Dubourg and Baumard (D&B) wonder why people invest resources to consume imaginary worlds-fiction. Here, we wonder why people invest time and effort creating imaginary worlds. We use Fanfiction as a case study. Fanfiction is a form of creative literature where the writer explores plot gaps and alternatives in the original story to elaborate an imaginary world colored with her own values and thoughts (Black, Reference Black2005). The creative work in Fanfiction involves a continuous remodeling of the characters (Black, Reference Black2007) and plot changes involving more than one topic at the same time (Bahoric & Swaggerty, Reference Bahoric and Swaggerty2015). This dynamic creative process results from the interaction of writers with other fans through a massive spread of Fanfiction through the Internet (Lankshear & Knobel, Reference Lankshear and Knobel2006). Indeed, as the writer of Fanfiction transforms the original story into her own fanfic, the new story can be refined by the readers of that fanfic too. The work of Fanfiction is further remodeled by exchanges between readers of the fanfic and fans of the original story resulting in new additions and changes (Mackey & Mcclay, Reference Mackey and Mcclay2008). Finally, in order to gain better visibility, the fanfic created is sometimes overseen by beta-readers, who provide feedback before it is published on the web. Overall, Fanfiction is a highly dynamic creative process and requires a continuous engagement.

Why do people spend time and effort creating imaginary worlds as in the case of Fanfiction? One characteristic aspect of Fanfiction is exploration. Fanfiction writers are “curious” explorers insofar as they go beyond the original story (“the canon”; Black, Reference Black2005) and exhaust its options to create new imaginary worlds through writing. For example, in “crossovers,” two pre-existing imaginary worlds are combined to generate new plots and interactions between characters (Samutina, Reference Samutina2016). However, this exploration arises out of an interest for an inner world that the story provides. Writing fanfics promotes a knowledge of oneself (personal exploration) and also of other people (Black, Reference Black2007). This kind of exploration involves the engagement with characters that evolve through the story and in their interactions (Thomas, Reference Thomas2011). This immersive experience may result in better insight of oneself and better abilities to think about others. The effects may be related to both reading and writing. Previous research suggests that reading and writing fiction can enhance our social skills and improve our abilities to face social and emotional difficulties and thus allows us to have better social interactions (Mar, Oatley, Hirsh, dela Paz, & Peterson, Reference Mar, Oatley, Hirsh, dela Paz and Peterson2006). Reading fiction also makes us allocate our attention to our emotions and other people's emotions (Oatley, Reference Oatley2012). As we pay close attention to the unfolding of the story and the characters that appear, we are drawn by what other's emotions are experimenting in the story. This may allow us to train our empathy skills. In clinical psychology, “therapeutic letters” are used to help people to better visualize their life events, their own inner conflicts and offer interpretations of conflicts that occur in relationships with other people (Wojcik & Iverson, Reference Wojcik and Iverson1989). The use of writing is a means to express emotions and even to deal with painful situations. Oncology patients that have participated in programs based on narrative therapy – where writing is used to express painful emotions – show a notable improvement in the management of chronic non-cancer pain (Oller & Carrillo, Reference Oller and Carrillo2020). The effects of reading and creating fiction have been suggested to rely on brain mechanisms that allow us to simulate hypothetical scenes, spaces, and mental states (Tamir, Bricker, Dodell, & Mitchell, Reference Tamir, Bricker, Dodell and Mitchell2016). While both reading and creating Fanfiction contribute to the development of social abilities, writing may permit an even higher development. Reading is a more passive activity than writing (Junker & Jacquemin, Reference Junker and Jacquemin2017) and writing implies a greater effort related to the craft of a new story and new characters (relative to the original work), and thus, imply a more active engagement (Samutina, Reference Samutina2016). Finally, Fanfiction may also enhance emotional regulation abilities in the reader. The story and characters allow us to draw parallels between fiction and real life, eliciting similar emotions in us (e.g., a relationship breakup; Oatley, Reference Oatley2012). Beyond that, since Fanfiction is such an immersive and engaging experience, it could induce emotional regulation through the interaction of readers and writers in a community. Fanfiction is a potent catalyst of social and emotional skills improvement, by means of its content (stories) and the form these stories are created and exchanged (interaction within the Fandom). It is this double character of Fanfiction that maybe boosts even more the development of social skills.

Developing social skills strongly impact our ability to relate to other people and to our environment. Our social skills facilitate the creation and maintenance of healthy relationships and provide us with social support (Barth, Reference Barth1988). The lack of social skills due to lack of development in early human upbringing can lead to disruptive behavior, mental problems, and poor academic performance in adolescence (Rinn & Markle, Reference Rinn and Markle1979). Thus, an individual with appropriate social skills can have less chances of having psychopathologies and will have better chances of fulfilling his or her life (Hosokawa & Katsura, Reference Hosokawa and Katsura2017). In response to D&B's question we wonder, why would people invest time and effort creating imaginary worlds? Fiction seems to allow better self-knowledge and knowledge of others. This in turn may impact our ability to form healthy relationships and in our quality of life. Fanfiction is characterized by members with a strong engagement toward their fellows and a community itself that also encourages the interaction and feedback between fans, readers, and writers (Bahoric & Swaggerty, Reference Bahoric and Swaggerty2015). Thus, exploration immersed in this massive interaction with others can compensate for any costs that creating new worlds might imply.