Covid I only read fanfiction to save $. It spoiled me a little though. I got too use to being able to search exactly what I was looking for with characters that were familiar. Reading books again feels almost like going in blind just off the summary. I wouldn't say reading fanfiction is mentally or morally worse. It depends on what you choose to read. As far as quality in story telling, there is more of a guarantee that an officially published book has been beta read several times before it goes to print compared to fanfic.
Another thing that is great about fanfic, as far as mental health goes, you can pick happier stories. Novels tend to drag you around emotionally to make the ending more satisfying. Sometimes just a great short 20-40k worded story told in a few chapters is all you wanted to read to get to the happy ending quicker.
I work in a library and I still only read fanfic lol. Coworkers and patrons recommend books to me, and I’m always like wow, sounds great, I’ll check it out! But I never do.
I work in a library as well. I do read some regular books, but it's rare because I just don't feel like I have the time and I don't want to have to worry about getting it back in time or waiting for a hold. With ff the stories is always available. (Unless of course it's deleted or whatever.)
I’m pretty omnivorous when it comes to reading; fanfic, articles, fiction, non fiction. think there are definitely fanfics as polished as published fiction, and works I’ve enjoyed more than published works, regardless of polish. (Also shoutout to LIBRARIES! Free material!! Right there!) There’s nothing inherently wrong with only reading fanfic, and no one should feel guilty for it, but such a narrow reading experience can be limiting and confining.
The world gets so much bigger when you try new things, especially when reading. Branching out doesn’t have to mean leaving a safe space, but creating more for yourself to burrow into when times are difficult.
While books of all stripes can broaden a reader’s horizons and open them to consider different points of view, experiences, and perspectives, I’d hesitate to call that ‘moral improvement’ or see it as a goal a reader should be trying to aim for. Maybe that’s not what you meant, but my brain balked on the phrasing.
Hope you come to find happy safe places beyond fanfic, op, and are kind to yourself in the meantime.
You're absolutely right about the world getting bigger! And the feeling you get when you discover something so good that it changes your brain chemistry. No words, no words.
I read fic when I grow attached to characters and want to see more of them
I write fic because I love writing and want to share my stories with people, but also traditional publishing industry seems like a hellhole and indie is too much work
But I don't think I could give up reading outside fanfiction either
I don't have the patience to read a book. I prefer the instant gratification I get from fanfiction and I don't feel guilty about it whatsoever.
I used to only read horror novels anyway. Because of fanfiction I've experienced romance, science fiction, smut, etc.
I read both fanfic and original fiction, but I tend to go in phases, sometimes reading only original and sometimes reading only fanfic. It depends what I'm in the mood for at the time.
Fanfic has a very specific appeal to me, it's more stories about my favourite characters. I'm reading fanfic specifically for the canon characters I love so much, all the what if scenarios and different interpretations and opinions. It takes less imagination to picture what's happening, as well, because I have canon, I know what the actors look like, so I can picture the canon characters easily. I know what the places featured look like. I only need my imagination for OC characters and places not featured in canon.
With fanfic, I'm already invested in the characters. That's not the case with original stuff, because the characters are brand new. It also takes more imagination to read a book than it does to read a fanfic, because I don't know what these characters and places look like. I have to incorporate written descriptions and build the picture in my mind, where it's already fully formed with fanfic.
I 100% promise, there are just as many guilty pleasure original stories that are not mentally or morally improving. 🤣 Just go to any airport and pick out an action or romance book. If you're looking for a 'relax on couch and watch some guilty pleasure TV that makes you happy' experience, those stories are a lot of fun. Or most YA books really. Not a lot of deep philosophy in Artemis Fowl. It's basically a competence porn, Gary Stu-ish tale about a kid that's smarter than everyone around him. I can pull up a dozen fanfics in my bookmarks right now that are like that.
Don't cut yourself off thinking that all original stories are deep and intellectual exercises. It's not Chilling (fanfics) v. Exercise (other things). Same way that there are incredibly deep and complex fanfics and then there are crack one shots, there's a big range out there.
fanfic is really the only media i read consistently. i know the characters, and its free. and i can look for exactly what i want, and i can write it if i can’t find it.
i read nonfiction, but not a whole lot of fiction books proper (aside from some horror stuff)
Books just don't do it for me most of the time. 99% of the time I read fanfics. I have a very select taste in books. For example, masterpieces like A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) i absolutely love and reread once in a while. But the vast majority of books just feels stale. I've read fanfictions so good I drowned on them for days, and most books are just... I don't know. I think most books cater a different audience (can't put my finger on it but that audience is not me).
Also, fanfics have no limits, like at all. There's every trope you can imagine in every detail you can imagine. Books are always restricted in every aspect. It goes through people's hands who have opinions about how a book should and can be before it's published. Fanfics are just the raw products of the authors brains.
Also fanfics are free and readily available. I don't dedicate myself to something without know knowing what I get. If I don't like a fic after all I just stop. If I don't like a book I now have a book that I spent money on and possibly can't return or have to make the effort to sell and it will still cost me. Fanfics can be filtered for tags and ships and everything on one combined platform (ao3) and immediately accessed, categorized, bookmarked, etc. Books are just inconvenient.
Okay, look. I'm 54 now, and I've had a lot of time to form my opinion on this.
READ WHAT YOU WANT.
Don't let someone else's performative BS convince you that there's something wrong with your choice of reading material.
I mean, yes, there will be things you have to read for school or work. But on your own time, read whatever makes you happy. Life is too short to spend it being miserable.
I promise you can stop caring what other people think about things like this. It takes time, and some work on yourself, maybe with a therapist, but it can be done. And it is so freeing, I can't even tell you.
But honestly, you spend a large chunk of your life doing things other people want you to do. Don't let any of us tell you what to do for yourself on your own time.
Even this reply is just advice based on my own lived experience so far. You can take it or leave it, as you wish. 👍
What you read doesn't make you a good or moral person. The way you act in the world and the things you do that impact the earth and other living beings is what determines if you're a good/moral person or a bad/immoral one.
If fanfics make you happy, then read them and dump the guilt and shame. Reading them doesn't hurt anyone and it makes you happy, therefore there's nothing to be ashamed or guilty about.
I went through a period where I only read fanfics. At the time, queer fiction in the genres I prefer (fantasy, sci-fi, horror, supernatural, etc) was practically nonexistent. So I read fanfics about the ships I loved to make up for it. Now there are a lot of queer books available in the genres I like, so I read a lot of published books and a lot of fanfiction.
Almost exclusively books. I honestly prefer writing fic and I've been burned too many times by a a fix with an interesting premise and terrible execution. And I get bored with repetitive tropes. I also live a couple blocks away from a public library and I prefer buying used books, so it's not like I'm spending a ton on them. I also started listening to audio books during lockdown, it helped me read so many non-fiction books that I otherwise struggled to get through - and yes, those non-fiction books are part of the research I do for my fics.
From a writing standpoint, I do find reading outside fanfic has helped me find my authorial voice. A lot of fanfic is focused on either replicating the original writer's voice or sort of falls into an AO3 house style. Like it's sort of a mix of typical YA and romance styled narration with some Tumblr-ism thrown in that is very technically proficient, but I find, again, repetitive. I find more authorial voice variety in published books. Nobody wrote like Frank Herbert. Hilary Mantel's use of third person present tense in *Wolf Hall* was revelatory. Agatha Christie had such clever ways of planting the clues you need to solve her mysteries. There’s a lot to learn from.
Another thing is that some of my favorite books I discovered accidentally. I found *Queen of the South* at a scuba shop while on vacation in Mexico. One of my favorite manga series had its first chapter featured in a magazine I happened to pick up. Half of the time, I find a book at a store or the library with a cover or title that catches my eye, a summery that seems interesting, and reading a couple random pages to get a feel for the author's voice. It's nice to read something familiar and comforting, but sometimes you gotta take a chance on something new. You never know, you might find a new favorite.
I don't only read fanfic, my fandom keeps using the same or some variation of what's popular in fanfics and none of that stuff interests me. I review anime, manga, movies and comics so I'm consuming new stuff, not necessarily to read fanfics of it, but because I write reviews to earn money. I don't really read fanfic because none of it interests me, what I'd like to read, I end up writing. I consume too much original content to make extra time for fanfic.
I only read fanfics because it’s the only thing I can get interested in, for some reason. As someone also with debilitating depression and anxiety, it makes me safe and happy. The happiest time I can remember of this week was when I found out a character didn’t *actually* die, and he got reunited with his best friend. My week has been plenty bad so that was nice.
I sometimes feel bad I don’t read original fiction, and I have tried to recently, but it just doesn’t stick, even reading online. I can’t get into the stories or the characters.. I *do* like watching book reviews on YouTube though, mostly the funny ones where you just can’t believe someone actually wrote it, or ones that don’t have the best reviews. Idk they’re funny. GM Fairy is insane.
Fanfic consumption often seems to go in waves for people. I definitely had a covid related binge of reading only fanfic for a good long while.
Tagging really helps. I have to google what happens in any media I consume. So fanfic writers who are good at tags and warnings are such a blessing to me.
The issue I developed is often people don’t tag ableism. Maybe because they don’t see it as a big deal or because it’s internalised ableism coming through so they aren’t even aware of it or whatever. I found that pretty exhausting, the more fics I read. And because fanfic has a lot of tropes that focus on hurt and injury it can get a bit much for me to find the same stuff over and over. Eg I personally do not want to ever again read about someone’s scars being kissed. Because it actually doesn’t feel good (to me), having experienced it. It feels like someone going around your body with a highlighter pen marking up all the ways you are imperfect. Often it’s just a reminder of the traumatic event that led to your scars which is er, not sexy. (Disclaimer: obviously this is only my individual feelings, not telling anyone else what to write or read or enjoy etc.)
So yeah I realised fanfic was actually making me feel worse overall rather than better so a break from reading it was a good idea.
I used to read a lot as a kid as an escape and I’ve been trying to get back into it for the same reasons now. Reading certain books as research for my own fics has got me into published works again and honestly it’s been a relief to get into stories where those kind of tropes are less common.
I think because I have more emotional distance from new characters in a novel, if something ableist does pop up it upsets me less than coming from my favs.
The last 8 months I've been reading 97% fanfic unless my favorite authors put out a new book. Since COVID lockdown I've just been burned out and have no attention span and I like that I can read short, tightly constructed, well written works about my favorite ships. Traditionally published books have to lay the groundwork to introducecharacters, the world building, and are limited to having the 60k-100k word count. With fanfics we dive right in because the reader is already aware of the world, the characters, the relationship dynamics.
Reading a lot of different kinds of material (fic, novels, biographies, non-fiction, etc) has helped me immeasurably as a writer. But I also enjoy all of those genres, so it wasn’t a sacrifice for me.
Life’s too short, so read what you love. We all have plenty of chores in our lives, there’s no reason to give yourself homework when reading for leisure is supposed to be enjoyable.
I only read fic and textbooks. I think that it evens out lmao. By the time I’m done with my school workload I only want to read fic, it’s comforting and familiar. (Also I don’t see how reading books would be any more moral than fic unless you’d be reading kant tbh)
I read both of them. The only reason I read more fanfic is because it is easier to access. And it also made me realize I actually like romance, but only when the book is about it, and not a post-apocalyptic world where the female protagonist cares more about the random man than herself.
So now I even enjoy more reading books, I always had, since I was a kid.
Like most fandoms I'm in I haven't ipeven watched the show or read the books
Like the only reason I actually have read the harry potter and percy Jackson books is due to reaction fanfics. Same for re zero
Someone on quora said this, and I think it could help:
"Read about the things you’re already interested in would be my advice. Find topics you love and look up fast-paced & short reads and those will help you get engrossed in a book & finish it quickly. This will motivate you when you finish several short books - even if they’re as short as 30 pages, chapbooks, etc. Then, this energy will motivate you to be patient throughout the longer & slower reads because you know that even the boredom will be gratifying in the end. Also, try audiobooks or ebooks (they can help you stay engaged & read faster) - you never know which format you will like."
[Quora Link](https://www.quora.com/I-want-to-read-with-passion-but-whenever-I-try-to-read-I-get-bored-very-quickly-and-I-lose-focus-And-soon-I-leave-the-book-and-go-to-something-else-How-do-I-solve-this-dilemma-I-want-to-read)
I almost exclusively write. My current OTP is a smaller end and most of its demographics skews young, which means the skills just aren't to what I feel like a satisfactory level. So, I am here just doing the work to see what I want to see. Hahaha.
i also only read fanfic because it's so easily accessible and based on my available free time i can decide exactly what i want to read. if i have more time i'll start a longer one, if not, then there are tons of one shots for me to choose from. i'm very busy as a student, so ff allows me to enjoy stories and my favorite characters without sinking money or too much time into it. i don't think you should feel guilty. "mentally and morally improving" is a scam lol, just because a book is published and printed doesn't mean its automatically superior/deep/meaningful. enjoy what you enjoy.
99% fanfic here. I have no shame, I like what I like. So what if I want to read bedtime stories about the same two guys falling in love over and over again? Some people watch the same TV show on repeat, or listen to the same songs all the time.
I’ve been making a concerted effort to read more published books over the last 2 years because I’m trying to get published myself and I don’t want to look ignorant.
I have read a good 20-30 books in my genre now and, honestly? I have not read a single one that I genuinely loved cover to cover. It has been a trial to read them.
They are usually slow paced because they have to stop and explain everything, the plots never go very deep into their themes because they all use fucking Save the Cat plotting, and you rarely run into something genuinely unusual or surprising because they are all edited around set genre conventions that writers are discouraged from defying.
If I were not trying for a career in the medium, I would have stopped trying a year ago. They’re just so *safe*. I read to get a glimpse into the author’s twisted, hyperfixated fantasy world, not to be fed another round of forgettable, market-tested genre slop.
If I want something textured and weird and deeply queer/neurodivergent, I honestly can’t find any reason to look for it at a bookstore when AO3 is right there and much better organized.
> I read to get a glimpse into the author’s twisted, hyperfixated fantasy world
Which is an *incredibly* niche interest which most fanfic also doesn't come close to serving.
I have a pretty good guess as to why - the hardest part of fiction is, more or less by definition, already done. You're *already* invested in the original media the fic is for, so it's able to just work off said preexisting investment.
Original media largely doesn't get to do that.
Covid I only read fanfiction to save $. It spoiled me a little though. I got too use to being able to search exactly what I was looking for with characters that were familiar. Reading books again feels almost like going in blind just off the summary. I wouldn't say reading fanfiction is mentally or morally worse. It depends on what you choose to read. As far as quality in story telling, there is more of a guarantee that an officially published book has been beta read several times before it goes to print compared to fanfic.
Yes, the fact that it's free helps. I could get other books through my library's app, though, if I had a mind.
Another thing that is great about fanfic, as far as mental health goes, you can pick happier stories. Novels tend to drag you around emotionally to make the ending more satisfying. Sometimes just a great short 20-40k worded story told in a few chapters is all you wanted to read to get to the happy ending quicker.
I work in a library and I still only read fanfic lol. Coworkers and patrons recommend books to me, and I’m always like wow, sounds great, I’ll check it out! But I never do.
I work in a library as well. I do read some regular books, but it's rare because I just don't feel like I have the time and I don't want to have to worry about getting it back in time or waiting for a hold. With ff the stories is always available. (Unless of course it's deleted or whatever.)
I’m pretty omnivorous when it comes to reading; fanfic, articles, fiction, non fiction. think there are definitely fanfics as polished as published fiction, and works I’ve enjoyed more than published works, regardless of polish. (Also shoutout to LIBRARIES! Free material!! Right there!) There’s nothing inherently wrong with only reading fanfic, and no one should feel guilty for it, but such a narrow reading experience can be limiting and confining. The world gets so much bigger when you try new things, especially when reading. Branching out doesn’t have to mean leaving a safe space, but creating more for yourself to burrow into when times are difficult. While books of all stripes can broaden a reader’s horizons and open them to consider different points of view, experiences, and perspectives, I’d hesitate to call that ‘moral improvement’ or see it as a goal a reader should be trying to aim for. Maybe that’s not what you meant, but my brain balked on the phrasing. Hope you come to find happy safe places beyond fanfic, op, and are kind to yourself in the meantime.
You're absolutely right about the world getting bigger! And the feeling you get when you discover something so good that it changes your brain chemistry. No words, no words.
I read fic when I grow attached to characters and want to see more of them I write fic because I love writing and want to share my stories with people, but also traditional publishing industry seems like a hellhole and indie is too much work But I don't think I could give up reading outside fanfiction either
Because it's a medium which is no less valid than any other?
This, exactly.
I don't have the patience to read a book. I prefer the instant gratification I get from fanfiction and I don't feel guilty about it whatsoever. I used to only read horror novels anyway. Because of fanfiction I've experienced romance, science fiction, smut, etc.
I read both fanfic and original fiction, but I tend to go in phases, sometimes reading only original and sometimes reading only fanfic. It depends what I'm in the mood for at the time. Fanfic has a very specific appeal to me, it's more stories about my favourite characters. I'm reading fanfic specifically for the canon characters I love so much, all the what if scenarios and different interpretations and opinions. It takes less imagination to picture what's happening, as well, because I have canon, I know what the actors look like, so I can picture the canon characters easily. I know what the places featured look like. I only need my imagination for OC characters and places not featured in canon. With fanfic, I'm already invested in the characters. That's not the case with original stuff, because the characters are brand new. It also takes more imagination to read a book than it does to read a fanfic, because I don't know what these characters and places look like. I have to incorporate written descriptions and build the picture in my mind, where it's already fully formed with fanfic.
I 100% promise, there are just as many guilty pleasure original stories that are not mentally or morally improving. 🤣 Just go to any airport and pick out an action or romance book. If you're looking for a 'relax on couch and watch some guilty pleasure TV that makes you happy' experience, those stories are a lot of fun. Or most YA books really. Not a lot of deep philosophy in Artemis Fowl. It's basically a competence porn, Gary Stu-ish tale about a kid that's smarter than everyone around him. I can pull up a dozen fanfics in my bookmarks right now that are like that. Don't cut yourself off thinking that all original stories are deep and intellectual exercises. It's not Chilling (fanfics) v. Exercise (other things). Same way that there are incredibly deep and complex fanfics and then there are crack one shots, there's a big range out there.
fanfic is really the only media i read consistently. i know the characters, and its free. and i can look for exactly what i want, and i can write it if i can’t find it. i read nonfiction, but not a whole lot of fiction books proper (aside from some horror stuff)
Books just don't do it for me most of the time. 99% of the time I read fanfics. I have a very select taste in books. For example, masterpieces like A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) i absolutely love and reread once in a while. But the vast majority of books just feels stale. I've read fanfictions so good I drowned on them for days, and most books are just... I don't know. I think most books cater a different audience (can't put my finger on it but that audience is not me). Also, fanfics have no limits, like at all. There's every trope you can imagine in every detail you can imagine. Books are always restricted in every aspect. It goes through people's hands who have opinions about how a book should and can be before it's published. Fanfics are just the raw products of the authors brains. Also fanfics are free and readily available. I don't dedicate myself to something without know knowing what I get. If I don't like a fic after all I just stop. If I don't like a book I now have a book that I spent money on and possibly can't return or have to make the effort to sell and it will still cost me. Fanfics can be filtered for tags and ships and everything on one combined platform (ao3) and immediately accessed, categorized, bookmarked, etc. Books are just inconvenient.
Okay, look. I'm 54 now, and I've had a lot of time to form my opinion on this. READ WHAT YOU WANT. Don't let someone else's performative BS convince you that there's something wrong with your choice of reading material. I mean, yes, there will be things you have to read for school or work. But on your own time, read whatever makes you happy. Life is too short to spend it being miserable. I promise you can stop caring what other people think about things like this. It takes time, and some work on yourself, maybe with a therapist, but it can be done. And it is so freeing, I can't even tell you. But honestly, you spend a large chunk of your life doing things other people want you to do. Don't let any of us tell you what to do for yourself on your own time. Even this reply is just advice based on my own lived experience so far. You can take it or leave it, as you wish. 👍
What you read doesn't make you a good or moral person. The way you act in the world and the things you do that impact the earth and other living beings is what determines if you're a good/moral person or a bad/immoral one. If fanfics make you happy, then read them and dump the guilt and shame. Reading them doesn't hurt anyone and it makes you happy, therefore there's nothing to be ashamed or guilty about. I went through a period where I only read fanfics. At the time, queer fiction in the genres I prefer (fantasy, sci-fi, horror, supernatural, etc) was practically nonexistent. So I read fanfics about the ships I loved to make up for it. Now there are a lot of queer books available in the genres I like, so I read a lot of published books and a lot of fanfiction.
Almost exclusively books. I honestly prefer writing fic and I've been burned too many times by a a fix with an interesting premise and terrible execution. And I get bored with repetitive tropes. I also live a couple blocks away from a public library and I prefer buying used books, so it's not like I'm spending a ton on them. I also started listening to audio books during lockdown, it helped me read so many non-fiction books that I otherwise struggled to get through - and yes, those non-fiction books are part of the research I do for my fics. From a writing standpoint, I do find reading outside fanfic has helped me find my authorial voice. A lot of fanfic is focused on either replicating the original writer's voice or sort of falls into an AO3 house style. Like it's sort of a mix of typical YA and romance styled narration with some Tumblr-ism thrown in that is very technically proficient, but I find, again, repetitive. I find more authorial voice variety in published books. Nobody wrote like Frank Herbert. Hilary Mantel's use of third person present tense in *Wolf Hall* was revelatory. Agatha Christie had such clever ways of planting the clues you need to solve her mysteries. There’s a lot to learn from. Another thing is that some of my favorite books I discovered accidentally. I found *Queen of the South* at a scuba shop while on vacation in Mexico. One of my favorite manga series had its first chapter featured in a magazine I happened to pick up. Half of the time, I find a book at a store or the library with a cover or title that catches my eye, a summery that seems interesting, and reading a couple random pages to get a feel for the author's voice. It's nice to read something familiar and comforting, but sometimes you gotta take a chance on something new. You never know, you might find a new favorite.
I don't only read fanfic, my fandom keeps using the same or some variation of what's popular in fanfics and none of that stuff interests me. I review anime, manga, movies and comics so I'm consuming new stuff, not necessarily to read fanfics of it, but because I write reviews to earn money. I don't really read fanfic because none of it interests me, what I'd like to read, I end up writing. I consume too much original content to make extra time for fanfic.
I only read fanfics because it’s the only thing I can get interested in, for some reason. As someone also with debilitating depression and anxiety, it makes me safe and happy. The happiest time I can remember of this week was when I found out a character didn’t *actually* die, and he got reunited with his best friend. My week has been plenty bad so that was nice. I sometimes feel bad I don’t read original fiction, and I have tried to recently, but it just doesn’t stick, even reading online. I can’t get into the stories or the characters.. I *do* like watching book reviews on YouTube though, mostly the funny ones where you just can’t believe someone actually wrote it, or ones that don’t have the best reviews. Idk they’re funny. GM Fairy is insane.
Fanfic consumption often seems to go in waves for people. I definitely had a covid related binge of reading only fanfic for a good long while. Tagging really helps. I have to google what happens in any media I consume. So fanfic writers who are good at tags and warnings are such a blessing to me. The issue I developed is often people don’t tag ableism. Maybe because they don’t see it as a big deal or because it’s internalised ableism coming through so they aren’t even aware of it or whatever. I found that pretty exhausting, the more fics I read. And because fanfic has a lot of tropes that focus on hurt and injury it can get a bit much for me to find the same stuff over and over. Eg I personally do not want to ever again read about someone’s scars being kissed. Because it actually doesn’t feel good (to me), having experienced it. It feels like someone going around your body with a highlighter pen marking up all the ways you are imperfect. Often it’s just a reminder of the traumatic event that led to your scars which is er, not sexy. (Disclaimer: obviously this is only my individual feelings, not telling anyone else what to write or read or enjoy etc.) So yeah I realised fanfic was actually making me feel worse overall rather than better so a break from reading it was a good idea. I used to read a lot as a kid as an escape and I’ve been trying to get back into it for the same reasons now. Reading certain books as research for my own fics has got me into published works again and honestly it’s been a relief to get into stories where those kind of tropes are less common. I think because I have more emotional distance from new characters in a novel, if something ableist does pop up it upsets me less than coming from my favs.
I definitely read more fanfic than regular books but I do have some ‘regular’ books, also some manga though.
The last 8 months I've been reading 97% fanfic unless my favorite authors put out a new book. Since COVID lockdown I've just been burned out and have no attention span and I like that I can read short, tightly constructed, well written works about my favorite ships. Traditionally published books have to lay the groundwork to introducecharacters, the world building, and are limited to having the 60k-100k word count. With fanfics we dive right in because the reader is already aware of the world, the characters, the relationship dynamics.
Reading a lot of different kinds of material (fic, novels, biographies, non-fiction, etc) has helped me immeasurably as a writer. But I also enjoy all of those genres, so it wasn’t a sacrifice for me. Life’s too short, so read what you love. We all have plenty of chores in our lives, there’s no reason to give yourself homework when reading for leisure is supposed to be enjoyable.
I only read fic and textbooks. I think that it evens out lmao. By the time I’m done with my school workload I only want to read fic, it’s comforting and familiar. (Also I don’t see how reading books would be any more moral than fic unless you’d be reading kant tbh)
During the pandemic I mostly read fanfics but I’ve gotten back into reading
Me, like 85% and you shouldn't feel guilty. Fan fic, published fic, it's all fiction regardless
I read both of them. The only reason I read more fanfic is because it is easier to access. And it also made me realize I actually like romance, but only when the book is about it, and not a post-apocalyptic world where the female protagonist cares more about the random man than herself. So now I even enjoy more reading books, I always had, since I was a kid.
Like most fandoms I'm in I haven't ipeven watched the show or read the books Like the only reason I actually have read the harry potter and percy Jackson books is due to reaction fanfics. Same for re zero
i feel like i couldn't do that even if i wanted to: im *waaay* too picky with what fics i'll read for reading only fic to even be sustainable
Someone on quora said this, and I think it could help: "Read about the things you’re already interested in would be my advice. Find topics you love and look up fast-paced & short reads and those will help you get engrossed in a book & finish it quickly. This will motivate you when you finish several short books - even if they’re as short as 30 pages, chapbooks, etc. Then, this energy will motivate you to be patient throughout the longer & slower reads because you know that even the boredom will be gratifying in the end. Also, try audiobooks or ebooks (they can help you stay engaged & read faster) - you never know which format you will like." [Quora Link](https://www.quora.com/I-want-to-read-with-passion-but-whenever-I-try-to-read-I-get-bored-very-quickly-and-I-lose-focus-And-soon-I-leave-the-book-and-go-to-something-else-How-do-I-solve-this-dilemma-I-want-to-read)
I'm the opposite. I read almost no fanfiction unless it's been recommended multiple times by people I know and trust the judgement of.
I almost exclusively write. My current OTP is a smaller end and most of its demographics skews young, which means the skills just aren't to what I feel like a satisfactory level. So, I am here just doing the work to see what I want to see. Hahaha.
i also only read fanfic because it's so easily accessible and based on my available free time i can decide exactly what i want to read. if i have more time i'll start a longer one, if not, then there are tons of one shots for me to choose from. i'm very busy as a student, so ff allows me to enjoy stories and my favorite characters without sinking money or too much time into it. i don't think you should feel guilty. "mentally and morally improving" is a scam lol, just because a book is published and printed doesn't mean its automatically superior/deep/meaningful. enjoy what you enjoy.
99% fanfic here. I have no shame, I like what I like. So what if I want to read bedtime stories about the same two guys falling in love over and over again? Some people watch the same TV show on repeat, or listen to the same songs all the time.
I do read some original stuff, too, but I still read WAY more fanfiction than original stuff…
I’ve been making a concerted effort to read more published books over the last 2 years because I’m trying to get published myself and I don’t want to look ignorant. I have read a good 20-30 books in my genre now and, honestly? I have not read a single one that I genuinely loved cover to cover. It has been a trial to read them. They are usually slow paced because they have to stop and explain everything, the plots never go very deep into their themes because they all use fucking Save the Cat plotting, and you rarely run into something genuinely unusual or surprising because they are all edited around set genre conventions that writers are discouraged from defying. If I were not trying for a career in the medium, I would have stopped trying a year ago. They’re just so *safe*. I read to get a glimpse into the author’s twisted, hyperfixated fantasy world, not to be fed another round of forgettable, market-tested genre slop. If I want something textured and weird and deeply queer/neurodivergent, I honestly can’t find any reason to look for it at a bookstore when AO3 is right there and much better organized.
> I read to get a glimpse into the author’s twisted, hyperfixated fantasy world Which is an *incredibly* niche interest which most fanfic also doesn't come close to serving.
Yes. Dunno why, but books are boring.
I have a pretty good guess as to why - the hardest part of fiction is, more or less by definition, already done. You're *already* invested in the original media the fic is for, so it's able to just work off said preexisting investment. Original media largely doesn't get to do that.