Fanfiction Site List

Tips For Writing Your First Fanfiction

Just some basic advice for newbie fanfiction writers.

• Spelling and grammar are important. If you think those are your weak points, get someone to proof-read your story if possible ("beta" in fanfiction slang), or at least run a spell-checker. Finding a beta and letting him to read your story before releasing each chapter is always a good idea even if your spelling is good.
  
  
• Try to understand the feelings and motives of the characters in the original work. Explain the changes they experience in your fic. A person can't go from a wuss to a badass in one day, simply speaking. There's nothing stopping your fantasy and getting crazy with the characters, but in that case people usually tag their stories as AU (Alternate Universe).
  
  
• It's an excellent idea to have a rough draft of the whole fic, or at least an outline, before starting to post chapters online.
  
  
• Do not give in to the pressure of readers. Don't get discouraged by the negative comments, but pay attention to constructive criticism. Your readers might give you good ideas for improving the story, but always remember that you are the author.
  
  
• Your story should make sense. Yes, you can write whatever you want - however, it's usually a good idea to think of a nice plot, not to have any perfect characters just taking revenge on everyone during whole fic, or adding yourself as a character and having your way with all the girls from your favorite show... Unless you are writing purely for your own enjoyment and don't plan on posting your creation online.
  
  
• Finally, the specifics of fanfiction aside, it's really like writing any other kind of story. You still need to have some writing skills (and there are tons of information online how to improve them). Fanfiction is actually a good way to start writing, and should be much easier than creating an original work from scratch, because you already have characters and world created for you. All you have to do is play around with them!