‘He’s so bad but he does it so well’: interviews with One Direction fans about writing romantic and erotic fiction online

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study focuses on interviews with fifteen writers of real person fiction – a type of fanfiction – about British boy band One Direction. Most interviewees began writing these romantic, often sexually explicit, stories between the ages of 12 and 16. Results indicate that many writers learned how to write about sex by reading other explicit One Direction real person fiction stories. This process functioned as a peer-led form of sex education for many writers, helping them to develop more detailed sexual scripts. Interviewees also emphasised the prevalence of ‘bad boy’ characters in their stories. Often, bad boys were sexually aggressive or emotionally manipulated the female protagonist. While writers knew these characters were ‘bad,’ many nonetheless found them appealing. A few interviewees reported seeking out bad boys in real life or tolerating a romantic partner’s bad behaviour because they had learned such behaviour was normal or desirable via their participation on Wattpad. The findings of this research suggest the need for updates to sexual super peer theory and sexual scripting theory in contemporary online contexts, as well as contribute to understanding of the impact of adolescents’ participation in online contexts involving sex.