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[mare]

Just thought I'd start a thread here since it came up in the top tens thread.

We were talking about the old days, back before AC  became a thing and we had to be hosted on sites and join yahoo groups to get any kind of feedback or interaction from other writers.

Who were some of your favorites to read when you first started out and when did you start writing and reading fanfic?

[Rose]

*gets comfy in her rocking chair, grabs some knitting needles*

I....remember back when fanfiction.net accepted Real Person Fanfic! That's where I got my start in writing fanfic LOL. I wrote stories but never shared them or felt confident enough to try writing about the Boys even though I'd read a few stories by then. And then I remember when after 9/11 they banned RP ff for "copyright issues" which never made any sense to me. You'd think material based on books, tv shows, etc. would cause that issue.

But it's what made me discover AC since I was writing my very first collab at the time and I needed a place to post it (though I was being hosted on a friend's site too).

[balance]

I think I began to read fan fiction around 1999  and it was totally by accident!  I was doing some research for  a class and came across a  BSB slash story.  I couldn't believe people were writing these stories; yet, I couldn't stop reading them.    And I read pretty much anything that was out there and followed a bunch of links!  I think some of those earlier stories I read turned me off to romance fiction pretty quickly!  But as time went on, I guess you could say I became more discriminating about what I read.   There was the Angelfire site where I read "Swollen Issues" and I think there was a link there for "Ground Zero."  Jennifer Stevens, Cecelia Flowers, Izzy, Whitney, Eboni, and Refuse To Lose were sites that were quickly bookmarked.   I also read stories on fanfiction.net .  And I,  didn't understand the reason for removing RP fan fiction either.  I also joined a few yahoogroups. You wouldn't believe how much paper I used when I would print a story or installment at work, so that I can read it quicker at home.  I even started putting them in binders.   I'm glad I printed some of them....I wished I had printed a few more since many of these sites are gone.

[Rose]

The most disturbing thing I read by mistake was a fic about Nick and Angel incest.

It's amazing it didn't scare me off fanfic LMAO.

I had so many binders back in the day. Half were my own notes for my fanfics and half were stories had printed it. The binders with my stuff also had my floppys so I could write at school when I used the computers LOL. Oddly enough yahoo groups I stayed away from till I discovered Julie's site, then I joined so I'd know about updates.

Remember the fire and lightning layouts back on AC when it first started?

[mare]

Wow Rose, so you have been around longer than me. You are an oldie! lol

The first thing I ever wrote on was a red robin story on ffnet. I added a chapter to it and I might have begun to post Mizpah when they stopped taking RP stories.

The very first fanfic I ever 'read' was a visual that was attached to one of those BSB fansites. I had NO idea what I was about to get myself into with that one and had never even heard of fanfiction up until that point.

ffnet was linked to that site (I think it was called BSB blvd or something like that?) so I went there and was hooked.

At that time I found "Ground Zero" and "Swollen Issues," but not complete. Shortly after, I found the Angelfire site Pammy was talking about and was just like "OMG these stories are the best!!!"

Then I stumbled on "Can You Keep a Secret" by Kat and Amy and "Seven Days" by Refuse.  And then of course Eboni's "Boys in the Basement",  and Cecilia and Izzy's "Come Together" as well.

I think that's why my standards are so high, these are the first stories I ever read! Everything else I tried seemed to pale in comparison. I knew even back then that romance wasn't for me so I tended to shy away from those although I did try a few at the beginning and quickly realized I was smart to skip them (for me anyway)

[mare]

Uh and of course we remember the fire and ice layouts? Some of us still use them  what? I still use all the old school layouts including the one for the forum. I am not a big fan of change. Don't judge me! lol

Do you guys remember which sites you used to post your stories on after ffnet closed down? Where you were hosted?

That's how I met Julie She started hosting me on her site. I was also hosted on Izzy's site and I think that girl Bria you were talking about Rose. LOL although I'm not sure. My stories were randomly popping up on other's peoples sites as well that I had no idea about.

One day I got a random email from Chaos (to which I fangirled lol) asking me if he could host Mizpah on his site Absolute Chaos and of course I said yes. The rest is history, I guess. LOL

[FrickingKaos]

Like you Rose I started on FF. Net when they allowed RP Fanfic. I was so mad because when they took it all down I lost everything and had to start over. I didn't start posting again until 2009 ish on AC. Come to think of it I'm not sure how I found AC but I know I used to read Swollen Issues on my phone and some other stories before I began posting my own stuff. I remember I was so happy when I got my first review too, I still loveseeing the emails in my inbox for feedback. Mare, Chaos and Rose were some of the ffirst stories I read on here too.

[Rose]

Wow Rose, so you have been around longer than me. You are an oldie! lol

The first thing I ever wrote on was a red robin story on ffnet. I added a chapter to it and I might have begun to post Mizpah when they stopped taking RP stories.

The very first fanfic I ever 'read' was a visual that was attached to one of those BSB fansites. I had NO idea what I was about to get myself into with that one and had never even heard of fanfiction up until that point.

ffnet was linked to that site (I think it was called BSB blvd or something like that?) so I went there and was hooked.

At that time I found "Ground Zero" and "Swollen Issues," but not complete. Shortly after, I found the Angelfire site Pammy was talking about and was just like "OMG these stories are the best!!!"

Then I stumbled on "Can You Keep a Secret" by Kat and Amy and "Seven Days" by Refuse.  And then of course Eboni's "Boys in the Basement",  and Cecilia and Izzy's "Come Together" as well.

I think that's why my standards are so high, these are the first stories I ever read! Everything else I tried seemed to pale in comparison. I knew even back then that romance wasn't for me so I tended to shy away from those although I did try a few at the beginning and quickly realized I was smart to skip them (for me anyway)

An oldie who started at 13 and is VERY grateful her old stories no longer exist on the internet lmao. They were so bad. My standards started off decently high. Especially since like you, I couldn't get into the romance stories. So I scoured the internet for the sci-fi, action fics, etc. I discovered Whitney because of Where Do We Go From Here? and The Legend, Bria had this sci-fi story, and Eboni I loved her stories about Everybody, LTL, and The Call, plus The Answer Is Yes, and Boys In The Basement. Refuse and Chaos were also others between Ground Zero and Seven Days. I was addicted.

Oh! And those Survivor fics where it was BSB vs NSYNC? I forget who wrote it but that was one of my faves.

I was friends with bluecloud Steph back in the day when I sent her feedback for Sammy, and Time's Enemy. We chatted and had just started writing together when ffnet closed down. She offered to host all my stories at her site and we posted our collaboration there as well. When I discovered AC (from my cowriter at the time, Jamelet who said most ffnet writers were going there), I started posting it there too. Along with a sci-fi I was writing with Jamelet and Anastacia back in the day LOL.

I met Julie actually not from feedback though I did give it lol, but through the offer to join in Code Blue. She needed people to help her write it and I figured...why not? Cause my collab whore days were in full swing and I thought it'd help me improve. Julie and I clicked and then that grew when this forum was born . Like you with Chaos, I fangirled mentally when I first started chatting/writing with her. Because by that point I'd read Broken, loved it, and was just like ommmmg haha.

So I'm an oldie but an oldie lost within the shuffle mainly because I was so freaking young and inexperienced writing wise LOL.

[mare]

When I decided to start Phantasm and get all of my favorite writers in on it, is when I really got to know a lot of people like Mersey. I hadn't talked to her much before that, just an occasional feedback email here or there. When I look at the people who contributed to that story I'm still in awe how I got them all to participate. Especially because at the time I was more of an avid reader and less known as a writer. lol

But we all spent a lot of time exchanging emails and talking through IM because of that story. Even though in the end, it isn't something I am overly proud of, it holds a special place in my heart for getting to really know so many fanfic writers. Good and bad. I sent out a lot of emails to people and it also gave me a sense of which authors were complete and utter snobs who thought they were a little too above contributing. LOL those I shall not mention.

I do toy with the idea of doing another one of those but then remember how incredibly anal I am and how time consuming it was to organize it lol

Ugh, I guess that means that technically we could have voted for Eboni in the tens because she is on that story! Although we still wouldn't have one of her stories to discuss. lol Bummer!

 

[mare]

Tracy, I had no idea you had been around for so long as well. Who knew there were so many of us still doing this!

[Carter-Orange]

I didn't discover fanfic until 2006, and I think I found this place in 2008.  So I can't join in about old sites or stories.  Wow what was I doing with my time before 2006? lol

[balance]

Oh the memories!   I remember Bria's site!  There was this story there where Kevin ended up with custody of Nick and maybe Aaron after the rest of the Carters were killed in a tornado, I think.  I remember crying my eyes out because Kevin dies....and now I can't remember the title.     And how could I forget Julie's site.  I think I read my first, non-slash, fanfiction story there.  Again, can't remember the title, but Nick follows Brian after he sneaks out one night and ends up kidnapped and beaten.   Wow, I was really into depressing myself! 

[KeepThisSecret]

OMG! I had to comment on this thread .... mostly because it's making me feel really old. LOL

I discovered fan fic in the early 2000s when I was just starting high school. I'm pretty sure that the first story I read was a Christmas story involving Brian which may or may not have been written by someone named Hannah. (I can't remember the plot to save my life at the moment).

I have seen the name Whitney being brought up by a lot of you and  I can definitely remember reading some of her stuff. I'm pretty sure she wrote my favourite bus crash story (Again, I can't think of the name).  I know for sure that I read (and loved) "Boys in The Basement" by Eboni!

I never posted any of my own stories back in the early days. I pretty much just kept them to myself or shared them with my friends. The whole idea of approaching the creator of a site and asking to be hosted absolutely terrified me! LOL  I don't think that I ever sent any feedback either. I just kind of read and enjoyed everything in secrecy. Now, I realize that I should have sent those authors some positive comments. I'm sure that they would have liked to know that more people were out there reading and enjoying what they were writing.

I didn't actually get back into fan fic until recently though. I don't think I read any during the latter half of high school or throughout university.

[mare]

Pammy, I know both the stories you are talking about. Izzy had a story very similar to the plot you mentioned with Nick following Brian, but I think Julie also had a story like that as well. I remember the one with Kevin adopting Aaron and Nick but I know I never finished it because I heard that Kevin dies and I hate when the guys die in fics. lol

I think that girl Bria also wrote a story where Nick was impaled by a pole? LMAO is that correct?

KeepThisSecret (We need your name because I hate referring to you as that lol) Where Do We Go From Here is that Whitney story and it's a classic! Still the best bus crash/singing Nick out of a coma story that exists! LOL

I remember how intimidated I was by having to ask people to be hosted! Especially when I was turned down by a few of them. The BSB attorneys didn't want someone they had never heard of on their site, for one. Luckily Izzy and Julie gave me a chance. Of course I had no idea that Julie was only in like middle school at the time lol

[balance]

Wow.....BSB Attorneys really missed the boat with you, Mare.   But, I fell in love with "Port in a Storm."  That's as close as I will come to reading a romance!  I don't think I read many courtroom  dramas in the BSB fandom. 

I even read "Brian's Winter" as a fan fiction story and then went back to read the novel.

Another favorite site was Walking in the Clouds.