Pulled from the Page and Given Life: Why author Lynette Noni loves Fan Art

Words || Lynette Noni

If you’d told me five years ago that I would soon be offered a publishing deal for a six-book young adult fantasy series that would one day receive bestseller status, I never would have believed you. I never would have believed that I would have readers—that I would have fans, who would so passionately help bring my fictional world to life.

One of the many ways my readers do so is through fan art. They immerse themselves so deeply in the Medoran Chronicles that the characters are becoming real. Fans are pulling them from the pages and giving them visible representation

As an author, my profession relies on my ability to find the right words for any given situation. But knowing my readers are so in love with my characters that they want to breathe life into them is enough to leave me speechless.  It’s incredibly humbling when someone shares a work of art with me inspired by my books.

I’ll never forget the first time it happened. It was around six months after Akarnae had been released and a boy of around twelve years came up to me after I presented at a youth literary festival. He pulled something from his bag. It was an A3 piece of paper, folded in half and slightly crinkled at the edges. There were fingerprint smudges on one corner, and a small tear at the bottom. But none of that mattered, because in thick black ink, there was an anime depiction of my protagonist, Alexandra Jennings. I distinctly recall that she was mid laughter and wearing a sailor dress, of all things, which to this day still makes me smile.

Would I have known it was one of my characters without him telling me? No. Of course not. But he did tell me, excitedly, “I love your books so much! Alex is my favourite character ever—I drew her for you!”

That was it. Simple and to the point, but completely and utterly life-changing.

I’m gobsmacked anytime someone shares their art, whether it be a scribbled drawing that took a few minutes, or a digitised design that took hours, days or even weeks to complete. I’m still amazed by their attention to detail, and I’m equally delighted when others let their imaginations run wild to create their own versions of characters or events. It’s fascinating to see how differently people interpret the words I’ve written and reveal who they’ve met and what they’ve experienced during their reads. Knowing my words are inspiring such artistic responses is, in a word, surreal.

Five years ago, I never would have believed I’d one day have readers so passionate about my fictional world and characters that they’d want to experience Medora not just within the pages of the books, but beyond them too. I’m honoured to know that people everywhere are connecting with my stories in such a powerful way, and I’m excited to see what the next five years may bring!

About the Author:

Lynette Noni grew up on a farm in outback Australia until she moved to the beautiful Sunshine Coast and swapped her mud-stained boots for sand-splashed flip-flops. She has always been an avid reader and most of herchildhood was spent lost in daydreams of far-off places and magical worlds. She was devastated when her Hogwarts letter didn’t arrive, but she consoled herself by looking inside every wardrobe she could find, and she’s still determined to find her way to Narnia one day. While waiting for that to happen, she creates her own fantasy worlds and enjoys spending time with characters she meets along the way.