Sorry to always be the Debbie Downer of this group but it's also nice hearing from someone who has pretty much quit the fanfic part of the fandom too, right? lo
That being said, I'm pretty sure I haven't really read a story outside my comfort zone that I enjoyed enough to make me a convert. I have had to read out of my comfort zone for challenges and judging for awards and although the writing had been stellar on some, I wouldn't ever really have a desire to read those particular genres again.
You guys know me though and pretty much since day one, I've always said the same thing about fan fiction. I know what I like so that's what I read. Fan fiction has always been my fast food of reading. I don't eat fast food very often at all but when I decide to, I go with what I know I like. In my case, a chalupa from Taco Bell...yum! To waste my fast food experience on a Big Mac would be terrible! So I stick to what I know I like.
I do venture outside my comfort zone often for non fanfic reading and tv watching, just to try it. But BSB fanfic has always been all about those five boys to me. I've never really cared about random girls or their real life wives and I've never wanted to see them romantically involved with each other. It's their bromance I love without the mance part lol
I'm glad to see slash making a comeback to the fandom though because hopefully it'll bring some more people who loved it back to reading again. I remember when it was all slash all the time in the fandom.