My introduction to fanfiction was X-Files fanfic in the late 90s. I had a friend who was into the show, too, and we went on our 8th grade field trip to Washington D.C. together and spent the whole time geeking out about where Mulder and Scully worked and basically wrote a notebook full of fanfic of them (for no good reason) visiting all the monuments, memorials and places we visited. 
We also, for some class or other, made an alien autopsy movie with Mulder, Scully and the Lone Gunmen (with me playing Langley and her playing Scully) with special effects like green blood coming out of the "body" she was dissecting with an X-Acto blade... Ah, good times.
Later I moved on to Harry Potter fanfic, but was only really interested in the Marauder era stuff, and then a bit into Walking Dead fanfic. I had an outline for my own Marauder era FF that basically told the story about how James and Lily fell in love (to be clear, it WAS NOT a romance) and how Snape was emotionally ruined by witnessing that, while at the same time how the James/Lily relationship affected Sirius and caused him to take his frustrations out on Peter Pettigrew and began HIS journey into being seduced by the Death Eaters and Voldemort.
For the most part, though, I agree that most of it (I'd say 99% of it) is utter diarrhea in terms of quality. I have a mild fascination with how fiction is structured and written so I know enough about plotting and storytelling that it's frustrating to read fanfic that wanders or doesn't have a clear character arc.
We also, for some class or other, made an alien autopsy movie with Mulder, Scully and the Lone Gunmen (with me playing Langley and her playing Scully) with special effects like green blood coming out of the "body" she was dissecting with an X-Acto blade... Ah, good times.
Later I moved on to Harry Potter fanfic, but was only really interested in the Marauder era stuff, and then a bit into Walking Dead fanfic. I had an outline for my own Marauder era FF that basically told the story about how James and Lily fell in love (to be clear, it WAS NOT a romance) and how Snape was emotionally ruined by witnessing that, while at the same time how the James/Lily relationship affected Sirius and caused him to take his frustrations out on Peter Pettigrew and began HIS journey into being seduced by the Death Eaters and Voldemort.
For the most part, though, I agree that most of it (I'd say 99% of it) is utter diarrhea in terms of quality. I have a mild fascination with how fiction is structured and written so I know enough about plotting and storytelling that it's frustrating to read fanfic that wanders or doesn't have a clear character arc.
Teenaged X-Files obsession + Bermuda Triangle episode + Self-led school research project = Atheist.
