Age: 32. With a Masters of Arts in English and a commitment to finishing Ten Legends Link Told Zelda - just Updated 12/6/18 - woo!

This may or may not be of any use to you, but here are some tips for good writing, and not just with fanfiction, that I try and follow (keyword is try):

A. When you write, a good rule of thumb is that you want to show your reader what's going on, not tell them. If someone is mad, instead of saying just that, try showing what indicates that they are mad: what are their eyes, hands, etc. doing? "He could read her irritation in the rigid line of her jaw" is a start, and far better than just, "He could tell she was irritated with him." It shows more of the world you are trying to create, gives details to characters and paints pictures in your reader's minds.

B. Now for plot: plot is one of the most important ways to sell a story: an unbelievable plot or one with a deus ex machina finish hasn't been fun since the Greeks did it over 2,000 years ago. Now, it should be mentioned that good writing can make people accept even the craziest of plots, and the world of writing is full of non-absolutes, but here are two good rules for storytelling that you can pick up from Pixar:

1. Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
2. People will believe bad luck a thousand times before they will believe good luck: coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

C. Characters: Make them interesting, give them opinions, round them out and stay away from cliches. If you are using someone else's characters, keep them "in-character" - but that doesn't mean you can't test them, challenge them or take them out of their comfort zones. The beauty of fanfiction, AU or not, is the ability to work with preexisting worlds and people. Changing them so much from their canon that they are unrecognizable can be off-putting for readers who come to see these characters.

Things that will disintegrate your story:

1. Don't tear yourself down in your comments, summary, etc. Some constructive complaints are fine, but don't write things like "I suck at summaries!!" I guarantee people will be less inclined to read your story with an intro like that. Let your work stand for itself; use the author's notes to flesh things out, ask questions, etc. I've found that's a great way to engage readers.

2. Watch the grammar and spelling. One or two mistakes is okay and understandable, but when the number starts getting up there, it just becomes a hassle to read and so people just don't. It's easier said than done without a beta - I myself don't have one, and often find mistakes in published stories. The best way to avoid this, I've found, is to read your story out loud to yourself and make changes and you find them.

3. Continuity, continuity, continuity. Don't break it with small things like, if she's wearing a skirt one minute, she can't be wearing pants the next, and certainly don't break it with big plot twists. This happens naturally, as you forget what you said before, or even more likely, you made a change, but forgot to do it everywhere. Happens all the time to good writers. So before posting more of your story, if you can't remember, go back and reread your work - again, you can even try doing it aloud.

Hope this was helpful in any way!

About me: Updated for my 32-year-old self!

I'm an extrovert.

I like lounging in the sun like a cat
I like hot tea of almost all kinds but I am frequently too lazy to make it, or else I forget for months on end that I like tea, and won't make any at all.
I like tall, smart, funny men - and not to brag, but mine is the sweetest
I like the flutter in your stomach when you meet someone special
I hate the flutter in your stomach when you meet someone special
I like crossword and jigsaw puzzles
I like reading Shakespeare and other 17th century playwrights
I like studying the classical world
I like purple skies. I like most skies, actually
I like romantic comedies (good romantic comedies) and poetic tragedies
I like calm evenings and stormy nights
I like good craft beer
I like telling stories and I love reading
I like being Catholic
I like to travel
I like believing, and I like romance, and they are very connected.

What do you like? If you want, PM me four or five things that paint a little portrait of you.