So You Want To Write Fanfic
here are 10 quick tips for making that good fic, or at least making your fic look good
Tag and Bag: if your fanfic needs tags make them good, make them accurate, and don’t talk in them. You want to make it as easy as possible to attract readers. Tags on fanfic are for sorting not communicating, you have an entire fic’s worth of author’s notes for that
Bait, Hook, and Reel: your summary and title is what sells a reader after they’ve finished tag sorting. The part of the spear that you sharpen is the tip, the rest just has to hold together long enough to follow through
Apologize for NOTHING: all creators are self-conscious, we all feel shades of anxiety and embarrassment about our work. But if you don’t think your work is good, why should anyone else read it? Everyone starts somewhere
Bad Epithet, No Biscuit: kill this idea. Whether calling a boy with dark hair “the raven” or a character’s blue eyes ‘cerulean orbs’ don’t. Just don’t. Use names and pronouns because they are easier for readers to follow
An Ounce of Prevention: DO SOME RESEARCH! Every time you get something wrong in your story you lose at least one reader who knows better. You don’t need to be an expert, you just need to know enough to bluff your way through
Grammar U: grammar is about communication, where you put your comma to splice your run-on sentence is not nearly as important as framing dialogue correctly. It’s a readability issue. Grammar serves you and the reader, not the other way around
Cliché This: know ‘em, avoid ‘em or spin ‘em around until they’re flipped and fresh. Check TVtropes for specifics on your fandom
A Chuckle Darkly: think about the phrases you write. Does it make sense or just sound cool? It’s not a zero-sum game, but making sense is always the more important thing
Floridly Prosaic Mosaics of Prose: writing prettily is not a substitute for story. It’s easy to write florid prose, you can tell by how everyone does it. But only a few do it well enough to merit the distraction from reading a story
Pay It Forward: you like good fic? You want more good fic? Then be a good e-citizen, leave kudos and comments, be constructive, contribute meaningfully and critically to your fandom, and above all have fun! Also you should probably reblog this
theartofmadeline
kaledo-art
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
izzy806
