The origins of Scott and Kip's romance in HBO Max's "Heated Rivalry" have been thoroughly debunked by Rachel Reid, the author behind the popular gay hockey show. According to Reid, the idea that Scott Hunter, a character in her novel, was originally inspired by the Captain America and Bucky Barnes pairing from Marvel fan fiction has no basis in fact.
Reid had written about Scott and Kip's romance as early as 2016, when she was still working on her manuscript. However, at the time, she thought of it as fan fiction due to its online publication on Archive of Our Own (AO3). She did not realize that she could post original work on the platform.
Reid admits that she felt bad about the initial story and made changes to make it more distinct from Marvel fan fiction. Despite this, her publisher had concerns that the novel sounded too similar to fan fiction. Reid's editor helped her revise and resubmit the manuscript, resulting in a 100,000-word romance novel that was much shorter than her original work.
Reid regrets posting the fan fiction on AO3, as it led to a perception that she had ripped off Marvel characters without proper credit. She feels guilty about taking away her earlier work from the platform and removing any trace of its origins.
While Reid acknowledges that the fan fiction is still circulating online, she is relieved that "Heated Rivalry" has given her a chance to showcase her original work. The show's success has allowed her to build a new reputation as an author, separate from her earlier work on AO3.
Reid had written about Scott and Kip's romance as early as 2016, when she was still working on her manuscript. However, at the time, she thought of it as fan fiction due to its online publication on Archive of Our Own (AO3). She did not realize that she could post original work on the platform.
Reid admits that she felt bad about the initial story and made changes to make it more distinct from Marvel fan fiction. Despite this, her publisher had concerns that the novel sounded too similar to fan fiction. Reid's editor helped her revise and resubmit the manuscript, resulting in a 100,000-word romance novel that was much shorter than her original work.
Reid regrets posting the fan fiction on AO3, as it led to a perception that she had ripped off Marvel characters without proper credit. She feels guilty about taking away her earlier work from the platform and removing any trace of its origins.
While Reid acknowledges that the fan fiction is still circulating online, she is relieved that "Heated Rivalry" has given her a chance to showcase her original work. The show's success has allowed her to build a new reputation as an author, separate from her earlier work on AO3.