I’ve noticed a lot of conversation about pulling away from short-form content recently. It’s become common knowledge that doomscrolling short-form content overwhelms our brains, taking hours out of our day.

We need to replace our short-form content with entertainment that sparks excitement and creativity and, unlike short-form content, forces us to be aware of what we’re consuming. 

My proposal is fan fiction.

I may have lost some of you with that, but think about it: fan fiction is low-commitment reading based on something you already love. In other words, you’ll already be attached to the work before even starting it.

People have begun to use apps like Substack and Pinterest instead of the pillar short-form content apps TikTok and Instagram. Although I agree with this shift away from short-form content overall, I’m not entirely supportive of Substack and Pinterest as our replacements. 

I struggle to see how scrolling through aesthetic photos instead of videos stands as a valid replacement for short-form media, since it still doesn’t last in our memories and allows us to fall into the same zombie-like state. 

I appreciate how Substack provides an accessible outlet for people to post their personal writing. However, we still engage in the motion of scrolling as we look through the short articles published and photos posted. I spend most of my time on Substack skimming pieces for the punchline, similarly to how I use Instagram. 

Fan fiction was a late discovery for me (as a tween, I was more invested in fantasy novels than Wattpad). I turned to it this year after I finished all the released episodes of “The Pitt” and wanted more of the characters. Because of TikTok comment sections under edits of the characters from the show, I started to roam AO3, a website created by fans that houses works from every fandom you can think of.

Reading some of the work from the website destroyed my preconceived stereotypes about fan fiction. Before, I thought it was all poorly written and full of smut.

Now, I know that many of these writers are excellent at their craft. AO3 also has tags that authors can use to disclose what kind of content is in their stories, giving us a unique agency over the media we consume, rather than an algorithm deciding for us.

Once there’s a story I love, it becomes something I look forward to after a strenuous day.

Beyond my own entertainment, as someone who is passionate about creative writing,  I’m inspired by reading fan fiction. The writers on AO3 are pursuing writing at the grassroots level and creating a community with their readers through their writing and in the comment section.  

This form of writing and self-publishing has been looked down upon by writers and some readers because these writers don’t create their own characters or, sometimes, their own setting. My Fiction 1 course, for example, did not allow us to write fan fiction because of this “shortcut.” 

However, fan fiction is a great way to start writing for the very reasons it is looked down upon. Fan fiction allows its writers to rely completely on their imaginations by providing developed characters. 

Whether you turn to fanfiction in order to get away from content that mindlessly consumes your time or because you’re seeking inspiration for your own writing, fan fiction shouldn’t be forgotten. So, revisit fan fiction or, like me, discover it this year. You might just forget about TikTok for a while.