How to Make Quality Fanfic

[AmbientBeat 27]

I need advice on how to make a fanfic with an interesting style of narration and good humor, because since my current fic would be the longest I've written. If you need facts about the story just ask.

[El Duderino 879]

I don't know. There is no one way to write a good story. If I were to write a story, I would write it like a movie, because I have more experience with that style of narrative. I would probably take a page from directors like Quentin Tarantino and make it really dialogue heavy. I guess that's one way to make a slow part of the story more interesting. That's kind of what Tarantino does. When a scene is important to the plot, but not very interesting, he adds a TON of dialogue and makes the dialogue really interesting. This can very easily be applied to a written story rather than a film.

 

That's just what I would do. I guess the most important thing is to keep the reader interested. Also, re-read your story. You can catch grammar mistakes and also get an idea on how the story keeps the readers attention.

Edited December 3, 2015 by McDude

[AmbientBeat 27]

I don't know. There is no one way to write a good story. If I were to write a story, I would write it like a movie, because I have more experience with that style of narrative. I would probably take a page from directors like Quentin Tarantino and make it really dialogue heavy. I guess that's one way to make a slow part of the story more interesting.

 

That's just what I would do. I guess the most important thing is to keep the reader interested. Also, re-read your story. You can catch grammar mistakes and also get an idea on how the story keeps the readers attention.

I write my stories like they were movies or shows, because I don't gain inspiration from reading books, since I don't read very often. In turn my stories are very simple to read, but have loads of dialogue, and narration is only there to give simple actions, or whatever else is necessary, on occasion describing scenes in a sarcastic, dry-humor style.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

Could you share some facts about this story of yours?  And, well, what exactly are you looking for?

[AmbientBeat 27]

Could you share some facts about this story of yours?  And, well, what exactly are you looking for?

Could you share some facts about this story of yours?  And, well, what exactly are you looking for?

It's a MLP IRL fan fiction, half black comedy satire of fics in that genre, and half Skins-influenced drama with ponies, with elements of Action and Horror. There are four overlapping stories that play out over and influence the human characters' personal "episodes", which are what I'm calling the chapters. The fic is formatted after a Skins generation; the whole fic is connected by two "seasons", with seven episodes each, making one for one(or two) from an ensemble cast of disgruntled teenagers. Every episode describes and maps out the respective humans' personal lives to give their characters depth, and a problem they get into, where they try to get over it with the company of a pony, who usually is the foil of the human character's morals, adding a mixture of dark comedy and teen drama. My concern is that it's a very long fic, and I want to make sure it doesn't decay, since my writing skills are VERY limited

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

Lay down the bare bones of your "episodes".  No pointless chatter, no intricate details, just "This happens, then this happens".  Once you have that down, flesh it out.

[liamdools 0]

I need advice on how to make a fanfic with an interesting style of narration and good humor, because since my current fic would be the longest I've written. If you need facts about the story just ask.

anfics need ponies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

srsly tho i hate it when i read someting and ponies arent in it

[TheLeastEvil 50]

I don't know if you will read this but here are some tips.

 

CHARACTERS ARE EVERYTHING

 

1. Start with 1-3 characters.

2. Develop their characteristics so they feel human.

3. Let the plot happen fluidly. Don't preset a plot for the characters to follow.

4. Only describe the things that add to the tone and characters. Descriptions should not exist just to be there.

5. Read other literature or at least written articles to develop your vocabulary and grammar.

6. Avoid long descriptions or backstories for characters in the actual writing. If the character has an important and long story, break it up so that readers don't get bored.

7. Do not worry too much about plot holes.

 

 

Feel free to PM me with questions if you even read this.

[AmbientBeat 27]

I don't know if you will read this but here are some tips.

 

CHARACTERS ARE EVERYTHING

 

1. Start with 1-3 characters.

2. Develop their characteristics so they feel human.

3. Let the plot happen fluidly. Don't preset a plot for the characters to follow.

4. Only describe the things that add to the tone and characters. Descriptions should not exist just to be there.

5. Read other literature or at least written articles to develop your vocabulary and grammar.

6. Avoid long descriptions or backstories for characters in the actual writing. If the character has an important and long story, break it up so that readers don't get bored.

7. Do not worry too much about plot holes.

 

 

Feel free to PM me with questions if you even read this.

Thankfully, I only have a couple of those to worry about.

There are about 12 regular characters, but that's partly the reason each character has a respective episode. I make sure every character has at least one quality that makes them unique, and I never spend too much on a backstory, but more on how their past shaped their current personal lives.

[TheLeastEvil 50]

Thankfully, I only have a couple of those to worry about.

There are about 12 regular characters, but that's partly the reason each character has a respective episode. I make sure every character has at least one quality that makes them unique, and I never spend too much on a backstory, but more on how their past shaped their current personal lives.

As long as the actions of the characters seem natural to who they are, you should be fine. I suggest 1-3 because it is much more difficult to keep up with and appreciate more than that as a writer.

[AmberDust 1,118]

I personally would stay away from 1st-person narration if you're using an OC. Have an unbiased narrator is always a good way to make the best of each character and each situation. My favourite style of writing is the sarcastic, witty type, but this is hard to nail for beginners. I guess in the end it all depends on what the tone of your story is.

[Batbrony 16,055]

I've always found that writing an outline prior to writing a new chapter (even if the final product doesn't exactly follow the outline) really helps, it just gives you something solid to work with and keep returning to as you flesh out a chapter.  As others have said, there is no one correct way of writing (aside from trying your best to be grammatically sound and have as few spelling errors as possible), just try to both capture your voice while also still following sound writing conventions.  I mean, if it's JUST a screenplay, people aren't gonna like that because that is not a sound fanfiction narrative, or story narrative in general; screenplays are for stories which are meant to be performed live or filmed, and the only reason that works like Shakespeare are read as literature is because his dialogue itself is so poetic, even though technically his works are still scripts.

[AmberDust 1,118]

I write my stories like they were movies or shows, because I don't gain inspiration from reading books, since I don't read very often. In turn my stories are very simple to read, but have loads of dialogue, and narration is only there to give simple actions, or whatever else is necessary, on occasion describing scenes in a sarcastic, dry-humor style.

 

the sucky thing about this is that shows are meant to be watched, and because of that, stories written like shows tend to be boring. If you're going to write a story that is meant to be read, you need to make use of your medium and make it interesting to read. Paint your words like a picture, don't just dictate this and that.

 

I understand that not everyone likes reading, but to be a writer, you need to be a reader. ^^' I can recommend an awesome author to you if you're willing to give reading a chance. It'll certainly help you develop your writing skills.

 

 

I don't know if you will read this but here are some tips.

 

CHARACTERS ARE EVERYTHING

 

1. Start with 1-3 characters.

2. Develop their characteristics so they feel human.

3. Let the plot happen fluidly. Don't preset a plot for the characters to follow.

4. Only describe the things that add to the tone and characters. Descriptions should not exist just to be there.

5. Read other literature or at least written articles to develop your vocabulary and grammar.

6. Avoid long descriptions or backstories for characters in the actual writing. If the character has an important and long story, break it up so that readers don't get bored.

7. Do not worry too much about plot holes.

 

 

Feel free to PM me with questions if you even read this.

^ This ^

Edited December 6, 2015 by AmberDust

[AmbientBeat 27]

I personally would stay away from 1st-person narration if you're using an OC. Have an unbiased narrator is always a good way to make the best of each character and each situation. My favourite style of writing is the sarcastic, witty type, but this is hard to nail for beginners. I guess in the end it all depends on what the tone of your story is.

I usually stay away from 1st person. It makes me feel limited when it comes to addressing situations.

[Seraph 128]

Other than what's been stated here, I'd highly suggest you do research, lots of research. Even if it's something you don't think would require that much research, do it anyways, you'd be surprised how much it can help your writing. 

 

Also here's some tools and tips I've gathered up, it isn't all of them but it should help with what you are looking for: 

 

Hemingway App: This is a free program that you can use to make your sentences bold and clear. It also helps you separate overly complex sentences or correct sentences that are hard to read. 

 

SpellCheck.Net: Another free program that checks your posts for spelling and grammar. It also gives you a Thesaurus which is very useful to use new and exciting words in place of overused words.

 

Words N Quotes: Some grammar tips from a wonderful writing blog! 

 

April's Grammar Guide:   A masterpost of all of this girl's posts about Grammar from Tumblr. All of this information is very useful and good for future reference.

 

Guide To Body Language Eyes:  Here's a guide to Body Language through someone’s eyes! Eyes are a window to the soul, so here's a guide on how to express that!

 

Injury Reference Guide: Here's a reference guide to injuries if you want to use it. 

 

Writing Reference Guide from the Writers Cafe: A compilation of many links that help various stages of writing.  

 

 100 Words for Facial Expressions: Exactly what the title says.

 

Color Coded Guide to Emotions

Edited December 21, 2015 by Seraph