Twilight Fan Fiction: Why so Prevalent?

I was asked to comment on this issue by International Business Times online because Twilight fan fiction has become such a huge phenomenon in and of itself.

My comments are below and the full article can be read at http://www.ibtimes.com/twilight-inspired-erotica-be-published-fan-fiction-based-series-becomes-genre-865476

“Twilight appealed to so many people on such a deep primal level. I think it tapped into a universal longing for unconditional acceptance and connection – not only from and with another person but within their own selves.”

The Twilight phenomenon extended beyond cultures and across generations, which points to something that must be experienced on a collective unconscious level – meaning that on some level this story triggers something deep within the human psyche. The fan fiction is, on the surface, an effort to hold on to a character or characters that were so beloved by many fans; I think on a deeper level, it is an expression of the triggered yearnings that underlie some of the mass interest in Twilight.