Some examples of fix-it fanfic are Backward With Purpose Part I: Always and Always, which is a fanfic that sends Harry, Ginny, and Ron back in time to prevent the deaths and the losses of the war, and The Sum of Their Parts, which is a fanfic that explores the consequences and the challenges of Harry Potter becoming a dark lord after the war.
Benefits of Harry Potter Fanfic
Harry Potter fanfic is not only a fun and enjoyable hobby, but also a beneficial and rewarding activity, with many positive effects and outcomes. Some of the benefits of Harry Potter fanfic are:
- Creativity: Harry Potter fanfic stimulates and enhances the creativity of the fans, as they use their imagination and originality to create new and unique stories based on the Harry Potter universe. Harry Potter fanfic also encourages and challenges the fans to experiment with different genres, formats, and techniques, and to explore different ideas and possibilities. Harry Potter fanfic also helps the fans to express their creativity, identity, and passion through their fanfic.
- Learning: Harry Potter fanfic facilitates and supports the learning and development of the fans, as they improve their writing skills, expand their vocabulary, and discover new knowledge and information through their fanfic. Harry Potter fanfic also exposes and introduces the fans to different perspectives, cultures, and experiences, and to different sources of inspiration and reference, such as other books, movies, or fandoms.
- Community: Harry Potter fanfic fosters and strengthens the sense of community and culture among the fans, as they share and enjoy their fanfic, and as they interact and collaborate with other fans who share their interests and views. Harry Potter fanfic also provides a platform and a medium for the fans to communicate and connect with each other, and to form friendships and relationships based on their fanfic and fandom.
- Enjoyment: Harry Potter fanfic provides a source of entertainment and enjoyment for the fans, as they read and write their fanfic, and as they immerse themselves in the magical world of Harry Potter. Harry Potter fanfic also offers a way of escapism and relaxation for the fans, as they cope with the stress and the challenges of their real lives, and as they find comfort and happiness in their fanfic.
Tips and Resources for Harry Potter Fanfic
If you are interested in writing or reading Harry Potter fanfic, here are some tips and resources that might help you:
Writing tips
Some of the tips for writing Harry Potter fanfic are:
- Know your canon: Before you write your fanfic, make sure you are familiar with the canon, and that you have a clear and consistent understanding of the characters, the settings, and the events of the Harry Potter universe. You can use the Harry Potter Wiki or the Pottermore website as references for the canon information and details.
- Choose your type: Decide what type of fanfic you want to write, and what you want to achieve with your fanfic. Do you want to follow the canon or change it? Do you want to focus on the main characters or the minor ones? Do you want to write a romance or a horror? Do you want to write a short story or a novel? Do you want to write a crossover or a fusion? These choices will affect the tone, the style, and the structure of your fanfic, and they will also determine the expectations and the preferences of your readers.
- Plan your plot: Before you start writing your fanfic, it is a good idea to have a general outline or a plan of your plot, and to know where you want to start and end your fanfic. This will help you to organize your ideas, to avoid plot holes and inconsistencies, and to maintain the flow and the pace of your fanfic. You can use tools such as Plot Generator or Story Planner to help you with your plot.
- Develop your characters: One of the most important and challenging aspects of writing Harry Potter fanfic is to develop your characters, and to make them believable and relatable. You can use the canon characters as a basis, but you can also add your own twist and interpretation to them, as long as you keep them in character and consistent. You can also create your own original characters, but you have to make sure they fit in the Harry Potter universe, and that they do not overshadow or contradict the canon characters. You can use tools such as Character Generator or Character Profile to help you with your characters.
- Edit and revise your fanfic: After you finish writing your fanfic, it is important to edit and revise your fanfic, and to check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors. You can use tools such as Grammarly or Hemingway to help you with your editing. You can also ask for feedback and suggestions from other fans or writers, and you can use a beta-reader, which is a person who reads and reviews your fanfic before you publish it. You can find beta-readers on websites such as Beta Finder or Fanfic Beta.
Reading tips
Some of the tips for reading Harry Potter fanfic are:
- Know your preferences: Before you read a fanfic, make sure you know what you are looking for, and what you like and dislike in a fanfic. Do you prefer canon-compliant or AU fanfic? Do you prefer a certain genre or style? Do you prefer a certain pairing or ship? Do you have any triggers or squicks that you want to avoid? These preferences will help you to narrow down your search, and to find the fanfic that suit your taste and mood.
- Use filters and tags: When you browse or search for a fanfic, you can use filters and tags to help you find the fanfic that match your criteria and preferences. Filters and tags are words or phrases that describe the fanfic, such as the rating, the genre, the characters, the pairings, the warnings, and the keywords. You can use filters and tags to include or exclude certain fanfic, and to sort and rank the fanfic according to your preferences. You can find filters and tags on the fanfic websites, or you can use tools such as [Fanfic Filter] or [Fanfic Tag Explorer] to help you with your filters and tags.
- Read the summary and the notes: Before you start reading a fanfic, it is a good idea to read the summary and the notes of the fanfic, and to get a general idea of what the fanfic is about, and what to expect from the fanfic. The summary and the notes are usually written by the author, and they provide a brief and concise overview of the fanfic, such as the plot, the characters, the pairings, the warnings, and the author’s comments. The summary and the notes can help you to decide whether you want to read the fanfic or not, and they can also prepare you for the fanfic.
- Leave a comment and a kudos: After you finish reading a fanfic, it is a nice gesture to leave a comment and a kudos for the fanfic, and to show your appreciation and support for the author. A comment and a kudos are feedbacks that you can give to the fanfic, and they can express your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and reactions to the fanfic. A comment and a kudos can also encourage and motivate the author to continue writing and improving their fanfic, and they can also help other readers to find and enjoy the fanfic.
Resources
Some of the resources for Harry Potter fanfic are:
Websites
There are many websites that host and archive Harry Potter fanfic, and that provide a platform and a community for Harry Potter fanfic writers and readers. Some of the most popular and prominent ones are:
- Archive of Our Own: Archive of Our Own, or AO3, is a fan-created and fan-run website that hosts over 7 million fanfic, including over 300,000 Harry Potter fanfic. AO3 is known for its user-friendly and customizable interface, its comprehensive and flexible filtering and tagging system, and its inclusive and diverse fanfic collection.
- Wattpad: Wattpad is a website and an app that hosts over 90 million stories, including over 200,000 Harry Potter fanfic. Wattpad is known for its social and interactive features, such as voting, commenting, messaging, and following, and its original and creative fanfic collection.
- FanFiction.Net: FanFiction.Net, or FFN, is one of the oldest and largest fanfic websites, with over 12 million fanfic, including over 800,000 Harry Potter fanfic. FFN is known for its simple and classic interface, its wide and varied fanfic collection, and its loyal and active fanfic community.
Podcasts
There are many podcasts that discuss and review Harry Potter fanfic, and that provide entertainment and information for Harry Potter fanfic fans. Some of the most popular and prominent ones are:
- PotterFicWeekly: PotterFicWeekly, or PFW, is a podcast that features a group of Harry Potter fanfic fans who read and review a selected Harry Potter fanfic each week, and who share their opinions, insights, and humor on the fanfic and the fandom.
- Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them: Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them, or FFWTFT, is a podcast that features two Harry Potter fanfic fans who read and comment on a random Harry Potter fanfic each episode, and who explore the weird and wonderful world of Harry Potter fanfic.
- The Real Weird Sisters: The Real Weird Sisters, or TRWS, is a podcast that features two sisters who are Harry Potter fans, and who read and analyze the Harry Potter books chapter by chapter, and who also read and react to Harry Potter fanfic on their bonus episodes.
Blogs
There are many blogs that write and recommend Harry Potter fanfic, and that provide tips and resources for Harry Potter fanfic writers and readers. Some of the most popular and prominent ones are:
- The Fanfic Recs: The Fanfic Recs, or TFR, is a blog that curates and recommends high-quality Harry Potter fanfic, and that provides detailed and helpful reviews and ratings for each fanfic.
- The Fanfic Lounge: The Fanfic Lounge, or TFL, is a blog that offers advice and guidance for Harry Potter fanfic writers, and that covers topics such as plot, character, dialogue, grammar, and style.
- The Fanfic Trope: The Fanfic Trope, or TFT, is a blog that explores and explains the common and popular tropes and themes of Harry Potter fanfic, and that provides examples and analysis for each trope.
Conclusion
Harry Potter fanfic is a magical world of creativity and possibility, where fans can create and enjoy their own stories based on the Harry Potter universe. Harry Potter fanfic has a long and rich history, a diverse and dynamic genre, and a beneficial and rewarding activity. Harry Potter fanfic also has many tips and resources that can help fans to write and read their fanfic. Harry Potter fanfic is a way of celebrating and honoring the Harry Potter fandom, and of expressing and sharing the love and passion for the Harry Potter story.
