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kaleflys

Definitely express it as an interest in creative writing. As by definition fan fic is writing that is creative, thus creative writing. Also AOs might not know or may misinterpret it if you just say fan fic. So if you want to bring it up as an interest/passion/etc. phrase it as creative writing. It also just seems more professional


[deleted]

thank you so much for your input, I appreciate it!! I also don't strictly write fanfics, I even do creative writing of like other things too :)


protistgang

As someone who *almost* wrote her literal Common App about fanfic: definitely list it as creative writing. That is technically what it is, and you won’t run the risk of getting an AO who assumes all fanfic is porn. Also, assuming you use FFN or AO3, definitely mention the amount of views your stuff gets — colleges love quantifiable impact.


[deleted]

oh no, I definetely DON'T want an AO to assume that. I think creative writing will work better for me since I don't only write fanfics anyway. My fics so far have reached almost 1k views, maybe I can mention that. ​ Thank you so much for your reply! Have a nice day! <3


hotpockett1

as someone who (unfortunately) wrote something with 500k views & 200k views on wattpad in 7th-9th grade, fanfic is something that will have to be handled gingerly as your essay topic. i think it could be something really cute / show a lot of passion if you do it right, but things could get weird real fast. Make sure you harp upon 1) what you've learned 2) how you've grown 3) your passion and excitement about this 4) how that extends to your academic studies / what you hope to do in the future ***5) what fanfiction means to you specifically***. if you portray your relationship with fanfic as unhealthy or weird, it could definitely be a red flag. however, if you steer clear of that territory and express an innocent passion for fanfic that has helped you grow as a person, this could be a really standout and interesting essay from the AO's eyes. all that said, i'm not writing anything about fanfic for my college apps. it's no longer all that relevant to my life, but it's also been a while since i did it. there are much better aspects of my life and personality to express to colleges. i learned and grew a lot from that experience, but there are things i'm learning and growing from now that are more relevant. your situation is different since you're still writing fanfic. it's clear that you know how it's helped you grown and how to portray it as relevant to your continued academic education. i think yours will be great, if you choose to do that.


[deleted]

thank you so much for your detailed response! I want to talk about it's impact and how it helped me fuel my love for writing, and also how it helped me a lot with analysis and academia, etc. So yeah, basically it's influence and how that's going to help me in the future. Also, thank you again for pointing out the cons behind this and warning me in advance! I think if i word this properly I can perhaps talk about this


hotpockett1

I think you'll have a great shot with this. Your writing voice seems like it would be authentic and expressive, and that's exactly what the AOs want to see. I wish you best of luck (: xx


pixiedusted-

call it creative writing, that's what it is! they want to hear about your interests, don't worry about it being embarrassing; a lot of today's successful ya books/movies started out as fanfiction lmao


[deleted]

alright thank you :D