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I've heard numerous theories that Songfictions and Fanfictions are the downfall of the modern written word.

"Songfictions are a crutch for writers who can't express what they want to they way they want to, so they use a song to do the work for them. Fanfictions have the characters, setting and often plot already decided for them, and they don't add anything to a writer's skills other than wasting talent. All in all, fanfiction and songfiction make nobodies into authors, give people who have no talent some sort of gimmick to get by (on the internet, anyway) and just contribute to the common misconception that ANYONE can right. Anyone who writes fanfiction should be shot, and if they use songs in their fanfictions, they should be shot again."

This is not my opinion, though I admittedly agree on some points. I am a fanfiction author, and I've used more songs than I can count. The above paragraph isn't a direct quote, but rather a high-brow attitude toward fanfiction summarized. Again, I disagree, being one of these authors myself, but...

What I want to know is, what does the Writer's Guild think? IS fanfiction a hindrance to modern written word? Does it still talent? Should it be wiped from the earth?

I love writing fanfiction. Honestly I believe it has made me a better writer. It is real writing just as writing original is. You may base the characters and land on things that already exsist, but the plot is yours alone.

Of course there are always bad sides to any writing both original and fan based. Not everyone who writes it is good at it, but that really applies to all writing.