I have been reading fanfiction for about five years now, but I have never told anyone that I have. My family kind of found out about it a couple years ago, but my friends have no idea. So I was just wondering how you told (or if you did) your friends and/or family about fanfiction and how you worded it, because I am stuck. I figure that at least someone told someone they know about it and I need help.

well for me it was just a more like "hey you come here and look at this site..you know that show you like well they have this thing called Fan fiction for it and i LOVE it! it's like mini episodes you can read at any time!"

Most people just look at me like I'm nut's when I tell them I read fanfiction but when I went down to TX this month to visit my family I was working on the next chapter of Warriors of the West during most of my free time and when asked what I was writing I would tell them the next chapter of my fanfic....Anyways the best way I've found to explain it is simple. Just tell them that you are writing/reading a story where someone took someone else's characters and wrote about them. If need be, use a show/movie/book they read as an example.

Like with my family I could explain that it's 'taking the characters from Buffy or Xena and writing a story about them.' Easy to explain and understand.

My family had always none I had a love for anime, so it wasn't hard really. You just have to casually introduced it. Try to get them interested by telling them about your stories sometimes. It helped with my family. My brother told me that a person, who can write a new and different story by just using the characters from an anime, book, or movie belonging to someone else has to be very creative...and he wasn't just saying that because he is my brother. He has actually read a couple of the stories on various sites and is amazed that some of you guys haven't already become published. The stories are original even if the characters aren't and should be shared...that is his opinion. He doesn't sit around reading fan fiction all day by no means, but he understands my love for it. I respect him for taking the time to find out about it instead of judging first.

My family really didn't care, so long as it didn't get in the way of my school work. When I used to write fics, I always did them during the summer when I had more time. Now, I use reading and writing fics as a good way to pass the time between classes - or when classes get boring.

My best friend thinks it's funny... or just one of my many ridiculous quirks. When she comes to drag me out of bed for breakfast (or whatever) in the morning, she always catches me reading fanfics. She's like, "What are you doing!?" I'm like, "Reading fanfiction!" and grinning proudly. It's more humorous than anything. She just laughs and keeps going; it's all good. I haven't told my roommate yet. It might creep her out. I already draw scary monsters and bloody battle scenes.

My fanfiction is my secret addiction. Only one of my friends know about it (and he's as loopy as I am about something else so I felt safe) and I recently told my sister about it--because of the awards. Neither one of them watches anime at all and so telling them about it was really difficult to do. I'm not one to go to for advice where that's concerned, but I like having my little secret.

There are only four people I know personally that know I write fanfiction. My poor husband knows and has absolutely no interest, a friend I went ot school with knows, my best friend Izzy knows and used to beta for me , and my son knows, but he's still too young to REALLY know. Other then that nobody even knows of my obsession with anime.

My sister knows, because she recognized the fanfiction.net site over my shoulder. I don;t mind her knowing, since she had her own obsession with fanfiction a couple years ago. My problem is if anyone found out I read anime fanfiction. I'm sorry to say that I'd never hear the end of the scathing remarks over that piece of info. All my Inuyasha watching and writing is done in secret. Perhaps any of you can relate?

I'm with you Ivy. My husband and my friend Izzy are the only ones who know about my Inuyasha, more particularly a certain silver-haired god, obsession. My husband used to complain about it, but he's gotten used to it and though every once in a while he makes a comment, he usually just lets it go. My friend Izzy likes Inuyasha, she's not obsessed with it, or with Sesshoumaru, but she can kind of relate to me. If anyone else knew of my obsession, well let's just say it would add fuel to the 'crazy' fires...

My family has always known that I read and write fanfiction so its never been weird, but my friends area little different. I really only talk about fanfiction to those who watch the series or are interested in it. Usually when I talk to my non-anime conformed friends about it they thinks its kind of dumb but in other cases, like with my anime loving freak fest friends who I can convert with without feeling like a social retard, its easier bc we all do the same things.

My family knows that I write - only vaguely - but I'm not quite sure if they realize I read it... A few of my friends are aware of it, but only one really knows what is going on. She's just as crazy as me. It's my little secret addiction Guilty Pleasure, I guess lol

For me its kinda a secret too. My mom knows, but only vaguely. I mentioned that I write stories, but I didn't give a lot of details or tell her the names of the websites I post to. I write a lot of lemons, and I don't really want my family reading that stuff, knowing that I wrote it! None of my friends know.

One of my brother's likes the show, but he dosen't know that I write fanfiction for it. Most of my family knows that I draw pictures of the characters though.

My family's completely clueless. They know that I used to like some anime/manga, but they think I don't anymore. Likewise, they know I used to read some fanfiction, but seeing as I'm technically not supposed to, they think I've stopped. Same thing goes for writing.

I have a few friends that know I write fanfiction and read it. Of course, of those friends, only one of them is someone I've actually seen more than just during that one camp or something...

I have only one friend that knows about my fanfiction addiction. She reads Harry Potter fanfics, so I guess it's just a thing we have in common that we can talk about. She's betaed some of my stuff.
Nobody in my family knows. My guy teased me about reading the Vampire Chronicles and called it 'vampire porn for women'.
But he's always teasing me. He thinks its funny when I turn red.
I'd have a very hard time telling anyone that I read some really raw fanfiction. I'd die if someone found out about the lemons that I've written!
So, I think I'm going to remain in the fanfiction "closet" as it were...

My family and friends know I write fanfiction, but only two of them know my pen name. The rest have been bugging me about it, but I continue to tell them that it's my personal hobby and as much as I love sharing my life with everyone, this is a part that is just for me. My best friend knows because we read each others' work (not as betas, but as friends) and my mother knows because I had "Moving Forward" open on my desktop during one of her visits. She's not a snoop, but my HDTV is also my computer monitor. When she turned on the TV to watch TV, my story was filling the screen. However, she didn't get to finish it, and as you can relate with unfinished work, it drove her quietly mad for about a month until she finally asked me how she could read my updates. That said, I have very awesome parents. They may not support my anime habit, but since I'm an adult with two degrees, a full time job, my own house, and pay my own bills without their help, they can't really protest a non-destructive vice.

I just tell people that if there is a character you like and fantasy you have had about them, you will most likely find it in the realm of FanFiction. A couple of my friends have actually started reading them (they aren't Sess/Kag fans like me).

LOL my dad reads fanfiction -- he's a Potter!nut. I come from a family of geeks, so when at home I'm free to prattle on about fandom and fanfic as much as I like, and nothing really phases anyone.

I haven't told my boyfriend how obsessed I am with fanfic yet, though. Not quite sure how to come out of the closet without sounding like a total basket case .

LOL Nefret! I inherited my fathers love of reading. I can read a book a day easy and I also love Harry Potter FanFiction, and of course, not the regular couples either, lol.

I told another of my friends who is an avid reader, that when you want something good to read, there are many brilliant authors in the world of FanFiction and well worth reading.

Tataru wrote:
LOL Nefret! I inherited my fathers love of reading. I can read a book a day easy and I also love Harry Potter FanFiction, and of course, not the regular couples either, lol.


My dad's an avid Snape fan, and a Harry/Draco shipper.


Dinner at our house is always fun.

fortunesque wrote:
I have only one friend that knows about my fanfiction addiction. She reads Harry Potter fanfics, so I guess it's just a thing we have in common that we can talk about. She's betaed some of my stuff.
Nobody in my family knows. My guy teased me about reading the Vampire Chronicles and called it 'vampire porn for women'.
But he's always teasing me. He thinks its funny when I turn red.
I'd have a very hard time telling anyone that I read some really raw fanfiction. I'd die if someone found out about the lemons that I've written!
So, I think I'm going to remain in the fanfiction "closet" as it were...

Vampire Chronicles is for women? Well crap. *throws away the book Interview with a Vampire and eyes the movie he was going to watch* Well, maybe I'll watch it anyway....

LOL, Maru! Don't worry -- Lestat doesn't descriminate (he loves himself equally XD).

well i ususally watch my friends and those who i see that are more likely to read it then yes it tell them if not it is a don't ask don't tell thing for me....i also have quite a few anime obsessed friends so i am not alone. so if you want to tell someone, just watch thier behavior and casually bring up things simmilar to FF and see thier reaction. that is what i do.

My husband knows about my fanfiction secret. Not his kind of thing but he is very supportive. As for the rest of my family, and my friends, they don't know.

As far as I know, there are only 5 maybe 6 people in the entire county where I live that knows about fanfiction. Hell, I didn't know anything about it until late last summer.

Everyone knows I read fanfiction and they say nothing so I don't make a mountain over a molehill if you know what I mean