Do you have any advice on writing fanfiction? ( I really want to start writing)
I do! Come sit beside me and let me give you some advice XD Here’s a few things I think are important:
Practice. Practice practice practice. No one’s good at writing right out of the gate. I wrote crappy fics for years before I was confident and brave enough to post some online. And still, if I look at what I wrote a year ago and compare it to now, I cringe. I’m not a naturally talented writer. Everything I do comes from practice, trial, and error. And that’s okay. Maybe you’re a better writer naturally and this is easier for you, idk. Always practice, always keep improving. It’ll come with time! Don’t get frustrated with yourself when the first thing you write kinda sucks.
Read. Find a story with a style you like and examine the structure of the wording. Then figure out how you can use that in your own writing. Flow, tense, and word usage are all important, but not in a way that’s easy to explain. Some fics read better than others - find out why, and try to mimic that. When you’re done writing, go back through it and read it as a reader. Don’t like the way it flows? Change it, improve on it until you do.
Outlines are your friend. Whether it’s a long, complicated plot, or a short little one shot - doesn’t matter. Write down a list of everything you want to happen in order and then tweak it until you like it. It’ll help keep you on track and away from meaningless tangents that often come with undirected writing. They can also help you move along when you encounter word block.
Word block is the bane of a writer’s existence, and that’s okay. It happens to everyone. Don’t be afraid to take a break if you need to. No need to get agitated about it, it’ll pass. Also, don’t be afraid to do exercises to get past it if need be - speed writing nonsense sometimes helps you overcome it. There are some great tips out there on the internet if you’re curious!
Proofreading is your friend. Write your first draft and let it sit for a little while. Then go back and read through it (slowly and carefully!) and edit it where need be. If you’re super disciplined about this, you can do it two or three times. I often proofread my stuff once, post it, and then re-read it again later and kick myself for missing something or phrasing something wrong. There are several instances where I wish I would have proofread more. Don’t make my mistakes lollll
Keep your characters in character. There’s nothing more disappointing that reading a summary of a fic that sounds really good and then getting into it and discovering the writer has NO idea how character dynamics work. This is fan fiction. The characters already exist for us to use. Don’t make them something they’re not, else you might as well start writing original fiction.
