Fanfiction sites play a crucial role in fostering creative expression and community engagement by providing platforms where fans can explore and expand upon the worlds of their favorite books, movies, TV shows, and games. These sites give writers a space to craft their own narratives, explore “what if” scenarios, and develop new interpretations of beloved characters or plots. Beyond just a place to share stories, these platforms build communities where readers and writers interact, offer feedback, and celebrate their shared passions.
So what are some of the best places to share one’s fanfiction? Here is a list of the best sites today:
5. FictionPress
This site is owned by the same company as FanFiction.net and offers a similar platform for original writing. However, many fanfiction writers also choose to publish original stories there. Unlike others on this list, FictionPress is specifically geared towards original works, although many fanfic writers use it for their non-fanfiction stories. Like FanFiction.net, readers can leave reviews on each story, helping writers to refine their skills. But what really made this site so special, its community of writers, being one of the first to allow reviews and comments from other users, which can be helpful to writers in improving their craft. It’s innovative feedback system would be adopted by other sites in the years to come.
4. Deadliest Fiction
The wiki that became known as Deadliest Fiction first began as a fanon website inspired by the television show Deadliest Warrior back in 2010. And for more than a decade since its inception, the site churned out some of the best self-made online stories about fictional and historical individuals. What made the site revolutionary is the fact that it combined fanfiction writing with battleboarding debates. Logged users can create blogs pitting two individuals – either historical or fictional or both – and debate on who will in a fight. The user would then count the votes, determine the winner, and then write a simulated “battle”. Some of these fan stories had users pitting 10 or more characters in a fight. The wikia became so popular in the 2010s that it spawned sites with similar premise like Death Battle Fanon Wiki.
3. Wattpad
Wattpad is a versatile platform where both original stories and fanfictions can be published. While it’s not specifically dedicated to fanfiction, it has a large and active community of fanfic writers and readers. Wattpad has a built-in social network, allowing users to comment, vote, and share stories. However, one thing that made Wattpad stand among other writing sites is its simple interface. New stories are accessible at the front page, and its easy for new users to write and publish their fiction with a well-designed editor made for writing. Other sites like Royal Road and WebNovel also became influenced by it. This interface was also integrated in its mobile platform. Yes, it has a mobile application, making it truly unique in its breed.
2. FanFiction.net
One of the oldest and most well-known fanfiction sites, FanFiction.net first came into being during the early days of the internet, back in 1998 no less. And since then, it has become a home for various types of writings and stories, including fanfictions. As its name suggest, it is a site for fanfiction. It is straightforward, simple and large scale, making it easy to use for even the newest of writers. In this site one can find virtually and nearly every fanfiction from various fandoms, covering anime, TV shows, and movies to video games, books, and even original fiction. Most importantly, this site made its mark in literary history for popularizing many famous writers of today from Andy Weir to EL James.
1. Archive of Our Own (AO3)
AO3 is arguably the most popular and expansive fanfiction website in the world. It was created by the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) and is non-commercial, meaning it’s run by fans for fans and does not include ads due to its donation support. Fans can search for stories using detailed tags, which can include characters, relationships, genres, themes, warnings, and more. Users can also filter stories by things like word count, rating, completed status, and more. AO3 also supports all genres and writing styles, and it allows users to post stories that range from short drabbles to lengthy epics. Simply put, it’s the best there is.
These fanfiction sites contribute to a culture of inclusivity and creativity, offering both aspiring writers and seasoned authors an outlet to hone their craft while connecting with like-minded individuals. Reader or writer, you should give them a try sometimes!
Article by Clark Irvine
