Fandom Then/Fandom Now

For many people, fan fiction is as much a part of their reading as commercial literature. Fan fiction websites and archives provide readers with novels, serials, romantic and erotic stories, non-romantic stories, experimental literature, video and visual art, etc. While fan writers and readers are certainly not exclusively interested in romance, fan writing frequently explores the romantic potential between two characters and fan fiction is often built on romantic foundations. The shift to digital publishing and reading is having a dramatic impact on commercial romance literature. However, what about the kinds of romantic and erotic stories fans produce? How is fan work being affected by the rise in digital publishing? The Fandom Then/Now project presents research conducted in 2008 and uses it to facilitate conversations about fan fiction's past and future.

What do you notice in the data from 2008? What do you think about the intersections between fan fiction and romantic storytelling? Today, what has and hasn't changed about fans' reading and writing practices?