Help, all writers and lovers of Fanfics!

[Phantom Nightmare 10]

Hello all! a very small amount of you might have seen that I am writing a fanfiction on here! It as quite literally just begun and the first chapter is rather short.

 

But!

 

I have big ideas for this, but I simply cannot do it alone! I need people to bounce ideas off of!

 

I hope this isn't not allowed... I made a discussion topic, and learned that that is not allowed, but I need the help and I am very short of brony friends to bounce ideas off of in the forums.

 

Again I don't mean to break any rules, but this isn't supposed to be a discussion topic, but a helpful one for the writing process.

 

Which means all critiques and comments for what is currently happening go on the actually story thread.

 

This is for planning and advice.

 

Alright, so basically, without ruining the whole thing, which might have to happen if I am to get opinions, is that Something odd is occuring in Ponyville and all the various Doctor Who ponies will be brought together, along With my OC Phantom Nightmare.

 

Now what I want to say first off is that I have an idea I am still quite iffy about. It is simply this; My character is a lost Princess, the Princess of Nightmares and Fear, who, through events that have yet to be determined, has been reduced to a pegasus and lost her memory.

 

near the end she would turn into her old form to battle the main protaginist who is an Alicorn prince, (Someone tell me how to do the spoiler thing and I will post who he is and about him that way as to not ruin it even more)

 

Now Phantom Nightmare as my character is not and never as been or will be an Alicorn, but I thought it was an intrigueing idea for a story, especially once I start refining it and making it sound less crappy.

 

Please help and give me adviiicccce! I need it! I will ask more later, I think this is a good start.

[Bari 7,023]

Well, it sound like a nice idea. I'm a lover of fan fiction, so I think could help you out. You seem to have a somewhat clear idea. Just make sure to do an outline for yourself. Think of the ending before you begin writing. That way, you can think of how to twist it without missing your mark. I'd want to learn more about what you are writing, of course.

[Phantom Nightmare 10]

Thank you! That is very much appreciated! I have sent you a message with more elaborate details of the story as a whole

[Legendary Emerald 622]

Well I don't know anything about Doctor Who, so I can't help too much. But you have an OC as one of the main characters, you say? There's quite a bit I can say about that. First of all, you should feel free to write what you want to write. But you should also be aware of reader's prejudices against OC characters and common traits they might have. You have to know how to introduce a good OC character so that readers don't automatically click away as soon as they hear a name they are unfamiliar with.

 

Luckily for you, I happen to have written an article on the subject. It's lengthy though, so you might want to get a drink. Also, it doesn't cover everything when it comes to OCs, because it was originally written specifically for another fanfiction author who was dealing with a lot of hate against her OC.

 

Included in spoiler tags so as not to drown this thread in unskippable text.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

SECTION 1: SIMPLE TRUTHS

 

FREEDOM OF THE AUTHOR

 

Limiting oneself to writing only pegasus, earth, and unicorn ponies doesn't make that much sense. Especially since the show doesn't even have a clear view of what an “alicorn” is or is not. That's all up to fan interpretation, and the will of the author.

 

Fanfiction authors should be able to establish their own rules and extended universe. The most fascinating fanfictions I've read have been by authors who've gone the extra mile, and fully fleshed out a world that was only just glimpsed in it's original format.

 

WHAT MAKES A MARY-SUE?

 

I think that too many traits are labeled “Sue-ish”. There is a well-known test on the internet that grades an OC on a scale from “normal” to “Mary Sue”. I very much appreciate how it points out that if a character's score is too far towards the “normal” spectrum, then the character is probably boring and could use a bit more “spicing up”. OC characters should be unique, because if they aren't going to have something that sets them apart from the main characters of the series, they might as well be relegated to the background.

 

FANTASY VS. FAN-FICTION

 

There is quite a bit of irrational hate towards OCs in fanfiction, as well as a lot of hypocrisy by people with their own OCs. I think most writers who are bashing other people's OCs and then creating their own flawed original characters aren't writing “fanfiction” so much as they are writing out their “fan-tasies”. A fantasy doesn't need to make sense or be that original, because it's all about fulfilling the author's dreams. Such writing usually appears trite and unappealing to most anyone but the author, and is thusly, and quite justly, ignored.

 

SECTION 2: PREJUDICES

 

There are many reason why most stories focused on OCs are ignored, not just the fantasy wish-fulfillment aspect. Everyone has seen bad fan characters, and everyone has their own warning signals that flash when the see a particular trait that sets them off. For a brony, this may be Alicorns. For others, it may be any character with a dark past, any character with blatant sex appeal, and especially any character who out performs one of the canon characters in the series.

 

ALICORNS

 

I've already gone into the issue of alicorns, but now let me look at the issue from the other side of the fence. There are a couple reasons why an alicorn character may be discriminated against. It is easy for them to be overpowered characters in the hands of a bad author, and in cases where the OC is named after the author, from first appearance alone it seems like blatant wish fulfillment.

 

DARKNESS

 

As for characters with a dark past, I've seen this prejudice ever since the days of Sonic Adventure 2. Many Sonic fan characters back in those days attempted to be Shadow the Hedgehogs with their own troubled pasts, amazing abilities, and paths to redemption. The idea of the “anti-hero” or “dark hero” has become synonymous with bad character design, not because the archetype is bad or incapable of producing worthwhile stories, but because there has been a deluge of bad characters to whom those labels can apply, often occurring in comic books, manga, anime, and fanfiction.

 

SEX APPEAL

 

Sex appeal I'll skim over, since I doubt anyone reading your story would accuse your character of this; just look back at what I said about self-insert wish fulfillment, and then also take into account that many fanfiction characters are not human in make or model, and the sexualization of a non-human character is disturbing to certain individuals.

 

OVER POWERED

 

Then we have the characters who are shown to be most powerful than established franchise characters, and I feel like out of the many complaints one can have against OCs, this is one of the more valid. For example, is a character that can run faster than Sonic truly necessary? Does someone with an even bigger sword need to be moping around Midgar when Cloud Strife is around?

 

There's certainly something to be said about good rival characters, where they exist as antagonists who's abilities closely mirror the protagonists. Interesting conflicts can evolve, and the differences of the characters can be explored. But more often than not, we see Original the Hedgehog winning in a race just to prove that he is the fastest and the best fan character who has ever been made. Or Original the Mercenary rescues Cloud from Sephiroth and rides off into the sunset with Aerith on a motorcycle. Characters such as these are redundant and unnecessary, for the most part. Though there will always be exceptions.

 

NONE OF THE ABOVE?

 

Even if an OC from the outset embodies none of the above traits, there will still always be people who's initial reaction to a fanfictions starring an OC is to pass it up. And here is where I openly admit to being one of them.

 

SECTION 4: WHY OC FICS ARE IGNORED

 

Typically, or at least in my case, people read fanfiction in order to experience the world and characters from a TV show/movie/book/comic/etc. They want to read about the characters they know about. This is one of the greatest strengths of fanfiction, because the readers are already connected to the characters on an emotional level. Before the reader even clicks on your first chapter, they are already on board with the characters, and half of your job as a storyteller is already done without having to lift a single finger. As long as the characters act reasonably the same as they do in the source material, you can throw them into any situation imaginable and it's very possible that an entertaining story can come out of it.

 

When you have an original character as your protagonist, you no longer have that crutch. You have to work overtime to prove that you can tell a good story. Even when an OC is good, it is very hard to get a new reader interested in him/her. You're already going to be going up against prejudices, and people who do click on an OC story are going to be judging your character with a highly critical eye. They want to read a story that they will enjoy, and if they don't feel you will provide them with one, they will leave.

 

How then, does a writer make an OC interesting to the audience? There are a few ways.

 

SECTION 5: TIPS FOR THE FUTURE

 

HOW TO INTRODUCE AND WRITE A GOOD OC

 

When you post the first chapter of a story containing an OC, you know more about that character than anyone else does. You can only expect the reader to suspend judgment for so long, and you can't expect to sell them on the character in anything but the story text itself. You need to immediately get the reader interested in the OC, in a dramatic or otherwise memorable manner. Their dialogue needs to be top notch, and their appearance should not overblown or distracting unless that is an integral part of the character's personality.

 

The way which I prefer is to first prove to the audience that you can writer for established canon characters. By doing this you can show you have a good grasp of writing dialogue and character actions, and show that you at least know what the elements of a good character are. Then you can introduce an OC, perhaps through the eyes of the canon characters, and weave him/her into the plot, or weave the plot around him/her.

 

Because of setting and timeline though, it is not always possible for canon characters to be included in a fanfiction. Even so, there are still some tips that can help you out when introducing your character.

 

One possible way of subverting reader's judgment is to hide or disguise any traits an OC has which might be considered cliqued or overpowered at story's start. Once you've proven you can write a realistic character, readers will be more willing to accept the fact that he/she is able to move mountains with her mind, or is related to King Arthur, for example.

 

Another way, and actually this should go without saying, is to have a very interesting storyline in mind. If you have a grandiose story summary which grabs the reader by the throat and forces them to click that first chapter, they might patiently sit through the introduction of your OC in order to make it to the meat and potatoes of the fic. And if the story is good, they'll come to appreciate the OC as well.

 

FREEDOM OF THE AUTHOR, REVISITED

 

For legitimate reasons or not, readers will claim many OCs to be Mary Sues. Stories and authors will be flamed; a deplorable practice that serves only to shame rather than help writers grow. Some of the readers who think they are being helpful might say that “the story should have been written like this,” and then go on to explain how the story could be told without the use of OCs.

 

You as the writer should feel free to write what you wants to write. If you want to write a story with an OC, then damn it all, you should be able to write your story! Even if someone think an author's story is worthless, they should never give anything but constructive criticism in a peaceful tone of voice.

 

That said, just as you should write whatever is fulfilling for you to write, the reader is the one who chooses to read or not. If you, as a writer, cannot get people interested in your story that contains an OC, this may be because you are writing a story that chiefly appeals to you more than it does to a general audience, or it may be because you are just insufficiently telling a story that would otherwise be more accepted.

 

SECTION 6: CONCLUSION

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

 

If you write a good enough story, you have a better chance than most at finding an audience. But due to the abundance of fanfiction that exists, even a very good story can fall through the cracks from time to time. What should you do if this happens?

 

- If the act of writing and creating makes you happy, keep writing. You will always be able to make yourself happy, and that is enough reason to continue.

 

- If the act of entertaining readers with your writing is what makes you happy, keep writing. There will always be at least one person who reads every new project you start on, and that is reason enough to continue.

 

- If the act of writing and creating doesn't make you happy at all, don't write. If you're only writing so that you can be popular, that is not enough reason to continue.

 

- If you're not out for popularity, but you still need to be assured that many people are reading your stories so that it is worth your time to write them, perhaps move onto a different idea, without sacrificing your artistic integrity.

 

 

 

Hope I was of some help.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Legendary Emerald

[Starstream 182]

I'm interested in helping out (, to the best of my abilities). Would you prefer harsh unrestrained critique or do you prefer more... neutral feedback?

[XrosOver 613]

Send the details my way and I'll help you storyboard for your story. You've got supporters, why not use them?

[Allanon 4]

Why can't it be a crossover? You know, I have been hoping to find a MLP/ Green lantern fanfiction.....

[Phantom Nightmare 10]

Well thank you all, I will send the first chapter to those who asked for it, but I have no use for a cross over allanon, and what does the green lantern have to do with MLP?

[Ronaan 21]

  On 2012-07-26 at 7:45 PM, 'Phantom Nightmare' said:

Hello all! a very small amount of you might have seen that I am writing a fanfiction on here! It as quite literally just begun and the first chapter is rather short.

 

But!

 

I have big ideas for this, but I simply cannot do it alone! I need people to bounce ideas off of!

 

I hope this isn't not allowed... I made a discussion topic, and learned that that is not allowed, but I need the help and I am very short of brony friends to bounce ideas off of in the forums.

 

Again I don't mean to break any rules, but this isn't supposed to be a discussion topic, but a helpful one for the writing process.

 

Which means all critiques and comments for what is currently happening go on the actually story thread.

 

This is for planning and advice.

 

Alright, so basically, without ruining the whole thing, which might have to happen if I am to get opinions, is that Something odd is occuring in Ponyville and all the various Doctor Who ponies will be brought together, along With my OC Phantom Nightmare.

 

Now what I want to say first off is that I have an idea I am still quite iffy about. It is simply this; My character is a lost Princess, the Princess of Nightmares and Fear, who, through events that have yet to be determined, has been reduced to a pegasus and lost her memory.

 

near the end she would turn into her old form to battle the main protaginist who is an Alicorn prince, (Someone tell me how to do the spoiler thing and I will post who he is and about him that way as to not ruin it even more)

 

Now Phantom Nightmare as my character is not and never as been or will be an Alicorn, but I thought it was an intrigueing idea for a story, especially once I start refining it and making it sound less crappy.

 

Please help and give me adviiicccce! I need it! I will ask more later, I think this is a good start.

 

I am currently writing a fanfic too, and how I'm doing it is that I'm imagining the story actually happening (mine's a realistic fanfic, much like "My Little Dashie", so I hallucinate Derpy living with me)

[Phantom Nightmare 10]

um, thanks for commenting Ronaan, but I need help with my own, I don't need to know about yours. No offense, but I don't care. Thank you, and next time you post, make it relevant.