Fanfiction

 

I often find it dismaying when people who obviously never read fanfiction in their lives or only knew about the bad ones speak about fanfiction as if it's a bad thing and only composed of just subpar writing. 

Yes, there is a difference between fanon and canon. 

The Batfamily webtoon has a lot of fanon stuff considering lots of canon stuff is either downplayed or referenced. It's a slice of life with some action but overall not too much drama. 

Fanon has always been an uneasy part to make canon. Unless it's something funny at best, it won't ascend into canon fact. 

For example, Sayoko being a ninja was fanon before it was elevated into the canon because the creators love the idea. Jeremiah is a different case where he was meant to originally die in Narita but his popularity made his survival to the point he’s one of the most beloved characters; even to this day, when people wanna rewrite the canon, Jeremiah will always prove to be loyal to the vi Britannia line. 

Fanfiction in its nature is often disparaged as not true reading material or just plain wish fulfillment. After all, fanworks as a whole are often derided and have so much censorship and lawsuits. The ones that made it into the public eye are often the awful ones or taken out of context. There was this show that had people contact AO3 writers of RPF variety in the comment section so that the celebs can read aloud and probably mock it. 

I won't deny there is bad fanfiction out there. You literally have to go through garbage just to get the gems. It's the same process going with animanga and movies; that's how no different as a medium it is. And even the lesser-reviewed works are just as awesome to read. If it helps, you can find fanfiction recommendations. 

If fanfiction is brought up in a respectful manner, it’s depicted as either better than the source material (Miraculous Ladybug, RWBY, VLD) or encouragement (Our Flag Means Death). 

It’s nice to see the OFMD crew and cast treat fanworks with all the reverence fans deserve. 

Fans took time and effort out of their daily lives to write these stories. They took time to draw this art. 

Fans can write novel-length stories of character development and put their faves through hell to earn their happy ending. There are fantastic stories that you know enough about and heard in the grapevine. 

Even if I haven’t read them myself, I heard about Ashes of the Past and The Hills of Swords. I heard mixed things about the latter, especially the mischaracterization. 

Regardless, these fics are known in the fandom from whence they came. There are even gems in the less commented and kudos section of the AO3. Hell, there are gems on other websites.

These people just have to find them and know where to look. A basic search is looking for fanfic recommendations. That’s a good starting line for beginners. Having fics recommended is a good exchange. 

Fanfiction has the emotional attachment that actual fiction doesn’t give. For actual books, it has to be an interesting one if it got you invested just as you would get into any show or video game. 

You are already attached to these characters. Fanfiction loves exploration in the original forgets, didn’t have time for, or glosses over. There is no big corporation holding anyone back from depicting sex, gruesome violence, and queerness. All the things society is not ready to explore explicitly but in metaphors or non-canon just for funsies spin-offs at best. The mainstream is only going about it slowly while the indie scene is wild and even then that’s not perfect. Fanfiction is character-driven stories from the emotional attachment to the original. 

Yes, there can be plot-driven fics like canon rewrites but characters are the sticking point. 

We are here for the characters, for what canon didn’t explore for many reasons, for the little moments and the potential. We are here for self-discoveries and for explorations. Canon is a suggestion when fanon is so prevalent. However, canon can be a launchpad as well as a model toy. 

That’s what makes fanfiction. Character-driven stories about just about anything from canon to fanon. 

I think that’s why people really don’t get fanfiction. Just a simple coffee shop AU with characters just meeting there for lunch is not much of a plot. The plot is basically just the characters having meetings there. 

This is why fix-it fics and canon rewrites/divergences are galore. Even if those are more plotty, the readers are here for the pain before the happy ending. Where we see these characters make different choices and allowance for healthy growth and change that they never had in canon by letting them confront their demons early. 

Fanfiction is works of art and expression. These people are taking time out of their work to write these beauties. It’s all for free. 

People take research to the next level as I saw people research for even the littlest things. For something that is free and has no deadline. 

Though only the deadlines count if there's some kind of challenge in the community. 

Every time I see anybody disparage fanfiction, my blood boils for all the amazing fics and art I saw that I know took time and effort made out of love and passion. All these people’s passion and the creators aren’t appreciating creativity and love. 

People use fanfiction derogatorily. Anytime even something remotely bad happens and it’s really bad in writing, it’s mocked. This show is bad fanfiction, this is so fanfiction. 

It’s as if they can’t see that fanfiction can be good. It’s not as if they give the indication that they knew about the good ones. 

Hey, it’s not as if some famous works aren’t fanfiction. Some of the classic literature is fanfiction incarnate. 

As old as time, fanfiction has a place. 

Our Flag Means Death is essentially gay fanfiction about two pirates we don’t even know. Yes, it examines the races, particularly putting the white characters as white people first which is so good. Yes, it is queer and bucks toxic masculinity even in a time where wearing fine clothes is the height of masculinity than the pirates' preference for wanton violence. Do I need to tell you that there are definite classism and racism examinations in there too? There is a sexism examination too! It also explores the patriarchy in ways it had affected Mary because Stede's abandonment is essentially a rich white man expecting to come back with no consequences and Mary is fully justified in her attempted murder. It's still fucked though they are still rich white people whose riches are made from colonization. It's even fucked that Stede as a white man had more options than Ed, a poor indigenous man who left and ran back to the comfortable white household that again Stede believed he can return to with no consequence of his actions on Mary and the kids. Yeah, I get why Stede did what he did but he is culpable yet we can still root for his happy ending with Ed. It’s still official fanfiction with research but most of the research is thrown in the garbage though there is still historical context on top of the modern sensibilities that were thrown in there. There are queer analyses about the show but I haven't seen a lot of how it also connects to the exploration of the races, sexism, classism, and masculinity. There is no way Stede is the pinnacle of healthy masculinity, given his treatment of Mary. Mary is fully justified in doing what she did. Yes, he's a gay man with issues but he seeks approval from other men whilst expecting Mary to be at his beck and call. He never once considered Mary's feelings at all because his very act of taking both the painting and the model ship was for himself only, not for her and the family. Okay, I'll stop now. 

Fanfiction as an official medium has existed for a long time. Public domain characters are used in official media as fanfiction material all the time. Just look at Arthurian legends which in itself is fanfiction.

We can argue the difference between those and fanfiction but go to Sarah Z's video on the topic. 

At the same time as disparaging fanfiction, people not in fandoms will try to profit from them. No, this is different from commissions and making some specially made hardcovers and zines that are only limited and trying to make money off it on official grounds such as a show. 

Fanfiction must never be within reach of capitalism. 

That's why AO3 is considering one of the last havens because nobody is making money off it. 

AO3 fics must not be allowed onto shows that can profit from them. People can recommend them but don’t use them, especially for mockery. 

AO3 is a non-profit. Ads ruin the point of AO3. AO3 is an archive and a site of enjoyment, not money-making. 

No, AO3 does not need an algorithm in the likes of social media. Fanfiction writers aren’t content creators as social media sees it. Fanfiction writers write in their time and do not need an algorithm to stay relevant. Certainly, there should be improvements but creating an app and making an internal algorithm isn’t what AO3 is supposed to be as a non-profit. 

While Thomas Astruc didn’t like how his fans preferred fan content over his own, he always tried to say that his writing was maltreated even though there was a lot of valid criticism of his writing and showrunning. I never liked how he self-inserted himself to make it like he’s a misunderstood artiste than a bad writer who couldn’t make a coherent story to save his life. 

I don’t want to talk about that guy who dislikes fanfiction because his work is criticized for not taking potential and just being a badly written series. 

Anyway, getting back on the subject.

AO3 is about a safe place from previous attempts of censorship and lawyers. From the start, it was meant to be safe from that stuff, not the internal fandom drama and the assholes. 

Hence why the OTW election debacle involving a certain Tiffany G invigorated people. 

Fanfiction is not supposed to make a profit except only in zines and the occasional hardcovers where it's limited. Because that's the point. The hardcovers are mainly just special keepsakes. Fanfiction bookbinding is the same albeit for one usage since I don't see anything about it for sale outside of commissions.

I can recommend amazing fanfics to back off anybody who says fanfiction has no place or is not good writing. Even those who outright say no beta they die like insert characters have far better effort in their storytelling. I will not hesitate to point out fanfiction to which fandoms they like if people want to read them. 

Every time I see fanfiction get disrespected, it’s just headache-inducing and I want nothing more than to tell them they don’t understand anything about how much time and passion they have when it’s all for free. 

The point isn't to compare books to fanfiction. All I just want to point out is that fanfiction has a place in this world and that there are great fics out there. 

There are great books out there if you can find them. Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch is an incredible book for example. At the same time as bad fanfiction that does exist, published books are the same where it is absolutely bad. Colleen Hoover’s books are terrible.

Yes, you can write the problematic stuff and examine it but cannot glamorize it. Just make sure that it’s clear that this is bad. Colleen Hoover has some bad books.

At the same time, the classics today should at least have understood what the book is supposed to be telling. Again, it's not like the Great Gatsby's themes and what it is trying to tell aren't out there. I think reading comprehension and critical analysis have been in a downward spiral since Twitter became the most popular social media platform. Enemies-to-lovers ships have been hit hard purely because people are unable to get past the enemies part and just the purity bullcrap. 

Seriously, I think MHA and SNK/AOT were hit hard by this and anything on Twitter because of its word limit. At this point, I think people think they are being critical when it's actually just not what they want the story to go. Fuck, I was never like this because I understand the series isn't done and while MHA could've done better in some aspects, I understood what the story direction is. 

Again, fanfiction is meant to explore things that canon didn't or just go off really. That is meant to be fun and not meant to be a stickler with canon unless canon plays a major part. 

Just please understand what the classics are for and why they are in the curriculum. 

Anyway, I have been very strict when it comes to the fanfiction that makes it into my Marked For Later and bookmarks. Those categories are the equivalent of my Favorites and Story Alerts back in FF.Net. 

For example, let's look at a few ships that are on my radar. 

Narumitsu, Akeshu, and Dabihawks. 

Narumitsu is one of my OTPs since I got into Ace Attorney. I got one really good fic but the others are more Klapollo. 

For P5 ships, I was just neutral just as I am with other Persona series excluding TatsuJun which is my OTP definitely. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Yu x Yosuke either but I can read them if tangentially; in a P4 crossover with DRRR, the fic got Shizaya with definite friendship kindlings start for that ship when they spent it as enemies as per usual. Akeshu was only swayed because it again hit my preferred things after a while when I realized in Royal. Even platonically, it’s still a far more interesting relationship than other Joker ships. It’s not quite OTP but I still prefer reading them. So…second ship after TatsuJun I guess even though Akeshu still hit many of my requirements for a preferred ship. 

I read a lot of Dabihawks as I was previously in the MHA fandom for Tododeku. Dabihawks very quickly became my OTP faster than even Tododeku that I still hold a soft spot for. 

Like as soon as I saw them interact in that warehouse without ever seeing the bodybag and the PLF, it just clicked. It was like jackpot noises when I saw them together. It’s how I certainly felt when I saw Shizaya. 

I know my shipping tendencies. I know that when I ship OTPs, that's it and I read more Dabihawks than Tododeku ever since. 

While there are a total of four Dabihawks fanfics in my Marked For Later, only one of those and the same author will go onto my bookmarks. One fic is just there just in case there are any updates (not helping that the author is more an Endhawks fan than Dabihawks fan in the author notes so yeah...) and the other is to see the second story. The other fic is there for updates too and in the bookmarks there are Endhawks there too so ugh. Technically there is another fic that isn't in my Marked For Later that is for consideration but if it's updated in my cursory looks then I'll see. There's a long one-shot, but I'm just waiting for that author's friend, the same author far ahead in the race to get into my bookmarks, to continue their writing. At least, those authors are ahead on the Dabihawks race to get into my bookmarks. 

As I was saying, the one fic and the same author are on the way to bookmarks as long as I see more of their writing. My feelings are screaming at me that this is the fic that I was searching for the time I was in the Dabihawks fandom. I know to trust my feelings about fanfiction. Sometimes my favorite fanfics aren't the most popular but decently popular at most if you scan the comments section of those in the ships I got. Sometimes the most popular fic just happened to scream at me that yes this is the fic I have wanted since I got into the fandom. That depends of course. 

For example, Icarus' Dilemma is in my bookmarks and Marked For Later. The latter is for updates while I got the entire series in my bookmarks. Yes, Icarus' Dilemma is the top commented fic in the Suzalulu section by far but it hits everything I was looking for. 

I have read a lot of Dabihawks Hawks betraying HPSC fics but for some reason, there is something nagging at me that it's not right. Sure it's fun what-ifs but my feelings are screaming at me that it's just not the right fic to sit beside my favorites. Again, my Marked For Later is there for the fics I got my eyes on and often forget to check for updates. 

That’s the same thing I felt with the other couples that I haven’t mentioned yet. 

Recently an Addams Family crossover got added to my bookmarks. If you think I'm strict with my Dabihawks feelings and what gets through into my lists, then you should've seen my Persona series list. Sure I got Akeshu fics but they are far stricter to even get in there. 

I’m just strict. Very strict. 

Even now, I can’t help my standards. There are feelings that scream at me that yeah this is the fic I was looking for. 

Like yeah, I have a distaste for This Bites for sinking NamiVivi in a stupid fashion that it’s why that’s a flaw. I never wanted to strangle a fic so much for that because it was unnecessary. I wasn’t expecting Namivivi to be canon anyway and the way the fic sunk it was just stupid. I already dealt with the Tashigi x Zoro ship teases aka a ship I really don’t like, I don’t have to see a popular ship sunk in a fic where it’s not necessary to mention. You can have the Kohza x Vivi ship teases aka a ship I don’t care about, you don’t have to sink NamiVivi. Godoka, just recounting the chapter just makes me want to scour that ship tag. 

Still, This Bites only claimed the bookmarks section in the penultimate chapter. That’s how strict I am to even the most ship-free fics. It’s not easy. I mean it took deliberation for that Luca fic to make it and Luca while a chill film overall is only a film I want to watch when I just want something light instead of something full of morality shades and critical thinking. I can want something that can require thinking but still chill all the same. Luca is still better off than Miraculous Ladybug because the latter’s so-called slow burn is not impressive. I’d rather watch Aluca grow up and fall for each other while exploring different avenues before finally choosing to be together after working through themselves as people than two badly written characters with so much potential individually and as a couple doesn’t have anything written that would make sense for them other than they’re endgame. Seriously, I have lost all interest in the love square when I just want anything to advance correctly because it feels like I’m not getting anything that could be considered any development other than making the kids out as props than actual characters. 

I understand that there are side characters but as much as MHA has a character focus issue too, at least the themes make tight in conjunction with the characters. It’s just ML barely has any themes when the story’s cohesion is already a mess. All the characters are not developed and what little development we even got was the kind they should've never gotten (it's not even the positive version of negative character development) or just made them out to be so stupid or jerks who won't listen to reason. It's astonishing they are willing to listen to Lila's lies and believe the worst of their bestie when they should know their bestie. That's just how bad the writing can get when characters who would trust Marinette with their lives would turn against her. 

Godoka, fanfiction and other fan creations are a way for fans to take back what was lost from them or simply give the original creator the middle finger should they show extreme far-right beliefs. I’m gonna talk about JKR one day, just wait. Boy I have seen lots of AO3 author’s notes from fans that expressed their disappointment in her and I remember an HP fic that I’m trying to remember in my already backlogged History have distinctly rewrite as I recall Harry commenting on the goblins which one of the goblins said that the young ones are right; there was a definite Tumblr links to an HP critical tag on a tumble or a post about it.  

Anyway, just read to know what fanfiction is and that it's a medium on its own like every other medium in the world, it has its trash and it has its gems. In every fandom, no matter how obscure, you can always count a well-written omegaverse fic.