Voracious reader of fanfic seeks help
December 25, 2022 4:46 PM Subscribe
Please help me make sense of (or possibly even change?) my fanfic reading habits
Background: I have always loved reading. As a kid I read a lot of fantasy, as a teenager/in my 20s I read for fun but also to challenge myself. I was fairly seriously interested in literature, although I haven't studied literature formally past high school.
A few years ago I a) was having a horrible, horrible time in my personal life and b) got obsessed with a TV show with a charming cast, awful cgi, a ton of plot holes and an absolutely gutting conclusion. This lead me to fanfic.
I now read almost exclusively fanfic, and I read a lot of it. I think part of the appeal is that fic is reassuring somehow (familiar characters and settings, writing that relies heavily on/plays with tropes), as well as ease of access (ao3! None of the barriers of paying for books/getting them from the library). Reading fic is comforting, it gives me mental space, and if I don't like something I can drop it without any guilt or regrets. Picking up a book I'm not familiar with feels like work to me now, in a way it didn't before. I'm sure some of this change is also due to circumstances (being older, having more responsibilities, feeling exhausted most of the time, having a smartphone, etc etc).
I appreciate that reading can be many different things and the idea that reading is an "improving" activity seems wrong in a way I can't articulate. And I am certainly not dissing fic. But I feel odd about this change and I miss reading other sorts of books.
If you've read this far, thank you. I know this is a bit of a ramble. I guess the TL;DR is that I'm curious about how people who read fic balance it with other reading, and what you feel you get out of fic that you don't get from reading other work.
Background: I have always loved reading. As a kid I read a lot of fantasy, as a teenager/in my 20s I read for fun but also to challenge myself. I was fairly seriously interested in literature, although I haven't studied literature formally past high school.
A few years ago I a) was having a horrible, horrible time in my personal life and b) got obsessed with a TV show with a charming cast, awful cgi, a ton of plot holes and an absolutely gutting conclusion. This lead me to fanfic.
I now read almost exclusively fanfic, and I read a lot of it. I think part of the appeal is that fic is reassuring somehow (familiar characters and settings, writing that relies heavily on/plays with tropes), as well as ease of access (ao3! None of the barriers of paying for books/getting them from the library). Reading fic is comforting, it gives me mental space, and if I don't like something I can drop it without any guilt or regrets. Picking up a book I'm not familiar with feels like work to me now, in a way it didn't before. I'm sure some of this change is also due to circumstances (being older, having more responsibilities, feeling exhausted most of the time, having a smartphone, etc etc).
I appreciate that reading can be many different things and the idea that reading is an "improving" activity seems wrong in a way I can't articulate. And I am certainly not dissing fic. But I feel odd about this change and I miss reading other sorts of books.
If you've read this far, thank you. I know this is a bit of a ramble. I guess the TL;DR is that I'm curious about how people who read fic balance it with other reading, and what you feel you get out of fic that you don't get from reading other work.
Specifically, if your library supports Libby, it’s really easy to look for, put holds on, check out, and read books on your phone. If you’re happy with how much you’re on your phone, it’s probably the path of least resistance.
posted by clew at 5:31 PM on December 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by clew at 5:31 PM on December 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm not a fanfic person but I am a big re-reader. I absolutely get you about finding comfort in characters and settings you already know. Several years ago I decided it was becoming a problem, for similar reasons, and set out on a path that would break me out of it.
What felt easiest to me was to read books and stories that got turned into movies. This was really effective as a literary suboxone for me. I already knew the characters and plot (or could watch it in 2 hours), so I got the comfort factor, but I was also, importantly, reading new-to-me books. I spent 2 years read/watching almost exclusively book/movies. I hadn't read that many books since I was a child, it was great. It broke me out of my rut and I found a few new favorites.
These days about 1/3 of what I read in a year is re-reads, which is an amount I'm comfortable with.
posted by phunniemee at 5:41 PM on December 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
What felt easiest to me was to read books and stories that got turned into movies. This was really effective as a literary suboxone for me. I already knew the characters and plot (or could watch it in 2 hours), so I got the comfort factor, but I was also, importantly, reading new-to-me books. I spent 2 years read/watching almost exclusively book/movies. I hadn't read that many books since I was a child, it was great. It broke me out of my rut and I found a few new favorites.
These days about 1/3 of what I read in a year is re-reads, which is an amount I'm comfortable with.
posted by phunniemee at 5:41 PM on December 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
I find that I go through reading phases. Sometimes I want to read almost exclusively fanfic, sometimes it falls way off my radar and I'm happier reading published fiction or nonfiction or manga or whatever. I don't worry about it too much and mostly just follow my reading bliss wherever it leads.
But sometimes if I feel like I really do want to shift back toward the published-fiction end of things, I can nudge myself in that direction by picking up some queer romance novels, which hit so many of the same comfort buttons for me that fic often does - fairly quick easy reads, focus on queer characters, a certain lower bound on how gutting the story is going to get / how happy the ending is going to be / how much homophobia I'm going to get slapped with, familiar tropes, sometimes a shared universe with previous books in that series so I'm returning to a familiar comfortable world, and often those writers have a significant back catalog of other work that hits similar notes. Or I might reread old comfortable favorites in other genres, which serve a similar purpose for me.Then I can ease from there on into other types of writing that I also enjoy that may ask a bit more from me.
I do also find that while I don't do book clubs with friends, exactly, I do keep tabs on things friends are reading and excited about. That can be a big encouragement to go check something out, knowing someone whose tastes I trust really loved the thing!
posted by Stacey at 5:46 PM on December 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
But sometimes if I feel like I really do want to shift back toward the published-fiction end of things, I can nudge myself in that direction by picking up some queer romance novels, which hit so many of the same comfort buttons for me that fic often does - fairly quick easy reads, focus on queer characters, a certain lower bound on how gutting the story is going to get / how happy the ending is going to be / how much homophobia I'm going to get slapped with, familiar tropes, sometimes a shared universe with previous books in that series so I'm returning to a familiar comfortable world, and often those writers have a significant back catalog of other work that hits similar notes. Or I might reread old comfortable favorites in other genres, which serve a similar purpose for me.Then I can ease from there on into other types of writing that I also enjoy that may ask a bit more from me.
I do also find that while I don't do book clubs with friends, exactly, I do keep tabs on things friends are reading and excited about. That can be a big encouragement to go check something out, knowing someone whose tastes I trust really loved the thing!
posted by Stacey at 5:46 PM on December 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I've been a regular reader of fanfic for over twenty years now.
But I feel odd about this change and I miss reading other sorts of books.
It sounds like you've identified two sources of conflict: (a) Like me, you were raised to think of reading books as a "virtuous" activity, and you're feeling conflicted about no longer being a book reader, and (b) there are still books that you legitimately are interested in and you feel like you're missing out.
Let go of (a) because there is a lot of bullshit to unpack there (even if reading books is, broadly, "good"), and focus on (b). Pick a book you've really been wanting to read and start reading it.
(Easier said than done I know. But I'm not ignoring it, I promise!)
I guess the TL;DR is that I'm curious about how people who read fic balance it with other reading, and what you feel you get out of fic that you don't get from reading other work.
You've already listed some of the reasons that I like fanfic: It's just so much easier to pick up a story with characters I already know. When I'm tired I often don't have the energy to invest in a new book. With fanfic, I'm already invested. I'm already reading about characters I know I enjoy, which helps sustain my attention initially, instead of reading about characters I haven't gotten to know yet.
Also, to be honest, I like erotica. When I manage to fixate on a fandom with skilled authors, fanfic outclasses most of what I've seen in original fiction, at least in terms of my own tastes. (Also, it's free; there's no wasted money if it turns out to suck.)
But I also wrestled with not reading as many books as I used to. I thought about it a lot. One thing I did was really question where the attitude that reading books is better than reading fanfiction was coming from. I decided that some of it was bullshit, and some of it wasn't.
The bullshit: Books just aren't inherently "better" than fanfiction. I used to read a lot more SFF books, and while some of it was visionary and changed the way that I thought about fiction, a lot of it was pulp. If there's nothing wrong with reading a lot of cozy mysteries, or westerns, or whatever dragonlance, there's nothing wrong with reading a lot of even the most formulaic fanfic.
The not-bullshit: I still want to be exposed to a variety of different types of writing. There's nothing wrong with reading a lot of fanfic, but I am missing out if it's the only thing that I read, just like I would be missing out if the only thing I ever read was cozy mysteries. Maybe that's fine for some people! But not for me personally.
For me, what works is:
* Picking books that I really want to read, not just books I feel like I "should" read. I've entirely opted out of the idea that there is a particular canon or type of book that I need to read. Reading books shouldn't be a chore. I have enough chores.
* Separating my fanfic reading and my book reading into separate spheres. First, I read physical copies of books; this is so I'm not reading on the same device where fanfic is stored. Second, I have dedicated times to read books. Usually this is lunch at work and during the bath. I leave the devices behind so that what I have is the book in front of me.
* Reading fanfic on an e-reader instead of on the laptop or phone. I discovered that not only is this more pleasant, I end up focusing on it better - I'm not clicking away to check on my stupid mobile game or messages or twitter every scene break. So end up reading fanfiction faster, which cuts down the competition for my time.
I think all of this is very personal. What works for me might not work for you - maybe you're like some of the previous answerers, and find it's better to have easy access on your phone, for example. I can't stand book clubs, but some people find them great motivations. Etc.
But honestly, regardless of what you do, I do think that setting a simple goal ("I'll get one book that I really want to read and start reading it") can go a long way. Do you have a book you already know you want to read? That excites you to think about?
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 6:06 PM on December 25, 2022 [15 favorites]
But I feel odd about this change and I miss reading other sorts of books.
It sounds like you've identified two sources of conflict: (a) Like me, you were raised to think of reading books as a "virtuous" activity, and you're feeling conflicted about no longer being a book reader, and (b) there are still books that you legitimately are interested in and you feel like you're missing out.
Let go of (a) because there is a lot of bullshit to unpack there (even if reading books is, broadly, "good"), and focus on (b). Pick a book you've really been wanting to read and start reading it.
(Easier said than done I know. But I'm not ignoring it, I promise!)
I guess the TL;DR is that I'm curious about how people who read fic balance it with other reading, and what you feel you get out of fic that you don't get from reading other work.
You've already listed some of the reasons that I like fanfic: It's just so much easier to pick up a story with characters I already know. When I'm tired I often don't have the energy to invest in a new book. With fanfic, I'm already invested. I'm already reading about characters I know I enjoy, which helps sustain my attention initially, instead of reading about characters I haven't gotten to know yet.
Also, to be honest, I like erotica. When I manage to fixate on a fandom with skilled authors, fanfic outclasses most of what I've seen in original fiction, at least in terms of my own tastes. (Also, it's free; there's no wasted money if it turns out to suck.)
But I also wrestled with not reading as many books as I used to. I thought about it a lot. One thing I did was really question where the attitude that reading books is better than reading fanfiction was coming from. I decided that some of it was bullshit, and some of it wasn't.
The bullshit: Books just aren't inherently "better" than fanfiction. I used to read a lot more SFF books, and while some of it was visionary and changed the way that I thought about fiction, a lot of it was pulp. If there's nothing wrong with reading a lot of cozy mysteries, or westerns, or whatever dragonlance, there's nothing wrong with reading a lot of even the most formulaic fanfic.
The not-bullshit: I still want to be exposed to a variety of different types of writing. There's nothing wrong with reading a lot of fanfic, but I am missing out if it's the only thing that I read, just like I would be missing out if the only thing I ever read was cozy mysteries. Maybe that's fine for some people! But not for me personally.
For me, what works is:
* Picking books that I really want to read, not just books I feel like I "should" read. I've entirely opted out of the idea that there is a particular canon or type of book that I need to read. Reading books shouldn't be a chore. I have enough chores.
* Separating my fanfic reading and my book reading into separate spheres. First, I read physical copies of books; this is so I'm not reading on the same device where fanfic is stored. Second, I have dedicated times to read books. Usually this is lunch at work and during the bath. I leave the devices behind so that what I have is the book in front of me.
* Reading fanfic on an e-reader instead of on the laptop or phone. I discovered that not only is this more pleasant, I end up focusing on it better - I'm not clicking away to check on my stupid mobile game or messages or twitter every scene break. So end up reading fanfiction faster, which cuts down the competition for my time.
I think all of this is very personal. What works for me might not work for you - maybe you're like some of the previous answerers, and find it's better to have easy access on your phone, for example. I can't stand book clubs, but some people find them great motivations. Etc.
But honestly, regardless of what you do, I do think that setting a simple goal ("I'll get one book that I really want to read and start reading it") can go a long way. Do you have a book you already know you want to read? That excites you to think about?
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 6:06 PM on December 25, 2022 [15 favorites]
(Also this is a long shot but: you sure do sound like you're describing the show Guardian. If you are, you may be interested in knowing that an English translation of the original novel is coming out soon, and maybe that would be a fun way to try to ease yourself into longer reads again? That show changed so much in adaptation that it might be really interesting and different for you to see the source material if you haven't.)
posted by Stacey at 6:13 PM on December 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Stacey at 6:13 PM on December 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have a lot of published authors I like to read. My library has a "saved search" option that I use to save a hundred or so authors (also musicians), a few publishers I often like (queer imprints), a few subjects I want to know everything new in. It helps keep my reading list up. I don't always have time or energy to read these new books, though, and that's fine. I'll go through periods where my library holds are inactive for a bit or I'll activate them all, depending on how I feel.
And I'll go through fic moods too. Sometimes I read a ton, sometimes just a bit. Sometimes I'll only reread my favorites on my Kindle, others I'll look for everything new in my favorite tropes or one of the fandoms I spend less time in. (I do have authors I follow where I always read their new works when posted too.) Right now I'm reading through every fandom that looks interesting in the Yuletide collection that opened today.
I worried more at first, but it really seems to ebb and flow, the balance between books and fics. As long as you've got a bit of a gap for books to sneak through on less stressed days, I think you'll be fine for your life to work out how much of what you read. I think you'll read what you need. (Also, consider if rereading favorite books might scratch a similar itch to fic or at least work for the same energy level.) Alternately, if you want to go deeper into fanfic, you could see if there's a discord for your fandom or start writing fic yourself. That's a lot of fun too (and while it takes some energy, not always the same as new book energy).
Also, did you know that people post original fiction to AO3? It's a much smaller category than fanfic, but there's quite a lot there, if you want to go poking around sometime. If it turns out that ease of website is part of the draw.
posted by blueberry monster at 6:24 PM on December 25, 2022
And I'll go through fic moods too. Sometimes I read a ton, sometimes just a bit. Sometimes I'll only reread my favorites on my Kindle, others I'll look for everything new in my favorite tropes or one of the fandoms I spend less time in. (I do have authors I follow where I always read their new works when posted too.) Right now I'm reading through every fandom that looks interesting in the Yuletide collection that opened today.
I worried more at first, but it really seems to ebb and flow, the balance between books and fics. As long as you've got a bit of a gap for books to sneak through on less stressed days, I think you'll be fine for your life to work out how much of what you read. I think you'll read what you need. (Also, consider if rereading favorite books might scratch a similar itch to fic or at least work for the same energy level.) Alternately, if you want to go deeper into fanfic, you could see if there's a discord for your fandom or start writing fic yourself. That's a lot of fun too (and while it takes some energy, not always the same as new book energy).
Also, did you know that people post original fiction to AO3? It's a much smaller category than fanfic, but there's quite a lot there, if you want to go poking around sometime. If it turns out that ease of website is part of the draw.
posted by blueberry monster at 6:24 PM on December 25, 2022
Hah I was going to guess Merlin! I am a voracious reader of both and go through spells of one or the other. Published fiction is usually book length or a sort of established short fiction length while fanfic is very often as long as it needs to be, giving a lot more variety of short pieces that fit well into a snatched ten minutes in a queue.
I agree you need to not value judge yourself for reading fanfic - that’s why we have genre series in the published world, people want to go back to an established world in their reading, not something original each time. Plus the point about erotica, unless you are very selective in your romance novels.
Try mixing in non-fiction - I found when I was in a fanfic loop, non fiction books felt like a different enjoyment and I would wind up going back to my books to read pile eventually.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:44 PM on December 25, 2022
I agree you need to not value judge yourself for reading fanfic - that’s why we have genre series in the published world, people want to go back to an established world in their reading, not something original each time. Plus the point about erotica, unless you are very selective in your romance novels.
Try mixing in non-fiction - I found when I was in a fanfic loop, non fiction books felt like a different enjoyment and I would wind up going back to my books to read pile eventually.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:44 PM on December 25, 2022
Oh and audiobooks. I am selective about an audiobook because I can read much faster than listening so it has to be either a really good book or something radio-serial like to be worth the extra hours. Libby is a great app and I have read about 70+ novels this year via audiobook - a good half are two mystery novel series, but the rest are literary.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:52 PM on December 25, 2022
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:52 PM on December 25, 2022
I read a lot of fanfiction too, and I used to feel bad about it. But honestly, I have come to feel like fic is different than published fiction, but I've stopped considering it to be inferior. I love that sometimes I have the option to dig in really deep to a world and characters I already know, and sometimes I get to do a shallower read of something entirely new to me.
You are NEVER going to find a published novel that explores the inner life, relationships, and world of a character to the extent that some fanfiction does. There simply isn't an audience big enough for many books like that to ever get published. The only way any book like that finds readers at all is to be written about a character people care about for other reasons. But I feel that as a person who's some flavor of neurodivergent, it's been invaluable to me to read those sorts of narratives. This has helped me reframe fanfiction as more "indie fiction" than "derivative work" to myself. It's not that the fics I love most aren't good enough to be published books. They're just too weird to be published books, and the fact that they're about characters that are also in other things is almost coincidental. It's just someing that tells me the author and I share common interests. But there are so many niches of fanfiction that meet that description! And sometimes publishers see how many people are reading in those niches and they start publishing it.
It probably helps that most of my fanfiction reading in the past few years has been in the Star Wars universe, which had a huge extended universe that was "decanonized" when Disney bought the franchise, rendering a bunch of previous-canon works fanfiction overnight. There's absolutely nothing about these previously canon novels that makes them any better or worse than fanfiction, qualitatively. It's just that they were published at some point, which, so what. They're just books about some guy's Mary-Sue-ass OCs now. The line between canon and non-canon in Star Wars is so blurry and confused as to be nonexistent. So why shouldn't I read the things I like?
Sometimes I'm in the mood to pick up something else. I just read When We Cease to Understand the World which is absolutely just real-person fanfiction about scientists and which was shortlisted for several major literary awards.
posted by potrzebie at 7:34 PM on December 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
You are NEVER going to find a published novel that explores the inner life, relationships, and world of a character to the extent that some fanfiction does. There simply isn't an audience big enough for many books like that to ever get published. The only way any book like that finds readers at all is to be written about a character people care about for other reasons. But I feel that as a person who's some flavor of neurodivergent, it's been invaluable to me to read those sorts of narratives. This has helped me reframe fanfiction as more "indie fiction" than "derivative work" to myself. It's not that the fics I love most aren't good enough to be published books. They're just too weird to be published books, and the fact that they're about characters that are also in other things is almost coincidental. It's just someing that tells me the author and I share common interests. But there are so many niches of fanfiction that meet that description! And sometimes publishers see how many people are reading in those niches and they start publishing it.
It probably helps that most of my fanfiction reading in the past few years has been in the Star Wars universe, which had a huge extended universe that was "decanonized" when Disney bought the franchise, rendering a bunch of previous-canon works fanfiction overnight. There's absolutely nothing about these previously canon novels that makes them any better or worse than fanfiction, qualitatively. It's just that they were published at some point, which, so what. They're just books about some guy's Mary-Sue-ass OCs now. The line between canon and non-canon in Star Wars is so blurry and confused as to be nonexistent. So why shouldn't I read the things I like?
Sometimes I'm in the mood to pick up something else. I just read When We Cease to Understand the World which is absolutely just real-person fanfiction about scientists and which was shortlisted for several major literary awards.
posted by potrzebie at 7:34 PM on December 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
I discovered X Files fanfiction in high school (copy/pasted from websites into Notepad and read offline on my PC). Fast-forward 10 years, and I went deep into Harry Potter fanfiction when I got my first smartphone and commuted via bus. Fanfiction was there when I had a baby who hated to sleep, when I went back to work and had to pump in a windowless closet, and in the exhausting years that followed. Sometimes I feel like I’ve reached the end of the internet, read everything that’s worth reading, and then I get back into movies or books. Then I’ll find some fanfic that came out recently and get sucked in again.
It’s been another dozen years now, and honestly at this point in the great panini I have decided to lean into things that bring me joy. But when I’m feeling the need to branch out from fanfiction, now I go by impulse instead of “best books of the year” lists or books mentioned in the media. I mostly read random books that look interesting in Little Free Libraries during walks through the neighborhood, or sometimes I’ll read a library book recommended by a friend. I have a general rule to only read fiction written by women - I am so tired of reading books by men that fail to give voice to female characters or perspectives, or who make female characters one-dimensional. Sometimes I make a theme out of my stack of accumulated Little Free Library finds: 3 books about women during WWII, 2 books about time travel, 3 books that touch on food, 3 books from the African diaspora, etc. It’s interesting to see what themes emerge (hello, November 2022 and seasonal affective disorder, when I read but did not finish 3 different books about mental health).
To better see those themes I’ve basically turned my friends-only Instagram account into a reading (and garden) journal: I can never for the life of me remember book titles or authors, so I take a picture of the cover and post that. Sometimes I add my opinion about the book in the caption, sometimes I post the photo even if I hated the book and didn’t finish (in those cases, it’s always funny to hear from friends who managed to finish the same book - it’s amazing how varied our opinions are). I like looking back at the grid of book photos to remind myself that yes, I did make it through that season of life, and these are the books outside fandom that distracted me from whatever was bothering me at the time.
Anyway, I appreciated your question, and I hope you can be as gentle as possible to your reading spirit during whatever season of life you are in. Best wishes.
posted by Maarika at 8:23 PM on December 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
It’s been another dozen years now, and honestly at this point in the great panini I have decided to lean into things that bring me joy. But when I’m feeling the need to branch out from fanfiction, now I go by impulse instead of “best books of the year” lists or books mentioned in the media. I mostly read random books that look interesting in Little Free Libraries during walks through the neighborhood, or sometimes I’ll read a library book recommended by a friend. I have a general rule to only read fiction written by women - I am so tired of reading books by men that fail to give voice to female characters or perspectives, or who make female characters one-dimensional. Sometimes I make a theme out of my stack of accumulated Little Free Library finds: 3 books about women during WWII, 2 books about time travel, 3 books that touch on food, 3 books from the African diaspora, etc. It’s interesting to see what themes emerge (hello, November 2022 and seasonal affective disorder, when I read but did not finish 3 different books about mental health).
To better see those themes I’ve basically turned my friends-only Instagram account into a reading (and garden) journal: I can never for the life of me remember book titles or authors, so I take a picture of the cover and post that. Sometimes I add my opinion about the book in the caption, sometimes I post the photo even if I hated the book and didn’t finish (in those cases, it’s always funny to hear from friends who managed to finish the same book - it’s amazing how varied our opinions are). I like looking back at the grid of book photos to remind myself that yes, I did make it through that season of life, and these are the books outside fandom that distracted me from whatever was bothering me at the time.
Anyway, I appreciated your question, and I hope you can be as gentle as possible to your reading spirit during whatever season of life you are in. Best wishes.
posted by Maarika at 8:23 PM on December 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
I read alot of fanfiction and few books. I absolutely do not stress this fact. Honestly, I'm enjoying what I'm reading. Sometimes its 1,500 words of fluff, sometimes it 300,000 words of somebody retelling the story from point a. Both I enjoy.
Sitting down and doing what I love isn't a bad thing. It's comfortable . I have plenty of education, if I want to read something challenging or sit down with something popular or just plain new i can. But that's not what I'm enjoying now. I just accept that I'm somebody who just wants to enjoy words to a page mostly about my current favorite couple. I honor myself by not by not stressing this fact. I don't want to read for work or discovery, and I certainly don't want to read things that are challenging for me to read. I want to relax and enjoy, and that I do.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:51 PM on December 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Sitting down and doing what I love isn't a bad thing. It's comfortable . I have plenty of education, if I want to read something challenging or sit down with something popular or just plain new i can. But that's not what I'm enjoying now. I just accept that I'm somebody who just wants to enjoy words to a page mostly about my current favorite couple. I honor myself by not by not stressing this fact. I don't want to read for work or discovery, and I certainly don't want to read things that are challenging for me to read. I want to relax and enjoy, and that I do.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:51 PM on December 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
One of the things I've really enjoyed doing is seeing writers I know through my fanfic reading move to professional writing. While the worlds and settings may be different to the fandoms that those authors wrote in originally/in the past, the writers often bring a fanfic sensibility in their explorations of relationships and approach to stories that I find appealing. (Feel free to MeMail if you'd like a few recs.)
Another thing that I've found I turn to again and again when I'm feeling stressed is mystery series(es). They have the similarity of character and trope so I know what I'm getting into but each story has something slightly new/different, just as different authors bring different things to fanfic so you can read similar stories over again. What sort of mysteries you'll like obviously depends on taste; I personally go for historical mysteries. I have friends who like paranormal cozy mysteries. There are a lot of different series out there so if you go this route you should be able to find something interesting and different. And while mysteries may not be "improving", one of the things I enjoy about well-written and researched historical mysteries is that they inspire me to read more nonfiction about topics that I've learned about through fiction.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:39 PM on December 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Another thing that I've found I turn to again and again when I'm feeling stressed is mystery series(es). They have the similarity of character and trope so I know what I'm getting into but each story has something slightly new/different, just as different authors bring different things to fanfic so you can read similar stories over again. What sort of mysteries you'll like obviously depends on taste; I personally go for historical mysteries. I have friends who like paranormal cozy mysteries. There are a lot of different series out there so if you go this route you should be able to find something interesting and different. And while mysteries may not be "improving", one of the things I enjoy about well-written and researched historical mysteries is that they inspire me to read more nonfiction about topics that I've learned about through fiction.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:39 PM on December 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
As we get older, unless we're fortunate enough to be in a small subset of professions, our reading slows down. Life intrudes far too much on both our time to read and our time to think about what we're reading. We have to accept that. It then becomes a question of how we want to divide our reading time. It helps for me that I get...if not bored, precisely, then restless reading fic. It's not that I don't enjoy a good wallow in a favorite trope or two from time to time, I surely do, but it's not something that holds my interest for that long. The echo chamber quickly starts to feel like stagnation to me. And you can readily spot fic writers and readers who clearly don't read anything else and have no idea what else is out there to know, and the walls start closing in.
So...what else do you want to know? It's not about "improving yourself" or being virtuous, it's about following your curiosity, even if it takes you to a somewhat more challenging place than a story that can be generated by ChatGPT from a handful of tags. There's good advice above about reducing the friction between you and reading all-that-is-not-fic, but, in the end, thinking is work and so the book has to be something you want to read. Maybe look at some of the reviews in a favored newspaper or online publication and see if there's anything that just catches your eye?
(The erotica-outside-fanfic problem is essentially insoluble for straight women, at least. But I presume you're not reading erotica 24/7.)
posted by praemunire at 12:57 AM on December 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
So...what else do you want to know? It's not about "improving yourself" or being virtuous, it's about following your curiosity, even if it takes you to a somewhat more challenging place than a story that can be generated by ChatGPT from a handful of tags. There's good advice above about reducing the friction between you and reading all-that-is-not-fic, but, in the end, thinking is work and so the book has to be something you want to read. Maybe look at some of the reviews in a favored newspaper or online publication and see if there's anything that just catches your eye?
(The erotica-outside-fanfic problem is essentially insoluble for straight women, at least. But I presume you're not reading erotica 24/7.)
posted by praemunire at 12:57 AM on December 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
What worked for me this year was to stop thinking about it in terms of “reading more books INSTEAD of fanfic” but to separate those two goals. I wanted to read more books, period. And not because I felt like I should, but because I wanted to. I also focused on fun, easy reads (romance! Cozy mysteries! Short stories!) instead of trying to force myself to read intense big books that felt like a slog. Reading has always been fun for me, and I wanted to recapture some of that fun.
But also echoing what others have said - there’s nothing wrong with reading fanfic. Like, at all. If that’s what you’re enjoying right now, then keep reading it. Life’s too short to spend trying to avoid things that make you happy.
posted by okayokayigive at 5:20 AM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
But also echoing what others have said - there’s nothing wrong with reading fanfic. Like, at all. If that’s what you’re enjoying right now, then keep reading it. Life’s too short to spend trying to avoid things that make you happy.
posted by okayokayigive at 5:20 AM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
If you're enjoying yourself, there's no reason to change your reading habits (except maybe giving out more comments and kudos). Adults can do what they want with their free time, most people don't read much, and there's no prize at the end for spending time with Ducks, Newburyport instead of a Supernatural bakery AU.
If you do want to make a change, it helps to think about the why.
Social aspects? Join a book club. I've talked to a couple of people who joined my book clubs because they're trying to read less fic and a club that actually talks about the books provides motivation.
Convenience? Ebooks.
Price? Ebooks from the library.
Do you miss tropes and familiar characters? There are so many books by former fic writers that are designed to hit those buttons. You could post an Ask about that and get a reading list that would keep you busy for a while.
posted by betweenthebars at 6:37 AM on December 26, 2022
If you do want to make a change, it helps to think about the why.
Social aspects? Join a book club. I've talked to a couple of people who joined my book clubs because they're trying to read less fic and a club that actually talks about the books provides motivation.
Convenience? Ebooks.
Price? Ebooks from the library.
Do you miss tropes and familiar characters? There are so many books by former fic writers that are designed to hit those buttons. You could post an Ask about that and get a reading list that would keep you busy for a while.
posted by betweenthebars at 6:37 AM on December 26, 2022
Additionally, there may come a day when you look at AO3 and think, the food is terrible and such small portions, and your reading habits shift on their own.
posted by betweenthebars at 6:50 AM on December 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by betweenthebars at 6:50 AM on December 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
The type of fanfic I read is like comfort food. I go to it when I'm sick or stressed and it gives me a quick shot of dopamine or whatever feelgood chemicals. It reliably hits the spot, because I can select the story that want to read, and I usually want all the tropes. I skim past the slow bits or even move on to the next if it isn't doing it for me because it's only fanfic, there'll be another one right there that I'll like better.
Compared to that, a published book is like fine dining. It requires more effort and expense. (Even if I'm borrowing from the library it takes longer to choose a book than fanfic). Ingredients, flavours and textures may be unfamiliar. I might have to eat slowly and chew thoughtfully to fully appreciate it. It can be amazing, and enjoyable but even though I can admire the skill of the chef and how well the whole meal was put together, I won't always get that sugar hit that fanfic gives.
But reading's not just about getting a quick fix. I read published books because I want a longer cohesive story that's written well and has witty turns of phrase. That may be a bit more intellectually stimulating. I know this exists in fanfic too, and if you are reading that kind, you're probably not missing much by not reading traditionally published fiction.
I wonder if you got used to skimming and skipping through fanfic, but don't feel like you can do that with novels and that's why novels feel like work? I may be projecting but that's what happened to me after reading a lot of fanfic in the last few years (obvious reasons for needing comfort reading). I feel like if something is worth reading, it's worth reading properly so I pushed through. I still feel I can't sustain reading for as long as I did before, even with a compelling story. I don't know if I can fully blame the fanfic for that, but it can't have helped. Anyway, if that applies to you, feel free to skim through published works too. No one's going to know or care.
posted by pianissimo at 8:09 AM on December 26, 2022
Compared to that, a published book is like fine dining. It requires more effort and expense. (Even if I'm borrowing from the library it takes longer to choose a book than fanfic). Ingredients, flavours and textures may be unfamiliar. I might have to eat slowly and chew thoughtfully to fully appreciate it. It can be amazing, and enjoyable but even though I can admire the skill of the chef and how well the whole meal was put together, I won't always get that sugar hit that fanfic gives.
But reading's not just about getting a quick fix. I read published books because I want a longer cohesive story that's written well and has witty turns of phrase. That may be a bit more intellectually stimulating. I know this exists in fanfic too, and if you are reading that kind, you're probably not missing much by not reading traditionally published fiction.
I wonder if you got used to skimming and skipping through fanfic, but don't feel like you can do that with novels and that's why novels feel like work? I may be projecting but that's what happened to me after reading a lot of fanfic in the last few years (obvious reasons for needing comfort reading). I feel like if something is worth reading, it's worth reading properly so I pushed through. I still feel I can't sustain reading for as long as I did before, even with a compelling story. I don't know if I can fully blame the fanfic for that, but it can't have helped. Anyway, if that applies to you, feel free to skim through published works too. No one's going to know or care.
posted by pianissimo at 8:09 AM on December 26, 2022
I'm generally not a big fan of short stories for much the same reason - there's always a cognitive weight to starting a story with new characters and trying to pick up the context of what is going on and why I should care. With short stories, you barely meet the characters before it's over. Stand alone novels are longer, but have a similar issue where it's hard to tell if you care about the characters until at least 1/3 or more of the way through a book.
One thing that might help is to look for book series - that way you can have the joy of going deeper into the story of beloved characters while widening your reading range like you want.
posted by past unusual at 9:06 AM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
One thing that might help is to look for book series - that way you can have the joy of going deeper into the story of beloved characters while widening your reading range like you want.
posted by past unusual at 9:06 AM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
I used to read a lot of books, and then the pandemic hit, and I took refuge in fanfiction, because I did not have the spare cope for other things.
I got back into reading books (although I do still read a ton of fanfiction and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that) by identifying what made fanfiction appealing that was instead an obstacle when reading books, and fixing it.
So:
- Fanfiction has characters and storylines I already am invested in, whereas a new book (that isn't from a series I was already following), not so much. Solution: figure out the types of books that are likely to have characters and storylines I will get invested in, and go for those. (For me, this is queer fantasy / scifi; obviously, YMMV.)
- Fanfiction gives me (via tags) the guarantee of knowing the plot type, a lot better than the average book blurb does, and the certainty that the story is going to have a happy ending; a book, not so much. Solution: seek out reviews that go more in-depth than the blurb as to what type of story this is, and if absolutely necessary, spoil myself for the ending, so I know I'm not walking into Surprise Grimdark when all I wanted was to forget about the world being terrible for a few hours.
- Fanfiction is free, so if I click into something, start reading, and dislike it, I can just backbutton and read something else, whereas if it's a book I have paid actual money for, I get mad, which is counterproductive. Solution: getting my books from the library (or through illicit methods, but that's a last resort). Most libraries these days have ebook loaning, which helps a lot.
And more in general... I read what I want and what I feel will make me happy, not what I think I 'should' read. So I read a lot of fanfiction still, and in terms of books I read a lot of YA/NA even though I'm decades out of the target age bracket at this point - because fuck it, it's relaxing, and a majority of the time I just want to relax. I still read difficult books, but I save those for when I know I have the spare cope.
posted by sailoreagle at 1:13 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I got back into reading books (although I do still read a ton of fanfiction and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that) by identifying what made fanfiction appealing that was instead an obstacle when reading books, and fixing it.
So:
- Fanfiction has characters and storylines I already am invested in, whereas a new book (that isn't from a series I was already following), not so much. Solution: figure out the types of books that are likely to have characters and storylines I will get invested in, and go for those. (For me, this is queer fantasy / scifi; obviously, YMMV.)
- Fanfiction gives me (via tags) the guarantee of knowing the plot type, a lot better than the average book blurb does, and the certainty that the story is going to have a happy ending; a book, not so much. Solution: seek out reviews that go more in-depth than the blurb as to what type of story this is, and if absolutely necessary, spoil myself for the ending, so I know I'm not walking into Surprise Grimdark when all I wanted was to forget about the world being terrible for a few hours.
- Fanfiction is free, so if I click into something, start reading, and dislike it, I can just backbutton and read something else, whereas if it's a book I have paid actual money for, I get mad, which is counterproductive. Solution: getting my books from the library (or through illicit methods, but that's a last resort). Most libraries these days have ebook loaning, which helps a lot.
And more in general... I read what I want and what I feel will make me happy, not what I think I 'should' read. So I read a lot of fanfiction still, and in terms of books I read a lot of YA/NA even though I'm decades out of the target age bracket at this point - because fuck it, it's relaxing, and a majority of the time I just want to relax. I still read difficult books, but I save those for when I know I have the spare cope.
posted by sailoreagle at 1:13 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I am also a voracious fanfic reader who has struggled to read books despite plowing through half a million words a week on AO3.
Switching my Kindle app to continuous scroll mode helped a lot. It turns out that stopping to flip pages, either physically or electronically, is enough of an interruption to wear down my attention span. Continuous scroll (like on AO3) is just a mindless thumb flick.
Another reason I find fanfic easier to read is I don't have to imagine what the major characters look like because I've seen them. I'm not great at visualizing things, so already knowing what most of the people in the story look like makes fanfic easier to read without getting mentally tired. Unfortunately, I have no workarounds for that part.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:57 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Switching my Kindle app to continuous scroll mode helped a lot. It turns out that stopping to flip pages, either physically or electronically, is enough of an interruption to wear down my attention span. Continuous scroll (like on AO3) is just a mindless thumb flick.
Another reason I find fanfic easier to read is I don't have to imagine what the major characters look like because I've seen them. I'm not great at visualizing things, so already knowing what most of the people in the story look like makes fanfic easier to read without getting mentally tired. Unfortunately, I have no workarounds for that part.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:57 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I went through a couple of periods of reading lots and lots of fanfiction, and during all these periods I considered it to be a completely separate hobby from reading books. I read fanfiction because I was obsessively interested in the source material, and I wanted more. If the source material had had official spinoffs or sequels, I would have consumed those. If I'd had friends who wanted to play a roleplaying game set in the same universe, I would have loved to do that. If there had been fan films... OK, I would at least have checked them out, but the ones I saw were, sadly, mostly terrible. But you get the idea. Fanfiction and fanart were the derivative works that existed, so I enthusiastically engaged with them, as an extension of my enjoyment of the original material. Each of these periods came to a natural end when my interest in the material fizzled out -- kind of like a romantic crush wearing off.
You don't have to frame your fanfiction reading as "less good" reading that is directly taking the place of more "virtuous" or "challenging" reading that you could be doing instead. I mean, in a sense, we all have a finite amount of spare time, so any time spent doing one hobby is time not spent doing another hobby (I blame a lot of my own not-reading on the time I sank into social media interactions which I recently realised were not sparking joy). But there isn't some intrinsic connection between these hobbies just because they all involve reading -- lots of unrelated things involve reading and writing.
You don't have to justify liking fanfiction or to make a case for why it's worth your time. It's perfectly fine to do something that you enjoy just because you enjoy it, for as long as that lasts.
If you want to read more books (because reading books is fun, not just because you think you should be eating more proverbial vegetables), I agree with some of the suggestions to decrease the friction required to start reading a book. Put an ebook reader on your phone. Load it up with lots of books (so that if you don't like the first one you try you can bail and try a different one). Get some short story anthologies (so that you can read in shorter bursts, and so that if you don't like one story you may like the next one by a different author). All these things helped me start reading again after a long period when I just couldn't be bothered (but which didn't stop me from buying more books).
I have a large collection of ebooks which I have mostly bought in bundles. This means that 1) I have a large selection, and 2) I didn't pay very much for each individual book, and that means that if I really don't like it after a few dozen pages I can stop and try a different one and I don't feel bad.
posted by confluency at 12:22 PM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
You don't have to frame your fanfiction reading as "less good" reading that is directly taking the place of more "virtuous" or "challenging" reading that you could be doing instead. I mean, in a sense, we all have a finite amount of spare time, so any time spent doing one hobby is time not spent doing another hobby (I blame a lot of my own not-reading on the time I sank into social media interactions which I recently realised were not sparking joy). But there isn't some intrinsic connection between these hobbies just because they all involve reading -- lots of unrelated things involve reading and writing.
You don't have to justify liking fanfiction or to make a case for why it's worth your time. It's perfectly fine to do something that you enjoy just because you enjoy it, for as long as that lasts.
If you want to read more books (because reading books is fun, not just because you think you should be eating more proverbial vegetables), I agree with some of the suggestions to decrease the friction required to start reading a book. Put an ebook reader on your phone. Load it up with lots of books (so that if you don't like the first one you try you can bail and try a different one). Get some short story anthologies (so that you can read in shorter bursts, and so that if you don't like one story you may like the next one by a different author). All these things helped me start reading again after a long period when I just couldn't be bothered (but which didn't stop me from buying more books).
I have a large collection of ebooks which I have mostly bought in bundles. This means that 1) I have a large selection, and 2) I didn't pay very much for each individual book, and that means that if I really don't like it after a few dozen pages I can stop and try a different one and I don't feel bad.
posted by confluency at 12:22 PM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I think this is very much me. Basically grad school put a screeching halt to my fun reading, and busy/stressful life in general has made it difficult to get back in the swing of things even though I've wanted to. Fanfic wasn't my go to, rather a small subset, I did/do Tv trope/wiki vortexes and re-watching my comfort tv shows (sometimes while also scrolling the internet). Much for the same reasons: they're familiar spaces without requiring a lot of dedicated attention if I didn't have it in me/easy to walk away from if i lost interest or had to go manage something.
I've started getting back in the swing of things in a more sustained way with a slower build up, starting with Covid. First, I got access to my local library and their numerous e-books. I can read them either on my kindle or on my laptop (i haven't done the latter too often, but a kindle is definitely not required).
The downside to the library is, of course, you can't keep the books, so there's some sense of urgency. Sometimes that worked in my favor (I have it, must read it now!). But sometimes it also worked against me (pfft, I won't have time, why bother). But my library makes it nice and easy to add items your hold list, so I can get back in line pretty easily if needed. I've also started using Thriftbooks to order cheaper books, with the occasional local book store purchase of a new rele
The second piece of the puzzle for me is my sister is a bit of a reading buddy for me. She's working on her PhD in literature and we have similar tastes in reading. She's also got an endless "to read list" so if I tell her I'm in the mood for XYZ she can find something along those lines. We don't set aside time for specific books discussion, but we'll try to read a book together and text each other about it. We'll also swap books. She's the perfect reading buddy for me. Being at a distance it's a nice way to stay in touch, but we're also not holding each other to strict deadlines. It's definitely more of a motivation feel rather than an obligation feel.
So having a buddy that was ready to read other things with me pulls me out of my online reading. Getting the books cheaply or for free also eased adding other things to the list.
posted by ghost phoneme at 5:27 PM on December 25, 2022 [1 favorite]