What is fanfiction?

That's the question many Erudites have been attempting to answer for upwards of half a decade now.

For all intents and purposes, fanfiction is any fan-produced writing that uses, remixes, or subverts existing fictional worlds to create unique stories. Fanfiction fulfills a social and emotional need for self-expression and wish-fulfillment ("Looking Better in Black Than the Widows of one's Enemies Since 1234" is a nice thought indeed). It also fosters a creative space for speculation and conversation, not only between readers/writers and the original text but also between the writers of fanfiction and the readers of their stories.

According to a survey from 2018, writers share an average of 60,000 fics daily and, in February of 2017, over 1.6 billion minutes were spent reading fanfiction — Okay, this is insane, but "we are not crazy, our mother had us tested." For that reason, Wattpad fanfiction data has been featured in major media outlets like The Daily Dot, New York Magazine, and Wired.

Fanfiction reading and writing trends on Wattpad also tend to reflect pop culture. The release of Pokemon Go, or airing of the MTV Movie Awards, and ESPY Awards all provide data insights into how Wattpad content and fanfic mirror our society. Better watch out.

How to Write Fanfiction is a writing resource that contains tips and tricks on crafting fanfiction stories - by the community, for the community. This guide will serve as a Lumos Charm for ones lost in the Enchanted Forest of the Fandoms. We hope that this will prove enlightening and ultimately hope to encourage Wattpadders to immerse themselves in the limitless world (and alternative universes) of fanfiction and try their hand at fic writing!

➜ Got a fanfiction writing tip?
Don't be a muggle, share it in the comments below!

➜ Want to suggest or write an article for this guide?
We would be happy to have you involved!

If you wish to write an article for us or have a suggeston for a topic, please, fill out the following form:

Submission form

While we are at it. let us see what the Archmaester of the Citadel thinks about this!

Due to the overwhelming amount of notifications we receive, we apologize in advance for missing any comments through the Mist!

You are invited to get in touch with the fanwriters (by tagging them in the comment section) to show them some love. ❥