AO3 Is Down & I'm Going Through Withdrawal (why fanfiction matters)
From Open Tabs · 30:27
Show by Keely Todd
I’ve been reading fanfiction since middle school. I’ve read it on FanFiction.net, Tumblr, Wattpad (we don’t like Wattpad), and eventually found my home on Archive of Our Own. I have thousands of bookmarks, a ridiculous number of fandoms, and apparently a very serious emotional dependence on being able to access my fanfiction whenever I want. So AO3 being down for what could be two to four weeks… yeah. I’m struggling.This week on Open Tabs, we’re talking about fanfiction: where it came from, how it became such a huge part of fandom culture, and why I think fanfiction is writing. We’re talking about the joy of playing in someone else’s sandbox, alternate universes, fix-it fics, Mary Sues, writing characters you love, and why sometimes the best way to deal with an ending you hate is to go find someone who wrote a better one. (*coughs* Game of Thrones)I’m also getting into my own history with fanfiction, including the one fic I actually published and the absolutely massive, extremely Mary Sue, very meta fanfiction series I’m currently writing. Because apparently I looked at all my favorite fandoms and thought, “Yes. I should put all of these together.”And, of course, we have to talk about the current AO3 situation, downloaded fanfiction, AI, accessibility, and why I think fanfiction has always been—and should continue to be—a community built around loving stories enough to make them your own.So, what fandoms do you read? What’s the best fanfiction you’ve ever read? And are you also currently staring at AO3 waiting for it to come back?Come hang out with me for a very fanfiction-filled episode of Open Tabs.
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