➡️ Content warnings on fiction are a courtesy. ➡️ Not every medium of fiction and storytelling has or is expected to have content warnings or extensive tagging. ➡️ Print novels do not traditionally warn for content in any way. ➡️ Fanfiction did not traditionally warn̵ for content in any significant way. ➡️ An author is only obligated to warn̵ for content to the degree mandated by the format they publish their fiction on. ➡️ Content warnings beyond the minimum are a courtesy, not an obligation. ➡️ 'Creator chose not to warn' is a valid tag authors are allowed to use on. It means there could be anything in there and you have accepted the rısk. 'May contain peanuts!' ➡️ Writers are allowed to use 'Creator chose not to warn' for any reason, including to maintain surprise and avoįd spoilers. ➡️ 'Creator chose not to warn' is not the same thing as 'no archive warnings apply'. ➡️ It is your responsibility to protect yourself and close a book, or hit the back button if you find something in fiction that you're reading that upsets you. ➡️ You are responsible for protecting yourself from fiction that causes you discomforts.

Pansyk •6mo ago Personally, reading and writing fanfiction has really helped me with my technical skills. When I look over the fanfiction I have written over the years, I can see how my prose and dialogue have improved. All fiction, whether of the fan or original variety, is built off of the basic idea of "making words sound good." And fanfiction is a perfectly acceptable way to do that. However, the way that fanfiction operates in terms of characterization and plot? That's radically different from original fiction. In fanfiction, characters are already established, so even if you're doing some batshit insane Alternate Universe, everyone already knows the basics of what's up. That's not true of original fiction. You need to devote more time to both fleshing out your characters and establishing their relationships with the rest of the cast. Plot often progresses differently, in part because of the time you just spent showing your readers who these people are, but also because fanfiction and original fiction often follow different structures entirely. Fanfiction is free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. That makes it useful for new authors, especially young authors. Think of it as swimming in shallow water. It's fun! It can help you build up some strength. Anyone can do it. But it won't completely prepare you for diving into deeper water. So, I guess at the end of the day, reading both will help your development as a writer.