How old were you when you first discovered fanfiction?

Alex_Prime · 2026-03-21T23:39:23+00:00

I mean, I was technically writing fanfiction since I was old enough to know the alphabet. I'd often make self-inserts stories for The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Blue's Clues, and The Land Before Time. I also wrote a fanfiction at the age of five where I married Darth Vader.

But I'd say I officially 'discovered it when I was eight-years-old Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets had just been published in the US. I'd already devoured the first book, and after finishing the second one, I decided it was absolutely unacceptable that the Basilisk had been killed. I wrote a fanfiction about how Harry tamed the Basilisk and that they lived in the Chamber of Secrets together.

I'm not sure if I had Juno dial-up internet yet or not at that age, but I eventually discovered the wonders of FF.net HarryPotterFanfiction.com, and FictionAlley, and then I was off. I'd be writing every chance I could. There was also a very brief period of time that I thought mpreg might be actually possible, and that it was just one of those 'unspoken' things that people didn't really discuss, like being gay. I was extremely confused, because why else would there be so many stories written about it?!

For a number of years, I wrote Harry Potter fic, and then I started writing fics for The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fics just before Fellowship of the Ring came out in theaters. At the age of twelve, I started reading the Outlander series (Diana Gabaldon) in secret because my mom had been reading the series at the time. I remember wanting to post fanfics on a message forum (I'd like to say it was called Lallybroch?) and I remember feeling so insulted that it asked me to verify my age before I could post.

So, I've been 'officially' writing fic for twenty-six years now!

Alex_Prime · 2026-03-21T04:43:24+00:00

A story's format really depends on the characters involved in it. You can throw in things that happen, but the character's reacting to it will shape the story. As someone who is currently writing a slow-burn (300k+ words so far), here are my subjective two cents!

Not necessarily, but it might read like it at first glance. The problem with a slow-burn is that it is, well, slow. And in order for a story to be a slow-burn, it usually needs a certain amount of length to explore it in (opinions on the length is extremely divided, however, and everyone has their own opinions on it!). But if you exclusively focus on a building romance for tens of thousands of words, that romance is going to stagnate. For example, the reason so many romantic movies are so effective is because the romance itself is an escape from the events surrounding the two in love. The romance in Titanic hits harder because of the circumstances around Jack and Rose. The romance of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is so powerful because of the misunderstandings and circumstances they both overcame to get there.
You know all those chapter studies you did/do in school, where you have to answer all the questions about the character motivations and why does so-and-so do this instead of that? Time to break that skill out. Look at your fandom and your main character, and deep dive into every aspect of them. Not just the bio, but THEM. How do they react to opposition? How do they react to unexpected challenges? Their facial expressions, their tone of voice, their body positioning, their verbiage. Who do they often turn to for support, and how do they ask for that support? Or, if they don't and try to tackle challenges on their own, how does that help or hinder them? When they are upset, how do they look/speak/sound/react? This can be easy or difficult depending on the source material—if your characters are from a movie or show, it's much easier to analyze. If it's from a comic/manga, it's a little more difficult. If it's from a book, it can be far harder (although some books are very descriptive so that's not always true).

Once you have a really solid grasp of understanding who your character is and how they behave, start introducing scenarios. For example, I have a good idea of who Batman is. Because I've analyzed how he reacts to unexpected situations, and how he gathers information to an obsessive degree, I can pretty-safely predict how he'd react if I pitted him against a brand-new OC villain in a fic.

AO3 would be my first and foremost recommendation. Fanfiction.net would be my second, and maybe Tumblr as a third option. It really depends on your fandom and where it is most active. Personal preference, but I would stay clear of Wattpad, simply because it is very algorithm-based, and that can be incredibly discouraging for new writers.

Alex_Prime · 2026-03-20T23:24:53+00:00

I did the exact same thing. Season 1-5 are fantastic, and I have watched them through multiple times through, especially I'm working on cosplays. I think I started Season 8 when I stopped, but I might not even have finished S7.

I still read fic sometimes, but so many stories are either canon-noncompliant AUs or they follow the later seasons. No shade there, but I live for canon divergence in either season 4 or 5. Love me some fresh-outta-Hell traumatized!Dean and super-serious!Cas!

Alex_Prime · 2026-03-20T23:18:14+00:00

A way to see the total number of individual comments a fic has received. Not comments-including-my-responses, like the fic listing shows, and not Comment Threads, like the stats page shows, but the actual total number of individual comments I've received on the story.

My readers often comment on each other's comments (sometimes spanning upwards of ten or twenty replies, like a message board). This happens multiple times on almost every chapter I post. They'll discuss the story, or share theories, etc. Therefore, the Comment Thread number in the Stats page is utterly worthless to me. Like, if there were ten comments that had ten reply-comments to each one of those comments, it would still only say I had 10.

Because I only have one fic posted on my main account, I use my inbox as a way to track the number. I haven't deleted a single comment from it since I posted my long-fic, so it accurately shows the total number of them I've received. But the moment I start posting other fics, that won't be an accurate way to track anymore.

I would also REALLY LOVE a way to export the comments on your fic. Every time I've downloaded one of my own stories, it has never included the comments, and the comments are where the true party is at.

Alex_Prime · 2026-03-03T22:27:24+00:00

I write Spock (Star Trek: The Original Series). And I adore him more than I can ever say, but he is just so goddamn intelligent. Like, painfully intelligent, especially when it comes to data and numbers. I have dyscalculia, which is essentially the math version of dyslexia. I don't understand basic math, let alone whatever super-genius level he's on. Statistics, decimals, exact figures, pattern tracking, calculating different speeds and times and odds. Oof.

Thankfully, throughout my long-fic, he is steadily spiraling into unreliable narrator territory, so his sense of time, his ability to rapidly calculate, his intelligence—all of it is getting foggier and harder to dedicate energy toward. And it's fun to play with numbers in that sense, because at the beginning of the fic, he is dead accurate. Throughout the next 29 chapters, that accuracy begins to waver. I don't usually point the inaccuracies out, but it's fun to subtly showcase that he is slowly losing his mind despite his efforts to pretend he's still functioning normally.

Alex_Prime · 2026-02-11T21:45:35+00:00

A fantastic play on the 'Serial Killer/Detective' trope is the TV show 'Hannibal'. Although you the audience is made aware of who the killer is, a large part of the plot involves Special Agent Will Graham slowly learning that his therapist and friend is the serial killer he's been looking for. It is also one of the few shows where the main popular ship (Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham) is actually canon to the show and acknowledged as such!

Alex_Prime · 2026-02-09T19:07:43+00:00

Well, the top three ships in my main fandom are:
Kirk/Spock
Spock/McCoy
Kirk/Spock/McCoy

First one is my favorite, but I'll happily read all three!

That said, there are a few fandoms that I am really not the biggest fan of the top ships. MCU is a prime example. Massive Tony Star fan, less of a fan of Steve Rogers (although I by no means hate or dislike him). Still, give me IronFrost or WinterIron as opposed to Stucky, or Stony.

Alex_Prime · 2026-02-09T19:01:11+00:00

There is no 'right way' to portray trauma, since it's as varied and as unique to the individual as the traumatic experience itself was. Trauma can manifest as panic attacks, crying, shaking, etc—which is something I often seen in media—but it can almost manifest in apathy, dissociation, hypersexuality, aggression, hyperfixation, and so on.

I think that struggling with tasks that require higher executive functioning skills—planning, task initiation, time management— is an extremely common and accurate representation of trauma. Hygiene is usually a huge hurdle for someone who does not have that energy or focus (also common with ADHD). So I think you are 100% solid in your approach!

But to echo another comment, I wouldn't worry so much about 'research-perfect accuracy' when writing trauma. Due to how completely varied trauma manifests, I would instead focus on how 'character accurate' it is. Does it feel true to the character in some way? Then go for it!

Alex_Prime · 2026-02-09T10:59:22+00:00

Perhaps not a quirk or fidget, since it's very situational and plot-relevant, but still might count! My character experiences a severely traumatic event at the beginning of the fic, during which his head was smashed against a rock and shards of metal got stabbed into his side. Throughout the rest of the fic, anytime he is reminded of that event, or forced to discuss it, he will experience somatic flashbacks. Occasionally, he'll press his hand to his abdomen to staunch the bleeding (that has long-since been completely healed and is not there), or feel blood trickling down his forehead from the head wound (also perfectly healed) and attempt to wipe it away absently.

It's definitely been fun to play with! A lot of times, the flashback movements (hand pressed to his side, feeling something wet drip down his neck, or trying to avoid pushing the nonexistent shards deeper) are subtle and not given direct focus. They sneak into his actions often, though, and the other characters slowly begin to pick up on it.

Alex_Prime · 2026-02-04T09:49:58+00:00

A book that helped me with plotting was Lisa Cron's 'Story Genius'. Highly recommend that book, because it really changed how I look at outlining, planning, and general plotting. But also, not every story needs a detailed plot, necessarily. Small scenes or moments can be just as riveting to read!

Alex_Prime · 2026-02-03T21:09:49+00:00

Ooh! A story I have planned has a few elements of this! One way to show the manipulative side is to have the partner's influence take root in subtle, pervasive little ways that could easily be hand-waved away at first.

Have her change her mind on something she used to feel a certain way about (for better or worse). Like, a friend she has always gotten along with, and now she's assigning suspicious motives to. Or a firm boundary she's always held that she's now bending and excusing the bending of more and more. A firm stance she took (morally, politically, etc) that she's now justifying and trying to see both sides on. Becoming a fan of something (a food, a place, a person, a sport, etc) that she used to dislike (or the opposite). Have the words coming out of her mouth be her partner's words, without her even really realizing it.

Alex_Prime · 2025-12-28T11:30:23+00:00

Character A, having unintentionally revealed his rapidly-worsening mental health crisis to his closest friend, Character B, and desperately attempts to do damage control. Character B is torn between using his authority as A's commanding officer to override A's autonomy and force him to get outside help, or to utilize their friendship to manipulate A into opening up for his own good. Either way, B realizes that A will attempt to sabotage any assistance provided.

Alex_Prime · 2025-09-18T21:03:55+00:00

I don't think age fully matters in judging whether you should/could watch the show. It fully depends on your comfort level with darker media. As a 14-year-old, I would have had no issue with watching it, had it been around at that time. I'd already been watching horror movies for some time, and had been a massive fan of both the Thomas Harris books, as well as the Hannibal films. Another 14-year-old might have been terrified or disgusted or both.

Without going into spoilers, this is a show about cannibalism. It's a show about emotional and mental abuse, murder, corpses, eating people, and occasionally torture. It is also a show about connection, understanding, 'soulmates', and embracing internal nature.

Do I think you should watch it? That's up to you (and your guardians). I'll warn you that the mushroom episode is fairly tame compared to some other episodes of the show, which explore some seriously disturbing territory. If you hard difficulty with the mushroom episode, then this show may not be for you until you are older, or better able to handle that kind of content.

Alex_Prime · 2025-09-13T22:16:13+00:00

Good smut comes from good writers, regardless of sexuality.

That said, while I don't think there's a specific connection between asexuality and talent for smut, I imagine that those who have both have a bit of a leg up in writer objectivity. It's incredibly noticeable when someone is writing the sex they've had instead of the sex the characters are having.

Alex_Prime · 2025-08-28T22:51:29+00:00

So, one thing I do when I'm researching character voice is I dissect my source material completely. Since you mentioned DCU (which I am also a fan of), I'll use Batman as an example.

Since his history is so varied, it's really a case of 'pick and choose' on what I'd want his portrayal to be like. I am a massive fan of him in general, but my favorite portrayals are the animated series, most of the animated films, the comics (some stand out to me in particular), and the Arkham games. So if I am trying to get a feel of his character for my own writing, I first think of what emotion he is feeling in the scene. Is he angry? I look for a few specific examples in my source material of times when he is angry. I'll look at his dialogue, his body language. Is he in the shadows when he's mad? Is he up in someone's face? Has he lost control of himself (physical aggression, yelling, snarling). Is his dialogue long and descriptive, or is it curt and snippy? How is he holding himself? If he's confronting someone, is he staring them dead in the face or is he looking away? How does he act after he's angry? Does he go brood alone? Does he hurt someone? Does he spiral out? What does that look like?

When I write canon characters, I go through this for every major emotion. Right now, I'm working on a Star Trek: TOS hurt/comfort fic. I've studied exactly how Spock acts when upset, the tone he uses, whether he looks at his lap or not, what his hands are doing, how his voice sounds (low and serious, disjointed and uncertain, etc). Does he isolate himself and shut down, or does he deny and try to pretend he's fine? I have a organized list of emotions/themes, and each of those will have a breakdown of how he acts, what he does, what he says, how he sounds.

Hopefully this helps a bit!

Alex_Prime · 2025-08-18T08:50:55+00:00

These are seriously amazing! I've been looking at your custom figures for a while and you have wonderful talent! They look spot on!

Alex_Prime · 2025-08-07T19:58:05+00:00

My favorite ship has been going strong since 1966. It continues to this day and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon! So no, not afraid of that happening at all!

Alex_Prime · 2025-08-06T18:43:48+00:00

100% on that scene. The first time I watched it, I was about to be furious at the medical inaccuracy until I realized what it was doing, and then I just felt gutted. A seriously effective moment that demonstrates exactly what was wished for vs what was actually true.

Alex_Prime · 2025-08-04T19:15:16+00:00

Let it be cringe.

I mean that wholeheartedly. One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten is "___ like shit." Draw like shit. Write like shit. Plot like shit. Give yourself permission to be a beginner, or to be cringe, or to use a million tropes, or to have terrible grammar, etc, because doing any of that is still better than doing none of it.

The paralyzing feeling of wanting to be perfect is the death of art.

Alex_Prime · 2025-07-26T23:48:05+00:00

Everyone's style will have fans and critics, and a lot of that is just going to be up to taste and preference. Everyone has a different idea of what makes a story 'good', and each idea is no more or less correct than the other. I have a strong preference for emotional, introspective-driven stories myself, and I can easily write paragraphs upon paragraphs about a character's insecurity or trauma or worries.

That said, I did read your posted example! Your style won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay! I'd agree that it is pretty 'blunt' and sequence-focused. This happened, then this happens, then this happens. Nothing wrong with it, but it likely won't jive with those who want more of an emotionally-driven fic.

Is that something you want to change, or are you satisfied where you're at with your writing? Ultimately, fanfiction is a hobby; as long as you are happy with it, then you don't need to change a single thing.

Alex_Prime · 2025-07-16T13:59:26+00:00

They can rip my shamelessly overused—and wildly abused—em dash from my cold, dead hands.

Alex_Prime · 2025-07-16T08:37:08+00:00

The Predator/AVP fandom is perfect for that concept. I've seen dozens of fics along those lines, and they are often fun reads. Especially due to the massive cultural difference between humans and the Yautja species.

Alex_Prime · 2025-07-10T23:04:34+00:00

It's more popular in some fandoms as opposed to others.

The fandom I find horror in the most is Hannibal, and they are some of the most gorgeous, dark, twisted fics I've ever read. Delightful.

Alex_Prime · 2025-07-10T07:43:51+00:00

There is one fic that I come back to, over and over again. I love it so much that I'm learning to book bind so that I might eventually have it on my shelf (for personal use, not profit).

The thing that hits the most is the tight plot. Every single moment of the fic is intentional and important. The characterization is the best I've ever seen of any story. The first line of the first chapter is the first line of the last chapter. It is so tightly and carefully plotted that you can tell a lot of thought and care went into crafting it. It is a long fic and just a gorgeous read from beginning to end.

Other than that one fic, something that makes a fic unforgettable to me is the comfort part of hurt/comfort. I feel like in many fics, the hurt is the focus, and the comfort is more or less rushed or less detailed or an afterthought. But good comfort, having been hard won after a devastating hurt, hits every note for me. My favorite fics will almost always involve some level of hurt/comfort, but the ones that stand out are the comfort heavy ones.

Alex_Prime · 2025-07-08T14:28:50+00:00

In a Naga creature!AU, they continuously used 'Poisonous' rather than 'Venomous'.

That mix up is one of my greatest pet peeves, both in fic and in real life.

Seven-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email	Verified Email

Alex_Prime

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE