Aromanticism & Asexuality in Fanfiction Writing

a masters report on fanfiction, identity, & representation

What is Aromanticism & Asexuality in Fanfiction Writing?

This website is a masters research project exploring the intersections of aromanticism, asexuality, and fanfiction writing. It is also an exercise in public scholarship; aro/ace and fanfic communities have large online presences and this research should be available for those interested. Fans have always been experts on themselves, and allowing this research to exist in an accessible format will contribute to this tradition. Additionally, though academic interest in fanfiction is expansive, research on aromanticism and asexuality is slim but evergrowing. As such, this project is written for both academic and fannish intellectuals in mind.

How Did I Conduct This Research?

Data was collected in Fall 2022 through surveys and interviews. The survey had a total of 988 participants from which I selected potential interviewees. I conducted a total of 12 interviews which went in depth into their survey responses and asked further questions that would enrich the data taken from the survey. Interviewees were selected to represent a diversity of opinions in relation to gender, sexuality, and fanfiction writing behaviors.

Summary of Findings

This project asks several questions about the behaviors, identities, and motivations of people who write fanfiction with characters on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrums. The results of this research are found throughout this website, but for a summary of the main points, here they are listed with each research question.

How do writers negotiate their identities when writing aro/ace fanfiction? 

Writers will often use aro/ace fanfiction to explore their own identities, discover their desires, and create the representation they wish to see. Those who themselves are not aro/ace may write this fanfic to explore queerness in its many varieties.

How do writers translate canon characteristics, i.e., characters’ perceived sexualities, into fanfiction? 

Canon aro/ace characters are hard to come by, so it is more common to take subtext and transform it into aro/ace headcanons. Also, some writers disregard canon entirely and write characters how they see fit.

How does aro/ace fanfic fit into the wider fanfiction landscape? 

Shipping culture dominates fanfic and aro/ace fanfic, along with genfic, occupies a small albeit intimate corner. Its writers and readers form community sometimes outside of shipping culture, but also within it through separating romance and sex where they are always paired together.

And how have recent changes in the media landscape contributed to the ease of which aromanticism and asexuality can be observed in characters?

Though aromanticism and asexuality have some visibility now, there is a long way to go for accurate, good, and consistent representation. Other forms of queerness are more readily represented—though still lacking, of course—but aromanticism and asexuality are still so invisible that much work needs to be done before aro/ace characters can claim relevance in the larger mediascape.

How To Use This Website

Each page will have at least one button that leads to an upcoming section. Follow them to read everything in order or skip to whatever you find interesting by using the navigation bar!