How to Write a Good Fan-Fiction

How to Write a Good Fan-Fiction

Greetings,

Now I’ve been an active fan-fiction writer on the Internet for a long time now.  In that time, I have received comments, feedback, and ideas from other aspiring writers and artist.  I have also found and read other fan-fictions from various genres.  While reading them, writing some stories of my own, and taking some writing courses in school, I began making some observations to help me in the future.  And I’d like to share with you some advice on how you can make a good fan-fiction.

First, we need to discuss what a fan-fiction is.  Well, to put it simply, it’s a fiction created by fans of an already existing series.  Usually, it’s fans that want to explore other ideas and possible stories that maybe the source material didn’t explore itself.  However, from my experience, and based on other fan-fictions I’ve read, I believe there is a right and wrong way to write a fan-fiction.

I say this because I have read some fan-fictions that I couldn’t enjoy because they contained material that I couldn’t picture in the actual genre they came from.  However, there were some fan-fictions I read that contained some material, that being a darker tone or slightly more mature themes, than the original source, yet the stories were very well done and I was able to enjoy them.

That made me start looking at fan-fictions stories a different way.  I kept asking myself why I enjoyed certain ones and why others didn’t quite do the same thing.  After some time and experience, I came up with a few helpful tips that hopefully will help future fan-fictions writers.

1.    Know the Genre You are Writing About:

If you’re going to write something, you first need to know what you are going to be writing about.  You need to carefully research the characters, the premise of the genre in terms of the themes, what demographic its mostly targeted for, and what makes it appealing to others.  Once you know all that, you can get started.

Now, the point I want to talk about right now is knowing the genre’s demographic and the premise of the whole thing.  Very often, I read stories where they introduce themes that make it feel uncomfortable, given the genre they are presented in.  Mostly adult content that’s either raunchy or gory featured in a story that comes from a genre that is either geared toward children, families, or a wide range of ages in general.  It just doesn’t belong there.

However, there were also stories I read where they introduced dark or slightly more mature themes (not like adult themes, but more like serious tones) then the original intention of the source material such as loss, death, trauma, mild violence, romance and things of that nature.  And the stories were written in such a way where I found them to be enjoyable, intense, and they made me want to see how the story would turn out. 

After analyzing the differences between the two, I came to a few conclusions as to how one should go about writing fan-fictions. 

When you’re writing a story, consider the age demographic the original source is geared towards.  If you are writing a fan-fiction whose source material is meant to be family-friendly, then you’ll have better luck if you keep it within those boundaries.  You can add darker or slightly more mature themes (mild violence, loss, death, trauma, romance, etc.), but it has to be done with careful planning and it should be in there for a reason, and not just for a shock factor.

However, when it comes to adult material (anything that would be considered raunchy, gory, pornographic, etc.), I would advise not to add any adult material in anything geared to either children or family genres.  I’m not saying that adult material is bad, but placing it in genres like that may be uncomfortable for viewers to read.  Things like that should be reserved for genres that are meant for an adult audience.

2.    Know the Characters:

This is one of the most crucial points in writing a successful fan-fiction.  Characters carry stories, so it is essential that you know your characters and write them with respect, even the villain characters or even characters you may not particularly like.  To do so, you must research the characters.  See how they behave, what their mannerisms are, how they interact with others, and how they would react to situations presented to them.

Ignoring parodies, I have read some stories where characters are completely out of character, whether a traditionally heroic and noble character is reduced to some kind of punch-line character or a creeper of sorts.  Or a comic relief character completely loses his or her charm and either becomes someone so mellow that they are not fun to be around, or someone who tries too hard to be funny and comes across as the exact opposite.

Now I don’t mean to be disrespectful to the writers as people, but reading things like that can be uncomfortable, especially if you really care about characters and how they should be portrayed.

Although the characters are fictional, they still must be treated with dignity.  If you take all of the characters seriously, and write them as closely to their original intention as possible, then readers will take them seriously, too.

First and foremost, you have to keep the key traits of the characters.  The reason I say this is because there are fan fictions that puts the characters in a different continuity than the source material they original come from.

For example, let’s say someone writes a “Sonic the Hedgehog” fan-fiction and Sonic starts out as an ordinary hedgehog instead of the hero we know him now.  And the story is about him becoming that hero.  He should still be cocky and confident since that is what he is most known for.  He should also have heroic qualities such as bravery, loyalty, and a sense of justice.  And as the story goes on, those qualities grow and mature and he transforms into the fast-footed hero that others can look up to.

His backstory may be different, but his personality should remain intact so he is recognizable to fans of the series, and appealing to other readers who may not be familiar with the series.

Now, you do come across some characters that are ambiguous and aren’t very defined.  I know for a fact that the musical “Cats” is very vague in terms of characters and plot.  However, you can watch their behavior and make logical interpretations.

So basically, my advice when it comes to official characters is to keep them in character.  And some tips to help with that are:

    1.     Write up a biography of the character, what their traits are, what they like and dislike, and what makes them special.

    2.     Observe and take notes on the characters, whether they are from a book, movie, musical, cartoon, video game, etc., so you can apply it later to your writings.

    3.     Let the character grow and mature as a character, but keep the traits that make them recognizable and what makes them who they are.

    4.     If your doing an ensemble of main characters, avoid singling out one of them to be the one who solves everything.  You can have a story with a group having a leader-like character, but the point of having a team is having the characters work together to overcome challenges and solves problems.

    5.     If you are focusing on one character, don’t make them overpowering either.  Sure, you can make them the central figure, but don’t exclude their friends either.  Their friends can help them in their quest based on their abilities that the lead protagonist lacks, or a purpose they have that will help the lead protagonist later.

3.    Develop Your OCs with Care and Consideration:

For those who have read my “Land Before Time Retold” and “Dragons: Thora’s Story” fan-fictions series, then you know that I have a couple of OCs.

The moment I started writing an OC, I was immediately confronted with a problem.  I wanted the characters to be unique, but I didn’t want them to overshadow the others either, or have the others change their personality just to accommodate my characters.

As a result, I had to think about what my OCs strengths and weaknesses would be, what they could add to the team, and how they could work with the rest of the established cast in each respective story.  I had to weave them into the story, not have them take control of it, or be too scared to step to the forefront when they have to.

What I’m saying is that when it comes to OCs, for many, the first temptation is to put them in the spotlight.  Now, I give credit, there are times when it works.  I have read some stories that are about OC characters.

Plus, I kind of have a story like that.

For example, for my fan-fiction, “Dragons: Thora’s Story”, is basically about my OC, Thora, and her side of the story during the “Dragons” episode series if she was presented in the series.

My plan was that Hiccup would still be the main protagonist, but the story I’m writing is just filling in Thora’s side of it, assuming that fans of “How to Train Your Dragon” episode series.  The rest of the story runs the same as it was in the episode series with some changes.  Whether I succeeded or not, I leave that up to you.

Anyway, as a creator of several OCs, I would like to give some advice on how to go about creating and using them:

    1.     Write out a Character Biography for your own reference: what their history is, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what they like and dislike, how they react to certain situations that are presented to them, and how they work in the universe of your selection.

    2.     Work out their relationships with other characters, whether it’s other OCs or official characters.

    3.     Don’t make OCs overpowering.  In other words, don’t make them flawless.  You can make them the central character or one of the central characters is an ensemble of protagonists if you want, just don’t write them like they can do everything and solve every problem on their own.  Let them struggle and give them flaws; it makes the story all the more satisfying when they find ways to overcome them.

    4.     Don’t change official characters personalities just to accommodate your OC.  What I mean by that is don’t change the official characters personalities just so your OC will work.  And if your dealing with romantic relationships, unless you are doing two OCs in love, be extremely careful not to make official characters out of character just for your OC.  If anything, work out how your OC will work with the already established cast of characters.

    5.     If your writing a “what if” scenario with a character inserted into an already existing plot, like say adding a character into “Lord of the Rings” during the adventure, you’ll probably find you’ll have to change the plot a bit for your character to work within the story.  As long as you do it carefully, and keep the integrity of the original story, then it should work.

4.   Choose Your Themes and How You Will Use Them Carefully

This one is a bit sensitive, open to interpretation, and I kind of touched upon it earlier.  Still, I want to go into a little more depth on a few things.

First, choosing your themes.  Now there are various kinds of themes you can choose.  Whether it goes for the tone of the story, or underlying lessons that you want to interoperate to others in the colorful art of storytelling.  Depending on what kind of genre you choose can also affect on how you choose your themes.

If you are deciding on morals, look at the source material that you want to write a fan-fiction for and see what kind of lessons and values exist in it.  Consider implementing them, and also consider implementing other values that are closely related to them and can work in universe. 

Take for example romance.  Depending on which genre you choose, you have to carefully decide how you are going to use it.  Let’s say that someone wants to write a romance story between two characters.

Here’s some advice I’d like to give when dealing with a romance story, whether as a subplot or a main plot.

    1.     Make a realistic relationship.  Just like with knowing the characters, you also need to understand the relationships between other characters and keep it within the context of the intended genre it comes from.

    2.     Let the relationship grow.  If you want to make a romantic relationship, let it start out small.  Whether its two friend meeting each other for the first time and taking an interest in each other, or two characters who have been friends for a long time.  Letting the relationship grow helps the story and character development.

    3.     Keep it within context.  Make sure the romance you are planning to write stays within the context of the intended genre.  For example, if you are writing a romance story from a family-friendly genre, then adding things like a tender hug, a date, or a kiss are fine and can be really sweet.  However, keep it toned down so it can be enjoyable for a wide range of audiences.

As for choosing the tone of the story, again, that all depends on what genre you choose.  If you are choosing to do a darker tone involving difficult themes such as loss, death, mild violence, etc., then you have to plan the story very carefully.  It is possible to write a story from a family-friendly genre with a level of a darker tone.  There are stories out there that have gracefully pulled off telling a darker toned story than the original intention of the source material.  However, it has to be done with great care and consideration.  You need to carefully plan your stories out.

Here’s some advice I have for this:

    1.     Don’t be afraid to add a level of intensity.  Keep the genre you are writing for in mind and what its original intent is, but don’t be afraid to take a slightly darker tone with it.

    2.     Only add a darker tone when it is necessary.  Avoiding putting in dark tones just for the sake of a shock factor.  Only put it in if it benefits the story and helps drive the plot.

    3.     If you are adding violence, be careful of how much violence you are adding.  If you are planning to have characters get physically hurt, and you want to write a story for a wide range of audience, then keep the injuries to a minimum.  It is okay to show some blood or a wounded leg, but be careful of how much you describe.  Avoid getting too graphic.  Add just enough detail to tell the reader the character has been injured.

5.   Proofread Your Work

Now I admit, I struggle with this one.  I know how it feels to either get a chapter done and wanting to post it right away, or wanting to get a chapter done because it has been nagging at you for a long time.

However, proofreading your work is important.  Your first draft may turn out good, but it can be even better if you take the time to proofread it, make edits, and let it sit for a while.

A trick I use when it comes to proofreading is when I finish writing a part of the first draft of the chapter; I walk away from it for a while.  When I come back to it, I reread what I wrote before and make spelling and grammar corrections, add things I might not have thought of before, and even delete or rework sentences and paragraphs.

After that, then I move onto the next part of the chapter and begin the process all over again.

While it does work better than what I first started out doing in the past (just writing a chapter and posting it immediately after), I still find I miss things.  So another advice I would give is, if possible, ask someone else to proofread your work, too.  It’s best if it’s a close friend or someone you trust.

If you don’t have that luxury, or don’t want others to see your work until it’s finished, then take great care in proofreading your stories.  And if you still find mistakes after you’ve posted it, don’t be afraid to still make corrections.  It shows that you care for the story.

6.   Take Pride in Your Work

This one is probably one of the most important tips I can give.  Everyone has a story to tell.  And for writers, we each have our own unique way of expressing things through words and storytelling.

Treat your stories with great care and like you are going to present them in a professional manner to either a teacher or a crowd of people.  After all, if you are planning to post them on the Internet, you are posting them somewhere for the world to see.  They have all come to hear your story.  You want to give both your story and your audience the best that you can.

Take the time to come up with your story plot, an eye-catching title, an informative summery, and rate the story accordingly. 

And overall, just have fun.  If you love to write and tell stories, enjoy doing so.

Now before I finish this, I want to give some advice to authors, viewers, and/or reviewers.

To the Authors:

I’m giving you some advice because I want to help you keep things in perspective.  While you should take pride in your work, it also has to be balanced with humility.  Writing is a talent, and talents are gifts that need to be nurtured and need to grow.  To do that, you need to keep on writing, learn how to handle praise, and learn how to accept criticism.

I know from experience that getting a lot of attention can be addicting, especially when you don’t go looking for it in the first place.  When I first started my “Land Before Time Retold” fan-fictions, I didn’t expect to get so many views and comments.  I mostly did it for my own enjoyment.  So I was pretty shocked when I started getting a lot of attention.  It was encouraging and it did inspire me to write more.

Sure, everyone hopes to get some attention, and it is a pleasant surprise to get a lot of it when you weren’t expecting to, but it can also be dangerous.  You need to learn how to handle praise and compliments without letting it become poisonous.

To do so, keep this in mind: this may sound harsh, but without your viewers, and the people who support you in your everyday life, you would be nothing.

Yes, you have a talent and you should be proud of it, but it is only worth something if you have someone to share it with.  Without people around you to support you, you would not be where you are now.

Your talent is a gift that you are giving to others.  Not for your own praise, but because is shows that you care about the people who support you.  Your talent is a gift to them, and their compliments and feedback are gifts to you.  It’s a give and take situation.

That includes constructive criticisms.  That is the kind of feedback that authors need as well.  It helps them improve on their skills, whether it’s grammar, story flow, or character development.  In fact, there are times where I am grateful getting constructive criticism, especially when I had a feeling that something wasn’t right but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Yes, there are times when criticism can be frustrating, especially when you thought you did a good job in the first place or you’re having a bad day.  However, keep in mind that those who support you are trying to help you.  If you don’t really agree with what they said, don’t lash out at them.  Instead, if you can contact them, try to explain why you did what you did to them in a calm manner.  At the same time, take what they said into consideration, even if it’s with a grain of salt.

Also remember, you may be a good writer now, but you are going to grow into an even better writer over time.  And you will continue to grow.  You never stop learning how to improve your writings.  And it’s reviews and feedback from others that help you become the best writer that you can be.

Another thing I would like to say is that while many say for authors to write for their own pleasure.  And yes, that is true.  However, I believe that is true to a degree.

There are some stories where authors write for their own satisfaction because they want to see their ideas come to life on paper.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  In fact, it can be helpful in sharpening your skills.

However, you also need to consider your audience.  I know from experience that when you get a group of followers who become interested in your work, they will send you ideas for your story and request for you to use.  Now this can be a good thing because they may have an idea that can help your story either flow better or embellish a plot point that you had in mind.  Other times, ideas that they have may not quite work in the story you have planned.

What this does though is give you an idea of what they expect from the story you have going based on the material you already have.  You do want to write for your own pleasure, but you also need to keep your audience in mind.

One more thing I need to bring up, and this is extremely important: give credit where it is due.

An example: if you’ve read another author’s fan-fiction, and really want to use their OC in a story of your own, ask them for permission first.  I’m saying this because there are some fan-fiction authors who are very particular about who uses their OCs and how their OCs are used.  If you don’t get their permission, don’t use their OCs.  If you do, then give credit to the original creator of the character in either the author’s note or in a description.

And if you are using an idea that a supporter of your story submitted to you, then give them credit as well.  Same thing if someone proofread your story.  Just be sure to give credit where it is due.

And as for your supporters, also keep them updated as often as you can on how a story is going and when it will be posted.  If you have some way of informing them on how things are going, or why you haven’t been active in certain stories, then I highly suggest you use it.  That shows you appreciate their support and want to keep them informed on what is going on.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now.

To the Viewers and/or Reviewers:

I’m also giving you some advice because you also play a major role.  You read the author’s stories, give them feedback, and support them.  However, there are also things that viewers and/or reviewers need to keep in mind. 

Now, I have commented on a few stories myself.  I give praise where it is due, compliment on what the author did well, suggest some things the might consider changing, and end with an encouraging note.  However, I’m not a very good reviewer at the moment because I tend to not want to hurt people’s feelings or have a message taken the wrong way, for reviews I have done are rather few and far between.  Still, I am learning and I am slowly working my up to becoming a reviewer.

Now, majorities of people out there are very considerate in their reviews and give praise and constructive criticism.

However, I have seen comments that just point out what the author did well.  Not saying that is a bad thing, in fact it can be good encouragement, but it does narrow the scope on what can help the author.

On the flipside, I have seen comments where some reviewers judge a story harshly, saying that the author’s story is terrible or they write like a five-year-old.  Needless to say, that is neither encouraging nor helpful.

My advice for reviewers is this: keep in mind that many authors are still learning, and will continue to learn.  They post their work for you to see it so they can know if they are doing something right and if there is something they need to fix.

Their story is a gift to you.  In turn, your reviews and support are a gift to them.  It’s all about give and take.

When writing a review, I suggest that you comment on how the story is going.  Then compliment on what they did right or what you felt was their strongest trait in the story.  If you see something they should improve on, tell them in a respectful manner.  Then end it with something encouraging and wish them luck on the rest of their story.

Now, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in that order, but the idea is to show that you care for the author and you want to see them improve.  And above all, do it as respectfully as you can.  Most of the time, if you do that, then you will earn the author’s respect as well.

Another thing I want to mention: submitting ideas to the author.

It is great for an author to know that you care about them and want to participate in their story.  However, keep in mind that it is also their story.  If an idea you send them happens to help and makes it in, and the author gives you credit if you request them to, then that’s great.

However, that doesn’t always happen.  Most of the time, the author already has the story planned out.  While your ideas are good, they may not be what the author had in mind, or they may not work in the story the author has planned in advanced.  If that happens, do not be discouraged.  Your ideas may have not been able to make it through, but you at least showed that you cared enough to send ideas to the author to help them with their stories.

Remember, you are very helpful in authors improving their talent.  At the same time, you also need to be patient with them.  I know waiting is a hard thing to do, but sometimes events happen.  You need to be understanding and patient when an author hasn’t updated a story in a long while.  There is more than likely a reason as to why that is occurring.  Whether it’s because they can’t find the drive to write their story at the moment, they’re unable to post anything due to technical reasons, or they have priorities they need to attend to in real life.  If you wait, then most likely it will be worth it when they do post something.

And that’s all I have for now.

Thank you all for reading this editorial.  I hope you enjoyed it.  If there was anything that was helpful, something you think I should improve on, or another point you would like to bring up that I might have missed, please feel free to leave a comment.  I am open to critique.

Again, thank you so much for reading this and I hope you have a good day.