Fanfiction Reference Works
This is a collection of AO3 works and other resources for creating fan works. (See also the Fanwork Research & Reference Guides tag.)
Some fandoms have wonderful on-line communities (e.g. The Harry Potter Lexicon and Marvel wikis) devoted to creating canon references. Many more do not, but fans still have created deeply thought out essays, maps, tables, histories, and other world building. Hopefully, you can find them here.
AO3 allows custom formatting using limited HTML and CSS (workskins). This collection has a number of formatting "how-to's" in addition to the AO3 docs below.
Note: Works added as bookmarks do not add their tags or fandoms to the collection. Please add your own works
(Open, Unmoderated)
Random works
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A Guide to Clarinets for the BBC Sherlock Fandom by JessamyGriffith for gelishan
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV)
30 Sep 2011
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Summary
John Watson - doctor, soldier, clarinetist.
Or, in other words - how sexy can it be when an ex-Army doctor licks the reed?
In BBC's Sherlock, from a throw away line comes this: a guide on clarinets for fan fic writers. Covered are basic technical specs, techniques, construction, and whether or not a clarinet is sexy.
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AO3 Work Skin for In-Universe Investigative/Mission Report With Redaction by wafflelate
Fandoms: No Fandom
10 May 2020
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Summary
This work provides the CSS and HTML necessary to make a fanfiction look like an investigative report or mission report, suitable for a variety of fandoms and purposes.
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Summary
This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic email windows on AO3 without the need to use images.
Series
- Part 12 of AO3 Work Skins/Tutorials
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Summary
A companion to Repository. A comprehensive guide to coding focused solely on emulating Twitter posts for fun or for archiving Twitter fics, up to and including:
- Quote Retweets
- Embedded Images
- Twitter PollsSeries
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Summary
A simple text message format that retains basic readability even without skins enabled. Please feel free to use. Instructions included, some assembly required ;) Please feel free to comment if you have any questions or issues.
Random bookmarks
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Reference for Modao Zushi Writers: Chinese terms by chaoticjoy
Fandoms: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
07 Sep 2019
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Summary
This is to provide a reference for writers who are unfamiliar with Chinese literary conventions or terms used in canon. Hopefully someone will find this helpful.
Prompted by https://three--rings.tumblr.com/post/187301034228/things-the-mdzs-fandom-desperately-needs-if-they
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Permablocking Specific Tags - Site Skin by Eli0t
Fandoms: Fandom - Fandom, AO3, No Fandom
10 Aug 2023
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Summary
It finally exists. You can block any tag you want forever! You no longer need 3rd party extensions for this!
Series
- Part 1 of AO3 Skins
- Part 1 of :has() selector
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 2,232
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 362
- Kudos:
- 708
- Bookmarks:
- 746
- Hits:
- 36,482
Bookmarked by Nightcandle
09 Feb 2023
Bookmarker's Tags:
Bookmarker's Collections:
Bookmarker's Notes
Permablocking Specific Tags - Site Skin by Eli0t
-----------------The code used here can also be used to highlight (by different text color) Works with specific tags.
It also has several useful "inspired by" Works that explain further useful possibilities of this code and its siblings.This Work is part of a Series that also has turorials for other useful Site Skins.
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Summary
She almost, almost catches the glass in time.
She should be able to catch it in time. If she can parry a sword in the same amount of time, she should surely be able to catch a falling glass, no matter if she’d been lax enough to let it slip in the first place.
She doesn’t catch it, and it hits the floor and shatters, shards scattering everywhere and the little water still in it splashing across the floor of Marinette’s room, and Kagami- freezes.
Series
- Part 4 of tumblr prompts/ask game answers
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Staring into the Tag Vortex: AO3 tagging demystified by JustSomeAo3Tips
Fandoms: AO3 Tags
19 Apr 2021
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Summary
[CW: Tag Vortex may stare back.]
Tagging! How many tags does your story need? How can you tell which ones will be useful? As a reader, how can you use them to find what you want, what you really really want? When you keysmash in the forest, does it make a sound?
AO3's beautiful and ridiculously wrangled tags do more than most people expect. Behold the mysteries, rejoice in the synonyms, and optimize your search results. Welcome to the tag vortex.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 3,105
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 18
- Kudos:
- 120
- Bookmarks:
- 74
- Hits:
- 2,397
Bookmarked by Nightcandle
07 Nov 2021
Bookmarker's Tags:
Bookmarker's Collections:
Bookmarker's Notes
Staring into the Tag Vortex: AO3 tagging demystified by JustSomeAo3Tips
------------------Very useful. Concise and easy to understand.
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Beyond Wikipedia - A Guide to Research for Discerning Writers by Diana Williams (dkwilliams), michi_thekiller, MirithGriffin, PreciselyVex (CrashEdit), roane72 (roane)
Fandoms: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
10 Apr 2015
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Summary
A list of references and links for authors and researchers, as part of the panel "Beyond Wikipedia" for 221B-Con 2015