The Sterek Fandom is NOT responsible for making fanwork to supplement other Teen Wolf ships.
I’ve said this before, but every once in a while, there seems to be a resurgence of bullshit from Anti-Stereks that feel as though the Sterek Fandom is responsible for making non-Sterek related fanwork so that other ships/pairings/characters don’t feel left out.
For years, the Sterek fandom was hounded by bullies who wanted nothing to do with our existence. We were told to leave the Teen Wolf fandom. We were told to stop watching the show. We were made to feel unwelcome by the show, by fellow fans, and by actual actors from the show. In response, The Sterek Fandom decided to detach ourselves from the Teen Wolf Fandom and become a fandom of our own.
We decided to write Sterek fanfiction. We decided to plan Sterek-related events and themed Sterek Weeks. We decided to create Sterek fanwork. I’ve seen books, calendars, t-shirts, posters, playing cards, holiday cards, blankets, pillows, comic books, keychains, coffee mugs, etc… The Sterek Fandom built itself into something for Sterek fans to enjoy, so that we didn’t have to feel unwelcome and suffer through endless torment from people that hated us because we shipped Sterek.
But despite not even being connected to the main fandom of the show anymore, and despite most of us no longer watching the show, and despite Stiles & Derek not existing within the show itself anymore, The Sterek Fandom STILL receives butthurt messages and posts from Anti-Sterekers, who have become so lost inside of their own bitterness that they lash out in jealously over Sterek’s continued thriving existence.
The idea that Sterek fans need to write fanfic about anything other than Sterek is bullshit. The idea that Sterek fans need to focus on characters other than Derek Hale and/or Stiles Stilinski is bullshit. The idea that Sterek fans are “racist” for writing fanfiction about Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale but not also worshiping Scott McCall in the same breath is fucking ridiculous, trivial, and an insulting mockery of what racism actually means.
It should be common sense, but how many times do Sterek fans need to remind people that Sterek Fanfiction is always about Sterek? If any other pairings or relationships or characters are mentioned, they’re going to take a backseat and/or not even be mentioned at all because the fanfiction is about Sterek. Written by Sterek shippers. Posted by a Sterek shipper. For the Sterek Fandom.
Recently, I have read through some of the dumbest arguments about why “Sterek fans need to be required to write about other ships, other characters, and make fanwork about things other than Sterek”. I’ve seen Anti-Sterekers, people who have spent countless hours bullying/harassing Sterek shippers, actually try to play the argument that since Sterek is so popular, we should have to write fics so that less popular ships can also thrive.
This isn’t political. This isn’t some sort of “the rich should have to share their wealth with the oppressed minorities”. This has absolutely nothing to do with things like oppressed vs. the oppressors. This is about a fandom NOT having to spend their free-time making things about something other than their fandom.
Let it be known. The Sterek Fandom ≠ The Teen Wolf Fandom. We haven’t been connected to the Teen Wolf fandom for years and we’ve thrived because of it. We don’t have to weigh ourselves down with threatening and cruel remarks because we ship something so much bigger than the show itself. But even if we were still connected to the Teen Wolf Fandom, The Stereks STILL don’t have to push out Non-Sterek fanwork for other people.
Fanwork is created out of the time and talent of fans. Sterek fans have their lives, and they use their precious free-time to write, draw, design, and create what they want to add to all of the other beautiful Sterek fanwork. We don’t need to create anything other than Sterek-related material. And we especially don’t have to create anything for people who bullied us and made us feel low because we shipped Sterek and didn’t want to pay attention to some of the boring elements and characters that existed in the show.
The Sterek Fandom currently has 46,144 fanworks on Archive of our Own. We didn’t get to this monumental amount of beautiful work because we complained to people and forced them to write fanfic for us. We took the time, put in the effort, sat through the editing, the planning, fleshed out our visions, and made something for ourselves (first and foremost) and also for our fellow Sterek fans to enjoy.
I’ve seen the arguments that Sterek fanfics should have to include Scott McCall as a main character because he’s the titular character of the show. I’ve seen arguments that Sciles/Skittles (Scott McCall/Stiles Stilinski) is a better ship than Sterek. I’ve seen arguments that Scerek (Scott McCall/Derek Hale) is a better ship than Sterek. These are nothing more than mere opinions that make some Sciles/Scerek/Scott/Anti-Sterek stans feel as though the Sterek Fandom owes them something in return.
At the present moment, Sciles has 2,821 fanworks on Ao3. Scerek has 748 fanworks. Honestly, I have one single word to say to Sciles/Scerek fans that feel underwhelmed by the amount of fanfics available and have turned to shaming Stereks because you think it’ll get us to write you fanfic…
Sterek fans worked. We spent time, energy, and talent for days, weeks, months, and years to built the massive amount of glorious Sterek fanfics that we have now. We didn’t start with 46,144 fics. We started at ZERO. At one point in time, years & years ago, we also had 2,821 fics. Even more long ago, we had 748 fics. But we kept working. We kept creating. We kept writing.
It’s honestly up to you guys to write for yourselves. Sterek fans owe you nothing in return. Though, there are some very nice Sterek fans that frequently take prompts and spend their time writing things that don’t necessary line up with their usual work. Sometimes they write Sciles or Scerek. But Sterek shippers don’t have a debt to pay back to bullies and people who think they deserve something for nothing.
To Sterek Shippers: You don’t need to write anything other than Sterek if you don’t want to. You don’t need to create fanwork for anything other than Sterek is you don’t wish to. Don’t let vicious bullies try to guilt you into doing what you don’t have to do. Keep writing & don’t feel discouraged.
To Anti-Sterekers that feel as though Sterek shippers owe you and your favorite pairings/characters something: Put in some of your time and start writing for yourself. If there’s a prompt out there that you want to see done for your favorite ship, write it yourself. If you feel as though there’s not enough fics out there about how “great” Scott McCall, write it for yourself. If you think Sciles/Scerek are more interesting than Sterek, then write it for yourself.
Sterek fans don’t owe anything to anybody. The Sterek Fandom is NOT part of the Teen Wolf Fandom. Sterek started back in 2011. The ship name is the combination of the names Stiles Stilinski & Derek Hale, two characters who don’t even exist on the show anymore. You shouldn’t be surprised when a Sterek fanfic focuses on Sterek.
Sterek is eternal. We write for ourselves and for our ship, not because you think that you control our creativity and time. The show that introduced us to the characters of Stiles & Derek might be ending, but the Sterek fandom continues to cherish the characters and the ship.
