Welcome to Fanfic's Hall of Fame, CroodsGirl!!!

CroodsGirl: To me, fanfiction is original, creative stories set in an already-established universe that everyone can enjoy. It covers various genres and is a beautiful opportunity for newer writers just getting their foot in the door. Fandoms and Fanfiction are learning opportunities and a good source of information if someone is interested in writing in different genres. I would not have branched out in different genres if I hadn't started with Fanfiction. 

CroodsGirl: The first story I wrote in 4th grade was a Pokémon fanfiction called Mystery of Time and Space. Pokémon was my past, present, and future when I was little, and I finally had the opportunity in 2023 to return to that first story and re-write it (Infrared on my profile).

Aside from writing, I also created Pokémon comics in 3rd grade. Because Fanfiction was my first writing, it holds a special place in my heart. I learned a harsh lesson about it in 5th grade and would not be the original/fanfiction writer I am today if I didn't learn that lesson. The lesson was that Fanfiction is ""original"" stories, not re-hashes or copying and pacing movie/TV scripts. That's a little something called plagiarism. 

CroodsGirl: The first official fan I interacted with on Wattpad was rubymusic43. She's another Pokémon fan and was the first to read Infrared the entire way through. She was also the first reader to write a fanfic about my fanfic because she enjoyed the story immensely. That was one of the best days of my life--not just because I found another fanfiction lover but also someone who proved they enjoyed my writing when I started doubting myself. Thank you, rubymusic43. We're still in touch and still have amazing Infrared conversations!

CroodsGirl: Let's be honest--life is hard. Sometimes, the best way to escape the real world is with a good TV show, movie, book, or video game. I tragically lost my older brother in 2021, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Infrared helped me bounce back. I wanted to write a story about my journey after my brother died, but it was too hard to write an original story. Therefore, I turned to one of my favorite fandoms to make it easier, and it became Infrared.

My older brother was also a Pokémon fan (he gave me his games), and I know he's incredibly proud of me for getting back into writing--by starting with a fandom I love. Since I wrote Infrared, I have not looked at fanfiction the same way ever again. It is a perfect coping method for good and bad life events. My older brother's death proved that.

CroodsGirl: I am a sucker for good character development in media and pop culture. Therefore, my favorite part of being a fanfiction writer is developing the characters further and my OCs. I also enjoy adding to the world and almost creating an "original" story in an already-established universe. Again, this comes from that lesson I learned in 5th grade. Some fandoms, such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Marvel, are enormous. You can do so much with them, and that's what I like to explore--the untold stories of the fandom and their characters.

CroodsGirl: Fanfiction is a growing genre perfect for those who do and do not want to dive into popular Wattpad tropes. I prefer original over cliche—I always have—so I add originality to all my stories, including my fanfiction. I touch on adventures never seen in that fandom and let my imagination run wild. That's where I see myself with this genre: making good stories even better by fixing plot holes and developing characters. I said this before, and I'll repeat it. Fanfiction is perfect for beginning writers who want to write in different genres.

CroodsGirl:

A.) Venator-TheThird

B.) MermaidAriel13

C.) romance_lover16