How To Fan Fiction Like a Pro!
By: Lord of Dorkness
Fan fictions aren't something one would normally think of as a form of communication. A hobby, yes, but a way of communication? Surely that can't be possible. Ah-HAH! That, my dear reader, is where you will find yourself quite mistaken. Fiction writing has taken a swing at the youth of today, and we in turn have found our favourite modes of entertainment severally lacking. Opinions on things that should be changed can range from a simple colour of the eyes, all the way to a characters gender or sexuality.
They've actually created a site (legal and everything!) for people to post their fictions, and have other crazy oddballs- such as myself- read over them. Anyone can write a story of their own - but it takes a true Master to transform someone else's into one of their own creation, using the original characters devised for the show/cartoon/movie/book/and (or) play- and nothing else!. is filled to the brim with such people. These uniquely thinking individuals know what pairings to support, what shows to ship, and who snogs who in a hundred different ways in under a thousand words.
The godly beings of writing talent that spend their time on us lesser talented morals usually stick to the hard beat out path of slash. Sporking (Spock/Kirk) and Destieling (Dean/Castiel) their way merrily through our hearts with the manly pairings we want so badly, but can never have- these few authors have been known to write stories of a hundred thousand words or more, just for the pure fun of it. How do they succeed? By introducing our favourite male characters to each other, inventing some sort of attraction machine, then kindly pointing the flailing mass of limbs at the nearest flat, horizontal surface. It's a tried and tested formula that works wonders on both your review rating, and your ego.
But infecting characters with the gay bug is only one of the top ways to become a must-be-read Author on . Another, slightly less popular way, is sticking to the old straight and narrow. After all, the womenz, they be throwing themselves at the men! Rose and Ten (Doctor Who) are a prime example of the subject; despite all of their heart ache, and the fact they end up on parallel worlds, they still get their happy ending. Mind you, it happens two seasons later, and after no doubt a boat load of angry fan mail. But they still got it, and we still want to write it.
Sexuality might play a large part of the success of your story- but it doesn't play all of it. Pairings are just important, if not more so, the sexy times that will be ensuing. Shipping, the technical term fan fiction writers use for relationship pairings, can be as original as dirt, or completely unexpected. Usually, though, authors focus on what people want most because- wait for it... that's the way, Uhuh Uhuh, we like it~! Pairings such as Alien/Predator fall flat because no one wants to read it- while Predator/Human female stories sky rocket because, let's face it- who wouldn't want to be abducted by some chisel chested powerful alien in a barley there armour get up?
Many, though, revolve around what fan fiction writers call 'OCs'. For those of you not used to the word, it means Original Character. Usually, that means very little to writers- after all, every story revolves around your own unique, individual characters. But that just isn't the way goers roll. If it didn't originate from the show/book/or movie, most people don't want to read it. Usually. Once more, being a pro means you don't have to worry about these types of things- because you're good enough to pull it off. Sadly, that isn't so for many of the stories with OCs. Fan fiction connoisseurs are a picky lot, preferring their male porn to their story plot- so it's best to avoid such things.
Last but not least, short and sweet! Another way to ensure ego bloating is to get as many fabulous pieces of writing out there for the masses to enjoy as quickly as possible. Even if it means writing out of your butt, and smiling through your teeth at the 'such wonderful foreshadowing!' comments you'll have tossed at you. Many of the stories up are finished, because they all end at roughly a thousand to five thousand words. Just enough to satisfy, without dragging in that nasty little bugger known as plot. Some amazing authors can write a story that goes on and on, lasting to hit the novel sized kind of 'my god this is a hobby?' type of reaction from most people that see it. But those are only the really, really, really good kinds of writers. But by then, they know what they're doing, and they've already carved, polished, and decorated their little nitch in the fan fiction community. Veterans of the trade, they are.
Of course, there are many, many more parts to writing a successful fanfiction, and getting your point across. But those are boring, and long winded, and usually can be delivered in a morals lecture from parents, so I won't bother you. Just stick to these tips, and, should you ever dip your toe into the pools of fan fictional writing, you might just not sink, crash, and burn like a snow ball in hell. Messily.
