About a year ago, I stumbled upon some TikToks discussing favorite fanfics (i.e. books or short stories based on already established works of fiction like Harry Potter, Star Wars, or the MCU). I never got into fanfiction when I was a teenager, so I thought why not and dived into a 500-word staple. A year later and I can firmly say I love fanfic. I’m still surprised how many fantastic free full-length novels there are out there about some of my favorite characters. I love being able to experience expanded versions of worlds I already fell in love with.
Aside from becoming an avid reader of fanfic, I think fanfiction has immensely helped my fiction writing.
Witnessing other author’s journeys is encouraging
It is so easy to get discouraged as a writer, especially if you primarily read traditionally published work. When you go to Barnes and Noble, you’re grabbing a book with a fancy author’s blurb and a beautifully illustrated cover. Even if the book turns out to be crap, the grammar is professionally edited and typeset. No matter the quality of the content, the content is polished. You are reminded that an editor and publishing company saw value in their…
