this is a long time coming…
It’s been 2 or 3 years (give or take) since I broke my several-year-long rest from fanfics. Before BTS, i used to read many, many Naruto, Inu Yasha, and Harry Potter fanfics (who remembers the citrus scale?) as well as a few Big Bang fanfics. Then somewhere down the road, I stopped reading fan fiction and erased it entirely out of my life.
It is thanks to a wonderful lady (who’s name I will leave out for privacy reasons) who helped me to remember the beauty that is fan fiction. I eventually began to venture out and found wonderful creators here on Tumblr. Considering it’s been a few years now, I have read a multitude of fanfics. I’ve read well over 400 stories, all equating to nearly 5 million words. (probably way more than that since I only calculated the stories I’ve reblogged on my BTS fic recs sideblog. and yes… yes. i did actually count it all. well. almost. i got lazy with, like, the last 20 hahaha) That would equate to reading the entire Harry Potter series 5 times. It’s roughly a 20,000 page book.
You, dear writers, did that.
Too often fan fic writers are given a huge ass plate of “hurry up, when are you gonna update?” and a side dish of “this isn’t going the way I (the reader) want it to go so i’m leaving” and an appetizer of “shame on you for writing fics of the boys!1!! they’re real people you know!!!!11” and a delicious drink of “[insert ungrateful anons/harassment here].” Writers are just given a lot of shit in general for something they enjoy doing and give away for other fans to consume FOR FREE. Too often fan fic writers are given the short end of the stick on the content creators spectrum. I assume it is because viewers don’t get an instant gratification from the art that writers present. It’s something people have to work a little bit extra for to find. Fic writers are sometimes dismissed as the “weird, perverted, delusional fans”…
But I know the truth. I know it all because I’ve witnessed the love you pour out into your writing, the love you have for the idols you write for, and the love you give to your readers. The beautiful worlds you paint as your fingers move around on the keyboard and weave intricate stories and complex characters and relationships. The numerous universes I’ve visited have been nothing short of wondrous, from the rip-my-heart-out-and-stomp-on-it-5-times-for-good-measure AUs to the so-fluffy-my-teeth-may-be-rotting-but-i-don’t-care-’cause-it’s-way-too-cute AUs to the please-gouge-my-eyes-out-but-also-don’t-cause-i-need-to-finish-this-sinful-beast AUs…. I have had so, so much fun venturing into all the different worlds you’ve created and shared that I often find myself poking my head back into those worlds and reminiscing~
I’m ballin’ in fan fic galore. and I have well over 1k fics on my to-read list that I cannot wait to dive into. and it’s all thanks to you. ❤ I’m writing all of this to let you know that you’re appreciated. even though it’s just from one person, i hope it’s enough. i don’t even know how to express how much your stories have touched me. thank you for the laughter, the feels, the tears, the anger, the ahem spice. from the 100 word drabbles to the 50k+ series on hiatus…. I have enjoyed them all.
So thank you, dear writer. for sharing with me and many, many other readers a part of yourself. I appreciate you and your works. even if you’re no longer writing for a certain fan base, even if you’re on an indefinite hiatus, even if you’ve stopped entirely.. it does not in any way undermine the amount of work you’ve put into your works and the many wips stored away. I still thank you. and i thank those of you who write outside of your main fandom. i know sometimes you get crap for that and i think it’s incredibly awesome of you that you don’t let that negativity thwart you from growth. Keep doing you! It’s because of you that I’ve come to learn that great storytelling doesn’t stem from the fandom someone writes for. It comes from the one who is making the story come to life. You. and I’m sending you lots and lots and lots of joy and inspiration and encouragement and money and love your way for 2019 and many years following.
Under the cut I will be tagging every fan fic writer (whom I am able to tag, at least) who has touched my heart in one way or another, whether I’ve read only one story of yours so far or if I’ve gone through your entire master list, I want to acknowledge you and thank you because you deserve it. This message is meant for you.
