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An Education in Fanfiction: the Conclusion


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An Education in Fanfiction: the Conclusion

Posted 04-29-2011 at 05:05 PM by Splat
Updated 05-01-2011 at 05:57 AM by Splat
I learnt to write by writing fanfiction: deal with it, OANST!

I didn't want to write rubbish stuff, silly 'hook up characters who totally should be hooked together', 'insert character strongly resembling myself so I can meet/save the life of/make out with the hero/heroine of the story' and so on. I wanted to write good stories, and it happened to be that so many of my favourite works, including Oddworld, inspired me, so I built stories around the source of my inspiration.

Many years have passed since I wrote the story that inspired my username (first thing I wrote), and many stories have appeared in that time, many of them fanfiction based on various sources.

I'm writing this on a whim, in the middle of the night when I have an early start and a busy day tomorrow, so I'm not going to take my time with this (saying that I'll still be here typing in an hour) but I'd like to draw some simple conclusions on how this choice of beginning has led me.

I am now 22 years old and hoping to write a story good enough for publication some time in the near(ish) future.

I enjoy writing a lot; I still get lots of ideas from fantasy, books, films and games, folk and fairy tales and myths, even religion, but I'm now trying to work these ideas into something original, something new. When I see something I like, I ask myself 'how can I work this into a new world?'

Without meaning to boast, I think I'm a good writer. People who read my stuff say they like it and I'm usually pleased with the results myself.

I've written a 25,000 word story I really like; it's very simple, has a simple setting and only three characters who appear more than once or twice. It has a lot of backstory and setting left mostly to the imagination, but it works like that. The only problem with it is it's shortness, so I'm thinking of writing a second and maybe third part to it and sticking them together as one novel.

I struggle to create settings that satisfy me. This is something writing fanfiction never taught me; I find it hard to create a contained universe that feels complete and seems to run. I struggle to satisfy small details like how classes, castes and careers interact. The sorts of things that define Oddworld and the other early sources of inspiration are the things I struggle with, because they were so clearly set out in my source material and I never had to build them myself.

I struggle to create a world myself; I get over-obsessed with research, trying to make what I'm writing match real life or historical life, and the story gets bogged down in my own awkwardness and discomfort. I'm fantastic at creating characters but struggle with worlds.

I think fanfiction helped me learn to write, made a very idle hobby into something I think I'm good at and could potentially be really good at. But it has left gaps in my abilities and knowledge.



...
Also, Adam Malkovich should totally be cloned like Ridley and raised from the dead so he and Samus could get together.
Posted in The Universe
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Bullet Magnet's Avatar
I know what you mean about the difficulties with making your own setting. I keep comparing it to reality and find the depth lacking, and realised that I may have a details problem when I found myself attempting to chart the geological history of my planet so that the coal seams were all in authentic locations. I would never describe it as a struggle, though, because it's my favourite part.

As it is, my interest in writing fanfiction evaporated entirely when the ideas for my original work began to appear. Something that's all mine, that I'm free to take where I want. One small problem with that though is that I work best under imposed constraints. I tend to push and twist those constraints and produce something unexpected, but they give me a starting point. I feel rather adrift with total freedom, which is why establishing rules and specifications early on helps.


As for fan fiction: the oft ignored golden rule is that you cannot increase the power level of your characters without increasing the difficulty of their challenges. In other words, you can't make Frodo a Jedi without giving Sauron the Death Star. Story is conflict, and if your hero can simply breeze through his problems with ease then there is no conflict, and your story will suck. This rule actually applies to fiction in general, but it's easier to explain for fan fiction.
Posted 04-29-2011 at 07:32 PM by Bullet Magnet

AlexFili's Avatar
One thing that should be noted is that backstories and plot twists are often written after the story has reached a certain point, which is how things like plot twists are created.

When writing, it is impossible to be completely original. Every single thing you watched, saw or read affects how you write your own stories. Naturally, the things about other stories that you like most will end up in your story. All you can do is try and do old things with a new twist, or tread somewhere where others have not.

In my opinion, the cardinal rule of Fan Fiction is, don't touch OC characters at all. If you do, make them cameos only. Nobody likes character derailment or killing major characters.

Mary Sueness should be discouraged, but look at so-called invincible heroes like Superman and Silver Surfer. Don't they still have conflict? Problems to resolve? Is life easy for them?

I actually want to make money from my creative works in the future, whether it's games or stories. So I wish you the best of luck.

Let's all help each other out. This is a forum after all
Posted 04-30-2011 at 02:02 AM by AlexFili

STM's Avatar
I find making the world is the easiest bit, it's writing a fulfilling story 300 pages long that get's me. I've never completed a story I've written that wasn't assessed in my whole life, even when I was contacted by a publisher, I get 15 pages in and have a new idea or get bored with what I've got and there's no foreseeable cure to this curse. But if you make it Splat, you'll have to link us the book!
Posted 04-30-2011 at 05:37 AM by STM

Splat's Avatar
I'll post a series of blogs about it, believe me.

A plot is all about conflict and obstacles. My general rule is nothing comes without a price; overcoming an obstacle has to cost the heroes something. There has to be a point of no return where things can't go back to what they were. And any good thing has to be hard-earned or paid for.

As for backstory, it can be pretty dull if there's too much of it at the start. Much better to release it in sections as time goes by.
Posted 05-01-2011 at 05:51 AM by Splat
Updated 05-01-2011 at 05:56 AM by Splat

 

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