The choice of the universe you choose to base your own work on will have the largest impact on your story and the way it turns out. Certain universes also favor certain approaches in fanfic. It’s important to note however that your choices as a fanfic writer are limitless. You can do anything you want to the source material, even if that means transforming it into something else entirely.
In looking for fanfiction to read, you may get the looming impression that a lot of fanfiction lacks quality. Being part of the fanfic community means acknowledging that not everyone is at the same level of skill. Most fanfiction is amateurish, and a lot of it frankly isn’t worth reading. It takes patience to find the great stuff.
The shortest fanfics are called “drabbles”. [3] X Research source These are usually between 50-100 words long. It is surprisingly challenging to tell a story in such a small space, so it may be a good place to start if you want to test your skills without the time investment. So-called “fluff” pieces are short and light-hearted. They tend to be less than 1000 words and deal with a mundane aspect of a character’s life. More involved fiction can be hundreds of thousands of words long. These tend to be the fanfics that people give most attention to, assuming they’re fuelled by a plot that justifies the length. Fanfics don’t need to be conventionally narrative or prose either. You can write your fanfic as poetry, or write up a tableau of a character’s mental state during a given scene.
Explore the source material more if you are having a hard time finding a creative starting point. Failing that, look into more fanfic. It can be inspiring to see where other people have gone with it. Some writers write their own characters, or even themselves into fanfic, where they interact with the characters themselves. Any character created by the author is called an “OC”, or original character. An OC meant as a stand-in for the writer is known as a self-insert. [4] X Research source First, look for your concept, and then think about how that plot is going to work regarding the structure and the characters.
It’s a good idea to consider the concept of “canonicity”. Put simply, canon states whether something ‘is or isn’t’ in a fictional universe. Portraying Star Wars’ Han Solo as a swashbuckling rogue may be true to canon for example, but writing that he is a fan of the 90’s sitcom Friends would certainly not be canon.
The beginning. A beginning should set up the setting reasonably well, as well as establish the motivations and stakes of your central characters. Opening conflict. Something will often happen that sets a hero on his quest. This often (but not always) is the doing of the antagonist. The rest of the story will involve the protagonist trying to set things right again. The story’s middle. The middle of a story may be seen as the meat of a character’s quest. This is where the story’s world is fleshed out, character relationships are kindled and strengthened, and the stakes are gradually raised. The low point. Before the story’s resolution, there is usually a point where the character is at his most dire moment, where everything seems lost. You can probably think of many films that match this trope. The resolution. A climax wherein the protagonist triumphs. It usually comes shortly after the hero’s lowest point and takes the momentum to the very end. There is occasionally a denouement (falling action) afterward where it shows the aftermath of the final conflict.
In the case of fanfiction, the description is helpful, but there’s a tendency to overdo it. [8] X Research source Keep your descriptive writing compact and effective.
At different stages of your own writing process, you can get a better grasp of how your work matches (or snubs!) the tone of the original by returning to it. Given the thought you’ll have been putting into writing your own fanfic, it’s quite likely you’ll have a more discerning eye for the source material.
One example where radical character changes work is in the case of ‘mirror universe’ fics. Generally inspired by the Star Trek alternate universe episode, you could write a fanfiction that takes place in a mirror universe, where characters are an evil twin version of their official selves. Adding a beard or goatee to your characters to signify their evilness can be fun but isn’t necessary.
Many writers find listening to music that fits the tone you’re going for is a good idea. For instance, if you’re writing a Star Wars fanfic, listening to a John Williams score might put you in the right mindset for it. Most fanfics are less than 1000 words long, but it is recommended you try to go for something longer. Longer stories give more opportunity to explore characters, themes, and settings. If you’re feeling the dreadful writer’s block, it’s probably due to a lack of confidence. Try pitching your story to friends and family members to get them on board. Brainstorm character motivations, brainstorm character archetypes and plot archetypes. This way, you’ll have loads of pages of notes before you even go near the computer, and as a result, you’ll be bursting with energy and ideas won’t be able to wait to get to the computer to write.
Showing your work to a friend early on can help. You can get his feedback before you invest the time in editing it. It is possible he’ll be able to tell you specifically which things could use polishing.
Quotev, Archive of Our Own, and Wattpad are alternatives if you’re looking to publish your story in additional places. [11] X Research source [12] X Research source It is recommended to publish your story on multiple sites if you can, as this will maximize your story’s exposure. There are certain websites that specialize in fanfiction from a particular source. If you’re looking to read or write a fanfic from the Harry Potter universe, for example, there is at least one website specifically dedicated to it. [13] X Research source
For fanfiction writers with commercial aspirations, you can remove any trademarked names and ideas in your story and replace them with original content. Some bestselling ‘original’ fiction, like E. L James’ Fifty Shades of Grey and Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, began as works of fanfiction. If the book you’re writing fanfiction for is common domain, it may be published without any name changes as long as your work is only based on the original works that are common domain.
It should go without saying that you’ll receive the most helpful feedback from writers that are fans of the same source material you are using.
