Fan fiction sites are one of these platforms, allowing fans with creative skills to write stories about the characters they love.
So, whether you are a writer or a reader, this guide has got you covered. We’ll discuss here in detail almost 10 fanfiction platforms with age ratings. So, you can choose one according to your age and interests. Also, we’ll provide tips fr parents to ensure a safe and healthy digital atmosphere for teens.
What is considered fan fiction?
Fan fiction (or fanfic) is essentially a type of story written by ordinary people that we call fans. They use the characters or plot settings from already published books, video games, or movies, and create a different storyline based on their imagination.
Let’s take an example to understand the concept. Suppose you have watched the Frozen movie and really loved it. Then, owing to your imagination, you will write a new story about Elsa and Anna in the same settings. As you may write, what if they find out that they have a new sibling? That’s what we call fan fiction.
Y, despite writing a whole new story, fans just take inspiration from their beloved movies or TV shows. Thus, they imagine new possibilities for themselves. This concept isn’t just about creating storylines, but it’s about creativity and community building.
For instance, when you create a storyline, you would share it on the Internet on different platforms. So, basically, it provides you with a free space where you can experiment with your ideas.
Also, when you get feedback from different people online, you will become more confident and also try your best to do more good. Thus, this enhances your creativity level.
Use parental controls to track your teens browsing history.
10 fan fiction sites
So, if you like fan fiction stories, then be happy as there are many platforms available online that allow you to read such content from there. So, be with us as in this section we’ll discuss in detail about almost 10 fan fiction sites with their age ratings and features!
Archive of Our Own (AO3)
Age Rating: 13+
The Archive of Our Own is a free digital platform created by the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) in 2008. You know, this platform is also free of any ads created with the sole purpose of giving space to fans to publish their creative work.
Key Features:
- Advanced tagging and filtering system
- Millions of stories across all fandoms
- Options to download works in multiple formats (PDF, ePub, etc.)
- Inclusive policies for all genres and pairings
- Community-driven moderation and support
FanFiction.net
Age Rating: 13+
Next on your list is FanFiction.net. it’s one of the classic websites that provides an opprtunity to writers and readers to publish and read the content free of cost. It was basically launched in 1998 and for your surprise you’ll find your harry potter version here.
Key Features:
- Massive library of fanfics (millions of works)
- Covers books, TV, anime, movies, and games
- Simple publishing and browsing tools
- Community reviews and favorites system
- Simple design, accessible worldwide
Wattpad
Age Rating: 13+
Wattpad is another fan fiction online website launched in 2006. However, it not only allows you to read the fan fiction stories but also the original content. You know, here the writers would basically post their stories chapter by chapter, and readers like you would then comment on it and vote for it.
Thus, it provides a more engaging platform where you can direct content with the writers of your favorite stories.
Key Features:
- Interactive comments and reader votes
- Mobile-friendly app with offline reading
- Chance for writers to get discovered by publishers
- Large and active teen and young adult community
- Wide range of genres beyond fan fiction
Commaful
Age Rating: 13+
However, talking about Commaful, it’s somehow unique from other fanfiction. This is because you’ll find the short eye-catching stories not in the reading format but in a visual form. Like, while scrolling each page, you’ll find a short line of text with a background image, thus making it easy to read and understand.
Key Features:
- Visual storytelling (images + text)
- Bite-sized, scrollable story format
- Easy to share stories on social media
- Strong community for short-form writers
- Supports fanfiction, poetry, and flash fiction
Quotev
Age Rating: 13+
Similarly, Quotev not only allows you to publish and read stories, but also allows you to take personality quizzes or surveys. Thus, it’s also known as the Quiz-based platform, as the name suggests.
Key features:
- Stories, quizzes, and surveys in one platform
- Customizable profiles and groups
- Active teen-focused community
- Mix of original works and fan fiction
- Personalized recommendations based on interests
Tumblr
Age Rating: 13+
In addition, Tumblr is basically a social media site launched by David Karp in February 2007. I’m calling it a social media site because it not only allows you to share the fan fiction content, but also the posts, artwork, and animated gifs, etc.
Also, the best thing is that this website allows you to add tags to your post, like # fanfiction, etc. Thus aiding other people to easily find the content according to their interests.
Key features:
- Supports short drabbles to long stories
- Easy sharing and reblogging within fandoms
- Combines fan fiction with fan art and memes
- Hashtags and communities for fandom discovery
- Strong space for niche and creative fandoms
DeviantArt
Age rating: 13+
As the name suggests, it’s an American digital platform that was launched in August 2000 and mainly focuses on artwork. However, you’ll also find the fanfiction content, original stories, or even poems there.
Key features:
- Combines visual art with writing
- Large, creative community worldwide
- Collections and favorites to organize works
- Profile galleries to showcase all projects
- Comment and group system for feedback
Asianfanfics
Age rating: 13+
Asianfanfics, as the name suggests, is basically centred on Asian pop culture. So, if you are a fan of K-pop idols, J-pop artists, C-dramas, K-dramas, anime, etc., then this website is just for you.
Key features:
- Specialized in Asian fandoms (K-pop, dramas, etc.)
- Forums and request boards for fans
- Story recommendations and featured works
- Active global community of readers and writers
- Customizable layouts for stories and profiles
AdultFanFiction (AFF)
Age Rating: 18+
As compared to all above mentioned websites, which focus on all types of content, AdultfanFiction is basically centred around mature content. Hence, it’s unsuitable for kids and teens.
Key Features:
- Exclusively adult and mature content
- Wide range of fandoms and categories
- Community forums for discussions
- Anonymous browsing and reading options
- Dedicated adult-only creative space
Webnovel
Age Rating: 13+ (with 18+ sections)
Webnovel is an online Chinese website allowing you to read and post novel storylines just like a TV series. You know, in the start, like in 2017, it only hosted the English translations of Chinese novels. However, now it allows any from the world to publish their work here.
Also, in China, this website is still renowned with the name of Qidian (a Chinese word meaning starting point).
Key Features:
- Serialized, chapter-based publishing
- In-app comments and reader interaction
- Voting and ranking system for stories
- Monetization options for writers
- Large community for both original and fan fiction
Is fan fiction safe for kids?
So, if you are a parent, then you are definitely getting confused about whether this fan fiction content is suitable to access for your kids or not? Well! We understand your concerns. However, we don’t tell you in one word whether it’s safe or not. This is because it depends on different factors.
- Varying content levels: anyone online with having Internet connection can create the fanfiction content. Thus, there are equal chances of finding both child-friendly and mature content.
- Bypasses the age ratings: Next, it’s available on different websites, so the thing that matters is which platform your kids choose to read. Although the platforms have different age ratings, this gives a clear clue about which kind of content you’ll find. However, kids may ignore this and even bypass their verification systems.
- Weak moderation and community guidelines: There are some fanfiction platforms that have clear community guidelines not to post harmful content. However, it’s the question of your kids’ safety. Do you completely rely on them? Definitely no.
So, allow your kids to access safe fan fiction platforms. Thus, from there, they may get inspiration and exercise their imagination to do wonders. However, to ensure a safe exploring experience, your guidance is really important.
Parental tips for teens reading fan fiction
So, if your teens really like to read the fan fiction stories, then owing to its unsafe aspects completely restricting teens from accessing them is not the solution. This is because risks are almost everywhere, whether physical or online. The thing that matters is how we cope with them.
We have compiled a list of actionable tips that you can follow to ensure your kids’ digital safety. Let’s dive in and understand them!
Encourage open conversations about what they’re reading
You must have a friendly talk with your kids about their online activities. For instance, you can talk to them about what they are reading nowadays online. Thus, you can guide them about the type of content suitable for them.
Also, keep in mind that teens explore explicit content sometimes because of their curiosity developed by their social friends. So, you have to make it clear about the explicit content in your one language. Thus, they never try to explore it.
Checking ratings/tags on stories
The platforms that kids access to read stories also have tags on them telling viewers whether it’s appropriate for them. So, you have to guide them that always check the age rating first before accessing any websites. You have to politely explain to your kids that it’s for their own safety.
Otherwise, if they get exposed to mature content at an early age, then it would affect their overall development
Recommend Setting Boundaries Around Safe Platforms
you have to encourage your kids to choose the platforms that have clear community guidelines regarding filtering harmful content. For instance, you can allow them to use the Wattpad or AO3 platforms because they have tags ( 13+), have content filters and also reporting tools.
However, to restrict them from accessing harmful websites, you can make use of built-in parental tools like SafeSearch features which filter out the explicit results.
Encourage teens to balance fan fiction with original literature
just reading fanfiction stores isn’t good for your teens. You should also develop interest for reading original literature too.
Thus, by reading the real literature, their vocabulary would improve. And as a result, their communication skills would be boosted, which helps a lot in their future career.
Use parental controls to enhance monitoring
Although by following the above-mentioned strategies you can somehow ensure that kids access only safe platforms. However, for complete peace of mind regarding kids’ digital safety, it’s always recommended to deploy third-party parental control tools.
However, FlashGet Kids has superseded all as it combines highly advanced real-time monitoring features. For instance;
- Screen mirroring: This is one of the amazing features that sets FlashGet Kids apart from all. This is because it allows you to live monitor what your kids are scrolling online from one place, which is what kind of content they are viewing.
- Screen time: However, there is something more, which is that you can set time limitations on the usage of different applications. Also, the best part is that if kids try to exceed the time limit, you will get an instant alert.
- ●Website blocking: Also, using his app, you can blacklist the harmful or inappropriate fan fiction websites. Thus, you can prevent your kids from getting exposed to adult content.
