September 2006.
(3 October 2008)<http://something-happens.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=325>“Veronica 2.0”. Photo. vm-caps.com. 29 October 2005. (3 October 2008)<http://vm-caps.com/caps/thumbnails.php?album=30&page=5>“Victorian gentleman William”. Photo. buffy the vampire slayer screencaps.
29 January 2006. (3 October 2008)<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/thumbnails.php?album=24&page=2>“Victorian girl Elizabeth”. Photo. buffy the vampire slayer screencaps.
2 February 2006. (3 October 2008)<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/thumbnails.php?album=10&page=2>

147
7. IndexAuteur 11, 12
Breadcrumbs 71, 72, 109, 124, 125,
126, 127, 128, 131
Breakout character 17, 18, 19, 22
Canon 3, 14, 15, 16, 40, 43, 50, 53,
55, 61, 69, 107, 126, 128, 132
Character change 72, 73

Jenkins, Henry 1, 7, 8, 13, 14, 59, 61,
64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72,
133, 135, 141
Knowledge enhancement 69, 93, 94,
98, 102, 109
Knowledge restriction 70, 102, 103,
104, 105, 106, 108, 109

Character switch 72, 73, 104

LiveJournal 76, 86, 99, 106, 141, 142

Copyright Law 56, 57, 134, 141

LoVe 14, 40, 44, 49, 67, 69, 71, 72,

Cult TV 5, 6, 19

74, 75, 78, 80, 84, 86, 88, 92, 93,

CW 4, 6, 23

94, 108, 124, 126, 132, 133de Certeau, Michel 1, 13, 14, 133
Derivative work 56

Marsters, James 16, 19, 20, 21, 35,
54, 55, 144, 145

Disclaimer 57

Matchmakers 71, 117, 118, 124

Dohring, Jason 19, 23, 54, 55, 145

Media fandom 1, 2, 7, 11, 27, 132

Driscoll, Catherine 15, 16, 53, 134

Neptune Rising 13, 136, 142

Dual Perspective 64

Nochimson, Martha 24, 25, 132, 135

Elysian Fields 69, 71, 78, 141

O.T.P. (One True Pairing) 49, 55, 68,

Eradication of differences 70, 109

70, 72, 73, 80, 88, 93, 96, 97, 102,

Fan critic 59, 61

108, 109, 117, 124, 126, 127, 131

Fan Fascination 1, 2, 13, 14, 130, 133

OC (original character) 50

Fan Frustration 1, 13, 14, 86, 92, 133

Other, the 1, 8, 9, 36, 37, 38, 132

fanfiction.net 118, 138, 141

Otherness 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44,

Fangirl 945, 53, 75, 111, 114, 132, 133

Fanon 15, 16

Outsiderdom 25, 26, 27, 36, 37, 132

Focalisation 62, 63, 64

Pink Veronica 32, 146

Gellar, Sarah Michelle 3, 21, 144, 145

Pratchett, Terry 60

Hills, Matt 5, 6, 10, 11, 135

Pugh, Sheenagh 14, 15, 50, 53, 54,

Hobb, Robin 58, 59, 60

60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 69, 75, 133,

Hurt/Comfort (h/c) 62, 66, 68, 74, 84,

135

93, 94

Radway, Janice A. 44, 46, 47, 48, 49,
64, 66, 67, 78, 80, 82, 91, 98, 105,
112, 115, 116, 121, 136

148
Rice, Anne 9, 10, 12, 26, 56, 58, 60,
136

Transformative work 60
UPN 3, 4, 5

Rowling, Joanne K. 60

Veronica 2.0 32, 127, 146

Spuffy 14, 35, 40, 44, 49, 67, 69, 70,

WB 3, 4, 6

71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 78, 80, 83, 84,

Weakening 68, 74

92, 93, 94, 103, 104, 124, 130, 132,

Whedon, Joss 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 19, 20,

133, 139, 143

21, 57, 60, 136, 144, 145

Synergistic Couple 25

Whedonesque 5, 12, 136, 144

The Bronze 11, 12

Williamson, Milly 6, 9, 10, 11, 20,

The Spuffy Realm 69
Thomas, Rob 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 22,
23, 31, 57, 135, 136, 145

25, 26, 136, 137

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8. Appendix
Figure 1: “Pink Veronica”<http://vm-caps.com/caps/displayimage.php?album=33&pos=587>
Figure 2: “Veronica 2.0”

<http://vm-caps.com/caps/displayimage.php?album=30&pos=488>

Figure 3: “Punk Spike”<http://buffy.fan-sites.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=76&pos=9>

150

Figure 4: “Surfer Logan”<http://something-happens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=325&pos=0>

Figure 5: The Spuffy Realm typical preface
Careless Memories by Peta [Reviews - 161]
Response to BSV challenge #1, during the the Episode "Harsh Light of Day" Buffy
falls asleep one night and becomes comatose for three days. During that time she isasleep, she has a detailed slayer dream of the rest of the series and the full 5 seasonsof Angel. At first she thinks it is bull, but after her finale fight of the episode with
Spike she realizes the truth.
Spuffy General/Canon > General Fics
Characters: - Genres: Romance - Rating: NC-17 - Warnings: none - Chapters: 15
Published: 04/12/2005 - Updated: 01/22/2006 - Completed: - Words: 32326<http://www.spikeluver.com/SpuffyRealm/viewuser.php?uid=294>

151
Figure 6: LiveJournal typical preface
utsusemia:
veronicamarsfic

Monday, June 5th, 2006 08:00 pm
Fic: A Feather's Weight (Veronica/Logan) NC-17

Title: A Feather’s Weight
Author: Utsusemia (Lois Fogg)
Pairing/Character: Logan/Veronica, a little Wallace
Word Count: ~8,600
Veronica Mars Fiction
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Post 2.16 AU. How do you cope when you’ve done the unthinkable?
Spoilers: If you’ve seen through “The Rapes of Graff” you’re golden.
Warnings: Sex and language

Most author’s notes at the bottom, but I just wanted to thank everyone who responded to Basket
Case. I really loved reading all your reactions. Hope you like this one, too.
( Revenge is always more interesting than food. )Tags: logan, nc-17, utsusemia, veronica
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Joe Jackson
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11<http://community.livejournal.com/veronicamarsfic/tag/utsusemia>

Figure 7: “Victorian gentleman William”<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/displayimage.php?album=24&pos=137>

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Figure 8: “Victorian girl Elizabeth”<http://www.leavemethewhite.com/vampyr/displayimage.php?album=10&pos=117>

Figure 9: “Dead Lilly Kane”<http://vm-caps.com/caps/displayimage.php?album=32&pos=366>

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9. Abstract

Die vorgelegte Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit einem literarischen Genre, das im Bereich
von Fan Aktivitäten anzusiedeln ist, und im Internetzeitalter stetig an Bedeutung
gewinnt. Die Produktion der so genannten Fan Fiction spiegelt einerseits die
Faszination der Fans von ihrem bevorzugten Produkt wider, andererseits drückt sie
auch die Frustration aus, die sie empfinden, wenn ebendieses Produkt ihre
Erwartungen enttäuscht. Demnach ist die Produktion von Fan Fiction nicht nur
Ausdruck der Begeisterung der Fans, sondern stellt gleichzeitig deren Versuch dar,das Objekt ihrer Verehrung entsprechend ihrer Vorstellungen zu gestalten.

Das Medium Internet ermöglicht es, Gleichgesinnten aus aller Welt in Kontakt zu
treten und sich auszutauschen. Dieser Umstand vergrößert den Wirkungsbereich
dieser literarischen Form wesentlich. Durch das Internet erreicht Fan Fiction
umfangreiche Fan Gemeinschaften und beeinflusst deren Wahrnehmung und
Einstellung zum Objekt ihrer Faszination. Dabei ist es wichtig zu erkennen, dass essich bei dieser literarischen Form nicht um eine simple Kopie eines bereits
vorhandenen Produktes handelt. Da Fan Fiction nicht nur ein Ausdruck von
Faszination, sondern zu einem großen Teil von Frustration ist, zielt sie nicht darauf
ab das Objekt der Verehrung zu kopieren, sondern es entsprechend der Wünsche
seiner Anhänger zu verändern. Deshalb sind Fan Fiction Texte nicht als Abklatscheiner bereits vorhanden Vorlage zu betrachten, sondern als eigenständige literarische
Texte die lediglich auf einer Vorlage basieren.

Diese Arbeit untersucht, wie Fan Fiction Autoren mit bereits vorhandenen Vorlagenarbeiten und in ihre eigenen Werke integrieren. Anhand zweier zeitgenössischer
amerikanischer TV Serien – Buffy – Im Bann der Dämonen (BtVS) und Veronica
Mars (VM) – soll gezeigt werden, wie Autoren von Fan Fiction die Figuren ihrer
Lieblingsformate

manipulieren,

um

sie

den

Vorstellungenheterosexueller

romantischer Ideale anzupassen. Der erste Teil beschäftigt sich daher mit der
Produktion von Fan Fiction im Allgemeinen und mit den online Fan
Gemeinschaften, die dieses Genre produzieren; speziell mit denen, die sich den oben
genannten Serien verschrieben haben. Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass dasInteresse und die Faszination der Fans nicht den Serien selbst gelten, sondern sich154
auf deren Figuren gründen, widmet sich der erste Teil dieser Studie außerdem derUntersuchung jener Figuren. Der zweite Teil wendet sich dann der genaueren
Analyse ausgewählter Fan Fiction Texte zu. Die Untersuchung von BtVS und VM
Fan Fiction mit romantischem Inhalt soll Aufschluss darüber geben, wie Fan Fiction
Autoren in ihren Werken mit Figuren arbeiten, die bereits auf einer Vorlage basieren.
Es ist das Ziel dieser Arbeit, eine Typologie der Figurenformationsprozesse inromantischer Fan Fiction basierend auf episodischen Fernsehserien zu erstellen.

Obwohl bis jetzt noch kein Klassifikationsmodell dieser Art existiert, überschneidet
sich

das

vorliegende

Schemanotwendigerweisemitanderenliteraturwissenschaftlichen und kulturwissenschaftlichen Ansätzen. Letztendlichhandelt es sich hierbei jedoch um den Versuch, ein eigenständiges theoretisches
Klassifikationsmodell zur Analyse der Figurenformation in romantischer Fan Fiction
zu erarbeiten.

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10. Curriculum Vitae

Name:

Manuela Scherf

geb.:

22.06.1984

Geburtsort:

Mödling, NÖ

Schul-/Ausbildung:

1990 - 1994 Volksschule Münchendorf
1994 - 2002 BG Bachgasse, Mödling
Reifeprüfung am 31.05.2002
2001 Higher Intermediate Course in English,
Monkstown Park Language & Activity Centre, Dublin.
Ab WS 2002 Diplomstudium der Anglistik undAmerikanistik an der Universität Wien.
SS 2003 Common Final Test in English, nach IELTS.
Ab WS 2003 zusätzlich Diplomstudium
Germanistik an der Universität Wien.

der

Ab SS 2005 weiterführender Sprachkurs in Spanischam Sprachenzentrum der Universität Wien.
Sommer 2004 Praktikum im Selene-Verlag in Wien.
Sommer 2006, 2007 und 2008 Mitarbeit am Institut fürJugendliteratur.