The original tweet summarizes it pretty well. Fanfic tends to be popular among certain types of neurodivergent people (aka people most likely to read excessively as a child, and have burnout as an adult) for the same reasons that we tend to hyperfixate–neurochemical signaling (I hope I’m using that phrase correctly). What I mean is, for people who are really dependent on changes in dopamine/serotonin/neurotransmitter levels, who have low levels or wonky neural reward systems (perhaps the most common types of neurodivergence)…people like us rely on dependable external sources of those neurochemicals. In order to function, we spend a lot of our free time trying to level out our brain chemistry using things that can reliably bring us a steady stream of joyful moments (rewards) without costing too much of the mental effort that is already in short supply.
significantly: the investment of reading has to be balanced with a steady “return on investment”–and this return has to start fairly quickly. because again, we don’t have a lot of attention/energy to invest on tiring things. we have perpetual “low batteries” in that regard.
that doesn’t mean these stories are “simple,” or that they lack complexity or value–only that the reward has to come in short regular intervals, and it has to have a low “upfront cost.” which is why fanfic stories are so perfectly formulated for neurodivergent readers–they are often beautifully written, but skip a lot of the upfront costs (of introducing new characters, of world-building, of getting the audience emotionally connected to the story elements).
the nature of fanfiction is that the reader has a pre-existing relationship with this world and these characters. that–combined with the shorter average length of fics–means that fan fics very quickly start “rewarding” the reader in a way that traditional fiction struggles to. that’s not a bad thing! and maybe it’s something more traditionally published writers should be paying attention to.
Fanfic, as a genre, has been uniquely helpful and accessible to many neurodivergent readers who would otherwise struggle to immerse themselves in stories. I’m glad so many of you have found a way to love and enjoy reading again! The important thing is that you are spending time inside stories you love–the way those stories are published or presented to the world is just one detail.
*holds your hand* no, we’re ALL bitches
I used to devour books as a kid, could read a 400 page book in one day. I read at school, during lunch break, while walking home, while eating, before sleep, just every moment I could. Then I hit twenties and I just can’t read like that anymore. I now have a short attention span, have to reread paragraphs, and oftentimes I get to the end of a page only to realize that I have no idea what I just read. So reading books became a chore. Reading fanfiction is much easier, though sometimes my attention drifts even when reading them.
I did the same thing as a kid, and interestingly enough I found that as my overall level of stress and daily discomfort improved, I spent a lot less time reading. Over time I’ve realized that the type of reading habits described above–spending every free moment of my day reading, at the cost of everything else–that was a maladaptive coping mechanism.
As a kid, I didn’t read just bc I chose to. I read bc I couldn’t choose anything else. I had no control over my environment, I was constantly overwhelmed, overstimulated, unhappy and isolated. I didn’t have much internet access, certainly not in class, so immersing myself in printed things was my onlyescape option. That’s what it was all about–escaping.
In hindsight, a big reason I was able to concentrate on longer fiction when I was younger was bc I didn’t have that many options. I didn’t have access to wifi during school hours, and running out of reading material was a huge risk (bc engaging & being aware of my environment was just that painful). Given that it took a large word count to distract myself consistently through the day, reading large books made more sense. When I was a kid, long fiction offered a better “payoff”, the way fanfiction does now.
That is to say: I chose books for many of the same reasons I later chose fanfiction.
The fact that my reading habits have changed has less to do with the fact my brain had changed, and more to do with the way my environment has changed. My brain has options now it didn’t have before. And it turns out, fanfic is a pretty useful option. I’m gradually transitioning to reading more long & traditionally published fiction, but I’ll never forget that fanfic writers were there when I needed different options. I’ll never forget how much that genre helped (and still helps!) when I was struggling.
I wasn’t asked to a single dance in high school and didn’t have a serious romantic relationship until I was 22. And like, yeah that shit hurt when I was younger. I had a lot of fears that I was unlovable and that I didn’t deserve to be happy. And every time I would try to talk to anyone about it, the conversation became, “you’ll find someone”, when it should have been, “you don’t need a relationship or a date, you’re lovable & complete & beautiful on your own”.
So yeah, please normalize young people not dating, and please stop shaming them for it. There’s more to life than romance, despite what the media wants us to think.
THIS
Some of y'all need to read this shit and understand it fully
quarantine is just having to confront your old hyperfixations as they resurface one by one like you’re scott pilgrim and they’re each one of ramona’s exes
