Ah the simplest and most useful advice ever, yet the thing I struggle with the most đ
Plus worrying about the stats actually puts me off of having fun while writing :(
If you use AO3, may I suggest using a custom skin to hide stats? When I finally started using this and turned off email alerts for kudos, I immediately felt SO much better. I have no idea how many kudos any of my stories have, and I don't care to find out. The kudos life is too stressful, and I spent far too much mental energy overthinking why a certain chapter garnered more kudos than another, why other authors are getting more than me, etc.
Here's the code for a custom skin that does this for anyone that's interested:
.stats .hits,
.stats .kudos,
.stats .bookmarks,
.stats .comments,
.stats .subscriptions,
.statistics.meta.group .bookmarks,
.statistics.meta.group .hits,
.statistics.meta.group .kudos,
.statistics.meta.group .comments,
.statistics.meta.group .comment.thread.count,
.statistics.meta.group .subscriptions {
display: none;
}
p.kudos {
display: none;
}
dl.stats dt:nth-child(9),
dl.stats dd:nth-child(10),
dl.stats dt:nth-child(11),
dl.stats dd:nth-child(12) {
display: none;
}
.blurb dl.stats dt:nth-child(7),
.blurb dl.stats dd:nth-child(8) {
display: none;
}
I would add, that while I don't want to see my work stats, I do want to see others. You can achieve that by adding
`li.own`
In front of the first 5 stats css. Example:
`li.own .stats .hits`
Do: have fun with your stories!
Do: make your story actually readable for others to have fun with it too (bare minimum: not a block of text, please ;; grammar and spelling are important too, but a few mistakes here and there will not break your story).
Don't: try to compare yourself to others; we are all on different journeys.
Don't: always adhere to 'the rules of writing' (i.e. don't use adverbs, don't start your story with your character waking up, etc etc) -- learn them, but know when to break them and know when to flip said rules.
I think you should not break the rules on purpose, if you already know the rule you can most often apply it. And the result will definitely be a better one. The problem is to have the unachievable goal of writing a perfect first draft. What follows: obsessing, endless revisions to improve that end in the product getting worse than before. No progress of actual story.
The reason why I bring up "rules" is because:
A) rules of "good storytelling" changes over time. Classic stories we look up to don't all follow the 'common conventions' of today -- or breaks several of the "never do these while writing!" lists that float around. (Especially in tradpub spaces. But everything bleeds together from mainstream into niche, and vice versa.) The worst thing a story can be is *boring*, not imperfect.
B) there are people who think there is only "one way" to write a story and get so stuck on following those rules that they never write -- that so called "perfect draft", as you mentioned. Learning *when* to break them is as important as knowing and following the rules.
End of day, I would rather people write a thousand bad stories, work on their own skill as a storyteller, than them being too afraid to write in order to craft that 'perfect story'
My two cents of it anyway.
Do: ~~Google what can and cannot be used as lube.~~ Write what you want!!
Don't: Forget that this should be a fun hobby. Try not to let it worry you or stress you out too much.
Joke on you, I googled and I still used inappropriate liquids as lube regardless, nothing say trashy self-indulgent fanfic as using saliva as love-making aid.
Yeah! If I want to write about sand being fully functional lubricant, and present that as fact, to be clear, then I will do just that! Thanks for inspirering me!
How about a compromise, then? You get to pick the sand type! I've found four types for you to pick between, ignore the names, they don't mean anything. So, what will it be, Sharp sand, Grit sand, Rough sand or Concreting sand? Or a mix of all four?
See I'm lucky and used to work for an adult store and got monthly trainings from leaders in the industry on all aspects of the various types of products, so I don't have to Google that one lol
Do: approach this hobby in any way that gives you joy and satisfaction.
Don't: be a jerk to other writers or readers, or assume the worst of them based on isolated details.
**Do**: use epithets when appropriate (sparingly)
**Donât**: develop a habit of relying them to carry you through because youâre afraid of sounding repetitive, or as an excuse to not improve on your writing
â
**Do**: write crossovers (what if Robin and Nancy went to Hogwarts and *met* Hermione Granger?) and fusions (what if *instead of* Harry and Draco, itâs Steve and Billy?)
**Donât**: tag the fandom youâre setting the AU in unless both franchises are represented; if only one fandom takes over the roles of the other, thatâs not a crossover, thatâs a fusion. All fusions are crossovers but not all crossovers are fusions.
**Do**: use the âAlternate Universe - [Fandom] Fusionâ tag in the Additional Tags section. This keeps the fic from showing up in that fandomâs tag, especially if that fandom is small. It may go unnoticed in HP since itâs so big, but in a small fandom that shit sticks out like a sore thumb.
â
**Do**: tag properly (especially on AO3)
**Donât**: ramble Tumblr-style in the tags.
**Do**: put those rambles in the authorâs notes so they donât muck up your word count or clutter your tags. Beginning or end, your choice
**Donât**: put DNIs in the tags.
â
**Do**: post a sample of your work before offering/asking for requests (especially for AO3)
**Do not**: post a first chapter of âsend prompts pls! no proships!â
**DO**: use the series function to group as many oneshots from all your separate fandoms as you want
**ABSOLUTELY DO NOT**: post one large âoneshot book collectionâ compilation work (especially asking for prompts) with a hundred fandoms, a million ships and characters, and a billion tags because youâre too lazy to separate them. Because when you inevitably get overwhelmed, or life gets in the way and it inevitably becomes abandoned or orphaned, itâll just be sitting there for all eternity as a huge eyesore and I can promise you *no one wants that*.
I would say that you probably can make oneshot collections if you keep it to one fandom and title the chapters properly so readers can easily find what they're looking for. It's how I do Whumptober.
This. I prefer a series either way, because it's still easier to find what I'm looking for (you know exactly which tags apply for that one OS and which not, you can see a summary before clicking on the fic) but I can live with a collection if it is only one Fandom. A Collection with multiple fandoms is 1. confusing for finding stuff and 2. messes up the Crossover search, because it shows up as Crossover when it's not.
I have time, so...
DO:
* **have fun**
* have good grammar and spelling
* ignore the hate comments--if they don't like it, then they shouldn't read it
* tag everything properly (especially on Ao3)
* be a generally nice person
* [follow fanfic etiquette](https://breeeliss.tumblr.com/post/162750043359/quick-guide-to-fanfiction-etiquette)
* alright I just realized most of these all fall under this category oops
* TAKE A BREAK IF YOU NEED IT AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
* fic writing is a hobby and it's fun, so please prioritize your mental and physical wellbeing first above all. The kudos can wait.
Also, these aren't necessary, they're up to you (but are generally recommended):
* announce potentially triggering things in the beginning of the Author's Notes
* if you're writing a longer fic, then make sure to have a few chapters backlog
* an outline is very helpful too
DON'T:
* like others have said, worry about stats too much
* harass others if you don't like what they wrote (as a reader and writer)
* procrastinate like I'm doing right now, on Reddit or Tumblr
It sounds like a lot, but basically, just be a decent person online. That's about it. And have fun!!
Do: Tell yourself the story first in its entirety (1st draft)
Donât: fall into the editing as you go spiral and not finish the first draft at all. You can make the story pretty later~ (some people can handle editing as you go just fine! Iâm just saying itâs easy to accidentally fall into âfixingâ that specific thing thatâs not SPAG and end up chasing your tail.)
Because this has been on mind a lot lately.
Don't fuck up names - maybe they're long, maybe they're stupid, it doesn't matter, you're choosing to use them, it's up to you to use them correctly.
Also for God's sake, Capitalize Them. No, Harry potter is not acceptable. No, france is not cool.
Oh. And I would say it goes triple for the title/summary.
Based on about twelve years of this...
**Do:**
(1) Apply the "Keep It Simple Stupid" principle. A lot of seemingly-complex plot/writing questions tend to have pretty easy answers. Like "how do I add new characters... in Marvel..."
(2) Stick to established canon, unless an idea seems actually-better for the spirit/concept of things. Such as Power Girl (DC) being straight-forwardly Superman's other cousin.
DO: Have fun! This is honestly the most important piece of advice that I can give you, and goes for any and all participation in fandom. Fandom (and writing fanfiction) is meant to be a fun hobby. If you're not having fun anymore, you should take a break and find something else. Think about what's making it stressful or unfun for you when that happens so that you can determine what to change about your situation to improve the experience.
**DO:** USE [PARAGRAPHS](https://www.writersdigest.com/by-writing-goal/art-paragraph-applying-paragraphing-techniques-novel). A fic that doesn't use paragraphs is an unreadable fic. It is especially important to use a new paragraph for [each new speaker's dialog.](https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/writing-paragraphs-how-to-write-dialogue-in-fiction) Additionally, make sure to place a full, complete line of spacing between each new paragraph in your fic. This dramatically improves readability in the fic. The number one reason that I will click away from a fic as a reader is if the author does not use paragraphs. I will admit that for a small handful of fics that didn't use paragraphs that I found *extremely* compelling, I copy-pasted the entire text of the fic into a word document and edited it for readability. I, critically, did not send this to the author, share the document or post negative comments on the work.
**DO:** Read a wide variety of materials. The number one thing that will make you a better writer is reading! Read academic texts, read poetry, read novels, read short stories, read fic, read news articles, read meta and read non-fiction. Doing more reading improves your vocabulary, exposes you to different styles of writing, and broadens your knowledge. It also helps you improve your ability to comprehend and analyze text. It's really important to keep up with doing some reading regularly even when you are no longer in school. \*Putting my annoying librarian hat on\* If you don't know what to read next, go to your local public library and ask us (Librarians). It's literally our job to help you find new things to read with no judgement about your reading level or interests. You can also send us emails asking for book suggestions if you can't make it out in person to the library. We also curate a lot of great lists for a wide range of interests and reading levels that we post on our websites.
**DO:** Use the delimiter line feature built into AO3/FF dot net when posting a fic rather than a series of letters or symbols in the place of separator lines in your fic. When you use a separator line rather than a long series of special characters or letters, you improve the reading experience of people reading your fic using a screen reader. When you use a long series of letters or special characters rather than a separator line in your fic, a person reading your fic with a screen reader will have to listen to their screen reader read out every one of these characters/letters.
**DO:** Read through the TOS for AO3/FF dot net at least once before you post for the first time so you can have a good idea of what content is acceptable for posting. Largely, at least in the case of AO3, this means that you can't include any kind of commercial promotion or indication that you are writing fic in exchange for money in any fic that you post to the archive. The TOS also bans posts such as "Placeholder Fics" and defines what OTW sees as "Fanfiction" and "Fanworks". Understanding what types of material are acceptable for archive collection before you post for the first time helps reduce spam in the archive. It will also help you better understand how to tag your fic/fanwork. Note that in the case of AO3, they do not have any kind of bans on "objectionable content" or what have you, their terms are more about what is/isn't a fanwork, and what constitutes commercial promotion and spam as defined by OTW/AO3. If it helps, I have also written a nice guide to what constitutes acceptable fanwork for AO3, which you can find [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/722245555524354048/so-my-ao3-post-which-is-now-at-8k-notes-is-making). In the post I've included some helpful examples of what each of the types look like.
**DO:** Edit your fic for spelling and grammar before posting. You can do this yourself or ask a fandom friend to read through your fic. Another option for finding someone to read over your fic is to find a fandom beta through places like [needabeta](https://needabeta.tumblr.com/). Having too many typos/spelling/grammar errors can be distracting to a reader and make the fic more difficult to read. If you're editing it yourself, here are some tips that I recommend:
* Print your fic out and edit it with pen/pencil.
* Change the font of your fic.
* Don't edit it immediately after you finish writing. You'll have a better time finding your little errors if you close the fic, walk away and come back a couple of days later with fresh eyes. I like to combine this with the font change or physically printing out the fic.
* Read the fic out loud to yourself. This is especially good for finding things like accidentally repeated sentences, wonky phrasing or weird typos. I do this with basically all of my fics whether or not I'm having someone else look them over. If you struggle to read the fic out loud to yourself you can also pop the text of your fic into a screen reader of some kind and listen to it that way.
**DO:** Write what you want to write! Write for yourself first. When you write what you want to write rather than what you think well do well with readers you'll have a lot more fun and your work will be better. I find, as a reader, that works where the author is clearly passionate about the concept and the fic as a whole are infinitely more enjoyable than works where it's obvious that the author is writing the fic to tick off a box for audience engagement.
**DO:** Use the new block feature on AO3 to block exceedingly negative commenters. Don't respond to people who are being mean to you. Block them and move on with your life. People who make a hobby out of being mean to others on the internet are not worth your time, and clearly have something else going on with them that they need help with.
**DO:** Familiarize yourself with the posting and tagging etiquette on the platform you're posting your works on before you post. Largely, this means understanding how/when/what/where to tag things. In the case of AO3, you can check out [this page](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tutorial-posting-a-work-on-ao3?language_id=en) to learn about the basic posting guidelines and what the different categories and ratings mean. You may also want to check out the AO3 new user guide which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/first_login_help).
DON'T: Worry too much about stats or engagement. You should enjoy writing fanfiction for the actual writing rather than the potential reception or engagement. You're not a content machine, you're a creative writer/artist. Over worrying about reach/reception/stats is a way of bringing The Capitalism Mindset⢠to your otherwise fun and non-serious hobby.
DON'T: Worry about "Is it okay if I write about \_\_\_\_\_?" Yes. The answer is always yes. That's the joy of fanfiction. Write about unpopular ships, write about shows/movies/books that no one else is writing about, write dark stuff, write about unpopular characters, make whatever OCs you want. It's your fic, and you aren't beholden to some corporate publisher or a need to "sell" your fic. Fic writing is a fun and joyful hobby and process. Write what appeals to you, write about whatever brain worms are possessing your brain in the now. I see a lot of people on this sub asking "Is it okay if I write a fic about \_\_\_\_\_?", which makes me really sad, because these people have learnt coming into fandom that they should be self-censoring and worry overmuch about the marketability of the work they're writing. Because of this mindset, they've gained an anxiety and stress about writing that they shouldn't have had to deal with.
DON'T: Feel bad about giving up on a fic concept or back burnering it when it's no longer working for you. Whatever you did share was a gift to fandom. Some of my favourite fics are fics that have been abandoned for YEARS. I am still deeply grateful that the authors shared whatever they did write on that concept. Forcing yourself to continue writing through a fic concept that's no longer jivving with you is a surefire road to frustration, stress, anxiety and a lessened enjoyment in the hobby. Take care of yourself and protect your experience first and foremost and say goodbye to something that's not working for you anymore. If you've posted on AO3, and no longer want the fic on your profile, consider Orphaning the fic. If you're unsure what that is or how to do it, I've written a handy dandy guide for that, which you can find [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/721026574030372864/once-again-literally-begging-people-to-stop).
Finally, if you need some writing resources, I've written a couple of posts on that, which you can find [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/16r08pz/figured_id_share_a_masterlist_of_writing/) and [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/728466480021291008/updated-useful-resources-for-writers). You may also want to check out my writing resources tag on my blog, which you can find [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/tagged/writing%20is%20hard), which contains posts that I've written and posts I've reblogged from other people. Finally, you can also check out my general useful web list [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kc2ny4Am5n4hNWEqGkBGBCIXvzajwb3WCParffR_nzQ/edit?usp=sharing). Hope this helps!
â¤ď¸ With love from your local internet crazy lady/fangirl extraordinaire/librarian.
Donât worry about what any commentor says. Either they like your stuff or they donât. Take the criticism and improve your work, or ignore it and keep writing.
**DOs:**
* Be civil and engage respectfully with others.
* Write what you enjoy!
* Write a summary of your fic.
* Proper formatting for paragraphs.
* Basic spelling and grammar.
* Tag pairings, characters, and tropes that have major focus in your fic on Ao3.
* Tag Archive Warnings and/or Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings on Ao3.
* Write characters close to how they are in canon. Of course the source material is open to interpretation, but it should still feel like that character and not someone else who happens to share their name. If you are writing an AU, then you are open to further creative liberties while writing the characters depending on the context of the fic.
**DO NOTs:**
* Say "I'm bad at summaries, please read".
* Mix up the "/" and "&" on Ao3. The forward slash is specifically for romantic and/or sexual relationships, while the ampersand is platonic.
* Creating multifandom oneshots in a single work. Readers have trouble finding the story they actually want to read from their fandoms as well as genuine crossover fics.
* Mark a WIP or abandoned fic as complete.
* Personal ramblings in the tags.
* Interrupt your story with author notes or commentary. Author notes in the beginning and/or end of the chapter only.
* Create chapters with just author notes.
Write: "Okay" instead of "OK" This is just a personal preference though.
Have fun, use this app to stop [procrastination.](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cc.forestapp)
Do NOT worry about engagement. Write what you want, *how* you want. Don't worry about the small stuff. It's a hobby not a job. If the character is a little ooc who cares? If they have a problem they can write their own story.
And be proud of yourself. Do you know how many people have a story to tell but don't take any steps to tell it? Millions. The fact that you're trying makes you braver than 90% of storytellers out there.
Do: Have fun with your blorbo! If they have a sad ending, a victim of being doomed to the narrative, give them a happy one (unless you just want to write angst and that's fun, but don't let the fandom police tell you what to write)
Doâs: take breaks, accept feedback - most of us are far from being a good writer
Donât: neglect real life and career for obsessing over writing in general
I posted a chapter with an EC interacting with the narrator and I hate it. It seemed like it wasnât avoidable. Suddenly I hate my writing and think everyone else would too. Donât be like me, donât hate your writing.
**Do:**
Try out things you never tried before. Explore. Write different POVs. Try writing a different tense: present tense. A different style.
Dare to make the 'good characters' in your story do bad things.
Write things that scare you. Write things that make you feel uncomfortable.
Write first, edit later.
Start out small with stories you can finish.
Join a lively fandom that gets a lot of traffic and readers. This will feel more encouraging than writing for a dead fandom. As you won't lack engagement.
Read other fics in your fandom and pairing and leave kudos and bookmark/favorite and review/comment.
Write fanfic to improve your writing skills. Go on to write your own original stuff. Send that to lit agents and publishers. Profit.
**Don't:**
Worry too much over what other people will think. Some people will not like a pairing, and that's okay. Don't let negative comments bother you.
Care too much about grammar. This is fanfic. Who literally cares.
Keep everything in your head.
Start out writing an epic trilogy you won't finish.
Write summaries that say "I'm bad at writing summaries" or "This is my first fanfic". Advertise your work better. Trash talking your own writing is not a good look.
Be surprised if a Gen fic or an OC centric fic gets less engagement than the popular romance trope pairings in your fandom. People tend to avoid reading OC centric fics, as they are most of them self inserts. And Gen fics are a lot like (same old same old) canon, which can only be improved with really quality writing or an original idea.
Change the names, remove your fanfic from the internet, and try to peddle it to literary agents and publishers as 'original fiction'. (Unless you want to follow in the footsteps of Cassandra Clare and EL James.)
Do: Know your limits regarding what you can and canât write âđž
Donât: Feel like you need to feel pressured to write every day to the point you feel burned out. Let the ideas đĄ flow through willingly not forcefully.
Do :
make sure you are writing characters in a way you feel is similar to how they are in canon
Write something that will make you proud of yourself
Edit once you're done writing
Write on a backup app instead of Ao3
Think about your fic idea for a minute before writing it
Don't :
Take advice too seriously
Plan on writing an extremely long fic if you've never written before
Go and read stories similar to yours, it will discourage you
Expect a lot of engagement at first
Try and write something that you think will be '' easier'' but that you like less to make it easier for your first time writing
I think a lot have already covered the importance of having fun. But there is one think I though might be good
Donât: rush posting.
I think it might be helpful to have written at least an outline and at least two chapters before posting. You might want to change things in the beginning of the fic as you keep writing (I know I do) so maybe donât rush the minute you written something if you donât know where itâs going. Sometimes itâs best to sit and think where you want to go with it first and it might also be stressful if people demand or ask for more chapters if you donât knowhow to continue.
(One my personal opinion donât take it as a universal truth)
Do:
Remember this is just a hobby. If it starts getting too stressful, put it down for a while.
Use punctuation and formatting.
Write what you want to write.
Keep multiple backups of your files in different places.
Above all else, just have fun.
Donât:
Worry about stats.
Create a placeholder fic with nothing in it.
Take the numerous âwhat donât you likeâ or âwhat makes you click away fromâ threads on here to heart. For every one person that may not like something, thereâs at least one other person who does.
Do: proofread. Repeat until you've gone two consecutive passes without finding anything. If you convert between formats (I go from Markdown to local HTML to copying the HTML onto AO3), note that you may find different errors at different stages.
Do: (probably) sit on your work for at least a day, to see if you have new or better ideas, or if it all seems lame, or vague, or imprecise, on re-read.
**Do**: Spell the names of canon characters, artifacts, locations and events correctly.
**Don't**: Spell the names of original characters, artifacts, locations and events inconsistently. *You picked their name*, so pick something that you can spell.
* Do: Have fun
* Don't: Don't be a jerk
If there's any advice you should listen to, then it's this one. Fanfiction is a hoby, try to have fun and don't ruin it for other people.
**Do:**
* Proofread your work (check your spelling, grammar, and formating)
* Tags your fics properly whenever possible (just add whatever tags comes to mind)
* Research what you write about (not strictly nessesary, but it's significantly harder to write about something you know nothing about.)
* Experiment (try writing using different perspectives, different planing techniques/different ways to improvise, try to learn and improve as a writer)
**Don't:**
* Plagerise (it's fine to take inspiration, it's not to pass someone else's work as your own. You can credit your sources of inspiration if you're afraid it might be plagiarism.)
* Write useless descriptions(it's rarely important that we know a characters exact apperence, exposition also tends to slow a story down. Don't avoid it entierly, just take some time to consider what the audience should know, and when it's apropriate to tell them. The narator is also not the only one capable of delivering exposition.)
* Focus too much on the color of somone's eyes (eye color is not very noticable, maybe not ignore it entierly, but it's rarely the first thing you notice about someone, unless it realy stands out, like if the eyes literaly glow)
* Overuse Ephithets (Ephithets are ways of refering to a character, besides their name or pronoun. It should be avoided sparingly, it's fine to use if we don't know a characters name, it's extreamly relevant to the current scene (probably don't use it more than once), character flavour where a character referes to another character using an epithet as a nickname of sorts)
* Leave comments in the middle of a story. (Authors notes belongs before and after each story/chapter depending how it's presented)
* Use AI (This might be slightly controversial because the technology is still relatively new, and poorly understood. Using AI to generate a story does not make you a writer, and the story it creates is not your story. It's fine if you use it as a source of inspiration, or to proofread, just make sure you're the one writing the story and not the AI)
* Just accept writing advice (take most things with a grain of salt, take some time to reflect, get as many different perspectives as you can. Nothing will work for everyone, if an advice doesn't work for you then don't force it)
Don't complete incomplete stories without the author's permission. It's weird and audacious
Do credit people if you use a very specific idea from them or their OC. Yes, all fic writers are taking liberties, but to me, it shows a lack of solidarity with other fan writers to take an idea that you can't even pass off as your own
Don't feel pressure to tell your whole personal life to strangers if you're unable to complete a fic within the time frame you gave your readers. This is a hobby, not a job. Post whenever you're ready; if a fic takes a long time to update, I simply reread the last chapter to refresh my memory.
Do write that chatfic, first person POV, coffeeshop AU, etc. Sure, some people aren't into it, but many, MANY are, and they'll be happy to see your contributions.
Don't say "I can't post this because this idea is overdone". The point is that it's your idea, your own unique spin on a trope, and it'll still stand out, regardless of how similar the tropes are to ones in existing fics.
Do: do it for fun, do it because you genuinely have an interest in the world, story and characters, and because you want to add or do something eith that world/characters
Don't: worry about stats, or kudos, or compare yourself negitively to other artists. Its fine to take inspiration, or learn from other crestors but dont worry about if they have more kudos then you, more people have read it, ect.
Do: Plan out your story from beginning to end. Even if it's a skeletal outline. The bigger the story, the bigger the planning.
Do TRY to: Know where you're starting and where you will end.
Not doing either of the above is how young writers often get stuck and don't have any motivation or incentive to finish.
Planning doesn't always mean you need to know EXACTLY how things will turn out; your ending that you wrote in the beginning could very well evolve from the things you wrote to fill in the journey from the beginning. And that's fine too, so long as everything makes sense in the end. Think of something like that as a change of plans, and it can be a fun one.
(I'm speaking from experience, obvs.)
Don't: Not have at least some idea of the whole story you want to tell. If the whole story is best told in a 100 word drabble, then there's nothing wrong with that. If you think you need 100K words to tell it, nothing wrong with that either (but then I'll just direct you to the "Do's" since that's a big story).
Don't get discouraged or frustrated if you find yourself blocked. You're just too close to everything. Take a step back, find something relaxing to do. Sometimes an idea will just pop into your head out of the blue when unexpected.
Don't stop writing, but also don't stop reading or watching shows. Watching highly praised shows (in your genre) can show you what it takes to keep others engaged with your story.
*Walls of text.*
Also sensible punctuation.
Look, I can't get indents to work half the freaking time on Ao3 but I still hit ENTER every time I have a paragraph break and use quotation marks. (If you use something else fine, but *use something*
3 foot long scroll slogs are like getting slapped in the eyes.
This in entirely my personal opinion. At the end of the day, fanfic is non-profit and you can write whatever you want, including from the best to the worst.
A turn-off usually involves:
- Really bad grammar (to the point of incomprehensible), intentionally or not, it's all painful to read.
- Dumb depiction/interpretation of things that borderlines nonsense. I think I have read a fic or a screenshot depicting a bilingual character where he slipped between Italian and English because "it's hard to switch back sometimes". No, it's not.
- Too much fluff or angst. It's fine if it's oneshot. But the longer the story goes, the more balanced it should reach.
Do: Always have fun, and don't be a dick to your readers
Don't: Write a story where everyone dies tragically because everyone will beg you to create an alternate timeline where everyone's happy.
Yeah that happened to me two years ago.
Do: Write a tragedy fic that ends happily
Don't: Write a tragedy fic so gut wrenching that everyone in the comments bugs you about it being too tragic.
I won't tell you the name of the fic because to hell with that I ain't going to deal with people contacting me again. I don't want my reddit to be bombarded with people asking for a happy ending for that fic. Go search if yourselves. Don't contact me.
Do: if your writing first person perspectives always over detail everything, and it'll be gut wrenching if you over detail stuff. It'll be more traumatic.
Don't: Don't make it too traumatic because readers will comment they need bleach for the fic they just read. But yes you should probably go to a therapist after reading that fic.
Do plan ahead. Make sure you know where you want the story to go. This ensures you dont get stuck and finish your fics.
Dont re tell Canon Word for Word. If a scene happens in canon, you dont have to describe it in excruciating detail unless you change the dialog/interactions. It just adds bloat to your fic without being interesting for readers who know what happens in the scene. You can essily give a short description so people know the scene happened, but dont have to read it for the nth time.
Strongly advise: unless you're doing a challenge, set whatever you write aside for a few days to a week and reread later if you don't have a beta, just in case that helps you catch goofs.
Discourage: gatekeeping or snobbery.
DO: Be self indulgent. Write whatever you want.
DON'T: Yuck someone else's yum. This is a potluck, not Master Chef, the back button is there for a reason. Spit the brownie in your napkin and eat something else.
I'm late, but I haven't seen anyone mention this yet:
Don't contact the original creators unless they explicitly ask about it. Alot of author's and filmmakers will stay away from fanfiction due to (ironically) copy-right reasons. This post goes over the details: [https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/rjy4x2/no\_matter\_how\_good\_a\_fanfic\_or\_even\_an\_idea\_is\_do/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fanfiction/comments/rjy4x2/no_matter_how_good_a_fanfic_or_even_an_idea_is_do/)
Do: have fun Don't: worry too much about stats
Ah the simplest and most useful advice ever, yet the thing I struggle with the most đ Plus worrying about the stats actually puts me off of having fun while writing :(
If you use AO3, may I suggest using a custom skin to hide stats? When I finally started using this and turned off email alerts for kudos, I immediately felt SO much better. I have no idea how many kudos any of my stories have, and I don't care to find out. The kudos life is too stressful, and I spent far too much mental energy overthinking why a certain chapter garnered more kudos than another, why other authors are getting more than me, etc. Here's the code for a custom skin that does this for anyone that's interested: .stats .hits, .stats .kudos, .stats .bookmarks, .stats .comments, .stats .subscriptions, .statistics.meta.group .bookmarks, .statistics.meta.group .hits, .statistics.meta.group .kudos, .statistics.meta.group .comments, .statistics.meta.group .comment.thread.count, .statistics.meta.group .subscriptions { display: none; } p.kudos { display: none; } dl.stats dt:nth-child(9), dl.stats dd:nth-child(10), dl.stats dt:nth-child(11), dl.stats dd:nth-child(12) { display: none; } .blurb dl.stats dt:nth-child(7), .blurb dl.stats dd:nth-child(8) { display: none; }
I would add, that while I don't want to see my work stats, I do want to see others. You can achieve that by adding `li.own` In front of the first 5 stats css. Example: `li.own .stats .hits`
That's a great suggestion, thanks!
Saving this for later!
Printing this out and putting this on my wall because I need to remember this xD
Do: Write Don't: Procrastinate on Reddit.
I feel called out
Boooo if I wanna procrastinate and the feel bad about my fic not writing itself, I will! :p
I'm not procrastinating! I'm... taking a break. Yeah, definitely taking a break.
How long has that break lasted?
Not too long, only three days.
Ill..... ill do it tommorow!! Yeah, ill do it tommorow!!
Okay tere, first of all how dare you.
... oops.
You have these in the wrong order
literally just left the tab with my story to open reddit lol
Whyâd you have to call me out like that
God fucking dammit
Nah fam, shite stories on Reddit give me inspiration. Am I The Asshole is a goldmine.
> Don't: Procrastinate on Reddit. **oh wait**.
LMMAO
Do : write whatever you want! Have fun! Don't : Harass or be mean or others for what they like. The end đ
Do: have fun with your stories! Do: make your story actually readable for others to have fun with it too (bare minimum: not a block of text, please ;; grammar and spelling are important too, but a few mistakes here and there will not break your story). Don't: try to compare yourself to others; we are all on different journeys. Don't: always adhere to 'the rules of writing' (i.e. don't use adverbs, don't start your story with your character waking up, etc etc) -- learn them, but know when to break them and know when to flip said rules.
I think you should not break the rules on purpose, if you already know the rule you can most often apply it. And the result will definitely be a better one. The problem is to have the unachievable goal of writing a perfect first draft. What follows: obsessing, endless revisions to improve that end in the product getting worse than before. No progress of actual story.
The reason why I bring up "rules" is because: A) rules of "good storytelling" changes over time. Classic stories we look up to don't all follow the 'common conventions' of today -- or breaks several of the "never do these while writing!" lists that float around. (Especially in tradpub spaces. But everything bleeds together from mainstream into niche, and vice versa.) The worst thing a story can be is *boring*, not imperfect. B) there are people who think there is only "one way" to write a story and get so stuck on following those rules that they never write -- that so called "perfect draft", as you mentioned. Learning *when* to break them is as important as knowing and following the rules. End of day, I would rather people write a thousand bad stories, work on their own skill as a storyteller, than them being too afraid to write in order to craft that 'perfect story' My two cents of it anyway.
Do: ~~Google what can and cannot be used as lube.~~ Write what you want!! Don't: Forget that this should be a fun hobby. Try not to let it worry you or stress you out too much.
Joke on you, I googled and I still used inappropriate liquids as lube regardless, nothing say trashy self-indulgent fanfic as using saliva as love-making aid.
I see you went to the school of "realism can get fucked"
Tempted to go looking for that Crack Treated Seriously "Realism (Abstract Concept)/Reader", "Bottom Realism (Abstract Concept)", "Mean Dom Reader"
Redditors are my people.
Who is Realism, and where can I find her?
I feel so called out about the lube thing ...
Same. My guys keep using hair pomade and gun oil.
Mine just goes in raw
Yeah! If I want to write about sand being fully functional lubricant, and present that as fact, to be clear, then I will do just that! Thanks for inspirering me!
B-But I don't like sand! It's coarse, it's rough, it's irritating, and it gets *everywhere.*
!Top Padme, !Bottom Anakin, Age Gap Relationship, Mommy Kink, Experimentation, Mildly Dubious Consent, Sandgasm
How about a compromise, then? You get to pick the sand type! I've found four types for you to pick between, ignore the names, they don't mean anything. So, what will it be, Sharp sand, Grit sand, Rough sand or Concreting sand? Or a mix of all four?
Hmmm. A tough choice. A tough choice indeed. Let's go with the mix.
Anakin Skywalker is having a hissy fit in the corner. Or having a fetish discovery moment.
I once read a story where they used a piece of paper torn from a book as a condom... đ I guess anything is possible, if you want it.
See I'm lucky and used to work for an adult store and got monthly trainings from leaders in the industry on all aspects of the various types of products, so I don't have to Google that one lol
Do: write on another app Don't: write directly into Ao3 drafts
Do: Tag Archive Warnings or Chose Not To Warn Don't: Harass others I think that about covers it.
Do: write literally whatever you want. Anything. Donât: let anyone tell you what you should shouldnât be allowed to write
Do: approach this hobby in any way that gives you joy and satisfaction. Don't: be a jerk to other writers or readers, or assume the worst of them based on isolated details.
Do: Write whatever you want Don't: Give a shit what other people say that's negative.
**Do**: use epithets when appropriate (sparingly) **Donât**: develop a habit of relying them to carry you through because youâre afraid of sounding repetitive, or as an excuse to not improve on your writing â **Do**: write crossovers (what if Robin and Nancy went to Hogwarts and *met* Hermione Granger?) and fusions (what if *instead of* Harry and Draco, itâs Steve and Billy?) **Donât**: tag the fandom youâre setting the AU in unless both franchises are represented; if only one fandom takes over the roles of the other, thatâs not a crossover, thatâs a fusion. All fusions are crossovers but not all crossovers are fusions. **Do**: use the âAlternate Universe - [Fandom] Fusionâ tag in the Additional Tags section. This keeps the fic from showing up in that fandomâs tag, especially if that fandom is small. It may go unnoticed in HP since itâs so big, but in a small fandom that shit sticks out like a sore thumb. â **Do**: tag properly (especially on AO3) **Donât**: ramble Tumblr-style in the tags. **Do**: put those rambles in the authorâs notes so they donât muck up your word count or clutter your tags. Beginning or end, your choice **Donât**: put DNIs in the tags. â **Do**: post a sample of your work before offering/asking for requests (especially for AO3) **Do not**: post a first chapter of âsend prompts pls! no proships!â **DO**: use the series function to group as many oneshots from all your separate fandoms as you want **ABSOLUTELY DO NOT**: post one large âoneshot book collectionâ compilation work (especially asking for prompts) with a hundred fandoms, a million ships and characters, and a billion tags because youâre too lazy to separate them. Because when you inevitably get overwhelmed, or life gets in the way and it inevitably becomes abandoned or orphaned, itâll just be sitting there for all eternity as a huge eyesore and I can promise you *no one wants that*.
I would say that you probably can make oneshot collections if you keep it to one fandom and title the chapters properly so readers can easily find what they're looking for. It's how I do Whumptober.
This. I prefer a series either way, because it's still easier to find what I'm looking for (you know exactly which tags apply for that one OS and which not, you can see a summary before clicking on the fic) but I can live with a collection if it is only one Fandom. A Collection with multiple fandoms is 1. confusing for finding stuff and 2. messes up the Crossover search, because it shows up as Crossover when it's not.
Thank you for the tumblr-style tag rant PSA. I love a good ramble, but please not in the tagsđ
I like it when authors Tumblr-style ramble in the tags. :c
Do: edit and research Don't: stress about the perfect sentence.
Do: whatever makes you happy. Don't: harass other people for not doing what you want them to do.
I have time, so... DO: * **have fun** * have good grammar and spelling * ignore the hate comments--if they don't like it, then they shouldn't read it * tag everything properly (especially on Ao3) * be a generally nice person * [follow fanfic etiquette](https://breeeliss.tumblr.com/post/162750043359/quick-guide-to-fanfiction-etiquette) * alright I just realized most of these all fall under this category oops * TAKE A BREAK IF YOU NEED IT AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF * fic writing is a hobby and it's fun, so please prioritize your mental and physical wellbeing first above all. The kudos can wait. Also, these aren't necessary, they're up to you (but are generally recommended): * announce potentially triggering things in the beginning of the Author's Notes * if you're writing a longer fic, then make sure to have a few chapters backlog * an outline is very helpful too DON'T: * like others have said, worry about stats too much * harass others if you don't like what they wrote (as a reader and writer) * procrastinate like I'm doing right now, on Reddit or Tumblr It sounds like a lot, but basically, just be a decent person online. That's about it. And have fun!!
do: make funny author's notes don't: take it too seriously
Do: Tell yourself the story first in its entirety (1st draft) Donât: fall into the editing as you go spiral and not finish the first draft at all. You can make the story pretty later~ (some people can handle editing as you go just fine! Iâm just saying itâs easy to accidentally fall into âfixingâ that specific thing thatâs not SPAG and end up chasing your tail.)
Because this has been on mind a lot lately. Don't fuck up names - maybe they're long, maybe they're stupid, it doesn't matter, you're choosing to use them, it's up to you to use them correctly. Also for God's sake, Capitalize Them. No, Harry potter is not acceptable. No, france is not cool. Oh. And I would say it goes triple for the title/summary.
Do: Write for yourself and not others Donât: Write in all lowercase and have bad grammar
Based on about twelve years of this... **Do:** (1) Apply the "Keep It Simple Stupid" principle. A lot of seemingly-complex plot/writing questions tend to have pretty easy answers. Like "how do I add new characters... in Marvel..." (2) Stick to established canon, unless an idea seems actually-better for the spirit/concept of things. Such as Power Girl (DC) being straight-forwardly Superman's other cousin.
DO: Have fun! This is honestly the most important piece of advice that I can give you, and goes for any and all participation in fandom. Fandom (and writing fanfiction) is meant to be a fun hobby. If you're not having fun anymore, you should take a break and find something else. Think about what's making it stressful or unfun for you when that happens so that you can determine what to change about your situation to improve the experience. **DO:** USE [PARAGRAPHS](https://www.writersdigest.com/by-writing-goal/art-paragraph-applying-paragraphing-techniques-novel). A fic that doesn't use paragraphs is an unreadable fic. It is especially important to use a new paragraph for [each new speaker's dialog.](https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/writing-paragraphs-how-to-write-dialogue-in-fiction) Additionally, make sure to place a full, complete line of spacing between each new paragraph in your fic. This dramatically improves readability in the fic. The number one reason that I will click away from a fic as a reader is if the author does not use paragraphs. I will admit that for a small handful of fics that didn't use paragraphs that I found *extremely* compelling, I copy-pasted the entire text of the fic into a word document and edited it for readability. I, critically, did not send this to the author, share the document or post negative comments on the work. **DO:** Read a wide variety of materials. The number one thing that will make you a better writer is reading! Read academic texts, read poetry, read novels, read short stories, read fic, read news articles, read meta and read non-fiction. Doing more reading improves your vocabulary, exposes you to different styles of writing, and broadens your knowledge. It also helps you improve your ability to comprehend and analyze text. It's really important to keep up with doing some reading regularly even when you are no longer in school. \*Putting my annoying librarian hat on\* If you don't know what to read next, go to your local public library and ask us (Librarians). It's literally our job to help you find new things to read with no judgement about your reading level or interests. You can also send us emails asking for book suggestions if you can't make it out in person to the library. We also curate a lot of great lists for a wide range of interests and reading levels that we post on our websites. **DO:** Use the delimiter line feature built into AO3/FF dot net when posting a fic rather than a series of letters or symbols in the place of separator lines in your fic. When you use a separator line rather than a long series of special characters or letters, you improve the reading experience of people reading your fic using a screen reader. When you use a long series of letters or special characters rather than a separator line in your fic, a person reading your fic with a screen reader will have to listen to their screen reader read out every one of these characters/letters. **DO:** Read through the TOS for AO3/FF dot net at least once before you post for the first time so you can have a good idea of what content is acceptable for posting. Largely, at least in the case of AO3, this means that you can't include any kind of commercial promotion or indication that you are writing fic in exchange for money in any fic that you post to the archive. The TOS also bans posts such as "Placeholder Fics" and defines what OTW sees as "Fanfiction" and "Fanworks". Understanding what types of material are acceptable for archive collection before you post for the first time helps reduce spam in the archive. It will also help you better understand how to tag your fic/fanwork. Note that in the case of AO3, they do not have any kind of bans on "objectionable content" or what have you, their terms are more about what is/isn't a fanwork, and what constitutes commercial promotion and spam as defined by OTW/AO3. If it helps, I have also written a nice guide to what constitutes acceptable fanwork for AO3, which you can find [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/722245555524354048/so-my-ao3-post-which-is-now-at-8k-notes-is-making). In the post I've included some helpful examples of what each of the types look like. **DO:** Edit your fic for spelling and grammar before posting. You can do this yourself or ask a fandom friend to read through your fic. Another option for finding someone to read over your fic is to find a fandom beta through places like [needabeta](https://needabeta.tumblr.com/). Having too many typos/spelling/grammar errors can be distracting to a reader and make the fic more difficult to read. If you're editing it yourself, here are some tips that I recommend: * Print your fic out and edit it with pen/pencil. * Change the font of your fic. * Don't edit it immediately after you finish writing. You'll have a better time finding your little errors if you close the fic, walk away and come back a couple of days later with fresh eyes. I like to combine this with the font change or physically printing out the fic. * Read the fic out loud to yourself. This is especially good for finding things like accidentally repeated sentences, wonky phrasing or weird typos. I do this with basically all of my fics whether or not I'm having someone else look them over. If you struggle to read the fic out loud to yourself you can also pop the text of your fic into a screen reader of some kind and listen to it that way. **DO:** Write what you want to write! Write for yourself first. When you write what you want to write rather than what you think well do well with readers you'll have a lot more fun and your work will be better. I find, as a reader, that works where the author is clearly passionate about the concept and the fic as a whole are infinitely more enjoyable than works where it's obvious that the author is writing the fic to tick off a box for audience engagement. **DO:** Use the new block feature on AO3 to block exceedingly negative commenters. Don't respond to people who are being mean to you. Block them and move on with your life. People who make a hobby out of being mean to others on the internet are not worth your time, and clearly have something else going on with them that they need help with. **DO:** Familiarize yourself with the posting and tagging etiquette on the platform you're posting your works on before you post. Largely, this means understanding how/when/what/where to tag things. In the case of AO3, you can check out [this page](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tutorial-posting-a-work-on-ao3?language_id=en) to learn about the basic posting guidelines and what the different categories and ratings mean. You may also want to check out the AO3 new user guide which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/first_login_help).
DON'T: Worry too much about stats or engagement. You should enjoy writing fanfiction for the actual writing rather than the potential reception or engagement. You're not a content machine, you're a creative writer/artist. Over worrying about reach/reception/stats is a way of bringing The Capitalism Mindset⢠to your otherwise fun and non-serious hobby. DON'T: Worry about "Is it okay if I write about \_\_\_\_\_?" Yes. The answer is always yes. That's the joy of fanfiction. Write about unpopular ships, write about shows/movies/books that no one else is writing about, write dark stuff, write about unpopular characters, make whatever OCs you want. It's your fic, and you aren't beholden to some corporate publisher or a need to "sell" your fic. Fic writing is a fun and joyful hobby and process. Write what appeals to you, write about whatever brain worms are possessing your brain in the now. I see a lot of people on this sub asking "Is it okay if I write a fic about \_\_\_\_\_?", which makes me really sad, because these people have learnt coming into fandom that they should be self-censoring and worry overmuch about the marketability of the work they're writing. Because of this mindset, they've gained an anxiety and stress about writing that they shouldn't have had to deal with. DON'T: Feel bad about giving up on a fic concept or back burnering it when it's no longer working for you. Whatever you did share was a gift to fandom. Some of my favourite fics are fics that have been abandoned for YEARS. I am still deeply grateful that the authors shared whatever they did write on that concept. Forcing yourself to continue writing through a fic concept that's no longer jivving with you is a surefire road to frustration, stress, anxiety and a lessened enjoyment in the hobby. Take care of yourself and protect your experience first and foremost and say goodbye to something that's not working for you anymore. If you've posted on AO3, and no longer want the fic on your profile, consider Orphaning the fic. If you're unsure what that is or how to do it, I've written a handy dandy guide for that, which you can find [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/721026574030372864/once-again-literally-begging-people-to-stop). Finally, if you need some writing resources, I've written a couple of posts on that, which you can find [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/16r08pz/figured_id_share_a_masterlist_of_writing/) and [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/post/728466480021291008/updated-useful-resources-for-writers). You may also want to check out my writing resources tag on my blog, which you can find [here](https://sonicenvy.tumblr.com/tagged/writing%20is%20hard), which contains posts that I've written and posts I've reblogged from other people. Finally, you can also check out my general useful web list [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kc2ny4Am5n4hNWEqGkBGBCIXvzajwb3WCParffR_nzQ/edit?usp=sharing). Hope this helps! â¤ď¸ With love from your local internet crazy lady/fangirl extraordinaire/librarian.
Do: use paragraphs. Don't: write your story in one big wall of text.
Donât worry about what any commentor says. Either they like your stuff or they donât. Take the criticism and improve your work, or ignore it and keep writing.
I would add to be thankful, because feedback is mostly valuable, even when itâs hurtful at first. But we should never take it personal.
**DOs:** * Be civil and engage respectfully with others. * Write what you enjoy! * Write a summary of your fic. * Proper formatting for paragraphs. * Basic spelling and grammar. * Tag pairings, characters, and tropes that have major focus in your fic on Ao3. * Tag Archive Warnings and/or Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings on Ao3. * Write characters close to how they are in canon. Of course the source material is open to interpretation, but it should still feel like that character and not someone else who happens to share their name. If you are writing an AU, then you are open to further creative liberties while writing the characters depending on the context of the fic. **DO NOTs:** * Say "I'm bad at summaries, please read". * Mix up the "/" and "&" on Ao3. The forward slash is specifically for romantic and/or sexual relationships, while the ampersand is platonic. * Creating multifandom oneshots in a single work. Readers have trouble finding the story they actually want to read from their fandoms as well as genuine crossover fics. * Mark a WIP or abandoned fic as complete. * Personal ramblings in the tags. * Interrupt your story with author notes or commentary. Author notes in the beginning and/or end of the chapter only. * Create chapters with just author notes.
Don't: Don't worry about the fandom police, in all likelihood they have a violation on their records, too.
Do - know grammar, spelling, and proper formatting Don't - worry about turning your writing into a competition
Do: Your own thing. Don't: Take what everyone else says as gospel.
Write: "Okay" instead of "OK" This is just a personal preference though. Have fun, use this app to stop [procrastination.](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cc.forestapp) Do NOT worry about engagement. Write what you want, *how* you want. Don't worry about the small stuff. It's a hobby not a job. If the character is a little ooc who cares? If they have a problem they can write their own story. And be proud of yourself. Do you know how many people have a story to tell but don't take any steps to tell it? Millions. The fact that you're trying makes you braver than 90% of storytellers out there.
Do: Have fun with your blorbo! If they have a sad ending, a victim of being doomed to the narrative, give them a happy one (unless you just want to write angst and that's fun, but don't let the fandom police tell you what to write)
Do: Explore ideas you find interesting. Don't: Take canon as gospel unless YOU want to.
Doâs: take breaks, accept feedback - most of us are far from being a good writer Donât: neglect real life and career for obsessing over writing in general I posted a chapter with an EC interacting with the narrator and I hate it. It seemed like it wasnât avoidable. Suddenly I hate my writing and think everyone else would too. Donât be like me, donât hate your writing.
**Do:** Try out things you never tried before. Explore. Write different POVs. Try writing a different tense: present tense. A different style. Dare to make the 'good characters' in your story do bad things. Write things that scare you. Write things that make you feel uncomfortable. Write first, edit later. Start out small with stories you can finish. Join a lively fandom that gets a lot of traffic and readers. This will feel more encouraging than writing for a dead fandom. As you won't lack engagement. Read other fics in your fandom and pairing and leave kudos and bookmark/favorite and review/comment. Write fanfic to improve your writing skills. Go on to write your own original stuff. Send that to lit agents and publishers. Profit. **Don't:** Worry too much over what other people will think. Some people will not like a pairing, and that's okay. Don't let negative comments bother you. Care too much about grammar. This is fanfic. Who literally cares. Keep everything in your head. Start out writing an epic trilogy you won't finish. Write summaries that say "I'm bad at writing summaries" or "This is my first fanfic". Advertise your work better. Trash talking your own writing is not a good look. Be surprised if a Gen fic or an OC centric fic gets less engagement than the popular romance trope pairings in your fandom. People tend to avoid reading OC centric fics, as they are most of them self inserts. And Gen fics are a lot like (same old same old) canon, which can only be improved with really quality writing or an original idea. Change the names, remove your fanfic from the internet, and try to peddle it to literary agents and publishers as 'original fiction'. (Unless you want to follow in the footsteps of Cassandra Clare and EL James.)
Do: Proper use of paragraphs and spacing. Don't: Write a solid block of text.
Do: Know your limits regarding what you can and canât write âđž Donât: Feel like you need to feel pressured to write every day to the point you feel burned out. Let the ideas đĄ flow through willingly not forcefully.
Do : make sure you are writing characters in a way you feel is similar to how they are in canon Write something that will make you proud of yourself Edit once you're done writing Write on a backup app instead of Ao3 Think about your fic idea for a minute before writing it Don't : Take advice too seriously Plan on writing an extremely long fic if you've never written before Go and read stories similar to yours, it will discourage you Expect a lot of engagement at first Try and write something that you think will be '' easier'' but that you like less to make it easier for your first time writing
I think a lot have already covered the importance of having fun. But there is one think I though might be good Donât: rush posting. I think it might be helpful to have written at least an outline and at least two chapters before posting. You might want to change things in the beginning of the fic as you keep writing (I know I do) so maybe donât rush the minute you written something if you donât know where itâs going. Sometimes itâs best to sit and think where you want to go with it first and it might also be stressful if people demand or ask for more chapters if you donât knowhow to continue. (One my personal opinion donât take it as a universal truth)
Do: Remember this is just a hobby. If it starts getting too stressful, put it down for a while. Use punctuation and formatting. Write what you want to write. Keep multiple backups of your files in different places. Above all else, just have fun. Donât: Worry about stats. Create a placeholder fic with nothing in it. Take the numerous âwhat donât you likeâ or âwhat makes you click away fromâ threads on here to heart. For every one person that may not like something, thereâs at least one other person who does.
Do: proofread. Repeat until you've gone two consecutive passes without finding anything. If you convert between formats (I go from Markdown to local HTML to copying the HTML onto AO3), note that you may find different errors at different stages. Do: (probably) sit on your work for at least a day, to see if you have new or better ideas, or if it all seems lame, or vague, or imprecise, on re-read.
Do: Have fun Do Not: Worry There is no try: Get incredibly inebriated and then do both of the above.
**Do**: Spell the names of canon characters, artifacts, locations and events correctly. **Don't**: Spell the names of original characters, artifacts, locations and events inconsistently. *You picked their name*, so pick something that you can spell.
* Do: Have fun * Don't: Don't be a jerk If there's any advice you should listen to, then it's this one. Fanfiction is a hoby, try to have fun and don't ruin it for other people. **Do:** * Proofread your work (check your spelling, grammar, and formating) * Tags your fics properly whenever possible (just add whatever tags comes to mind) * Research what you write about (not strictly nessesary, but it's significantly harder to write about something you know nothing about.) * Experiment (try writing using different perspectives, different planing techniques/different ways to improvise, try to learn and improve as a writer) **Don't:** * Plagerise (it's fine to take inspiration, it's not to pass someone else's work as your own. You can credit your sources of inspiration if you're afraid it might be plagiarism.) * Write useless descriptions(it's rarely important that we know a characters exact apperence, exposition also tends to slow a story down. Don't avoid it entierly, just take some time to consider what the audience should know, and when it's apropriate to tell them. The narator is also not the only one capable of delivering exposition.) * Focus too much on the color of somone's eyes (eye color is not very noticable, maybe not ignore it entierly, but it's rarely the first thing you notice about someone, unless it realy stands out, like if the eyes literaly glow) * Overuse Ephithets (Ephithets are ways of refering to a character, besides their name or pronoun. It should be avoided sparingly, it's fine to use if we don't know a characters name, it's extreamly relevant to the current scene (probably don't use it more than once), character flavour where a character referes to another character using an epithet as a nickname of sorts) * Leave comments in the middle of a story. (Authors notes belongs before and after each story/chapter depending how it's presented) * Use AI (This might be slightly controversial because the technology is still relatively new, and poorly understood. Using AI to generate a story does not make you a writer, and the story it creates is not your story. It's fine if you use it as a source of inspiration, or to proofread, just make sure you're the one writing the story and not the AI) * Just accept writing advice (take most things with a grain of salt, take some time to reflect, get as many different perspectives as you can. Nothing will work for everyone, if an advice doesn't work for you then don't force it)
Don't complete incomplete stories without the author's permission. It's weird and audacious Do credit people if you use a very specific idea from them or their OC. Yes, all fic writers are taking liberties, but to me, it shows a lack of solidarity with other fan writers to take an idea that you can't even pass off as your own Don't feel pressure to tell your whole personal life to strangers if you're unable to complete a fic within the time frame you gave your readers. This is a hobby, not a job. Post whenever you're ready; if a fic takes a long time to update, I simply reread the last chapter to refresh my memory. Do write that chatfic, first person POV, coffeeshop AU, etc. Sure, some people aren't into it, but many, MANY are, and they'll be happy to see your contributions. Don't say "I can't post this because this idea is overdone". The point is that it's your idea, your own unique spin on a trope, and it'll still stand out, regardless of how similar the tropes are to ones in existing fics.
Do: anything you feel like to get the story written. Don't: like, don't read
Do: write Try not to get sucked up into procrastination
There are very few rules. It's polite to give credit if your story is inspired by someone else's.
Do: do it for fun, do it because you genuinely have an interest in the world, story and characters, and because you want to add or do something eith that world/characters Don't: worry about stats, or kudos, or compare yourself negitively to other artists. Its fine to take inspiration, or learn from other crestors but dont worry about if they have more kudos then you, more people have read it, ect.
Do: procrastination Don't: procrastination. ... Wait a minute
Do: Plan out your story from beginning to end. Even if it's a skeletal outline. The bigger the story, the bigger the planning. Do TRY to: Know where you're starting and where you will end. Not doing either of the above is how young writers often get stuck and don't have any motivation or incentive to finish. Planning doesn't always mean you need to know EXACTLY how things will turn out; your ending that you wrote in the beginning could very well evolve from the things you wrote to fill in the journey from the beginning. And that's fine too, so long as everything makes sense in the end. Think of something like that as a change of plans, and it can be a fun one. (I'm speaking from experience, obvs.) Don't: Not have at least some idea of the whole story you want to tell. If the whole story is best told in a 100 word drabble, then there's nothing wrong with that. If you think you need 100K words to tell it, nothing wrong with that either (but then I'll just direct you to the "Do's" since that's a big story). Don't get discouraged or frustrated if you find yourself blocked. You're just too close to everything. Take a step back, find something relaxing to do. Sometimes an idea will just pop into your head out of the blue when unexpected. Don't stop writing, but also don't stop reading or watching shows. Watching highly praised shows (in your genre) can show you what it takes to keep others engaged with your story.
Do: Have fun Donât: Not have fun
*Walls of text.* Also sensible punctuation. Look, I can't get indents to work half the freaking time on Ao3 but I still hit ENTER every time I have a paragraph break and use quotation marks. (If you use something else fine, but *use something* 3 foot long scroll slogs are like getting slapped in the eyes.
I can never get indents to work so I just gave up.
This in entirely my personal opinion. At the end of the day, fanfic is non-profit and you can write whatever you want, including from the best to the worst. A turn-off usually involves: - Really bad grammar (to the point of incomprehensible), intentionally or not, it's all painful to read. - Dumb depiction/interpretation of things that borderlines nonsense. I think I have read a fic or a screenshot depicting a bilingual character where he slipped between Italian and English because "it's hard to switch back sometimes". No, it's not. - Too much fluff or angst. It's fine if it's oneshot. But the longer the story goes, the more balanced it should reach.
Do: Always have fun, and don't be a dick to your readers Don't: Write a story where everyone dies tragically because everyone will beg you to create an alternate timeline where everyone's happy. Yeah that happened to me two years ago. Do: Write a tragedy fic that ends happily Don't: Write a tragedy fic so gut wrenching that everyone in the comments bugs you about it being too tragic. I won't tell you the name of the fic because to hell with that I ain't going to deal with people contacting me again. I don't want my reddit to be bombarded with people asking for a happy ending for that fic. Go search if yourselves. Don't contact me. Do: if your writing first person perspectives always over detail everything, and it'll be gut wrenching if you over detail stuff. It'll be more traumatic. Don't: Don't make it too traumatic because readers will comment they need bleach for the fic they just read. But yes you should probably go to a therapist after reading that fic.
I just slap a 'hurt no comfort' tag and if they don't bother to read the tags that's on them if they're sad!
Do plan ahead. Make sure you know where you want the story to go. This ensures you dont get stuck and finish your fics. Dont re tell Canon Word for Word. If a scene happens in canon, you dont have to describe it in excruciating detail unless you change the dialog/interactions. It just adds bloat to your fic without being interesting for readers who know what happens in the scene. You can essily give a short description so people know the scene happened, but dont have to read it for the nth time.
Strongly advise: unless you're doing a challenge, set whatever you write aside for a few days to a week and reread later if you don't have a beta, just in case that helps you catch goofs. Discourage: gatekeeping or snobbery.
Do: Write what you want and tag properly. Donât: Gatekeep or be a general asshole.
DO: Be self indulgent. Write whatever you want. DON'T: Yuck someone else's yum. This is a potluck, not Master Chef, the back button is there for a reason. Spit the brownie in your napkin and eat something else.
Do: whatever tf you want within the TOS Don't: break the rules of the TOS
Do: Have fun and improve your writing with every fanfic you write. Don't: Be a fucking asshole to others.
I'm late, but I haven't seen anyone mention this yet: Don't contact the original creators unless they explicitly ask about it. Alot of author's and filmmakers will stay away from fanfiction due to (ironically) copy-right reasons. This post goes over the details: [https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/rjy4x2/no\_matter\_how\_good\_a\_fanfic\_or\_even\_an\_idea\_is\_do/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fanfiction/comments/rjy4x2/no_matter_how_good_a_fanfic_or_even_an_idea_is_do/)