For me, fandoms and fanfiction are an escape. They are a place where I can go to be myself and interact with other people who enjoy the same things. I’ve always been a writer, so for me fanfiction is the perfect place to join two of my favorite hobbies. I remember the first time I ever published a fic. It was short, plotless, and was only to fulfill my need to write out an idea I had. Within half an hour I had gotten about 5 likes. It doesn’t sound like much, but for me it was amazing. People were actually reading (and enjoying) content that I had made! I started getting more invested in fanfiction, critiquing my own works, getting comments and likes. The day one of my fics got 1,000 hits was one of my proudest moments. Now I regularly write and (try to) update my fics. It’s an uphill struggle, but honestly it’s worth it. Knowing that people are getting enjoyment and entertainment out of something that you made is one of the best feelings in the world, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

I just really like reading first off. But I like reading fanfics because there are totally different things that happen that won’t happen in the books. And I like fanfiction because anybody can write them.

I’ve been writing fanfics for a pretty long time now. Though I have to admit that I wasn’t very good at it back then. Not saying that my work now is Stephen King level but it’s definitely improved. I write malec fics now on archivesofourown. I have to admit sometimes while trying to publish a chapter I get mad nerves, mostly because I haven’t exactly gathered my head around the fact that I’m sharing a part of me through these fanfics. It takes time for me to get comfortable around people so writing fanfics and posting them online is sort of an anxious situation for me and at the same time…freeing. I’m still trying to become a bit more bold in my writing, but I highly doubt I’ll be any good as the other fanfic authors in this fandom. I love writing ideas for various scenarios for malec and I love sharing them with other people. Seeing others respectful opinions on my fics gives me genuine happiness and a connection to this fandom. There are a lot of cons and pros with writing a fanfic, but the entire expierence is liberating and really intense for me. The biggest con to it though is writer’s block😂. My main advice for people who are about to start writing fanfics, don’t expect too much of popularity to your fics at first, it’ll come gradually. And you don’t need validation from others unless you are looking for new ways to learn and write. Be strong and brave-faced when reading harsh comments and just ignore them. But at the same time, learn to see the truth in respectful critique of your work. And if you unknowingly put something offensive, learn your mistake and don’t do it again.

Writing a fic for me, is like exploring the inner thoughts and feelings of my favourite characters. It’s getting to know them better while also at the same time plotting their non-canon deaths. And it’s getting to ship WHOEVER YOU PLEASE. A big part for me of writing fanfiction, is relating how a character feels to myself. There are huge parts of me that resonate with these characters. For example, Isabelle’s protectiveness of Alec. I often just focus on what I would do if I was these characters. I also like using the character’s personality and flaws to make their deaths and thoughts in my fic’s as sad and potent as possible. I am the one cutting the onions here!

Writing means a lot to me! I never thought that writing would bring me such joy, but it really does. I love challenging myself and trying to improve with every new thing I write.

There have been so many highlights, probably too many to count! Every comment that I receive is a highlight, for me – although I  must admit, those that are long and thought-out, that take quotes from the piece and discuss that, truly mean a lot and are nice because it shows what the reader enjoyed or what stood out for them; and I’m a very talkative person, so discussion is always fun. Seeing my writing improve has been good in an odd way, because part of me can’t believe how I used to write, and another is impressed by how much I have improved. I feel now that I am worth the compliments my writing receives, and it’s more fun to write because I like what I am producing. Working with Lu (Vulturemonem) on our collab has been a definite highlight; I’ve loved combining our styles, and handing a chapter over to both receive feedback and leave the direction of the story to Lu is exciting, because even though we plan things out, I can never really guess where the story will go. Getting recognition is surreal, and something I’m still not used to, especially when it’s from other fic authors that I really admire and find inspiration from, because it’s almost a reassurance that what I’m writing is good. Perhaps the biggest highlight is the opportunities: I’ve met so many friends since and through fics, and my recent series of coda fics has provided me with the chance to explore my writing style and character dynamics different to what I’ve previously written.

I discovered fics only maybe one year ago and instantly became a greedy reader. I love these multiple hints in which canon characters are developed, with ideas that could be exactly from the original author and I think this represents a deep knowledge and a great love and appreciation for him/her. I thank fic authors since they bless us with this love and are able to enlarge characters analysis in somewhat unexpected sides of them, even respectful of their traits. I appreciate fics so much I asked my favourite authors for their permission to translate their works to my mother language in order to give anyone that does not know English the chance of reading them.

I would like to thank you for organizing this. Being a fic author can be challengeing – the work we do takes time and the only reward is satisfaction… But not only reward, is it? Because ultimately, while we write what we want to read, fanfiction writing goes both ways. The feedback, the comments, they power us, they make me push forward, they are the reason I keep writing. So I want to thank every reader, the silent and the loud ones – but also encourage those who rarely comment – do that! If you have something you like or not, talk to us! I love discussing things in comments. It’s the comments, after all, that make the fanfiction world go round. Let’s unite, readers and writers. Let’s talk!

Being able to read fics is probably one of the best things ever. You could be watching a TV show and something happens that you don’t really like, a few hours later, someone will have written a different version of that scene. Not only that, but you are allowed to read these works for free. The authors are taking the time of writing good stories and they are out there, 100% free of charge.