The Trinity Bookstore: American Gothic Fan Fiction

Helpful Hints for Fanfic Writing

Readers Speak Out: In an effort to help provide fanfic writers with some kind of guidelines, I went to the ultimate source - the readers themselves. I requested readers and writers of fan fiction to send me their comments - both good and bad - on fan fiction writing. Below is the outcome of this unofficial poll. These are not iron-clad rules and, depending on the type of fanfic you write and the fandom you write for, some may not even apply. But since they are suggestions from the readers, it's probably a good idea to keep them in mind when writing your own stories.

The Top Three Tips

• Avoid typos, poor spelling, punctuation, grammar errors. This was mentioned by nearly every person who wrote in as a major turn-off in reading a story. As one reader wrote, "Nearly every word processor has a spellchecker tool - use it."
• Keep characters true to their nature. This was the second highest comment made. The characters have personalities established from their TV show (or other medium) and should not exhibit behavior completely different from the way they've acted before. One reader put it well, "Try to write your characters as closely as you can to how they are on the show. But if a character 'does' act out of character, there should be a good reason."
• Use a beta reader. "A world of sins can be avoided by having a outside person read the story before publication," according to one reader. Beta readers are not as close to the story as the author is; therefore, they are able to catch misspellings and plotting errors the author may have missed and can provide suggestions on improving the overall story.

Other comments/suggestions in no particular order

• From one reader, "Put any story you've written away for awhile before posting it and don't look at it at all during this period. Then reread your story before actually sending it. This 'cooling off' period will help you to look at a story with a fresh eye and any obvious errors will jump out at you when you reread it."
• In the introduction before the story actually begins, state what main characters will be used. This way people who don't like certain characters won't waste their time reading a story they will most likely not enjoy. Also, some readers don't like new major characters being added - they read fanfic for the characters they know, not ones they've never heard of. Others don't mind new major characters as long as they don't dominate the story. This is another good reason to indicate who the main characters are.
• Try reading the dialogue out loud. Can you picture the character saying it? Does the phrasing sound awkward?
• One reader suggested that when posting a story in parts, "try to end each with a 'cliffhanger'. Or at least try to end a section or chapter in a spot that makes the reader want to read on."
• If you're posting a story in parts as you write it, try to have a clear idea of where the story is going and how it will end, so the story doesn't wander on and on endlessly.
• When writing crossover fanfic, there should be an actual story involved, not just two sets of characters bumping into one another just because it'd be a neat idea. Create a believable reason for these characters to interact with each other.
• If writing an alternate reality, virtual season, or a continuing series of stories, provide a brief synopsis before beginning the story so new readers will know what's going on.
• If a story is being written from multiple viewpoints, don't shift point of view (POV) within a single scene and jump from one character's thoughts to another's. Use one POV per scene or show the change in POV by blank lines, asterisks or some other kind of indicator.
• Develop well-rounded characters. Remember that all heroes are not completely virtuous and all villians are not completely evil. Find the flaws in your heroes and the redeeming quality in your villians.
• Try using a "mirror" or "echo" technique to help keep the story together, one reader suggests. This "type of story is where the end scene is very much like the opening scene, only the characters have changed somehow in the course of your story."
• One reader suggested deciding what kind of story it'll be before writing it, whether it's a character piece, a vignette, a satire, etc. Knowing this in advance can sometimes help the writing and the story flow better.
• Don't forget to consult the show's FAQ for any bits of information that you just can't recall but want to include to add authenticity to the story (i.e., the name of a character's relative, a childhood incident, etc.). FAQs are especially helpful when writing crossovers and you're more knowledgeable about one show than another.
• Tell a good story and have fun doing it.

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DISCLAIMER: Any story/episode appearing that states it is part of Virtual AG-Season Two is based upon the Television show American Gothic, which is the property of Shaun Cassidy, Renaissance Productions and CBS (apparently). The characters added to support this concept, and the storylines, are the property of the writers acknowledged as such. PLEASE, DON'T SUE US!.

Last updated: 04-Nov-08