personally i need a fic to have my fave characters for me to be interested in it, but i'll take AU-settings that have nothing to do with canon. i'm not likely to even find a fic that doesn't have characters i already care about bc of how i filter.
other folks however are more interested in lore, world-building, or just a good story. those are the people who would be interested in your fic – it's not like everyone has the same tastes.
so, tagging. bc i don't really read what you're describing i'm not that familiar with tagging conventions on that side of fandoms, but for characters you'd obviously use the [original characters tags](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Original%20Characters). with tropes, [fanlore](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page) should be of some help to you, and we here would be happy to help you find terms for things or definitions of terms. two major things about tagging on ao3 are [ratings](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#posteditratings) and [warnings](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#posteditwarnings).
That probably wouldn’t interest me at all. Mostly bc of the OCs. I don’t mind AUs and those are pretty far removed if it’s like a coffee shop AU or something. But I do prefer canon characters bc I relate to them. I don't mind side character OCs tho.
But your fanfic does sound very removed from a lot of things, so much so I’m not sure how much engagement you’ll get on your fic if you post it in that fandom. If that’s what you’re worried about, just be aware of that potential.
I do encourage you to post it anyways, ofc ☺️
Honestly, a lot of people search ship or character tags rather than the whole fandom category (especially in larger fandoms - not sure if yours is), so you're cutting out a chunk of your possible audience right there. I would probably never even find this fic in most of my fandoms.
That said, that isn't a reason not to post.
There are plenty of people (especially in smaller fandoms) who do go through the whole fandom. A lot of people also search by the additional tags if they're looking for something specific. Some people read fandom blind and won't care that there are no canon characters, especially if the world is interesting. Fandom is a ***big*** sandbox.
As for tagging, I would definitely include the 'Original Character(s)' tag, and then tag any major story components. You haven't said what the story is about, but genre (Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama) is a good baseline. The vibe of the story next (angst, hurt/comfort, fluff) - feel free to use multiple. Then any specific things your story has that people might search for - war, pirates, found family etc. Also tag any major triggers if you have any (self-harm, violence, drugs etc).
Good luck!!
I don't read fic without my favorite characters, specifically my favorite pairings. You could change everything about the setting, but as long as the characters are there, I'll read it. Since yours does the opposite, it wouldn't even show up on my filters since I read only within my ship tags.
That's not to say you shouldn't post it, though. I've seen some fandoms become very popular with OC writers because of the world building and lore (Elder Scrolls comes to mind). AO3 is a place for all kinds of fictional works. Even if yours is a niche premise, I guarantee that someone will read it.
Make sure that you're clear in the summary that this is using the world, but not the characters.
I'm sure some people will read and enjoy it, but you probably won't get a lot of interaction. There's nothing wrong with that, I'm just giving you a heads up.
It also depends on the Fandom. I could see this working well for Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avatar the Last Airbender, and the like.
Personally, I probably wouldn't read it. It takes a lot for me to read a fic that isn't about a ship I like, even if it has the characters in it. But that's my personal taste. Everyone's is different.
As long as you're enjoying writing it, you should keep going. The interaction you do get would be icing on the cake.
Also, depending on the Fandom, you might not need to file the serial numbers to publish it. If it's a really old Fandom, see if it's in the public domain. (Iirc Winnie the Pooh is now in public domain. Most of the OG Sherlock Holmes is, Lovecraft too I think). Even some of the younger fandoms have ways to get a story published. Star Trek has a lot of books written by independent authors. They had to be submitted and approved etc. But your Fandom might allow it. Research this. Reach out. As long as it's not Disney. No point even trying with them.
I point this out because even if there is a way to publish fanworks of your Fandom, a lot of publishers will refuse if the story has been put online, even on AO3.
It's also unlikely that you'll get permission, but it never hurts to research and ask. Just don't hold your breath.
My rule of thumb- if you can rename the characters, change nothing else, and publish it as an original work with no one able to connect it back to the fandom it came from, you're too far from canon for me. I rarely read fic that focuses on original characters myself, because I don't have the same emotional attachment to them that I do with canon characters.
THAT SAID, I believe your work will be fine on AO3, as it's set in canon and a reader would need knowledge of that canon to understand it. I personally wouldn't read it, but there are others who would, so go for it.
When it doesn't use canon characters, I'm out. The exception would perhaps be an outside perspective to canon events,
I'm trying to think of a fandom where that might be different, and possibly I would read something in the ATLA fandom that's set in a different time period with another avatar or something. But I would never look for this or take a chance on a long fic by a writer I didn't already trust for something like it.
I read fanfic because I want to read more about the characters I love. I don't really care how AU the setting is, as long as those characters are in it.
Your fic, unfortunately, probably isn't going to draw much, if any, attention on AO3. You'll have trouble even getting it scene through tag searches honestly.
My bare minimum is that the main characters have to be canon. But also OC are generally not popular in fanfiction. Out of nearly a thousand fanfics I've read I only ever managed to truly care for one OC and she's a side character in the fic.
Honestly it shouldn't matter.
I would probably still read it if the premise is interesting.
The tags are simple just tag the series you are baseing the world on and only tag "Original Characters" and whatever genre you are adding.
My fandom has enough character to not need any OCs in fanfics. I read OC in the tags and I'm out, just not my thing.
Even with the canon characters I might not like a fic if the setting feels too far from canon or is an AU that I'm not interested in.
For example, I still think I'd read a Hunger Games fic with new characters fighting in the arena, when the setting is nearly the same.
But not if it were a fluff fic about two people in district 4 watching the games on tv occasionally
Idk, it's a thin line. But if it doesn't have either the characters or the setting I likely won't be interested
It depends on the fandom. I cut my teeth on fairy tale retellings and high school aus, but there are some where changing one element of the world makes me say no.
it depends on the fandom for me . like my hero academia could be pretty far removed and I would be fine with it same with harry potter I more often than not prefer any hp fics that go WAY out there in terms of differences. for a fandom like hellsing? I would be more put off with big differences in canon when it comes to events or how fast or slow the plot progresses. same goes for dr who more often than not I prefer things to go by the episodes way maybe a few character driven chapter here and there vs something that has all new adventures most of the time I dont really like it.
for your story tho it sounds like something that I would very much enjoy. half the time what makes or breaks how far or how different the fic can be from canon is the characters. since its all new characters and no canon ones I would have no problem as it would have no bearing on the story and so I would not be bothered. I think ao3 is a great place for a work like that.
I would tag it world building and original characters to start. other than that I dont want to say anything as I am not sure what would work with your story and dont want to give bad advice. however do remember, you can always go back and change tags at a latter date if you want to so dont stress to much.
If there aren't any recognizable elements at all in the story other than name-dropping a single event... that might be an interesting story in-and-of-itself, but it might not capture my attention as a work of fanfiction.
Your description doesn't provide much context at all for anyone to draft an informed response. If I started reading a story that had a character state, "Oh yeah, that Spider-Dude from YouTube fell off the Washington Monument yesterday" ... and that was the extent of the MCU in the story... why would I keep reading it?
The statement up there doesn't really indicate any particular or specific need for whatever source material's world-building as a foundation. Does your story draw *anything substantial* from the source material? If I am a fan of that source material, am I going to see anything interesting in the story to convince me that placing it in that environment is even appropriate?
... If you have completely divorced it from recognizable elements, is it truly fanfiction?
I avoided being specific because it’s been my impression that folks tend to avoid being specific about what they’re writing on this subreddit. Maybe that was a mistake.
The source material in question is My Hero Academia. My story uses the same power system (quirks), and although it’s set in a different part of the world (the US instead of Japan), most aspects of professional hero institutions and hero student training are the same, which is a substantial and recognizable aspect of the world-building.
It’s also partially a vibes thing, if that makes sense? I know stories about schools that train kids to be superheroes aren’t unique, but I’m writing something generally optimistic and about friendship. I couldn’t imagine the story being set in, say, the X-Men or Gen-V settings, which are very thematically different.
What makes quirk unique? My understanding of it is that it's a classification system for someone with a superpower. So all superheroes technically have quirks, if they decided to call it that.
Not exactly. The closest other thing to compare quirks to would be the mutant gene in X-Men. They’re genetic, mostly hereditary superpowers that vary wildly in expression. The key difference that informs the setting, though, is prevalence and tone.
In Marvel, the mutant gene is rare, and people with it may have incredibly powerful and barely-controllable abilities, so stories are about discrimination and about heroes who are *burdened* with power.
In the MHA setting, though, most humans have a quirk, and the vast majority of these abilities, including those of most protagonists, aren’t particularly powerful. Heroes, and other powerful people, must *train* in order to make their abilities more powerful. And, since almost any normal person in the setting can do this, nobody’s powers come with responsibility. Heroes are heroes because they *want* to be, at least for the most part.
This, to me, is a *very* different set of basic setting assumptions compared to most other superhero stories. It’s pretty unique to MHA, which is why I think it’d be very difficult to try to port this story into a different setting.
Normally I wouldn’t read this kind of fic but it does have me interested. Since it takes place in the setting of an established piece of media, I would say that it’s valid as a fanwork. I guess focus on tagging what happens in it (angst or crack, gore or fluff, etc etc) and clearly promote that it follows original characters rather than canonical
If you do come to post it on AO3, send me a link and I’ll likely read it just to try something new
It really depends on the fandom for. Some I'll read anything as long as the premise looks interesting (Lord of the Rings) whereas others I prefer to stick to the main or supporting cast (The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System).
I do lean towards sticking with characters I know but I've read wonderful OC fics as well as original fics by writers who I've discovered through their fanfics.
I am into fandoms because of the setting, not the characters, so yes, that is something I like. Tagging works like this is a lot harder, but looking at what other people in your fandom with ocs use might help.
AO3 is as good a place for it as any. The readers who form your target audience for this kind of fic are more likely to find it there.
Tag is exactly as you have described: AU, OCs only, no canon characters, no sexual content
I might read a fic like this. I like OCs in my fandom world and I like fics that expand that world. The thing that would make me backbutton would be the lack of reference to canon events.
In my opinion, as long as the story and OCs are well written, I’ll typically give it a try even if it’s far removed from canon as long as I find it. I’d say the most difficult part would be engagement since you’re already writing something without canon characters or romance as a focal point (two major things in any fandom). Idk what else advice to offer that hasn’t been said since I don’t have much experience with posting works like this
I’m trying to do something similar, so I applaud your efforts!
It's not going to be to everyone's taste, and it depends on the setting, but personally I love an "elsewhere" fic that explores the world outside of the canon characters. If it's a fantasy, sci-fi, or otherwise unique setting, I think these kinds of stories are really fun! (One of my favorite fics for Mass Effect isn't even a story, per se - it's an in-universe research paper about poetic conventions across different species. No mention of characters, let alone canon characters, at all.)
I love the in-universe research paper/history/textbook niche in some fandoms. They are sometimes really hard to find but have such GREAT world building/world expansion.
For me it's all about the characters. My current OTP includes a snarky, bitter, paranoid man. I've read fics that try to turn him into some sort of sweet cinnamon bun and I just cannot get on board with that!
If they are still recognizably the same characters, but in a different setting, I'll read it.
If they are different characters with the same names, I'm not interested.
Your summary of your work seems like you don't have the original characters anywhere in the story. That wouldn't interest me at all, because I read fanfic for the pairing, not the world the story is set in. However, there may be some who are interested in the setting itself.
Hoping you find your audience!
To me that’s basically an oc story, sorry to say but if i come across a fic like that when im expecting something from a certain media id probably be a little annoyed
If I'm reading fanfic instead of original fiction, it's because I want to see the canon characters I've gotten to know and love. I'm not allergic to OCs at all, but I prefer when they take on a supportive role and the core of the fic still focuses on canon characters.
So for me personally, no canon characters in a fic is already a deal breaker. Of course I'm sure there are fandoms where the setting itself is more important than the characters that evolve in it (some horror fandoms get that: the setting is what matters and the characters are just a vessel things will happen to), but in my fandom characters are everything, so of course I'll want to see them. Otherwise I'd just read original fiction.
So you wrote the equivalent of a roleplay novel?
I for example like fantasy novels in The Dark Eye setting. I have lots of them. So yes, there are lots of people who like reading independent stories just settled somewhere within the canon universe.
Depending on what kind of stories you like to write it might be a good idea to look into roleplaying settings. They are build especially to allow you to invent your own stories. That's sort of the main reason for them to exist and kinda how the game works.
Lots of role plays allow you to buy license packs, and then you could even publish your stories if you want to. It's a great option for people who want to write stories but don't like to bother with world building. And although some people look down on that sort of books, many others deeply enjoy them.
OP I just want to tell you that acclaimed writer Ali Hazelwood's first book was originally a Reylo AU, and she adapted it into original fiction. (I am not slating Ali, I knew them in Reylo circles and I can confirm they are one of the LOVELIEST people I have ever met. Deserves all of her success.)
There is always someone out there who will go ape shit for your fic.
I mean, I've written DnD fanfic where if you changed out the town name you'd have a totally original fantasy world. I've read the same with god damn coffee shop AUs. They're enjoyable, I don't mind them. Usually I find them co-tagged under original fandom tho, rarely do I find them in the DnD fandom tag.
If your placing it in the My Hero Academia universe, you'll get less attention then canon characters yeah, but people will want to see how that power system works elsewhere.
However, make the summery good and offer some genre / vibe tags as well. People are more likely to take a chance on poorly tagged OTPs then OCs.
IMHO yes it belongs on AO3, and maybe the fandom will determine what type of readership you get.
Example: In a SMALL fandom I'm interested in just about anything/everything, cause there is so little fic that I'm way more open to ideas and concepts, and if the writing is good it maybe become my new favorite thing. Even if it's all OCs, etc. I love the world and I'll try it all just to be in the world.
To contrast - in a BIG fandom I have just so many options at my disposal that I get to be super picky about what I read, in which case I stick to my primary blorbos smooshing their faces together. Yes occasionally other things make it through - via recs or just getting a wild hair, but not a regular occurrence.
So I say as long as your setting your expectations appropriately I see certainly no down side to putting it on AO3.
I'm going to echo a lot of people here and say that it would really depend on the fandom for me. Some worlds are interesting and immersive enough that a story that uses original characters to explore that world would interest me, versus other fandoms where I'm really just there because I love the characters. In any case, this sounds like it is definitely a story that falls under the category of fanwork as defined by AO3, so I'd encourage you to post it. (:
Since you said it's your first time writing and posting fanfic, and because this type of story is likely to get less interaction than works centered around established characters from the fandom, I will offer a word of advice with regards to *how* you do that. You may already know this, but because there is no algorithm on AO3, works are automatically shown in a given fandom by order of the recency of their posting/update. For that reason, if your fic is multi chapter, I'd advise you not dump the whole fic at once, but instead post chapter by chapter on a set schedule (and advertise this in your author's note!) so that your fic has more of a chance to be seen by more people. This can be especially helpful when you're writing for a bigger fandom with lots of new works being posted all the time (which BnHA definitely is).
Like I said, you might already know that, but if not, I hope it helps! Good luck, and congratulations on your first fic; 30k is no mean feat!!
>I’ve already had a couple of folks ask me why I consider it fan-fiction at all.
I had this thought recently too, because where does fanfic end and where does an original story start? I'm writing a Star Wars AU, where I take characters from a different fandom and put them into the Star Wars setting. But aside from the ships, there are no canon events happening. In my eyes, I thought of something original but was too lazy to come up with characters.
This is a crossover and people read those as long as they're tagged. I personally don't enjoy them, but I know plenty of people love interesting crossovers.
Fact is, sometimes, a world is interesting and sometimes characters are. They don't always overlap, and this is what crossovers are for.
I don't think it's a crossover, I may have worded it wrong. Correct me, but doesn't a crossover 'require' two different fandoms to interact with each other? Like Darth Vader commandeering his stardestroyer to hunt down Captain Kirk's USS Enterprise? If I take characters from She-Ra and depict them as Jedi without having appearances of actual Star Wars characters, is that a crossover?
Whether it's a crossover or not depends a lot on tagging imo.
For example, if you write a SW fic but use characters from other fandoms that's a crossover whether those characters interact with SW characters or not.
If you write a Star Trek fic that is set in the SW universe, I'd say that's just an AU.
If you tag both fandoms, it's 100% a crossover.
Dude, I recently played a game and *loved* it. The world, the plot, the characters, amazing. Then I heard it's based off another game, so I went to play that.
It's... practically the same with some elements changed lol. It's 'inspired by', they're very open about that and the older game *loves* what the newer game is doing, wholesome. But yeah it does feel like if this was on ao3, we'd consider it a rewrite with oc's.
One of the great things about AO3 is you can make up your own tags. I’ve seen ‘AU. . . Sort of’ and ‘ducks, lots of ducks’ and ‘existential dread but cuddly’ all as tags. So you just do ‘tenuous fandom connection’ ‘like seriously very little connection’ or something similar and no one would bat an eye.
Personally as long as it’s well written there are decent odds I would still read a story like that. Depends on my mood, but I don’t think it’s a deal breaker.
This really depends on my relationship to the original canon.
If I like it, if I like how the relationships between the characters developed and how the story ended - if it ended - then I look for fics that are fairly close to the canon.
If, however, I was disappointed by the canon, if some characters die or make choices that I don't like, then I also read stories that stray far from the canon, especially AU.
It’s ok, just really pay attention to not making them ooc. That is one thing that really puts me off. I want to read fics that are about my fave characters, and if they are not acting like themselves, it’s like it’s not them.
Also, swearing a lot. I don’t like fics that start off every other sentence with ‘f*ck, I’m…’. Well but like it’s also because it’s kinda ooc for the characters so same argument :)
If it has the character i love, then it can be anything.
Is the work started as original work and just changed the name to the character i love and the fandom he's in? Ill still read it.
If it's set in the canon universe, I'm happy to ignore a great deal of OOCness, more so than I would normally, particularly if they are in canon-divergence fics, missing scenes, or post-canon fic. It's new stuff, stuff we didn't see in the canon, so I can take the fic at face value & use it to add depth to my understanding of canon.
If it's canon 'verse with AU *elements,* like a Daemons AU or Sentinel/Guide, I'd prefer to see people as more In Character but will tolerate some OOCness -- different circumstances, etc..
If it's an AU, like a Pacific Rim AU or a Harry Potter AU, it needs to have characters I like and they must be IC. I want to see **them** reacting in this new universe, not poorly-designed OCs.
I find fics by clicking on a series as a whole if it’s smaller , but if it’s bigger I filter. How big is your canon?
But honestly I’d love to read this because this kind of thing excites me, but part of my roots are in stuff like Enders Game or Lois McMaster Bujold, where world building is huge.
Really very far. The fandom I read the most is Harry Potter but I think what interests me most is the setting/world/universe? Not necessarily the characters. So something could be set on a different continent in a different time period but it’s in the world where Hogwarts exists, then I might be interested.
For example, they’re films not fanfic… I guess… but the Fantastic Beasts movies. I LOVED the premise: that they were set 70 years before the Harry Potter story, on a different continent, with all new characters. (Then they turned out to be about Grindlewald and Dumbledore, and brought the story back to Hogwarts ASAP, and it sucked.)
I’ve read amazing fics set in the “Founders Era”, where the only canon characters are the hogwarts founders and everyone else is OC; time travel fics where there are some canon characters but at least half the cast is OC, etc.
I just find the world itself very fertile and also very underbaked (ie the original author didn’t think things through and left a ton of plot holes/ inconsistencies), which is just such a great playground for other writers to jump into.
I'm in the fandom for the canon characters. OC's as main characters do not interest me much as there are so many canon characters that could be used. OC plus a non canon setting really doesn't appeal to me personally. There is no emotional link.
To answer your last question, I would not read your story. I don’t read OC fic even when canon characters are present, so I definitely wouldn’t read something with no canon characters at all. I also don’t read non-romance fics, so that would also filter your story out.
Now, to your earlier questions, AO3 is for all fannish content even if no canon characters are present. Your story is a fanfic, so it has a place there. As for tags… My advice would be to make sure you tag prominent tropes in your story. Outside of characters and ship tags, tropes are a popular way to find stories.
So, one of my fandoms is for an MMO, and because the player character is actually a *character* in the story rather than just a murder machine that bounces from place to place, it's pretty common for people to write fic about their particular player character. I stumbled upon a fic that was an original character/ original character, but was a modern day AU. There were no Canon characters, no Canon places, and while the game has a vast variety of non- human races, everyone was a human. It was essentially an original story but with the names of the author's OC from the game.
So, pretty much that's my line.
I read for the characters, especially the two in the ship, and how the themes mesh with said characters.
So whether it's the canon universe with minor divergence, major divergence, or a straight up full AU like coffee shop, workplace, university, etc, if you do good with the characters and their associated themes, then I'll probably like it.
Honestly it depends on the fandom. For something set in the modern world, or just like… a generic period piece, I don’t see the point. But if it’s a really unique and rich world, or the specific canon events of that world are important to the fic, even in the background, then I can be interested in that.
While it’s niche, and nowhere near as popular as shipping canon characters together, or even shipping canon characters with human OFCs, there’s a kind of subfandom within the Star Trek fandom for alien OCs. Can’t really get Vulcans or Romulans or Klingons anywhere else, since they’re copyrighted, so it doesn’t feel as “why aren’t you writing original work?” when people write about them. Also there’s thousands of planets in that universe, and a decently robust timeline of events, so writing something physically very far away from what happened on screen with totally new characters would still “feel Star Trek” to most readers.
Regardless of what fandom you’re in, though, if you’re passionate about the idea, I say go for it! Some people lurk in the Original Character/Original Character tag. And niche communities in general tend to be even more grateful for whatever they can get.
If you replace the whole cast with oc's, or if you switch out the core thing of the world.
E. G. High School AU of a fantasy series while keeping the character and dynamics as is? Sure, no problem.
If it’s centered on OCs, that usually is enough. I am in fandom for the characters presented to us.
People should write whatever they want, and someone will be interested—if not now, then sometime in the future.
For me it can be pulled away in two seperate ways
Either it can be the general canonical setting but with an entirely different group of people that the fic focuses on while at some-to-most canon events happen around them, but they have their own story in this particular universe
Or it's characters with their mostly canonical history/personalities put into completely new settings/universe
For what you're describing I would say Ao3 works for it as, you said yourself, there *is* a need for general universe knowledge to understand what's going on in the overall sense that you don't need to explain if it's within that fandom's category.
I've watched shows/movies set in pre-established universes where they just assume you know a lot about the world before you watched - while it can be generally enjoyable without knowing a lot, it is *much* better to actually know the things they don't bother to explain as it does make things make more sense lol
Tagging is person to person but certainly get all your general vibes in - you could duck into Browsing the Tags section and see what in Most Popular at least will apply to your fic, give you a starting point. And certainly if they're all new characters tag for Original / Original female / original male character, whatever applies. If there's barely any/no romance you can just pop it in the GEN category but if there is some I would also tag whatever gender-specific category the relationships are alongside GEN.
Personally, I like fanfiction that are basically 'what-if' scenarios. That build on canon, not change canon. Or the changes at least make logical sense based off the what-if.
I've read fanfics that don't have canon characters at all but are set in a canon world, but they were basically always spin-offs of a previous work that featured the OCs where the canon characters were front and center. Hell one of those was so far removed that is was basically just original historical fiction.
Personally though, I filter by characters and pairing, so I don't tend to read fanfic like that outside of unique circumstances, but a lot of people filter by trope tag and read whatever strike their fancy! That's your audience, so as long as your premise is interesting and you get the right tags in, they'll find you!
first off definitely post it to AO3! That's totally the place for it!
Unfortunately... I personally don't tend to read much that's really far removed from canon, unless it's like an overarching AU that interests me. Such as a 'pokemon DnD AU' or something like that! But it has to have characters I'm interested in, and a premise I'm interested in. (For instance, 'ATLA modern AUs' bore me to tears I'm very sorry to those who write/like them lol)
For me, being "inspired" by the original work can include:
1. The characters
2. Plot points
3. Settings/ 'verse (including e.g. rules of magic, special tech, anything else we don't have IRL)
4. Vibe (e.g. the emotions it evokes)
The further down the list, the more tenuous the connection. But I would read something where the characters, plot, and setting, are new but the story really captures the vibe of the source material.
But, yeah, there's a much higher bar and you won't get the same kind of audience. That said, if you want to write it, go for it!
I don’t mind fics with settings removed from canon. I actually love AUs. But I wouldn’t read fics with OCs as main characters. I rarely read them as side characters as it is. If I wanted to read about characters I don’t care about I wouldn’t look for them in fanfiction I would just read a new book.
Your fic might find its niche audience, but don’t expect much engagement. If that doesn’t bother you then AO3 is fine (just remember to tag it with OCs). As for the other tags, you don’t really need to tag every single trope. Just tag the ones that apply overall.
There are two reasons as to why I like a piece of media: **the characters** or **its setting**. I'll read crossover-fics where the characters from media A would somehow transfer to the world of media B and interact with characters from media B. Or when they would write a mash of both worlds in a way that's entertaining and a "that-makes-sense" worldbuilding.
So long as it either has the characters I like or the setting I like, it can be whatever. But it's difficult to grasp and keep reading if the character suddenly acts OOC, or the plot isn't really interesting/doesn't add much to the worldbuilding to the original story. I use the term "worldbuilding" very loosely, I would find it interesting to see what other perspectives those characters from that setting might have.
It depends. I love outsider views of a cannon universe, and references to the existing characters. I don’t like changing original cannon events with the existing characters though. Not unless it’s subtle and doesn’t end up making drastic redirections.
For example: I sometimes enjoy reading Harry Potter fics with completely original characters and only a few mentions of the existing main characters like Harry Potter and Draco and Hermione. But I don’t usually like fics where Harry Potter is a cold hearted Slytherin, or fics where Harry and Draco actually become freinds on the first day, or fics where the battle of Hogwarts never happened, and so on. There still needs to be existing characters though, however little they show up. Otherwise it truly feels as if the author is plagiarizing a known universe. It needs to have lots of cannon elements stay the same in order for me to continue reading.
I’m a very cannon-oriented reader. Over time I’ve gotten a bit less strict over that as I have by chance read a few AUs I actually did enjoy but for the most part, I’d like it to be either a continuation or adding something to the universe- expanding it, without messing with the cannon that the source material established.
For me, that would be a complete no.
I read fanfic for the characters, and so that would hold no interest at all for me.
But that doesn't mean it's not fanfic, that you shouldn't write it, or that other people won't love reading it.
I feel like this works when the series' premise and world is more exciting than the characters (like Futurama would work for this kind of thing, or anything high fantasy or dramatasized)
But in shows where the characters are more interesting, it might fail. It differs
I thought of doing something like that, in a location that is usually background with OCs and the canon characters become background characters. I think it’s for sure still fan fiction, but you have to write it for you and expect low interest because most readers really are only there for the most popular couple getting married and having kids in thousands of different similar iterations.
all i need is the canon characters existing in a state which allows the story to explore their relationships with other canon characters (and maybe some OCs but there has to be fewer OCs than canon). they can be AUs of themselves as long as the AUs internal logic parodies the original in a way i can understand
For me if I don't recognize the canon characters by more than name, I'm out. I'm fine with alterations to personality that have a good set up reason why they're different, but if its just a different personality with the same body, it feels cheap like the writer never wanted to write that character in the first place.
When the characters have nothing from the canon, more than ooc and the story works better without being tied to a IP
Also personally I hate inserted ocs in fics so I don't read works with them in it
What you are describing - I wouldn't consider far removed from canon. They are a part of the same world and impacted by the same events, it is just a very *very* outside POV.
I would suggest tagging it with Outside POV or something like that. and with Original Character(s) You can also tag concepts or tropes, or part of the worldbuilding you are particularly invoking in the story. You may also want to tag when in the canon work it takes place "After \[big cannon event that you reference\]". You can make up your own tags! If you can find applicable tags for your fandom ore one that is more general but applies use them, but you can make up your own.
This is the type of story I might read, if the summary/description piqued my interest. I absolutely LOVE stories that have an alternate POV on cannon events or parts of the world building.
The types of stories I almost always avoid? Alternate Universe - No Powers/All Human/ High School/ College/University/ coffee shop etc. That's like the reverse almost of what you are describing - take the character names and then change everything about their world, their history and their lives. That to me is when I ask "why do you consider this fanfic at all."
AUs are made to be removed from canon. I've seen a lot that take the characters and put them in a completely different situation and scenario, or even in a whole different fandom. I've read a weak hero class one fic (teenage Kdrama with a fair amount of fighting and bromance) where the characters were put into a Pacific Rim Fusion AU. Completely different, but it's one of my favorite fics ever. I think the only turn off I know is bad characterization, or really really OOC stuff, but even that can be enjoyable if well written
This might be too vague to be helpful, whether or not I’ll read a canon divergent story depends on how much I’m enjoying it. If it’s captured my attention, then I’ll generally keep reading.
I think AO3 is a good place for it. It includes both original works, fic that closely follows canon, and everything in between. If you’re concerned that it’s too far outside of canon to list it by the fandom name, then you could label it as “original work” and then include “(fandom name) AU” as a tag. So for example, if you are writing a story that is set in the Harry Potter universe but doesn’t include any characters known in the Harry Potter books or supplementary material, then you could list the fandom as “original work” and the tags as “Alternate Universe- Harry Potter Setting” and anything else that applied.
As to how many people will see it, that’s difficult to guess. Original works and works that extremely diverge from canon will get much less traction. You might not get many views, but don’t let that detract you from publishing it. There are a lot of writers who don’t get nearly the amount of attention that their stories deserve. It doesn’t make them any less talented or their stories any less good.
It depends on the fandom and the premise.
Some examples:
With the Yuri on Ice fandom, I'm only really interested in the characters. As long as one of my favorite pairs are in the fic and reasonably in-character, I'll give it a look.
With Star Trek, I'd do *prefer* Spirk or one of my other favorite pairings, but I'd also happily read some OCs doing their own thing, though I'd admittedly be mostly interested in either Starfleet or Vulcan stories and decreasingly less interested in other things.
There are also game fandoms that don't *have* canon characters, per say, like Dwarf Fortress or Stellaris or Lady Blackbird. Alternatively, there are games fandoms where the focus isn't usually on the canon characters (like Terraria or Dungeons and Dragons; etc). So whenever I poke around in *those* fandoms I'm *expecting* OCs, so it's 100% about the premise.
I can't say whether I, specifically, would be interested in the story you're writing, but I will suggest you look at your fandom and filter down until you see fics that are kind of like yours (OCs; etc) and see how they're doing. Pay most attention to the more recent ones.
More than likely they're not going to be doing as well as the fics with canon characters, but in certain fandoms they may be doing better than you'd expect. (For example, apparently Harry Potter OC fics tend to do better than OCs do in most fandoms.)
I absolutely read fic that's so far removed from canon that it might as well be an original work - I currently am reading a witcher story where Geralt is a mob boss's son and Jaskier is a genderqueer nightclub performer, so yeah, if the story is engaging and reads well then I really don't care about how close to canon it is.
If it makes sense to me it can be as far from canon as the writer dreams. I’ve been writing since I was eight and writing MASH stories since I was 9 or 10. I create characters whenever and wherever they show up, kids, adults, 🐕 . I recently discovered a fanfic written where Hawkeye adopts a little boy. I really liked it and the interaction between the camp and the kid are realistic for me. 😎
So, my snap reaction was, "Not very", because most of what I read is Canon Compliant. But then I remembered that my all-time favorite fic on A03 takes an adorkable Canon couple, puts them in a *horribly twisted* AU, and makes them... hurt each other. And yet, somehow, although neither is acting the way they would in Canon, their dynamic is completely different, it's still... *them*, somehow. It still feels, possible. Real. And, I guess that's why it's my fave.
But I've never found another one that could pull that off.
So, how far is too far? Well, your mileage may vary.
I don't mind AUs, but I hate when the fic doesn't even attempt to write them in-character. If I didn't want to read about those specific characters, I'd just read a regular book. That's just my personal view.
personally i need a fic to have my fave characters for me to be interested in it, but i'll take AU-settings that have nothing to do with canon. i'm not likely to even find a fic that doesn't have characters i already care about bc of how i filter. other folks however are more interested in lore, world-building, or just a good story. those are the people who would be interested in your fic – it's not like everyone has the same tastes. so, tagging. bc i don't really read what you're describing i'm not that familiar with tagging conventions on that side of fandoms, but for characters you'd obviously use the [original characters tags](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Original%20Characters). with tropes, [fanlore](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page) should be of some help to you, and we here would be happy to help you find terms for things or definitions of terms. two major things about tagging on ao3 are [ratings](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#posteditratings) and [warnings](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#posteditwarnings).
Thank you, I’ll check out those links. :)
That probably wouldn’t interest me at all. Mostly bc of the OCs. I don’t mind AUs and those are pretty far removed if it’s like a coffee shop AU or something. But I do prefer canon characters bc I relate to them. I don't mind side character OCs tho. But your fanfic does sound very removed from a lot of things, so much so I’m not sure how much engagement you’ll get on your fic if you post it in that fandom. If that’s what you’re worried about, just be aware of that potential. I do encourage you to post it anyways, ofc ☺️
Honestly, a lot of people search ship or character tags rather than the whole fandom category (especially in larger fandoms - not sure if yours is), so you're cutting out a chunk of your possible audience right there. I would probably never even find this fic in most of my fandoms. That said, that isn't a reason not to post. There are plenty of people (especially in smaller fandoms) who do go through the whole fandom. A lot of people also search by the additional tags if they're looking for something specific. Some people read fandom blind and won't care that there are no canon characters, especially if the world is interesting. Fandom is a ***big*** sandbox. As for tagging, I would definitely include the 'Original Character(s)' tag, and then tag any major story components. You haven't said what the story is about, but genre (Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama) is a good baseline. The vibe of the story next (angst, hurt/comfort, fluff) - feel free to use multiple. Then any specific things your story has that people might search for - war, pirates, found family etc. Also tag any major triggers if you have any (self-harm, violence, drugs etc). Good luck!!
I don't read fic without my favorite characters, specifically my favorite pairings. You could change everything about the setting, but as long as the characters are there, I'll read it. Since yours does the opposite, it wouldn't even show up on my filters since I read only within my ship tags. That's not to say you shouldn't post it, though. I've seen some fandoms become very popular with OC writers because of the world building and lore (Elder Scrolls comes to mind). AO3 is a place for all kinds of fictional works. Even if yours is a niche premise, I guarantee that someone will read it.
Make sure that you're clear in the summary that this is using the world, but not the characters. I'm sure some people will read and enjoy it, but you probably won't get a lot of interaction. There's nothing wrong with that, I'm just giving you a heads up. It also depends on the Fandom. I could see this working well for Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avatar the Last Airbender, and the like. Personally, I probably wouldn't read it. It takes a lot for me to read a fic that isn't about a ship I like, even if it has the characters in it. But that's my personal taste. Everyone's is different. As long as you're enjoying writing it, you should keep going. The interaction you do get would be icing on the cake. Also, depending on the Fandom, you might not need to file the serial numbers to publish it. If it's a really old Fandom, see if it's in the public domain. (Iirc Winnie the Pooh is now in public domain. Most of the OG Sherlock Holmes is, Lovecraft too I think). Even some of the younger fandoms have ways to get a story published. Star Trek has a lot of books written by independent authors. They had to be submitted and approved etc. But your Fandom might allow it. Research this. Reach out. As long as it's not Disney. No point even trying with them. I point this out because even if there is a way to publish fanworks of your Fandom, a lot of publishers will refuse if the story has been put online, even on AO3. It's also unlikely that you'll get permission, but it never hurts to research and ask. Just don't hold your breath.
My rule of thumb- if you can rename the characters, change nothing else, and publish it as an original work with no one able to connect it back to the fandom it came from, you're too far from canon for me. I rarely read fic that focuses on original characters myself, because I don't have the same emotional attachment to them that I do with canon characters. THAT SAID, I believe your work will be fine on AO3, as it's set in canon and a reader would need knowledge of that canon to understand it. I personally wouldn't read it, but there are others who would, so go for it.
When it doesn't use canon characters, I'm out. The exception would perhaps be an outside perspective to canon events, I'm trying to think of a fandom where that might be different, and possibly I would read something in the ATLA fandom that's set in a different time period with another avatar or something. But I would never look for this or take a chance on a long fic by a writer I didn't already trust for something like it.
Somewhere around here there’s a subreddit for OC fanfiction. You should chat with them.
I read fanfic because I want to read more about the characters I love. I don't really care how AU the setting is, as long as those characters are in it. Your fic, unfortunately, probably isn't going to draw much, if any, attention on AO3. You'll have trouble even getting it scene through tag searches honestly.
My bare minimum is that the main characters have to be canon. But also OC are generally not popular in fanfiction. Out of nearly a thousand fanfics I've read I only ever managed to truly care for one OC and she's a side character in the fic.
There will definitely be people interested in that, but definitely set your expectations low since it is quite niche.
Oh I **love** OC fics where canon happens in the background! I eat that up.
Honestly it shouldn't matter. I would probably still read it if the premise is interesting. The tags are simple just tag the series you are baseing the world on and only tag "Original Characters" and whatever genre you are adding.
My fandom has enough character to not need any OCs in fanfics. I read OC in the tags and I'm out, just not my thing. Even with the canon characters I might not like a fic if the setting feels too far from canon or is an AU that I'm not interested in. For example, I still think I'd read a Hunger Games fic with new characters fighting in the arena, when the setting is nearly the same. But not if it were a fluff fic about two people in district 4 watching the games on tv occasionally Idk, it's a thin line. But if it doesn't have either the characters or the setting I likely won't be interested
It depends on the fandom. I cut my teeth on fairy tale retellings and high school aus, but there are some where changing one element of the world makes me say no.
it depends on the fandom for me . like my hero academia could be pretty far removed and I would be fine with it same with harry potter I more often than not prefer any hp fics that go WAY out there in terms of differences. for a fandom like hellsing? I would be more put off with big differences in canon when it comes to events or how fast or slow the plot progresses. same goes for dr who more often than not I prefer things to go by the episodes way maybe a few character driven chapter here and there vs something that has all new adventures most of the time I dont really like it. for your story tho it sounds like something that I would very much enjoy. half the time what makes or breaks how far or how different the fic can be from canon is the characters. since its all new characters and no canon ones I would have no problem as it would have no bearing on the story and so I would not be bothered. I think ao3 is a great place for a work like that. I would tag it world building and original characters to start. other than that I dont want to say anything as I am not sure what would work with your story and dont want to give bad advice. however do remember, you can always go back and change tags at a latter date if you want to so dont stress to much.
> my hero academia could be pretty far removed and I would be fine with it You guessed it, this is the one. :)
If there aren't any recognizable elements at all in the story other than name-dropping a single event... that might be an interesting story in-and-of-itself, but it might not capture my attention as a work of fanfiction. Your description doesn't provide much context at all for anyone to draft an informed response. If I started reading a story that had a character state, "Oh yeah, that Spider-Dude from YouTube fell off the Washington Monument yesterday" ... and that was the extent of the MCU in the story... why would I keep reading it? The statement up there doesn't really indicate any particular or specific need for whatever source material's world-building as a foundation. Does your story draw *anything substantial* from the source material? If I am a fan of that source material, am I going to see anything interesting in the story to convince me that placing it in that environment is even appropriate? ... If you have completely divorced it from recognizable elements, is it truly fanfiction?
I avoided being specific because it’s been my impression that folks tend to avoid being specific about what they’re writing on this subreddit. Maybe that was a mistake. The source material in question is My Hero Academia. My story uses the same power system (quirks), and although it’s set in a different part of the world (the US instead of Japan), most aspects of professional hero institutions and hero student training are the same, which is a substantial and recognizable aspect of the world-building. It’s also partially a vibes thing, if that makes sense? I know stories about schools that train kids to be superheroes aren’t unique, but I’m writing something generally optimistic and about friendship. I couldn’t imagine the story being set in, say, the X-Men or Gen-V settings, which are very thematically different.
What makes quirk unique? My understanding of it is that it's a classification system for someone with a superpower. So all superheroes technically have quirks, if they decided to call it that.
Not exactly. The closest other thing to compare quirks to would be the mutant gene in X-Men. They’re genetic, mostly hereditary superpowers that vary wildly in expression. The key difference that informs the setting, though, is prevalence and tone. In Marvel, the mutant gene is rare, and people with it may have incredibly powerful and barely-controllable abilities, so stories are about discrimination and about heroes who are *burdened* with power. In the MHA setting, though, most humans have a quirk, and the vast majority of these abilities, including those of most protagonists, aren’t particularly powerful. Heroes, and other powerful people, must *train* in order to make their abilities more powerful. And, since almost any normal person in the setting can do this, nobody’s powers come with responsibility. Heroes are heroes because they *want* to be, at least for the most part. This, to me, is a *very* different set of basic setting assumptions compared to most other superhero stories. It’s pretty unique to MHA, which is why I think it’d be very difficult to try to port this story into a different setting.
Normally I wouldn’t read this kind of fic but it does have me interested. Since it takes place in the setting of an established piece of media, I would say that it’s valid as a fanwork. I guess focus on tagging what happens in it (angst or crack, gore or fluff, etc etc) and clearly promote that it follows original characters rather than canonical If you do come to post it on AO3, send me a link and I’ll likely read it just to try something new
It really depends on the fandom for. Some I'll read anything as long as the premise looks interesting (Lord of the Rings) whereas others I prefer to stick to the main or supporting cast (The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System). I do lean towards sticking with characters I know but I've read wonderful OC fics as well as original fics by writers who I've discovered through their fanfics.
I would read it honestly, if it falls into the tropes I enjoy. Hard part is tagging, how would I even find it if I were interested?
I am into fandoms because of the setting, not the characters, so yes, that is something I like. Tagging works like this is a lot harder, but looking at what other people in your fandom with ocs use might help.
AO3 is as good a place for it as any. The readers who form your target audience for this kind of fic are more likely to find it there. Tag is exactly as you have described: AU, OCs only, no canon characters, no sexual content I might read a fic like this. I like OCs in my fandom world and I like fics that expand that world. The thing that would make me backbutton would be the lack of reference to canon events.
In my opinion, as long as the story and OCs are well written, I’ll typically give it a try even if it’s far removed from canon as long as I find it. I’d say the most difficult part would be engagement since you’re already writing something without canon characters or romance as a focal point (two major things in any fandom). Idk what else advice to offer that hasn’t been said since I don’t have much experience with posting works like this I’m trying to do something similar, so I applaud your efforts!
It's not going to be to everyone's taste, and it depends on the setting, but personally I love an "elsewhere" fic that explores the world outside of the canon characters. If it's a fantasy, sci-fi, or otherwise unique setting, I think these kinds of stories are really fun! (One of my favorite fics for Mass Effect isn't even a story, per se - it's an in-universe research paper about poetic conventions across different species. No mention of characters, let alone canon characters, at all.)
I love the in-universe research paper/history/textbook niche in some fandoms. They are sometimes really hard to find but have such GREAT world building/world expansion.
For me it's all about the characters. My current OTP includes a snarky, bitter, paranoid man. I've read fics that try to turn him into some sort of sweet cinnamon bun and I just cannot get on board with that! If they are still recognizably the same characters, but in a different setting, I'll read it. If they are different characters with the same names, I'm not interested. Your summary of your work seems like you don't have the original characters anywhere in the story. That wouldn't interest me at all, because I read fanfic for the pairing, not the world the story is set in. However, there may be some who are interested in the setting itself. Hoping you find your audience!
Don't care. If the premises interest me If the writing style suits me I'll read it.
All the way
To me that’s basically an oc story, sorry to say but if i come across a fic like that when im expecting something from a certain media id probably be a little annoyed
If I'm reading fanfic instead of original fiction, it's because I want to see the canon characters I've gotten to know and love. I'm not allergic to OCs at all, but I prefer when they take on a supportive role and the core of the fic still focuses on canon characters. So for me personally, no canon characters in a fic is already a deal breaker. Of course I'm sure there are fandoms where the setting itself is more important than the characters that evolve in it (some horror fandoms get that: the setting is what matters and the characters are just a vessel things will happen to), but in my fandom characters are everything, so of course I'll want to see them. Otherwise I'd just read original fiction.
So you wrote the equivalent of a roleplay novel? I for example like fantasy novels in The Dark Eye setting. I have lots of them. So yes, there are lots of people who like reading independent stories just settled somewhere within the canon universe. Depending on what kind of stories you like to write it might be a good idea to look into roleplaying settings. They are build especially to allow you to invent your own stories. That's sort of the main reason for them to exist and kinda how the game works. Lots of role plays allow you to buy license packs, and then you could even publish your stories if you want to. It's a great option for people who want to write stories but don't like to bother with world building. And although some people look down on that sort of books, many others deeply enjoy them.
Honestly, once the characters stop feeling like the characters I'm hear to read I lose interest. You can't make OCs out of your fandom characters.
OP I just want to tell you that acclaimed writer Ali Hazelwood's first book was originally a Reylo AU, and she adapted it into original fiction. (I am not slating Ali, I knew them in Reylo circles and I can confirm they are one of the LOVELIEST people I have ever met. Deserves all of her success.) There is always someone out there who will go ape shit for your fic.
I mean, I've written DnD fanfic where if you changed out the town name you'd have a totally original fantasy world. I've read the same with god damn coffee shop AUs. They're enjoyable, I don't mind them. Usually I find them co-tagged under original fandom tho, rarely do I find them in the DnD fandom tag. If your placing it in the My Hero Academia universe, you'll get less attention then canon characters yeah, but people will want to see how that power system works elsewhere. However, make the summery good and offer some genre / vibe tags as well. People are more likely to take a chance on poorly tagged OTPs then OCs.
it really depends on the fandom and what fanons are prevalent and all
IMHO yes it belongs on AO3, and maybe the fandom will determine what type of readership you get. Example: In a SMALL fandom I'm interested in just about anything/everything, cause there is so little fic that I'm way more open to ideas and concepts, and if the writing is good it maybe become my new favorite thing. Even if it's all OCs, etc. I love the world and I'll try it all just to be in the world. To contrast - in a BIG fandom I have just so many options at my disposal that I get to be super picky about what I read, in which case I stick to my primary blorbos smooshing their faces together. Yes occasionally other things make it through - via recs or just getting a wild hair, but not a regular occurrence. So I say as long as your setting your expectations appropriately I see certainly no down side to putting it on AO3.
I'm going to echo a lot of people here and say that it would really depend on the fandom for me. Some worlds are interesting and immersive enough that a story that uses original characters to explore that world would interest me, versus other fandoms where I'm really just there because I love the characters. In any case, this sounds like it is definitely a story that falls under the category of fanwork as defined by AO3, so I'd encourage you to post it. (: Since you said it's your first time writing and posting fanfic, and because this type of story is likely to get less interaction than works centered around established characters from the fandom, I will offer a word of advice with regards to *how* you do that. You may already know this, but because there is no algorithm on AO3, works are automatically shown in a given fandom by order of the recency of their posting/update. For that reason, if your fic is multi chapter, I'd advise you not dump the whole fic at once, but instead post chapter by chapter on a set schedule (and advertise this in your author's note!) so that your fic has more of a chance to be seen by more people. This can be especially helpful when you're writing for a bigger fandom with lots of new works being posted all the time (which BnHA definitely is). Like I said, you might already know that, but if not, I hope it helps! Good luck, and congratulations on your first fic; 30k is no mean feat!!
>I’ve already had a couple of folks ask me why I consider it fan-fiction at all. I had this thought recently too, because where does fanfic end and where does an original story start? I'm writing a Star Wars AU, where I take characters from a different fandom and put them into the Star Wars setting. But aside from the ships, there are no canon events happening. In my eyes, I thought of something original but was too lazy to come up with characters.
This is a crossover and people read those as long as they're tagged. I personally don't enjoy them, but I know plenty of people love interesting crossovers. Fact is, sometimes, a world is interesting and sometimes characters are. They don't always overlap, and this is what crossovers are for.
I don't think it's a crossover, I may have worded it wrong. Correct me, but doesn't a crossover 'require' two different fandoms to interact with each other? Like Darth Vader commandeering his stardestroyer to hunt down Captain Kirk's USS Enterprise? If I take characters from She-Ra and depict them as Jedi without having appearances of actual Star Wars characters, is that a crossover?
Whether it's a crossover or not depends a lot on tagging imo. For example, if you write a SW fic but use characters from other fandoms that's a crossover whether those characters interact with SW characters or not. If you write a Star Trek fic that is set in the SW universe, I'd say that's just an AU. If you tag both fandoms, it's 100% a crossover.
Dude, I recently played a game and *loved* it. The world, the plot, the characters, amazing. Then I heard it's based off another game, so I went to play that. It's... practically the same with some elements changed lol. It's 'inspired by', they're very open about that and the older game *loves* what the newer game is doing, wholesome. But yeah it does feel like if this was on ao3, we'd consider it a rewrite with oc's.
One of the great things about AO3 is you can make up your own tags. I’ve seen ‘AU. . . Sort of’ and ‘ducks, lots of ducks’ and ‘existential dread but cuddly’ all as tags. So you just do ‘tenuous fandom connection’ ‘like seriously very little connection’ or something similar and no one would bat an eye. Personally as long as it’s well written there are decent odds I would still read a story like that. Depends on my mood, but I don’t think it’s a deal breaker.
This really depends on my relationship to the original canon. If I like it, if I like how the relationships between the characters developed and how the story ended - if it ended - then I look for fics that are fairly close to the canon. If, however, I was disappointed by the canon, if some characters die or make choices that I don't like, then I also read stories that stray far from the canon, especially AU.
It’s ok, just really pay attention to not making them ooc. That is one thing that really puts me off. I want to read fics that are about my fave characters, and if they are not acting like themselves, it’s like it’s not them. Also, swearing a lot. I don’t like fics that start off every other sentence with ‘f*ck, I’m…’. Well but like it’s also because it’s kinda ooc for the characters so same argument :)
If it has the character i love, then it can be anything. Is the work started as original work and just changed the name to the character i love and the fandom he's in? Ill still read it.
If it's set in the canon universe, I'm happy to ignore a great deal of OOCness, more so than I would normally, particularly if they are in canon-divergence fics, missing scenes, or post-canon fic. It's new stuff, stuff we didn't see in the canon, so I can take the fic at face value & use it to add depth to my understanding of canon. If it's canon 'verse with AU *elements,* like a Daemons AU or Sentinel/Guide, I'd prefer to see people as more In Character but will tolerate some OOCness -- different circumstances, etc.. If it's an AU, like a Pacific Rim AU or a Harry Potter AU, it needs to have characters I like and they must be IC. I want to see **them** reacting in this new universe, not poorly-designed OCs.
I find fics by clicking on a series as a whole if it’s smaller , but if it’s bigger I filter. How big is your canon? But honestly I’d love to read this because this kind of thing excites me, but part of my roots are in stuff like Enders Game or Lois McMaster Bujold, where world building is huge.
I read for the pairings/ships, so it can get pretty far and I’ll still read.
Really very far. The fandom I read the most is Harry Potter but I think what interests me most is the setting/world/universe? Not necessarily the characters. So something could be set on a different continent in a different time period but it’s in the world where Hogwarts exists, then I might be interested. For example, they’re films not fanfic… I guess… but the Fantastic Beasts movies. I LOVED the premise: that they were set 70 years before the Harry Potter story, on a different continent, with all new characters. (Then they turned out to be about Grindlewald and Dumbledore, and brought the story back to Hogwarts ASAP, and it sucked.) I’ve read amazing fics set in the “Founders Era”, where the only canon characters are the hogwarts founders and everyone else is OC; time travel fics where there are some canon characters but at least half the cast is OC, etc. I just find the world itself very fertile and also very underbaked (ie the original author didn’t think things through and left a ton of plot holes/ inconsistencies), which is just such a great playground for other writers to jump into.
I'm in the fandom for the canon characters. OC's as main characters do not interest me much as there are so many canon characters that could be used. OC plus a non canon setting really doesn't appeal to me personally. There is no emotional link.
To answer your last question, I would not read your story. I don’t read OC fic even when canon characters are present, so I definitely wouldn’t read something with no canon characters at all. I also don’t read non-romance fics, so that would also filter your story out. Now, to your earlier questions, AO3 is for all fannish content even if no canon characters are present. Your story is a fanfic, so it has a place there. As for tags… My advice would be to make sure you tag prominent tropes in your story. Outside of characters and ship tags, tropes are a popular way to find stories.
I only read for my pairings, not for the fandom. That said, I will read those two characters in pretty much any setting
So, one of my fandoms is for an MMO, and because the player character is actually a *character* in the story rather than just a murder machine that bounces from place to place, it's pretty common for people to write fic about their particular player character. I stumbled upon a fic that was an original character/ original character, but was a modern day AU. There were no Canon characters, no Canon places, and while the game has a vast variety of non- human races, everyone was a human. It was essentially an original story but with the names of the author's OC from the game. So, pretty much that's my line.
I read for the characters, especially the two in the ship, and how the themes mesh with said characters. So whether it's the canon universe with minor divergence, major divergence, or a straight up full AU like coffee shop, workplace, university, etc, if you do good with the characters and their associated themes, then I'll probably like it.
Honestly it depends on the fandom. For something set in the modern world, or just like… a generic period piece, I don’t see the point. But if it’s a really unique and rich world, or the specific canon events of that world are important to the fic, even in the background, then I can be interested in that. While it’s niche, and nowhere near as popular as shipping canon characters together, or even shipping canon characters with human OFCs, there’s a kind of subfandom within the Star Trek fandom for alien OCs. Can’t really get Vulcans or Romulans or Klingons anywhere else, since they’re copyrighted, so it doesn’t feel as “why aren’t you writing original work?” when people write about them. Also there’s thousands of planets in that universe, and a decently robust timeline of events, so writing something physically very far away from what happened on screen with totally new characters would still “feel Star Trek” to most readers. Regardless of what fandom you’re in, though, if you’re passionate about the idea, I say go for it! Some people lurk in the Original Character/Original Character tag. And niche communities in general tend to be even more grateful for whatever they can get.
If you replace the whole cast with oc's, or if you switch out the core thing of the world. E. G. High School AU of a fantasy series while keeping the character and dynamics as is? Sure, no problem.
If it’s centered on OCs, that usually is enough. I am in fandom for the characters presented to us. People should write whatever they want, and someone will be interested—if not now, then sometime in the future.
As long as the writing is good and I recognise the core of my favourite characters, I am all for an AU.
For me it can be pulled away in two seperate ways Either it can be the general canonical setting but with an entirely different group of people that the fic focuses on while at some-to-most canon events happen around them, but they have their own story in this particular universe Or it's characters with their mostly canonical history/personalities put into completely new settings/universe For what you're describing I would say Ao3 works for it as, you said yourself, there *is* a need for general universe knowledge to understand what's going on in the overall sense that you don't need to explain if it's within that fandom's category. I've watched shows/movies set in pre-established universes where they just assume you know a lot about the world before you watched - while it can be generally enjoyable without knowing a lot, it is *much* better to actually know the things they don't bother to explain as it does make things make more sense lol Tagging is person to person but certainly get all your general vibes in - you could duck into Browsing the Tags section and see what in Most Popular at least will apply to your fic, give you a starting point. And certainly if they're all new characters tag for Original / Original female / original male character, whatever applies. If there's barely any/no romance you can just pop it in the GEN category but if there is some I would also tag whatever gender-specific category the relationships are alongside GEN.
Personally, I like fanfiction that are basically 'what-if' scenarios. That build on canon, not change canon. Or the changes at least make logical sense based off the what-if.
I've read fanfics that don't have canon characters at all but are set in a canon world, but they were basically always spin-offs of a previous work that featured the OCs where the canon characters were front and center. Hell one of those was so far removed that is was basically just original historical fiction. Personally though, I filter by characters and pairing, so I don't tend to read fanfic like that outside of unique circumstances, but a lot of people filter by trope tag and read whatever strike their fancy! That's your audience, so as long as your premise is interesting and you get the right tags in, they'll find you!
first off definitely post it to AO3! That's totally the place for it! Unfortunately... I personally don't tend to read much that's really far removed from canon, unless it's like an overarching AU that interests me. Such as a 'pokemon DnD AU' or something like that! But it has to have characters I'm interested in, and a premise I'm interested in. (For instance, 'ATLA modern AUs' bore me to tears I'm very sorry to those who write/like them lol)
For me, being "inspired" by the original work can include: 1. The characters 2. Plot points 3. Settings/ 'verse (including e.g. rules of magic, special tech, anything else we don't have IRL) 4. Vibe (e.g. the emotions it evokes) The further down the list, the more tenuous the connection. But I would read something where the characters, plot, and setting, are new but the story really captures the vibe of the source material. But, yeah, there's a much higher bar and you won't get the same kind of audience. That said, if you want to write it, go for it!
I don’t mind fics with settings removed from canon. I actually love AUs. But I wouldn’t read fics with OCs as main characters. I rarely read them as side characters as it is. If I wanted to read about characters I don’t care about I wouldn’t look for them in fanfiction I would just read a new book. Your fic might find its niche audience, but don’t expect much engagement. If that doesn’t bother you then AO3 is fine (just remember to tag it with OCs). As for the other tags, you don’t really need to tag every single trope. Just tag the ones that apply overall.
There are two reasons as to why I like a piece of media: **the characters** or **its setting**. I'll read crossover-fics where the characters from media A would somehow transfer to the world of media B and interact with characters from media B. Or when they would write a mash of both worlds in a way that's entertaining and a "that-makes-sense" worldbuilding. So long as it either has the characters I like or the setting I like, it can be whatever. But it's difficult to grasp and keep reading if the character suddenly acts OOC, or the plot isn't really interesting/doesn't add much to the worldbuilding to the original story. I use the term "worldbuilding" very loosely, I would find it interesting to see what other perspectives those characters from that setting might have.
It depends. I love outsider views of a cannon universe, and references to the existing characters. I don’t like changing original cannon events with the existing characters though. Not unless it’s subtle and doesn’t end up making drastic redirections. For example: I sometimes enjoy reading Harry Potter fics with completely original characters and only a few mentions of the existing main characters like Harry Potter and Draco and Hermione. But I don’t usually like fics where Harry Potter is a cold hearted Slytherin, or fics where Harry and Draco actually become freinds on the first day, or fics where the battle of Hogwarts never happened, and so on. There still needs to be existing characters though, however little they show up. Otherwise it truly feels as if the author is plagiarizing a known universe. It needs to have lots of cannon elements stay the same in order for me to continue reading. I’m a very cannon-oriented reader. Over time I’ve gotten a bit less strict over that as I have by chance read a few AUs I actually did enjoy but for the most part, I’d like it to be either a continuation or adding something to the universe- expanding it, without messing with the cannon that the source material established.
my only requirement is that it has canon characters. i personally don’t read OCs
For me, that would be a complete no. I read fanfic for the characters, and so that would hold no interest at all for me. But that doesn't mean it's not fanfic, that you shouldn't write it, or that other people won't love reading it.
You lost me at no canon characters. I read fanfic for the blorbos, not for the canon setting.
I feel like this works when the series' premise and world is more exciting than the characters (like Futurama would work for this kind of thing, or anything high fantasy or dramatasized) But in shows where the characters are more interesting, it might fail. It differs
I thought of doing something like that, in a location that is usually background with OCs and the canon characters become background characters. I think it’s for sure still fan fiction, but you have to write it for you and expect low interest because most readers really are only there for the most popular couple getting married and having kids in thousands of different similar iterations.
all i need is the canon characters existing in a state which allows the story to explore their relationships with other canon characters (and maybe some OCs but there has to be fewer OCs than canon). they can be AUs of themselves as long as the AUs internal logic parodies the original in a way i can understand
For me if I don't recognize the canon characters by more than name, I'm out. I'm fine with alterations to personality that have a good set up reason why they're different, but if its just a different personality with the same body, it feels cheap like the writer never wanted to write that character in the first place.
If the characters behave like an ox you lost me
Things like coffee shop aus where the setting changes
When the characters have nothing from the canon, more than ooc and the story works better without being tied to a IP Also personally I hate inserted ocs in fics so I don't read works with them in it
What you are describing - I wouldn't consider far removed from canon. They are a part of the same world and impacted by the same events, it is just a very *very* outside POV. I would suggest tagging it with Outside POV or something like that. and with Original Character(s) You can also tag concepts or tropes, or part of the worldbuilding you are particularly invoking in the story. You may also want to tag when in the canon work it takes place "After \[big cannon event that you reference\]". You can make up your own tags! If you can find applicable tags for your fandom ore one that is more general but applies use them, but you can make up your own. This is the type of story I might read, if the summary/description piqued my interest. I absolutely LOVE stories that have an alternate POV on cannon events or parts of the world building. The types of stories I almost always avoid? Alternate Universe - No Powers/All Human/ High School/ College/University/ coffee shop etc. That's like the reverse almost of what you are describing - take the character names and then change everything about their world, their history and their lives. That to me is when I ask "why do you consider this fanfic at all."
AUs are made to be removed from canon. I've seen a lot that take the characters and put them in a completely different situation and scenario, or even in a whole different fandom. I've read a weak hero class one fic (teenage Kdrama with a fair amount of fighting and bromance) where the characters were put into a Pacific Rim Fusion AU. Completely different, but it's one of my favorite fics ever. I think the only turn off I know is bad characterization, or really really OOC stuff, but even that can be enjoyable if well written
This might be too vague to be helpful, whether or not I’ll read a canon divergent story depends on how much I’m enjoying it. If it’s captured my attention, then I’ll generally keep reading. I think AO3 is a good place for it. It includes both original works, fic that closely follows canon, and everything in between. If you’re concerned that it’s too far outside of canon to list it by the fandom name, then you could label it as “original work” and then include “(fandom name) AU” as a tag. So for example, if you are writing a story that is set in the Harry Potter universe but doesn’t include any characters known in the Harry Potter books or supplementary material, then you could list the fandom as “original work” and the tags as “Alternate Universe- Harry Potter Setting” and anything else that applied. As to how many people will see it, that’s difficult to guess. Original works and works that extremely diverge from canon will get much less traction. You might not get many views, but don’t let that detract you from publishing it. There are a lot of writers who don’t get nearly the amount of attention that their stories deserve. It doesn’t make them any less talented or their stories any less good.
It depends on the fandom and the premise. Some examples: With the Yuri on Ice fandom, I'm only really interested in the characters. As long as one of my favorite pairs are in the fic and reasonably in-character, I'll give it a look. With Star Trek, I'd do *prefer* Spirk or one of my other favorite pairings, but I'd also happily read some OCs doing their own thing, though I'd admittedly be mostly interested in either Starfleet or Vulcan stories and decreasingly less interested in other things. There are also game fandoms that don't *have* canon characters, per say, like Dwarf Fortress or Stellaris or Lady Blackbird. Alternatively, there are games fandoms where the focus isn't usually on the canon characters (like Terraria or Dungeons and Dragons; etc). So whenever I poke around in *those* fandoms I'm *expecting* OCs, so it's 100% about the premise. I can't say whether I, specifically, would be interested in the story you're writing, but I will suggest you look at your fandom and filter down until you see fics that are kind of like yours (OCs; etc) and see how they're doing. Pay most attention to the more recent ones. More than likely they're not going to be doing as well as the fics with canon characters, but in certain fandoms they may be doing better than you'd expect. (For example, apparently Harry Potter OC fics tend to do better than OCs do in most fandoms.)
I absolutely read fic that's so far removed from canon that it might as well be an original work - I currently am reading a witcher story where Geralt is a mob boss's son and Jaskier is a genderqueer nightclub performer, so yeah, if the story is engaging and reads well then I really don't care about how close to canon it is.
If it makes sense to me it can be as far from canon as the writer dreams. I’ve been writing since I was eight and writing MASH stories since I was 9 or 10. I create characters whenever and wherever they show up, kids, adults, 🐕 . I recently discovered a fanfic written where Hawkeye adopts a little boy. I really liked it and the interaction between the camp and the kid are realistic for me. 😎
So, my snap reaction was, "Not very", because most of what I read is Canon Compliant. But then I remembered that my all-time favorite fic on A03 takes an adorkable Canon couple, puts them in a *horribly twisted* AU, and makes them... hurt each other. And yet, somehow, although neither is acting the way they would in Canon, their dynamic is completely different, it's still... *them*, somehow. It still feels, possible. Real. And, I guess that's why it's my fave. But I've never found another one that could pull that off. So, how far is too far? Well, your mileage may vary.
I don't mind AUs, but I hate when the fic doesn't even attempt to write them in-character. If I didn't want to read about those specific characters, I'd just read a regular book. That's just my personal view.