Now that we've looked at the stories that fanfiction tells (and doesn't) about trauma, where should we go from here?
Really, we’ve already noted what is problematic, so here is just a distillation of some action items to improve fanfic’s handling of trauma.
Note: I’m not saying to stop writing h/c or savior or other potentially problematic narratives anymore, just do what fanfiction loves best: remix tropes, write stories that are subversions/deconstructions, and/or think about the deeper implications :)
AGENCY
Give characters more agency in response to their trauma.
Complicate savior narratives by letting the hurt character reach out for help once in a while instead of just suffering in silence until someone else notices.
Or, give them back agency after they are saved from a bad situation by letting them take charge of parts of their recovery process.
I was also going to advise letting characters rescue themselves sometimes, but then I thought about it more and realized that fanfic is actually really good at that.
(Those stories where Tony (Iron Man) gets kidnapped and his idiot kidnappers let him near their tech and he explodes their entire base to escape are beautiful.)
Example fic: Four (Or Five) Reasons for Kidnapping Tony Stark by scifigrl47
The last way to give characters more agency is by focusing on both the importance of community support to healing and also individual effort.
Focusing too heavily on community turns into comfort without actual healing, and focusing too much on individual effort puts the responsibility for healing (and trauma) on individuals, rather than communities and systems. A balance of the two is nice.
POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH
A lot of fics, especially superhero fics, are at their core stories about trauma and what happens after.
Like with really digging in and exploring the negative effects of trauma, let’s bring the positive effects to light as well.
Subvert narratives of deficit and make post-traumatic growth overt.
Name it. Have characters discuss or reflect on it. Tag “post traumatic growth” on works.
NEGLECTED STORIES
Make space for stories of female sexual assault.
Make it clear that microaggressions and racism are traumatic too.
Don’t always place the burden of trauma and recovery on individuals or individual situations.
Acknowledge the systemic causes of certain traumas and the need for social change, ‘cause it’s hard to heal from trauma when you and your community is being repeatedly harmed.
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** For more: slide 6 of Therapy Narrative
Conclusion
Really, fanfiction is currently one of the best existent media spaces for representing trauma in a holistic and productive way.
Let’s take it a step further, and use the fact that anyone can write and put their ideas out there to really discuss trauma and make fanfiction an even better space for the representation of trauma and education about it.