2. Shakespeare sometimes wrote fanfiction

Fanfiction is the technique of writing stories that are based on characters that already exist (from someone else’s work). You borrow the traits of the character and build a story around it. The stories and events are not copied, just the traits of the character. Many people do not know that some of Shakespeare’s stories are based on fanfiction. In fact he is considered to be the first writer to introduce fanfiction.

PHOTO: Teacher Press

Much of Shakespeare’s early writings are not original. He frequently borrows characters, sometimes from real life current events and would write a story around it. Did you know that Romeo and Juliet was originally an Italian love story, borrowed and converted into play by Shakespeare!