Fanfiction is, by definition, a work of fiction by a fan of a particular TV show, movie, book, etc. Fanfiction, however, is so much more than that. It is the ability to take your favorite characters from a certain fandom and place them in your mind.
Have you ever watched a show and thought, “I wonder what would happen if they did this to the characters?” or “What if these two characters fell in love?” Well, that is what fanfic is for. It is a genre of writing that allows those fans to place their favorite characters into those situations.
I have been reading fanfic since I was in high school. I started with the popular fanfic categories, such as Harry Potter. Eventually, I moved onto to writing my own as I wanted to share my ideas of the characters I loved. I have written fanfic for Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and an anime series called Hetalia. Only my Hetalia fanfic is posted online as I have never been positive about the other two. But I should just share them. Why? Because fanfic is not meant to be perfect. It is a fun genre for fans to write for other fans of a fandom.
Fanfic is written by ordinary people. So it is not going to be edited as strictly. The characters may not always act as they do in the show/movie/ book/etc. That is all okay. It is not meant to be publishing house quality. Fanfic is supposed to be fun to read and write. I will admit, I try to edit my pieces before publishing. That is just so the readers don’t have to struggle reading my pieces. I have read fanfics before that are not grammatically correct. Again, that is completely fine. Fanfic, unlike other fiction, is solely about the content. What are my favorite characters of this fandom doing? Who is being shipped with who? What happens after the series/movie/book/etc. has ended? These are some of the questions that fanfic authors answer for readers.
My Hetalia fanfic is mostly about shipping the characters and seeing how they would act in certain situations that are not shown in the series. Even when I am reading fanfic, I am looking for those that ship my two favorite characters of a series together. These icharacters are typically not official in the actual series but are the popular pairings in the fandom. Again, it is all just for fun. That is what fanfic is, after all—a fun genre to write and read. It is relaxing. Writing fanfic is like being a writer for the fandom itself. Reading fanfic is like watching/reading your favorite characters in different episodes. Fanfic is fantastic because it is fun.
I highly recommend reading fanfic, and even writing it if you have an idea for a fandom. Two sites that I personally use for reading and writing fanfiction are Fanfiction.net and Wattpad.com. Both are free. Fanfiction.net is solely for fanfiction, whereas Wattpad has original fiction as well, so there are more fandoms on Fanfiction.net. However, Wattpad has its fair share of great fandoms, such as Harry Potter, Supernatural, and Stranger Things.
Wattpad also has fanfiction about celebrities falling in love with ordinary people. Most of these celebrities are singers, such as K-pop artists. I personally don’t read fanfic with real people, but if you have ever wanted to write about BTS falling in love with you, then Wattpad is a place to publish just a dream. No matter which of the two sites you use, or even if you use a different one, get writing and reading. Your fandoms are waiting for you!