In the last few years, fanfiction has caused a 360 shift in fandom culture. Fanfiction, commonly known as fanfics, are stories created by writers based on their favourite movies, books, series, comics, and more. Certain stories become loved by their fandom to the point where they become fan canon. Platforms like Archive of Our Own and Wattpad have become the face of fanfiction writing. These platforms have become safe communities for both readers and authors to share their stories. Both platforms are beloved for different reasons, each with its unique history and writing culture. But why do some people choose to go from the orange W to the archives?
AO3
Archive of Our Own, commonly known by its street name, AO3, is a place where authors can publish their writing. This writing can range from original stories to niche fandom references. Fanfiction, in particular, has made a name for itself on the site, totaling over 15,000,000 works. But why AO3? Why not Wattpad or Fanfiction.net? Well, AO3 fanfiction is often beloved and highly regarded among fandoms for the quality of its writing. Readers often look to AO3 when they don’t want to compromise the canon of a story for a fanfic. “Canon” is the official timeline and narrative of a book or movie. It is a core value for a lot of AO3 authors, to ensure that the fanfiction makes sense within the context of that world, and only making a few minor tweaks here and there. From common tropes like enemies to lovers to more obscure ones like soul-crushing angst, AO3 has something for every specific taste. But, in order for AO3 to run in 2009, a certain website with an orange W had to walk.
Wattpad
Since its launch in 2006, Wattpad has had an extraordinary impact on fandom culture. This platform was originally created for its users to read and write original works that would be shared around the globe. But it quickly became more than this, as people from multiple fandoms began writing stories about their favorite books, movies, series, and more. Here, you can find an estimate of over 665 million works, ranging from canon to crossovers, original characters, and alternative universes. Oftentimes Wattpad authors choose to start their works here so that they can develop their ideas without feeling pressured to write thousands of words. On this platform, fanfiction writers are not bound to follow a specific canon, but rather experiment and see where their stories will go. But after reading your heart out on wattpad, where do you go? Many readers would agree the answer to this is AO3.
Wattpad to AO3 pipeline
As stated earlier, AO3 is known for its premium writing, while Wattpad is better known for taking extreme liberties. But when does one graduate from a Wattpad reader to an AO3 one? Why even bother to make the switch in the first place? Well, Wattpad often caters to younger audiences such as pre-teens and teens. When you’re young, abiding by the canon and the quality of the writing itself isn’t a priority. Usually, it’s about what you want a specific character to do, regardless of the canon. This leads to a major bending of the storyline and its guiding principles, faults that become more noticeable when one matures. That’s when people start seeking writing that is finer and more accurate to the canon plot while still giving them what they want to read, which is where AO3 appeals to former Wattpad readers. While some might choose to stick with Wattpad, most move to more stable reading (Kindles, physical books, etc.) and AO3. But despite the glamorous writing and canon-abiding storylines, AO3 is still mainly fanfiction. This is often where the lines between canon and fan canon begin to blur.
Slipping into the “canon”
It has been established that fanfiction has an enormous impact on a fandom, but sometimes it reaches a point where it becomes more than just a fan-based story. Some fandoms regard certain fanfics as legendary; they share and cherish them as if they were part of the original stories to the point where they decide they’re too good to not be considered part of the narrative. When fandoms feel that a specific fanfiction writer has a better understanding of the narrative and characters than the actual creator it becomes fan canon. There are also certain instances where fandoms take fanfiction into the canon not just because of its amazing writing and storytelling, but rather as an attempt to distance themselves from the creators and authors of these stories.
The perfect example of this would be the Harry Potter fandom. Due to J.K. Rowling’s controversial opinions regarding the LGBTQ community ,in particular the Trans community,have decided to take fanfiction into the canon.Fanfics like “All the Young Dudes” have become widely accepted as part of the narrative, creating new headcanons, timelines, and interpretations of the stories.
Whether one prefers Wattpad, AO3, or any fanfiction site, they all appeal to different audiences. Fanfiction, and by extension fandoms, are made to unite people from around the world. Whether it be for books, movies, TV shows, or even poetry, fanfiction allows us to express our creativity and nerd out about our favorite characters. Even if you prefer the canon, there’s no harm in reading, writing, or drawing for it. At the end of the day, it’s about showing love and appreciating entertainment in all forms.
