"McDreamy, McSteamy, and McConnell"
One specific section of the article that really stuck out to me was when writer Amanda Savitt states that writing fan fiction, "made me feel like I had a little bit of control" (Savitt 9). Although I don't regularly engage in fanfiction content, I was reminded of instances where I finished a tv show or movie dissatisfied with the ending, and then found a fanfic piece online that introduced an alternate ending, one that was more satisfying or more in line with what I had hoped for. In this case, fanfiction offered the 'control' that Savitt mentions, allowing me to indulge in a parallel universe where the main character doesn't perish, or one where the story progresses to a happy ending. Fanfic not only benefits the fans, but also enlarges the world-building that the original writers had created. It offers fans a chance to be a part of the celebrity sphere, to investigate, manipulate, and generate content that has the potential to affect the celebrity itself. In several cases, fanfic can also inspire the creators, adding more depth into the story they are building, and showing them what fans want and don't want.
A good example of this is Korean media. As an avid viewer of Korean dramas, I've noticed that a good majority of Korean tv shows are filmed while it is airing, allowing for writers to make adjustments to the script based off of fan input and social media consensus. Smart writers would often drop hints of fan service in certain scenes, or expand upon certain storylines that are making waves on Korean social media.
In a sense, fanfic really does hold a certain type of 'power', which is why it was unsurprising to see the influence of fanfiction in the political sphere as well. Donald Trump is mentioned several times in the article, and for good reason; he is literally a gold mine for meme content and fanfic, due to his unique personality and tendency to make outlandish, bold public statements. I would even make the assertion that Trump not only recognizes his meme potential, but makes use of it through Twitter (a bit of a shame that he was banned), guaranteeing that he will shoot up to top three trending figures at any given time of the week.
It will be interesting to see the fanfic sphere evolve over time, as more and more creators are including fanfiction content as part of their mainstream content. Perhaps in the near future, we may see a tv show that is directed and written by the fans themselves, with scriptwriters looking towards fanfiction communities to further the plot.