So You Want to Start Reading Fanfiction
Hello! So, if you're here, chances are you already read fanfiction. However, it's possible that you don't, and you want to start! I hope this guide will give you a little bit of info to help you get started.
We'll start with the basics: where to start? I prefer Archive of Our Own, (colloquially known as AO3), but others use other sites, such as fanfiction.net, Wattpad, and even DeviantArt! But I prefer AO3 because of their comprehensive tagging system.
Let's go over some brief definitions and explanations.
Fic: Short for 'fanfiction'.
Tags: labels that people put on stories. Most people think of these as "trigger warnings," but that's not an all-encompassing label, since tags are also used to indicate different types of stories or relationships (for example, Fluff, AU, or Hurt/Comfort).
AU: Short for 'Alternate Universe'. This refers to when an author takes the characters and... well, puts them in a universe that's different from canon. Alternate Universe tags can also come with more specificity (Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops and Cafes, or Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, to give some examples).
Canon: short for "canonical." This refers to what actually happened in the original media, as opposed to popular fan theories or headcanons.
MCD: short for "Major Character Death."
Dead Dove: Do Not Eat: this is a term often used on fics with more "extreme" contents. It is meant to be a warning for readers to take the listed tags seriously; i.e., the author means it when they use the listed tags! What you see is what you get, so take time to review the tags and summary carefully.
No Archive Warnings Apply vs. Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings: I won't go into detail about the Archive Warnings here, since AO3 has a very extensive page about this, but the brief summary is: "No Archive Warnings Apply" refers to media that doesn't require any of the warnings (that is, Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions of Violence, etc.). "Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings" means that the creator may have included some content that isn't tagged or listed. It's always wise to proceed with caution!
Character/Character vs. Character & Character: This is a very key distinction! The slash refers to romantic relationships (dating, sex, marriage, etc., like Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth) and the ampersand (&) refers to platonic relationships (friendships, parents, siblings, etc., like Trucy Wright & Apollo Justice). Some fics even use both (Franziska von Karma/Maya Fey; Franziska von Karma & Maya Fey); this is simply used to indicate that these characters might interact in both romantic and platonic ways, or it explores other aspects of their relationship. It's not uncommon to see groups of people all listed together, either as a platonic group or as a polyamorous coupling.
Now, what is an "archive?"
You may be apprehensive (or even nervous!) to read, like, or comment on something that's a few years old. This isn't something to worry about on AO3! The expectation is that you'll be searching for something to read based on your preferred tags (plus, any creator would probably be thrilled that someone is still reading their story a year, five years, even fifteen years later!).
The purpose of an "archive" is to hold all of these stories to share. You wouldn't avoid picking up a book at the library just because it's been there for a while, would you? The archive is the same way!
AO3 has a bit of a waiting list when it comes to getting an account. This shouldn't deter you from applying to get one! Having an account on AO3 has all kinds of benefits, including:
Access to many other fics that authors have chosen to show to registered members only
The ability to Subscribe to fics and receive emails when they update
The ability to save your favorite fics with Bookmarks for easy access
Keeping a "marked for later" list (instead of having 73 open tabs of fics you want to read at all times)
A record of your history (so you can find the fic you forgot about!) that can be cleared with ease (so... other people can't find the fic you forgot about)
A presence in your fan community (something stellar about being recognized by an author you love...)
There's the occasional critique that AO3 is a bit hard to get around. However, I'd like to show you that this isn't the case!
AO3 has... thousands of fandoms. Probably hundreds of thousands. So, the easiest way to find something that you enjoy is by starting at the fandom page!
If you already know what you're looking for, it's easy to just click on it's corresponding category and Ctrl + F for the title you're looking for (Cartoons & Comics & Graphic Novels -> Ctrl + F -> Owl House). However, if you're not sure what you're in the mood for, I like to click on "All Fandoms" and just see what's popular.
For this example, I'll just use Ace Attorney since... that's where I live.
Alright! So you found your fandom... and there are a hundred thousand fics to choose from. What do you do now?
The next step is to find your fic! One idea (and the method that I used when I first started) was simply to scroll through the landing page and see what was recently published.
However, you may want a little more specificity... let's say today that I'm looking for a multichapter fic with a Coffee shop AU where Miles and Phoenix get together. Now, how do I find something like that?
Well... that's where Sort and Filter comes in!
As a side note, if you're on mobile, you'll have to hit the "Filters" button at the top of the screen to open this panel.
Here is where we start adding specifics to what we want to read! Include and Exclude are sort of self-explanatory... "Include" looks for fics that have the tags you asked for, whereas "Exclude" hides everything that you list.
Language Settings are also useful! Selecting the language you want to read fics in (for me, English) also helps narrow down the numbers.
"Relationships" is useful to narrow things down for the specific ship or group that you want to read about. You can include or exclude multiple relationships, as well (personally, I really enjoy stories that explore both romantic and platonic relationships, so I tend to use multiple!).
I don't often include Word Count, but it can be handy if you're looking for a shorter fic (for example, sorting with a max of 5,000 words) or a longer fic (using a minimum of... 10,000 words, I guess).
At the top, you have "Sort By"! This is a very handy tool if you want to change up how you're seeing what the archive pulls up. I tend to sort by Date Updated (if I'm looking for something new) or Bookmarks (if I want to find something popular), but take time to explore all the options!
Now, let's see how the fic numbers change after I put in my filters...
Wow! So just a few filters took my choices from over 38,000, all the way down to 7! There are all sorts of other tags you can use, too, to look for the story you want to read! (Getting together, Family Fluff, DIVORCE!!!)
Well, you sorted through the tags, read the summaries, and picked the fic you want. What do you do now?
What's a Kudos? Well, 'Kudos' is AO3's version of a 'like'. It's sort of custom to leave a Kudos if you finished reading the fic!
What should I comment? I won't go into detail about comments here, because that's a whole post on it's own. Comments are a step up from Kudos; it's your chance to tell the author what, specifically, you liked about their work (or that you just really, really liked it!). You shouldn't be afraid to leave comments, no matter how old a fic is. In fact, unless the author says otherwise, a Kudos and comment are appreciated at any time!
The Difference between Subscribing, Bookmarking, and "Mark for Later"
Note: All of these features are only available for registered members, so if you don't have an account yet, just slide on past this section!
Subscribing with the Subscribe button is a feature that emails you whenever the author updates that particular fic. Subscriptions are private; the only person who can see that you're subscribed to something is you!
Bookmarking is a tool you can use to save fics you really love. It's like putting your favorite book in a special place! It's important to remember that, unless you mark private, all of your Bookmarks are publicly visible! This means that any comments or notes you leave can be seen both by other users and the author; keep this in mind before you write something mean!
Mark for Later is a button you can use to save a fic that you want to come back to later. It saves it to a special page on your account in your history (in the Marked for Later tab). Like subscriptions, "Mark for Later" is private, and no one will see it. However, you will not get notified if your "Mark for Later" fics are updated, unless you are also subscribed.
Well... that's kind of all I have to teach you! You can keep modifying tags or fandoms to find things to read, but the best way to learn the website is by exploring it yourself!
After you read a fic, I highly recommend you leave a comment. Aside from the fact that it encourages the author, it also helps you build community with other creators! It's just fun to leave comments, and you can start some great friendships like this!
You might also want to explore the author's other works! This is easy to do; just scroll to the top of the page and click on the author's name, which is listed right under the title. If you liked this fic, odds are you'll probably like their other ones!
If you really really want to go wild, you could even share the fic on other sites (like tumblr!)! I don't do this often, but it's a good way to ask for or give recommendations for fics that you love.
Well... if you read all the way to the end, congratulations! I'm by no means an expert, but if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help you out. Good luck!
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
ellievsbear
amandla
