It Feels Like Fan Fiction Is Dying

It really, really does.

I don't think I mean in general. I know some fandoms have a super big fan fiction base with literally millions of readers for some stories (1D I'm looking at you) and they're super active.

But for me personally, it's all but died. It feels like no one reads/writes in anything I like to read/write in anymore. This isn't supposed to be a woe is me sort of blog but I remember when you'd get like hundreds of readers for MCR fan fictions and people would actually leave comments and there were like 10 different places to post them at.

Nowadays, I think Mibba and the mini site mychemicalromancefanfiction.net are the only places where it's still actively read, posted, and commented on. And by that I mean only if it's Frerard, and usually smut and/or something to do with an asylum or dom/sub.

Like, things have gotten very very specific in fan fiction and I never got the memo. I'm still here writing Gerard/OFC romances because that's what I've always done. Everyone moved on without me.

I'm incredibly sad about the near-death of the Placebo fan fic community. I don't see any Placebo fics posted on Mibba anymore, besides my own, or anywhere else for that matter. On the forum, where there used to be tonnes of people posting (we even had quite successful monthly challenge prompts) there are maybe 10 active posters, tops, and some silent but pretty consistent readers. There are 2 girls on there, Inge and Gaby, who legit comment like 200+ word comments on every chapter of my story and OMG they are amazing. The fan fic community needs more people like that who both write and comment and want to get involved. If they weren't there and when they one day disappear, I don't know that I'll write for Placebo anymore.

It feels like all my fandoms are getting tinier. Green Day used to be HUGE. And now... well...

Some of my fandoms never had a huge base in fan fic to begin with. They were dead before they began.

I just get so down over this sometimes.

I feel like everyone is of the belief that writing has 3 steps:
1. Fan fiction.
2. Original fiction.
3. Get published.

And that's never been the method I've been following. For me, writing only ever had one step and only ever will.

1. Write what makes you happy.

For me, it's always been fan fiction. It always will be. I'm going to be like 80 years old writing fan fictions about Billie Joe sitting in burnt out cars at Christie Road, and Gerard Way being the mysterious loser that somehow makes a difference in a girl's life.

But there will be no where to post them by then, I'm sure. And as much fun as it is to write for one's self, it's always made better when you can share your passion with others.

If you're currently part of one of those popular fandoms right now, please do make the absolute most of it. It's fleeting - painfully fleeting - and you will miss it once it's no longer around.

And remember - it's okay to write fan fiction. If you enjoy it and you're not harming others then that's good enough reason to continue doing so for as long as you have your imagination. Fan fic does not have to be a mere stepping stone to being a published author. Fan fiction can be your ultimate goal, your only wish as a writer, and that's perfectly okay.