So, you wanna write a tickle fic??
I’ve been writing fanfics featuring tickling for 10 years now. I have played with my style a lot, and I have also read a ton of fics from other writers. Here are some tips and tricks to writing tickling in fanfiction.
Deciding your prompt
Have a favorite fandom? Character? Favorite scene? Take your love for this character/fandom and brainstorm some things about it. What situation(s) would you love to see in this fandom/for your characters? Your character high strung and gone through some shit? Maybe domestic fluff, something to ease them. Two characters absolutely in love with each other? Maybe they’re on a date and things get a bit playful. Think of a scene you absolutely want to see and brainstorm.
2. Keep your character in character
What habits do your characters have? They a chronic coffee drinker? Smoker? Always moving their hands? Feature this, keep them active, keep the character doing what they would do. If they have a specific way of speaking, highlight this, but not in a way that is too much. For example, if a character has a specific accent, there is no need to have all their dialogue highlight it. Make the dialogue easy to read, but also sound like them. Example:
“Eet ees bootiful out t’night, izzin it?”
Like yes, this is how someone might speak, but write it the normal way so it’s easy to read, but also mention if they have a specific accent.
“It is beautiful out tonight, isn’t it?” she said, accent thicker than usual.
For keeping in character with the tickling scenes, think about how the character is. Does this character usually speak matter-of-fact and are fairly stoic? This person likely would not use babytalk at all, as it doesn’t fit with their character at all. Take Sherlock for example. His voice stays the same monotone unless he experiences intense emotions. Unless he is clearly mocking someone, there is no way in hell he would use babytalk. Think of your character saying “tickle tickle tickle!” or “you’re so tickle wickle wicklish.” Does this sound like something they would say? No? Then don’t add it. I have stopped reading so many fics due to misplaced babytalk.
3. Tickle community lingo
We all know the terms “lee,” “ler,” and “switch,” but most others don’t. Neither do your characters (unless your characters are in the tickle community in your fanfic). Don’t use these terms in your fanfiction. It will take most people out of the story.
4. Show don’t tell
Show the reader how the character is being tickled. Show me how the character moves around while being tickled, how they react. Most people instinctively fight back or try to get away. Based on how your character normally acts, show what they would do in this situation.
“Showing,” in this case means that you describe the actions of the characters. Instead of saying, “character a tickled character b. Character b laughed and laughed.,” show the readers what you are envisioning. An example from one of my own fics:
‘“What’re you do-doing,” Arthur’s words stumbled together once Hosea latched onto the boy’s ribs, madly vibrating his fingers over and between the bones. Arms shaking as he tried desperately to not fall backwards, Arthur instantly barked out a laugh and could not block out the sensations resonating from his middle. Boisterous laughter erupted from him as Hosea spidered his fingers lower, kneading into Arthur’s stomach.’
Here, I described how Arthur laughed, how he was being tickled, where he was being tickled, and how he was reacting. This way, the readers can imagine exactly what is happening in the scene. Be descriptive (no need to overuse a thesaurus though!) and your readers will be happy.
5. Laughter and dialogue
Do NOT use all caps for laughter unless you’re using it sparingly. If you use it to accentuate the rise in ticklishness, be careful not to overdo it.
How NOT to do it: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA STAHAHAHAHAHAP IT RIGHT NOHOHOW!” He screamed through his laughter.
How to use it: “Stop tickling me right this sec-NO!” Mick’s laugh suddenly exploded, becoming loud and carefree the moment the assailant’s fingers began to tease the undersides of his knees.
By using the second option, we can imagine when the action [fingers on knees] happens during the dialogue. It’s easier to read than the first example and shows more of the scene. Most readers say that if they see the first example, they instantly stop reading the fic. To avoid this, use the above “show” method to describe the laughter, instead of repeatedly typing out “haha’s” repeatedly. You can show how much they are laughing by just describing the scene and it will make the readers (and your caps lock) very happy.
6. Paragraph breaks
Split your writing into paragraphs. Every time a new person speaks, new paragraph. Every time you switch topics, new paragraph. If your paragraph seems clunky and possibly too long, new paragraph. Remember those 5 paragraph essays we all did in school? Forget about them. Purge that shit. Make as many paragraphs as necessary, especially when dialogue is being used.
If you don’t split your writing into paragraphs, a puppy dies. Don’t kill puppies. Use paragraphs.
7. Have fun
Fanfiction is meant to be fun. If you aren’t happy while writing a fic, then just stop. Write when you’re happy; write to make yourself happy. Don’t become me, a crotchety old fuck that despises some of the fics I’ve written because I wasn’t happy making them. Write fanfiction for yourself. If it’s not something you wouldn’t read, then don’t write it.
More things could be added here, but these are the most crucial tips and recommendations I have. Be sure to be creative and have fun! I hope to read your fics in the future!
