User blog comment:KillaHawke1/Fan Fiction: Cancerous plague of unoriginality or great companion?/@comment-26268104-20160518234143

I once had an idea for a fan fiction creepypasta based on Adventure Time. It is based on the theory that they live in a wasteland after a nuclear war. The concept revolves around Jake and Finn adventuring to an enemy base called the kingdom of ice. (I'm sure you get the reference.)

Anyway, I think that there's an invisible line when adapting fan fiction. It is OK to change certain things about the story. Often, whole characters and plotlines are dropped. The key is using the right words when saying how far it is from it's source material. If it is very simliar, you used the words "based on." If it is regonizable, but takes notable liberties, you use the words "adapted from." If it is exceptionally loose, you say "inspired by."