by Sydney Lauer and Georgine Revilloza

When two of my CCSU graduate students expressed enthusiasm for fanfiction, I asked if they would provide us an inventory and brief analysis of fanfiction based on Chaucer’s character, The Wife of Bath. They graciously complied and collaborated on this useful introduction. They also received permission to reproduce the fanart by Caitlyn Chellew, a former student of Susan Yager (Professor Emerita, Iowa State University).

Please see this introduction as a useful adjunct to Anna Wilson’s groundbreaking work on fanfiction and premodern literatures. There’s so much yet to be explored. –Candace Barrington

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Using the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale to unveil the appeal of fanfiction in academic and social conversation.

Part of an intertextual network, fanfiction is a work of fiction written by fans for other fans. These works pull from a source text or celebrity as a point of departure and are most commonly—but not always—distributed within spaces populated with members who share similar interests in fandoms, celebrities, or other fannish interests. These fans then metamorphose the source material to what most appeals to them, either deviating from or staying true to the source through such aspects as form and time period. Fanfiction and its variety add to academia, enhancing how we interpret source material and contributing to how readers, writers, and text intersect.

Chaucer, a canonical author, often engaged with widely circulated narratives, pulling what interested him and transforming them into The Canterbury Tales. Considered normal and admirable, this practice was employed by other notable writers such as Shakespeare, Milton, and more recently NYT bestselling authors Stephanie Meyer and Ali Hazelwood. Today, this would be considered fanfiction.      

In this pair of essays, Georgine explores The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale (WBPT) fanfiction currently in circulation, reporting on the ways WBPT can help us understand word count, length, and the variants of English used in fan-made works. Then, Sydney explores why fanfiction appeals to writers and readers alike. 

The Wife of Bath’s fanfiction: a fourteen-year retrospective of Archive of Our Own and FanFiction.Net

I must first establish my research’s cut-off date: December 12, 2022. I selected this date because it is when habireboo posted “Four weddings and a funeral,” the last WBPT fanfiction when I began writing this article. Coincidentally, Girlfrommarz published “Tonight with Chaucer the Wife of Bath,” the first WBPT fanfiction, on December 12, 2008, marking exactly fourteen years between the two works’ publication dates.

My research draws on works published on Archive of Our Own (AO3) and FanFiction.Net (FFN), leaving out other fanfiction-hosting sites. Readers can access works on AO3 and FFN without an account and locate WBPT fanfiction by using The Canterbury Tales sections on both sites. In contrast to these platforms, Wattpad, another popular fanfiction-hosting site, limits search results and thus access to stories from non-users. Despite my searching the tags “thewifeofbath” and “the wife of bath,” works irrelevant to WBPT flood Wattpad’s search results. These search issues spurred me to exclude Wattpad from my research data and instead hone in on more accessible archives.

In the Tales sections found in AO3 and FFN, I identified seventeen works of WBPT fanfiction by sixteen authors. Only one user, a_t_rain, authored two stories. I account for crossovers, crossposted works, tagged works, and untagged works.^[1] AO3 hosts twelve stories and FFN houses three. Because two stories are available on both sites, the total number of distinct stories is fifteen. For the purpose of demonstrating the fanfiction that currently lives online, I do not include deleted works even with access to tools such as the Wayback Machine.^[2]

Certain fanfiction categories dominate others. The thirteen non-crossovers, for example, eclipse the mere four crossovers in number, the crossovers including but not limited to the epic Beowulf and the British sci-fi show Torchwood. This example indicates a trend of WBPT fanfiction authors refraining from intersecting fandoms.

The pattern partially stems from students. Per either fanfiction summaries or authors’ notes, six authors have explicitly stated their works to originate as school or university assignments, suggesting a degree of inflexibility in deviating from instructor guidelines and including other fandoms. I will refer to these as “academic fanfiction.” The other ten authors do not disclose their work as homework, and I will refer to them as “non-academic fanfiction.” Two of these writers have even written WBPT stories for Yuletide, an annual fanfiction exchange dedicated to niche fandoms.^[3] Together, the silence regarding whether the fanfiction is homework and the participation in a fandom exchange suggest these ten authors have written out of their own volition. Therefore, most writers intend their work as fanfiction rather than doubling as assignments.

While none of these seventeen works surpass the Tales‘s length, WBPT fanfiction’s average word count, excluding outliers across this and other calculations, stands at 3,399 words — the length of a typical short story. Fanfiction fitted for assignments lower the average. Again likely restricted by homework instructions, six academic fanfictions average to 823 words, similar to flash fiction’s word count. The average of the eleven non-academic works significantly outnumbers academic’s average, coming to 4,863 words per fanfiction.

All WBPT fanfiction uses English, which is perhaps due to the Tales‘s original language, yet one work deviates from the norm by interspersing words from Romanized Sanskrit. In “Mrs. Badrinath on the Kailash Yatra,” Cherepashka sprinkles in Sanskrit terminology such as “yatra” (meaning “journey” or “pilgrimage”) and “shilabalika” (referring to big-breasted, female sculptures reoccurring in some Indian temple architecture).^[4] Cherepashka’s use of Sanskrit enhances the fanfiction’s Himalayan setting as the Wife embarks on what the author tags as a “Hindu Pilgrimage.”^[5] Despite Chaucer being predominantly read in English, WBPT fanfiction shows how his intelligence can thrive in other languages.

Every author writes in Present Day English (PDE), but Middle English (ME) appears on occasion. Parodying the American TV crime drama Murder, She Wrote, sistermagpie’s “Mordre, She Wroot” plays with ME primarily in the title. ME lacks a dominant presence in sistermagpie’s story, yet dialogue such as “God clepeth folk to him in sondry ways” signals ME’s usage.^[6] “The Seconde Tale of the Wyf of Bathe” author Beth H (bethbethbeth) also lightly smatters in ME, penning the word “certes” in between paragraphs bursting with PDE.^[7] ME’s presence, however small, links WBPT and its fanfiction together.

Form also varies. Nine authors, such as CalumcGee and sistermagpie, use prose, cementing this style as most common in WBPT fanfiction. In comparison, only three authors, such as Girlfrommarz, favor playscript, ranking this form the least popular.

Four writers gravitate towards poetry, though the type of poetry differs. In “One Horny Poet,” TheClergy writes in limericks, a form known for its bawdy humor, as shown in the following example:

Chaucer is one horny poet

Full of seed and eager to grow it

The Wife of Bath’s hips

The Parson’s sweet lips

Both excellent places to sow it^[8]

In contrast to TheClergy, “The Wife of Bath’s Second Tale” author mizelisa attempts to emulate Chaucer when writing in non-metered rhyming couplets, though her lines steer away from iambic pentameter: “And so through the pilgrims who did laugh / Came the voice of the good Wife of Bath.”^[9] Both works make a nod to Chaucer’s style by presenting in poetic form. Nonetheless, his use of verse does not restrict authors from exploring prose and play scripts when writing fanfiction.

Variety blooms from WBPT fanfiction archived in AO3 and FFN. Across fourteen years and seventeen works, the data demonstrates writers’ preferences: non-crossover, prose works written in PDE, averaging around 3,000 words. Still, the same data illuminates how authors differ in crossovers, word count, language, English variants, form, and, for example, whether the text is intended as homework or not. Fanfiction thus paves many paths for authors to explore in their creative pilgrimage. The data exposes the vacuum of fanfiction oriented to replicate Chaucer’s style, challenging anyone to fill in that gap or fight against the grain by transforming WBPT into a work almost completely their own.

So why fanfiction? The academic, social, and literary appeal of fanfiction in the realm of academia and beyond

While we’ve discovered what’s out there in terms of WBPT fanfiction, we have yet to explore why reading or writing fanfiction has become an increasingly popular way to engage with texts. Surrounded by negative stigma and deemed “not real literature,” fanfiction has not only grown in popularity but the bad reputation surrounding it has been slowly dissolving over the last several years. Even New York Times bestselling authors, such as Stephanie Meyer (Twilight), Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments), and Ali Hazelwood (The Love Hypothesis) have stated their most popular novels or franchises began as fanfiction. So why do people decide to read or write fanfiction? What does fanfiction bring to the table, and what is its role in academic study?

The process of consuming fanfiction, either by reading or writing, offers these possible satisfactions: It provides closure to fans wanting more after they reach the conclusion of a text or the frustrating cliffhanger of an unfinished series. Writers can complete cliffhangers based on their interpretations of the original text, using their knowledge of the canon world—what fans generally agree on what happens in the source text—to build on the plot and characters already set in place by the original creator.^[10] Fanfiction can also comfort readers looking for an alternate ending to a favorite TV show, movie, or novel. For example, what if the Wife of Bath never left on the pilgrimage to Canterbury? What would happen if she remained married to her first, second, third, or even fourth husband rather than being married a fifth (and potentially sixth) time? Fanfiction also provides writers and readers with a means to explore the endless possibilities set in place in the text’s canon world and make it their own. While fanfiction has not always been popular in academic spaces due to its status as “low-culture,” it has allowed both readers and writers to further explore the complexities and nuances of their favorite characters or worlds. Alisoun’s story does not need to remain in the confines of WBPT but can be explored beyond her pilgrimage to Canterbury, as explored in fics such as “The Wife of Bath’s Second Tale ” written by mizelisa on Archive of Our Own. 

The addition of AUs, or Alternate Universes, perpetuates the complexity of what is considered canon. AUs is a descriptor used to characterize fanworks that change or alter one or more elements of the original work’s canon.^[11] Popular AUs often take popular characters and thrust them into different situations, spanning from mundane coffeeshop AUs or complex alternate-ending AUs that throw the canon out the window. Members of fandoms often use AUs to explore characters in different contexts, or perhaps even merge them with different fandoms (called a crossover). One previously mentioned, such as “Mordre, She Wroot,” places Alisoun in a world reminiscent of the TV series Murder, She Wrote, where she solves the murder of one of the pilgrims. AUs can take characters out of the contexts of their worlds, plots, or even their own sense of self and transplant them into entirely new situations. Alisoun’s character can therefore be further explored in additional contexts outside of her brief story in The Canterbury Tales. These AUs add another layer of understanding to the source material, as they take elements of canon out of context and provide both fanfiction readers and writers the opportunity to investigate the nuances of the original text not previously explored.

Fanfiction is also not just a “for-fun” hobby that fans take up in their free time but hosts a variety of academic-based benefits for both reading and writing. Jacqueline Risch in “Not Just Lustful Literature: Self-Liberation through Fanfiction” argues that writing fanfiction still facilitates the necessary planning, techniques, and skills within the writing process that can be used in academic writing. While fanfiction is mostly creative writing, writers can play with style, organization, and audiences. As Georgine Revilloza details in her section, fanfiction can be academic assignments in addition to non-school-related projects.

Reading fanfiction, while it is not taken as seriously as traditionally published original works, is still reading. The greatest way for students to develop their reading skills is to read regularly. Students can discover what works in well-written fanfiction, such as plots, tropes, and other literary techniques also found in traditionally published original works read in literature classes. By reading fanfiction, students can draw connections, make predictions, and even explore themes, symbols, and motifs. They can later apply these skills to academic reading. Because fanfiction can function as “training wheels” for readers and writers, it is a fluid network of creative work that offers immediate gratification through the sharing of writing with others.^[12]

While the source texts or real-life intrigue can vary, most people flock to fanfiction for similar reasons, such as providing closure to cliffhangers or deep-diving into the complexities of characters not otherwise explored in the source material. Reading a novel, a whole book series, or even a movie or TV show franchise only shows us a fraction of the world the writers of these texts have created. Fanfiction writers aim to expand upon the ideas, characters, or world-building within the canon universe. Using the source text as a “base,” or “jumping-off point,” writers of fanfiction have the opportunity to question essentializing narratives and embrace the distortion of the canon universe–the original plot and worldbuilding set in place by the source text’s author–or even take them out of context. Some just want to see their favorite characters live a happy ending; others are perfectly content writing a 200,000-word slow burn in which every favorite character in a certain fandom never finds happiness ever again.^[13]

Whether it is taken seriously or not, fanfiction has a lot to add to the table of academia and literature as a whole. Acting as a way for people to continuously engage with texts they love, the conversation never has to end.

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^[1] Also known as xover and cross-universe, a crossover is fanfiction that combines elements of two or more texts and fuses them into a singular work. “Crossover,” Fanlore, Organization of Transformative Works, last modified August 16, 2024, https://fanlore.org/wiki/Crossover.

^[2]  “Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, January 22, 2014, https://web.archive.org/web/20161129041949/http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Canterbury%20Tales%20-%20Geoffrey%20Chaucer/works. When researching deleted works, I discovered DaemonMeg’s “Scavenging for Dreams.” This fanfiction is shown in an AO3 Tales section snapshot from the Wayback Machine. This work has since been removed from AO3 at the time of writing this article. DaemonMeg did not tag “Scavenging for Dreams” with WBPT, but other untagged works have contained related content. Because “Scavenging for Dreams” itself is not archived, I cannot reject the possibility that this work would fall under WBPT fanfiction.

^[3] Morbane et. al., “Yuletide,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, December 17, 2009, https://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide.

^[4] Cherepashka, “Mrs. Badrinath on the Kailash Yatra,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, September 25, 2018. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16059587

^[5] See note 4 above.

^[6] sistermagpie, “Mordre, She Wroot,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, December 18, 2017, https://archiveofourown.org/works/13058556.

^[7] Beth H (bethbethbeth), “The Seconde Tale of the Wyf of Bathe,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, December 25, 2008, https://archiveofourown.org/works/90161.

^[8] TheClergy, “One Horny Poet,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, November 20, 2019, https://archiveofourown.org/works/21501718.

^[9] mizelisa, “The Wife of Bath’s Second Tale,” Archive of Our Own, Organization of Transformative Works, October 10, 2019, https://archiveofourown.org/works/21162041.

^[10] Canon is a source, or sources, considered authoritative by the fannish community. In other words, canon is what fans agree “actually” happened in a film, television show, novel, comic book, or concert tour. Specific sources considered canon may vary even within a specific fandom. “Canon,” Fanlore, Organization of Transformative Works, March 7, 2024, https://fanlore.org/wiki/Canon.

^[11] Samutina, Natalia, “Fan Fiction as World-Building: Transformative Reception in Crossover Writing,” Continuum 30, no, 4 (2016): 433.

^[12] Risch, Jacqueline, “Not Just Lustful Literature: Self-Liberation through Fanfiction,” Rhetorikos (blog), Accessed March 29, 2024, https://rhetorikos.blog.fordham.edu/?p=1712.

^[13]A fandom is a group of fans, participating in fan activities and interacting in some way, whether through discussions or creative works…Fans of a fandom may or may not group together into fan communities, and this largely depends on how the fan understands the term itself. “Fandom,” Fanlore, Organization of Transformative Works, June 24, 2024, https://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom.

Bibliography

Beth H (bethbethbeth). “The Seconde Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.” Archive of Our Own.
Organization of Transformative Works. December 25, 2008.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/90161.

“Canon,” Fanlore. Organization of Transformative Works. March 7, 2024.
https://fanlore.org/wiki/Canon.

“Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer.” Archive of Our Own. Organization of Transformative Works. January 22, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129041949/http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Canterbury%20Tales%20-%20Geoffrey%20Chaucer/works

Cherepashka. “Mrs. Badrinath on the Kailash Yatra.” Archive of Our Own. Organization of Transformative Works. September 25, 2018. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16059587.

“Crossover.” Fanlore. Organization of Transformative Works. Last modified August 16, 2024. https://fanlore.org/wiki/Crossover.

“Fandom,” Fanlore. Organization of Transformative Works. June 24, 2024. https://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom.

mizelisa. “The Wife of Bath’s Second Tale.” Archive of Our Own. Organization of Transformative Works. October 10, 2019. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21162041.

Morbane et. al. “Yuletide.” Archive of Our Own. Organization of Transformative Works. December 17, 2009. https://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide.

Ray, Megan. “Why We Should Be Fans of Fan Fiction.” The New York Times. June 26. 2023. sec. The Learning Network. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/26/learning/why-we-should-be-fans-of-fan-fiction.html.

Risch, Jacqueline. “Not Just Lustful Literature: Self-Liberation through Fanfiction.” Rhetorikos (blog). Accessed March 29, 2024. https://rhetorikos.blog.fordham.edu/?p=1712.

Samutina, Natalia. “Emotional Landscapes of Reading: Fan Fiction in the Context of Contemporary Reading Practices.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 20, no. 3 (May 1, 2017): 253–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877916628238.

———. “Fan Fiction as World-Building: Transformative Reception in Crossover Writing.” Continuum 30. no. 4 (2016): 433. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877916628238.

sistermagpie. “Mordre, She Wroot.” Archive of Our Own. Organization of Transformative
Works. December 18, 2017. https://archiveofourown.org/works/13058556.

TheClergy. “One Horny Poet.” Archive of Our Own. Organization of Transformative Works. November 20, 2019. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21501718