I don’t personally see a divide between myself and those who read my fics; at the end of the day, we’re all fans of the same thing, and I hope that nobody feels too nervous or intimidated to talk to me, about my fics or anything else for that matter.

As a fic writer myself, I know how much work you put into your writing. I want to thank you all for creating absolute masterpieces that keep me going when I’m bored, sad or angry. Fanfiction is my whole world. I get lost in the stories but I cannot let my stories go too early. I need to relive it over and over again. And thanks to you, I can just sit and read stories, even whole books! about those characters. It’s the most beautiful form of sharing – because it’s creating something brand new with characters we’ve come to know as well as family or friends, allowing us to stay with them and escape into their world over and over again. And it’s all free. Thank you.

I am a fanfiction writer, but I didn’t even consider writing until I started reading other authors. It’s amazing what some people can create and I hope to someday be as talented and hardworking as them.

Writing is an outlet for when things in the real world become too overwhelming. Sharing my writing shows a more vulnerable side of me but it also gives other writers and readers a different perspective. I always enjoy reading comments on my fics where a reader will tell me that they really enjoyed my story or they enjoyed how I changed something the writers of a show/book/movie wrote. Writing fics is a reminder that a story does not have to end, and that you always have the chance to change it.

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I have trouble expressing myself and my thoughts verbally, so even aside from creative writing it’s just always been a form of communication I’m most comfortable with. When it comes to fanwriting, the vast majority of my experience is actually through roleplaying, not fanfiction – as a result, I’m highly character-oriented rather than plot-oriented. I think what makes fanfiction so amazing, both as a writer and as a reader, is that it empowers fans to explore topics, relationships, dynamics that the original content creators simply aren’t able to because their work is beholden to commerce and their production’s stakeholders. Without the pressure of needing to generate revenue, of needing to please people who have little to no involvement in a product, of needing to support needs which exist outside of and sometimes unrelated to the content itself, fans enjoy a special kind of creative freedom, and are able to breathe new life and possibilities into the characters, places, and worlds they love. Being able to simulate these scenarios in a way which allows us to explore each other’s imaginations breathes new life into not only the IP itself but also other areas of our lives. Related to this, the work which means the most to me personally is a piece I did for the one-year remembrance of Pulse – through that work, people all around the world could visit the memorial through the shoes of Magnus, Alec, and Raphael, where normally they could not. Being able to provide someone with that kind of experience through this shared connection – through Shadowhunters in general and Malec in particular – still to this day brings an immense warmth to my heart. I continue writing with the hope that other works can bring this same kind of experience to readers, enabling them to explore settings, scenarios, and relationships they otherwise could not.

My favorite part of reading fic is honestly the experience itself. I used to love reading books when I was younger and as I got more into fandoms I started reading a lot of fic. Over the years I’ve read all kinds of varieties of fics, from simple fluffy canon based oneshots to long drawn out AUs. I appreciate all of the time that authors put into creating or recreating the world around the characters. How someone can make little nods to canon in an AU fic, how the characterization can be done so well, and mostly how the story itself can suck me in for ages. I’ve once stayed up until almost 3am just lying in bed finishing a really good fan fiction story. And I love how all the authors out there are so grateful for the readers, how us reading and encouraging them can boost their confidence and inspire them. Because fan fiction is just another way for fans to express their love for a character or pairing in a TV show, and writers deserve a safe space for their fan based writings. Not to mention reading fic has given me more knowledge on different things. So thank you to all writers for writing amazing fics that can make us laugh, cry, and sometimes even just smile. Thank you for sharing your inspiration with all of us.

I remember (before posting myself) reading fanfictions and being so impressed by how many talented writers there are in the Shadowhunters fandom. (My fam!) That inspired me and, having experience, having written a lot myself, I decided to try it too. I decided quickly that I wanted too share it, cause I wanted feedback on what I wrote and also that I know how much fans enjoy fanfiction. I thought maybe they’d enjoy mine, and I liked that idea. I have a lot of great moments, mostly fans just telling me they really enjoyed my work. But a few that has stood out to me are when people say I could be an actual writer!! Like what?? I would lie if I said it hasn’t crossed my mind, but just hearing or reading someone say that is so amazing. That I could be good enough to be a published author? Wow. That means the world to me! You always doubt yourself as a writer, I’m sure every writer can relate to that, but positive feedback can just make that go away. I’m so grateful for that!

I like reading fanfics because I’m in awe of other authors’ creativity with the alternate universe scenarios, and I kinda envy the attention span these authors have to write fanfics 20+ chapters long because I don’t have that; I have a mad appreciation for people who take the time to really think their fanfics through to such detail and make it work and that’s what makes them such a joy to read.

Fanfictions mean a lot to me. They are my escape from reality. They really make me feel good and feel like that there is something good out there in the world. I think that fanfic writers have amazing creativity and the amount of work they put in to make the fanfic a good and enjoyable one is immense. Fanfic writers are truly an immense part of the fandom and no amount of gratitude is enough.