On Writing Fan Fiction (Discussion)

Well, when the character is brand new a high level of detail about them, at least in the first few chapters, is a good thing. In fact I would go as far as to say that a whole story, when it stars or guess stars a new character, should have a bit more about getting to know the character in each chapter. Rather than just the characters reactions trying to carry the story (unless they are babies, because babies can do nothing but react and be cute), when the reader may not know enough to care about them yet...

Did you read from the beginning, though? I mean, all the way through? 'Cause there's a few times when I describe what she looks like and what her background was growing up.

I must have gotten bogged down halfway though and missed them..I sorry .

Cut me some slack, babe. XP I ish still a semi-newb at fanfiction.

We all are at some point. Heck, I have yet to write one in full.

Aw..sorry...I did not mean that in a bad way...I just was trying to be honest *hides* If it helps any, I have been writing online for 10-11 years now and have gotten very picky in my old age ..So it's most likely just me and not your writing...

Likewise. As we age, we come to know what we like.

Yeah, I usually don't read OC fics for precisely the problem of lack of detail and characterization.

There are two ways (I can think of) to handle it: 1. Start off with canon characters and mention the new OC in dialogue or flashbacks maybe once or twice a chapter. That way, when we get to the OC's introduction, the reader already knows a little something about them, including what others think of them. Several shows have done it. I think Tosh and Lou of FR were mentioned long before they ever showed up, and Spike of Dinosaurs was mentioned long before he showed up. 2. Start off with the OC, but keep the first couple of chapters slow-paced so we can get time to learn about the characters. Start off as they wake up in their room, or after they've suffered a calamity and they're trapped or something ... anything that allows for a little reminiscing time.

Now, it's not right to assume that an OC needs to be fully realized before a story gets written. Even Karen Prell noted that she didn't really "get" Red until "I Wanna Be You". But, that can actually work to one's advantage: the author and the reader can explore a character together.

I think OC's are fine and I have been writing them since day 1. But, as was suggested, it's really a good idea to put something into your other characters. Don't get stuck into this trap of making your original characters Mary Sues. That annoys a lot of readers and makes them want to leave the story screaming.

A professional writer actually gave me the following tip for writing Original Characters. She suggested to me during the time when I was writing my novel to write down certain aspects or characteristics of my characters in an outline form and never diverge away from them when writing the plot. Give them positive and negative character traits, don't make them too perfect or with too many problems (the damsel in distress syndrome). If you want to write effective OC's, try something like the following outline. (Just for the sake of example, I am tossing in one of my own OCs, a minor character from my novel.)

Name of character: Julius Birmingham (Brother Benedict)
Age of character: 30
Physical Description: Light brown / blonde wavy hair, blue eyes, youthful expressive face. Julius is shorter than the other monks. He is about 160cm tall, somewhat heavier, close to 70kg, has dimples when he smiles and freckles.
Personality: energetic, agile, contemplative, curious, friendly, but has moments when he can be very stern and to the point. He doesn’t trust people as much as he should, but is still learning. He is also fairly new to the Order.
Title / Status (if any): Monk / Brother Benedict

This isn't exactly what you should use, but it does give you a rough idea as to how to incorporate original characters into a story. It was also the same concept I used when writing my novel. Since you are a younger writer, it is vitally important for you to try different kinds of things or tips to see what specifically works for you. The more concise and real you make the OCs, the better your chances of getting a consistent audience.

One of the challenges I see with a lot of younger writers (that is writers in their teens) is the entrapment of saying 'oh well, it's only fan fiction, I don't need to focus on spelling, grammar, or even research. It's too time consuming.'

Many readers, specifically older readers want to read something that is not only grammatically correct, but also realistic. Even Muppet pieces have to have elements of realism in them, otherwise the chracters risk going out of character. Kermit would not go and karate chop Animal anymore than Piggy might start singing 'Kumbaya' in the swamp.

As for getting people interested in your work, I don't really know what it is I can suggest you do. My experiences are with just about every story I have ever written and posted somewhere, the number of reviews always tends to go on a downward spiral after chapter 3 or 4. I get my steady readers, the ones who read and review each installment and then I am pleased with the specific details they put into their comments. The thing that I think you need is to find the motivation to write something and not to worry about how the response is going to be. I know that that is really hard, but sometimes the people who are not the most popular can really go and crank out some of the best writing I've ever seen. It's been done, and amazing writers are constantly blowing my mind with their works.

The bottom line is, write for yourself, and enjoy the act of taking an idea and going with it.

When I started writing fan fiction some 15-20 years ago, the thing that I fell into was this idea that I had to do what everyone else told me. I had a story idea that was AU (Alternate Universe) and someone came to me and said 'you can't do that, Yva, it contradicts the universe you're writing'. I heeded those words and today, some 14 years later, I have gone back to the story and have actually completed it. The story is presently being posted at fan fiction net and it is probably one of my proudest efforts, because it takes a bit of the past and is encased in the present. The point to that digression is, don't sacrifice too much of yourself for the sake of keeping readers. Write whatever may work for you and savor the joy of it.

But sometimes, those characterizations work. For example, most of the DBZ heroes fall into the Gary Stu/Mary Sue department, because they cannot seem to die or lose in the grand scheme of things. As for the damsel, many a standard princess fits that mold, and no princess better qualifies than Mario's own Princess Peach. XD

I agree with "Mario" ... sometimes I think Peach LIKES getting kidnapped.

Good point. Little Bowser is a perfect illiustration (sp?) as to why she likes being kidnapped.

Sometimes a story can't help but have a OC that no one has heard about until that story is all I can say, most of all if the only people that know about that character are very private or people that the main characters don't interact with much. I think as long as it is a one shot story, and not a long drawn out fic that goes on and on about how one of a kind the OC is, it is okay in my book .

And if the OCs are children of the main characters, as long as the main characters are still very important to the plot and still stay true to themselves even if parenthood has changed some parts of them, I will read it

I am a Peach/Bowser shipper, I admit it

First of all, Yva, I MUST stand up and applaud every last word you said-- ESPECIALLY about writing what YOU want to write. A few times, I've started to change a story because of what my readers wanted, or what I thought they wanted... I have regretted it every time. ...Well, with the exception of the time Beauregard told me to stop cutting whole scenes out of my stories, but that was honest constructive criticism, which is truly lacking on this forum. We tend to either heap on loads of praise-- deserved or not-- or ignore a story altogether, and we have a nasty habit of ignoring the good ones!

As for getting noticed... Well, I personally started writing fanfic here in the summer of '05, which I'm pretty sure we called-- at the time-- something of a golden summer for fanfic. There were lots of good stories, and lots of devoted readers. Basically ANYONE who wrote was noticed, and for some reason, some people liked my stories enough to call me the Queen of Fanfic (hence, I call myself "the queen" in my current signature), and I haven't had much trouble getting readers since then. ...That's a long, conceited way of saying that I don't really know what the trick is; it just sorta happens to me. I do know that some people (myself included now) link their stories in their signature. How much that actually does, I'm not sure. A catchy title is usually helpful, but those are SO hard to think of!

...So I guess I don't really have much in the way of advice here. But I do like the general direction of this thread! ...I think that's all I really had to say. (I'm much better at writing stories than general posts. )

Indeed, Lisa. Writing your story the way you feel you should write it makes the story all yours, whereas changing it just for your readers could have a diasterous effect. Then again, some aspects could be changed to stories, and some people could get more readers from said changes.

But it really might undercut the story being really their own, so it would be a hollow victory IMHO . There is nothing worst that being liked for something your wrote that is not truly something that comes from the heart of yourself...
I learned that the hard way when I started writing online at fourteen...

AGREED. Personally, stories just sort of come to me and DEMAND to be written, and it just feels so empty if I change it for anyone but me. If the story GROWS from something someone says, well, that's one thing. But CHANGING it-- rerouting the plot, switching scenes, changing a certain character's traits or appearance or name... That just takes away all the pleasure. You can't please everyone, and when it comes to writing, it's SO important to please YOURSELF. Because if you can't stand writing, then what's the point?

<HUGS!> It's a tough lesson to learn, but sometimes it's one that each person has to learn for him/herself.

On a random note, it feels so odd that I see fourteen as being so young to start posting stories, but I was only sixteen when I started. Funny how time and age can seem so warped sometimes.

Well, it's been over ten years for me, so it really has been a long time. I'm just glad I predate chat speak...We were the first group of teenagers to be on the internet after all, it was very exciting building up the roots of certain fandoms...It really has changed and gotten so big since then...

Yep.

And we're continuing to build the roots nowadays when new fans enter fandoms.

That it has.

Well, yes, but that is more like building upon the roots..the roots themselves were made by a handful of people to start with ...I was around the roots of the Sailor Moon fandom for example, my poem was one of the first SM things on FF.net...