Interview with Michael Frank, creator of Nyah!Fanfiction

Michael Frank, also known as Seiji, is the CEO of Nyah!Fanfiction, the first Brazilian fanfic platform. He created the website with the intention of it just being a place where his friends could post their stories, but ended up becoming one of the pioneers on the introduction of fanfics to the Brazilian public, given that, till then, the majority of the platforms were foreign.

Michael’s work with Nyah!Fanfiction was really important for the many Brazilians that had an interest in writing fanfic. The website, founded in november of 2005, was where these young people found a space to publish their stories, interact with people that shared their interests, and even acquire a taste for reading and writing that would then be taken for the rest of their lives. After a decade in use, those who benefitted from the platform, be it through writing and reading fanfics, or entering a community of people with similar tastes, can still be found.

Now, in order to attend the demands of the current public, a successor to Nyah! was created: +Fiction. In it, you will find the stories that were already available on Nyah!, but with a new web design (that is still under construction). If you would like to help with this update, click here and find out how to donate.

#1 - How did you get into the world of fanfiction?

I was introduced to this world through friends that used to write anime fanfics. At the time, the internet was still predominantly dial-up, and overall really slow. The current fast internet connection is bringing more and more services based on videos, like with YouTube and TikTok. When I was introduced to fanfics, forums were still really popular, just like other services predominantly based on text. It was a differente culture.

#2 - What motivated you to create “Nyah!”?

When speaking to a friend, she said she posted on international fanfic websites because she couldn’t find brazilian options, and felt the lack of a national community. I was already interested in programming, and decided to face this challenge.

#3 - How do you define the term fanfiction? Is it necessary that the content be free of charge, available between fans?

Fanfiction is a way for fans to express their love for the original work. Fanfic authors gift other fans with new adventures, new romances, and different endings. I think that’s priceless, it shouldn’t be monetized.

#4 - What were the biggest changes you noticed in the fanfiction community over the years with “Nyah!”, and currently with “+Fiction”?

The change I noticed wasn’t with the community, but with the public’s age. The technologies and the internet access changed. When I created Nyah, there weren’t smartphones like the current ones. Now, it’s common to see people younger and younger with a phone in hand.

#5 - In your opinion, what are the best qualities and flaws of the fanfiction community?

The best quality that the public that consumes fanfics has is their passion for the original work. The fans dedicate many hours reading and writing fanfics. This passion sometimes exceeds rationality, and we end up with petty fights, like people criticizing a fanfic author for “shipping” a couple they disagree with.

#6 - What do you believe to be fundamental in the creation of a fanfic platform?

Nyah started out as a hobby, but as the years went on, I had the pleasure of witnessing a positive impact in many people’s lives. It’s a place to find people that love the same shows, the same books, the same anime. Many learn to love our language (portuguese), and some even graduate from Letras (in Brazil, the degrees dedicated to languages and literatures fall into a graduate course called “Letras”. Literally “Letters”) once they get into college. When making a fanfiction platform, it’s important to understand how it can affect people’s lives. I’m creating +Fiction aware of the site’s social role, aiming to encourage the public to express their creativity in a healthy environment.

#7 - What was the biggest challenge you faced when creating “Nyah!”?

The biggest challenge was the project’s unexpected growth. It was just a hobby, and I got happy watching the website grow, but it came to a point where I couldn’t pay for the site’s costs by myself. In the beginning, I would pay about R$30 (~US$5) monthly on a shared website hosting. Today, we have a more expensive and much more complex infrastructure.

A big project generates financial obligations, it needs the creation of a company, and the hiring of an accounting company. With technological evolution, it’s necessary to study all of that to implement those elements and provide an experience that matches the new reality.

It’s a lot of hurdles, a lot of responsibility, and a lot of work. It’s a gigantic effort.

#8 - How do you think copyright laws affect fanfiction?

Fanfic authors can’t commercialize their work, even after dedicating a considerable amount of time in creating. Thankfully that’s not an issue, since fans don’t write fanfics with profit in mind.

I believe copyright impacts Nyah and +Fiction more than their users. For instance, I already tried to submit an app to Google Store at least six times, but it’s always rejected because they claim copyright infringement.

#9 - How does “Nyah!” agree on the creation of new genres (such as lemon, adventure, or comedy) for authors to categorize their works? Are the most popular requests taken into consideration or not?

On Nyah, almost every genre requested is added, we only assess whether it’s (the genre) necessary or redundant. On +Fiction, I intend to reduce the genres to the most basic ones, turning the more fanfic characteristic ones into additional tags. I noticed that those new to fanfiction feel lost with so many specific terms, they don’t know what “lemon”, “orange”, or “deathfic” are. I want to tear down these initial barriers and make the first (fanfiction) experience more intuitive.

Link to +Fanfiction: https://pt.plusfiction.com/