Why you should be reading fanfiction
What is fan fiction?
It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s fiction written by fans. It consists of books, comics, movies, TV shows or pretty much any medium you can think of. Any time you have passionate fans creating stories inspired by other people’s work you have fan fiction.
Why read fan fiction?
They’re Free
Voracious readers all know the value of online resources. While apps like Libby can offer you access to your local library and websites like Project Gutenberg can allow you to read thousands of classics for free sometimes it’s nice to read something a bit different. Fan fiction is free and easily accessible on sites like Archive of Our Own (AO3), fanfiction.net, and Wattpad.
You can be ahead of the curve by reading stories before they get so popular that they are “pulled to publish”. When an author “pulls to publish” they remove the story from the site so that they can officially published through traditional means. Names and recognizable elements of the original fandom are change, likely so that they don’t get sued. The plot usually remains more or less the same. Fifty Shades of grey might be the most obvious example of this. Fanfiction readers had access to that story and many others for years before the general public.
You Don’t Like Endings
If you’re like the Eleventh Doctor and you don’t like endings why not try reading fan fiction. As a fan it’s tempting to want the stories you love to go on forever. The first thing you’ll hear people say about a popular show is that they need a second season. That reaction is normal and completely understandable but stories need to end. We need a beginning, a middle and an end for pacing to work. For the story to have structure and so that it doesn’t become mindless repetition or start to contradict itself.
I don’t blame authors or creatives for wanting to stretch out a popular story. Authors can suffer for years before gaining any success. When one of their projects becomes a hit and there’s a publisher or production company waving a fat check in front of their face saying we need three more installments of this series, it’s easy to see why they’d agree.
However, it’s possible for a writer to create an amazing world filled with complex characters, to tell the tale and then be finished. To have said and done all that they need to with those characters. If you read or watch a lot of series you can sometimes see this happening. The story continues but the quality declines over time.
This is why I like fan fiction. It's because they’re written by people who still love the story. Written by people who have something to say or express. Even if what they want to express is that they think two characters really need to make out. You get to keep exploring the stories you love with fanfiction. The official story doesn’t need to drag on forever. It can remain unaltered and undiluted. It’s canon, and thousands of other tales inspired by it can continue to spring into being
It's a Fujoshi's Paradise
Straight fiction, queer fiction, whatever orientation you prefer you can probably find it within the world of fanfiction. Fans of BL (boys love) should have already noticed the prevalence of such stories on sites like AO3. So if that’s something you’re into it might be worth your while to check it out.
New Heroes and Unexpected Stories
I have a strange habit of falling for side characters. The author doesn’t love them but I do and sometimes fanfiction writers give these characters a chance to shine. You get to see old characters in new ways without having to fuss too much because you know it’s not affecting canon.
Happy Endings
If you read Damnei or yaoi then you probably watch BL dramas. Censorship leads to a lot of BLs having either an open/ ambiguous ending or tragic endings. Fanfiction can help you out there. Allowing people to see their favorite couples get a happy ending. Censorship also tends to lead to having unresolved sexual tension. Well, fanfiction can definitely solve the problem.
If you’re going to give it a try then here are a couple of tips and warnings.
Grammar Police Beware
If you’re a stickler for good grammar then fan fiction might not be right for you. If you’re still willing to give it a try then I suggest that you read stories that have been “betaed”. A piece that’s been “beta read” is one that’s been proofread by the author or someone else attached to the project. It means that there has been at least some attempt to fix any errors. There may still be a few typos, but they tend to be better edited than unbetaed stories.
I’ve come across many typos in traditionally published work, so I’d say that there’s always a risk of errors no matter where you go. However, I’ll admit that the chances of coming across truly bad writing and editing is higher within the realm of fan fiction.
Be a Fan
This should be obvious but I’ll say it anyway. Pick a story based on something you already know and love. Although, it’s possible to read and enjoy pieces from any fandom you’re likely to miss out on some of the fun references and inside jokes if you choose a fandom that you’re not familiar with. You can filter based on fandoms, popularity, couples or topics you enjoy.
Mind the Tags
Always, I repeat always read the tags. If you don’t understand it then Google it. Not on a work or shared computer though. You should pay attention to the tags otherwise you maybe in for a nasty surprise. This applies to fanfiction, manga and web novels.
Anyone can publish anything so there’s going to be a lot of topics and preferences that don’t suit your tastes. Hell, there maybe some that offend your morals and make you question the writer’s sanity. So mind the tags and use filters. Remember filters are your friend.
I’m asking you to do as I say not as I do. I like to go into a story blind. Most of the time I know very little about what I’m about to read. The genre and fandom or the “ship” probably but I tend to skip detailed reviews and specific tags. This has led to some nice surprises but also some horrific discoveries that I wish I had never come across. You can choose to ignore this tip if you're like me and you would like to avoid all possible spoilers
Unfinished Fanfics May Never End
No matter what the writer says or how much they promise there’s no guarantee that any unfinished fic will ever be finished. While there’s a certain level of fun in anticipating the release of new chapters there’s a huge possibility that unfinished fics will remain so. It may also take years to finish. Remember you’re reading a passion project created by a fan for free as they go about their normal life. A life that can consist of school, work, children etc. and can’t be sidelined for fanfiction so either choose to read only finished pieces or graciously accept this limitation.
Decide Where You Draw the Line
Plagiarism involves stealing another person’s work and presenting it as your own. Copyright infringement happens the moment you use copyrighted material in a manner you don't have permission to. Most fanfiction will fall into the infringement side of things. A writer posting on a fanfiction site clearly noting their work as such is not plagiarism in my eyes, but it’s up to everyone to decide where they draw the line. Many fanfiction stories are transformative. Some have so many changes that the original fandom serves mainly as a source of inspiration.
Never Read Only Fanfiction
While this blog may give the impression that Yaoi or BL is the only thing I read, it’s not. I’d never limit myself to one medium or genre and I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else limit themselves that way. Fanfiction can be a fun way to pass the time but I do encourage variety.