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382 reviews1,284 followersFollow
my ao3 history stays between me and god but ill be damned if I don’t count the 100,000+ word fanfiction I just read as a book
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450 reviews175 followersFollowDecember 8, 2023
yeah ik this might be cheating but every night i tuck myself into bed, grab my silly little kindle, and open up my silly little gay fics like it’s some kind of nightly routine. some would say i need help, i say that’s probably a correct assumption.
important note💌: only including fics that are roughly around 50k+ in length because trying to list everything under that would be…a mess
➥ all directions at the same time by dodici (banana fish, asheiji, 58k, post canon fix-it)
➥ diegesis by bastetCG (thousand autumns, yanshen, 60k, modern actor au)
➥ where’s your emergency? by trippednfell (mdzs, wangxian, 64k, modern au)
➥ like a light i’m luring you by kybelles (banana fish, asheiji, 33k, modern au)
➥ if you don’t know how to blow, blow for me by trufflehargu (tgcf, hualian, 75k, modern au)
➥ accidents of the innocent by akacereal (tgcf, hualian, 40k, modern au)
➥the art of cruelty by butchgoth/gremlingirl (tgcf, beefleaf, hualian, 320k, modern au)
➥everyanything by deliciousblizzardshark/lingeringdust (mdzs, wangxian, 46k, canon divergent)
➥extraordinary attorney wangji by paidsubscription (mdzs, wangxian, 57k, modern au)
➥like a wildfire by dreamer2311 (mdzs, zhuiling, wangxian, 64k, post-canon)
➥of crushed velvet and crushes by matchakat (tgcf, beefleaf, hualian, 51k, modern au)
➥the tide it takes me away from you, and it brings me back again by butchgoth/gremlingirl (tgcf, beefleaf, hualian, fengqing, 61k, post canon fix it)
➥“that happened. but it could be worse.” – shen yuan after messing everything up 2k19 by shireyaki (svsss, bingyuan, qijiu, moshang, royalty au, 83k)Show more
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220 reviewsFollow
Welcome to my review for Green Light, the fanfic that got me to sob for 30-45 minutes straight. When I tell you Manacled didn’t make me sob it just left me dead and empty inside. But this? This made me BALL. It’s taken me a while to pluck up the courage to even review the highlights in my kindle, especially because I know that I just straight up highlighted entire pages. But review I did, so let’s begin.
Green Light starts off with a journalist interviewing Draco Malfoy to see what he’s been up to after 8 years of being completely MIA from the public eye. Draco says sit the fuck down let me tell you a story so that you leave us alone !! We immediately switch to Hermione’s POV and the journey begins there. We watch Hermione navigate a post war wizarding world with shitty friends, abusive relationships, unimaginable PTSD and entirely too much on her plate as usual. Fortunately, she gets recruited to go on an expedition to find a mythological cave in Morocco and guess who’s gonna be there…Draco mf Malfoy.
What can you expect from this fic?
– [ ] This is the most painfully slow burn story I think I’ve ever read. My body physically hurt from the tension between these two. I was pulling my hair out it was so excellently written. The EYE contact, the body language, the brief moments of physical touch- ladies Im talking pride and prejudice level hand flex.
– [ ] They have STARING competitions: “It feels slightly scandalous, almost voyeuristic, to have the mirror act as some sort of conduit for them to watch each other. Heat spreads from the lower part of her stomach and all the way to her cheeks.” sedate me
– [ ] Beautiful beautiful beautiful writing. So. Freaking. Poignant and visceral.
– [ ] A Draco who puts Hermione first. Always and irrevocably. And this is something Hermione can barely comprehend it’s so tragic.
– [ ] Draco is obviously hot, and I mean inappropriate use of the Malfoy signet ring levels hot
– [ ] Hermiones characterization could be considered frustrating but that’s because I think it’s an incredibly plausible and hard to swallow take. An intelligent but selfless pleaser pleaser who runs herself to the bone and never puts her self first and desperately wants to be loved? She WOULD get taken advantage of and struggle like this. It’s just very difficult to read.
– [ ] Such mf wisdom. I don’t know what this author went through but the maturity and worldly insight that bleed through the pages was beyond impactful to me.
– [ ] Suffering. And then after that. More suffering
– [ ] Tonssss of literary influence and references. This author is SMART and clearly well read.
– [ ] That feeling when you have a lump in your throat from reading so much tragedy and suffering but that’s been so exquisitely handled that you can’t help but admire the havoc that’s being wrought on your emotional wellbeing
– [ ] I have to say. All the TWS. There are devastating depictions of dissociation, PTSD, abuse, grief, isolation, chronic illness, panic attacks, trauma, self mutilation, gaslighting… really every psychologically dark thing you can think of. I would NOT recommend this to you if you are not in a good headspace.
All to say – This fic feels like chocking on ash. This fic feels like a hand wrapping slowly around your throat. This fic feels like beng stabbed in the gut slowly by someone you care about. This fic is god tier. Hope you have so much fun!Show more
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1,444 reviewsFollowDecember 20, 2024
Finished Rough Hands by malevolentreverie on Dec 19, 2024 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished The Community by Deathsdoll up to the last update on Feb 21 2024 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finished If I Can’t Have You by Deathsdoll up to the last update on December 2023 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Show more
22 likes12 commentsLikeComment
95 reviews150 followersFollow
Read in 2024:
– Manacled (reread)
– I Will Make You Proud
– Perfectly in Pieces
– A Game of High Stakes
– Divination for Skeptics
– A Gallows Marriage
– BSP
– The Fallout
Currently Reading:
– These Selfish Vows
– Love in the Time of the Zombie Apocalypse
– Measure of a Man
– The Debt of Time
– Détraquée
– Nightmares and NocturnesShow more
20 likes2 commentsLikeComment
15 reviewsFollowMarch 19, 2022
i love ao3
12 likesLikeComment
72 reviews2 followersFollowNovember 29, 2024
Will be using this for fics that are 80k words or more because by golly its still reading!!!
(Formatting will be Fandom, Chapter Count, Word Count. Stars will change as I update this for each fic)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 2/12/24 (Stranger Things, 50 Chapters, 154,005 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 2/14/24 (Stranger Things, 26 Chapters, 99,510 words, ★★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 2/17/24 (Stranger Things, 23 Chapters, 109,844 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 2/23/24 (Stranger Things, 21 Chapters, 80,669 words, ★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 3/9/24 (House of the Dragon, 51 Chapters, 203,393 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 6/9/24 (9-1-1, 10 Chapters, 90,496 words, ★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 6/17/24 (9-1-1, 5 Chapters, 86,569 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 7/2/24 (9-1-1, 6 Chapters, 102,780 words, ★★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 7/5/24 (reread) (30 Chapters, 288,749 words, ★★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 7/28/24 (ATLA, 17 Chapters, 143,477 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 9/15/24 (The Umbrella Academy, 30 Chapters, 95,882 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 9/20/24 (The Owl House, 30 Chapters, 86,443 words, ★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 10/28/24 (Yuri on Ice!!!, 23 Chapters, 121,439 words, ★★★★★)
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅: 11/28/24 (Arcane, 31 Chapters, 73,784 words, ★★★★)Show more
9 likesLikeComment
286 reviewsFollow
ReadDecember 2, 2024
someone please tell me to stop bingeing 9-1-1 fics I haven’t read a book in days
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255 reviews56 followersFollow
ReadJune 3, 2024
Carry On and all the other books in the Simon Snow trilogy are canonically fanfiction of fanfiction in Fangirl, hence all snowbaz fanfiction is canon, therefore the 419,375 word (>1,000 page) fanfic I read counts as a book and I will be marking it as such here, thank you very much.
7 likesLikeComment
498 reviews36 followersFollowOctober 4, 2024
I will be using this for future fanfic reads that I want to note. All fanfics have been read on AO3.com unless otherwise stated. Do not buy or sell fanfic.
Oct 4: Bring him to his knees by musyc. Not one of my faves but enjoyed the eidetic memory element.
August 12th – 16th: The Disappearance of Draco Malfoy by speechwriter. Rewrite of the seventh HP book with Draco as part of the Horcrux hunt. This was the seventh book we should have got with a Draco redemption arc. I also loved seeing Draco come out of the war not hated. Definitely best evolution of Draco’s bias being broken down I’ve read.
March – May 27th: Bloody, Slutty, Pathetic by whatmurdah. Incredible marriage law fic with Panville and Theo/Charlie side pairing. Followed this as a WIP which finished this morning. Honestly this is probably my favourite characterisation of Draco and Hermione. Particularly loved Draco’s thoughts on his father’s approval and how this fic explored repeating of past traumas.
March 6th: How to win friends and influence people by OlivieBlake. Best banter. Most of other ships i’ve seen – was pleasantly impressed by Pansy and Percy as a pairing.
March 1st: Breath Mints / Battle Scars by onyx_and_elm. Hello toxic Draco 👋
Jan/Feb: Measure of a Man by inadaze22.
Came for Draco. Stayed for precious Scorpius.Show more
6 likes3 commentsLikeComment
218 reviews16 followersFollow
ReadJanuary 24, 2024
Using this as a placeholder for my AO3 fics 🤭
2024 Stats for Fanfics
Total Read (so far): 16
Total Read Over 50k Words: 3
Total Read Over 100k Words: 3
Number of Bookmarks (right now): 268
Number of Fics I Want to Start Reading Before the Year Ends: 35
Marked For Later: 6
NOTE: No ratings or names for the sake of my AO3 history remaining private, and personally, I don’t think fanfiction should be rated unless the author says that they don’t mind ratings. ❤Show more
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2,362 reviews3,686 followersFollowJuly 29, 2024
Outlet by ShayaLonnie & La_Matrona
This was sweet, spicy, angsty and really great!
8th Year Harmione fic.
4.5 stars
4 on the spice scale
PTSD, improper BDSMShow more
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188 reviews164 followersFollow
Want to readAugust 5, 2024
(I really wanna start reading more fics. If you see this please I’m begging you look away😭This stay between me and my soul)
Fanfictions I’ve read:
1 – Manacled – senlinyu (I’m undecided when it comes to this. Didn’t enjoy it like everyone told me I’ll)
2- 7 minutes – AttackonFics (this is the og one. Not available on AO3 anymore but this link works, i liked it)
3- 7 Minutes – mryeagerbomb (came after the og and very very boring)
───────────
Fanfiction TBR:
(ps- lots of these are from the original resources. But some of them got deleted so I got other links for them.
#Stay woke 🤞)
this is the account of the parasite fic author, they took it down in July to make some edits (not changing the plot tho) it’ll be back soon
Counts of three
sinful desires (it’s very similar to 7 minutes)
7 minutes is not enough
Permission
camgirl (ongoing but the author have stopped since 2021)
the sweetest revenge
To the bone (ongoing)
to love a liar (ongoing)
too easy (complete)
brooklyn baby (The og one that got deleted and this person is reposting it, ongoing)
submit (ongoing but the author stopped since 2023)
The worthy (ongoing)
poisoned love
heaven and hell
bloody, slutty and pathetic (hermione and her lapdogs LMAO)
remain nameless
secrets and masks
The right thing to do
all the wrong things
The auction
all the young dudes
Crimson River
breath mints and battle scars
There is no Justice in this World of Ruin (Aot painful fic about characters apparently)
a file I found on Reddit with a bunch of AOT fics, not romance but about plots/ growth/ characters
The fallout
Détraquée – Hystaracal
Timeless – alexandra_emerson
Love and Other Historical Accidents – PacificRimbaud
Divination for Skeptics – olivieblake (apparently this author have so many fics for the queen olivie blake? Sing me the fuck up)
On the nature of Daylight – Ikorous
her last party – trashiestpandaShow more
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288 reviews54 followersFollow
ReadOctober 22, 2024
-i read four doujinshis sigh *scratches head*
-and then i read a webtoon but it was boring asf so i QUIT 💜
5 likesLikeComment
393 reviews122 followersFollow
Want to readApril 9, 2024
Envy and Manipulations by rrabbit (rec’d by Sahara) on FF.net
A Moon Shaped Pool by MalevolentReverie (rec’d by Sahara)
A court of love and healing by ACourtOfLoveAndHealing (is this the Tamlin redemption arc that I need?!)
The Flower Bled Crimson ThisBirdWithoutACage AO3 Barty/Fleur Dark romance (bc this one was rec’d beside Altered State by Ginnyruin and The Community by DeathsDoll on Reddit). Not sure if it will be as good, but fingers crossed. (DNF bc creepy, accurate, simpy Barty is cringe)Show more
5 likes2 commentsLikeComment
708 reviews322 followersFollow
ReadMay 28, 2024
Crumple
Dragon’s heartstrings
Love potions and their many uses
A season for setting fires
The sacrifices we make
Seven sins
In the lurch
Barbarian’s bookworm
Anastasia
Between us flows the Nile
Felices los 4
Matter of time
Beautiful mess
Chasing HermioneShow more
5 likesLikeComment
1,392 reviews190 followersFollow
Best of All Time:
AO3
Five Nights at Freddy’s fandom –
Girl on the Edge of Nowhere by R. Lee Smith / Book 1 out of 5 (4 are completed) / Absolutely epic series by a veteran author and it shows. Meticulous planning, amazing characters (OCs and otherwise). Read purely for the author and not for the fandom. Easily 10/5 stars
fanfiction.net
Gone with the Wind fandom –
“Six Months Later” by HelenSES / a direct sequel to GWTW. Rigidly adheres to canon. Good writing. Long. If GWTW left you annoyed and unsatisfied, well this is the actual cure for that.Show more
4 likesLikeComment
656 reviews94 followersFollowMarch 29, 2024
Late Night Devil by Ceris_Malfoy. This was short but so good. Darklina at its manipulative best.
4 likesLikeComment
93 reviews1 followerFollowNovember 3, 2024
Lassoed hearts – Deathsdoll: 4.5 ⭐️
Really enjoyed this one even thought it took me a while to read for some reason. Anderson is my favourite Deathsdoll mmc so far, he was just amazing and a lot less mean than most of the others. Who knew I’d have a thing for southern accents now? I thought that Arabella was a bit dry at first but I think she really grew in character towards the end and I suppose that was part of her development from a sheltered, rich lady. Excellent writing from Deathsdoll, as usual.
Spare the rod – Deathsdoll: 3 ⭐️
I was really looking forward to this story
as I felt Doctor Montgomery had a lot of potential in Bought and paid for (and the need to either be put in prison or a mental institution! but who am I to judge?). Although his actions do make a little more sense now I kind of felt like he didn’t have as much personality here for whatever reason. This is a good story but don’t go into it expecting all that much as it’s essentially just dark smut.
Broken Bottles – MindWideOpen: 4.5 ⭐️
This was sooo good, so sad it’s not finished.
The community – Deathsdoll: 3 ⭐️
I feel like I can’t give this any less than 3 stars cause the writing was so good but I didn’t really enjoy this one that much. The plot was very intriguing and I liked the beginning but the whole thing was just a bit too dark for me which is strange because I was fine in Bought and paid for which is arguably a lot worse. I think that it was because you get to know Grace as her own person before the indoctrination which doesn’t really happen in BAPF and I just wanted her to get away from the cult and father – who made my skin crawl btw.
Show more
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347 reviews24 followersFollow
ReadDecember 1, 2024
Feel like I typically steer away from fics because I typically can’t put them onto Goodreads/Storygraph so going to start tracking them here
04/08/24 – Whisper To Me, Help Me Remember by LaLainaJ. (Klaroline, 82k)
05/10/24 – The Wolf by Yokan. (Klaroline, The Originals S1 rewrite, 309k)
05/12/24 – the birth and death of the day by sunnydaisy. (Klaroline, Supernatural crossover, 149k)
06/04/24 – Bloody, Slutty, and Pathetic by WhatMurdah (Dramione, post-war AU, 196k)
09/02/24 – Timeless by alexandra_emerson (Dramione, time travel AU, 311k)
09/07/24 – Anywhere by alexandra_emerson (Dramione, time travel AU, 243k)
11/13/24 – Bad Books and Second Looks by GracefulLioness (Dramione, 61k)
11/14/24 – Love a Lie by ambpersand (Dramione, marriage law AU, 20k)
11/19/24 – Reputation by embersofapril (Dramione, fake dating AU, 105k)
11/30/24 – Amends by thelashjedi (Dramione, accidental pregnancy AU, 44k)
11/30/24 – In These Silent Days by HeyJude19 (Dramione, marriage law AU, 67k)
11/30/24 – an ever-fixed mark by ninepiecesofcrait (Dramione, marriage law AU, 208k)Show more
4 likesLikeComment
Ashley (Xaden Riorson’s Version)
106 reviews12 followersFollowJuly 24, 2024
Did I read 800000 word fanfic instead of my novels on tbr? Yes. Do i regret it? Also yes, actually.
4 likes1 commentLikeComment
261 reviews71 followersFollow
The fan fiction I read is between me and my ao3 history
4 likes1 commentLikeComment
Omnya Ali (Free Palestine ~ Hiatus;Exams)
517 reviews229 followersFollowAugust 30, 2024
MY 2024 READS 💕😭
The Right Thing to Do by LovesBitca8
All the Wrong Things by LovesBitca8
The Auction by LovesBitca8
Nightmare by provocative_envy
Manacled by SenLinYu
Limerence by devdevlin
Enigma by devdevlin
Unsphere the Stars by CocoArtist
Love in a Time of the Zombie Apocalypse by Rizzle
Ten out of Ten by morriganmercy
Show more
3 likesLikeComment
50 reviews3 followersFollow
Note: This serves as a space for me to remember (and gush about) the fics that sent me down the rabbit hole rather than one in which to critique them. Because every time I think about them, I lose all capacity to brain. I have nothing substantial to say. Nothing constructive or enlightening or life-changing or even remotely helpful. There is only brainrot, adoration, and the very real risk of embarrassing myself—which isn’t really a risk now, more of an inevitability.
I’m only including those I felt were long enough to constitute a novel (if not a series of novels) and thus spent a considerable amount of time on; or those I want to remember if I’m lucky enough not to forget their titles while browsing in incognito. I’ll put other fandoms eventually, but these are by far some of the longest or most memorable I’ve read recently.
────── « ⋅⋆✦⋆⋅ » ──────
✓ MANACLED by SenLinYu
“Like a star, he was glittering and ice-cold from afar, but when the space was bridged, the heat of him was endless.”
I wrote a longer, more unfiltered not-review that’s barely legible now, and frankly I don’t know where to begin with that, if I can ever begin at all. (Maybe someday I’ll parse those thoughts and type them down, but that day is not today.) I can talk about my brainrot for hours if I started, but I’m convinced nothing I say can possibly convey the depth of affection I have for this fic. It is permanently engraved in my soul which SenLinYu now owns.
────── « ⋅⋆✦⋆⋅ » ──────
✓ RIGHTS AND WRONGS by LovesBitca8
• I read The Right Thing to Do and All the Wrong Things side by side and went positively insane.
• Lucissa in Birth Right altered my brain chemistry.
• After The Auction, I went even more insane.
• The rest just ended me at this point.
────── « ⋅⋆✦⋆⋅ » ──────
✓ AMOR VINCIT OMNIA by Twin_Flame_Blues
“It doesn’t matter who they are— your parents, your best friend, your partner— if they treat you badly, if they don’t love you for who you are, they don’t matter. Their opinion doesn’t matter. Fuck ‘em. You go and live exactly how you want to, build your life into something you find beautiful, no matter how it looks to other people. The only people that matter are the ones who will love you unconditionally, no matter what.”
I loved this especially for how the author wrote about boundaries: how it’s your choice what you welcome (back) into your life, and how overwhelmingly loved you can feel by finding and choosing to be with the right people. It’s been nothing short of empowering in that regard. I respect the author so much for it. The way they illustrated relationships had me cheering and pining and even tearing up a couple of times. It has a brilliant message interwoven with comfort for those who ever felt like they were alone in the world, one I’m sure will stick with me for a long time.
────── « ⋅⋆✦⋆⋅ » ──────
✓ BREATH MINTS / BATTLE SCARS by Onyx_and_Elm
“That is for the person who told me she’d pick me out of a room of hundreds. If she ever decides to mean it.”
────── « ⋅⋆✦⋆⋅ » ──────
⟳ DRACO MALFOY AND THE MORTIFYING ORDEAL OF BEING IN LOVE by isthisselfcare
────── « ⋅⋆✦⋆⋅ » ──────Show more
3 likesLikeComment
10 reviews8 followersFollow
ReadApril 1, 2024
no way i’m not counting the 100k+ word fics i read towards my reading goal idc!
(when facing) the things we turn away from by Darkness747
started: 3/13/24
finished: 3/30/24
⭐️: 4/5
3 likesLikeComment
210 reviews3 followersFollowMay 5, 2024
‘An ever-fixed mark’ by ninepiecesofcait
Honestly I’m ready to say goodbye to 8th year dark Draco fics, my future will now exclusively be glasses wearing tortured soul daddy Draco in his absolute rolled sleeves prime. (On a serious note this was my first Scorpius fic and as such I will need to have a stern talk with myself about motherhood because what will be the point if I can’t transfigure a tiny dragon plushie or teach them ancient runes? Or if their uncle isn’t fanon Theo Nott? 🤷🏼♀️)Show more
2 likesLikeComment
197 reviews2 followersFollow
9 dramione fanfics 🥹😭🖤
Manacled (words:370,515)
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love (words: 199,548)
The Right Thing to Do (words: 174,911)
Nothing Good Happens After 2AM (words: 8,574)
All the Wrong Things (words: 160,297)
The Auction (words: 325,876)
All You Want (words: 172,650)
Hot For Teacher (words: 61,722)
Secrets & Masks (words: 454,499)Show more
2 likesLikeComment
126 reviews29 followersFollowOctober 22, 2024
‧₊˚ 👑✩ ₊🍂⊹
4⁺˖✧
“I want you so much. Always want you.”
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Song: ivy by Taylor Swift
Fic: The Light of the West by jpena
♡Show more
2 likesLikeComment
93 reviews1 followerFollowOctober 14, 2024
idk as someone in the reviews already said my fanfic choices are between myself and the lord, however this was 180,000 words and therefore will be counted as a book! kisses
2 likes1 commentLikeComment
101 reviews12 followersFollow
ReadDecember 6, 2024
The hack I needed! This is a placeholder book for the 10 different fanfictions I read this year that had a SERIOUS word count!
2 likesLikeComment
Displaying 1 – 30 of 298 reviews
About
all up to date reviews…
The Ultimate Guide To Fanfiction and Fanfiction Sites
·
12 min read
·
Dec 19, 2017
1.3K
21
Ah, the mystery of fanfiction! A whirlwind of adventures, stories, and craziness that leaves anyone in a daze. I have been reading and writing fanfiction under various pseudonyms for ~7 years now. I’ve tried every site from newer fanfiction sites like Commaful to niche fanfiction archives to the tried and true archives like Fanfiction.net and AO3. In this article, I’m going to go over everything about fanfiction from the basic “What is fanfiction” to in-depth reviews of all the various fanfic websites.
I’ve even tried sites that aren’t tradition fanfiction sites but are character oriented, like CharacterHub and Toyhouse, designed for sharing characters and fan characters.
Here’s the TL;DR for those of you who don’t want to read the entire thing:
- There is great fanfiction for pretty much whatever you’re fanatical about and if there isn’t YOU can start the fandom! Look up any show, movie, or actor and you’ll probably find something!
- Commaful and Archive of Our Own (AO3) are my 2 favorite places to share and read fanfiction (for very different reasons). AO3 because of its huge library and incredible search engine to find the best fanfics. Commaful for its gorgeous visuals (I can use gifs to help my fics come to life). You have to try it to experience the magic.
- Fanfiction can be a lot of romance, sex, and “ships” (ships are when the author puts two characters into a romantic relationship), but doesn’t have to be. There is great fanfiction for everyone.
What is Fanfiction?
In its simplest form, fanfiction is when somebody takes a character, universe, or story from a different scenario to create their own story. These characters and scenarios are commonly pulled from novels, TV shows, movies, and even real life (looking at you Justin Bieber and Harry Styles fanfiction writers!)
Do you know who the guy with the red sword thing above is? Unless you live under a rock, you probably know what Star Wars is and that the man’s name is Kylo Ren. If you don’t know who he is, here’s what you need to know.
Imagine that you just watched the film and you love the character. After the movie, you have all of these “what if” scenarios running through your head. What if Kylo killed this guy instead of that guy? What if he has a love interest?
If you write these scenarios out, the result is fanfiction!
With fanfiction, the possibilities are endless! You can put Harry Potter characters in Star Wars. You can re-write scenes of movies that you don’t like. You can re-write love interests. You can add your own characters to the Hogwarts universe. You can add yourself to your favorite novel. You can have your favorite character dress up as a chicken. You get the point.
Let’s try your hand at a few light and short pieces of fanfiction:
A story featuring Harry Potter and the Avengers from AO3
Spellist – esama – Harry Potter – J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Super short Star Wars fanfic’s first chapter in commaful’s special fic format:
These stories are on the shorter side and don’t feature anything graphic. After the next section, I’ll be going over different types of fanfiction stories. But first, here are the top fanfic sites where you can share your fanfic and also discover the best fanfiction.
Top Fanfiction Websites
When it comes to sharing your work, you have a lot of options between many different fanfiction sites and fanfiction apps! I’m going to go over all the major options (all of which I have tried) to both share fanfiction pieces and also finding the best fanfiction. I’m listing them in the order of my personal preference. Different people have different preferences, but here are my preferences and reviews:
1. Archive Of Our Own (AO3)
This is my fanfiction site of choice. I use this for all my long form fanfiction reading. The search allows me to pinpoint the EXACT type of story I like to read and filter out tags I don’t want. AO3 can have some very very extremely content and I try to make sure I don’t read those. Most other fiction archives do prevent stories that are over-the-top violent or sexual, but AO3 allows pretty much everything. For most of the fandoms I like, AO3 has a more active community than other sites.
Pros:
- Very active and huge library of stories
- Very sophisticated search that makes finding stories very easy
- You can find just about anything because AO3 censors very little
- High quality, long form stories. I find most stories here are higher quality than most other sites
Cons:
- No messaging system
- Can be complicated to use
- You can’t sign up immediately, you have to request an invite
Verdict: I recommend AO3 for writers and readers with some experience with fanfiction already. Its extensive library and powerful search engine make it overall a killer pick for those who know what they’re doing.
2. Commaful
I was initially skeptical of this little site, but after spending some time on it, I now post regularly and interact regularly as one of my favorite fanfic sites. The stories are very different than most fanfiction and more accessible than most sites. My friends won don’t even read fanfics are reading some of my creations on there. The site provides a different flavor of fanfics that is new and refreshing. It’s also amazing for shorter works and one shots. You really have to try it to experience the magic.
Pros:
- Gorgeous reading format that even non-fanfic readers love. Some really good and quality fanfiction
- Great chat system and community tools
- Very positive and encouraging community
- Easy for completely new writers to get followers (more tools to reach audiences)
Cons:
- smaller library of content
- creating can take some time to get used to given its innovative format
- many fandoms aren’t super popular yet, but you can start it (they provide you resources if you reach out)
Verdict: I recommend Commaful to people who are getting into fanfiction or people who find themselves with busy schedules and still want to read and write.
3. Fanfiction.net
I wrote on this site for a couple of years and found a lot of people moving over to AO3. The community on here feels nicer than AO3. The site is a bit easier to navigate than AO3 and reminds me a bit of old school forums.
Pros:
- large library of content! some fandoms are more popular/active here than on AO3
- it has messaging. nothing super fancy, but it gets the job done.
Cons:
- this could be a pro or con, but you won’t find more hardcore stuff on here.
Verdict: I’d recommend checking both AO3 and fanfiction.net for the fandoms you’re interested in to see which archive is more active in your fandom. Overall, I like AO3 better, but fanfiction.net is a bit simpler to navigate (at the cost of more advanced features)
4. Tumblr
Tumblr isn’t just for fanfiction, but it’s great for sharing fanfiction as well as promoting fanfiction works you’ve posted elsewhere. Use the search functionality to locate the types of works you’re interested in. Use tags to help get your works discovered within your fan communities.
Pros:
- lots of community features, chatting, etc.
- wide audience of readers in every fandom, engage with all things from fan art to gifs to fanfiction
Cons:
- not designed for fanfiction
- stories get pushed down your feed pretty quickly (older posts die quickly)
Verdict: I’d mostly recommend posting somewhere else and promoting the works to Tumblr. Tumblr is a great place to get conversations going about the works.
5. Wattpad
In my experience, I’ve found Wattpad to have a ton of fanfiction about Harry Styles, One Direction, and Justin Bieber (all teenage pop stars). A lot of teen fic and high school stories. I’ve found search to be a bit hard to use. Overall, huge international audience on Wattpad and a young audience so for certain fandoms that focus on these younger audiences, Wattpad is the main place to post.
Pros:
- a lot of teen fics and teen writers
- basic messaging system and community tools
- large base of content (from original content to fanfiction)
Cons:
- hard to search
- not much variety
- lower quality of writing
Verdict: I recommend browsing through some fanfiction on Wattpad. If you don’t like what you see, you probably won’t find much more. If you like what you see, most of the fics there are probably exactly what you want. It’s mostly teen fan fics so if you like the genre, you’ll be at home.
6. Quotev
This used to be a much bigger hub as a fanfiction site when I was writing on it. I eventually migrated most of my works off it when I found that the other sites were bigger. After re-visiting it today, it looks like the site is more used for quizzes and roleplaying now, though fanfiction is still a part of it.
Pros:
- large community of passionate fans
- great chat tools and forum features
Cons:
- less fanfic action now
- small library of works to choose from
Verdict: Quotev seems like a nice place to roleplay for inspiration. There is also less competition for stories and plenty of people looking to read, so there may be some opportunity to share some interesting posts. Creepypasta is very popular there so if you are writing Creepypasta fanfiction, this is the place to be.
7. Kindle Worlds
I’ve only used this in passing. I think the only reason to use this is to try to make money. Admittedly, didn’t spend a ton of time here, nor did I make money, but I think people can make good money here if they put in the time and effort.
Pros:
- you can make money!
Cons:
- not much of a base or community
Verdict: If you want to feed yourself, look no further! Only certain fandoms qualify.
8. deviantArt
DeviantArt is known for its amazing fan art and illustration community. I used to browse this every day just because everything here is so beautiful. There is also a lot of fanfiction and fan comics being posted. I shared some works here and they got some decent readership. I think it depends on the fandoms, so definitely look at the fandoms before trying this out.
Pros:
- very visual site, so a lot of the fanfiction works are very very creative
- lots of tools on the site to style your posts, add images, etc.
- nice looking profiles, blog updates, messaging
Cons:
- not designed specifically for fanfiction
Verdict: DeviantArt is one of the most fun sites for me. I love browsing because of its fan art, fan comics, and more. The talent here is amazing and it’s nice to also be able to share my fanfiction. It’s a fun community to be around, even if it’s not designed for fanfics.
There are other more niche archives and smaller sites that are new, but for the purposes of this article, I decided to focus on the more notable places to post.
As mentioned earlier, there are also other types of fan creation sites that aren’t tradition fanfiction, like CharacterHub for characters and Webtoons for comics.
Types Of Fanfiction
Now that you understand the websites for fanfiction and what fanfiction is, here are the types of fanfiction you’ll come across. These are usually seen as tags on the websites. You should look at these tags and description before reading the story to get an idea of what you’re getting into.
A/A (Action/Adventure): a lot of fighting, battles, typically plot driven stories.
Adult: usually graphic and sexual. You must be 18+ to read
Angst: typically very dark, involves torment of the characters, depression, and sadness.
AU (alternate universe): stories where characters are put into different worlds than their normal universe
BDSM (Bondage Domination Sadism Masochism): these stories vary in severity so beware. tend to be sexual and involves submissive sexual scenarios
Crossover: when multiple universes collide. It could be taking characters and putting them in other universes. Could be a merging of settings.
F/F: involves romance between two female characters
Fluff: stories that are typically short and sweet. usually some slight degree of romance but nothing graphic. usually just fun and happy
H/C (Hurt/Comfort): Some pain (like angst) followed by comforting and resolution
M/F: involves romance between and male and female
M/M: involves romance between male and male
Oneshot: Most fanfiction stories have multiple parts. Oneshots are not split into multiple chapters and are usually shorter. It’s the full story right there and you’re done!
OOC (Out of Character): the character may behave out of character or behave in a way not consistent with the original source
OC (Original Character): The story includes a character created by the writer
Slash: homosexual relationship story
Slow Burn: stories where the characters very slowly fall into a romantic or sexual relationship
Smut: fanfiction porn. graphic sex is involved
Again, make sure to look out for these tags and notes before reading a story so that you know what to expect and don’t end up reading something you’re uncomfortable with.
You should also make sure you tag your stories appropriately as well so that readers know what to expect.
Writing Fanfiction
The first time I wrote fanfiction, I was extremely nervous, so I know EXACTLY how you feel.
The most common (and in my opinion, the best advice) is to, just do it. Just write it. Whatever you are fantasizing about or thinking about, just put it on paper.
A friend of mine put it best:
“You aren’t creating anything. The characters are just doing their thing and you’re spectating and documenting it.”
This statement may sound ridiculous, but the more I write, the more I find that it is true. We have an intuition about how characters should behave and the personas they represent.
Just by starting to write, often times the characters just come to life and put themselves to work.
Start with what you’re comfortable with
I usually recommend beginners write their first story about something they’re comfortable with. Take the character that you trust the most and a scene that you’ve played through in your head a few times, and just try putting it into a story.
I like to write these drafts in a Word document to start because it makes me feel less pressure, like I don’t have to publish if I don’t have to.
Just write. Don’t worry about the nitty gritty
Focus on the plot, the actions, the feelings, the setting, and all the things that are happening. I used to get stuck all the time fixing sentence structure, correcting grammar, or figuring out the exact way to say something. Don’t think too much. Worry about that in editing, because that’s what it is for. One you get into a state of writing, the ideas will come to you. If you keep stopping, you’ll never reach that mental state.
Read it out loud and edit
Reading your story out loud to yourself is the best way to edit. I catch dozens of mistakes during this process. I get to enjoy what I wrote as well as fix up any diction or grammar errors. If you have a beta reader (basically somebody who test reads your story before you release it), this is also a great place to get the beta reader involved.
After that, I publish it publicly and share the stories on social media to my followers! Comments and reviews always make my day (hint: if you find a good fanfiction piece, comment and review)! I’ve had 100k+ people read my fics at this point and have won the Commaful weekly top story honors several times. It still makes my day every time somebody compliments my work!
Last thing: Have fun!
As you can see, fanfiction can involve a lot of work and effort. It’s very easy to get lost in the hard work and forget why you got started writing.
The internet can be a tough place. While most of the comments I get have been positive, the negative comments and name-calling still get me every time. The comments can criticize just about anything, no matter how trivial and shallow.
I won’t lie. Even though I don’t see it much, it does get to me. Just remember why you got into writing and sharing fanfiction. Because you love writing. You love these characters. And I promise you that somebody else will love your work too. Don’t let a few haters discourage you.
Every day I get to live in the worlds that I love, transform the characters I obsess about, and entertain people from around the world. If that isn’t awesome, I don’t know what is!
If this piece inspired you to write your fanfiction, please post links to them in the comments below! I want to see them!
*EDIT* a number of you have reached out asking for my profile information on Commaful and AO3. I like to keep those accounts private, but if you comment your account username below, I will follow you! I’m no longer active on most other sites.
Info-World-Hub 
