Fictional Fans

Off the top of my head - a strong premise and one significant change to canon besides an AU (a compelling OC, genderswap). Longer is better.

I feel like missionfic/casefic/monster of the week can be a good entry point where the author can (re)define who exactly these characters are in this particular fic - having One Big Problem lets me learn about new-to-me characters and how they work together ie why I should care. Even if it departs from that into a more character/ship-focused story, it puts me into the location and the vibe. The premise is also now in the fic, instead of in the canon somewhere else - they're reacting to things onscreen. A commitment to one particular kink can even fit this - where a bunch in one fic can feel like a sampler platter that depends on you liking the character/dynamics already and extrapolating, just one can give a little more focus. Making one or two canon changes also means that the writer has to build out the characters a little more - even if a reader knows these characters very well, there's still something that needs to be elaborated! Who is this person as a girl? How does OC from the Past showing up affect current dynamics? that helps.

I agree that the juggernaut ships can end up accessible based on their ubiquity. The fan osmosis is real, but also Migratory Slash Fandom loves particular characterizations so if you like that, the specifics of canon tend to come out in the wash. What doesn't grab me in unfamiliar fandoms is fluff, otp shmoop, modern AUs, pwp, and shorter tropefic. I like reading these for canons I know a little more about, and I'll read if it's well-kudosed and exactly what I'm looking for, but I feel like they depend more on specific references or details and building that out.


PS - what's A2G?