r/whatdoIdo • u/SealLover98 • 4h ago
A girl at my school wrote fanfic about me and submitted it into a play festival
I attend an arts high school that has a student-written play festival every year. To select the plays a panel of readers is chosen and without knowing the playwright we choose 4 plays to be executed and performed. For the past three years I've been on the reading panel and seen some interesting things but this is the only time I've ever encountered anything like this.
A couple of months ago a girl I had a handful of classes with but never spoke to approached me and told me she was writing a short film with a main character based on me. I thought this was weird as I knew virtually nothing about her but brushed it off and almost completely forgot about it. Then months later as I sat down with a friend to read a play submission about a love story between two highschoolers, things started to fall into place.
The friend I was reading it with told me that the aforementioned short film had fallen through and she was almost certain that the play we were reading was a slightly tweaked version of what it would have been. She also told me the same girl had approached her to tell her she was writing a short film with a main character based on her. As we read the play we became increasingly certain this play was based on us as personal details and hyper specific things about us popped up. Like I said we are both acquaintances at best with this girl. Things like our individual eye colors, shows we've been in, a necklace she always wears, headphones I never take off, monologues we've performed in class, extra curriculars we are apart of, our birth months, and even past relationships are present in this play. We both felt very confused and honestly somewhat violated reading it but of course knew there was no way to prove it was about us and this could all just be a crazy coincidence.
After school I went home and went through her highlights on Instagram in which she shares A LOT about her life and her writing. It was then I stumbled upon a Pinterest board on her account with my name, my style, and girls that look almost identical to me.
I approached her to ask if she submitted play and she immediately became uncomfortable, I asked her what it was about and she said she couldn't say before quickly changing the subject.
On Wednesday I need to meet with the panel to discuss these plays and I hate to say it but hers was one of the more well written pieces. Where the actual fuck do I go from here? This is starting to feel a bit like stalking and the last thing I need is for this play to be chosen and two people pretend to be me and my friend falling in love and getting married. I have no clue what to do because I'd sound like a self-absorbed madwoman telling this to the teacher supervisor. I don't want to start any rumors and I have no clue how I could explain this to the panel.
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u/Resident-Ad2557 4h ago
Say, she told you she was writing a story about you and did it, if you don't feel comfortable with it being played. If you don't care and don't think anyone will notice, put it on.
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u/Impressive-Walk-9625 4h ago
Sounds sort of like one of the plot lines in Euphoria. But in case this is real: You are a part of the judging panel. Promote a different play to be performed. Hype up the other ones. I’m sure that one play isn’t the only well-written one. You can even say that you like the storylines of the others more. Handle it.
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u/notJonSerra 3h ago
Just ask them to change certain aspects of it. Take away her fantasy but leave the rest of the play.
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u/Initial-Chair8212 3h ago
I know some ppl on here are taking this lightly but let me tell you how serious this can get.
I attended UTSA creative writing program. A male student in my creative fiction workshop wrote a fictional story about a woman who resembled me and who was pursued by her neighbor (he was my neighbor). The female character had two kids (as did I at the time). She turned her neighbor down and he got so angry that he 🍇’d her.
My whole class was dumbfounded reading this. The professor was so quiet because it was so evident that it was me. She took it to the dean. Believe it or not, the school started procedure to monitor him until deciding what to do. He eventually was expelled. This was 2009.
Fast forward to 2025 my own daughter now attends the same program that I graduated from and the school has strict rules of fictional writing in place and how they will proceed if they feel there is a threat.
So, since I’ve been in your shoes you should speak up if you feel worried for your safety. Look up UTSA creative writing program and see if you can find their rules online. Your admin has a duty to protect you.
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u/AdWild3075 4h ago
Ah quand même