I keep seeing a lot of the same kind of posts coming up, people crashing out because they have a low reader count or because no one is responding to them in the vast ocean of fics. I do get it, even if I've been really lucky to writer in large fandoms, I've also had a lot of fics that just get no traction whatsoever despite me being really proud of the efforts. It's oftentimes a luck of the draw as much as skill and fandom, and posting a niche fanfic topic in the middle of a dozen popular pieces updating at the same time is as harsh as posting in a dead fandom that gets two readers and an AI spam bot once a week.

That being said, I think there's a lot of people who are looking less for readers and more for fellow fans to talk to at all.

Fandom circles are fragmented, with a lot of traditional fanbases spread out between tumblr circles, subreddits, bluskies, discords, and a myriad of other places. Trying to find like-minded fans is a huge pain in the ass between access and shuffling through a dozen algorithmic semi-anonymous sources that make following specific people difficult. Adding to that, places like Tiktok and X have additional subsections of fandom that are just mean and can be incredibly judgemental about the dumbest shit.

The easiest place you can find the fans who are looking for your exact preferences and interests in fandom tends to be Archive of Our Own. Unfortunately, due to the archival nature of said place, there's not message boards or a one-on-one comment exchange. Instead, you have fanfics and hoping someone will respond to your fanfic with the hopes that you can find someone who's both safe and fun to talk about, thanks to them co-signing to the idea that Blorbo McGee would be a powerbottom and a mafia boss in the same universe.

Unfortunately, this also means you're at the whims of comments and other fans for finding your people. And getting nothing or getting only bots designed to make you hate yourself and quit makes it suck hard trying to keep going.

The advice 'just write for yourself' doesn't help, since you're writing for yourself but you're also writing to find people who want to hang out. It's not just about the story anymore, it's about putting an open letter to community and hoping that the respondents are kind creatives, and it feels like an insult when no one answers the call.

I wish I had more to offer on what to do about this. I know tumblr started up communities recently, and there are subreddits for bigger fandoms but some of those subs can be really judgemental. At the same time, not reaching out to other fans in any way besides throwing a book into the void with a note saying PLEASE TALK TO ME, I'M LONELY doesn't help at all. I guess the only thought I can think of is try to reach out in your fandom not just through Ao3. Look up the tumblrs and usernames of the writers you like, contact them not just because of their fanfic but because you want to talk to them. The hobby is easier when it's not the only onus to make a fandom friend.

Recently I got an interesting set of comments going through the chapters of my fic and correcting the typos and things a beta reader would usually catch. I’m curious what other people think because I think overall I’m appreciative, I told the commenter thank you and genuinely ment it, but it also felt a little weird.

I think they were just trying to be helpful but it felt like they were grading my fic like a teacher. Maybe I should be grateful, free beta reader for my fic, but I didn’t ask for help or anything. I know typos bother some people more than others, and since I usually can ignore them easily I might not understand this person’s perspective. I’m curious if people see this as helpful or rude.

As of right now I’m choosing to be thankful and obviously fix the mistakes in the work, but I’m sorta dreading their next comments. I can’t help feeling embarrassed but I’m sure that’s a me thing :/

So I have an AU on tumblr that for me, something I would be making on which is a fic. Especially when I found out people wanted to read it. Anyways, pass forward months, someone suddenly uploaded in the main tag of the fandom searching for my AU, citing they wanted to find it cause they wanted to write something for it. I read it and realised it was my AU thus commented it and they confirmed it was that.

Now the problem is, I don't know what I feel with someone making a fic for this AU.

First because the person stated in their post they were trying to find a prompt and my AU is not a prompt, its something I'm actively working on to publish myself. I guess they thought it was.

Two, I'm honestly flattered too (like I wanna do art for them cause I do both fanfic and art) but the thing is they haven't asked me one bit if they could use my AU which puts me in a weird spot if I would allow it or not. I'm not even sure they would credit me.

Third, I have the stance that 2 fics for the same concept is the more the merrier but I don't want their story to clash with mine even if they want to use the AU. Plus, i kinda have more planned for that Au.

Fourth, if they really want to make my AU, I guess I could just give them my plans? I haven't really started yet on mine other than notes, but I'm not really confident in my writing so if I opt to go message them to give them my notes and guide them on how I want to make this fanfic, I wouldn't be making my side of the story anymore as it becomes a collaborative. The thing though is that I liked this Au and fear that they wouldn't do justice to it if they take creative liberties. I'm aware everyone has a different perception of their beloved characters but I'm very happy with mine, cause OOC or not, as long as you recognise that they can do it then they can. I also kind of fear they would suddenly leave off the story abandoned because I'm not planning a one-shot. (Its actively a series in my head)

What should be my response? Considering they're not really reaching out to me other than to message under my comment that it was my Au. I feel conflicted both as someone who likes to read things and also to make things for my fandom.

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So, I‘ve started writing a fic set in the First World War (specifically the Western Front) and I’m already finding it hard to keep it fairly accurate. My experience on the topic basically extends to children’s history books, some movies and museums, and historical inacuraccies really annoy me. I understand I can’t be perfectly correct about everything, so what are some mistakes (even in any wartime/historical fics in general) I should avoid? Or some good resources? Sorry if this is too specific ^-^

Do you just mercilessly delete them? Do you keep them in some folder in case you change your mind? Do you use a strikethrough font and delete when finished?

hello! i am writing a story with a scene set at a physics research conference but never been to one. i want it to feel as realistic as possible w/o being movie-ish. one of my characters is a researcher presenting there, and the other is his partner who’s not in the field.

imd really appreciate help with details like these:

* what is the atmosphere like
* how do researchers interact socially
* what presenting/research discussions are like
* conference etiquette/culture
* what are some things that immediately feel inaccurate in fiction

i also need help deciding which physics field for my character to specialize in. i’m thinking partical physics? the scene is meant to be fairly grounded and not exaggerated sci-fi. even small details or personal experiences would help a ton.

thank you so much.

The more bizarre the better

Hi,

I'm currently writing a piece as part of my university coursework about the autistic community's relationship with fanfiction. I am looking for anyone who enjoys fanfic who has autism (or is suspecting it), as I would love to include your thoughts on what fanfic means to you. Is it soothing? Stimulating? Do you like seeing yourself represented in fiction?

I can use comments, DMs, or any means of messaging; so no need for me to know your name or anything personal. No formal interview. Your Reddit username could be the most identification I would use if you wanted.

This would really help out a lot.

Let’s say that you’ve got a body swap story where the original inhabitants of the body’s soul is still in their body as a passenger, but their mind is transferred somewhere else. Since stories tend to depict the consciousness as representing both the mind and the soul, how would you distinguish between those two when they’ve been separated?

this is a little specific but I’m looking for something where Character A is loudly in love with B, they were going to be together, no doubt about it. Maybe everyone knew that too. But circumstances force A to marry/be with C. C comes into the relationship hopefully, maybe looking forward to falling in love with A. They do too. But there is a lot of angst because of A’s derisiveness towards this sham of a marriage, their heart only belonging to B. He’s never going to love C (and for a good half of it he is devotedly in love with B). I would like A to be hostile to C (for trying to take B’s place but any reason would do). A ofc slowly falls in love with C but it nearly is too late. I’d like C to be kind of a gentle lovable character and for it to be heavy angst too if that’s there. C is in a lot of emotional pain. If there is any fic with this premise pls lmk i would be eternally grateful. Any fandom is fine.

Share the last review you've gotten on a fanfiction!

First time poster here, long time lurker! I hope this is allowed, apologies if it is not!

How do you as an author make dialogue in your stories feel more organic? And how do you determine whether dialogue is specific to your storyline? Does all dialogue or does each interaction between characters have to serve a purpose or drive your storyline along? How do you as an author determine whether a piece of dialogue or story element or interaction serves the purpose you would like it to?

Essentially, I am curious about what everyone's "best practice" or writing process is that helps make conversation between characters feel like an actual conversation between real human people. I find I particularly struggle with feeling like I'm a child playing with dolls LOL! And also, how you personally determine whether elements are "good" for your story (i.e., serve purpose or drive the story along) vs. "bad" for your story (is just extra clutter that could be cut out). I don't have any formal training as I do typically write for fun, but I was just curious as to how other authors approach these things and what matters most to them :)

ok genuine question

does anyone else find this whole thing kinda.. lonely?

like, i love writing. it's the thing i come back to no matter what. but the actual doing of it is hours alone in your own head, and then when you come up for air there's nobody around who knows what you've been doing in there. you can't really explain it to people who don't write. "i spent four hours figuring out what one character would order at a restaurant" is not a sentence normal people accept.

i'm not looking for sympathy lol. i just want to know where everyone else is. like, where do writers actually hang out and talk to each other in 2026? not the big subs, those don't count, you don't know anyone there. somewhere smaller. a discord, a forum, anything.

dropping this ina few communities, drop your spots please. i just want to know the room isn't empty

Has anyone ever read something where the chemistry between the characters is just so palpable and beautiful that you realize you’ll probably never find or experience that kind of love?

I’ve been reading fan fiction for quite a some time now and sometimes I’ll stumble across a fanfic that literally brings me to tears because of how beautifully written the love between two characters are. And it honestly kind of has me wondering if I’ll ever find that kind of love and affection these fictional stories portray.

lol I just wanna know people’s thoughts

I don't mind them actually using meta knowledge but when it is them getting a system, or Out of Context powers, or some other BS instead of actually working for it. Two good examples that do this well are Pokemon Trainer Vicky(Pokemon), and A Cruel Displacement(DBZ). I really enjoyed these but find most SI fics have most stuff added and it makes the story boring that they don't have to work for anything.

Also be sure to specify your fandom.

I'll start:

Marvel: No beta, we die like Uncle Ben.

My Hero Academia: No beta, we die like Sir Nighteye.

Now it's your turn.

Welcome back to the Alphabet Excerpt Challenge! As a reminder, our challenges are every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm London time.

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Here's a quick recap of the rules for our game:

1. Post a top level comment with a word starting with the letter E. You can suggest more than one, but please put them in separate comments.
2. Reply to suggestions with an excerpt containing that word. Short and sweet is best, but use your judgement. Excerpts can be from published or unpublished works, or even something you wrote for the prompt.
3. All content is welcome but per rules 7 and 12 of the sub, NSFW excerpts may not be shared as plain text (even if it's spoilered). If you would like to share these, use an external text sharing tool like justpasteit and link it here with a clear warning. Mods may remove excerpts that break these rules.
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5. Upvote other excerpts you enjoy, and leave a friendly comment. Again, everyone likes nice comments!
6. Most important: have fun!

I’m currently in the process of writing a fanfiction and my main plan is to post it on AO3, but I was considering to post it also on Wattpad and Tumblr. But I wasn’t sure if it against some kind of code, since I mentioned it to a friend of mine and they said that “it would look bad”, Is this true? Just curious.

***Might contain spoilers about the fic***

This is going to be a very random and potentially convoluted summary but does anyone know the name of a Jason Todd fic on AO3 where he returns to the family (early) after his death. Tim is living in the manor (I think? maybe sketchy on that). However, turns out that Jason is in fact still working for the league (Talia) and then he like gets poisoned by her...blah blah blah. It is almost like a trilogy if I remember correctly.

I would really appreciate if anyone knew the name of this fic because I have been looking for it for what feels like forever. At this point, I'm not even sure if it's real anymore.