Introduction to Reading Fanfiction

Stories to Read About Your Fave Characters

Fanfiction (also shortened to fanfic) is known as fan-created content that expands upon an existing intellectual property (books, TV, movies, etc). The characters and world-building has already been established in the original text (i.e. canon) and the fan author can expand upon the world in a variety of ways, such as a change in point of view, missing scenes or backstory, sequels and follow-ups, alternate universes were a major canon event is changes and modifies the entire plot trajectory, or another alternate universe where all characters are put into an entirely new setting (e.g. Star Wars characters in a coffee shop in America).

The written length of fanfiction can also vary from a one-shot (a single scene or chapter) to multi-chapter/multi-part epic saga, and anything in-between.

Fandoms

If there is an existing book, TV show, or movie that you enjoy, there is very likely fanfiction that exists for it, no matter how obscure. (Would you be surprised to know that there is actually a Blippi/Star Wars crossover fanfic? It’s a little weird, but it actually works and you can read it here on Archive of Our Own.)

I have been reading fanfiction for so long that I don’t even remember all that I’ve consumed. I’ll usually be inspired to seek out fanfic after reading or watching the original content and wanting more time with those characters in that world. My interest will generally coincide with having recently seen a particular show or movie (like, Gilmore Girls fic in 2016 when A Year in the Life aired, or Star Wars fic in 2019 after the release of The Rise of Skywalker). Currently, I’m still actively reading Harry Potter and Bridgerton fanfic, so you’ll see me write about those in my weekly reads.

Genres

Like any other sort of fictional media, fanfic covers a wide range of genres like adventure, mystery, or romance. I mostly gravitate towards stories that are primarily romance, with or without a side of other plot elements. Even if the original source was not romance-focused (like Star Wars or Harry Potter), fanfiction allows the author and the reader to explore these types of relationships in depth.

Romance Pairings

While there are many fanfics that will focus on the romantic pairings that are officially part of the source material (e.g. Rey and Kylo Ren from Star Wars), my favorite fanfics will often combine characters that are not part of the original canon. A major example here is the pairing of Hermione Granger with Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series (known as Dramione). Why do people like to write and read such odd pairings? It allows us to explore character backstory that is only shallowly developed in canon and can explore different types of tropes (like enemies-to-lovers in the case of Dramione). I also enjoy reading about rare pairs because I’m interested in seeing how the author will tackle the problem of bringing two unlikely characters together. One example here is the pairing of Hermione Granger and Antonin Dolohov (the Death Eater that cursed her in Book 5): this fic puts the two together as married in exchange for him turning to her side of the war and is explained with a soulmate connection.

Quality of Writing and Storytelling

Since fanfiction is essentially self-published by the author uploading the story online, the quality can vary widely. One on end of the spectrum, authors can write a bunch of ideas into a text box, upload without proofreading, and call it a day. On the other end of the spectrum, authors can spend a lot of time and effort crafting a complicated plot and work with beta readers to proofread and revise each chapter before it is uploaded. The nature of episodic release (chapter by chapter) in addition to constant reader feedback in the comments section or on social media may also affect the storytelling direction of a particular fanfic, depending on the author’s acceptance of feedback.

While it’s tough to view true metrics of quality of any particular fanfic, there are a few statistics available to help readers determine if a fic could be worthwhile to read; favorites, kudos, bookmarks, hits, and comments can be markers of high levels of activity and appreciation for a fanfic. From what I’ve observed, longer and multi-chapter fics tend to have more favorite and kudos compared to single-chapter fics, and this might be due to the trickled release of content.

I’ve found that there are many well-written, well-loved fanfics out there and will attempt to share as many as I can with you. I’ve certainly read my share of poorly written fics, but the great ones will make you laugh, smile, feel all the feels, and delightfully or emotionally entertain. There is so much spectacular writing and storytelling out there that is just freely available to read and enjoy. If you haven’t read a fanfic before, I hope that you will consider trying one of my recommendations. I will be sharing my picks in my weekly reads and other fanfic round up posts.

Want Harry Potter fanfic recommendations? Here’s a spreadsheet of my all-time favorites.

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