I started reading and writing fan fiction when I was 11.

I would hurry home from school and steal as many hours as I could on the shared home computer, using dial up internet to pour myself into every archive I could find. It was a secret habit, one I shared with only few other people with the same proclivity.

Never did I imagine that one day this hidden hobby would go mainstream; that some of the world's most popular artists and models would openly share that they were part of the community; that major publishers like Penguin would be actively looking for fan fiction writers to break as published authors. And yet, here we are.

The slow unravelling of the secrecy around the realm of fan fiction has understandably introduced a number of new readers to the pool. But if you're ready to dip a toe, where is the best place to start? There are thousands upon thousands of stories on Wattpad, AO3 and fanfiction.net. And those are just three sites – there are hundreds of others.

Take it straight from the horse's mouth, I've compiled a starter guide to the fan fiction world. These are some of the most revered stories in the community, the ones that completely expand existing worlds, build on characters and drag you into a different realm by the body and soul. These stories explain exactly why so many of us have been enthralled for decades, so settle in and read on.

Psychic Serpent Trilogy

What makes it special: world-building excellence and seamless canon compliance

This is the story that is often credited with accelerating the fan fiction hype into overdrive. Fan fiction has of course existed for decades, and was largely popularised by Star Trek fans. But this series triggered the boom. As fans waited impatiently for years for the fifth book in the Harry Potter series, this story dropped onto some of the bigger fan platforms. It was the author's own version of the fifth story, Harry Potter and the Psychic Serpent. It was then followed by a sixth, Harry Potter and The Time of Good Intentions and seventh, Harry Potter and the Triangle Prophecy. Fans consumed all three with rabid enthusiasm.

It's written in a similar style and conventional tone to the original books, making it an easy story for new-comers to start with. The incredible part of this story is that it actually ended up having many of the same plot points and features of the actual fifth book – but written and constructed in a wholly unique way. Duelling clubs, prophecies, giants, a Scottish Ceilidh, hidden memories and double agents. Settle in, the first one is more than 300,000 words long, which for context is significantly longer than any of the original books. If you want more, you can also read the companion fiction, The Lost Generation. It's a look at the years Harry's parents were in school.

Twist and Shout

What makes it special: character depth

This story is one of the highest rated (if not the highest rated) Supernatural story on AO3. At the last count it had 41,000 kudos. It's a Dean and Castiel-centred fic, and while I have not personally read this one, but it's hard to be a part of the community without someone recommending this story to you. It's considered one of those landmark stories that can entirely change the way you feel about a fandom at the core.

The story does take place in very much an alternate universe, and there is a lot of additional character building beyond what we receive in the original fandom. So, even if you're not a ride or die Supernatural fan, this is one that you can still read without feeling lost. Beware, it's described as emotionally devastating, so be sure to read the trigger warnings before you start

The Draco Trilogy

What makes it special: a story so historic within fan culture that it took on a life of its own

Author Cassandra Clare is now a published author in her own right. Her universes are unbelievably immersive and her dialogue is quick and snarky. But before she authored the Mortal Instruments series she was writing The Draco Trilogy on Live Journal.

It's hard to find copies of these as she removed them, but if you can source the files, this trio of stories are an incredible read. Even if you're not a Harry Potter fan, you will enjoy these as the story and world ends up leaning more towards high fantasy than following the canon. The story shifts us into a world of time jumps, diviners, succubi, immortality and demon swords. There are plenty of laughs to be had too. Clare is heavy on the quips and snark. I won't say any more. Just read them.

Ithaca is Gorges

What makes it so special: an interrogation of canon, and the ways you can see one story in two lights.

This story is a retelling of New Moon from Edward and Carlisle's perspective, and while it is canon compliant, it offers a whole new narrative around the events that fans will be so familiar with. The stories in the Twilight series sometimes feel and read like diary entries in the way they so intimately share Bella's voice. Ithaca is Gorges flips the script and gives us a view of what could have been happening to the other characters while Bella was at school processing Edward's departure.

This story is nearly 20 years old and yet readers still talk about it, a huge endorsement given just how much new content enters the lexicon every day. It is considered a faux pas to rate fan stories on Good Reads as they are not original or formally published works, but at the same time, it is hard to ignore this one has a rating of nearly 4.5 out of 5.

Beyond Time

What makes it special: excellence in genre expansion

Another Twilight story, but this one takes a different turn. It's a non-canon story that explores and alternate universe where Bella travels back in time and encounters Edward when he is still human. It's long, at around 300,000 words. This is one I discovered through a number of reddit recommendations after one poster said it "blew my mind". The prose may not be quite as sophisticated as some of the others on this list (but is still quite good), but the detail, world-building and story tension means this is a read that is very hard to put down. It's a perfect example of how an existing story can provide the scaffolding for an entirely new structure.

Manacled

What makes it special: truly fan fiction as literature

While many of the stories on this list are close to 20 years old (or older), Manacled is newer. It's a Harry Potter/Handmaid's Tale crossover and it's recently been transformed into a published book with new characters called Alchemised. Author SenLinYu writes prosaically. It's artful, and in a way that drags you in by the soul. This story does come with a number of trigger warning that you will need to review before you dive in. But if you feel the story is a safe one for you to read, it is so unbelievably, beautifully worth it. You will be in tears by the end.