When ChatGPT can whip up a whole plot in 20 seconds, Unglossed explores how AI is impacting fan fiction.
Fanfiction is a huge genre in its own right. But gone are the days of anonymous, intensely talented Reddit authors crafting unique, engaging and interesting alter universes and outcomes for your favourite characters. Now, with a couple clicks you can have ChatGPT write you one in whatever style pleases you most. Now, I’m not saying this doesn’t count as “real” creativity, but relying on a tool trained system does of course run the risk of losing personal voice.
Fun fact: The Amazon Prime movie’s ‘After’ and ‘The Idea of You’ both originated from Reddit fan fictions written about Harry Styles. And there are people, like the authors of these fanfics (turned successful franchise’s), who have a genuine talent for creating a world which people connect and identify with.
Any of your wildest “what if’s” can be instantly laid out in front of you. Ever wondered what would happen if Harry Potter was put in Slytherin? Here’s ChatGPT’s version of the first 2 chapters:
“Harry Potter and the Serpent’s Path”
A Slytherin Rewrite of Year One
Chapter One: The Sorting Shift
Harry Potter sat nervously on the three-legged stool, the Sorting Hat slipping down over his eyes. The voice in his head whispered, just like before:
“Hmm… tricky. Very tricky. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. A thirst to prove yourself… Oh my, yes. And such potential. You could do well in Slytherin…”
In the original timeline, Harry had begged “Not Slytherin!” But this time, curiosity took over. What if the rumors weren’t true? What if Slytherin wasn’t all bad?
“Slytherin,” Harry thought silently. “Let’s see what I can become.”
The Hat paused—delighted.
“Very well then. SLYTHERIN!”
Silence swept the Great Hall for half a second longer than it should have. Then the Slytherin table burst into applause. Draco Malfoy, who had already been sorted, was the first to stand and clap.
“Looks like we’ve got the famous Potter,” he whispered with a smirk as Harry sat beside him.
Chapter Two: Serpents and Shadows
Harry quickly realized that Slytherin House was not simply a den of bullies and pure-blood supremacists. Beneath the surface, it was full of ambition, cunning, and quiet strategy. Professor Snape was harder on him than ever—it seemed his fame still annoyed the man—but others, like Gemma Farley (Slytherin prefect), showed him the ropes. Even Blaise Zabini, aloof and quiet, treated Harry with a cautious respect.
Draco Malfoy, sensing the opportunity for influence, tried to form an alliance. But Harry, wise enough to keep his distance, remained polite yet independent. He didn’t reject Draco—but he didn’t follow him either. That confused and intrigued the other boy.
Meanwhile, Ron Weasley steered clear of him, clearly upset by Harry’s placement. Hermione was curious but wary.
And sure, it may not be ground breaking, but with a few more prompts we have a really riveting story on our hands. Anyone with an idea and internet connection can now generate pages of readable fanfic. This removes technical barriers (grammar, structure) and opens up storytelling to more people. But it also blurs authorship: Who “wrote” the story? The fan, or the machine?
Time for another CHATGPT special, this time lets see what would happen if Nesta and Cassian (from trending fantasy book series A Court of Thorns and Roses) got together after their first encounter:
Fanfic Title (Optional): “Ashes and Wings”
Setting: Post-War Velaris & House of Wind
Pairing: Cassian × Nesta
Timeline: After their initial tension-filled interactions in A Court of Wings and Ruin, before Nesta fully begins training.
Chapter 1: “Scars and Silence”
Chapter Goal:
Establish emotional distance and buried attraction between Cassian and Nesta; force them into physical proximity where underlying feelings begin to surface through tension and vulnerability.
Plot Outline:
- Opening Scene: Nesta isolates herself again in a dingy corner of the House of Wind, ignoring everyone’s invitations to join training or the Inner Circle.
- Cassian is sent (or volunteers) to bring her food—again. He doesn’t knock. She doesn’t thank him. There’s silence. Friction.
- Argument sparks when Cassian casually comments, “You’ll rot in this room before you face what’s outside.” Nesta fires back, using brutal words. Cassian doesn’t rise to the bait.
- Unexpected moment of softness: Nesta makes a quiet, almost imperceptible reference to the war—how quiet it is now. Cassian notices her hands trembling ever so slightly.
- Cassian shares a scar, not just physically (he shows an old wound from the war) but emotionally—he mentions someone he couldn’t save. It throws Nesta off.
- End scene: Cassian starts to walk out, but instead of slamming the door, he says softly, “You’re not the only one who came back broken.” Nesta doesn’t respond—but something in her eyes flickers.
Emotional Notes:
- Slow burn tension
- Subtle attraction under bitterness
- Nesta is hostile but shaken
- Cassian is patient but tired
Chapter 2: “The Dance of Blades”
Chapter Goal:
Nesta is challenged to physically engage for the first time since the war. Cassian pushes her boundaries—but also begins to understand her pain. A key spark of mutual respect begins to form.
Plot Outline:
- Opening Scene: Rhys, tired of her isolation, insists Nesta must begin some form of physical training or contribute to the court.
- Cassian agrees to train her—on the condition that she’s not forced. He brings the offer up to Nesta directly: “I’ll be in the training ring. Join me if you want.”
- Nesta surprises everyone—including herself—by showing up.
- Training scene: She’s stiff, angry, defensive. Cassian teaches with teasing precision, goading her into reacting. She eventually explodes in frustration—and lands a hit.
- Post-sparring moment: Breathless, flushed, she catches him looking at her—not just her body, but the storm behind her eyes. There’s a pause that almost turns into something more.
- Nesta says something self-deprecating, brushing off her effort. Cassian stops her and says, “You’re stronger than you think. And that scares the hell out of you, doesn’t it?”
- End scene: Nesta doesn’t deny it. They walk away in silence, side by side—but closer than they’ve ever been.
Emotional Notes:
- Tension evolves into reluctant respect
- Physicality increases emotional vulnerability
- First genuine connection moment (unspoken but powerful
Again, it’s not life- shattering, but it’s good. And it’s certainly more than any old Tom, Dick or Harry off the street could come up with. Plus ChatGPT did that in about 20 seconds, so with a couple tweaks we’d have a great story on our hands. For a human, that would be a couple hours of work, a cup of coffee and at least one bathroom break.
Beyond the “what if’s” of book and film fanfiction, you can venture into personal ultimate fantasy territory. Ever wondered what would happen if Harry Styles fell in love with you whilst you were in the crowd of one of his gigs? According to our friend, this is how it would go:
Scenario Title: “In the Crowd”
Setting:
A warm summer night. Harry Styles is performing at an outdoor venue—music pulsing through the night air, fans swaying, lights flickering like stars.
You weren’t even supposed to be here tonight. A last-minute ticket, a spontaneous “why not” decision after a long week, and here you were—tucked into the middle of the crowd, just close enough to see him clearly, but far enough that you could still get lost in the sea of strangers.
Then, it happened.
During the middle of “Love of My Life”, as the opening chords rippled through the crowd, Harry looked out over the sea of faces—and paused.
Just for a second.
His eyes landed on you.
He faltered—not enough for the crowd to notice, but enough that you saw it. Like he’d lost his breath for a beat. You blinked, wondering if you imagined it. But he held your gaze. And smiled.
Not the typical stage-smile—the wide, charming grin that made thousands scream. No, this was smaller. Slower. Like a secret. Like he was smiling just for you.
You looked behind you—no one. Just you. You raised an eyebrow slightly, your lips twitching with curiosity. His grin grew, eyes glinting with something unreadable.
He sang the next line and looked right at you.
“I don’t know you… but I want to.”
After the show, your friends teased you, said you were imagining it. But just as you were leaving, a security guard approached.
“Hi—are you [Your Name]?”
Your heart stopped. “Yes…”
He handed you a small card. Just a name. No number. Just four words, written in familiar, slanted handwriting:
“Backstage. I meant it.” —H.
You turned around, heart thudding. Could this really be happening?
*My personal favourite moment in that was “you look behind you, but there was no one there” because not sure about anyone else, but I have never EVER been at a concert and had no one behind me! And if you are so far back for there to be no one behind you, I’m pretty sure it would take a telescope and a half for Harry to spot you.
So far, it seems to be mostly book series fandom groups which are making the most of this tool, countless Reddit threads have people exploring all sorts of conspiracies. Fantasy genre fans appear especially committed, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed seeing them explore literally every avenue of what couples, dynamics and romantic moments could’ve or should’ve happened. Personally, I always wished that Lucien and Elaine would get together in A Court Of Thorns and Roses, so any fanfiction about that was particularly juicy for me.
Despite how fun that was, I can’t help but wonder if human creativity and machine mimicry is a really dangerous line to cross into. Whilst AI is democratizing authorship, it adds a level of complication- who is responsible for that piece of work? And when there are talented humans able to create these worlds, should we be turning to them instead of AI?
And honestly, I’m not really sure, so I asked ChatGPT what they thought (The irony, I know):
“Human fanfic writers bring unique voices, emotional depth, and a sense of community that AI can’t replicate—so they’ll always be the heart of fandom. But AI can be a helpful tool for personalized, on-demand stories or brainstorming ideas. Ideally, they complement each other, not compete.”
That sounds fair enough to me.
