I'm not really sure which forum this belongs in, so I'm putting it here.

So, I've never written a fanfic in my life, however I do write other fiction prose, so I thought I'd write a PW fanfic. But I have a question.

1. In order for a fanfic to be decent, any already existing characters being used should be as close to the real thing, right? But how close is close enough? Is believeably close close enough? Or should the characters fit to a T?

That's all I can really think of right now, but I'm pretty sure I'll have more, so I'll post more questions as they come to me.

More questions:

2. Is a fanfic a lot harder than other types of writing? If it is, is the satisfaction of finishing one worth it? I'm not really sure I should start one.

Last edited by Clarissa Gavin on Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

Keep them as close to their personality as you can. You can given some form of artistic license but don't go too nuts.

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As a writer, I can honestly say, don't be upset if your fanfiction doesn't come out perfect at first. No one starts out amazing. The more you write, the better you get.
Writing a fanfiction gets progressively easier as you practice. It's better to draft, though not mandatory. Also, if you have a friend who writes fanfiction, try to get them to look over your work and see what they think. Maybe they have ideas on things you can improve, or what to keep. Reading a lot of other fanfiction and observing techniques is a smart idea as well. Try not to get too OOC (Out of Character), but if you get slightly off, just label it in the summary.
Practice makes perfect
Good luck.

There's room for your own interpritations (sp), alot of people take characters face value, but will notice OOC if it's too far away. It's not too hard.

And fanfics aren't that big a deal. The only massive diffrence (argh! SP) is Mary-sues become a much bigger deal. In fanfics, OC's should be their mainly to move the story on, and not be one of the big characters.

Finally, with FF I find someone enjoying it is more rewarding then finishing it, that's not come out right, but bacically (SP) I feel the need to finish for people who enjoy it... still not right... ah well I give up it's too cold today....

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Yes, they should be as close to the real thing as possible. There are a few things to take into consideration, however.

Sometimes, crackfic is fun to write--and in that case, you get to play with them a little more than usual. They get to do silly things and say stuff they'd never do otherwise. However, they still have to be recognizeable as a base behind the silliness.

After you work with a character for a while, you may begin to develop your own opinions on little things about them that are obviously never mentioned in the text of the game. Maybe you think they've done certain things, or have decided that there are other little quirks about them. As long as they can be considered to fit in with the original context of the character's personality, it works. You just have to make sure that what you're doing with that character is possible, so that when you write it (and write it well), it'll begin to look probable.

It's a hard thing to learn. I know I'm not even anywhere as good with that yet as I want to be. But don't be afraid to tinker with them. If you think Phoenix secretly likes techno music, run with it as you think fits his character. You'll never get anywhere if you don't make mistakes, anyhow. :)



It's a whole hell of a lot harder, yes. Everyone knows the characters you're writing about, and they have pre-defined sets of behaviors and speech patterns and histories that make them who they are. Because they're not your own creations, you have to work doubly hard to make sure they stay in those parameters while bringing something new and fresh to the table--and if you don't, people WILL call you on it.

But the inner glee that hits you when you realize you've pulled off something really good is completely worth any stress, frustration, or hard work it takes to write a fanfic. Looking at a fanfic and being able to proudly say "I wrote that" is one of the best ego-boosters I can think of.

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Writing fanfiction is not harder than writing original fiction - it's just that the fans are a lot more critical. Fans can be very possessive of the characters they enjoy, and they're not afraid to call you out. If you write original fiction and the characterization is inconsistent, people will label you a bad writer and just move on. But with fanfiction there is a basis for comparison present.

They're both challenging, just in different ways. With original fiction it's creating something; with fanfiction it's using something already present. But I wouldn't call one more difficult than the other.

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I agree with Croik. I don't think it's inherently easier or harder to write fanfic vs. original fic, there are just different sets of rules for each.

The audiences do differ, but it's mainly in expectation. In my experience non-fandom audiences demand very different things from stories than the majority of the fandom audience. There are different standards applied for a variety of reasons which can be amusing and yet sometimes frustrating.

Unlike Razetora, I actually don't recommend using fanfic as the basis of learning a technique. I recommend good, old fashioned, wide absorption of material including books, plays, films, movies, poetry and anything else you can get your hands on, for ANY kind of writing. This may also include fanfic, but don't confine yourself to that, please.

Have fun. Be individual. Learn to love the characters you write. Ask for feedback. If you get criticism that is well-meaning, then listen, but also have confidence in your judgement when you need to. Just never assume you're a genius and remember that fandom is *not* SRS BZNZ!

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