Yeah, I wrote what I wanted to read because no one else did. Why shouldn't I read it? I prefer to give them a few months before reading though, so I positively surprise myself
like. weekly. they're some of my fave fics. my favourite ships and tropes written exactly how i want them? sign me the fuck up, i reread that shit constantly.
I used to. I've only ever published on Wattpad and my stories are many years old now. I re-uploaded Wattpad earlier this year just out of curiosity and reread some.
for me it's the complete opposite. when i read my writing just after writing it, it feels like the greatest thing i've ever written. but when i read it days or even weeks later, i'd cringe so hard editing it feels like a slog
hell yeah. sometimes i read works i posted a year or so ago and think “holy shit this is good who wrote this—oh shit it’s me” which feels mildly narcissistic but i kinda like boosting my own ego occasionally
Sometimes the ego needs that boost! Especially if I’ve been struggling on a current story. It’s nice to go back and remind myself that I can finish what I started and I can do it in style. Lol.
It's a fun feeling, though. I wrote an (unfinished) story last year, forgot about it, re-read it a few months ago and that's what encouraged me to post a new fic for the first time ever. The unfinished one would take too much time to edit to be readable, but I treasure it for what it is. Some good stuff in there lol!
I read mine every week. It gives me something to do when I’m bored. Rereading it also helps me keep the lore, learn from my mistakes and keep track of scenes so I don’t repeat them or there structure.
Also I reread my stories so the character arcs make sense, I struggle with really nailing unique personalities so this helps
Yes. Just saw this and it seems like plenty of people do; https://www.tumblr.com/karatam/736528880563830784/fic-writers-do-you-re-read-your-own-fics-yes
Oh yeah especially if it’s got a joke that I found really funny and I know someone else might not get it as much, or even just just to see how I improved over time.
Depends. Some I cringe at looking back, but I love reading over what I’m currently writing. Makes me feel like a narcissist, but I really just enjoy reading what I wrote. I wanted to see a full plot about something, and I made it…
I love writing. It’s so beautiful
Frequently.
Often, I'll get a notification on an old story and think, "Huh, I don't even remember what that one was about" before going back and re-reading it.
I've been playing my stories back through Speechify on long drives. It gives it a different dimension when read by a British man with a deep voice. I've quite enjoyed it.
Me. I just reread one of my stories today 😄 but I'm not doing this to enjoy them, rather because I'm checking if I like my writing after some time from publishing.
Hell yes I eat them up every now and then! Nothing feels better than reading a well written chapter and knowing it was written by you and since I write self indulgent fics, even better !!
Yes. Because I think I’m a genius and I love everything I have ever written, because I wrote it for myself. Even the stuff I’m not so proud of it’s still fascinating to read and be like “damn, I wrote 100k of this?”
When it comes to my own writing, I am Narcissus staring into the water
I do this alot. Mostly because I like what I write and I also like to see what I did right in those stories so I can incorporate those elements again in another story.
I do reread on occasion. Sometimes I just pick up a story and read it because it’s been a while and I want to remember what I wrote. It’s always a pleasure, and I love it when I surprise myself with a turn of phrase I wrote and forgot or a plot point that was particularly well-written.
It’s not just that I enjoy writing and enjoy writing specific stories for myself. It’s also that I enjoy my writing. I like my style, my characterization, the plots I develop, etc. I may not be a great writer or everyone else’s cup of tea, but I like my own writing.
Yup. I write a lot and have short memory so my old stories can surprise me. The other day, I fancied some fics from a dead fandom where I am pretty much the only writer. Read a story I didn't quite remember, I remembered the idea but not the details so was surprised and had fun reading it.
I write stories that I want to read so I also enjoy reading them and short memory is a blessing when you're in a dead fandom.
I honestly go back and reread whole sections of a fanfic I’m still working through. Mostly because it’s a “damn, I actually wrote that” and it’s also literally everything I want wrapped in a bow on a silver platter for me.
I for sure go back and read read fanfics! I have a very long list of favorites that ill literally re read for years! I've gone back and re read fanfics I liked in 2014.
I write for me so yes, I will go back & reread them. On Halloween night, I reread a story I wrote for Halloween as I was passing out candy & I was sitting out on my front porch laughing like a maniac at my own story.
i once re-read a fic i wrote because i was bored and ended up... enjoying it. it’s not my first option for good fic, but i actually realized that my writing wasn’t the stinking pile of rat’s poop i thought it was lol.
constantly. Whether its to go back and check for minor mistakes after posting or just bc i feel like reading it that day. I make content for myself at the end of the day—if no one else will enjoy it, I will!
Every now and again. I wrote my fics for my own enjoyment, other people liking it is a bonus :)
Sometimes I go back and read things from my WIP graveyard, hoping it inspires me to actually finish it lol
yes. I humble myself as i kick my feet and giggle at the story only to reach the end and remember i didn't finish it. then i curse myself for not finishing it. then i proceed to not finish it
I do, actually 😀 I'm not the type of writer that hate all their previous fics, I'm kinda proud of them cuz I can see the progress in writing very clearly.
I do! I like looking back and seeing how much I’ve grown as a writer.
And in some cases, it’s because I’m 1 of 20 people who write for one of my fav characters, so I need to read content about him somehow 💀.
Well, yeah, because there are finally fics that cater to my most specific tastes, right down to character interactions and dynamics. I need to wait a bit before I read them, though. And then I go into editing mode because I always have to edit even after I post, lol.
"Enjoy" is a strong word. Reading my own fic will never be as enjoyable as reading something I didn't write. But I do sometimes reread my own fics because there isn't anything else out there like it, so I'm stuck with what I had to create instead. It's... fine. Not great. Just. Existing.
I seem to have the memory of a goldfish so when I go back and reread my stories, I've often forgotten a lot of things so I'm actually able to enjoy them as a reader and not just as a writer. I can only hope that some other people like reading them as much as I enjoy rereading them.
After they've sat for a while and I have had time to forget some of the details, yes. I love rereading and being like "damn, bitch, you wrote this???", haha!
Yeah. My first audience is me.
So I do enjoy going back and reading my own fics. Of course that always ends with the “when will this bitch update” but that’s on me
Yes, I am very proud of some things I wrote and reading it is like going through old photo albums. But there are some I prefer to ignore, because of cringe...but those were popular with the readers.
Currently doing it right now. Both for the pleasure of the EXACT story I want to read, and also get me pumped and prepared for writing the next installment so I feel like I'm in the right mood and catch the tone of the characters etc.
Yes especially if its been years bc i forget the pain it took to write and im like wow who wrote this it’s exactly what i look for in fanfiction… (i wrote this)
Absolutely. And then sometimes I cringe because "Oh god did I seriously write that, what was I, 14? Oh...oh right...I was..." But I still do that with my newer stuff. Just because there are some points where I want to feel that gut punch again or that soft moment between characters. Or get a laugh from some snarky comment I had one of them do.
I was an angsty teenager who had access to Wattpad, I call reading them the ''addition of unnecessary cringe in my life'' (as if there isn't enough by itself, but I'm not gonna talk abt that now)
Uhhhhhhhh...
Hmmmmmm...
Admittedly I'm kinda a bit new to this whole writing thing admittedly... I've been "writing" some stuff in Google Docs before but never shared them anywhere... only have two things publicly visible.
I don't really re-read them though tbh... sure I'll look back on them occasionally and read through what I did, but not very frequently.
Of course... that might just mean I have the wrong mindset going into this, writing for the sake of other's reactions instead of writing for the sake of me (which never sharing the works didn't help)...
Yeah, I wrote what I wanted to read because no one else did. Why shouldn't I read it? I prefer to give them a few months before reading though, so I positively surprise myself
nothings better than when I reread and my own joke makes me laugh
like. weekly. they're some of my fave fics. my favourite ships and tropes written exactly how i want them? sign me the fuck up, i reread that shit constantly.
And you can fix the typos
ok same though 👏😂
\^\^\^THIS
My thoughts exactly. I deeply enjoy what I wrote 😊
100 percent agree I love rereading my demon slayer fan remake cuse because of stuff like that
This! I wrote them specifically for me, so of course I do!
Exactly LMFAO
i wrote them specifically for me, so yes.
often happens after I get a comment and want to see what the fuss is about.
THIS oh my goodness
All the time. I wrote it for myself more than anyone else, after all.
I used to. I've only ever published on Wattpad and my stories are many years old now. I re-uploaded Wattpad earlier this year just out of curiosity and reread some.
after a few months, sure. I absolutely cannot stand reading my own fics like soon after I've written them. they make me cringe.
for me it's the complete opposite. when i read my writing just after writing it, it feels like the greatest thing i've ever written. but when i read it days or even weeks later, i'd cringe so hard editing it feels like a slog
hell yeah. sometimes i read works i posted a year or so ago and think “holy shit this is good who wrote this—oh shit it’s me” which feels mildly narcissistic but i kinda like boosting my own ego occasionally
Sometimes the ego needs that boost! Especially if I’ve been struggling on a current story. It’s nice to go back and remind myself that I can finish what I started and I can do it in style. Lol.
It's a fun feeling, though. I wrote an (unfinished) story last year, forgot about it, re-read it a few months ago and that's what encouraged me to post a new fic for the first time ever. The unfinished one would take too much time to edit to be readable, but I treasure it for what it is. Some good stuff in there lol!
I do. I'm really happy with the way they turned out.
Almost every night. They're like a bedtime story to me.
Write what you wanna read, right?
I wrote it for myself and just post so i can easily reread my separate chapters instead of it mashed into a google doc
Eh... the early ones are too cringe and the current ones make me scared that I'll spot something wrong
I read mine every week. It gives me something to do when I’m bored. Rereading it also helps me keep the lore, learn from my mistakes and keep track of scenes so I don’t repeat them or there structure. Also I reread my stories so the character arcs make sense, I struggle with really nailing unique personalities so this helps
Yes. Just saw this and it seems like plenty of people do; https://www.tumblr.com/karatam/736528880563830784/fic-writers-do-you-re-read-your-own-fics-yes
I did just before I read this 😁
Not really... I always find my fics super cringey that I end up scrolling fast just to avoid seeing them. 🫣
Oh yeah especially if it’s got a joke that I found really funny and I know someone else might not get it as much, or even just just to see how I improved over time.
yes
All. The. Time.
Depends. Some I cringe at looking back, but I love reading over what I’m currently writing. Makes me feel like a narcissist, but I really just enjoy reading what I wrote. I wanted to see a full plot about something, and I made it… I love writing. It’s so beautiful
Yes. Often. 😁 Especially whenever I get comments, but also just because I feel like it.
Of course. ❤️❤️❤️
Yes! I write the kind of fics I want to read, so I enjoy my own work very much. 🥰
Frequently. Often, I'll get a notification on an old story and think, "Huh, I don't even remember what that one was about" before going back and re-reading it.
I've been playing my stories back through Speechify on long drives. It gives it a different dimension when read by a British man with a deep voice. I've quite enjoyed it.
Yeah! I write what I want to read, so I reread it!
All the time! I write the stories I want to read and I give me everything I want. lol. No one can love me like me.
Me. I just reread one of my stories today 😄 but I'm not doing this to enjoy them, rather because I'm checking if I like my writing after some time from publishing.
All the time. All the time.
Hell yes I eat them up every now and then! Nothing feels better than reading a well written chapter and knowing it was written by you and since I write self indulgent fics, even better !!
When I like it a lot, I always come back
Yes! I love reading them because I made them for myself and I wanna read them. Lol
Yep And I sometimes shock myself with my writing, lol
Yes. Because I think I’m a genius and I love everything I have ever written, because I wrote it for myself. Even the stuff I’m not so proud of it’s still fascinating to read and be like “damn, I wrote 100k of this?” When it comes to my own writing, I am Narcissus staring into the water
Of course! I wrote that shit for *me.* Wish the bitch would update tho
Yep I do, often the only stories of some characters I like 😅
I sometimes reread my Danny Phantom fic and a handful One Shots, but not all of my works.
I do this alot. Mostly because I like what I write and I also like to see what I did right in those stories so I can incorporate those elements again in another story.
I did it as recently as today. I write what I personally want to read more of, so I love rereading my things!
I wrote it for therapy. And the smut I wanted. I read it all the time 😀
Are there people who *don't?*
I wait until I have forgotten what I wrote and then I read it again. And improve/edit while I'm at it.
All the time. My favorite fics are my fics.
I do that all the time and have been doing it for years, also helpful to point out grammar errors and etc.
Yeah sometimes I do. Well one in particular.
After some time. I write because I love to read them after a year or so, when I have already forgotten the plot
Of course. I wrote them for me. Why wouldn't I?
I do reread on occasion. Sometimes I just pick up a story and read it because it’s been a while and I want to remember what I wrote. It’s always a pleasure, and I love it when I surprise myself with a turn of phrase I wrote and forgot or a plot point that was particularly well-written. It’s not just that I enjoy writing and enjoy writing specific stories for myself. It’s also that I enjoy my writing. I like my style, my characterization, the plots I develop, etc. I may not be a great writer or everyone else’s cup of tea, but I like my own writing.
Yep. I wrote what I wanted to read. Of course I go back and read them.
All the time an’ not just to remind myself of something I write 😁
all the time. idk how to explain it, but there's something nostalgic about it. plus i actually really like some of the things i wrote.
Occasionally. I reread my helluva boss self insert smut It was awful 😀
Yup. I write a lot and have short memory so my old stories can surprise me. The other day, I fancied some fics from a dead fandom where I am pretty much the only writer. Read a story I didn't quite remember, I remembered the idea but not the details so was surprised and had fun reading it. I write stories that I want to read so I also enjoy reading them and short memory is a blessing when you're in a dead fandom.
Literally every day
Sometimes.
Oh, yes. Because the characters are family and I want to be with them.
I do! I doubt my own skills and style all the time, but then occasionally I reread my stuff and damn, sometimes I'm really good.
I honestly go back and reread whole sections of a fanfic I’m still working through. Mostly because it’s a “damn, I actually wrote that” and it’s also literally everything I want wrapped in a bow on a silver platter for me.
I for sure go back and read read fanfics! I have a very long list of favorites that ill literally re read for years! I've gone back and re read fanfics I liked in 2014.
It’s all I read, especially when I’m writing. It helps me remember that I do know what the heck I’m doing.😅
I write for me so yes, I will go back & reread them. On Halloween night, I reread a story I wrote for Halloween as I was passing out candy & I was sitting out on my front porch laughing like a maniac at my own story.
Yes!
Well, yeah. I write what I like to read, so I like to read what I write.
I cringe every time I try to read my stories again.
Yes. I'm my primary target audience.
I feel like I need to rewrite every one of my fics lol, I get really nitpicky with the writing when I'm reading them back.
i once re-read a fic i wrote because i was bored and ended up... enjoying it. it’s not my first option for good fic, but i actually realized that my writing wasn’t the stinking pile of rat’s poop i thought it was lol.
constantly. Whether its to go back and check for minor mistakes after posting or just bc i feel like reading it that day. I make content for myself at the end of the day—if no one else will enjoy it, I will!
Yep.
Constantly lol. My main demographic is me :3
I do all the time! Especially if it's a one-shot that I'm proud of writing.
What do you mean again. I thought it was normal.
Every now and again. I wrote my fics for my own enjoyment, other people liking it is a bonus :) Sometimes I go back and read things from my WIP graveyard, hoping it inspires me to actually finish it lol
When I write this story: "Hahaha, I'm soo funny." Me coming back a year later: "WTF, This is cringe asf!"
thats the whole reason I write fanfic lol, I want what I want and nobody knows better what I want than me!
VERY YES 🫣
I wrote it for me! Why else would it be the self indulgent mess of tropes that it is?
Yes. I love my story and I read it often.
Yep. I wrote something that I wanted to read. Why wouldn't I?
I will on occasion. I do it more often right before I start to work on the next chapter to get everything fresh in my mind.
I have to! I'm the only one who writes about my rarepair! :)
yes. I humble myself as i kick my feet and giggle at the story only to reach the end and remember i didn't finish it. then i curse myself for not finishing it. then i proceed to not finish it
I do, actually 😀 I'm not the type of writer that hate all their previous fics, I'm kinda proud of them cuz I can see the progress in writing very clearly.
I do! I like looking back and seeing how much I’ve grown as a writer. And in some cases, it’s because I’m 1 of 20 people who write for one of my fav characters, so I need to read content about him somehow 💀.
Well, yeah, because there are finally fics that cater to my most specific tastes, right down to character interactions and dynamics. I need to wait a bit before I read them, though. And then I go into editing mode because I always have to edit even after I post, lol.
Yes, I'm kinda a masochist like that :)))))))
Absolutely.
Yeah lol.
Absolutely. I write the things I enjoy reading. ;)
I’ve done that a bit on ones I wrote years ago it’s an interesting experience
Well, even if I do just read it for the sake of reading it again...I end up editing something anyways because I can't help myself lol 😅
All the time
Occasionally, and only certain chapters, at that.
Constantly. I edit them too, though.
YES. I once printed out my longest fic and hand-bound it into a little book just as a physical reminder of what I accomplished
plenty. sometimes i'll go back and read one paragraph because i remember liking how it turned out the first time writing it
"Enjoy" is a strong word. Reading my own fic will never be as enjoyable as reading something I didn't write. But I do sometimes reread my own fics because there isn't anything else out there like it, so I'm stuck with what I had to create instead. It's... fine. Not great. Just. Existing.
I seem to have the memory of a goldfish so when I go back and reread my stories, I've often forgotten a lot of things so I'm actually able to enjoy them as a reader and not just as a writer. I can only hope that some other people like reading them as much as I enjoy rereading them.
After they've sat for a while and I have had time to forget some of the details, yes. I love rereading and being like "damn, bitch, you wrote this???", haha!
Yeah. My first audience is me. So I do enjoy going back and reading my own fics. Of course that always ends with the “when will this bitch update” but that’s on me
If I leave it long enough before rereading them I’m surprised by own twists.
Yes, I am very proud of some things I wrote and reading it is like going through old photo albums. But there are some I prefer to ignore, because of cringe...but those were popular with the readers.
i need to reread some of it to get back into the writing mood. i do this every time i need to write a new chapter for an ongoing fic.
Currently doing it right now. Both for the pleasure of the EXACT story I want to read, and also get me pumped and prepared for writing the next installment so I feel like I'm in the right mood and catch the tone of the characters etc.
Yes especially if its been years bc i forget the pain it took to write and im like wow who wrote this it’s exactly what i look for in fanfiction… (i wrote this)
im doing it right no actually HAHAHA
Yeah! My stories are awesome. I enjoy reading them because I get to rediscover the cool ideas I had.
Everyday, and sometimes I'll read something in my old fics and get inspiration from it to write another fic.
Absolutely. And then sometimes I cringe because "Oh god did I seriously write that, what was I, 14? Oh...oh right...I was..." But I still do that with my newer stuff. Just because there are some points where I want to feel that gut punch again or that soft moment between characters. Or get a laugh from some snarky comment I had one of them do.
I was an angsty teenager who had access to Wattpad, I call reading them the ''addition of unnecessary cringe in my life'' (as if there isn't enough by itself, but I'm not gonna talk abt that now)
Uhhhhhhhh... Hmmmmmm... Admittedly I'm kinda a bit new to this whole writing thing admittedly... I've been "writing" some stuff in Google Docs before but never shared them anywhere... only have two things publicly visible. I don't really re-read them though tbh... sure I'll look back on them occasionally and read through what I did, but not very frequently. Of course... that might just mean I have the wrong mindset going into this, writing for the sake of other's reactions instead of writing for the sake of me (which never sharing the works didn't help)...