Writing Fanfics

The Basics

Plot Development

Character Development

Dialogue

Sex Scenes

Writing the Fic

And finally...


Other sources


Kat's Meow

Character Development

  • Know your characters. So you want to write about Brian. Cool. Brian as a Backstreet Boy? Still cool. So why the heck did you write that he was born in Alaska, has purple hair and loves to play lacrosse? I’m not saying that all your fics should be totally fact-based, but try and remember that you are writing about someone specific and that the people who are reading it will recognize that. If you have them doing something totally unlike anything that they would ever do the story will lose credibility.

    By the way, I am NOT including slash in this. That is a totally different genre and if you want your character to be in love with another man, go ahead. What I am trying to say is that if you want your Brian character to be gay, so be it, but if you want him to go skydiving, when we all know that Brian is afraid of heights… that loses something (unless of course there is a reason for it that is explained in the fic)…

  • They ain’t perfect 'Knowing your character' means understanding that he/she is NOT perfect. A perfect person is boring. They never do anything wrong and always say the right thing. Yawn. Try and make your characters have a few faults (even if you don’t think they have any).

  • Not all villains are villainous. Just as you shouldn’t make your ‘hero’ characters perfect, try and give your ‘villains’ a little depth too. Just because they are out to get the Boys in trouble doesn’t mean that they can’t be kind to little old ladies too. Remember: Even Dr. Evil liked cats.

    Character Pet Peeves

    • Julie hates it when writers use an AU (alternate universe, or fic where the Boys aren't the Boys, they just look like 'em) type fic to explain why the character's personality changes. "A name and a physical description being kept the same isn't enough; if the personality is completely different, it's a different character."
    • Leesha says:
      • Many writers don't realize that their characters are supposed to be a real person in the reader's mind. "Every person has his/her little quirks (things like scratching their nose when they're nervous). If the characters don't have quirks I stop reading after a while."
      • "I also hate it when the writer doesn't describe their character. A lot of the time they'll just say their name and age. What do they look like? Where are they from? What do they like to do? Adding stuff like that can make the story both longer and more interesting.


Got some more "pet peeves" for me? Just email 'em here