We all know the feeling of bitterness and frustration that comes with a disappointing season finale, tragic main character death or that OTP (one true pairing) that never quite got paired. When we can’t get what we want from the original source itself, some turn toward fanfiction. To an outsider, the world of fanfiction can seem confusing, but all you need are some key terms, recommendations and a push in the right direction to get started.

Fanfiction: fiction about characters or settings from an original work of fiction, created by fans of that work

THE TERMS

Canon: elements established by the original source material (TV show, book, movie, etc) like plot, setting or character development

Angst vs. Fluff: contains heavy emotional distress vs. happy and sweet stories

AU: story takes place in an alternate universe, deviating from the canon

Pairing: the main characters featured in a relationship within the story

One Shot vs. Series: similar to the difference between a short story and a novel

Slash: focuses on a romantic pairing between two characters of the same gender

THE PROCESS + recommendations

HAVE YOU EVER READ FANFICTION?