hello! i have written very short drabbles before, but now i would like to invest my time into writing a longer fic. my problem is, i don't have ideas for a conflicting scene, and i seem to abandon everything because of it. do you have any suggestions as to how i could find a good conflict/something to keep the reader enthralled? (i am so sorry if it's been asked before!) thank you!
I totally feel this struggle. I’m naturally a drabble/oneshot writer, so I hope some of the ideas I’ve used to write longer fics work for you!
First things first, don’t stress about making your story longer. I don’t know if this is you, but when I first started writing longer stories, I became fully engulfed in figuring out the target word count and calculating the right number of chapters to write and things like that. It would quickly become a game of what I can throw into my plot to elongate my word count. This isn’t to say that you can’t have a word count goal. Just know that your primary focus is constructing your story.
Transitioning into writing longer works:
One step in the direction of a longer story is to write a series of drabbles that tell a story. This is commonly seen in romance fics where each drabble is a key event or interaction between characters. With this idea, you can focus on making the characters go from point A to point B with whatever you want to throw in between without having to worry about transitions. This same idea can be applied to oneshots, where each oneshot is episodic in nature but also contributes to an overall main plot (think something along the lines of Supernatural or iZombie).
Keeping readers interested:
When it comes to keeping readers interested, fanfiction writers have a bit of an advantage. Your audience already has an interest in reading about the canon characters. As long as you’re characterizing and developing the characters well, your readers will want to stick around to see what happens to them. Sometimes the best fanfics are the ones where the characters are having average conversations in between plot events. Fics are so much fun to read when characters are in character. At the same time, a fresh interpretation of a character can be interesting enough to carry the story. And speaking of carrying the story, don’t be afraid to play around with the characters. A lot of conflict ideas can arise from letting your characters interact.
Some other things to think about:
Consider what you want to accomplish with your story. When it comes to writing drabbles, your aim may be to illustrate a meaningful interaction between characters, explore whimsical ponderings, or draw a character study. With a longer story, try to broaden your aim.
Is there a character arc you want to write? For example, you could write an arc where the hero accepts that s/he is the ‘chosen one’. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy struggles with being the ‘chosen one’ and accepting that her life can’t be the normal high school cheerleader life that she wants. I find arcs like these are fun to write for fics with non-main characters.
(I mean, remember this guy?
Fanfic fodder)
Is there a trope you want to explore? Fanfiction is full of terribly cliche plots (the Bet, Arranged marriage, and Hana Kimi to name a few). Despite what you might think about overused plot ideas, everyone loves a good interpretation of the cheesy classics. Those hackneyed ideas can be a good place to start if you’re nervous about creating a longer story. Alternatively, you can write an AU where your characters are in the universe of another fandom. A popular example of this is the Percy Jackson cast set in Hogwarts. Some people like to follow along the plot of the alternate universe, and others play around with it.
Lastly,
What do you look for in a good fic? This part is so important! Really think about what keeps you enthralled. Write to cater to your own desires and I guarantee there will definitely be readers out there who share the same tastes.
Hope this helps!
-Cilla











