Confessions of a Secret FanFiction Writer

Whenever you finish a book, show or film - you always wonder: What happened next? I always did, honestly I still do. So imagine my amazement when I fourteen and discovered fanfiction was an actual thing!

This is back in the day of peak YA fandom, especially within the vampire genre. I must admit, at fourteen I fell into that trope of continuing or even combining series I loved at the time. The stories that I can remember clearly (with some embarrassment) are a few, but I'll give a brief summary: Twilight meets Vampire Diaries when Jacob Black imprints on Elena with a crossover that rivalled Avengers: Endgame, An OC (Original Character) in various danger and romances in a Teen Wolf duology, gritty Glee with an original cast and several LGBT romances in the Harry Potter universe to name a few - based on readers requests and random bursts of inspiration.

Fanfiction does get a bad reputation among readers who avoid fanfiction, despite never reading a page - I would always defend fanfiction, especially to writers finding their voice or just wanting to add a spin on a beloved story. As for hesitant readers - I'd say take a chance, its like any book you may read on a whim, some are good and some are horrific... You have to find the diamonds in the rough. I think what fanfiction gave me in discovering my writing voice is the freedom to just write.

With no time constraints, I had the leisure of writing whenever I felt like it - but I was always spurred on to write more whenever a reader took the time to write a review, either to give praise, theories or constructive feedback. That was something that I found vital in my writing journey and I soon found readers who were just as invested in my characters as well as the fandom I wrote them in. Representation was something a lot of my readers often looked for, so I am proud that all my stories back then featured diversity across the board - with my protagonists always being POC, LGBTQ or disabled, making my fictional world just as diverse as the real world.

I enjoyed having that interaction not only with my readers, but my fanfic days allowed me to challenge myself on how to reimagine a story I loved. Maybe that's why I am a fan of retellings or reimagining's. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (2016) and the web-series Carmilla encapsulated what makes fanfiction so unique - and are definite proud guilty pleasures of mine. If I could go back and talk to that fledging writer, I'd give him one valuable piece of advice: Write what YOU want.

Remember Avengers meets Werewolves and Vampire diarists? My first story, I took on so many ships, plotlines and suggestions from readers, I actually forgot what the original story was about. Thankfully, I learned that lesson after my first story and was a bit more selective over what reviews influenced the story and what was taken on board as feedback. Finding that balance as a writer is important and the person who needs to fall in love with your writing first and foremost is you. Unsurprisingly, I soon found way more enjoyment writing my own characters more,

I may have not be writing fanfiction anymore, it has definitely stayed with me - it gave me the confidence to write flawed and complex characters, queer love stories (that are not defined by that at all) and keep writing stories that move and challenge people. As for my fanfic author identity, that will stay a secret, I like the option of returning to my pseudonym whenever the fandom story ideas resurface. That most likely won't be anytime soon, but I always smile when I get that little notification that a reader has favourited or liked a story of mine. Whether the stories are finished or not, the possibilities are endless as to what could have happened next.