Phanfiction recs to warm us on lonely nights

[starlight-still]

If you're craving tour fic, definitely go read pink by oqua! It's so cute it'll rot your teeth.

I'm over here giggling like a school girl and heartily second this rec

[bluntedclaws]

I am reccing Everything by breathrepeat on AO3:

"The beginning of a love story. Dan never realized how depressed he was until Phil showed him true happiness."

It's a lovely story about 2009!phan, and focuses a lot on Dan's relationship with his family.

Awww...I love this. Thanks for the rec. It's really well written and made me a bit emo.

If you're craving tour fic, definitely go read pink by oqua! It's so cute it'll rot your teeth.

This is really sweet. I hope really do hang out with Drake (and the rest of the crew) a bit and not just keep to themselves all the time.

[offtopic]

I'm always kinda surprised that AU fics are so popular. Personally, I just don't get the appeal? It seems to me like they're mostly just a story that the writer has put Deppy's names in to make more people read it. A lot of times the characters don't act remotely like actual Deppy would. Can anyone who does read a lot of AU fics explain it?

[/offtopic]

[bluebox-away]

If you're craving tour fic, definitely go read pink by oqua! It's so cute it'll rot your teeth.

I'm over here giggling like a school girl and heartily second this rec

+1 this is so great I loved it, keep up the brilliant fanfic please oqua

[icklebrina]

[offtopic]

I'm always kinda surprised that AU fics are so popular. Personally, I just don't get the appeal? It seems to me like they're mostly just a story that the writer has put Deppy's names in to make more people read it. A lot of times the characters don't act remotely like actual Deppy would. Can anyone who does read a lot of AU fics explain it?

[/offtopic]

[offtopic]

I haven't read much D&P fic, but I have read a lot of AU fics in my time. I think the appeal can be for a few different reasons.
1) You want to see what the characters would do if they were put into a certain world/situation/scenario. I have huge respect for people who have a good enough grasp of the characters to do this well, because it isn't easy to do while keeping everyone believably in character.
2) It's like reading an original fic or actual novel, but, unlike reading original fics, you go in already having an idea of the character relationships and backgrounds. You have characters you are already attached to, or are rooting for, or greatly dislike. You already know Character A is a hopeless romantic, or Character B is an overachiever who had a difficult childhood, or Character C hates Character A, etc. (I imagine this is true on the writing side of things as well - you go into it with a partially constructed sandbox and can play with it)
3) You are so attached to the characters you will read anything that's mostly well-written (especially for smaller fandoms), or anything written by an author you're a fan of (this is how I first started reading AUs, and also how I've been introduced to new fandoms. Don't underestimate the power of a fav author!).
4) Some AU fics (though definitely not all) are written into a different world specifically to explore some sort of social commentary. When this is done well, it can lead to some really interesting things.

[/offtopic]

[backrolls]

[offtopic]I'm always kinda surprised that AU fics are so popular. Personally, I just don't get the appeal? It seems to me like they're mostly just a story that the writer has put Deppy's names in to make more people read it. A lot of times the characters don't act remotely like actual Deppy would. Can anyone who does read a lot of AU fics explain it[/offtopic]

It's just personal preference I suppose. I prefer AUs in this fandom, mostly because deppy don't actually do that much irl. There's only so many times the same story can be told before it starts to get a bit dull, imo. Obviously there are exceptions, and many of IDB's resident writers write fantastic, beautiful reality based fics.

There are plenty of non-AU fics that write deppy completely ooc as well, and that really throws me off, even though I don't mind a bit of ooc in an AU.

For me, the appeal of deppy is the connection they have, romantic or otherwise - I don't know anyone irl who has that sort of a relationship/friendship. It really is an incredibly special thing. So as long as that connection is carried over to the AU, I don't mind them not acting like actual deppy. I just like the idea of these two people who have this thing most of us will never experience, being thrown into all sorts of situations and settings. You know, mix things up a bit


Also I am a massive pile of trash for a slow burn getting together fic, like 20,000 words of mutual pining that ends with a passionate snog against a wall is my crack, so having that happen in as many different ways as possible makes me a happy human.

[bluntedclaws]

[offtopic]I'm always kinda surprised that AU fics are so popular. Personally, I just don't get the appeal? It seems to me like they're mostly just a story that the writer has put Deppy's names in to make more people read it. A lot of times the characters don't act remotely like actual Deppy would. Can anyone who does read a lot of AU fics explain it[/offtopic]

It's just personal preference I suppose. I prefer AUs in this fandom, mostly because deppy don't actually do that much irl. There's only so many times the same story can be told before it starts to get a bit dull, imo. Obviously there are exceptions, and many of IDB's resident writers write fantastic, beautiful reality based fics.

There are plenty of non-AU fics that write deppy completely ooc as well, and that really throws me off, even though I don't mind a bit of ooc in an AU.

For me, the appeal of deppy is the connection they have, romantic or otherwise - I don't know anyone irl who has that sort of a relationship/friendship. It really is an incredibly special thing. So as long as that connection is carried over to the AU, I don't mind them not acting like actual deppy. I just like the idea of these two people who have this thing most of us will never experience, being thrown into all sorts of situations and settings. You know, mix things up a bit


Also I am a massive pile of trash for a slow burn getting together fic, like 20,000 words of mutual pining that ends with a passionate snog against a wall is my crack, so having that happen in as many different ways as possible makes me a happy human.

I understand liking the romance, and enjoying a get together fic. I just don't get how anyone can justify calling something that has neither a cannon setting nor cannon characterization Phan? I mean it's like a cheat really isn't it? It's just a way for aspiring writers to get their stuff read. Write something about dragons and marmalade, slap D & P's names on the main characters. Tag it #Phan on AO3 or Tumblr, and Presto! Instant audience.

[backrolls]

[offtopic]I'm always kinda surprised that AU fics are so popular. Personally, I just don't get the appeal? It seems to me like they're mostly just a story that the writer has put Deppy's names in to make more people read it. A lot of times the characters don't act remotely like actual Deppy would. Can anyone who does read a lot of AU fics explain it[/offtopic]

It's just personal preference I suppose. I prefer AUs in this fandom, mostly because deppy don't actually do that much irl. There's only so many times the same story can be told before it starts to get a bit dull, imo. Obviously there are exceptions, and many of IDB's resident writers write fantastic, beautiful reality based fics.

There are plenty of non-AU fics that write deppy completely ooc as well, and that really throws me off, even though I don't mind a bit of ooc in an AU.

For me, the appeal of deppy is the connection they have, romantic or otherwise - I don't know anyone irl who has that sort of a relationship/friendship. It really is an incredibly special thing. So as long as that connection is carried over to the AU, I don't mind them not acting like actual deppy. I just like the idea of these two people who have this thing most of us will never experience, being thrown into all sorts of situations and settings. You know, mix things up a bit


Also I am a massive pile of trash for a slow burn getting together fic, like 20,000 words of mutual pining that ends with a passionate snog against a wall is my crack, so having that happen in as many different ways as possible makes me a happy human.

I understand liking the romance, and enjoying a get together fic. I just don't get how anyone can justify calling something that has neither a cannon setting nor cannon characterization Phan? I mean it's like a cheat really isn't it? It's just a way for aspiring writers to get their stuff read. Write something about dragons and marmalade, slap D & P's names on the main characters. Tag it #Phan on AO3 or Tumblr, and Presto! Instant audience.

I think that's doing a disservice to the writers who do spend a lot of time on the characterisations to make sure they fit into the spirit of who Dan and Phil are, and the spirit of their relationship. An au doesn't necessarily have to be about 'dragons and marmalade', it can just be d&p in different jobs, different times/eras, different first meetings, it's not always (and generally not that often) a fantastical universe, just, you know, an alternate one.

I think people can see through a story that wasn't written specifically as a phanfic, just using them 'for the views', and that will be evident through the comments/kudos/bookmarks. And I think there's so little of that going on that it's kind of a non-issue.

Plus fanfiction as a concept I think is only half about the subject, its a really important tool for a lot of young people to write about their own experiences, fears, hopes, fantasies etc in a safe and supportive community using characters that they admire to express things they wouldn't feel comfortable saying about themselves, but if they say it through Dan and Phil - people they see as safe, comforting, and inspiring- it can help them work through whatever it is they've gotta work through. There's a reason behind the proliferation of phan high school AU's, and the kudos/comments can make a big impact on the writer. Fanfic is definitely about the 'community' of it just as much as it is about the people it's written about.

[alittledizzy]

I understand liking the romance, and enjoying a get together fic. I just don't get how anyone can justify calling something that has neither a cannon setting nor cannon characterization Phan? I mean it's like a cheat really isn't it? It's just a way for aspiring writers to get their stuff read. Write something about dragons and marmalade, slap D & P's names on the main characters. Tag it #Phan on AO3 or Tumblr, and Presto! Instant audience.

Yeesh, hard no on that one.

Sometimes you want to tell the story of Dan and Phil in a different time, a different place, a different situation. It's still Dan and Phil. You don't have to read or enjoy those fics, everyone is free to pick the tropes and genres they want to read, but an alternate universe story is still a story about Dan and Phil. It's not an attention grab or cheating just because you don't have a preference for them.

icklebrina put their response under a spoiler tag so maybe you didn't see it, but it's a fantastic reply to your post and for me to continue I'd basically just be repeating what she said.

[bluntedclaws]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I think I'm just not very good at articulating what I mean (which is why I'll never try to write fanfiction :mrgreen:) I have read AU fics with good characterization, and found them enjoyable. But it seems like there are so many stories out there where the author has made no effort to find Deppy's voices at all and it clearly isn't really about Deppy at all. Yet people still read and like them. IDK

[daphenaxa]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I think I'm just not very good at articulating what I mean (which is why I'll never try to write fanfiction :mrgreen:) I have read AU fics with good characterization, and found them enjoyable. But it seems like there are so many stories out there where the author has made no effort to find Deppy's voices at all and it clearly isn't really about Deppy at all. Yet people still read and like them. IDK

yeah but the thing is we don't actually know how Dan and Phil are. And we all seem to think of them differently.
Idk I like AUs a lot and I don't have a problem if the Dan and Phil in the story are not how I think real Dan and Phil are irl, as long as the characters in the story are cohesive and fitted in that particular story. Projecting Dan and Phil into the story is just a way to make it more interesting to me but I don't see the characters as real Dan and Phil.
But even when the characterization is really well done, or like fits the description of how I think they are and act in real life, I still don't see those characters as Dan and Phil. Just dreamed versions of them or you know another way to get entertained by them, just like I would be entertained by their videos. When I read a fic, it is like they are actors in my head, recreating a story and characters that are more or less true to their actual story. But it is never gonna be actual Dan and Phil.

[icklebrina]

I understand liking the romance, and enjoying a get together fic. I just don't get how anyone can justify calling something that has neither a cannon setting nor cannon characterization Phan? I mean it's like a cheat really isn't it? It's just a way for aspiring writers to get their stuff read. Write something about dragons and marmalade, slap D & P's names on the main characters. Tag it #Phan on AO3 or Tumblr, and Presto! Instant audience.

Wanting an audience can definitely be a reason for people to do it, but it's hardly unique to D&P fanfic, nor (in my opinion) the reason most people write AUs. I do think part of it is a desire for an audience - after all feedback feels good and it's a great way to improve. It also is easier for a writer (especially someone newer to the field) to start writing something like this where they don't have to reinvent every part of the world they are in.

I think I understand where you're coming from, and some people definitely use it to their benefit (i.e. 50 Shades of Grey which started as Twilight fanfic by someone who knew how to market herself very well to what was currently popular - and as much as I'm not a fan I have to admire the skill it takes to analyse the current popular trends within a fandom and write/market to appeal to them), but I don't think that the majority of fanfic writers fall into that camp. I also don't think, even if authors are in it for the audience, that it's a negative. It's a great way to build confidence in your writing abilities and to get instant feedback from your peers.

[bluntedclaws]

Hmm. I guess it's just a matter of preference. When I want to read a Phanfic I really actually want to read a story about characters who are recognizably . I guess it's because I haven't read fan fiction about anyone else. I've never been a devoted enough fan of anyone else to get into a fandom or to be interested in reading stories about them.

[adequate duck]

In my experience the D&P authors tend to skew quite young. I've read a lot in a bunch of different fandoms and AUs can be magnificent when done by a talented author. I know a lot of the "badly characterised" AUs I've read are by teenagers. Not that being a teenager means you're a bad writer, but imagine what an extra 20 years of practice will do for a person's world-building skills. I hope to still be in one fandom or another when these authors get there, so I might have a chance to see for myself.

[kay]

AUs are so tricky. It can go so far one way or the other. When done right, they're unbelievably right. But when done wrong, it's a complete awful train wreck. I agree with bluntedclaws that it's totally a matter of preference. One's standards for what makes a fic good might be different if it's an AU (or vice versa if the person is more attracted to AU over a "real life" setting).

Similarly, what icklebrina says rings true because AUs can be a great way for someone just getting into a fandom to write what they know (be it high school, or travel, or workplace setting or whatever) while still using D&P, or whoever is in whatever fandom they're writing for.

[The_Blonde]

Similarly, what icklebrina says rings true because AUs can be a great way for someone just getting into a fandom to write what they know (be it high school, or travel, or workplace setting or whatever) while still using D&P, or whoever is in whatever fandom they're writing for.

I completely agree with that. As someone still new to the fandom my fics are exclusively AUs at the moment (and always are when I'm starting out!) - it's a great way to get used to the characters and their personalities, without worrying too much about forgetting some key aspect of the fandom ~*mythology*~.

I see why people aren't fans of them but hey, more for me in that case

[spaceguitar]

This fic is called 11:11. It's awesome. I found the beginning a bit confusing, there were a few grammar errors, but the plot is worth it. Also there's a happy ending. And it's not really AU. More like reality based wit an AU twist

http://archiveofourown.org/works/6909979

[Ticia]

http://phanfictioncatalogue.tumblr.com

Our goal is to create an alphabetized library of every phanfiction in the phandom. Besides that... we compile masterlists of different genres, and help find fics that have been mislocated.

Praise the Lord

[spaceguitar]

Here's a great fluffy fic for anyone whose into that. Its about D+P and their future; I found it adorably in character.

http://phillestatos.tumblr.com/post/144 ... t-dogs-and

Also, if anyone doesn't know, phanfic.tumblr.com is a great place to find fic also. There's a lot of good ones up there tonight.

[mysterylovescompany]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

I just read Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away by justhavesex. Read it if you're interested in psychological horror and thriller-type stories. Warnings for blood and a just a generally unsettling feel.

[spaceguitar]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

I just read Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away by justhavesex. Read it if you're interested in psychological horror and thriller-type stories. Warnings for blood and a just a generally unsettling feel.

For some reason I decided to see how this fic ends, and damn is that creepy. I'm not going to read the whole thing, because I am delicate and also I love Dan. Very interesting subversion of depressed!Dan though. Its almost a comment on how the phandom acts with angst fics. Like, Dan and Phil must be in their roles, where Phil is the light and Dan is the dark. This isn't necessarily true for them as people.

[spaceguitar]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

I just read Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away by justhavesex. Read it if you're interested in psychological horror and thriller-type stories. Warnings for blood and a just a generally unsettling feel.

For some reason I decided to see how this fic ends, and damn is that creepy. I'm not going to read the whole thing, because I am delicate and also I love Dan. Very interesting subversion of depressed!Dan though. Its almost a comment on how the phandom acts with angst fics. Like, Dan and Phil must be in their roles, where Phil is the light and Dan is the dark. Also angst fics are often terribly codependent.

[alittledizzy]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

(Just don't forget to leave the authors feedback if you read through there! Neither of them credit or @ mention authors anywhere and it always makes me sad to see the posts on phanfictioncatalogue or phanfic get tons of notes that the author might not ever even see because they don't know they've been recced on there. Especially if the fic is by someone starting out who might be really get a boost from the acknowledgement!)

[majitzu]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

(Just don't forget to leave the authors feedback if you read through there! Neither of them credit or @ mention authors anywhere and it always makes me sad to see the posts on phanfictioncatalogue or phanfic get tons of notes that the author might not ever even see because they don't know they've been recced on there. Especially if the fic is by someone starting out who might be really get a boost from the acknowledgement!)

I don't understand what do you mean. They do redirect you to the tumblr/ao3 page of the autor.

[alittledizzy]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

(Just don't forget to leave the authors feedback if you read through there! Neither of them credit or @ mention authors anywhere and it always makes me sad to see the posts on phanfictioncatalogue or phanfic get tons of notes that the author might not ever even see because they don't know they've been recced on there. Especially if the fic is by someone starting out who might be really get a boost from the acknowledgement!)

I don't understand what do you mean. They do redirect you to the tumblr/ao3 page of the autor.

Yeah, they do - but a lot of the times the rec post is the one people reblog instead of the actual author's post. I'm not really sure why, honestly. Just grabbing an example from the first part: this fic has 103 notes and the rec post has 48 - and considering likes/reblogs on tumblr basically are the only way you get feedback, if that were me I'd either want those 48 people to be liking my actual fic or else me to know that my fic had been recced and 48 people liked it there.

And occasionally I'll see a rec post that has more notes than the fic itself. I'm obviously looking at this from the author perspective, but that makes me sad and always makes me hope that author has seen that their fic was popular and recommended somewhere. But those groups don't @ mention authors in posts (which would give the author a notification) so unless the authors happen to check those communities regularly, then they aren't going to know the notes are there.

[majitzu]

Both phanfictioncatalogue and phanfic are very good places that soothe my organisation-loving mind.

(Just don't forget to leave the authors feedback if you read through there! Neither of them credit or @ mention authors anywhere and it always makes me sad to see the posts on phanfictioncatalogue or phanfic get tons of notes that the author might not ever even see because they don't know they've been recced on there. Especially if the fic is by someone starting out who might be really get a boost from the acknowledgement!)

I don't understand what do you mean. They do redirect you to the tumblr/ao3 page of the autor.

Yeah, they do - but a lot of the times the rec post is the one people reblog instead of the actual author's post. I'm not really sure why, honestly. Just grabbing an example from the first part: this fic has 103 notes and the rec post has 48 - and considering likes/reblogs on tumblr basically are the only way you get feedback, if that were me I'd either want those 48 people to be liking my actual fic or else me to know that my fic had been recced and 48 people liked it there.

And occasionally I'll see a rec post that has more notes than the fic itself. I'm obviously looking at this from the author perspective, but that makes me sad and always makes me hope that author has seen that their fic was popular and recommended somewhere. But those groups don't @ mention authors in posts (which would give the author a notification) so unless the authors happen to check those communities regularly, then they aren't going to know the notes are there.

Oww, i get it now. so if they @ them they would be able to get a notification. Nice. I still don't know all the tumblr funtions