Snowflake Challenge 2025 - day 2
Challenge #2
In your own space, talk about your fannish origin story. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Apologies for the lateness - I've been away visiting family for a few days!
Probably the funniest thing about my fannish history is that I originally participated in fandom quite organically, before I realised such a thing even existed!
I became aware of fanfiction back in the early 2000's by accidentally stumbling across Lord of the Rings fanfiction. I had no idea what slash fanfiction was, so discovering the multitude of shenanigans that Aragorn and Legolas potentially got up to in the mines of Moria was, for me, a learning curve like no other. I read it avidly, although that's all I did. I didn't feel the compulsion to write or comment or interact in any way.
Then in 2009, I discovered Supernatural, and it inspired me in a way that I've never been inspired before. At first, I was looking to duplicate my LoTR experience, and I went hunting for Supernatural slash fanfiction. And I was not disappointed! Then, at the end of May 2010, I wrote my first Supernatural fanfiction and posted it to Fanfiction.net. After a couple of days, I had accumuated a handful of reviews and there and then, a few of my very first 'fandom' relationships were born.
Now, 15 years and well over a thousand stories and drabbles, and countless fan arts later, I’m still active in the fandom, although nothing like on the scale I was a few years ago.. Every friend I made in fandom led to more friends, every story I wrote led to more creativity, every convention I went to led to more conventions and more friends.
It has, without a doubt, been some of the best years of my life.