4 websites for fanfiction reading (and writing)

Since we are all staying at home (hopefully), it should be a good time to dive into new reading territory. We all see the memes of going ‘insane’ staying inside and social distancing so there should be no reason to discriminate against trying new things in the comforts of your own place. For this week, I have listed four websites best known for fanfiction (and writing if you want to get into it). These are selections from my personal experience with fanfictions so if you have any other suggestions, feel free to put them in the comments below!

This list will also include sites that have original fiction as well if you want more reading material in that area!

4. WATTPAD

Coming at fourth we have the notorious Wattpad. This is a hit or miss website for fanfictions with one too many misses in my experiences. I would delve into this site with more care because for some reason a lot of the bad eggs decided to gather up here. From this strange obsession with romanticized abusive relationships to an overwhelming amount of stolen Tumblr/Archive of our Own fanfictions, Wattpad definitely holds the last place for this list.

However, Wattpad is one of the most mainstream fiction reading/writing sites. A bonus is that it also provides an abundance of original fictions and apparently, they are a lot more worth your read so you can always give them a go as well!

3. INKITT

Inkitt has eerie similarities to Wattpad when it comes to searching through the trending stories. Although this has more original fiction, I still would like add this on here for anyone who is interested. I have recently signed up for this site to post some of my original fiction because it is a reader-powered publisher. While Wattpad authors might get professional opportunity and money, Inkitt seems to specifically designed to get authors on the map.

Unfortunately like every website with thousands of writers, we have our duds. For some reason, authors on here seem to believe werewolves are the only thing you can write in fantasy because it’s the only concept I see in that category. Sorry for that, my fellow fantasy lovers.

This does have its hits and misses but if you are a writer and want to experiment this reader-powered publishing for yourself then it’s a good place to give it a go!

2. TUMBLR

Yes Tumblr is not only a fanfiction site but it is the home of many fanfiction writers and readers. It might not have the facilities for a reading website like Wattpad, Inkitt or Ao3 but there are so many selections of amazing fanfictions. Since most of you have a lot of time on your hands, it would not do much harm to scroll through and find some gems. I would highly recommend looking for specific fanfiction networks (depending on the fandom you want to try) as they are communities which promote and reblog select fanfics for you!

One issue here if you are planning on writing stories here is that the engagement can be lackluster. Tumblr was not always like this but as the Instagram & Youtube liking culture has become prevalent, people seem to be using that same mindset on this site which is unfortunately, slowly killing it. Tumblr runs on sharing and ‘reblogging’ (note: not the same as reposting. Another confusion caused by Instagram) which is what promotes a content creator and helps them grow. But if you know how to promote yourself really well or you are creating buzz content than it should be fine, just something to keep in mind.

1. ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN (AO3)

Now we have the mother of fanfictions herself, Archive of our Own. Judge me all you want for that claim but I do not think I have had a single bad experience with this site when it comes to reading a good fanfiction.

Of course, I cannot guarantee every story is going to be perfect nor can I say you are going to have this amazing experience with no bad eggs whatsoever. It is a free website where everyone can write so you cannot possibly predict the outcomes for each of them. However,  in my personal view, Archive of our Own is an amazing website that has a large variety of only fanfiction stories and deserves to be at the number one spot for this list.

The design is simple but so pleasant to use; you can bookmark your favorites, subscribe to beloved authors, give kudos and comments for support. It captures this personal essence to fan-fictions that I love. The interface is not too messy and overbearing, just fan-made stories in their rawest form possible.

As a writer, you will find that readers are far more engaging with series’ rather than single, one-shot pieces. It’s not that the engagement isn’t there for one-shot pieces but from my experiences, the communication is a lot stronger when you post chapters throughout a period of time.

One flaw with the interface is that it can get a little difficult to have back and forth communication between writers and readers as like their name suggests, it is an archive and not a social media site per say. But all in all, I would choose this site over all the others if I really had to.

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While some of these are not my favorites in particular, I thought it would be important to show you all the ones I know of because everyones tastes are different. You might find some gems you like on Wattpad and hate Archive of our Own. It really depends on how you decide to spend your time with these sites. I hope they helped you figure out what to do with the hours you had sitting around being bored.

Let me know if you have tried any of these sites or would like to try one! Maybe even some recommendations for stories?

Other than that, stay safe and healthy!

– Ashley.

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