163

JFS 2 (2) pp 163ndash180 Intellect Limited 2014

Journal of Fandom Studies Volume 2 Number 2

copy 2014 Intellect Ltd Article English language doi 101386jfs22163_1

Keywords

televisionfan fictionmetatextualitywritingfan practiceSupernaturalpleasure

KT TorreyVirginia Tech

writing with the

winchesters Metatextual

wincest and the provisional

practice of happy endings

AbsTrAcT

Soon after its premiere in 2005 the American television show Supernatural spawned an online fandom dedicated to lsquoslashingrsquo the showrsquos two protagonists brothers Sam and Dean Winchester that is to writing stories in which the brothers are portrayed as lovers Over time the existence of these slash narratives ndash affectionately dubbed lsquoWincestrsquo by the showrsquos fans ndash has been incorporated into the seriesrsquo diagesis Indeed in the wake of the programmersquos repeated forays into diegetic metatextuality some Supernatural fan writers have re-incorporated Sam and Deanrsquos canonized awareness of slash fiction back into Wincest stories themselves - specifically into the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious participants in Wincest fan culture Using Della Pollockrsquos notion of performative writing as a guide this essay will explore the distinctive types of encounters between reader writer and text that metatextual Wincest stories facilitate Further the appli-cation of this critical approach to three such narratives ndash nyoxcityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash highlights fan writersrsquo perception of their own creative author-ity within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural Ultimately this essay will argue that what makes metatextual Wincest stories distinct is their suggestion that only by working in concert with their

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 163 101014 24632 PM

KT Torrey

164

fans can Sam and Dean finally write their own version of a happy ending some-thing lsquothe show [itself] eternally defersrsquo ndash even if the lasting power of the ever-after they create together remains in the end uncertain (Tosenberger 2008 512)

I IntroductIon

Soon after its premiere in 2005 the American television show Supernatural ndash the story of Sam and Dean Winchester two deeply devoted brothers who have committed their lives to protecting people from supernatural creatures ndash spawned an online fandom dedicated to lsquoslashingrsquo the two brothers that is to writing stories in which Sam and Dean are portrayed as lovers As the show begins its tenth season the existence of these narratives affection-ately dubbed lsquoWincestrsquo by the showrsquos fans has long since become a defining feature of Supernaturalrsquos fandom While the series is not the first cult televi-sion programme to inspire slash fiction what is distinctive is the way in which both the existence of slash and the fan practices with which it is associated have been incorporated into the seriesrsquo diegesis

In the first and most significant of these incorporations Season 4rsquos lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo (418) the show introduced a metatextual version of itself ndash a series of pulp novels also called Supernatural ndash into the seriesrsquo primary narrative or canon Like the television series the Supernatural novels follow the self-sacrificing adventures of the Winchester brothers and also have their own fiercely loyal fanbase one that includes as Sam and Dean discover a small but vocal subset devoted to reading and writing Wincest In the wake of this episode and the seriesrsquo subsequent forays into diegetic metatextuality in later seasons some Supernatural fan writers have extended the Winchestersrsquo canonized awareness of slash fiction into the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious partici-pants in Wincest fan culture The central conceit of these stories is that it is through the brothersrsquo engagement in productive collaboration with their fans ndash by acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves ndash that Sam and Dean might write their way into as Catherine Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eternally defersrsquo (Tosenberger 2008 512) That is meta-textual Wincest narratives allow Sam and Dean to become what Della Pollock terms lsquoperformativersquo writers reimagined as not just the lsquosubject[s]object[s]rsquo of Supernaturalrsquos metatext lsquobut as [hellip] cowriter[s] co-constituent[s] of an uncer-tain provisional [hellip] practicersquo (1998 95)

An examination of three of these narratives ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash suggests that Pollockrsquos theory of performative writ-ing her emphasis on the sensual potential of words to engage in what she calls the lsquopoesis of making possiblersquo offers a model for reading the distinc-tive types of encounters between reader writer and text that metatextual Wincest facilitates (Pollock 1998 81) In these stories fan writers invite Sam and Dean to enter the seriesrsquo network of metatext as co-creators of their own meaning and inculcate the brothers into the process of reciprocal creation that has marked the relationship between the showrsquos official lsquocreative sidersquo and its fandom (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195) That is metatextual Wincest writers make the brothers an active lsquopart of the processrsquo of meaning-making around Supernatural in which fans themselves participate a move that reflects slash writersrsquo continued confidence in their own creative productive authority

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 164 101014 24652 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

165

1 AsofthesurveyrsquoscompletioninAugust2013nearly8000storiesweretaggedasSamDeanascomparedto20000taggedaslsquoSherlockHolmesJohnWatsonrsquoandthe15000workstaggedaslsquoCastielDeanWinchesterrsquothefirstandsecondmostpopularrelationshipsfeaturedonthesiterespectively

within the seriesrsquo metatext (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195) Ultimately the work of these Wincest writers suggests that the only way in which Sam and Dean will ever find a happy ending is if the brothers are able to with some assistance from their fans embrace their lsquoown creative powerrsquo and write that happiness for themselves ndash even if the lasting power of the ever after they create remains in the end uncertain (Fanspired 2011)

II lsquoDonrsquot they knowrsquo

On its face Supernatural is a programme with a simple premise brothers Sam and Dean Winchester roam Americarsquos back roads in a hot car fighting demons angels and everything in between At its core the series is the story of two men dedicated to in Deanrsquos words lsquosaving people hunting thingsrsquo (lsquoWendigorsquo) Although often contentious the brothersrsquo relationship is marked by its physical and emotional intimacy an effect of their unusually isolated upbringing When the boys are children their mother is burned alive by a demon pitching their father John into a dark transient life as a hunter of the supernatural one whose primary purpose ndash always just out of reach it seems ndash is to locate and destroy his wifersquos killer (lsquoPilotrsquo) As tagalongs on their fatherrsquos quest Sam and Dean spend much of their childhood with only the other for company Whether tucked into the backseat of their fatherrsquos beloved Chevy Impala or left alone for days in shoddy motels the boys learn from an early age that they are the only dependable constants in each otherrsquos lives

At 18 Sam breaks away from the family to attend college When John disappears a few years later however Dean turns to his brother for help Sam agrees to join the search but only after his beloved girlfriend is burned alive by a demon just like the boysrsquo mother (lsquoPilotrsquo) In their new-old lives as hunters the brothersrsquo relationship quickly falls back into old patterns of self-isolation and the elevation of family above all other concerns As before Sam and Dean spend most of their time alone together battling monsters slung in the front seat of the Impala and sleeping just an armrsquos length apart in a never-ending series of roadside motel rooms

The intense intimate nature of the brothersrsquo relationship helped give rise almost immediately after the showrsquos premiere to an online fandom devoted to slashing the Winchesters Through communities spread across sites like LiveJournal and in designated fan-created archives designed solely to house Supernatural fan fiction Wincest quickly became a key marker of the showrsquos fandom and remains so as the show enters its tenth season Writing in 2008 Catherine Tosenberger estimated that Wincest comprised fully 50 per cent of the fan fiction generated around Supernatural similarly an informal 2013 survey of the relationship tags on the mega-fan fiction site Archive of Our Own revealed that Wincest is the fourth most popular pairing on the site in terms of the number of stories identified by their authors as featuring a sexual relationship between Sam and Dean1 Despite its shared central premise then the sheer volume of Wincest fiction makes it difficult to characterize as a genre There is wide variation for example in the representation of and emphasis on explicit sexual content and debates continue among fans as to the relative importance in Wincest of the lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo aspect of brotherly incest as compared to the portrayal of a loving emotional bond between Sam and Dean (Road Rhythm 2011)

However Tosenberger argues that as a whole Wincest can be distinguished as a genre by its emphasis on creating a happy ending to the Winchestersrsquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 165 102014 25838 PM

KT Torrey

164

fans can Sam and Dean finally write their own version of a happy ending some-thing lsquothe show [itself] eternally defersrsquo ndash even if the lasting power of the ever-after they create together remains in the end uncertain (Tosenberger 2008 512)

I IntroductIon

Soon after its premiere in 2005 the American television show Supernatural ndash the story of Sam and Dean Winchester two deeply devoted brothers who have committed their lives to protecting people from supernatural creatures ndash spawned an online fandom dedicated to lsquoslashingrsquo the two brothers that is to writing stories in which Sam and Dean are portrayed as lovers As the show begins its tenth season the existence of these narratives affection-ately dubbed lsquoWincestrsquo by the showrsquos fans has long since become a defining feature of Supernaturalrsquos fandom While the series is not the first cult televi-sion programme to inspire slash fiction what is distinctive is the way in which both the existence of slash and the fan practices with which it is associated have been incorporated into the seriesrsquo diegesis

In the first and most significant of these incorporations Season 4rsquos lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo (418) the show introduced a metatextual version of itself ndash a series of pulp novels also called Supernatural ndash into the seriesrsquo primary narrative or canon Like the television series the Supernatural novels follow the self-sacrificing adventures of the Winchester brothers and also have their own fiercely loyal fanbase one that includes as Sam and Dean discover a small but vocal subset devoted to reading and writing Wincest In the wake of this episode and the seriesrsquo subsequent forays into diegetic metatextuality in later seasons some Supernatural fan writers have extended the Winchestersrsquo canonized awareness of slash fiction into the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious partici-pants in Wincest fan culture The central conceit of these stories is that it is through the brothersrsquo engagement in productive collaboration with their fans ndash by acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves ndash that Sam and Dean might write their way into as Catherine Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eternally defersrsquo (Tosenberger 2008 512) That is meta-textual Wincest narratives allow Sam and Dean to become what Della Pollock terms lsquoperformativersquo writers reimagined as not just the lsquosubject[s]object[s]rsquo of Supernaturalrsquos metatext lsquobut as [hellip] cowriter[s] co-constituent[s] of an uncer-tain provisional [hellip] practicersquo (1998 95)

An examination of three of these narratives ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash suggests that Pollockrsquos theory of performative writ-ing her emphasis on the sensual potential of words to engage in what she calls the lsquopoesis of making possiblersquo offers a model for reading the distinc-tive types of encounters between reader writer and text that metatextual Wincest facilitates (Pollock 1998 81) In these stories fan writers invite Sam and Dean to enter the seriesrsquo network of metatext as co-creators of their own meaning and inculcate the brothers into the process of reciprocal creation that has marked the relationship between the showrsquos official lsquocreative sidersquo and its fandom (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195) That is metatextual Wincest writers make the brothers an active lsquopart of the processrsquo of meaning-making around Supernatural in which fans themselves participate a move that reflects slash writersrsquo continued confidence in their own creative productive authority

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 164 101014 24652 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

165

1 AsofthesurveyrsquoscompletioninAugust2013nearly8000storiesweretaggedasSamDeanascomparedto20000taggedaslsquoSherlockHolmesJohnWatsonrsquoandthe15000workstaggedaslsquoCastielDeanWinchesterrsquothefirstandsecondmostpopularrelationshipsfeaturedonthesiterespectively

within the seriesrsquo metatext (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195) Ultimately the work of these Wincest writers suggests that the only way in which Sam and Dean will ever find a happy ending is if the brothers are able to with some assistance from their fans embrace their lsquoown creative powerrsquo and write that happiness for themselves ndash even if the lasting power of the ever after they create remains in the end uncertain (Fanspired 2011)

II lsquoDonrsquot they knowrsquo

On its face Supernatural is a programme with a simple premise brothers Sam and Dean Winchester roam Americarsquos back roads in a hot car fighting demons angels and everything in between At its core the series is the story of two men dedicated to in Deanrsquos words lsquosaving people hunting thingsrsquo (lsquoWendigorsquo) Although often contentious the brothersrsquo relationship is marked by its physical and emotional intimacy an effect of their unusually isolated upbringing When the boys are children their mother is burned alive by a demon pitching their father John into a dark transient life as a hunter of the supernatural one whose primary purpose ndash always just out of reach it seems ndash is to locate and destroy his wifersquos killer (lsquoPilotrsquo) As tagalongs on their fatherrsquos quest Sam and Dean spend much of their childhood with only the other for company Whether tucked into the backseat of their fatherrsquos beloved Chevy Impala or left alone for days in shoddy motels the boys learn from an early age that they are the only dependable constants in each otherrsquos lives

At 18 Sam breaks away from the family to attend college When John disappears a few years later however Dean turns to his brother for help Sam agrees to join the search but only after his beloved girlfriend is burned alive by a demon just like the boysrsquo mother (lsquoPilotrsquo) In their new-old lives as hunters the brothersrsquo relationship quickly falls back into old patterns of self-isolation and the elevation of family above all other concerns As before Sam and Dean spend most of their time alone together battling monsters slung in the front seat of the Impala and sleeping just an armrsquos length apart in a never-ending series of roadside motel rooms

The intense intimate nature of the brothersrsquo relationship helped give rise almost immediately after the showrsquos premiere to an online fandom devoted to slashing the Winchesters Through communities spread across sites like LiveJournal and in designated fan-created archives designed solely to house Supernatural fan fiction Wincest quickly became a key marker of the showrsquos fandom and remains so as the show enters its tenth season Writing in 2008 Catherine Tosenberger estimated that Wincest comprised fully 50 per cent of the fan fiction generated around Supernatural similarly an informal 2013 survey of the relationship tags on the mega-fan fiction site Archive of Our Own revealed that Wincest is the fourth most popular pairing on the site in terms of the number of stories identified by their authors as featuring a sexual relationship between Sam and Dean1 Despite its shared central premise then the sheer volume of Wincest fiction makes it difficult to characterize as a genre There is wide variation for example in the representation of and emphasis on explicit sexual content and debates continue among fans as to the relative importance in Wincest of the lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo aspect of brotherly incest as compared to the portrayal of a loving emotional bond between Sam and Dean (Road Rhythm 2011)

However Tosenberger argues that as a whole Wincest can be distinguished as a genre by its emphasis on creating a happy ending to the Winchestersrsquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 165 102014 25838 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

165

1 AsofthesurveyrsquoscompletioninAugust2013nearly8000storiesweretaggedasSamDeanascomparedto20000taggedaslsquoSherlockHolmesJohnWatsonrsquoandthe15000workstaggedaslsquoCastielDeanWinchesterrsquothefirstandsecondmostpopularrelationshipsfeaturedonthesiterespectively

within the seriesrsquo metatext (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195) Ultimately the work of these Wincest writers suggests that the only way in which Sam and Dean will ever find a happy ending is if the brothers are able to with some assistance from their fans embrace their lsquoown creative powerrsquo and write that happiness for themselves ndash even if the lasting power of the ever after they create remains in the end uncertain (Fanspired 2011)

II lsquoDonrsquot they knowrsquo

On its face Supernatural is a programme with a simple premise brothers Sam and Dean Winchester roam Americarsquos back roads in a hot car fighting demons angels and everything in between At its core the series is the story of two men dedicated to in Deanrsquos words lsquosaving people hunting thingsrsquo (lsquoWendigorsquo) Although often contentious the brothersrsquo relationship is marked by its physical and emotional intimacy an effect of their unusually isolated upbringing When the boys are children their mother is burned alive by a demon pitching their father John into a dark transient life as a hunter of the supernatural one whose primary purpose ndash always just out of reach it seems ndash is to locate and destroy his wifersquos killer (lsquoPilotrsquo) As tagalongs on their fatherrsquos quest Sam and Dean spend much of their childhood with only the other for company Whether tucked into the backseat of their fatherrsquos beloved Chevy Impala or left alone for days in shoddy motels the boys learn from an early age that they are the only dependable constants in each otherrsquos lives

At 18 Sam breaks away from the family to attend college When John disappears a few years later however Dean turns to his brother for help Sam agrees to join the search but only after his beloved girlfriend is burned alive by a demon just like the boysrsquo mother (lsquoPilotrsquo) In their new-old lives as hunters the brothersrsquo relationship quickly falls back into old patterns of self-isolation and the elevation of family above all other concerns As before Sam and Dean spend most of their time alone together battling monsters slung in the front seat of the Impala and sleeping just an armrsquos length apart in a never-ending series of roadside motel rooms

The intense intimate nature of the brothersrsquo relationship helped give rise almost immediately after the showrsquos premiere to an online fandom devoted to slashing the Winchesters Through communities spread across sites like LiveJournal and in designated fan-created archives designed solely to house Supernatural fan fiction Wincest quickly became a key marker of the showrsquos fandom and remains so as the show enters its tenth season Writing in 2008 Catherine Tosenberger estimated that Wincest comprised fully 50 per cent of the fan fiction generated around Supernatural similarly an informal 2013 survey of the relationship tags on the mega-fan fiction site Archive of Our Own revealed that Wincest is the fourth most popular pairing on the site in terms of the number of stories identified by their authors as featuring a sexual relationship between Sam and Dean1 Despite its shared central premise then the sheer volume of Wincest fiction makes it difficult to characterize as a genre There is wide variation for example in the representation of and emphasis on explicit sexual content and debates continue among fans as to the relative importance in Wincest of the lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo aspect of brotherly incest as compared to the portrayal of a loving emotional bond between Sam and Dean (Road Rhythm 2011)

However Tosenberger argues that as a whole Wincest can be distinguished as a genre by its emphasis on creating a happy ending to the Winchestersrsquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 165 102014 25838 PM

KT Torrey

166

story one the brothers can find only through a sexual relationship with one another Many Wincest narratives she notes present such a relationship as a source of pleasure and joy lsquoa joy that defies all codes of normative sexual-ity but has a profound depth and intimacy that epitomizes ideals of roman-tic loversquo (Tosenberger 2008 512) Indeed in the context of Sam and Deanrsquos harrowing world lsquocompared to their usual horrors consensual adult incest [hellip] starts looking relatively tamersquo (Tosenberger 2008 52) For Tosenberger this emphasis on romance on the happily-ever-after underscores what she identifies as lsquoSupernatural slash writersrsquo most significant subversion of the textrsquo it is lsquonot that they [fan writers] make things queer but that they make things happyrsquo (2008 15 original emphasis) In this way she argues Wincest narra-tives fundamentally undermine one of the showrsquos central premises ndash that Sam and Dean must suffer often in concerted attempts to prevent the anguish of the other ndash by allowing the brothers to find lsquothe comfort and happinessrsquo they deserve a kind of happiness Wincest stories assert that the brothers can find only by taking their already intense familial intimacy one step further (2008 15) Given the social and sexual taboos in popular culture it is highly unlikely that the Winchesters will ever become lovers within the showrsquos canon thus Wincest fans see their work according to Tosenberger as driven by a stub-born lsquoinsistence on giving Sam and Dean the happiness and fulfillment the show eternally defersrsquo (2008 512)

Rather than shy away from the gap between these two interpretive modes that of Wincest fiction and of Supernaturalrsquos primary narrative the seriesrsquo crea-tive team has incorporated the contested nature of the Winchestersrsquo meanings into the seriesrsquo diegeis pushing fan practices of interpretation and rescription from the margins and into Supernaturalrsquos canon The first and most critical of these incorporations came in lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo (418) wherein the episodersquos events force the brothers both to confront the exist-ence of an alternative interpretative community and to embody some of that communityrsquos practices in order to gain access to critical information

As lsquoMonsterrsquo begins the brothers accidentally discover that their adven-tures beginning with their reunion after Johnrsquos disappearance (the events of the seriesrsquo pilot) have been chronicled with alarming accuracy in a series of pulp novels ndash a series called Supernatural At first the Winchesters are alter-nately confused and bemused by this turn of events given that the narra-tive arc of Season 4 centred on the brothers preventing the Apocalypse the books present a novel problem as it were but not one that seems too serious However Samrsquos Internet searches for more information about the series reveal that the books have a small but rabid following including a vocal subculture of fans who write slash fiction about Sam and Dean While Sam is merely perturbed by this discovery Dean is outraged lsquoDonrsquot they know wersquore broth-ersrsquo he snaps lsquoThatrsquos just ndash thatrsquos just sickrsquo (lsquoMonsterrsquo)

Fundamentally the events of this episode complicate the brothersrsquo under-standing of their own subjectivity as Sam and Dean are forced to confront the notion that they truly are characters in someone elsersquos story As Suzette Chan notes this is not a concept with which the Winchesters are unfamiliar indeed lsquo[f]rom living under their fatherrsquos command to being infected with demon blood or resurrected by an angelrsquo she observes lsquoit has become clear that neither Sam nor Dean has an exclusive claim on his own body ndash or his fatersquo (2010 12) Still what makes the brothersrsquo discovery of the Supernatural novels and its fan-driven metatext unique is that these works make explicit the Winchestersrsquo lack of authority over their own lives That is these works

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 166 10714 10626 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

167

position Sam and Dean as lsquoobjects of fandomrsquo ostensibly fictional characters whose adventures trials and emotions are treated as fodder for an ongoing series of what the brothers see as unauthorized rewritings (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 160) Even the revelation that the author of the novels Chuck Shurley is an unknowing prophet of the Lord whose works will one day comprise what the angels call the lsquoWinchester Gospelsrsquo serves only to compound the brothersrsquo sense of their own objectification (lsquoMonsterrsquo) Overall the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo underscore the notion that the stories of Sam and Dean are no longer ndash perhaps have never been ndash wholly their own

However lsquoMonsterrsquo also affords the boys the opportunity to take on the role of Supernatural fans a role that ultimately allows them to act as authori-ties over their own lives Over the course of the episode as Zubernis and Larsen note several characters interpret the Winchestersrsquo behaviour ndash their clothing their detailed knowledge about Sam and Dean even their matching tattoos ndash as signals of the boysrsquo status as true Supernatural fans (2012 160) Although they are at first chagrined by these misreadings Sam and Dean are quick to recognize the utility of certain fan practices ndash like devouring the content of the books as quickly as they can ndash in the context of their search for information about the novelsrsquo author (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 160) Later in their interactions with Shurleyrsquos agent herself a dedicated Supernatural fan this ability to play the fan proves crucial Quizzed on the details of their own lives the brothers act if their knowledge of Deanrsquos birthday or his favourite song is a sign of their detailed fannish recall of the Supernatural texts rather than a product of their own memories (lsquoMonsterrsquo Zubernis and Larsen 2012 159) Thus reassured that she is among friends Shurleyrsquos agent provides criti-cal information that allows the Winchesters to track Shurley down

In this way although Dean is quick to deride the particular interpretive practices of Wincest fans both brothers willingly embody Supernatural fan practices more generally and these embodied performances in turn prove immediately productive On the one hand the brothersrsquo sense of agency is shaken by their discovery of both the Winchester Gospels and the Supernatural fandom No longer are they two boys on the open road lsquosaving people hunt-ing thingsrsquo now they are the narrative objects of both cosmic forces and of Shurleyrsquos fans objects who possess seemingly little authority over stories they once believed belonged to them (lsquoWendigorsquo) On the other however the events of the episode suggests that despite all the would-be authors in their midst Sam and Dean can still exercise a productive form of authority over the meaning of their own lives ndash but only if they are willing to play along with the creative and interpretive practices of fandom

Indeed similar questions over the bleed between authority and objectifi-cation inform some Supernatural fansrsquo discomfort with the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo As Zubernis and Larsen observe although lsquo[s]ome fans reacted with uncon-trollable laughterrsquo to Sam and Deanrsquos unexpected introduction to fan iden-tity and practice lsquoothers were scandalizedrsquo that the series would so overtly comment on lsquoreal life fan practices that had heretofore remained hiddenrsquo (2012 160) Indeed as Melissa Gray argues the lsquodeliberate and explicit discussion of Wincestrsquo in this episode made some Supernatural slash fans feel as though they had been lsquooutedrsquo against their will effectively yanking them out of lsquotheir own world away from the mainstreamrsquo of the seriesrsquo fandom (2010 21) For Judith May Fathallah this sudden exposure of fandom proved troubling in part because lsquo[f]or some people fandom is a refuge a space where they can explore facets of themselves not sanctioned by official culturersquo (2010 42) On

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 167 101014 24814 PM

KT Torrey

168

the one hand then incorporation of Wincest into Supernaturalrsquos canon served in part to lsquosanctionrsquo what had been a happily marginal discourse one with little desire for any sort of official recognition much less sanction On the other this move also exposed Wincest fans to meta-commentary from the seriesrsquo producers via the Winchesters by proxy and opened what had been private reading and writing practices to criticism from both other Supernatural fans and members of the general public who were like Dean repelled by Wincestrsquos incestuous content

However what marked the episodersquos events as particularly contentious Zubernis and Larsen argue was that they lsquomade public several hallmarks of fan communities that fans have mostly kept hidden [including] the criti-cism of the text the divisions among the fans [hellip] slash fiction and particu-lar to this show Wincestrsquo (2012 161ndash62) That is not only were the specifics of Wincest fan practice exposed but so too were the broader contestations between the showrsquos producers and its fans over each grouprsquos respective right to lsquoto establish dominant meta-textual interpretationsrsquo of a showrsquos canonical events (Johnson 2007 287) As Derek Johnson suggests this sort of lsquofan-tago-nismrsquo ndash a push-me pull-you struggle over meaning between a seriesrsquo produc-ers and its fans ndash is a fundamental characteristic of many fandoms associated with cult television shows like Supernatural and the series that Johnson exam-ines Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2007 287) That said these contestations are normally staged outside the boundaries of a seriesrsquo diegetic world ndash that is within the showrsquos metatext ndash thus ensuring that these fan-tagonistic relations remain invisible to all but those who are directly engaged in the metatextual discourses themselves It is worth noting however that Supernaturalrsquos creative team is not the first to use lsquothe television text itselfrsquo as a means by which lsquoto narratively construct ldquoacceptablerdquo fan activityrsquo (Johnson 2007 295) For exam-ple Johnson argues that the machinations of the self-described lsquoEvil Triorsquo a group of pop culture fanboys who serve as the primary villains of Buffyrsquos sixth season can be read as a narrative means through which the seriesrsquo produc-ers attempted to discipline fansrsquo perception of their own lsquodiscursive powerrsquo (2007 295) What marks Supernaturalrsquos intervention as distinct then is that rather than overtly dismissing fansrsquo role in contributing to the seriesrsquo metatext lsquoMonsterrsquo acknowledges fansrsquo productive power by adopting some of those fan practices to the seriesrsquo own ends

Indeed a central effect of the episode was that it gave the showrsquos lsquocreative sidersquo in general and series creator Eric Kripke in particular a chance to play the role of fan to in Henry Jenkinsrsquo terms lsquowrite in the marginsrsquo not of the source text but of fan work in general and of Wincest narratives in particular (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195 Jenkins 1996 155) The events of lsquoMonsterrsquo allowed Kripke on behalf of the showrsquos creative team to stage a very public lsquointervention [in] and active appropriationrsquo of fan culture by transforming it into part of the seriesrsquo own content (Jenkins 1996 155) In this way Kripke lsquoappropriated those fan practices and made them his ownrsquo thus recasting Supernatural fans as characters in Sam and Deanrsquos world ndash a direct reversal of the standard relationship between a fictional character and the real world that viewers inhabit (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 162)2 Further the events of the episode pushed fans to like Sam and Dean inhabit several roles simultane-ously as both objects within the Supernatural text and as authorities over and creators of the textrsquos content For the brothers this comingling of roles was discomfiting because it suggested that their sense of authority over the text ndash over their daily lives ndash was an illusion Conversely for many fans the events

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 168 10714 10626 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

169

2 ThistrendcontinuedinSeason5withtheintroductionofBeckyRosentheself-describedlsquonumberonefanrsquooftheSupernaturalbookseriesInherinitialappearancein51lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo(scriptedbyKripke)BeckycomposesWincestfictionofaquestionablequalitythusallowingKripketoovertlyparticipateinandcontributetoWincestfandom

3 SupernaturalrsquosmetatextualadventurescontinuedinSeason5(lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo[51]andlsquoTheRealGhostbustersrsquo[59])episodesthatintroducedmoreSupernaturalfansascharactersandSeason6(lsquoTheFrenchMistakersquo[618]whereinthebrothersaretransportedtoanalternateuniversewheretheyareactorswhoplaythecharactersoflsquoSamandDeanWinchesterrsquoonaculttelevisionshowcalledSupernatural)Season7featuredseveralcovertnodstotheshowrsquosmetatextualnatureincludingDeantakinghisleaveofavillaininSeason7bysayingortheproductionstaffrsquosdecisiontotitleEpisode79aslsquoSlashFictionrsquoMorerecentlySeason9rsquoslsquoMetaFictionrsquo(918)markedthemostexplicitexplorationofmetatextualitysincelsquoTheFrenchMistakersquowiththeantagonistangelMetatronattemptingtousethepowerofhispentopersuadeCastieltoplayhispartasitwereinMetatronrsquoslatestplotagainsttheWinchesters

of lsquoMonsterrsquo disrupted however temporarily their sense of authority within Supernaturalrsquos metatext with some even interpreting the episode as an inten-tional attempt on the part of the showrsquos producers of Kripke to re-assert their intuitional power over the fans (Felschow 2010 66)

The episode can also be read however as an acknowledgment of fansrsquo productive and creative power Indeed Kripkersquos appropriation of fan practice in lsquoMonsterrsquo poses a broader critical question about the interactions between canon fan texts and fictional characters that previous attempts to portray fandom on television (and arguably many of Supernaturalrsquos forays into meta-textuality in later seasons) do not3 Kripke frames the problem in this way lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) The open-ended nature of this question underscores what Sara Gwenllian-Jones calls the lsquounforecloseablersquo nature of metatext that is although only Supernaturalrsquos creative team can shape the showrsquos canon the content of the seriesrsquo metatext ndash a network of alternative interpretations ndash is open to and can be constructed by anyone (2002 83) As Anne Kustritz argues a metatext is formed by an evolving complex of both lsquotexts and practicesrsquo within which lsquosimilarities differences and ambiguities emergersquo thus giving rise to a multi-plicity of meanings lsquothat cannot be accounted for by any one textrsquo (2003 382) In this context Kripkersquos question ndash the central question perhaps posed by lsquoMonsterrsquo ndash underscores that the relations between these creative forces are recursive with productive choices on both sides forming a perpetual feedback loop that will always lsquofurther transformrsquo the content of both the fan-written fiction and the seriesrsquo canon What is significant about the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo then is the episodersquos intimation that the Winchesters themselves have the potential to become conscious active participants in this creative process That is the episode suggests that Sam and Dean possess both the knowledge and the performative skill to become authorities over their own lives ndash but that they might exercise this power only through their participation in fan culture and practice

III lsquoYou wrIte I betarsquo (nYxocItY 2012)

In the wake of lsquoMonsterrsquo and the seriesrsquo later ventures into metatextuality some Supernatural fan writers have explored the potential of that possibil-ity within the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious participants in Wincest fan culture Della Pollockrsquos notion of performative writing offers a useful lens through which to explore the rhetorical and the productive nature of such works and ultimately applying this critical approach to metatextual Wincest serves to highlight fan writersrsquo perceptions of their own creative authority ndash an authority they consciously share with Sam and Dean

In her 1998 essay lsquoPerformative writingrsquo Pollock a performance stud-ies scholar does not delineate specific rhetorical or textual characteristics of the titular kind of work she describes Rather she emphasizes what it is that performative writing might do the effects that its production and consumption might have on reader and writer alike First Pollock argues that performative writing is marked by an engagement with lsquothe ldquopoesis of making possiblerdquorsquo by lsquomov[ing] with [] rather than above or beyond the fluid [] unpredictable discontinuous rush of (performed) experiencersquo (1998 81 original emphasis)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 169 101014 24856 PM

KT Torrey

170

4 ForreferencetheversionoflsquoStrangerrsquoreferencedinthisarticleisthatpostedinApril2012onArchiveofOurOwnTheauthorhasnotednosubstantivechangestothetextofthestoryaspostedin2009

That is performative writing she posits possess a unique potential in that it encourages writers to lsquoengage the reader in a material encounterrsquo with the text and its subject by incorporating the writerrsquos experience of creating the text lsquointo the full body of the readerrsquos [own] experiencersquo (1998 81 82) Writers whose work is performative Pollock suggests explore the sensual potential of words within their texts in order to create the possibility of the potential for an lsquointimate coperformance [sic] of language and experiencersquo between writer reader and text (1998 82)

For Pollock a critical distinction of performative writing is its explora-tion of the question lsquoas if (what now)rsquo rather than what she deems the more traditional rhetorical question of lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo (1998 81 original emphasis) Writing that asks lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo she argues has the luxury of remaining theoretical an abstraction that lies outside of everyday life the possibilities that it posits are ephemeral an oroboro of rhetorical engagement that is lsquoldquotranslat[ing]rdquo a reality outside itselfrsquo rather than lsquoallow[ing for] [hellip] the emergence of a new realityrsquo (Minh-ha quoted in Pollock 1998 78)

Thus by its very nature Pollock asserts such writing ndash personified for her by traditional academic discourse ndash can have little tangible effect upon the lives of its creators or readers By contrast grappling with questions of lsquoas if (what now)rsquo pushes the writer to contribute to the present to fashion possi-bility not as intellectual exercise a never-ending carousel of what ifs but as a tangible reality (Pollock 1998 81 original emphasis) In this way performative writing makes room for an lsquoemergence of a new realityrsquo and allows its produc-ers and consumers to write and read as if that new reality those alternative sorts of possibilities already exist Ultimately Pollock argues that a performa-tive writerrsquos work fashions possibility both for themselves and for their reader creating a space in which they might engage in an lsquointimate coperformance of language and experiencersquo through the co-constitutive acts of reading and writing (1998 82)

Given the complicated co-productive context of meanings that occurs in and around Supernatural ndash within the showrsquos vast metatext ndash Pollockrsquos discus-sion of what performative writing does what it might do offers a particularly productive means through which to consider the subgenre of metatex-tual Wincest An examination of three of these works ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash underscores the centrality of the lsquointi-mate coperformancersquo between reader writer and fictional characters that this subgenre makes possible Collaborating with their fans ndash acting as if they are fans of Wincest themselves ndash gives Sam and Dean in each of these stories the opportunity to fashion a lsquonew realityrsquo a happy ending one that metatex-tual Wincest suggests neither fan writers nor the Winchesters can create on their own

First nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo sketches a direct correlation between the boysrsquo participation in Wincest fandom and their ability to fashion an unexpectedly happy new life for themselves Posted on LiveJournal in June 2009 and set just after the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo lsquoStrangerrsquo follows the Winchesters as they deal with the episodersquos revelations each in their own way4 While Sam continues to scour the content of the Supernatural novels for potential clues as to how to avoid the Apocalypse Dean becomes obsessed by what he sees as Wincest fansrsquo bizarre misreading of his relationship with Sam lsquoWhy would they write me as gay Sam huh [hellip] I mean wersquore broth-ers how can they think wersquod [hellip] But gayrsquo (original emphasis) Eventually

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 170 101014 24950 PM

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171

5 AnextantstoryoriginallypostedonnyxocityrsquosLiveJournal(2008)

Dean recognizes the constraints of his own ignorance as to the fansrsquo interpre-tations and sets about secretly reading Wincest stories in bulk certain that he will be able to locate a single definitive answer as to why readers perceive he and his brother as lovers Despite its strange content the project remains one of research born of an itchy kind of curiosity ndash until Dean stumbles across a story called lsquoYoursquove Got a Lesson To Learnrsquo written by a fan author named nyxocity5

Unlike most of the other stories that Dean has encountered lsquoYoursquoversquo portrays him as the penetrator or lsquotoprsquo in the brothersrsquo sexual pairing Whereas most lsquofans seem to think Sam has an enormous cock and fucks Dean to death with it at every opportunityrsquo lsquoYoursquoversquo instead paints Dean as a jealous kinky top who uses consensual sexual dominance to keep his little brother in line (nyxocity 2012) As he reads about his fictional self lsquodirty talkingrsquo to Sam Dean finds himself seeing the possibilities in such a scenario

lsquoAnybody fuck you as good as me huhrsquo Dark grin of Deanrsquos voice [hellip] lsquoCome on Sammy lsquoTell mersquo

Sam [hellip] feels his pride sting as the word comes free lsquoNorsquo

Of course not Dean may not be a gay sex expert but if therersquos one thing Dean prides himself on itrsquos ndash

He might need to lay off the fan fic(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

Although he isnrsquot initially aroused by the story Dean soon discovers that this version of the Wincest narrative ndash one in which he is the dominant partner ndash has invaded his masturbatory fantasies One morning in the shower lsquohe grips his cock in his hand stroking it quick and hardrsquo as per usual but then his mind starts to wander lsquoSam stared up at him through the dark fringe of his hair water plastering to his face mouth wet and glistening as he ndash Dean growls yank-ing his hand away from his cock [hellip] Hersquos never going to be able to jerk off againrsquo (nyxocity 2012 original emphasis) With the gates of Deanrsquos imagina-tion thus opened ndash and with a timely assist from the shapeshifting spirit that the brothers are chasing ndash it is only a matter of time before Dean puts nyxoc-ityrsquos sexual scenario to work in real life

Once the brothers admit to their mutual desire they fall into bed in a scenario thatrsquos lsquolike every SamDean first time clicheacute hersquos [Deanrsquos] ever read For one split second hersquos struck by the paranoid notion that hersquos trapped in a fanfic storyrsquo (original emphasis) Rather than flee from the comparison however Dean embraces the libratory effects that his engage-ment with Wincest fandom has afforded both he and Sam Using fan writ-ersrsquo texts as lsquoa preparation guide to having gay sex with your brotherrsquo Sam and Dean revel in each otherrsquos bodies in each otherrsquos presence in a way that serves to repair a relationship that had grown strained (nyxoc-ity 2012) These fan-written stories lsquoengage the reader[s]rsquo ndash in this case Sam and Dean ndash lsquoin a material encounterrsquo with Wincest and bring the boys lsquointo contact with [hellip] those aspects and dimensionsrsquo of the fansrsquo imaginary worlds lsquothat are otherrsquo to the Winchestersrsquo lives that is the fan writersrsquo desires for the boys to find pleasure and happiness in each otherrsquos bodies (Pollock 1998 80)

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172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 172 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

167

position Sam and Dean as lsquoobjects of fandomrsquo ostensibly fictional characters whose adventures trials and emotions are treated as fodder for an ongoing series of what the brothers see as unauthorized rewritings (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 160) Even the revelation that the author of the novels Chuck Shurley is an unknowing prophet of the Lord whose works will one day comprise what the angels call the lsquoWinchester Gospelsrsquo serves only to compound the brothersrsquo sense of their own objectification (lsquoMonsterrsquo) Overall the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo underscore the notion that the stories of Sam and Dean are no longer ndash perhaps have never been ndash wholly their own

However lsquoMonsterrsquo also affords the boys the opportunity to take on the role of Supernatural fans a role that ultimately allows them to act as authori-ties over their own lives Over the course of the episode as Zubernis and Larsen note several characters interpret the Winchestersrsquo behaviour ndash their clothing their detailed knowledge about Sam and Dean even their matching tattoos ndash as signals of the boysrsquo status as true Supernatural fans (2012 160) Although they are at first chagrined by these misreadings Sam and Dean are quick to recognize the utility of certain fan practices ndash like devouring the content of the books as quickly as they can ndash in the context of their search for information about the novelsrsquo author (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 160) Later in their interactions with Shurleyrsquos agent herself a dedicated Supernatural fan this ability to play the fan proves crucial Quizzed on the details of their own lives the brothers act if their knowledge of Deanrsquos birthday or his favourite song is a sign of their detailed fannish recall of the Supernatural texts rather than a product of their own memories (lsquoMonsterrsquo Zubernis and Larsen 2012 159) Thus reassured that she is among friends Shurleyrsquos agent provides criti-cal information that allows the Winchesters to track Shurley down

In this way although Dean is quick to deride the particular interpretive practices of Wincest fans both brothers willingly embody Supernatural fan practices more generally and these embodied performances in turn prove immediately productive On the one hand the brothersrsquo sense of agency is shaken by their discovery of both the Winchester Gospels and the Supernatural fandom No longer are they two boys on the open road lsquosaving people hunt-ing thingsrsquo now they are the narrative objects of both cosmic forces and of Shurleyrsquos fans objects who possess seemingly little authority over stories they once believed belonged to them (lsquoWendigorsquo) On the other however the events of the episode suggests that despite all the would-be authors in their midst Sam and Dean can still exercise a productive form of authority over the meaning of their own lives ndash but only if they are willing to play along with the creative and interpretive practices of fandom

Indeed similar questions over the bleed between authority and objectifi-cation inform some Supernatural fansrsquo discomfort with the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo As Zubernis and Larsen observe although lsquo[s]ome fans reacted with uncon-trollable laughterrsquo to Sam and Deanrsquos unexpected introduction to fan iden-tity and practice lsquoothers were scandalizedrsquo that the series would so overtly comment on lsquoreal life fan practices that had heretofore remained hiddenrsquo (2012 160) Indeed as Melissa Gray argues the lsquodeliberate and explicit discussion of Wincestrsquo in this episode made some Supernatural slash fans feel as though they had been lsquooutedrsquo against their will effectively yanking them out of lsquotheir own world away from the mainstreamrsquo of the seriesrsquo fandom (2010 21) For Judith May Fathallah this sudden exposure of fandom proved troubling in part because lsquo[f]or some people fandom is a refuge a space where they can explore facets of themselves not sanctioned by official culturersquo (2010 42) On

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 167 101014 24814 PM

KT Torrey

168

the one hand then incorporation of Wincest into Supernaturalrsquos canon served in part to lsquosanctionrsquo what had been a happily marginal discourse one with little desire for any sort of official recognition much less sanction On the other this move also exposed Wincest fans to meta-commentary from the seriesrsquo producers via the Winchesters by proxy and opened what had been private reading and writing practices to criticism from both other Supernatural fans and members of the general public who were like Dean repelled by Wincestrsquos incestuous content

However what marked the episodersquos events as particularly contentious Zubernis and Larsen argue was that they lsquomade public several hallmarks of fan communities that fans have mostly kept hidden [including] the criti-cism of the text the divisions among the fans [hellip] slash fiction and particu-lar to this show Wincestrsquo (2012 161ndash62) That is not only were the specifics of Wincest fan practice exposed but so too were the broader contestations between the showrsquos producers and its fans over each grouprsquos respective right to lsquoto establish dominant meta-textual interpretationsrsquo of a showrsquos canonical events (Johnson 2007 287) As Derek Johnson suggests this sort of lsquofan-tago-nismrsquo ndash a push-me pull-you struggle over meaning between a seriesrsquo produc-ers and its fans ndash is a fundamental characteristic of many fandoms associated with cult television shows like Supernatural and the series that Johnson exam-ines Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2007 287) That said these contestations are normally staged outside the boundaries of a seriesrsquo diegetic world ndash that is within the showrsquos metatext ndash thus ensuring that these fan-tagonistic relations remain invisible to all but those who are directly engaged in the metatextual discourses themselves It is worth noting however that Supernaturalrsquos creative team is not the first to use lsquothe television text itselfrsquo as a means by which lsquoto narratively construct ldquoacceptablerdquo fan activityrsquo (Johnson 2007 295) For exam-ple Johnson argues that the machinations of the self-described lsquoEvil Triorsquo a group of pop culture fanboys who serve as the primary villains of Buffyrsquos sixth season can be read as a narrative means through which the seriesrsquo produc-ers attempted to discipline fansrsquo perception of their own lsquodiscursive powerrsquo (2007 295) What marks Supernaturalrsquos intervention as distinct then is that rather than overtly dismissing fansrsquo role in contributing to the seriesrsquo metatext lsquoMonsterrsquo acknowledges fansrsquo productive power by adopting some of those fan practices to the seriesrsquo own ends

Indeed a central effect of the episode was that it gave the showrsquos lsquocreative sidersquo in general and series creator Eric Kripke in particular a chance to play the role of fan to in Henry Jenkinsrsquo terms lsquowrite in the marginsrsquo not of the source text but of fan work in general and of Wincest narratives in particular (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195 Jenkins 1996 155) The events of lsquoMonsterrsquo allowed Kripke on behalf of the showrsquos creative team to stage a very public lsquointervention [in] and active appropriationrsquo of fan culture by transforming it into part of the seriesrsquo own content (Jenkins 1996 155) In this way Kripke lsquoappropriated those fan practices and made them his ownrsquo thus recasting Supernatural fans as characters in Sam and Deanrsquos world ndash a direct reversal of the standard relationship between a fictional character and the real world that viewers inhabit (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 162)2 Further the events of the episode pushed fans to like Sam and Dean inhabit several roles simultane-ously as both objects within the Supernatural text and as authorities over and creators of the textrsquos content For the brothers this comingling of roles was discomfiting because it suggested that their sense of authority over the text ndash over their daily lives ndash was an illusion Conversely for many fans the events

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 168 10714 10626 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

169

2 ThistrendcontinuedinSeason5withtheintroductionofBeckyRosentheself-describedlsquonumberonefanrsquooftheSupernaturalbookseriesInherinitialappearancein51lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo(scriptedbyKripke)BeckycomposesWincestfictionofaquestionablequalitythusallowingKripketoovertlyparticipateinandcontributetoWincestfandom

3 SupernaturalrsquosmetatextualadventurescontinuedinSeason5(lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo[51]andlsquoTheRealGhostbustersrsquo[59])episodesthatintroducedmoreSupernaturalfansascharactersandSeason6(lsquoTheFrenchMistakersquo[618]whereinthebrothersaretransportedtoanalternateuniversewheretheyareactorswhoplaythecharactersoflsquoSamandDeanWinchesterrsquoonaculttelevisionshowcalledSupernatural)Season7featuredseveralcovertnodstotheshowrsquosmetatextualnatureincludingDeantakinghisleaveofavillaininSeason7bysayingortheproductionstaffrsquosdecisiontotitleEpisode79aslsquoSlashFictionrsquoMorerecentlySeason9rsquoslsquoMetaFictionrsquo(918)markedthemostexplicitexplorationofmetatextualitysincelsquoTheFrenchMistakersquowiththeantagonistangelMetatronattemptingtousethepowerofhispentopersuadeCastieltoplayhispartasitwereinMetatronrsquoslatestplotagainsttheWinchesters

of lsquoMonsterrsquo disrupted however temporarily their sense of authority within Supernaturalrsquos metatext with some even interpreting the episode as an inten-tional attempt on the part of the showrsquos producers of Kripke to re-assert their intuitional power over the fans (Felschow 2010 66)

The episode can also be read however as an acknowledgment of fansrsquo productive and creative power Indeed Kripkersquos appropriation of fan practice in lsquoMonsterrsquo poses a broader critical question about the interactions between canon fan texts and fictional characters that previous attempts to portray fandom on television (and arguably many of Supernaturalrsquos forays into meta-textuality in later seasons) do not3 Kripke frames the problem in this way lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) The open-ended nature of this question underscores what Sara Gwenllian-Jones calls the lsquounforecloseablersquo nature of metatext that is although only Supernaturalrsquos creative team can shape the showrsquos canon the content of the seriesrsquo metatext ndash a network of alternative interpretations ndash is open to and can be constructed by anyone (2002 83) As Anne Kustritz argues a metatext is formed by an evolving complex of both lsquotexts and practicesrsquo within which lsquosimilarities differences and ambiguities emergersquo thus giving rise to a multi-plicity of meanings lsquothat cannot be accounted for by any one textrsquo (2003 382) In this context Kripkersquos question ndash the central question perhaps posed by lsquoMonsterrsquo ndash underscores that the relations between these creative forces are recursive with productive choices on both sides forming a perpetual feedback loop that will always lsquofurther transformrsquo the content of both the fan-written fiction and the seriesrsquo canon What is significant about the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo then is the episodersquos intimation that the Winchesters themselves have the potential to become conscious active participants in this creative process That is the episode suggests that Sam and Dean possess both the knowledge and the performative skill to become authorities over their own lives ndash but that they might exercise this power only through their participation in fan culture and practice

III lsquoYou wrIte I betarsquo (nYxocItY 2012)

In the wake of lsquoMonsterrsquo and the seriesrsquo later ventures into metatextuality some Supernatural fan writers have explored the potential of that possibil-ity within the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious participants in Wincest fan culture Della Pollockrsquos notion of performative writing offers a useful lens through which to explore the rhetorical and the productive nature of such works and ultimately applying this critical approach to metatextual Wincest serves to highlight fan writersrsquo perceptions of their own creative authority ndash an authority they consciously share with Sam and Dean

In her 1998 essay lsquoPerformative writingrsquo Pollock a performance stud-ies scholar does not delineate specific rhetorical or textual characteristics of the titular kind of work she describes Rather she emphasizes what it is that performative writing might do the effects that its production and consumption might have on reader and writer alike First Pollock argues that performative writing is marked by an engagement with lsquothe ldquopoesis of making possiblerdquorsquo by lsquomov[ing] with [] rather than above or beyond the fluid [] unpredictable discontinuous rush of (performed) experiencersquo (1998 81 original emphasis)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 169 101014 24856 PM

KT Torrey

170

4 ForreferencetheversionoflsquoStrangerrsquoreferencedinthisarticleisthatpostedinApril2012onArchiveofOurOwnTheauthorhasnotednosubstantivechangestothetextofthestoryaspostedin2009

That is performative writing she posits possess a unique potential in that it encourages writers to lsquoengage the reader in a material encounterrsquo with the text and its subject by incorporating the writerrsquos experience of creating the text lsquointo the full body of the readerrsquos [own] experiencersquo (1998 81 82) Writers whose work is performative Pollock suggests explore the sensual potential of words within their texts in order to create the possibility of the potential for an lsquointimate coperformance [sic] of language and experiencersquo between writer reader and text (1998 82)

For Pollock a critical distinction of performative writing is its explora-tion of the question lsquoas if (what now)rsquo rather than what she deems the more traditional rhetorical question of lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo (1998 81 original emphasis) Writing that asks lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo she argues has the luxury of remaining theoretical an abstraction that lies outside of everyday life the possibilities that it posits are ephemeral an oroboro of rhetorical engagement that is lsquoldquotranslat[ing]rdquo a reality outside itselfrsquo rather than lsquoallow[ing for] [hellip] the emergence of a new realityrsquo (Minh-ha quoted in Pollock 1998 78)

Thus by its very nature Pollock asserts such writing ndash personified for her by traditional academic discourse ndash can have little tangible effect upon the lives of its creators or readers By contrast grappling with questions of lsquoas if (what now)rsquo pushes the writer to contribute to the present to fashion possi-bility not as intellectual exercise a never-ending carousel of what ifs but as a tangible reality (Pollock 1998 81 original emphasis) In this way performative writing makes room for an lsquoemergence of a new realityrsquo and allows its produc-ers and consumers to write and read as if that new reality those alternative sorts of possibilities already exist Ultimately Pollock argues that a performa-tive writerrsquos work fashions possibility both for themselves and for their reader creating a space in which they might engage in an lsquointimate coperformance of language and experiencersquo through the co-constitutive acts of reading and writing (1998 82)

Given the complicated co-productive context of meanings that occurs in and around Supernatural ndash within the showrsquos vast metatext ndash Pollockrsquos discus-sion of what performative writing does what it might do offers a particularly productive means through which to consider the subgenre of metatex-tual Wincest An examination of three of these works ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash underscores the centrality of the lsquointi-mate coperformancersquo between reader writer and fictional characters that this subgenre makes possible Collaborating with their fans ndash acting as if they are fans of Wincest themselves ndash gives Sam and Dean in each of these stories the opportunity to fashion a lsquonew realityrsquo a happy ending one that metatex-tual Wincest suggests neither fan writers nor the Winchesters can create on their own

First nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo sketches a direct correlation between the boysrsquo participation in Wincest fandom and their ability to fashion an unexpectedly happy new life for themselves Posted on LiveJournal in June 2009 and set just after the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo lsquoStrangerrsquo follows the Winchesters as they deal with the episodersquos revelations each in their own way4 While Sam continues to scour the content of the Supernatural novels for potential clues as to how to avoid the Apocalypse Dean becomes obsessed by what he sees as Wincest fansrsquo bizarre misreading of his relationship with Sam lsquoWhy would they write me as gay Sam huh [hellip] I mean wersquore broth-ers how can they think wersquod [hellip] But gayrsquo (original emphasis) Eventually

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 170 101014 24950 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

171

5 AnextantstoryoriginallypostedonnyxocityrsquosLiveJournal(2008)

Dean recognizes the constraints of his own ignorance as to the fansrsquo interpre-tations and sets about secretly reading Wincest stories in bulk certain that he will be able to locate a single definitive answer as to why readers perceive he and his brother as lovers Despite its strange content the project remains one of research born of an itchy kind of curiosity ndash until Dean stumbles across a story called lsquoYoursquove Got a Lesson To Learnrsquo written by a fan author named nyxocity5

Unlike most of the other stories that Dean has encountered lsquoYoursquoversquo portrays him as the penetrator or lsquotoprsquo in the brothersrsquo sexual pairing Whereas most lsquofans seem to think Sam has an enormous cock and fucks Dean to death with it at every opportunityrsquo lsquoYoursquoversquo instead paints Dean as a jealous kinky top who uses consensual sexual dominance to keep his little brother in line (nyxocity 2012) As he reads about his fictional self lsquodirty talkingrsquo to Sam Dean finds himself seeing the possibilities in such a scenario

lsquoAnybody fuck you as good as me huhrsquo Dark grin of Deanrsquos voice [hellip] lsquoCome on Sammy lsquoTell mersquo

Sam [hellip] feels his pride sting as the word comes free lsquoNorsquo

Of course not Dean may not be a gay sex expert but if therersquos one thing Dean prides himself on itrsquos ndash

He might need to lay off the fan fic(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

Although he isnrsquot initially aroused by the story Dean soon discovers that this version of the Wincest narrative ndash one in which he is the dominant partner ndash has invaded his masturbatory fantasies One morning in the shower lsquohe grips his cock in his hand stroking it quick and hardrsquo as per usual but then his mind starts to wander lsquoSam stared up at him through the dark fringe of his hair water plastering to his face mouth wet and glistening as he ndash Dean growls yank-ing his hand away from his cock [hellip] Hersquos never going to be able to jerk off againrsquo (nyxocity 2012 original emphasis) With the gates of Deanrsquos imagina-tion thus opened ndash and with a timely assist from the shapeshifting spirit that the brothers are chasing ndash it is only a matter of time before Dean puts nyxoc-ityrsquos sexual scenario to work in real life

Once the brothers admit to their mutual desire they fall into bed in a scenario thatrsquos lsquolike every SamDean first time clicheacute hersquos [Deanrsquos] ever read For one split second hersquos struck by the paranoid notion that hersquos trapped in a fanfic storyrsquo (original emphasis) Rather than flee from the comparison however Dean embraces the libratory effects that his engage-ment with Wincest fandom has afforded both he and Sam Using fan writ-ersrsquo texts as lsquoa preparation guide to having gay sex with your brotherrsquo Sam and Dean revel in each otherrsquos bodies in each otherrsquos presence in a way that serves to repair a relationship that had grown strained (nyxoc-ity 2012) These fan-written stories lsquoengage the reader[s]rsquo ndash in this case Sam and Dean ndash lsquoin a material encounterrsquo with Wincest and bring the boys lsquointo contact with [hellip] those aspects and dimensionsrsquo of the fansrsquo imaginary worlds lsquothat are otherrsquo to the Winchestersrsquo lives that is the fan writersrsquo desires for the boys to find pleasure and happiness in each otherrsquos bodies (Pollock 1998 80)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 171 101014 24950 PM

KT Torrey

172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 172 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

KT Torrey

168

the one hand then incorporation of Wincest into Supernaturalrsquos canon served in part to lsquosanctionrsquo what had been a happily marginal discourse one with little desire for any sort of official recognition much less sanction On the other this move also exposed Wincest fans to meta-commentary from the seriesrsquo producers via the Winchesters by proxy and opened what had been private reading and writing practices to criticism from both other Supernatural fans and members of the general public who were like Dean repelled by Wincestrsquos incestuous content

However what marked the episodersquos events as particularly contentious Zubernis and Larsen argue was that they lsquomade public several hallmarks of fan communities that fans have mostly kept hidden [including] the criti-cism of the text the divisions among the fans [hellip] slash fiction and particu-lar to this show Wincestrsquo (2012 161ndash62) That is not only were the specifics of Wincest fan practice exposed but so too were the broader contestations between the showrsquos producers and its fans over each grouprsquos respective right to lsquoto establish dominant meta-textual interpretationsrsquo of a showrsquos canonical events (Johnson 2007 287) As Derek Johnson suggests this sort of lsquofan-tago-nismrsquo ndash a push-me pull-you struggle over meaning between a seriesrsquo produc-ers and its fans ndash is a fundamental characteristic of many fandoms associated with cult television shows like Supernatural and the series that Johnson exam-ines Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2007 287) That said these contestations are normally staged outside the boundaries of a seriesrsquo diegetic world ndash that is within the showrsquos metatext ndash thus ensuring that these fan-tagonistic relations remain invisible to all but those who are directly engaged in the metatextual discourses themselves It is worth noting however that Supernaturalrsquos creative team is not the first to use lsquothe television text itselfrsquo as a means by which lsquoto narratively construct ldquoacceptablerdquo fan activityrsquo (Johnson 2007 295) For exam-ple Johnson argues that the machinations of the self-described lsquoEvil Triorsquo a group of pop culture fanboys who serve as the primary villains of Buffyrsquos sixth season can be read as a narrative means through which the seriesrsquo produc-ers attempted to discipline fansrsquo perception of their own lsquodiscursive powerrsquo (2007 295) What marks Supernaturalrsquos intervention as distinct then is that rather than overtly dismissing fansrsquo role in contributing to the seriesrsquo metatext lsquoMonsterrsquo acknowledges fansrsquo productive power by adopting some of those fan practices to the seriesrsquo own ends

Indeed a central effect of the episode was that it gave the showrsquos lsquocreative sidersquo in general and series creator Eric Kripke in particular a chance to play the role of fan to in Henry Jenkinsrsquo terms lsquowrite in the marginsrsquo not of the source text but of fan work in general and of Wincest narratives in particular (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 195 Jenkins 1996 155) The events of lsquoMonsterrsquo allowed Kripke on behalf of the showrsquos creative team to stage a very public lsquointervention [in] and active appropriationrsquo of fan culture by transforming it into part of the seriesrsquo own content (Jenkins 1996 155) In this way Kripke lsquoappropriated those fan practices and made them his ownrsquo thus recasting Supernatural fans as characters in Sam and Deanrsquos world ndash a direct reversal of the standard relationship between a fictional character and the real world that viewers inhabit (Zubernis and Larsen 2012 162)2 Further the events of the episode pushed fans to like Sam and Dean inhabit several roles simultane-ously as both objects within the Supernatural text and as authorities over and creators of the textrsquos content For the brothers this comingling of roles was discomfiting because it suggested that their sense of authority over the text ndash over their daily lives ndash was an illusion Conversely for many fans the events

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 168 10714 10626 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

169

2 ThistrendcontinuedinSeason5withtheintroductionofBeckyRosentheself-describedlsquonumberonefanrsquooftheSupernaturalbookseriesInherinitialappearancein51lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo(scriptedbyKripke)BeckycomposesWincestfictionofaquestionablequalitythusallowingKripketoovertlyparticipateinandcontributetoWincestfandom

3 SupernaturalrsquosmetatextualadventurescontinuedinSeason5(lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo[51]andlsquoTheRealGhostbustersrsquo[59])episodesthatintroducedmoreSupernaturalfansascharactersandSeason6(lsquoTheFrenchMistakersquo[618]whereinthebrothersaretransportedtoanalternateuniversewheretheyareactorswhoplaythecharactersoflsquoSamandDeanWinchesterrsquoonaculttelevisionshowcalledSupernatural)Season7featuredseveralcovertnodstotheshowrsquosmetatextualnatureincludingDeantakinghisleaveofavillaininSeason7bysayingortheproductionstaffrsquosdecisiontotitleEpisode79aslsquoSlashFictionrsquoMorerecentlySeason9rsquoslsquoMetaFictionrsquo(918)markedthemostexplicitexplorationofmetatextualitysincelsquoTheFrenchMistakersquowiththeantagonistangelMetatronattemptingtousethepowerofhispentopersuadeCastieltoplayhispartasitwereinMetatronrsquoslatestplotagainsttheWinchesters

of lsquoMonsterrsquo disrupted however temporarily their sense of authority within Supernaturalrsquos metatext with some even interpreting the episode as an inten-tional attempt on the part of the showrsquos producers of Kripke to re-assert their intuitional power over the fans (Felschow 2010 66)

The episode can also be read however as an acknowledgment of fansrsquo productive and creative power Indeed Kripkersquos appropriation of fan practice in lsquoMonsterrsquo poses a broader critical question about the interactions between canon fan texts and fictional characters that previous attempts to portray fandom on television (and arguably many of Supernaturalrsquos forays into meta-textuality in later seasons) do not3 Kripke frames the problem in this way lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) The open-ended nature of this question underscores what Sara Gwenllian-Jones calls the lsquounforecloseablersquo nature of metatext that is although only Supernaturalrsquos creative team can shape the showrsquos canon the content of the seriesrsquo metatext ndash a network of alternative interpretations ndash is open to and can be constructed by anyone (2002 83) As Anne Kustritz argues a metatext is formed by an evolving complex of both lsquotexts and practicesrsquo within which lsquosimilarities differences and ambiguities emergersquo thus giving rise to a multi-plicity of meanings lsquothat cannot be accounted for by any one textrsquo (2003 382) In this context Kripkersquos question ndash the central question perhaps posed by lsquoMonsterrsquo ndash underscores that the relations between these creative forces are recursive with productive choices on both sides forming a perpetual feedback loop that will always lsquofurther transformrsquo the content of both the fan-written fiction and the seriesrsquo canon What is significant about the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo then is the episodersquos intimation that the Winchesters themselves have the potential to become conscious active participants in this creative process That is the episode suggests that Sam and Dean possess both the knowledge and the performative skill to become authorities over their own lives ndash but that they might exercise this power only through their participation in fan culture and practice

III lsquoYou wrIte I betarsquo (nYxocItY 2012)

In the wake of lsquoMonsterrsquo and the seriesrsquo later ventures into metatextuality some Supernatural fan writers have explored the potential of that possibil-ity within the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious participants in Wincest fan culture Della Pollockrsquos notion of performative writing offers a useful lens through which to explore the rhetorical and the productive nature of such works and ultimately applying this critical approach to metatextual Wincest serves to highlight fan writersrsquo perceptions of their own creative authority ndash an authority they consciously share with Sam and Dean

In her 1998 essay lsquoPerformative writingrsquo Pollock a performance stud-ies scholar does not delineate specific rhetorical or textual characteristics of the titular kind of work she describes Rather she emphasizes what it is that performative writing might do the effects that its production and consumption might have on reader and writer alike First Pollock argues that performative writing is marked by an engagement with lsquothe ldquopoesis of making possiblerdquorsquo by lsquomov[ing] with [] rather than above or beyond the fluid [] unpredictable discontinuous rush of (performed) experiencersquo (1998 81 original emphasis)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 169 101014 24856 PM

KT Torrey

170

4 ForreferencetheversionoflsquoStrangerrsquoreferencedinthisarticleisthatpostedinApril2012onArchiveofOurOwnTheauthorhasnotednosubstantivechangestothetextofthestoryaspostedin2009

That is performative writing she posits possess a unique potential in that it encourages writers to lsquoengage the reader in a material encounterrsquo with the text and its subject by incorporating the writerrsquos experience of creating the text lsquointo the full body of the readerrsquos [own] experiencersquo (1998 81 82) Writers whose work is performative Pollock suggests explore the sensual potential of words within their texts in order to create the possibility of the potential for an lsquointimate coperformance [sic] of language and experiencersquo between writer reader and text (1998 82)

For Pollock a critical distinction of performative writing is its explora-tion of the question lsquoas if (what now)rsquo rather than what she deems the more traditional rhetorical question of lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo (1998 81 original emphasis) Writing that asks lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo she argues has the luxury of remaining theoretical an abstraction that lies outside of everyday life the possibilities that it posits are ephemeral an oroboro of rhetorical engagement that is lsquoldquotranslat[ing]rdquo a reality outside itselfrsquo rather than lsquoallow[ing for] [hellip] the emergence of a new realityrsquo (Minh-ha quoted in Pollock 1998 78)

Thus by its very nature Pollock asserts such writing ndash personified for her by traditional academic discourse ndash can have little tangible effect upon the lives of its creators or readers By contrast grappling with questions of lsquoas if (what now)rsquo pushes the writer to contribute to the present to fashion possi-bility not as intellectual exercise a never-ending carousel of what ifs but as a tangible reality (Pollock 1998 81 original emphasis) In this way performative writing makes room for an lsquoemergence of a new realityrsquo and allows its produc-ers and consumers to write and read as if that new reality those alternative sorts of possibilities already exist Ultimately Pollock argues that a performa-tive writerrsquos work fashions possibility both for themselves and for their reader creating a space in which they might engage in an lsquointimate coperformance of language and experiencersquo through the co-constitutive acts of reading and writing (1998 82)

Given the complicated co-productive context of meanings that occurs in and around Supernatural ndash within the showrsquos vast metatext ndash Pollockrsquos discus-sion of what performative writing does what it might do offers a particularly productive means through which to consider the subgenre of metatex-tual Wincest An examination of three of these works ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash underscores the centrality of the lsquointi-mate coperformancersquo between reader writer and fictional characters that this subgenre makes possible Collaborating with their fans ndash acting as if they are fans of Wincest themselves ndash gives Sam and Dean in each of these stories the opportunity to fashion a lsquonew realityrsquo a happy ending one that metatex-tual Wincest suggests neither fan writers nor the Winchesters can create on their own

First nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo sketches a direct correlation between the boysrsquo participation in Wincest fandom and their ability to fashion an unexpectedly happy new life for themselves Posted on LiveJournal in June 2009 and set just after the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo lsquoStrangerrsquo follows the Winchesters as they deal with the episodersquos revelations each in their own way4 While Sam continues to scour the content of the Supernatural novels for potential clues as to how to avoid the Apocalypse Dean becomes obsessed by what he sees as Wincest fansrsquo bizarre misreading of his relationship with Sam lsquoWhy would they write me as gay Sam huh [hellip] I mean wersquore broth-ers how can they think wersquod [hellip] But gayrsquo (original emphasis) Eventually

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 170 101014 24950 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

171

5 AnextantstoryoriginallypostedonnyxocityrsquosLiveJournal(2008)

Dean recognizes the constraints of his own ignorance as to the fansrsquo interpre-tations and sets about secretly reading Wincest stories in bulk certain that he will be able to locate a single definitive answer as to why readers perceive he and his brother as lovers Despite its strange content the project remains one of research born of an itchy kind of curiosity ndash until Dean stumbles across a story called lsquoYoursquove Got a Lesson To Learnrsquo written by a fan author named nyxocity5

Unlike most of the other stories that Dean has encountered lsquoYoursquoversquo portrays him as the penetrator or lsquotoprsquo in the brothersrsquo sexual pairing Whereas most lsquofans seem to think Sam has an enormous cock and fucks Dean to death with it at every opportunityrsquo lsquoYoursquoversquo instead paints Dean as a jealous kinky top who uses consensual sexual dominance to keep his little brother in line (nyxocity 2012) As he reads about his fictional self lsquodirty talkingrsquo to Sam Dean finds himself seeing the possibilities in such a scenario

lsquoAnybody fuck you as good as me huhrsquo Dark grin of Deanrsquos voice [hellip] lsquoCome on Sammy lsquoTell mersquo

Sam [hellip] feels his pride sting as the word comes free lsquoNorsquo

Of course not Dean may not be a gay sex expert but if therersquos one thing Dean prides himself on itrsquos ndash

He might need to lay off the fan fic(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

Although he isnrsquot initially aroused by the story Dean soon discovers that this version of the Wincest narrative ndash one in which he is the dominant partner ndash has invaded his masturbatory fantasies One morning in the shower lsquohe grips his cock in his hand stroking it quick and hardrsquo as per usual but then his mind starts to wander lsquoSam stared up at him through the dark fringe of his hair water plastering to his face mouth wet and glistening as he ndash Dean growls yank-ing his hand away from his cock [hellip] Hersquos never going to be able to jerk off againrsquo (nyxocity 2012 original emphasis) With the gates of Deanrsquos imagina-tion thus opened ndash and with a timely assist from the shapeshifting spirit that the brothers are chasing ndash it is only a matter of time before Dean puts nyxoc-ityrsquos sexual scenario to work in real life

Once the brothers admit to their mutual desire they fall into bed in a scenario thatrsquos lsquolike every SamDean first time clicheacute hersquos [Deanrsquos] ever read For one split second hersquos struck by the paranoid notion that hersquos trapped in a fanfic storyrsquo (original emphasis) Rather than flee from the comparison however Dean embraces the libratory effects that his engage-ment with Wincest fandom has afforded both he and Sam Using fan writ-ersrsquo texts as lsquoa preparation guide to having gay sex with your brotherrsquo Sam and Dean revel in each otherrsquos bodies in each otherrsquos presence in a way that serves to repair a relationship that had grown strained (nyxoc-ity 2012) These fan-written stories lsquoengage the reader[s]rsquo ndash in this case Sam and Dean ndash lsquoin a material encounterrsquo with Wincest and bring the boys lsquointo contact with [hellip] those aspects and dimensionsrsquo of the fansrsquo imaginary worlds lsquothat are otherrsquo to the Winchestersrsquo lives that is the fan writersrsquo desires for the boys to find pleasure and happiness in each otherrsquos bodies (Pollock 1998 80)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 171 101014 24950 PM

KT Torrey

172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

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Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

169

2 ThistrendcontinuedinSeason5withtheintroductionofBeckyRosentheself-describedlsquonumberonefanrsquooftheSupernaturalbookseriesInherinitialappearancein51lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo(scriptedbyKripke)BeckycomposesWincestfictionofaquestionablequalitythusallowingKripketoovertlyparticipateinandcontributetoWincestfandom

3 SupernaturalrsquosmetatextualadventurescontinuedinSeason5(lsquoSympathyfortheDevilrsquo[51]andlsquoTheRealGhostbustersrsquo[59])episodesthatintroducedmoreSupernaturalfansascharactersandSeason6(lsquoTheFrenchMistakersquo[618]whereinthebrothersaretransportedtoanalternateuniversewheretheyareactorswhoplaythecharactersoflsquoSamandDeanWinchesterrsquoonaculttelevisionshowcalledSupernatural)Season7featuredseveralcovertnodstotheshowrsquosmetatextualnatureincludingDeantakinghisleaveofavillaininSeason7bysayingortheproductionstaffrsquosdecisiontotitleEpisode79aslsquoSlashFictionrsquoMorerecentlySeason9rsquoslsquoMetaFictionrsquo(918)markedthemostexplicitexplorationofmetatextualitysincelsquoTheFrenchMistakersquowiththeantagonistangelMetatronattemptingtousethepowerofhispentopersuadeCastieltoplayhispartasitwereinMetatronrsquoslatestplotagainsttheWinchesters

of lsquoMonsterrsquo disrupted however temporarily their sense of authority within Supernaturalrsquos metatext with some even interpreting the episode as an inten-tional attempt on the part of the showrsquos producers of Kripke to re-assert their intuitional power over the fans (Felschow 2010 66)

The episode can also be read however as an acknowledgment of fansrsquo productive and creative power Indeed Kripkersquos appropriation of fan practice in lsquoMonsterrsquo poses a broader critical question about the interactions between canon fan texts and fictional characters that previous attempts to portray fandom on television (and arguably many of Supernaturalrsquos forays into meta-textuality in later seasons) do not3 Kripke frames the problem in this way lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) The open-ended nature of this question underscores what Sara Gwenllian-Jones calls the lsquounforecloseablersquo nature of metatext that is although only Supernaturalrsquos creative team can shape the showrsquos canon the content of the seriesrsquo metatext ndash a network of alternative interpretations ndash is open to and can be constructed by anyone (2002 83) As Anne Kustritz argues a metatext is formed by an evolving complex of both lsquotexts and practicesrsquo within which lsquosimilarities differences and ambiguities emergersquo thus giving rise to a multi-plicity of meanings lsquothat cannot be accounted for by any one textrsquo (2003 382) In this context Kripkersquos question ndash the central question perhaps posed by lsquoMonsterrsquo ndash underscores that the relations between these creative forces are recursive with productive choices on both sides forming a perpetual feedback loop that will always lsquofurther transformrsquo the content of both the fan-written fiction and the seriesrsquo canon What is significant about the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo then is the episodersquos intimation that the Winchesters themselves have the potential to become conscious active participants in this creative process That is the episode suggests that Sam and Dean possess both the knowledge and the performative skill to become authorities over their own lives ndash but that they might exercise this power only through their participation in fan culture and practice

III lsquoYou wrIte I betarsquo (nYxocItY 2012)

In the wake of lsquoMonsterrsquo and the seriesrsquo later ventures into metatextuality some Supernatural fan writers have explored the potential of that possibil-ity within the subgenre of metatextual Wincest stories that recast Sam and Dean as conscious participants in Wincest fan culture Della Pollockrsquos notion of performative writing offers a useful lens through which to explore the rhetorical and the productive nature of such works and ultimately applying this critical approach to metatextual Wincest serves to highlight fan writersrsquo perceptions of their own creative authority ndash an authority they consciously share with Sam and Dean

In her 1998 essay lsquoPerformative writingrsquo Pollock a performance stud-ies scholar does not delineate specific rhetorical or textual characteristics of the titular kind of work she describes Rather she emphasizes what it is that performative writing might do the effects that its production and consumption might have on reader and writer alike First Pollock argues that performative writing is marked by an engagement with lsquothe ldquopoesis of making possiblerdquorsquo by lsquomov[ing] with [] rather than above or beyond the fluid [] unpredictable discontinuous rush of (performed) experiencersquo (1998 81 original emphasis)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 169 101014 24856 PM

KT Torrey

170

4 ForreferencetheversionoflsquoStrangerrsquoreferencedinthisarticleisthatpostedinApril2012onArchiveofOurOwnTheauthorhasnotednosubstantivechangestothetextofthestoryaspostedin2009

That is performative writing she posits possess a unique potential in that it encourages writers to lsquoengage the reader in a material encounterrsquo with the text and its subject by incorporating the writerrsquos experience of creating the text lsquointo the full body of the readerrsquos [own] experiencersquo (1998 81 82) Writers whose work is performative Pollock suggests explore the sensual potential of words within their texts in order to create the possibility of the potential for an lsquointimate coperformance [sic] of language and experiencersquo between writer reader and text (1998 82)

For Pollock a critical distinction of performative writing is its explora-tion of the question lsquoas if (what now)rsquo rather than what she deems the more traditional rhetorical question of lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo (1998 81 original emphasis) Writing that asks lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo she argues has the luxury of remaining theoretical an abstraction that lies outside of everyday life the possibilities that it posits are ephemeral an oroboro of rhetorical engagement that is lsquoldquotranslat[ing]rdquo a reality outside itselfrsquo rather than lsquoallow[ing for] [hellip] the emergence of a new realityrsquo (Minh-ha quoted in Pollock 1998 78)

Thus by its very nature Pollock asserts such writing ndash personified for her by traditional academic discourse ndash can have little tangible effect upon the lives of its creators or readers By contrast grappling with questions of lsquoas if (what now)rsquo pushes the writer to contribute to the present to fashion possi-bility not as intellectual exercise a never-ending carousel of what ifs but as a tangible reality (Pollock 1998 81 original emphasis) In this way performative writing makes room for an lsquoemergence of a new realityrsquo and allows its produc-ers and consumers to write and read as if that new reality those alternative sorts of possibilities already exist Ultimately Pollock argues that a performa-tive writerrsquos work fashions possibility both for themselves and for their reader creating a space in which they might engage in an lsquointimate coperformance of language and experiencersquo through the co-constitutive acts of reading and writing (1998 82)

Given the complicated co-productive context of meanings that occurs in and around Supernatural ndash within the showrsquos vast metatext ndash Pollockrsquos discus-sion of what performative writing does what it might do offers a particularly productive means through which to consider the subgenre of metatex-tual Wincest An examination of three of these works ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash underscores the centrality of the lsquointi-mate coperformancersquo between reader writer and fictional characters that this subgenre makes possible Collaborating with their fans ndash acting as if they are fans of Wincest themselves ndash gives Sam and Dean in each of these stories the opportunity to fashion a lsquonew realityrsquo a happy ending one that metatex-tual Wincest suggests neither fan writers nor the Winchesters can create on their own

First nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo sketches a direct correlation between the boysrsquo participation in Wincest fandom and their ability to fashion an unexpectedly happy new life for themselves Posted on LiveJournal in June 2009 and set just after the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo lsquoStrangerrsquo follows the Winchesters as they deal with the episodersquos revelations each in their own way4 While Sam continues to scour the content of the Supernatural novels for potential clues as to how to avoid the Apocalypse Dean becomes obsessed by what he sees as Wincest fansrsquo bizarre misreading of his relationship with Sam lsquoWhy would they write me as gay Sam huh [hellip] I mean wersquore broth-ers how can they think wersquod [hellip] But gayrsquo (original emphasis) Eventually

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 170 101014 24950 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

171

5 AnextantstoryoriginallypostedonnyxocityrsquosLiveJournal(2008)

Dean recognizes the constraints of his own ignorance as to the fansrsquo interpre-tations and sets about secretly reading Wincest stories in bulk certain that he will be able to locate a single definitive answer as to why readers perceive he and his brother as lovers Despite its strange content the project remains one of research born of an itchy kind of curiosity ndash until Dean stumbles across a story called lsquoYoursquove Got a Lesson To Learnrsquo written by a fan author named nyxocity5

Unlike most of the other stories that Dean has encountered lsquoYoursquoversquo portrays him as the penetrator or lsquotoprsquo in the brothersrsquo sexual pairing Whereas most lsquofans seem to think Sam has an enormous cock and fucks Dean to death with it at every opportunityrsquo lsquoYoursquoversquo instead paints Dean as a jealous kinky top who uses consensual sexual dominance to keep his little brother in line (nyxocity 2012) As he reads about his fictional self lsquodirty talkingrsquo to Sam Dean finds himself seeing the possibilities in such a scenario

lsquoAnybody fuck you as good as me huhrsquo Dark grin of Deanrsquos voice [hellip] lsquoCome on Sammy lsquoTell mersquo

Sam [hellip] feels his pride sting as the word comes free lsquoNorsquo

Of course not Dean may not be a gay sex expert but if therersquos one thing Dean prides himself on itrsquos ndash

He might need to lay off the fan fic(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

Although he isnrsquot initially aroused by the story Dean soon discovers that this version of the Wincest narrative ndash one in which he is the dominant partner ndash has invaded his masturbatory fantasies One morning in the shower lsquohe grips his cock in his hand stroking it quick and hardrsquo as per usual but then his mind starts to wander lsquoSam stared up at him through the dark fringe of his hair water plastering to his face mouth wet and glistening as he ndash Dean growls yank-ing his hand away from his cock [hellip] Hersquos never going to be able to jerk off againrsquo (nyxocity 2012 original emphasis) With the gates of Deanrsquos imagina-tion thus opened ndash and with a timely assist from the shapeshifting spirit that the brothers are chasing ndash it is only a matter of time before Dean puts nyxoc-ityrsquos sexual scenario to work in real life

Once the brothers admit to their mutual desire they fall into bed in a scenario thatrsquos lsquolike every SamDean first time clicheacute hersquos [Deanrsquos] ever read For one split second hersquos struck by the paranoid notion that hersquos trapped in a fanfic storyrsquo (original emphasis) Rather than flee from the comparison however Dean embraces the libratory effects that his engage-ment with Wincest fandom has afforded both he and Sam Using fan writ-ersrsquo texts as lsquoa preparation guide to having gay sex with your brotherrsquo Sam and Dean revel in each otherrsquos bodies in each otherrsquos presence in a way that serves to repair a relationship that had grown strained (nyxoc-ity 2012) These fan-written stories lsquoengage the reader[s]rsquo ndash in this case Sam and Dean ndash lsquoin a material encounterrsquo with Wincest and bring the boys lsquointo contact with [hellip] those aspects and dimensionsrsquo of the fansrsquo imaginary worlds lsquothat are otherrsquo to the Winchestersrsquo lives that is the fan writersrsquo desires for the boys to find pleasure and happiness in each otherrsquos bodies (Pollock 1998 80)

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KT Torrey

172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 172 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

KT Torrey

170

4 ForreferencetheversionoflsquoStrangerrsquoreferencedinthisarticleisthatpostedinApril2012onArchiveofOurOwnTheauthorhasnotednosubstantivechangestothetextofthestoryaspostedin2009

That is performative writing she posits possess a unique potential in that it encourages writers to lsquoengage the reader in a material encounterrsquo with the text and its subject by incorporating the writerrsquos experience of creating the text lsquointo the full body of the readerrsquos [own] experiencersquo (1998 81 82) Writers whose work is performative Pollock suggests explore the sensual potential of words within their texts in order to create the possibility of the potential for an lsquointimate coperformance [sic] of language and experiencersquo between writer reader and text (1998 82)

For Pollock a critical distinction of performative writing is its explora-tion of the question lsquoas if (what now)rsquo rather than what she deems the more traditional rhetorical question of lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo (1998 81 original emphasis) Writing that asks lsquowhat if (what now)rsquo she argues has the luxury of remaining theoretical an abstraction that lies outside of everyday life the possibilities that it posits are ephemeral an oroboro of rhetorical engagement that is lsquoldquotranslat[ing]rdquo a reality outside itselfrsquo rather than lsquoallow[ing for] [hellip] the emergence of a new realityrsquo (Minh-ha quoted in Pollock 1998 78)

Thus by its very nature Pollock asserts such writing ndash personified for her by traditional academic discourse ndash can have little tangible effect upon the lives of its creators or readers By contrast grappling with questions of lsquoas if (what now)rsquo pushes the writer to contribute to the present to fashion possi-bility not as intellectual exercise a never-ending carousel of what ifs but as a tangible reality (Pollock 1998 81 original emphasis) In this way performative writing makes room for an lsquoemergence of a new realityrsquo and allows its produc-ers and consumers to write and read as if that new reality those alternative sorts of possibilities already exist Ultimately Pollock argues that a performa-tive writerrsquos work fashions possibility both for themselves and for their reader creating a space in which they might engage in an lsquointimate coperformance of language and experiencersquo through the co-constitutive acts of reading and writing (1998 82)

Given the complicated co-productive context of meanings that occurs in and around Supernatural ndash within the showrsquos vast metatext ndash Pollockrsquos discus-sion of what performative writing does what it might do offers a particularly productive means through which to consider the subgenre of metatex-tual Wincest An examination of three of these works ndash nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo ndash underscores the centrality of the lsquointi-mate coperformancersquo between reader writer and fictional characters that this subgenre makes possible Collaborating with their fans ndash acting as if they are fans of Wincest themselves ndash gives Sam and Dean in each of these stories the opportunity to fashion a lsquonew realityrsquo a happy ending one that metatex-tual Wincest suggests neither fan writers nor the Winchesters can create on their own

First nyxocityrsquos lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo sketches a direct correlation between the boysrsquo participation in Wincest fandom and their ability to fashion an unexpectedly happy new life for themselves Posted on LiveJournal in June 2009 and set just after the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo lsquoStrangerrsquo follows the Winchesters as they deal with the episodersquos revelations each in their own way4 While Sam continues to scour the content of the Supernatural novels for potential clues as to how to avoid the Apocalypse Dean becomes obsessed by what he sees as Wincest fansrsquo bizarre misreading of his relationship with Sam lsquoWhy would they write me as gay Sam huh [hellip] I mean wersquore broth-ers how can they think wersquod [hellip] But gayrsquo (original emphasis) Eventually

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 170 101014 24950 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

171

5 AnextantstoryoriginallypostedonnyxocityrsquosLiveJournal(2008)

Dean recognizes the constraints of his own ignorance as to the fansrsquo interpre-tations and sets about secretly reading Wincest stories in bulk certain that he will be able to locate a single definitive answer as to why readers perceive he and his brother as lovers Despite its strange content the project remains one of research born of an itchy kind of curiosity ndash until Dean stumbles across a story called lsquoYoursquove Got a Lesson To Learnrsquo written by a fan author named nyxocity5

Unlike most of the other stories that Dean has encountered lsquoYoursquoversquo portrays him as the penetrator or lsquotoprsquo in the brothersrsquo sexual pairing Whereas most lsquofans seem to think Sam has an enormous cock and fucks Dean to death with it at every opportunityrsquo lsquoYoursquoversquo instead paints Dean as a jealous kinky top who uses consensual sexual dominance to keep his little brother in line (nyxocity 2012) As he reads about his fictional self lsquodirty talkingrsquo to Sam Dean finds himself seeing the possibilities in such a scenario

lsquoAnybody fuck you as good as me huhrsquo Dark grin of Deanrsquos voice [hellip] lsquoCome on Sammy lsquoTell mersquo

Sam [hellip] feels his pride sting as the word comes free lsquoNorsquo

Of course not Dean may not be a gay sex expert but if therersquos one thing Dean prides himself on itrsquos ndash

He might need to lay off the fan fic(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

Although he isnrsquot initially aroused by the story Dean soon discovers that this version of the Wincest narrative ndash one in which he is the dominant partner ndash has invaded his masturbatory fantasies One morning in the shower lsquohe grips his cock in his hand stroking it quick and hardrsquo as per usual but then his mind starts to wander lsquoSam stared up at him through the dark fringe of his hair water plastering to his face mouth wet and glistening as he ndash Dean growls yank-ing his hand away from his cock [hellip] Hersquos never going to be able to jerk off againrsquo (nyxocity 2012 original emphasis) With the gates of Deanrsquos imagina-tion thus opened ndash and with a timely assist from the shapeshifting spirit that the brothers are chasing ndash it is only a matter of time before Dean puts nyxoc-ityrsquos sexual scenario to work in real life

Once the brothers admit to their mutual desire they fall into bed in a scenario thatrsquos lsquolike every SamDean first time clicheacute hersquos [Deanrsquos] ever read For one split second hersquos struck by the paranoid notion that hersquos trapped in a fanfic storyrsquo (original emphasis) Rather than flee from the comparison however Dean embraces the libratory effects that his engage-ment with Wincest fandom has afforded both he and Sam Using fan writ-ersrsquo texts as lsquoa preparation guide to having gay sex with your brotherrsquo Sam and Dean revel in each otherrsquos bodies in each otherrsquos presence in a way that serves to repair a relationship that had grown strained (nyxoc-ity 2012) These fan-written stories lsquoengage the reader[s]rsquo ndash in this case Sam and Dean ndash lsquoin a material encounterrsquo with Wincest and bring the boys lsquointo contact with [hellip] those aspects and dimensionsrsquo of the fansrsquo imaginary worlds lsquothat are otherrsquo to the Winchestersrsquo lives that is the fan writersrsquo desires for the boys to find pleasure and happiness in each otherrsquos bodies (Pollock 1998 80)

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KT Torrey

172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 172 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

171

5 AnextantstoryoriginallypostedonnyxocityrsquosLiveJournal(2008)

Dean recognizes the constraints of his own ignorance as to the fansrsquo interpre-tations and sets about secretly reading Wincest stories in bulk certain that he will be able to locate a single definitive answer as to why readers perceive he and his brother as lovers Despite its strange content the project remains one of research born of an itchy kind of curiosity ndash until Dean stumbles across a story called lsquoYoursquove Got a Lesson To Learnrsquo written by a fan author named nyxocity5

Unlike most of the other stories that Dean has encountered lsquoYoursquoversquo portrays him as the penetrator or lsquotoprsquo in the brothersrsquo sexual pairing Whereas most lsquofans seem to think Sam has an enormous cock and fucks Dean to death with it at every opportunityrsquo lsquoYoursquoversquo instead paints Dean as a jealous kinky top who uses consensual sexual dominance to keep his little brother in line (nyxocity 2012) As he reads about his fictional self lsquodirty talkingrsquo to Sam Dean finds himself seeing the possibilities in such a scenario

lsquoAnybody fuck you as good as me huhrsquo Dark grin of Deanrsquos voice [hellip] lsquoCome on Sammy lsquoTell mersquo

Sam [hellip] feels his pride sting as the word comes free lsquoNorsquo

Of course not Dean may not be a gay sex expert but if therersquos one thing Dean prides himself on itrsquos ndash

He might need to lay off the fan fic(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

Although he isnrsquot initially aroused by the story Dean soon discovers that this version of the Wincest narrative ndash one in which he is the dominant partner ndash has invaded his masturbatory fantasies One morning in the shower lsquohe grips his cock in his hand stroking it quick and hardrsquo as per usual but then his mind starts to wander lsquoSam stared up at him through the dark fringe of his hair water plastering to his face mouth wet and glistening as he ndash Dean growls yank-ing his hand away from his cock [hellip] Hersquos never going to be able to jerk off againrsquo (nyxocity 2012 original emphasis) With the gates of Deanrsquos imagina-tion thus opened ndash and with a timely assist from the shapeshifting spirit that the brothers are chasing ndash it is only a matter of time before Dean puts nyxoc-ityrsquos sexual scenario to work in real life

Once the brothers admit to their mutual desire they fall into bed in a scenario thatrsquos lsquolike every SamDean first time clicheacute hersquos [Deanrsquos] ever read For one split second hersquos struck by the paranoid notion that hersquos trapped in a fanfic storyrsquo (original emphasis) Rather than flee from the comparison however Dean embraces the libratory effects that his engage-ment with Wincest fandom has afforded both he and Sam Using fan writ-ersrsquo texts as lsquoa preparation guide to having gay sex with your brotherrsquo Sam and Dean revel in each otherrsquos bodies in each otherrsquos presence in a way that serves to repair a relationship that had grown strained (nyxoc-ity 2012) These fan-written stories lsquoengage the reader[s]rsquo ndash in this case Sam and Dean ndash lsquoin a material encounterrsquo with Wincest and bring the boys lsquointo contact with [hellip] those aspects and dimensionsrsquo of the fansrsquo imaginary worlds lsquothat are otherrsquo to the Winchestersrsquo lives that is the fan writersrsquo desires for the boys to find pleasure and happiness in each otherrsquos bodies (Pollock 1998 80)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 171 101014 24950 PM

KT Torrey

172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 172 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

KT Torrey

172

Ultimately the events of lsquoStrangerrsquo suggest that Supernaturalrsquos fans are the ones who know what is best for Sam and Dean something even Dean is forced to begrudgingly admit lsquoYeah okay They fuck now Maybe their fans were right about that Maybe the fans were even partially responsible for thatrsquo (original emphasis) As Deanrsquos comments ndash and his eventual decision to make his own contribution to Wincest fandom ndash imply such a happy ending to the brothersrsquo story had to be a co-production However Sam is not quite as certain

lsquoLet me get this straight Itrsquos not bad enough that the story of our lives is being published and other people are writing fake porn about it hellip Yoursquore writing real porn stories about our real sex lives and pretending that theyrsquore fictionrsquo lsquoFanfictionrsquo Dean corrects

(nyxocity 2012 original emphasis)

The metatextual complexities of this relationship aside the brothersrsquo adap-tation of Wincest fan practice ndash their embrasure of their dual roles as both authors of and characters within their own story ndash allows them to build a lsquonew realityrsquo together The events of lsquoStrangerrsquo extend the authorial possibilities first introduced in lsquoMonsterrsquo by inviting Sam and Dean to become conscious contributors to the Supernatural metatext to serve as co-creators of their own meaning ndash or one version of that meaning anyway In this way as they shift from reading to rescripting to producing Wincest stories of their own the brothers move beyond acting as if they are Wincest fans and begin to explore the question of what now

In the last moments of lsquoStrangerrsquo after defeating Lilith the last of Luciferrsquos minions and stopping the Apocalypse from coming to pass Sam and Dean find that the road ahead of them is wide open Indeed the story closes with the Impala lsquodriving down a straight flat highway wide double yellow lines laid out ahead of them The lines stretch into the distance pavement and barren flat desert land meeting the skyrsquo (nyoxcity 2012) This image evokes both the familiar routines of the brothersrsquo past of life on the open road and the possibilities of a future that for the first time in a long time will be deter-mined by the Winchestersrsquo choices alone lsquoThey donrsquot have anything to do anywhere to be and no onersquos trying to end the world Everythingrsquos normal againrsquo (nyxocity 2012) Thanks to their performance of Wincest fan practice the storyrsquos ending implies Sam and Dean can capitalize on the possibilities lsquolaid out ahead of themrsquo and write the happy ending that their fans have helped them to find in the other

While lsquoStrangerrsquo draws a correlation between the Winchestersrsquo adapta-tion of fan practice and their ability to achieve a happily-ever-after end Road Rhythmrsquos lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo by contrast underscores the uncertainty inherent in writing in acting as if particularly within the context of the brothersrsquo complicated lives Originally cross-posted on LiveJournal and the SamDean Slash Archive in October 2011 lsquoThis Isrsquo is set in the second half of Season 6 and as in lsquoStrangerrsquo the events of the story closely rely upon the seriesrsquo canonical events To wit at the end of the seriesrsquo fifth season the brothers successfully averted the Apocalypse however to do so required Sam to voluntarily consign himself to Hell (lsquoSwan Songrsquo) Although his body was restored to earth sometime later under somewhat mysterious circumstances Samrsquos soul remained in Hell leaving him free to act without moral and ethical restraint for over a year lsquoThis Isrsquo then begins soon after Samrsquos soul has been

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 172 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

173

restored during a time when the brothers are struggling to learn how to live and work together once more

Like lsquoStrangerrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo positions Dean as the primary consumer of Wincest However lsquoThis Isrsquo presents Deanrsquos relationship to slash fiction as one dependent upon and complicated by emotion First in this story read-ing Wincest did not serve as the exigence for the brothers to begin a sexual relationship Rather Road Rhythmrsquos version of Sam and Dean began sleep-ing together soon after they reunited at the beginning of the Supernatural series Deanrsquos initial forays in fan fiction then are grounded merely in curi-osity lsquoOnce he knew it was out therersquo ndash after the events of lsquoMonster at the End of This Bookrsquo ndash lsquoit was impossible not to read itrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) Though he stops reading Wincest after Sam throws himself into Hell ndash as it serves only to remind Dean of what he believes he has lost ndash Dean picks up that habit again after Samrsquos soulless return For Dean Wincest becomes lsquosomething to hang onto It wasnrsquot jerk-off fodder but it gave him a kind of escape the need for which he couldnrsquot explain even to himselfrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) That is faced with a man who looks like his brother who is his brother except in the ways that really matter Dean uses slash fiction as an emotional crutch

Once again however as in lsquoStrangerrsquo Deanrsquos encounter with one partic-ular story called lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo transforms his relationship to Wincest lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash a fictional construct of Road Rhythmrsquos and not its own extant text ndash follows what is for Wincest fans a familiar first-time trope Dean returns home unexpectedly to find his brother masturbating in their motel room Driven by desire at the sight of Samrsquos beautiful body and finding that that desire met and returned in full Dean-in-lsquoWaitingrsquo instigates a mutually pleasing and profoundly loving sexual encounter Central to Dean-as-readerrsquos enjoyment of lsquoWaitingrsquo then is that it depicts Sam giving his virginity to Dean ndash something that did not happen in the brothersrsquo real lives as portrayed in lsquoThis Isrsquo

The pleasure Dean experiences in reading lsquoWaitingrsquo ndash and all the other Samrsquos-first-time stories he can find thereafter ndash is twofold First the stories inspire a sudden rush of lsquohotter better wrongerrsquo a sense of shame in committing incest entwined with an intense physical desire unlike any he can remember having experienced before For example as Dean reads lsquoWaitingrsquo for the first time he begins masturbating and finds lsquoa heavy sick twist in his gut when he stroked himself He felt dirty He felt so painfully aroused he couldnrsquot see straightrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In a sense these feelings are a way of reclaiming a memory of remembering a time when he lsquofelt anything other than cursory shame over anything to do with fucking Samrsquo when the story of Sam and Dean was simple and one that was they believed all their own (Road Rhythm 2011) Now on the other side of what seems like a lifetime of loss ndash including Deanrsquos own trip to Hell (at the end of Season 3) and Samrsquos death resurrection and recent resoulment ndash those early days Deanrsquos initial emotional reaction to sleeping with his brother are suddenly in his grasp so to speak once again

Thus reading Samrsquos-first-time stories serves to open a new kind of imagi-native space for Dean one which he has previously been reluctant to explore During his initial encounter with lsquoWaitingrsquo for example he allows his mind to wander lsquo[f]or the first time in a very very long time Dean let himself wonder what it might have been like if hersquod been Samrsquos first He imagined being invited in and he imagined crossing the line to acceptrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011)

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 173 101014 25111 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

KT Torrey

174

The possibilities seem endless lsquoMaybe Sam wouldrsquove let Dean suck him off first Maybe hersquod have let Dean finger him open and slide in while he was still dazed and breathing hard [hellip] Would Sam have let him leave a mark Would Sam [hellip] have marked himrsquo (original emphasis)

Here what Pollock calls the lsquointimate coperformance of language and expe-riencersquo between writer reader and text comes to life with Dean-as-readerrsquos body serving as the conductor of those co-constitutive energies In his mind the text of the fan-written lsquoWaitingrsquo along with his own memories and imagi-nation create a vivid mix of fantasy and desire that Deanrsquos previous encounters with Wincest were not able to produce (1988 82) Rather than detract from his engagement with the text Deanrsquos imagination works in concert with the fanrsquos text to heighten his sexual arousal lsquoDeanrsquos hand sped up on his cock Images in his head were commingling with the text on the screen and he let themrsquo (Road Rhythm 2011) In this way he and the fan writer become co-authors of Deanrsquos sexual pleasure an embodied experience to be sure but one that is grounded in the kind of emotional and imaginative engagement that Deanrsquos encounter with the text of lsquoWaitingrsquo makes possible

Despite the pleasure he draws from these Samrsquos-first-time stories however Dean is unable to translate his new engagement with Wincest into the broth-ersrsquo everyday reality Indeed it is only after Sam discovers his brotherrsquos read-ing habits ndash and the content of the stories that Dean now prefers ndash that the Winchesters work together to act as if Dean had been Samrsquos first lover and to explore the possibilities of what now After reading many of the same stories that Dean himself has consumed Sam reenacts the narrative trope featured in lsquoWaiting for Yoursquo he spreads himself naked over the sheets and allows Dean to discover him masturbating At first Dean is clueless

lsquoWhat the hell Sam You knew when I was coming backmdashrsquo [hellip]

Dean blinked Sam was sitting on the bed looking at him with the patient long-suffering expression of a parent with a child who wasnrsquot terribly bright

lsquoOh shut uprsquo Dean muttered [hellip] lsquoGimme a secondrsquo(Road Rhythm 2011)

In its initial moments the role play is on shaky ground both brothers repeat-edly break lsquocharacterrsquo to reproach the other for their poor acting skills with Sam going so far as to steal lines directly from their fans

Sam let his head fall back in frustration lsquoI triedrsquo he mumbled lsquoI tried I just ndash need hellip something elsersquo

That little shit Hersquod plagiarized that off of LadyMedusa856(Road Rhythm 2011)

Ultimately however it is their shared knowledge of the genre ndash of the many different ways in which their fans have written this first-time scenario ndash that allows Sam and Dean to move beyond their initial fumblings and to embrace the pleasures to be had in rescripting the fansrsquo stories to meet their own needs In the moment in the circle of his brotherrsquos arms Dean lsquofelt a thrill of power that he didnrsquot fully understand there was only a vague nervous sense of possi-bilities just within his grasp There was nothing they couldnrsquot do together [hellip]

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 174 101014 25135 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

175

Here was his chance to say yesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) For one night in the context of one sexual encounter co-produced with their fans the Winchesters are able to temporarily refashion the present as if Dean had been his brotherrsquos first lover and to consider for the first time how their lives might have been different had that occurred

Although their role play does not settle the many issues that remain between them particularly those surrounding Samrsquos recent return there is a sense of ease of affection between them at storyrsquos end that feels new Sam asks his brother

lsquoWas it what you imaginedrsquo [hellip]

Dean considered it lsquoNot reallyrsquo he confessed hellip lsquoI mean it was great hellip [but] it was more knowing that yoursquod you know do this than the thought of helliprsquo he waved his hand in a vaguely explanatory way

Sam was silent for several drowsy breaths [] [then he] said lsquoThat was beautiful Dean Hold mersquo

(Road Rhythm 2011)

After a brief exchange of insults things get quiet lsquoDean waited for a few for an answer but there was only Samrsquos head on his chest breath slow and regular Dean worked his right foot out from under the blanket and shut his eyesrsquo (lsquoThis Isrsquo) This gentle ending this moment of everyday intimacy suggests that the events of this story the brothersrsquo reenactment of a lost possible past represent the beginning of a new conversation with the ques-tion of what now In collaboration with their fans the Winchesters have ndash if only for one night ndash transformed the performative possibilities of Wincest fan practices into a tangible kind of happiness that the boys are able to create for themselves in the safety of their shared bed Although this brief explo-ration of possibility does not establish a permanent lsquonew realityrsquo like the one suggested by lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Isrsquo does illustrate that for the Winchesters ndash whorsquove faced demonic possession life as angelic vessels and the manipulations of their father ndash the glimpse of happiness that such fanfic-driven explorations of their relationship might provide is something well worth holding on to

Finally the co-productive nature of the relationship between the Winchesters and their fans and the collapse of boundaries between reader writer and text that such a relationship implies lies at the heart of Fanspiredrsquos lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo originally posted on the SamDean Slash Archive in September 2011 While fan writers are implicit characters in both lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo ndash presences invoked by the Wincest texts that they produce and the Winchesters in turn consume ndash lsquoConversationsrsquo positions a meta version of the storyrsquos author Fanspired directly into the body of the tale A central effect of this rhetorical choice is that it allows Fanspired-as-character to engage Sam as the storyrsquos title suggests in a series of discussions that encompass both Samrsquos status as a fictional character and Fanspiredrsquos responsibility to that character to the Winchesters in her writ-ing In lsquoConversationsrsquo Sam possess a detailed knowledge of Supernaturalrsquos metatext in general and of Fanspiredrsquos own work in particular Indeed he is quick to chide her for what he sees as unpleasant choices she has made on the brothersrsquo behalf in her other stories lsquo[y]ou had Dean possessed in ldquoThe Personal Demonrdquo you made him your clown in ldquoSugarcoated Samrdquo

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 175 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

KT Torrey

176

and what you did to me in that last chapter of ldquoI Can Never Go Homerdquo ndash that was just hellip really awkward [hellip] And yoursquove got worse planned for us havenrsquot you Fanspiredrsquo (original emphasis)

As the character of Fanspired observes however the seriesrsquo producers have done the Winchesters no better Whatever her plans for the brothers may be they are she argues lsquo[p]robably no worse than your own creator hasrsquo She also resists Samrsquos implication that she as a writer is able to exercise independent control over the brothersrsquo actions within the boundaries of her slash fiction lsquoI only try to write honestly and this stuff just happens [] I canrsquot help the way you react or the issues that get raised in the process Thatrsquos your doing All I do is ask ldquowhat happens nextrdquo and you answer mersquo Rather Fanspired argues their roles as writer and reader character and creator are not as distinct as Sam might think lsquoYoursquore writing me right nowrsquo she tells him lsquoas much as Irsquom writing yoursquo (2011)

Eventually the writer persuades Sam that the only way that he and Dean will be happy ndash even if just for a moment ndash is if Sam slips the bonds of his fictional status and instead embraces his authorial power via a conscious collaboration with Fanspired herself After she entreats him to lsquo[a]ccept yourself Believe in yourself Write your own endingrsquo Sam agrees to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel a fictional body through which character and fan author can write the brothers into a sexual encounter (2011 original emphasis) At first Sam is terrified by the responsibilities of his co-authority lsquo[h]e found it hard to believe this was about to happen even though he knew he must It was the dramatic climax (ha) the resolution the narrative arc had inevita-bly been leading to it was in so many senses his destinyrsquo However those fears abate when he recognizes the space into which Fanspired and he as her vessel have written the Winchesters lsquo[t]hey seemed to be nowhere There was nothing here nothing he could grasp and say ldquothis isrdquo but everything he felt was always already about to be [hellip] Then he understood ldquoWersquore in cyberspacerdquorsquo (Fanspired 2011)

Though Dean is bewildered by their sudden ndash and for him inexplica-ble ndash relocation Sam implores his brother to recognize the potential inher-ent in the unbounded space that surrounds them They are Sam explains in lsquothe one place where you and I can be and do anything Anything we want We decide whatrsquos right and wrong We donrsquot have to be dictated to by artificial man-made rules and conventions hellip or arbitrary programming guidelinesrsquo That is they are in the one place ndash the realm of Wincest fandom ndash wherein the brothers can express their sexual desire for one another without fear of disapproval or cancellation indeed where an incestuous entanglement makes possible a kind of happiness that such conventions have previously denied them

Further it is there out in the middle of electronic nowhere that the boundaries between Sam and Fanspired between character and author are fully dissolved What begins as a co-production bleeds into the act of a single body one that holds both the lsquofull body of the readerrsquos [own] expe-riencersquo and that of the authors themselves (Pollock 1998 82) The produc-tive nature of this bleed is suggested within the story by the melding of the brothersrsquo bodies that occurs during the sexual act As Sam fucks Dean on the hood of their much-loved Impala the boysrsquo physical union is transformed into something even more elemental lsquotheir heartbeats the pulse of their blood everything synchronous until at the moment of its greatest intensity the remaining barriers between them simply dissolved and they flowed into

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 176 10714 10627 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

177

one another to the rhythm of a single pumping heartrsquo Upon orgasm a new unnamed body is formed a singular Winchester who possesses a fearless-ness in the face of the future to which neither of the brothers alone could lay claim lsquo[h]e was no longer intimidated by the monsters of Season 7 the show nor any of the creative beasts it had spawned And he was no longer afraid of his own creative powerrsquo This power the text suggests is one that the new unified Winchester will use in service of disruption be it within the seriesrsquo canon or in the fan-written realm of Wincest fiction lsquoHe knew now whatever happened to him in the body of the story [hellip] hersquod still be there ndash screwing with itrsquo (Fanspired 2011)

In this way Sam and Deanrsquos physical fusion parallels the union between fan writer and the Winchesters which the story itself represents That is lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests that it is only when the energies the bodies of characters and fan writers combine that they might write in Pollockrsquos terms as if the brothers will have access to the happy ending that their fans ndash that they themselves ndash believe they deserve Samrsquos willingness to become Fanspiredrsquos vessel allows him through her to lsquogive them [the fans] the ending they want the one they deserve right here right now We owe them that We owe it to ourselvesrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Alone the story suggests neither of these parties possesses sufficient crea-tive power to do their on their own Rather the possibilities of the lsquonever ending roadrsquo [sic] are opened only when Sam Dean and the fan writer are united through the embodied performance of slash practice (Fanspired 2011) There is however no certainty in this ongoing lsquointimate coperform-ance of language and experiencersquo (Pollock 1998 82) for almost as soon as it appears on the page Fanspired immediately deems this happy ending ndash lsquothe perfect endingrsquo ndash as lsquo[t]oo easy I know if Irsquom honest those two will never be at peacersquo (Fanspired 2011) The recursive nature of the Winchestersrsquo story of the meaning-making that surrounds them is underscored by the repetition at storyrsquos end of the first few lines of the text including lsquoDean appears behind my shoulder and reads the last few lines of text Here we go againrsquo (Fanspired 2011 original emphasis) Thus both the form and content of lsquoConversationsrsquo suggests the productive potential that Wincest fandom holds for Sam and Dean when practiced in collaboration with when co- produced by fan writers themselves

IV lsquoMAybe The fAns hAd IT rIghT All Alongrsquo (nyxocITy 2012)

Ultimately then like lsquoStrangerrsquo and lsquoThis Isrsquo lsquoConversationsrsquo underscores a concept that is central to metatextual Wincest it is only through produc-tive collaboration with their fans with fan writers that Sam and Dean might locate as Tosenberger suggests lsquothe happiness and fulfillment the show eter-nally defersrsquo (2008 512) While the canonical events of lsquoThe Monster at the End of This Bookrsquo suggest that the Winchestersrsquo adaptation of their fansrsquo prac-tices might hold the key to Sam and Dean becoming authorities over their own lives ndash texts so often controlled by others ndash metatextual Wincest stories like lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo and lsquoConversations With Head Peoplersquo tie that suggestion directly to the reading writing and rescrip-tive practices of Wincest fans In each of these stories acting as if they are Wincest fans themselves allows Sam and Dean to translate the possibility of a happy ending into that elusive lsquonew realityrsquo even if the reality they make ultimately proves ephemeral

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 177 10714 10627 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

KT Torrey

178

While both Wincest in general and metatextual Wincest in particular place great import upon the possibility of a happy ending what distinguishes metatextual Wincest stories from their counterparts are the ways in which these texts emphasize the collaborative nature of meaning-making within the Supernatural metatext Just the events of lsquoMonsterrsquo and subsequent meta-episodes serve to underscore the fansrsquo role in the recursive creative churn that characterizes Supernatural metatextual Wincest serves as both an acknowledgement of and answer to the nature of that relationship As Eric Kripke suggests one way of understanding this relation is by considering lsquo[w]hat happens when the creators of the original work take the fans and their creative works and incorporate them into source material that the fans in turn will further transformrsquo (quoted in Zubernis and Larsen 2012 158) Metatextual Wincest stories pose this question differently what happens they wonder when the characters from an original work take up the fans and their crea-tive works and incorporate them into the source material of their everyday lives how then might the charactersrsquo lives be transformed Thus the work of metatextual Wincest writers highlights the authorial power that fan writers believe themselves to possess within the ongoing process of meaning-making that continues to spin around Supernatural some ten seasons on Indeed as Metatron would-be ruler of heaven notes in a recent episode titled lsquoMeta Fictionrsquo (918) it remains an open question even within the seriesrsquo diagesis as to lsquowho gives a story meaningrsquo is it the writer the audience or the characters themselves As issues of metatextuality continued to be foregrounded within the series itself metatextual Wincest narratives allow fan writers to acknowl-edge their lack of control over events within Supernaturalrsquos canon while simul-taneously making a strong argument for the productive power of their own unauthorized work Ultimately in these stories fan writers like nyxocity Road Rhythm and Fanspired illustrate how through collaboration with their fans Sam and Dean might seize authorial control from angels absent fathers and show runners alike in order at last to write their own happy ending

RefeRences

CBS (2005) lsquoWendigorsquo Supernatural The Complete First Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2009) lsquoThe Monster at The End Of This Bookrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fourth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSwan Songrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2010) lsquoSympathy for the Devilrsquo Supernatural The Complete Fifth Season DVD Burbank CBS

mdashmdash (2011) lsquoExile on Main Streetrsquo Supernatural The Complete Sixth Season DVD Burbank CBS

Chan Suzette (2010) lsquoSupernatural bodies Writing subjugation and resis-tance onto Sam and Dean Winchesterrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview179160 Accessed 30 October 2011

Fanspired (2011) lsquoConversations with Head Peoplersquo SamDean Slash Archive 5 September httpsamdeanarchivenuviewstoryphpsid=3943 Accessed 5 February 2012

Fathallah Judith May (2010) lsquoBecky is my hero The power of laughter and disruption in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Culture 5 http

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 178 101014 34545 PM

Writing with the Winchesters

179

journaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview220173 Accessed 30 October 2012

Felschow Laura (2010) lsquoldquoHey Check It Out Therersquos Actually Fansrdquo (Dis)empowerment and (mis)representation of Cult Fandom in Supernaturalrsquo Transformative Works and Cultures 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview134142 Accessed 30 October 2012

Gray Melissa (2010) lsquoFrom Canon to Fanon and back again The epic journey of Supernatural and its fansrsquo Transformative Works and Cultures 4 httpjournaltransformativeworksorgindexphptwcarticleview146149 Accessed 30 October 2012

Gwenllian-Jones Sara (2002) lsquoThe sex lives of cult television charactersrsquo Screen 43 1 pp 79ndash90

Jenkins Henry (1996) Textual Poachers Television Fans and Participatory Culture New York Routledge

Johnson Derek (2007) lsquoFan-tagonism Factions institutions and cultural hegemonies of Fandomrsquo in Jonathan Gray Cornel Sandvoss and C Lee Harrington (eds) Fandom Identities and Communities in a Mediated World New York New York University Press pp 285ndash300

Kustritz Anne (2003) lsquoSlashing the romance narrativersquo The Journal of American Culture 26 1 pp 371ndash84

lulu (2013) lsquoldquoAO3 Ship Statsrdquo The Slow Dance of the Infinite Starsrsquo Tumblr 17 August httpcentrumluminatumblrcompost58504759474a-ranked-list-of-the-most-popular-relationship Accessed 19 September 2013

nyxocity (2008) lsquoYoursquove got a lesson to learnrsquo LiveJournal 12 June httpnyxocitylivejournalcom165230html Accessed 15 December 2012

mdashmdash (2012) lsquoStranger Than Fictionrsquo Archive of Our Own 9 April httparchiveofourownorgworks379457chapters619888 Accessed 20 October 2012

Pollock Della (1998) lsquoPerformative writingrsquo in Peggy Phalen and Jill Lane (eds) The Ends of Performance New York NYU Press pp 73ndash103

Road Rhythm (2011) lsquoThis Is All Very Metarsquo LiveJournal 11 October httproad-rhythmlivejournalcom11361html Accessed 5 February 2012

Tosenberger Catherine (2008) lsquoThe epic love story of Sam and Deanrsquo Supernatural queer readings and the romance of incestuous fan fictionrsquo Transformative Works and Culture no 1 httpjournaltransformati-veworksorgindexphptwcarticleview3036 Accessed 30 October 2011

Zubernis Lynn and Larsen Katherine (2012) Fandom At The Crossroads Celebration Shame and FanProducer Relationships Cambridge Cambridge Scholars Publishing

suggested citatioN

Torrey KT (2014) lsquoWriting with the Winchesters Metatextual Wincest and the provisional practice of happy endingsrsquo Journal of Fandom Studies 2 2 pp 163ndash180 doi 101386jfs22163_1

coNtributor details

KT Torrey is a PhD candidate in Rhetoric and Writing at Virginia Tech Her scholarly work focuses on the interplay of rhetoric and identity performance online In her dissertation she traces these themes through evangelical purity

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 179 101014 25313 PM

KT Torrey

180

websites created by and for Christian women She has a fondness for good whiskey bad Foreigner lyrics and fics where Dean finally gets his happy end

Contact Virginia Tech Department of English 323 Shanks Hall (0112) Blacksburg VA 24061 USAE-mail ktorreyvtedu

KT Torrey has asserted her right under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work in the format that was submitted to Intellect Ltd

JFS_22_Torrey_163-180indd 180 10714 10627 PM