brendaonao3:

starrysummer-nights:

I hate when people who are new to a fandom/ship ask for fic recs and are IMMEDIATELY shut down by someone snarkily saying “Just go to AO3 and search then filter by kudos duhhhhhh 🙄”

Because that’s a fucking stupid way to find good fic.

Because sometimes, the most kudo’d fics??? Aren’t the best fics. Or even the most in character or canon-compliant. They’re just the fics that have been around the longest, that were written while the fandom was still young and the show new and these are the “fandom favorites” but they may not be all that great.

I want the fic that has half those kudos but spot on characterization that I wouldn’t find by searching for the “most kudos”. I want the fic that hasn’t gotten that much love and you’re screaming by the time you get done because holy shit!!! What an amazing fic!!! I want to hear what someone else liked and why. I want to take the path less traveled when it comes to fic because that is new and exciting and a breath of fresh air and a new take that, unfortunately, no one reads because when people look for fic, they go by kudos.

So yeah. Rant over.

Amen – and this is why I always try to highlight the ‘under-appreciated’ fics or new authors. And why I always get annoyed when I see the same ten fics recc’d. Fandom is so vast and varied and there are so many stories that deserve a spotlight and so many writers who need encouragement.

So when someone asks you for recs, take the time if you can and share your faves. Introduce the world to an undiscovered gem of a story or author. (And, if you’re me, gain new friends out of your fangirlish gushing :D)