Fanfiction with Alessandra Ferreri

Send us Fan MailFanfiction gets treated like a joke online, but it’s one of the most powerful forms of participatory storytelling we have and it’s been shaping fandom culture for decades. We sit down with Alessandra Ferreri, Head of Content at Wattpad, to break down what fanfiction actually is: non-commercial, fan-made stories that transform existing worlds and characters into something new, shared, and deeply personal.We go way back to trace the roots of modern fandom, from Star Trek convention zines to the long tradition of readers refusing to let a beloved story end. Then we get practical: why shipping dominates so much fanfiction, how tropes and archetypes travel across wildly different fandoms, and why big “sticky” universes like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and long-running shows can fuel creativity for years. Alessandra also shares the kinds of rabbit holes her work has led her into, plus the tropes she finds most fascinating, like self-insert formats and crossovers.We also tackle the harder edges. Has social media made the boundary between fan and creator too thin? What happens when a creator’s vision clashes with what the fandom wants? And when does passion tip from joyful community into something unhealthy? Throughout, we come back to a key idea: fanfiction is a gift economy, built on vulnerability, craft, and connection, not clout.If you’ve ever wanted to fix an ending, give an underused character their due, or just write for the fun of it, you’ll leave with a clearer map and a serious push to start. Subscribe, share this with a fandom friend, and leave us a review if you want more conversations like this.Thanks so much for listening! We hope you will consider leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts!You can also join our Fandom of Fans! Follow us on social media!ThreadsInstagramYouTubeIf you have ideas about future episodes or would like to join us as a guest, send us an email at [email protected]!