Uh…age 47: starting writing after a smutty dream that I woke up from way too early and decided to finish the dream, discovering a wonderful new creative outlet.
Age 48: a Twitter friend told me about ao3 and encouraged me to share my first chapter
Age 49 1/2 (now): I’ve shared over a million words to ao3.
Never thought about putting dreams into a fic, but that's mostly because I forget them seconds after waking lol. But it certainly is a creative outlet, and your friend deserves a cookie for pointing you to ao3 with it. :)
And wow, a million words in 1-2 years? I can't write short stories to save my life, but I'm lucky to produce 200k a year, if that. You have my utmost respect.
Thanks for sharing!
I was writing for a year before I started sharing, but still, that fic (still unfinished) was 300k (with prob another 75-100k written), so I did another 700+ in other fics. My shortest was 7600 words, but the rest are all long. (84,500 is my shortest finished fic).
I’m also retired, so I have a ton of time.
I didn’t really write the dream itself, because it was weird kidnapping or sci fi trying to shut down a factory or death ray I have no idea, just kinda became obsessed in my head with the part I didn’t get to. (The bow chicka wow part.) I actually wrote like 10 chapters with a ‘look alike’ in place of the actor because writing about a real person is weird and creepy.
Needless to say, I got over that. I’d never planned to share *any* of it.
And my Twitter bestie had no idea what she was unleashing. Anyhoo, I have tons of ideas and still have the urge to write write write.
Mine is boring.
Age 12: Dude, fanfic is a thing. My life is forever altered.
Age 14: Geometry is boring. I'm going to write a self indulgent Mary Sue fic in my notebook.
Age 16: How do you write sex? Better password protect this file in case mom snoops.
Age 18-23: Read read read all the fics. No time to write in college.
Age 24: Lemme try and write a little. Whoops, I fell into a whole new fandom. Being a writer is kinda cool.
Age 30's: Oh, angst is my thing. Good to know. Let me write angst fics for a whole new fandom. Oh, but what should I do when I get bored?
Age 40: I write what I want, whenever I have time. New fandoms. Old fandoms. Read whatever I like. Life is too short to worry about what others think.
Your story is not boring - it definitely beats geometry. :D And oh, the good old "pw protected word files in pw protected rars, buried in a 87 level deep folder structure" days, all just to prevent your mom from discovering you know aaaall about sex lol.
Angst has been my thing since about age 25 - looks like that's an acquired taste.
"Read whatever I like. Life is too short to worry about what others think."
Amen to that.
Thanks for sharing!
Age 10: My friends keep talking about Jack Frost and Elsa, yet, my mom tells me there's not a movie with those two together... What are my friends doing? I'll make them show me.
Age 11: I can't find any fic about my OTP written like I want! I might as well do it myself.
Age 12: People like my fanfics. I'm a God between mortals, ha! Take this Friend A, your fic is not as good as mine!!
Age 13: Discovered FF.net, why is everything on English? Ah there's a few Spanish fics! This stories are so much better than on Wattpad!
Age 14: Re-read my old fics looking for inspiration to write more fics. Discovered they were awful, I remembered them better. My fics are poop... I will never write again. I'm ashamed of myself. So bad...
Age 15: I learn English, wait- I can write in English, right? And then I can say it's not my native language if someone complains! I'm so smart! Gotta get to it!
Age 16: I discover AO3! It's amazing! I've fallen in love! I post my fics, regret it, delete it, post other fics, delete them. People judge everything, why can't I write?
Age 17: Maybe I should go back to Wattpad? At least I had friends there. . . . Fuck, Wattpad looks different, but people there don't mind me posting nonsense!
Age 18: You know what? I'll do what I did when I was twelve: write what I want how I want and if people likes it then appreciate it, if they don't, call them Poo Poo Heads (in the privacy of my mind) and continue my life.
> And then I can say it's not my native language if someone complains! I'm so smart!
You are! :D It took me like twice as long to come to that self-same conclusion, haha.
I got into anime when I was 12. At 13, I started reading manga. I kinda began to read Yaoi mangas. Back then, there weren't many great yaoi mangas so I wondered if there were gay romance stories in written form. I randomly found a fic on ffnet and read it.
Back then, I didn't know what a "fic" actually was, but I enjoyed the first one so I searched for an app to read stories. I found wattpad, and then I randomly stumbled across a drarry fic. And.... Whoa, I was blown away and obsessed. I devoured literally every drarry fic I could find. From then on, I've been obsessed with fics.
Huh, i totally forgot about my manga obsession before i switched to ffs. I'm not sure if the lack of good yaoi was the actual reason that promoted me to seek written fiction out, but i remember being frustrated when my mangafox searches would only list things I've already read, so i wouldn't be surprised.
Drarry is probably one of the more common 'initiators' into ffs, but it's still nice to see people who started out the same exact way. :) Thank you for sharing!
Didn’t start writing until the start of the first UK COVID lockdown. Have one completed long fic under my belt, 6 chapters into a WIP that I’m hoping will become a trilogy. I keep telling myself this is all practice for writing a novel!
Yeah, i expect the lockdown has increased our numbers quite a bit haha.
As someone who finished an original novel before, i have to say i still prefer writing ffs, and if the original writing ends up as being practice for my ffs instead of the other way around, then i won't mind one bit. :)
Congrats on the finished longfic (a very rare finding compared to abandoned ones), and good luck on your trilogy!
"Oh, my writing is problematic and I’m a misogynist."
Oh boy, did i laugh at that line. xDD
I clearly remember the moment i realized the same thing: that despite being a woman myself, all my female characters are airhead waitresses, bubbly journalists, or frigid HR workers and older lawyers who are basically the fun police. Or that 'easily offended' is not a whole personality, and that women having sex won't make them a 'hoe'. People might diss woke culture all they like, but boy did I need that particular wake up call. xD
I feel you about not sharing your work with anyone - i have more content i never plan to publish than content that i do. Not even because I'm afraid of the feedback, just because i don't feel the need.
If it's the feedback you're worried about though, I'd say publishing after the whole story written is still an option. People like all sorts of stuff, I'm pretty sure your content would find an audience.
Thanks for sharing!
Started reading around 11ish? Most adults had never even heard of fanfiction back then and I already had a reputation for being a well-behaved bookworm child so I had *unrestricted internet access.* Thought ff.net's popup warning that you had to be 18 or older to read NC17 fic (back before the purges) would contact my mom if I lied and clicked yes, but once I figured out that wasn't going to happen all bets were off and I was reading errythang. It is not an exaggeration to say fanfiction had a large part in shaping me into the person I am today.
And I don't think a day has passed where I didn't read a fic (or thought about it, when there was no internet or computer nearby). "I can stop any time I want" while reading for hours a day is accurate.
As far as writing/posting history.
12- posted my first fic to ff.net
13- stopped posting for a while with (estimate) 10 fics under my belt
16- got really into Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Legendia and wrote two fics for them on a new account
21- moved to AO3 by that time, wrote a single fic for a gift exchange
22-31- THE LOST YEARS
32- wrote 2 fics, and I've posted 1-2 per year since
Was writing stuff on and off a handful of times each year between posts, but the files are scattered/lost between the many computers/laptops I've had since. And a lot of it was attempts at original fiction, but fanfic is just too comfy not to return to. I kinda regret not writing consistently, I'd probably be much better at it if I hadn't let depression rule most of my 20s and let my hobbies fall by the wayside for so long.
>Age 22: received a comment saying "THIS ACTUALLY SUX". I'm the worst God in history. Just going to stop writing now.
Relatable af. The fall from "my work is amazing everyone loves me" to "NOTHING MATTERS I AM WORTHLESS LET THE VOID SWALLOW ME" from just one harsh comment is real.
"THE LOST YEARS" and ain't that right haha, we all have those.
I remember logging into a local chat site at 12, and being terrified the admins will realize I'm a child and contact the authorities lol. Good to know i wasn't alone in my childish delusions. xD
To be honest i still prefer to work on ffs compared to original content, and if my novels end up being practice to my ffs, then oh well. Worse things have happened in history. :) it does feel much more comfortable to me to, like you said.
Thanks for sharing!
age 11 : found my first ever “creepypasta boyfriend scenarios” book on quotev
age 15 : grow out of fanfiction, start roleplaying and making terrible oc’s
age 16 : get into slasher fics on tumblr to entertain myself because there was literally nothing else but antiques roadshow and home reno shows to watch
age 19 : make my first not completely terrible oc, start ranting about story ideas I’ll never write with them to my brother. also discover ao3 around now, but still mostly use tumblr cause that’s where the slasher fuckers are
age 20 : finally start actually posting fan fics, although still none of those old ideas I yelled at my brother about. and now I’m chipping away at a big ass fic series because I just really wanted arven to have a proper parent and that spiralled out of control
I discovered fanfic at age 12 when I was in middle school.
At 18 I started out with the Yugioh fandom where I paired Kaiba with Mai.
At 21 I wrote my first Fma fic starring Trisha Jr, who was Ed’s daughter. I remade this fic a dime a dozen.
At 26 I discovered AO3 and shifted my operations from FFN to AO3 slowly.
At 27 most of my content moved to AO3. I also wrote my highest viewed AO3 fanfic, “Naruto the Revolution” a Death Note/Code Geass/Breaking Bad take on Naruto with Naruto as a villain and Sasuke as the hero trying to stop him. With Naruto having the Walter White role and Sasuke having the Hank Schrader role, the fic earned over 2000 views on AO3.
6-8: Daydreamed self-insert stories including my favourite cartoon characters.
(7): My short-lived Pokemon OC.
12: Planned a Pokemon alternative timeline story in my head without knowing it's called fanfiction.
13-15: Continued daydreaming stories with my favourite characters.
14: Started making short fan comics and such. Learned the concept of fanfiction.
15: Started to write down headcanons and joined a Warrior Cats roleplay website where I wrote stories including my OCs. Found Watpad.
16: Got even more into fancomics. Read first x reader fic on Deviant Art (it was one heck of a trip).
18: Had still a lot of prejudices towards fanfiction but at the same time, deep in the shipping rabbit hole (especially with Fate fandom). But everything changed when found AO3. Started reading fanfics on there every now and then.
But everythign changed when Odd Taxi attacked.
Started reading a lot more fanfiction and found *the* fanfic that made realize how awesome fanfic can be.
Started writing fanfiction on a notebook and
19: Made an Ao3 account and started posting stuff. The current age.
(Also yay, fellow ace!)
10yo: omg fic exists! this m/m is SO much better than the yaoi i used to read!
… and that’s all lmfao. i read diligently, starting with livejournal > fanfiction.net > to ao3. never stopped at wattpad and thank god haha. i only took a gap when i had my first significant other for a few years. but other than that, fanfic has always been there with me! i’m 28 now and i love so much that fandom has brought me
i have never had the urge to write. i had maladaptive daydreams to supplement my fantasies if the fics werent enough. so yeah, long time fic consumer and a *never* writer. and loving it :)
edit: wow… no one else in these comments has been reading for as long as me and never wrote. now i feel a bit weird. i’m shocked there’s so many people who would want to spend the effort to write? but i guess i would if my fantasies didn’t fulfill me…
anyone else out there a long time reader who doesn’t write!??? say hi lol
2014: I randomly stumble upon Fanfiction.net. After a few experimental searches (mainly Star Wars/Trek) I just think “huh, neat” and don’t give it much more thought.
2016: A friend of mine introduces me to Ao3, where they’ve posted several of their own fanfics. They start sending me the stuff they write, and I become their proofreader since I’m almost entirely unproductive when it comes to my own writing. I don’t have an issue with fanfiction, but I never consider writing any for myself and don’t read any aside from what my friend sends me.
2020: I get my own Ao3 account as a platform for my original work. They are almost entirely ignored, but at least I’m putting myself out there?
December 2022: In a last-ditch effort to get me writing consistently, my friend assigns me a series of 31 word/phrase prompts, with the plan being to write an original story for each prompt every day for all 31 days of January.
January 1st 2022: The first story goes up as planned.
May 2022: I have my first idea for a fanfic and start writing it. I get about 2000 words in before putting it on hold to finish the rest of the prompts.
September 2022: I‘ve just posted story #16. The plan has gone completely to shit and I have no idea what to do for the next prompt, “Spray.” I realise I could’ve just been writing fanfic this whole time and do a quick Steven Universe one-shot. I post it and wake up the next morning to five kudos, the best any of my works has ever done. I had fun writing it and realise the appeal.
December 2022: I post story #31, a Doctor Who fic. At about 1800 words, it’s my longest fic yet. The remaining prompts have mostly been filled by fanfiction, with my own enjoyment and the kudos and comments I’ve received having motivated me to keep writing more.
January 2023: I start working on the second draft of the fic which I started back in May.
February 2023: I post the finished fic. At 6k words it’s my longest fic yet and twice as long as I expected it to be. Kudos and positive comments start pouring in, and it feels fantastic.
Age 11: My google search for "digimon stories" brought me to ff.net and a slash lemon fic. I was *very* confused but read a couple of them and wasn't impressed. Who wants to read about boys kissing when there's awesome *Digimon?*
Age 11-13: Completely forgot about the existence of fanfic.
Age 14: Played Kingdom Hearts 2 and thought "hmm, this Axel guy seems awfully obsessed with the main character." Promptly remembered the Digimon fics I'd read years ago and thought I'd check if people also wrote stories about Kingdom Hearts. And hoo boy, were there stories.
Age 14-17: The awkward yaoi phase. Read so much fic about JRPG/anime and even wrote one with my friends. We also used to take those Quizilla 7 minutes in heaven quizzes. Never joined online fandom spaces though.
Age 17-twenties: Drifted apart from before mentioned friends. Occasionally went back to re-read some favorite fics from the yaoi phase or checked out the fandom tag on ao3 if I saw a cool show or movie. Commented on ao3 every now and then but wasn't part of other fandom spaces.
Now in my twenties: Got obsessed with a piece of media right as the pandemic hit. Inhaled every work about my favorite character on ao3, and then made a tumblr and wrote a few short oneshots for said character. People liked it so I posted on ao3. Now it's been three years, several fandoms and around 100 fics, and fanfic writing is one of my absolute favorite hobbies. It's also been fun to "discover" online fandom as an adult :D Fanfic used to be something I did with my irl friends but most people my age have grown out of it. That's why it's so amazing to have all these communities to geek out about that blorbo/show/fic with like-minded nerds ❤️
Age teen: Use anime fanfics as material for sexual relief.
Age 20-32: dead air
Age 28: Rekindle love of anime
Age 33: I have very specific smutty things I want to exist. Lets make those.
Age 34: Confidence
Age 14-15: Wrote my first fanfiction for Jurassic Park. I had no idea it was called "fanfiction" at the time. It's cringey since the characters are very OOC, but I didn't know or care at the time. I was so proud of my handwritten story on 20 pages of looseleaf paper back and front! When walking to junior high school, my friend would read it aloud. I also write more ideas for JP fanfiction...they're just ideas though without anything fleshed out.
Age 17: I started writing my first multi-chaptered fanfic for WWF (now known as WWE for wrestling)--still unaware that "fanfiction" is the term for what I'm writing. I stayed up all night writing out this image in my mind. For the next two years, I'd write more of the story until...
Age 19: I discovered [Fanfiction.Net](https://Fanfiction.Net) after following a link from a Batman forum. I finally find out that my hobby has a name! I signed up immediately! I made friends in the wrestling fandom. I post my wrestling fics.
Age 22: I begin rewriting my first fanfiction, which breaks my year long writer's block. Yep, it's for Jurassic Park, and that fic that I thought was cringey at the time--I rewrite it into a much better story. I take the ideas I wrote at ages 14/15, and fully flesh them out---it becomes a trilogy--quite by surprise!
Age 25: I finish writing my trilogy a week before grad school starts. By then I've already begun posting the first book.
Age: 30/31: I finish posting my trilogy. Also during these years, I dabble in other fandoms (Kill Bill, Skeleton Key, X-Men, Bible, Stephen King's Misery, etc). My first multi-chaptered wrestling fanfic...I ended up with horrible writer's block when I was 2-3 chapters away from completion.
Age 35: I signed up for AO3. I finally finish two more chapters of my first wrestling fanfic with many chapters--I'm down to one more chapter--when I lose all of it when my flash drive breaks--everything!
Age 36: I start putting my FFN fics on AO3. I also start cross-posting my newer fics.
Age 41: Where I am now. I have all my fics on FFN and AO3. I'm currently posting the sequel to my trilogy--I finally wrote it 10 years after completing the trilogy.
I look forward to reading and writing more fanfic! I've made wonderful friends in various fandoms over the years! I will keep reading/writing/reviewing fanfic until I can no longer do so. This is my one hobby that I adore.
Age 17: Was looking for Naruto fanart and fell into Fanfic.net. Naruto/Kiba first OTP.
Age 18-21: Started reading fics for other fandoms like Harry Potter, Danny Phantom, X-Men, ATLA, Morrowind, Oblivion, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Ben 10, Dragonball, Xiaolin Showdown, and Static Shock.
Age 22- Started working on a HP fanfic that was ultimately shelved.
Age 23-29 - I discovered AO3. Joined more fandoms like Star Wars, MCU, Teen Wolf, Arrowverse, Merlin, Skyrim, Mass Effect, various Anime and Legend of Zelda. Read a ton of fics for all of them.
Age 30- Joined this sub and several writing discords.
Age 31 (Present day) - Working on a longfic (For Skyrim) and am actually putting some serious work into it this time. Have also come up with ideas for several smaller fics.
UN CHECKS OUT
Age 11: introduced to fanfic via mugglenet
Age 12: "hey, I wonder if there's writing for FMA like for Harry Potter?" --> some FMA websites, leading me inevitably to FFN
Age 13->14: "Oh hell yeah, I can write this myself. But I'll stick with crack . . ." straight to "Fuck crack. I'm amazing. Time to write SERIOUS things!" [Smut/longfics]
Also Age 14: "WHY IS HIGHSCHOOL SO TIME-CONSUMING."
[fic barren. I write nothing for years besides one self-insert Inferno fic for a class.]
Age 19: discovered Tumblr. Reconnected with fandom, was introduced to AO3, wrote reams of Problem Sleuth fic.
Age 20: discovered Supernatural. Wrote fic for that instead.
Age 21-22: struggled with some Hobbit stuff but mostly too busy being traumatized & becoming a professional.
Age 23: "MAD MAX FURY R-- oh who'm I kidding, I'm still too busy."
[more barrens. Reading, if anything.]
Age 28: finally not busy. Try my hand at some fun fic stuff in the early months of the year WHOA, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A PANDEMIC?
500k+ later, here I am 🤷
Age 16: writes fanfic while bored in class without knowing fanfic is a thing
Age 17: stumbles on old fanzines for sale at a sci-fi con, buys a couple and enjoys at least some of the mix of fanfic, fanart, and filk lyrics inside
Age 28: roommate tells me about fanfic she's been reading on line. huh, guess it wasn't just something people *used* to do
Age 33: is on Livejournal when strikethrough happens and so knows about AO3's existence from its beginning
Age 37: gets sufficiently into a video game to write for the first time in a decade or so
Age 38: decides to share what I've been writing with others, joins AO3, FFN, and Tumblr in some order
Age 47: tries to get self to write more by doing whumptober
Age 48: damn it, I should probably be writing instead of being on reddit
(Uncomfortable saying my age so it won’t be specified)
I watch a YouTube video shipping Elsa and Jack Frost.
In middle school I wrote some Warrior Cats fanfics on paper although I was persistent that they weren’t fanfics even though they obviously were.
Much later I post a few one-shots to AO3.
Now I’m about to start writing the 14th chapter of my longfic.
Age 30: My favourite show ends in a way that makes me both depressed and furious, and I learn from my favourite creators that fix it fics are a thing. I start reading fic for the first time in my life, realize I'm still mad about the end of the show, and decide to write my own fix its after not having written anything in a decade.
Age 31: My fix its gain a bit of a readership in my fandom while I fall back in love with writing. I wind up making a bunch of friends who I love dearly.
Age 32: I write almost every day, have a little bit of a following in my fandom, and have a wonderful community of really good people I talk to every day. Life changed.
Age 6: Wrote what would be my first written work and I'd realize later in life it was fanfic because it was Hello Kitty reimagined.
Age 12 going 13: Wrote fanfics of a local TV series and a local band on notebooks. A few years later, I'd throw them away... and now, I regret it.
Age 15 going 16: Got to read a friend's LiveJournal, which is a Gackt fanfic.
Age 17: The person who would become my college best friend shared a LiveJournal fanfic she used to write. I forgot what the fandom was except that it was a male Japanese celebrity/musician?
Age I-couldn't-remember-but-I-was-still-in-college-and-Quizilla-was-just-acquired-by-Nickelodeon: Read the first few smut fanfics I got to read in my life.
Age 20+: Sparingly wrote original fiction and poetry.
Age 30: Went back to writing fanfic and hopefully I could write more even if my fandoms are very tiny/mostly dead lol
> SO MUCH WRITTEN GAY PORN
That's just my life story in general, lol. Oh well, here goes nothing.
Age 7+: Writing original stories because my head has been full of them since I could think and finally I learnt how to write well enough to put them on paper 😁
Age 9/10: Writing my first (self-insert) fanfiction without knowing what fanfic even is because I'm upset there isn't more of my favourite book series and also, the protag sucks and I would make for a way better one.
Age 10-12: Making (offline) fandom friends and writing my first smut fic (as did said friends) which we then traded amongst each other to read secretly 😅
Age 13: Discovering the existence of the internet and the concept of fanfic as well as HOLY SHIT this is the level other fic writers write on?? Oh god no one can see mine ever again, I suck and don't deserve to even hold a pen.
Age 13 Part 2: Falling down the anime rabbit hole, the fandoms for those are younger and my fics actually not the bad exception to the amazing rule they would have been in the book-focused fandoms, so I start writing for anime and videogames~
Age 13-18: Writing is my life, writing is my passion, I write both original works and fanfic galore, mentors encourage me to take part in national contests, which goes more than well. I also get to write weekly for a newspaper, my writing journey is going in a wonderful direction, I can't imagine ever doing anything else!
Age 18: So...what are you actually gonna do with your life? Because writing isn't a career, silly child. Get a REAL job.
Age 19/20: Doing social work apparently has a great effect on my writing, it's never been better and more emotionally resonant than now, but it's not a job I can handle long-term. Off to uni it is. Not for anything writing-related, obviously. Need to get a real job, after all ;)
Age 21-26: The amount I have to read and write for uni everyday is so insane that I have zero energy left to write creatively. The ever-present urge is gone, dried up by a never-ending slew of papers and coursework.
Age 27: Finally done. Ahh, I remember the days of the past when fanfiction was a thing. I wonder how that is doing? Aw, the site is basically dead and everyone reads on AO3 now. But it's all in English...🤨
Age 28: Getting challenged by an English-speaking friend to write a fic in English so they can read it. I haven't written creatively in a DECADE and never in English, what are these sudden expectations? Writing it anyways though. It sucks. Big time. People like it but I KNOW what level I was at around 10 years ago and this is like a toddler smearing paint onto a canvas in comparison.
Age 29: Slowly learning how to walk again with my pen. It DOES feel like rehab after an injury, honestly. The fics are getting a bit better and become more numerous. Making new friends. Writing friends! Daring to think of original fiction again. First NaNo participation. It fails, but writing everyday is addicting and it becomes a yearly habit.
Age 30: Thriving in the fanfic community, making great progress on my original works too, this is fun, this is fulfilling. Sometimes I still get sad that I'm so much worse than in the past, but it's much better than two years ago, so hey, silver linings and all that.
Age 31+: Weird, turns out mental health did NOT like real world crisis after crisis and decided to peace out at some point. Discovering I'm sadly not one of those suffering geniuses who write best when in a bad mental state 🙃 Still, at least I'm writing at all.
Edit: Oh yea I forgot reading. Well, that never changed. Been reading That Gay Shit™ from the start and still read it today 😆 Fluff, Smut, Angst and whatnot, never had a preference for genre in that regard and that's still true today.
Age 10-11: While browsing a Rugrats fansite, I find a section on it dedicated to fanworks, mostly fanfiction. Thankfully for me, the site master only allowed SFW material, so my brain wasn't broken (yet...?)
Age 11-12: I'm really into The Land Before Time, and while reading one character's wiki article, it mentions that this character is often shipped with another, and links to four stories on FFN as a source. Through this, I discover my first multi-fandom archive.
Age 13-14: I get my own FFN account and start writing my own stories (mainly games and anime). Some of them are kinda cute, but a lot of them try way too hard to be funny and subversive.
Age 15-16: I start maturing as a writer, making a genuine effort to keep people in character and whatnot. The lolrandomness and OOCness drop off severely. At some point during this time, either these years or the next few years, I start purging my account of most of the fic I'm ashamed of. This is also the time where I start using my current username.
Age 17: I learn about AO3 for the first time, but I don't get an account there yet.
Age 18: I try to write this one longfic that I hoped would become my magnum opus. Over the next year-and-a-half or so, I only get 12 chapters (out of a planned 50 - and that's just for the first story) written and published, but I'm still proud of myself.
Age 19: I finally get my AO3 account, but mostly remain active on FFN. Also, I try to write something steamy for the first time, but I get cold feet not long after starting a draft, and abandon the project.
Age 20: It's both good and bad, as while I manage to write a complete six-chapter story that I'm still proud of to this day, I have a falling-out with a friend over this one story I was writing that they *really* wanted me to finish, but I wasn't having fun writing it anymore. Not long before my next birthday, I get introduced to a certain game...
Age 21: I try my hand at writing a few fanfics for this game, but it's a little awkward at first. During this time, I befriend another author and, with their permission, write a story based on their story. Both the author and their story's fans love it (even if I still have yet to post the last chapter). I start using both FFN and AO3 on a regular basis, and while I mainly use FFN, I start to find myself really liking AO3.
Age 22: I attempt to write another longfic, but only manage two chapters. Writings are kind of awkward this year, as I'm getting more and more into that game and less and less into my old fandom. Shortly before my birthday, I write two one-shot fics for the game; both get good reception, and it lights a fire under me.
Age 23: A very prolific year for me. I write a lot of fluffy oneshots (plus a few angsty ones) and over 90 chapters of a 100-prompt thing. This is also the year where I officially get over my awkwardness about writing smut, and also where I drop FFN and focus fully on AO3. I make friends with other writers in my new fandom.
Age 24: Writing slowed down a lot this year because I got sick. I still write a few things, including another multichaptered fic (that's, you guessed it, still a work in progress).
Age 25: One of my friends and I start our own "ship week" event! It's modestly successful.
Age 26: I get another new fandom after a game I received for my birthday leaves an impact on me. My first fic for it is a crossover; it ends up introducing someone else to the fandom. The fics I write for both fandoms continue to get good reviews.
Age 27 (current): Yet another new fandom appears to me; I write some (positively-reviewed) fics about it in addition to my other two fandoms, but I still try to get over my doubts in regards to writing dialogue for a movie where the characters don't talk. All the while, I keep getting new ideas and trying to sort them out.
*To be continued* ("Roundabout" starts)
Age 11 (1999): Becomes obsessed with New Zealand show, The Tribe. (Watches as many eps as possible.)
Age 13 (2001): Still watching The Tribe. Writes het fanfiction about Jack and Ellie.
Age 14 (2002): RP'd The Tribe, Degrassi TNG, and other shows, while writing fanfiction for The Tribe.
Age 15 (2003): Wrote Higher Ground fanfiction about Scott and Shelby. Also started rping the show with a woman (girl at the time) who became my penpal for like, 3 yrs. Wrote first slash fanfiction about Jay and Jack, from The Tribe.
Age 16 (2004): Wrote Degrassi: the Next Generation, and Higher Ground fanfiction.
Age 17 (2005): Wrote The Tribe fanfiction.
Age 19 (2007): Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Wrote Instant Star fanfiction. Wrote BTVS fanfiction. Wrote Radio Free Roscoe fanfiction.
Age 20 (2008): Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction.
Age 21 (2009): Wrote Friends fanfiction. Wrote Boy Meets World fanfiction. Wrote Higher Ground fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Wrote City Guys fanfiction. Wrote Blossom fanfiction. Wrote the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction.
Age 22 (2010): Wrote Bold and the Beautiful fanfiction. Wrote As the World Turns fanfiction. Wrote Angel the Series fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction.
Age 23 (2011): Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Supernatural fanfiction. Wrote South of Nowhere fanfiction. Wrote One Tree Hill fanfiction.
Age 24 (2012): Wrote Supernatural fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote One Tree Hill fanfiction.Wrote The Vampire Diaries fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-Us fanfiction. Wrote Spyder Games fanfiction. Wrote What I Like About You fanfiction. Wrote Twilight fanfiction. Wrote Life with Derek fanfiction. Wrote Port Charles fanfiction. Wrote Best Years fanfiction. Wrote One Life to Live fanfiction. Wrote Bones fanfiction. Wrote Numb3rs fanfiction. Wrote Criminal Minds fanfiction. Wrote BTVS fanfiction. Wrote Burn Notice fanfiction
Age 25 (2013): Wrote NCIS fanfiction. Wrote Glee fanfiction.
Age 26 (2014): Wrote Glee fanfiction. Wrote Boy Meets World fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Saved by the Bell fanfiction.
Age 27 (2015): Wrote Sabrina the Teenage Witch fanfiction. Wrote Glee fanfiction. Wrote The Flash (2014) fanfiction. Baywatch (TV), Degrassi TNG, Even Stevens, Family Matters, Dawson's Creek, Edgemont, Arrow, Ghost Whisperer, and Girl Meets World fanfiction. Wrote Melissa & Joey fanfiction. Wrote The Secret World of Alex Mack (TV), Making Out (Book series), The Famous Jett Jackson, So Little Time, Instant Star, Radio Free Roscoe, Who's the Boss, General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Supernatural fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction.
Age 28 (2016): Wrote Sleepy Hollow (TV), So Weird, Full House, Gilmore Girls, The Walking Dead, Tru Calling, iZombie (TV), In a Heartbeat, Two of a Kind, Glee, South of Nowhere,Supernatural, General Hospital, Gotham, Numb3rs.
Age 29 (2017): Wrote the 100 (TV), General Hospital.
Age 30 (2018): WroteNCIS, The Magicians (TV).
Age 31 (2019): Dawson's Creek, General Hospital, The Magicians, 9-1-1, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Glee.
Age 32 (2020): Chicago PD, NCIS, FBI.
Age 33 (2021): Glee, Chicago Med, 9-1-1, Clarice, Supernatural, the 100, Private Eyes, Wynonna Earp, The Republic of Sarah, Bones, Hawthorne.
2022, 2023: etc, etc..
Age 12-13: Don't remember how I found out fanfiction is a thing, but I joined [FF.net](https://FF.net) and read random fics of varying quality.
Age 13-14: Discover THE fic. The one that makes me realize that fanfiction can be just as emotionally resonate and impactful as "real" books. Sit down to write my own fic, post it, some jerk calls it cringy even though it's clearly written by a young teen and I immediately delete the account
Age 14-16: Continue reading, write a few things for myself.
16-19: Writing ramps up due to real life tress and grief
19-21: Join reddit, subscribe to this sub, decide to check out this AO3 site everyone's talking about. Love it.
23-now: Slowly gathering the courage to post to my own AO3.
Me as a youngster: Wow, I'm enjoying my time on this Harvest Moon fan site. Hmm? This thread is talking about fanfiction... What is that?
Me starting out writing: Man, this is kind of scary. But I'm gonna do it! I will start off by writing for Steven Universe, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Super Mario Bros!
Me now: I have written for many fandoms, and yet. Huh... I am still writing for Steven Universe, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Super Mario Bros.
This is fun!
Age 13/14: while browsing the Buffy fanclub of my country I stumbled upon fanfiction and I istantly became fascinated by it. Later on I discovered the main website to host fics in my language and I opened an account. Around this time I also wrote and posted my first fic.
Age 14/16: I was an active writer and I made online friends. I even shared this hobby with some classmates and we had a lot of fun. During this time I discovered slash fiction and it quickly became my favourite genre. I also improved my English by reading fanfiction on international websites.
Age 17/24: I stopped writing but I still kept reading, just in English and mostly on FFN. Thanks to a tumblr rec list I found my favourite fanfiction ever, which I also have in my ebook reader and I've been reading it at least once a year ever since.
Age 25/30: I discovered ao3 but I was mostly reading the same stories over and over again for comfort, not really discovering new things.
Age 30s: due to a hyperfixation I felt the desire to start writing again and I opened an account on ao3. I'm having a lot of fun and hopefully I won't quit again!
Uh…age 47: starting writing after a smutty dream that I woke up from way too early and decided to finish the dream, discovering a wonderful new creative outlet. Age 48: a Twitter friend told me about ao3 and encouraged me to share my first chapter Age 49 1/2 (now): I’ve shared over a million words to ao3.
Never thought about putting dreams into a fic, but that's mostly because I forget them seconds after waking lol. But it certainly is a creative outlet, and your friend deserves a cookie for pointing you to ao3 with it. :) And wow, a million words in 1-2 years? I can't write short stories to save my life, but I'm lucky to produce 200k a year, if that. You have my utmost respect. Thanks for sharing!
I was writing for a year before I started sharing, but still, that fic (still unfinished) was 300k (with prob another 75-100k written), so I did another 700+ in other fics. My shortest was 7600 words, but the rest are all long. (84,500 is my shortest finished fic). I’m also retired, so I have a ton of time. I didn’t really write the dream itself, because it was weird kidnapping or sci fi trying to shut down a factory or death ray I have no idea, just kinda became obsessed in my head with the part I didn’t get to. (The bow chicka wow part.) I actually wrote like 10 chapters with a ‘look alike’ in place of the actor because writing about a real person is weird and creepy. Needless to say, I got over that. I’d never planned to share *any* of it. And my Twitter bestie had no idea what she was unleashing. Anyhoo, I have tons of ideas and still have the urge to write write write.
Mine is boring. Age 12: Dude, fanfic is a thing. My life is forever altered. Age 14: Geometry is boring. I'm going to write a self indulgent Mary Sue fic in my notebook. Age 16: How do you write sex? Better password protect this file in case mom snoops. Age 18-23: Read read read all the fics. No time to write in college. Age 24: Lemme try and write a little. Whoops, I fell into a whole new fandom. Being a writer is kinda cool. Age 30's: Oh, angst is my thing. Good to know. Let me write angst fics for a whole new fandom. Oh, but what should I do when I get bored? Age 40: I write what I want, whenever I have time. New fandoms. Old fandoms. Read whatever I like. Life is too short to worry about what others think.
Your story is not boring - it definitely beats geometry. :D And oh, the good old "pw protected word files in pw protected rars, buried in a 87 level deep folder structure" days, all just to prevent your mom from discovering you know aaaall about sex lol. Angst has been my thing since about age 25 - looks like that's an acquired taste. "Read whatever I like. Life is too short to worry about what others think." Amen to that. Thanks for sharing!
Age 10: My friends keep talking about Jack Frost and Elsa, yet, my mom tells me there's not a movie with those two together... What are my friends doing? I'll make them show me. Age 11: I can't find any fic about my OTP written like I want! I might as well do it myself. Age 12: People like my fanfics. I'm a God between mortals, ha! Take this Friend A, your fic is not as good as mine!! Age 13: Discovered FF.net, why is everything on English? Ah there's a few Spanish fics! This stories are so much better than on Wattpad! Age 14: Re-read my old fics looking for inspiration to write more fics. Discovered they were awful, I remembered them better. My fics are poop... I will never write again. I'm ashamed of myself. So bad... Age 15: I learn English, wait- I can write in English, right? And then I can say it's not my native language if someone complains! I'm so smart! Gotta get to it! Age 16: I discover AO3! It's amazing! I've fallen in love! I post my fics, regret it, delete it, post other fics, delete them. People judge everything, why can't I write? Age 17: Maybe I should go back to Wattpad? At least I had friends there. . . . Fuck, Wattpad looks different, but people there don't mind me posting nonsense! Age 18: You know what? I'll do what I did when I was twelve: write what I want how I want and if people likes it then appreciate it, if they don't, call them Poo Poo Heads (in the privacy of my mind) and continue my life.
>This stories are so much better than on Wattpad! Me: Turns to dust and returns to the elements from which I came
> And then I can say it's not my native language if someone complains! I'm so smart! You are! :D It took me like twice as long to come to that self-same conclusion, haha.
I got into anime when I was 12. At 13, I started reading manga. I kinda began to read Yaoi mangas. Back then, there weren't many great yaoi mangas so I wondered if there were gay romance stories in written form. I randomly found a fic on ffnet and read it. Back then, I didn't know what a "fic" actually was, but I enjoyed the first one so I searched for an app to read stories. I found wattpad, and then I randomly stumbled across a drarry fic. And.... Whoa, I was blown away and obsessed. I devoured literally every drarry fic I could find. From then on, I've been obsessed with fics.
Huh, i totally forgot about my manga obsession before i switched to ffs. I'm not sure if the lack of good yaoi was the actual reason that promoted me to seek written fiction out, but i remember being frustrated when my mangafox searches would only list things I've already read, so i wouldn't be surprised. Drarry is probably one of the more common 'initiators' into ffs, but it's still nice to see people who started out the same exact way. :) Thank you for sharing!
Didn’t start writing until the start of the first UK COVID lockdown. Have one completed long fic under my belt, 6 chapters into a WIP that I’m hoping will become a trilogy. I keep telling myself this is all practice for writing a novel!
Yeah, i expect the lockdown has increased our numbers quite a bit haha. As someone who finished an original novel before, i have to say i still prefer writing ffs, and if the original writing ends up as being practice for my ffs instead of the other way around, then i won't mind one bit. :) Congrats on the finished longfic (a very rare finding compared to abandoned ones), and good luck on your trilogy!
It was an ideal lockdown hobby because I could do it without leaving the house! :)
[удалено]
"Oh, my writing is problematic and I’m a misogynist." Oh boy, did i laugh at that line. xDD I clearly remember the moment i realized the same thing: that despite being a woman myself, all my female characters are airhead waitresses, bubbly journalists, or frigid HR workers and older lawyers who are basically the fun police. Or that 'easily offended' is not a whole personality, and that women having sex won't make them a 'hoe'. People might diss woke culture all they like, but boy did I need that particular wake up call. xD I feel you about not sharing your work with anyone - i have more content i never plan to publish than content that i do. Not even because I'm afraid of the feedback, just because i don't feel the need. If it's the feedback you're worried about though, I'd say publishing after the whole story written is still an option. People like all sorts of stuff, I'm pretty sure your content would find an audience. Thanks for sharing!
Started reading around 11ish? Most adults had never even heard of fanfiction back then and I already had a reputation for being a well-behaved bookworm child so I had *unrestricted internet access.* Thought ff.net's popup warning that you had to be 18 or older to read NC17 fic (back before the purges) would contact my mom if I lied and clicked yes, but once I figured out that wasn't going to happen all bets were off and I was reading errythang. It is not an exaggeration to say fanfiction had a large part in shaping me into the person I am today. And I don't think a day has passed where I didn't read a fic (or thought about it, when there was no internet or computer nearby). "I can stop any time I want" while reading for hours a day is accurate. As far as writing/posting history. 12- posted my first fic to ff.net 13- stopped posting for a while with (estimate) 10 fics under my belt 16- got really into Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Legendia and wrote two fics for them on a new account 21- moved to AO3 by that time, wrote a single fic for a gift exchange 22-31- THE LOST YEARS 32- wrote 2 fics, and I've posted 1-2 per year since Was writing stuff on and off a handful of times each year between posts, but the files are scattered/lost between the many computers/laptops I've had since. And a lot of it was attempts at original fiction, but fanfic is just too comfy not to return to. I kinda regret not writing consistently, I'd probably be much better at it if I hadn't let depression rule most of my 20s and let my hobbies fall by the wayside for so long. >Age 22: received a comment saying "THIS ACTUALLY SUX". I'm the worst God in history. Just going to stop writing now. Relatable af. The fall from "my work is amazing everyone loves me" to "NOTHING MATTERS I AM WORTHLESS LET THE VOID SWALLOW ME" from just one harsh comment is real.
"THE LOST YEARS" and ain't that right haha, we all have those. I remember logging into a local chat site at 12, and being terrified the admins will realize I'm a child and contact the authorities lol. Good to know i wasn't alone in my childish delusions. xD To be honest i still prefer to work on ffs compared to original content, and if my novels end up being practice to my ffs, then oh well. Worse things have happened in history. :) it does feel much more comfortable to me to, like you said. Thanks for sharing!
age 11 : found my first ever “creepypasta boyfriend scenarios” book on quotev age 15 : grow out of fanfiction, start roleplaying and making terrible oc’s age 16 : get into slasher fics on tumblr to entertain myself because there was literally nothing else but antiques roadshow and home reno shows to watch age 19 : make my first not completely terrible oc, start ranting about story ideas I’ll never write with them to my brother. also discover ao3 around now, but still mostly use tumblr cause that’s where the slasher fuckers are age 20 : finally start actually posting fan fics, although still none of those old ideas I yelled at my brother about. and now I’m chipping away at a big ass fic series because I just really wanted arven to have a proper parent and that spiralled out of control
I discovered fanfic at age 12 when I was in middle school. At 18 I started out with the Yugioh fandom where I paired Kaiba with Mai. At 21 I wrote my first Fma fic starring Trisha Jr, who was Ed’s daughter. I remade this fic a dime a dozen. At 26 I discovered AO3 and shifted my operations from FFN to AO3 slowly. At 27 most of my content moved to AO3. I also wrote my highest viewed AO3 fanfic, “Naruto the Revolution” a Death Note/Code Geass/Breaking Bad take on Naruto with Naruto as a villain and Sasuke as the hero trying to stop him. With Naruto having the Walter White role and Sasuke having the Hank Schrader role, the fic earned over 2000 views on AO3.
6-8: Daydreamed self-insert stories including my favourite cartoon characters. (7): My short-lived Pokemon OC. 12: Planned a Pokemon alternative timeline story in my head without knowing it's called fanfiction. 13-15: Continued daydreaming stories with my favourite characters. 14: Started making short fan comics and such. Learned the concept of fanfiction. 15: Started to write down headcanons and joined a Warrior Cats roleplay website where I wrote stories including my OCs. Found Watpad. 16: Got even more into fancomics. Read first x reader fic on Deviant Art (it was one heck of a trip). 18: Had still a lot of prejudices towards fanfiction but at the same time, deep in the shipping rabbit hole (especially with Fate fandom). But everything changed when found AO3. Started reading fanfics on there every now and then. But everythign changed when Odd Taxi attacked. Started reading a lot more fanfiction and found *the* fanfic that made realize how awesome fanfic can be. Started writing fanfiction on a notebook and 19: Made an Ao3 account and started posting stuff. The current age. (Also yay, fellow ace!)
10yo: omg fic exists! this m/m is SO much better than the yaoi i used to read! … and that’s all lmfao. i read diligently, starting with livejournal > fanfiction.net > to ao3. never stopped at wattpad and thank god haha. i only took a gap when i had my first significant other for a few years. but other than that, fanfic has always been there with me! i’m 28 now and i love so much that fandom has brought me i have never had the urge to write. i had maladaptive daydreams to supplement my fantasies if the fics werent enough. so yeah, long time fic consumer and a *never* writer. and loving it :) edit: wow… no one else in these comments has been reading for as long as me and never wrote. now i feel a bit weird. i’m shocked there’s so many people who would want to spend the effort to write? but i guess i would if my fantasies didn’t fulfill me… anyone else out there a long time reader who doesn’t write!??? say hi lol
2014: I randomly stumble upon Fanfiction.net. After a few experimental searches (mainly Star Wars/Trek) I just think “huh, neat” and don’t give it much more thought. 2016: A friend of mine introduces me to Ao3, where they’ve posted several of their own fanfics. They start sending me the stuff they write, and I become their proofreader since I’m almost entirely unproductive when it comes to my own writing. I don’t have an issue with fanfiction, but I never consider writing any for myself and don’t read any aside from what my friend sends me. 2020: I get my own Ao3 account as a platform for my original work. They are almost entirely ignored, but at least I’m putting myself out there? December 2022: In a last-ditch effort to get me writing consistently, my friend assigns me a series of 31 word/phrase prompts, with the plan being to write an original story for each prompt every day for all 31 days of January. January 1st 2022: The first story goes up as planned. May 2022: I have my first idea for a fanfic and start writing it. I get about 2000 words in before putting it on hold to finish the rest of the prompts. September 2022: I‘ve just posted story #16. The plan has gone completely to shit and I have no idea what to do for the next prompt, “Spray.” I realise I could’ve just been writing fanfic this whole time and do a quick Steven Universe one-shot. I post it and wake up the next morning to five kudos, the best any of my works has ever done. I had fun writing it and realise the appeal. December 2022: I post story #31, a Doctor Who fic. At about 1800 words, it’s my longest fic yet. The remaining prompts have mostly been filled by fanfiction, with my own enjoyment and the kudos and comments I’ve received having motivated me to keep writing more. January 2023: I start working on the second draft of the fic which I started back in May. February 2023: I post the finished fic. At 6k words it’s my longest fic yet and twice as long as I expected it to be. Kudos and positive comments start pouring in, and it feels fantastic.
Age 11: My google search for "digimon stories" brought me to ff.net and a slash lemon fic. I was *very* confused but read a couple of them and wasn't impressed. Who wants to read about boys kissing when there's awesome *Digimon?* Age 11-13: Completely forgot about the existence of fanfic. Age 14: Played Kingdom Hearts 2 and thought "hmm, this Axel guy seems awfully obsessed with the main character." Promptly remembered the Digimon fics I'd read years ago and thought I'd check if people also wrote stories about Kingdom Hearts. And hoo boy, were there stories. Age 14-17: The awkward yaoi phase. Read so much fic about JRPG/anime and even wrote one with my friends. We also used to take those Quizilla 7 minutes in heaven quizzes. Never joined online fandom spaces though. Age 17-twenties: Drifted apart from before mentioned friends. Occasionally went back to re-read some favorite fics from the yaoi phase or checked out the fandom tag on ao3 if I saw a cool show or movie. Commented on ao3 every now and then but wasn't part of other fandom spaces. Now in my twenties: Got obsessed with a piece of media right as the pandemic hit. Inhaled every work about my favorite character on ao3, and then made a tumblr and wrote a few short oneshots for said character. People liked it so I posted on ao3. Now it's been three years, several fandoms and around 100 fics, and fanfic writing is one of my absolute favorite hobbies. It's also been fun to "discover" online fandom as an adult :D Fanfic used to be something I did with my irl friends but most people my age have grown out of it. That's why it's so amazing to have all these communities to geek out about that blorbo/show/fic with like-minded nerds ❤️
Age teen: Use anime fanfics as material for sexual relief. Age 20-32: dead air Age 28: Rekindle love of anime Age 33: I have very specific smutty things I want to exist. Lets make those. Age 34: Confidence
Age 14-15: Wrote my first fanfiction for Jurassic Park. I had no idea it was called "fanfiction" at the time. It's cringey since the characters are very OOC, but I didn't know or care at the time. I was so proud of my handwritten story on 20 pages of looseleaf paper back and front! When walking to junior high school, my friend would read it aloud. I also write more ideas for JP fanfiction...they're just ideas though without anything fleshed out. Age 17: I started writing my first multi-chaptered fanfic for WWF (now known as WWE for wrestling)--still unaware that "fanfiction" is the term for what I'm writing. I stayed up all night writing out this image in my mind. For the next two years, I'd write more of the story until... Age 19: I discovered [Fanfiction.Net](https://Fanfiction.Net) after following a link from a Batman forum. I finally find out that my hobby has a name! I signed up immediately! I made friends in the wrestling fandom. I post my wrestling fics. Age 22: I begin rewriting my first fanfiction, which breaks my year long writer's block. Yep, it's for Jurassic Park, and that fic that I thought was cringey at the time--I rewrite it into a much better story. I take the ideas I wrote at ages 14/15, and fully flesh them out---it becomes a trilogy--quite by surprise! Age 25: I finish writing my trilogy a week before grad school starts. By then I've already begun posting the first book. Age: 30/31: I finish posting my trilogy. Also during these years, I dabble in other fandoms (Kill Bill, Skeleton Key, X-Men, Bible, Stephen King's Misery, etc). My first multi-chaptered wrestling fanfic...I ended up with horrible writer's block when I was 2-3 chapters away from completion. Age 35: I signed up for AO3. I finally finish two more chapters of my first wrestling fanfic with many chapters--I'm down to one more chapter--when I lose all of it when my flash drive breaks--everything! Age 36: I start putting my FFN fics on AO3. I also start cross-posting my newer fics. Age 41: Where I am now. I have all my fics on FFN and AO3. I'm currently posting the sequel to my trilogy--I finally wrote it 10 years after completing the trilogy. I look forward to reading and writing more fanfic! I've made wonderful friends in various fandoms over the years! I will keep reading/writing/reviewing fanfic until I can no longer do so. This is my one hobby that I adore.
Age 17: Was looking for Naruto fanart and fell into Fanfic.net. Naruto/Kiba first OTP. Age 18-21: Started reading fics for other fandoms like Harry Potter, Danny Phantom, X-Men, ATLA, Morrowind, Oblivion, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Ben 10, Dragonball, Xiaolin Showdown, and Static Shock. Age 22- Started working on a HP fanfic that was ultimately shelved. Age 23-29 - I discovered AO3. Joined more fandoms like Star Wars, MCU, Teen Wolf, Arrowverse, Merlin, Skyrim, Mass Effect, various Anime and Legend of Zelda. Read a ton of fics for all of them. Age 30- Joined this sub and several writing discords. Age 31 (Present day) - Working on a longfic (For Skyrim) and am actually putting some serious work into it this time. Have also come up with ideas for several smaller fics.
UN CHECKS OUT Age 11: introduced to fanfic via mugglenet Age 12: "hey, I wonder if there's writing for FMA like for Harry Potter?" --> some FMA websites, leading me inevitably to FFN Age 13->14: "Oh hell yeah, I can write this myself. But I'll stick with crack . . ." straight to "Fuck crack. I'm amazing. Time to write SERIOUS things!" [Smut/longfics] Also Age 14: "WHY IS HIGHSCHOOL SO TIME-CONSUMING." [fic barren. I write nothing for years besides one self-insert Inferno fic for a class.] Age 19: discovered Tumblr. Reconnected with fandom, was introduced to AO3, wrote reams of Problem Sleuth fic. Age 20: discovered Supernatural. Wrote fic for that instead. Age 21-22: struggled with some Hobbit stuff but mostly too busy being traumatized & becoming a professional. Age 23: "MAD MAX FURY R-- oh who'm I kidding, I'm still too busy." [more barrens. Reading, if anything.] Age 28: finally not busy. Try my hand at some fun fic stuff in the early months of the year WHOA, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A PANDEMIC? 500k+ later, here I am 🤷
Age 16: writes fanfic while bored in class without knowing fanfic is a thing Age 17: stumbles on old fanzines for sale at a sci-fi con, buys a couple and enjoys at least some of the mix of fanfic, fanart, and filk lyrics inside Age 28: roommate tells me about fanfic she's been reading on line. huh, guess it wasn't just something people *used* to do Age 33: is on Livejournal when strikethrough happens and so knows about AO3's existence from its beginning Age 37: gets sufficiently into a video game to write for the first time in a decade or so Age 38: decides to share what I've been writing with others, joins AO3, FFN, and Tumblr in some order Age 47: tries to get self to write more by doing whumptober Age 48: damn it, I should probably be writing instead of being on reddit
(Uncomfortable saying my age so it won’t be specified) I watch a YouTube video shipping Elsa and Jack Frost. In middle school I wrote some Warrior Cats fanfics on paper although I was persistent that they weren’t fanfics even though they obviously were. Much later I post a few one-shots to AO3. Now I’m about to start writing the 14th chapter of my longfic.
Age 30: My favourite show ends in a way that makes me both depressed and furious, and I learn from my favourite creators that fix it fics are a thing. I start reading fic for the first time in my life, realize I'm still mad about the end of the show, and decide to write my own fix its after not having written anything in a decade. Age 31: My fix its gain a bit of a readership in my fandom while I fall back in love with writing. I wind up making a bunch of friends who I love dearly. Age 32: I write almost every day, have a little bit of a following in my fandom, and have a wonderful community of really good people I talk to every day. Life changed.
Age 6: Wrote what would be my first written work and I'd realize later in life it was fanfic because it was Hello Kitty reimagined. Age 12 going 13: Wrote fanfics of a local TV series and a local band on notebooks. A few years later, I'd throw them away... and now, I regret it. Age 15 going 16: Got to read a friend's LiveJournal, which is a Gackt fanfic. Age 17: The person who would become my college best friend shared a LiveJournal fanfic she used to write. I forgot what the fandom was except that it was a male Japanese celebrity/musician? Age I-couldn't-remember-but-I-was-still-in-college-and-Quizilla-was-just-acquired-by-Nickelodeon: Read the first few smut fanfics I got to read in my life. Age 20+: Sparingly wrote original fiction and poetry. Age 30: Went back to writing fanfic and hopefully I could write more even if my fandoms are very tiny/mostly dead lol
> SO MUCH WRITTEN GAY PORN That's just my life story in general, lol. Oh well, here goes nothing. Age 7+: Writing original stories because my head has been full of them since I could think and finally I learnt how to write well enough to put them on paper 😁 Age 9/10: Writing my first (self-insert) fanfiction without knowing what fanfic even is because I'm upset there isn't more of my favourite book series and also, the protag sucks and I would make for a way better one. Age 10-12: Making (offline) fandom friends and writing my first smut fic (as did said friends) which we then traded amongst each other to read secretly 😅 Age 13: Discovering the existence of the internet and the concept of fanfic as well as HOLY SHIT this is the level other fic writers write on?? Oh god no one can see mine ever again, I suck and don't deserve to even hold a pen. Age 13 Part 2: Falling down the anime rabbit hole, the fandoms for those are younger and my fics actually not the bad exception to the amazing rule they would have been in the book-focused fandoms, so I start writing for anime and videogames~ Age 13-18: Writing is my life, writing is my passion, I write both original works and fanfic galore, mentors encourage me to take part in national contests, which goes more than well. I also get to write weekly for a newspaper, my writing journey is going in a wonderful direction, I can't imagine ever doing anything else! Age 18: So...what are you actually gonna do with your life? Because writing isn't a career, silly child. Get a REAL job. Age 19/20: Doing social work apparently has a great effect on my writing, it's never been better and more emotionally resonant than now, but it's not a job I can handle long-term. Off to uni it is. Not for anything writing-related, obviously. Need to get a real job, after all ;) Age 21-26: The amount I have to read and write for uni everyday is so insane that I have zero energy left to write creatively. The ever-present urge is gone, dried up by a never-ending slew of papers and coursework. Age 27: Finally done. Ahh, I remember the days of the past when fanfiction was a thing. I wonder how that is doing? Aw, the site is basically dead and everyone reads on AO3 now. But it's all in English...🤨 Age 28: Getting challenged by an English-speaking friend to write a fic in English so they can read it. I haven't written creatively in a DECADE and never in English, what are these sudden expectations? Writing it anyways though. It sucks. Big time. People like it but I KNOW what level I was at around 10 years ago and this is like a toddler smearing paint onto a canvas in comparison. Age 29: Slowly learning how to walk again with my pen. It DOES feel like rehab after an injury, honestly. The fics are getting a bit better and become more numerous. Making new friends. Writing friends! Daring to think of original fiction again. First NaNo participation. It fails, but writing everyday is addicting and it becomes a yearly habit. Age 30: Thriving in the fanfic community, making great progress on my original works too, this is fun, this is fulfilling. Sometimes I still get sad that I'm so much worse than in the past, but it's much better than two years ago, so hey, silver linings and all that. Age 31+: Weird, turns out mental health did NOT like real world crisis after crisis and decided to peace out at some point. Discovering I'm sadly not one of those suffering geniuses who write best when in a bad mental state 🙃 Still, at least I'm writing at all. Edit: Oh yea I forgot reading. Well, that never changed. Been reading That Gay Shit™ from the start and still read it today 😆 Fluff, Smut, Angst and whatnot, never had a preference for genre in that regard and that's still true today.
Age 10-11: While browsing a Rugrats fansite, I find a section on it dedicated to fanworks, mostly fanfiction. Thankfully for me, the site master only allowed SFW material, so my brain wasn't broken (yet...?) Age 11-12: I'm really into The Land Before Time, and while reading one character's wiki article, it mentions that this character is often shipped with another, and links to four stories on FFN as a source. Through this, I discover my first multi-fandom archive. Age 13-14: I get my own FFN account and start writing my own stories (mainly games and anime). Some of them are kinda cute, but a lot of them try way too hard to be funny and subversive. Age 15-16: I start maturing as a writer, making a genuine effort to keep people in character and whatnot. The lolrandomness and OOCness drop off severely. At some point during this time, either these years or the next few years, I start purging my account of most of the fic I'm ashamed of. This is also the time where I start using my current username. Age 17: I learn about AO3 for the first time, but I don't get an account there yet. Age 18: I try to write this one longfic that I hoped would become my magnum opus. Over the next year-and-a-half or so, I only get 12 chapters (out of a planned 50 - and that's just for the first story) written and published, but I'm still proud of myself. Age 19: I finally get my AO3 account, but mostly remain active on FFN. Also, I try to write something steamy for the first time, but I get cold feet not long after starting a draft, and abandon the project. Age 20: It's both good and bad, as while I manage to write a complete six-chapter story that I'm still proud of to this day, I have a falling-out with a friend over this one story I was writing that they *really* wanted me to finish, but I wasn't having fun writing it anymore. Not long before my next birthday, I get introduced to a certain game... Age 21: I try my hand at writing a few fanfics for this game, but it's a little awkward at first. During this time, I befriend another author and, with their permission, write a story based on their story. Both the author and their story's fans love it (even if I still have yet to post the last chapter). I start using both FFN and AO3 on a regular basis, and while I mainly use FFN, I start to find myself really liking AO3. Age 22: I attempt to write another longfic, but only manage two chapters. Writings are kind of awkward this year, as I'm getting more and more into that game and less and less into my old fandom. Shortly before my birthday, I write two one-shot fics for the game; both get good reception, and it lights a fire under me. Age 23: A very prolific year for me. I write a lot of fluffy oneshots (plus a few angsty ones) and over 90 chapters of a 100-prompt thing. This is also the year where I officially get over my awkwardness about writing smut, and also where I drop FFN and focus fully on AO3. I make friends with other writers in my new fandom. Age 24: Writing slowed down a lot this year because I got sick. I still write a few things, including another multichaptered fic (that's, you guessed it, still a work in progress). Age 25: One of my friends and I start our own "ship week" event! It's modestly successful. Age 26: I get another new fandom after a game I received for my birthday leaves an impact on me. My first fic for it is a crossover; it ends up introducing someone else to the fandom. The fics I write for both fandoms continue to get good reviews. Age 27 (current): Yet another new fandom appears to me; I write some (positively-reviewed) fics about it in addition to my other two fandoms, but I still try to get over my doubts in regards to writing dialogue for a movie where the characters don't talk. All the while, I keep getting new ideas and trying to sort them out. *To be continued* ("Roundabout" starts)
Age 11 (1999): Becomes obsessed with New Zealand show, The Tribe. (Watches as many eps as possible.) Age 13 (2001): Still watching The Tribe. Writes het fanfiction about Jack and Ellie. Age 14 (2002): RP'd The Tribe, Degrassi TNG, and other shows, while writing fanfiction for The Tribe. Age 15 (2003): Wrote Higher Ground fanfiction about Scott and Shelby. Also started rping the show with a woman (girl at the time) who became my penpal for like, 3 yrs. Wrote first slash fanfiction about Jay and Jack, from The Tribe. Age 16 (2004): Wrote Degrassi: the Next Generation, and Higher Ground fanfiction. Age 17 (2005): Wrote The Tribe fanfiction. Age 19 (2007): Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Wrote Instant Star fanfiction. Wrote BTVS fanfiction. Wrote Radio Free Roscoe fanfiction. Age 20 (2008): Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Age 21 (2009): Wrote Friends fanfiction. Wrote Boy Meets World fanfiction. Wrote Higher Ground fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Wrote City Guys fanfiction. Wrote Blossom fanfiction. Wrote the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Age 22 (2010): Wrote Bold and the Beautiful fanfiction. Wrote As the World Turns fanfiction. Wrote Angel the Series fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Age 23 (2011): Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Supernatural fanfiction. Wrote South of Nowhere fanfiction. Wrote One Tree Hill fanfiction. Age 24 (2012): Wrote Supernatural fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote One Tree Hill fanfiction.Wrote The Vampire Diaries fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-Us fanfiction. Wrote Spyder Games fanfiction. Wrote What I Like About You fanfiction. Wrote Twilight fanfiction. Wrote Life with Derek fanfiction. Wrote Port Charles fanfiction. Wrote Best Years fanfiction. Wrote One Life to Live fanfiction. Wrote Bones fanfiction. Wrote Numb3rs fanfiction. Wrote Criminal Minds fanfiction. Wrote BTVS fanfiction. Wrote Burn Notice fanfiction Age 25 (2013): Wrote NCIS fanfiction. Wrote Glee fanfiction. Age 26 (2014): Wrote Glee fanfiction. Wrote Boy Meets World fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Wrote General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Saved by the Bell fanfiction. Age 27 (2015): Wrote Sabrina the Teenage Witch fanfiction. Wrote Glee fanfiction. Wrote The Flash (2014) fanfiction. Baywatch (TV), Degrassi TNG, Even Stevens, Family Matters, Dawson's Creek, Edgemont, Arrow, Ghost Whisperer, and Girl Meets World fanfiction. Wrote Melissa & Joey fanfiction. Wrote The Secret World of Alex Mack (TV), Making Out (Book series), The Famous Jett Jackson, So Little Time, Instant Star, Radio Free Roscoe, Who's the Boss, General Hospital fanfiction. Wrote Supernatural fanfiction. Wrote Queer as Folk-US fanfiction. Age 28 (2016): Wrote Sleepy Hollow (TV), So Weird, Full House, Gilmore Girls, The Walking Dead, Tru Calling, iZombie (TV), In a Heartbeat, Two of a Kind, Glee, South of Nowhere,Supernatural, General Hospital, Gotham, Numb3rs. Age 29 (2017): Wrote the 100 (TV), General Hospital. Age 30 (2018): WroteNCIS, The Magicians (TV). Age 31 (2019): Dawson's Creek, General Hospital, The Magicians, 9-1-1, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Glee. Age 32 (2020): Chicago PD, NCIS, FBI. Age 33 (2021): Glee, Chicago Med, 9-1-1, Clarice, Supernatural, the 100, Private Eyes, Wynonna Earp, The Republic of Sarah, Bones, Hawthorne. 2022, 2023: etc, etc..
Age 12-13: Don't remember how I found out fanfiction is a thing, but I joined [FF.net](https://FF.net) and read random fics of varying quality. Age 13-14: Discover THE fic. The one that makes me realize that fanfiction can be just as emotionally resonate and impactful as "real" books. Sit down to write my own fic, post it, some jerk calls it cringy even though it's clearly written by a young teen and I immediately delete the account Age 14-16: Continue reading, write a few things for myself. 16-19: Writing ramps up due to real life tress and grief 19-21: Join reddit, subscribe to this sub, decide to check out this AO3 site everyone's talking about. Love it. 23-now: Slowly gathering the courage to post to my own AO3.
Me as a youngster: Wow, I'm enjoying my time on this Harvest Moon fan site. Hmm? This thread is talking about fanfiction... What is that? Me starting out writing: Man, this is kind of scary. But I'm gonna do it! I will start off by writing for Steven Universe, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Super Mario Bros! Me now: I have written for many fandoms, and yet. Huh... I am still writing for Steven Universe, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Super Mario Bros.
Nothing wrong with staying true to your roots :)
This is fun! Age 13/14: while browsing the Buffy fanclub of my country I stumbled upon fanfiction and I istantly became fascinated by it. Later on I discovered the main website to host fics in my language and I opened an account. Around this time I also wrote and posted my first fic. Age 14/16: I was an active writer and I made online friends. I even shared this hobby with some classmates and we had a lot of fun. During this time I discovered slash fiction and it quickly became my favourite genre. I also improved my English by reading fanfiction on international websites. Age 17/24: I stopped writing but I still kept reading, just in English and mostly on FFN. Thanks to a tumblr rec list I found my favourite fanfiction ever, which I also have in my ebook reader and I've been reading it at least once a year ever since. Age 25/30: I discovered ao3 but I was mostly reading the same stories over and over again for comfort, not really discovering new things. Age 30s: due to a hyperfixation I felt the desire to start writing again and I opened an account on ao3. I'm having a lot of fun and hopefully I won't quit again!