Emma Kidwell, a writer for Firaxis Games, attributes her success to her roots in fanfiction. Initially creating stories on DeviantArt, her journey evolved from writing to role-playing, leading her to video games like Mass Effect. Kidwell's recognition includes being on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list, along with her participation in prestigious events like the IGF awards. She emphasizes that writing fanfiction provided her a valuable foundation for working with licensed character narratives, highlighting the evolving perception of fanfiction as a legitimate writing path, particularly for marginalized voices in the community.
"Writing fanfiction, it turns out, isn't so different from writing licensed characters. I'm role-playing when I'm writing Marvel IP for Firaxis; fanfiction gave me that foundation to build off of."
"The low barrier of entry made it very accessible. My bad, self-insert stories found a home on DeviantArt, where people posted fan art, original work, and so much more."
"I think because of fanfiction's relationship to marginalized communities, it wasn't initially seen as being a valid form of writing. Now it's a runway for careers."
"While fanfiction has often been considered a lower form of writing, some writers have turned their work into something profitable, as seen with E.L. James and her Fifty Shades series."
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