ok, i know everyone raves about fanfics that are as long as novels and as moving as "real books" (reading is reading), but also shoutout to the fanfiction that's NOT seen as good litertaure.
shoutout to the crack shippers seeing ten seconds of a pairing together and going "i can work with that" and making a thrilling story out of practically nothing.
respect to the one-shot writers that have never written more than two or three chapters in their whole lives but can cram an awesome story into 5k.
also! respect to authors that exclusively write smut! there is nothing i love more than seeing an ao3 account posting a dozen different porn scenes of the same ship. i see dedication, i see creativity, i don't just see degen horndogs (though some of y'all self identify as that anyways).
shoutout to beginner fanfic authors. shoutout to authors that are too nervous to post their drafts. shoutout to dead dove authors, whether they're processing something or just like to write freaky.
yes, fanfiction can be literature, fanfiction can be SO many things. it can also just be funny. or weird. or horny.
even if you're not reading/writing fics that are slow burn romance or detailed alternate universes, your fanfiction is still worthy of that same respect. i love that you are passionate enough about something to create more of it and/or seek it out from others in fandom.
i've run across fanfics that i would have never sought out. stuff that disgusts me to see, that makes me uncomfortable or upset. i know how to turn around and look the other way of course, but all my discomfort doesn't outweigh my pride for someone to post about something they're clearly motivated to create. i will always be happy to see fan works of something because creating can be so much fun.