something I think we all know about fanfic, but donât talk about because it would hurt writers feelings is that some fics are like fast food. I mean this as a compliment. I donât always want to sit down for a six course meal that will be a flavor experience. Sometimes I just wanna dip some fries in a frosty. Sometimes I want something homecooked and delicious and super niche, but super comforting. Sometimes I want to eat an entire dark chocolate cheesecake in one sitting even though I know Its gonna make me sick. Just. holy crap, yâall. Sometimes I donât even want fast food, I just want to eat an entire bag of chips. and yeah, Iâm ashamed of myself afterwards, but at the time it was exactly what I wanted. So, no, weâre never going to say to our fanfic writers that we consider their writing to be the equivalent of a midnight run to taco bell - and we shouldnât, feelings would be hurt by that. But writers, please, please, please, remember this. You donât need to create a six course meal if you donât want to. You donât have to make something complex and homemade if you donât want to. You donât even have to finish cooking it - because someone will be thrilled that you brought a bowl of cookie dough and a spoon, because they cannot even consider sitting down and having a proper meal right now. Itâs okay writers, whatever you decided to make. Someone was happy to have it. You gave them what they needed. You made them happy. You did good.
I donât know why being fast food would be considered insulting!
A few years ago, I read an essay by a romance writer who openly admitted that her books were trashy, formulaic, and not Great Art. But what she said is that she gets fan letters all the time. From women with six kids whose only time for themselves is reading her books. From women in abusive relationships who read her books to give them hope that loving relationships exist. From women with depression who manage to eke out some pleasure reading her books. From women whose lives are awful and who read her books to give them the strength to live another day.
Andâ she points outâ the writers of Great Art have many virtues, but they do not generally get fan letters from people whose lives are miserable and who seek out comfort and joy from the books. Because most of the time when our lives are awful, we donât seek out Great Art. We seek out, well, literary fast food. We seek out emotionally manipulative hurt/comfort or fluffy coffeeshop AUs or Mutual Pining where there is Only One Bed.
Be proud of your work! Be proud of making literary fast food. Try to make the best damn literary fast food you can. Because somewhere out thereâ you might not know who, you might not know whenâ there might be someone who has just finished their last final, or who got fired from their job, or who is up all night with a newborn, and your fast food fanfic made their lives better. And that is no small thing.




























