Like some others, my first experience with fanfic was TUFS. I wasn't actually looking for fanfic -- I was searching for information on a fifth season. I had watched the show while it was on and loved it (this was before I knew what fanfic was, and we didn't use internet much then), and when it was cancelled I was never sure if *it* was cancelled, or our stupid tv service in Laredo just went berserk on us (it wouldn't have been the first time...).
I found a link to TUFS and thought it was scripts/storylines actually written to be aired, then realized it was fanfic. I had found Star Trek fanfic online, and the Strange New Worlds ST fanfic contest was recent (they have a contest, winners get published -- but there's a word limit and some other rules and some of the stuff they've published is
stupid. Anyway, tangent...) so I knew what fanfic was, but I was naive and thought it was only a Star Trek thing.
It took a while, but I went from TUFS to the archive (read S5 and S6 in spurts there) to the Ficlist to the boards to writing my own stuff. And what a wonderful journey it's been.
Bethy
