Posts in Fanfiction
OTW Signal, August 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News The recent swell of traditionally published novels with roots in fanfiction has left many questioning the legality of commercialized fanworks. In The romance of fair use and fiction, Rutgers Law student and OTW documentation volunteer Ally Duong explains how copyright law protects such novels—and why. Fanfiction culture has proved fertile ground for artistic expression. Copyright law nurtures that creativity by protecting an author’s… Read more
American Horror Fic Exchange is Moving to AO3
American Horror Fic Exchange, an American Horror Story fanfiction exchange archive, is being imported to the Archive of Our Own (AO3). In this post: A bit of background explanation What this means for creators who have work(s) on American Horror Fic Exchange And what to do if you still have questions Background explanation The exchange’s owner, jandjsalmon, decided to import the works from LiveJournal in order to safeguard the history of fandom and prevent meaningful works from potentially vanishing. By moving these stories to Archive of Our Own, where a large and active fanfiction community exists, the archivist wants to ensure the works remain accessible,… Read more
OTW Guest Post: Atticus Yus
On occasion, the OTW shares posts from a guest, providing an outside perspective on the OTW or specific aspects of fandom. These posts express each individual’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the OTW or constitute OTW policy. Atticus Yus (she/her) is a postgraduate student at Cambridge Digital Humanities, affiliated with Newnham College. A fanfiction writer herself, she is currently most active in the Identity V and Hannibal fandoms and enjoys baking banana bread in her free time. Today, Atticus talks about her research regarding fan communities with a particular focus on tagging systems and social networks. How did you first… Read more
The Mass Effect Kink Meme is Moving to AO3
The Mass Effect Kink Meme a prompt meme for the Mass Effect games, is being imported to the Archive of Our Own (AO3). In this post: A bit of background explanation What this means for creators who have works on The Mass Effect Kink Meme And what to do if you still have questions Background explanation The archive is being imported to AO3 to preserve the works and make them available to a wider audience. The purpose of the Open Doors Committee’s Online Archive Rescue Project is to assist moderators of archives to incorporate the fanworks from those archives into the Archive of Our Own…. Read more
OTW Signal, June 2026
Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works. In the News Last month, Russian photographer Alexandra Kuzyk became one of many people targeted in Russia’s intensifying campaign against LGBTQ+ expression when she was prosecuted for writing gay fanfiction. Prosecutors sought a four-year prison sentence, but Kuzyk was instead sentenced to 18 months of compulsory labor, with 10% of her wages withheld by the state. While Kuzyk was formally convicted under Russia’s law against producing… Read more