There is no denying the tremendous impact of fan fiction in modern pop culture. For years, fans have been creating unique stories surrounding beloved characters in books, movies, and television shows to further explore their favorite worlds. Unfortunately, a good chunk of these stories remain unheard and unseen due to the lack of widespread exposure. Thankfully, Archive of Our Own has provided an outlet for fan fiction writers to showcase their work and allow the world to experience their creations.

Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a nonprofit open source archive for fanworks that allows authors, artists, and other creators to freely upload their fanfictions and fanart to be enjoyed by readers and viewers. This site has been an enormous boon to fan fiction as it allows authors to have their stories and art viewed by a wider audience. Authors on AO3 can also share links to their works with friends, allowing for quick bookmarks and mentions on social media platforms.

Apart from storytelling, AO3 also provides a great platform for writers to get feedback from readers and make changes to their stories based upon reader suggestions. In addition, comments and ratings allow writers to interact with their readers, helping them decide which directions to take with their stories and art in the future.

Another great thing about AO3 is that it allows for a range of age ratings and options for labeling works. This is great for keeping any potentially dangerous or adult content behind a wall for younger audiences. Numerous tagging options also make it easy for readers to find stories and artworks that fit their interests, even if the content is outside of their usual fandom.

The open nature of AO3 makes it an invaluable resource for fanfic readers and writers. Since archive of our own is an archive as opposed to a single storybook, readers are able to pick and choose works they’d like to explore without being stuck in one particular world. Those who want to explore a new fandom can also find stories related to their interests without having to search too hard.

All in all, Archive of Our Own has been an invaluable resource for writers and readers of fan fiction alike. Not only does it allow for greater exposure of works, but it also provides readers with a great platform for feedback and comments. With its range of age ratings and tagging options, AO3 makes it easy for readers of all ages to access fanfic in a safe, open environment.