This will be the final Force of the Pen column. It's long been my goal here to encourage the writing of fan fiction not for its own sake, but as a stepping stone to more literate work.
Fan fiction is one way to learn the basics.
Use it, but don't assume that this is all there is. So now, in this final installment of The Force of the Pen, I want to highlight the biggest reason why fan fiction is limiting and probably can't teach you all you need to know about crafting a great story. Following a character through his or her arc is more exciting than the greatest duel. There is no greater mystery than an internal conflict. And no act of heroism will endear a character to your audience so much as a paragraph examining the tough decisions that character must make and why.