Ahh, fan fiction. The shadow that lurks right behind the very literature it is based upon. Since the rollout of the Internet, aspiring writers both young and old have been creating new content for anybody to read.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term, “fan fiction” encompasses basically what the name suggests: stories that fans of a certain franchise or fictional universe—whether that be from a series of books, games, anime, or anything of the like—write themselves based on the original content. Maybe you were unsatisfied with the ending of your favorite book series. Maybe there were way too many plot holes for your liking. Maybe you might even love a game's fantastical world so much that you want to see how the plot might have gone if that main character was actually you. Fan fiction gives fans so much room for creativity to expand on the series' universe. In many cases, it brings to life the ideas that we have always wanted to see in the original but that were never brought to fruition.
Perhaps you are one of those super, die-hard fans who has a really interesting idea brewing in your head and you plan on writing a fic yourself, here are seven steps to get started.
1. Do your research
This is probably the most important step to getting started with writing a fan fiction. Always remember that it is a fan fiction first. Therefore, there will be things from the canon (that is, the original universe) that you will need to know before and while you write. You can as strict as you'd like when it comes to overlapping with the canon (or not... more on that later) but since you are basing your story on a source, there are certain elements that you can choose to keep, alter, or expand upon.
2. Know what kind of fan fiction you want to write
This is a variable that is pretty flexible as you go along with your story. Do you want to make a one-shot or multi-chapter fic? Drabbles are 100 words fics that can also extend to be poems and other short snippets of storyline. Crossovers between different series always make for interesting character interactions. You can throw all logic and reason to the winds and make a crack fic that completely defies the rules of canon. Spice things up by changing the perspective from the canon's main protagonist to the antagonist and retell the story in a new light. Indulge yourself with some good fluff between your favorite OTPs or hop aboard a crack ship of characters that no one would normally pair together. You can even pair up characters of the same gender for a slash fic. And... dare I say it... writing lemons and the limes. (Oh my.)
3. Decide how much you want to stick to the original material (or not)
Your role as the fan fiction writer is to expand on the original universe and make it your own. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to follow all the rules. That's something that you will have to decide for yourself. You can continue where the original stopped, but that suggests that you will have to be consistent with all of the events that occurred in canon. You can also take the characters out and give them completely different roles in an alternate universe. Perhaps you wanted to see how much the world changed in an “what-if” situation. What if Bruce Wayne's parents never died? What if Goku never forgot his mission to conquer the Earth when he crash landed on our planet? In the end, you can do practically anything you want in a fan fiction.
4. Stay in character
No matter what direction you choose to take your fic, the golden rule is to always stay in character. That means that you must keep the cast with the same personalities as they are in canon. Otherwise, what would be the point in making a fan fiction when you can create your own characters? There are times in which you can shed some light on a side of a character that wasn't shown too often or explore their psyche in a character study. But if you do want to do something really out of character, then explain it accordingly and clearly.
5. Do NOT make Mary Sue/Gary Stu characters
This is one of my biggest pet peeves when I am searching for a good fic to read. A Mary Sue (Gary Stu is her male counterpart) is essentially the character that is the most “loved” by the author. She's incredibly talented in everything she does. She is loved and adored by all, can solve just about any problem, and is amazingly beautiful to boot. If there is ever an issue that she is struggling to fix, then voila, a miracle has happened! A solution conveniently pops up so Mary Sue can save the day. These seemingly perfect characters are typically idealized self-inserts of the author. The only thing that a Mary Sue doesn't have is the appropriate realism, making her a terribly cliched and poorly developed character.
6. Constantly review your work
If you plan on writing fan fiction then you most likely intend to share it on a fan fiction site such as Fanfiction.net, Archive of Our Own, or Wattpad. Taking the time to carefully edit your work is a sign of professionalism. Clarify the things that you may have glossed over, make sure that you stay consistent, and fill in any plot holes. If you think you need another opinions before you post up your work, then find someone else to edit it. Some sites such as Fanfiction.net have a large network of beta-readers available to help with corrections and to give constructive criticism. You set your own deadlines, so you can submit the final product whenever you feel it is ready.
7. Update your writing regularly
The best way to increase your readership is to update your work at regular intervals. Most sites display the most recent fics first by default. So if it has been a while since your last chapter update, then your story has probably been buried under a mountain of other fics. Unless the reader changes the filters to the tags specifically associated with your fic, then it would be hard to form a dedicated audience.
Fan fiction is a great vehicle to promote creative writing and literature. It's a way for fans to share and build communities with each other. At the same time, it's another way for people to find good stuff to read online.
Honestly, I just really need something nice to read within my fandoms, so please write more.
