Post by Lady Serenity on Feb 18, 2009 18:43:04 GMT -5
The first thing I'd say to any author who wants to write is don't do it until you've read at least 25 fanfics by different authors. This gives you a chance to see various writing styles and ideas. You can see what they did right and what they did wrong. Next, come up with an original unique idea. There are certain concepts that have been driven into the ground by their excessive use. That's not to say there may not be something interesting left to explore but think - long and hard before you use ANY of the following concepts:
Betrayal: This is where either the lead canon betrays his/her other friends or the friends betray the leader. In the case where the betrayed will be transported to another fandom and he/she will be paired off to canon of that fandom. In the case of friends are betrayed, the betrayer will look for a new set of friends, giving off the realm of Original Characters. This has been way too much.
Trauma: In this case it’s most often where a character doesn’t matter if it’s OC or canon will have a traumatic event happen to them, most times it’s rape (through either a daily occurrence or just a one time thing), and then that character will be paired off to another character who has a major sympathetic ear. This has been done way too much.
Resurrecting canons who have died in the fandom: In most cases, when the dead canons are brought back, especially when they were evil, they are brought back for vengeance or they become good and they will most likely become romantically involved with the good canon characters.
Long lost siblings to canons: Twins are popular. Sometimes they can come in as new exchange students. Normally if female, they become another heroine to the current canon heroines. Males will become some type knight hero to the canon heros. If the fandom has an existence of a previous life that is stated before the series begins, the siblings are usually part of the past and they mysteriously remember during the fanfic
Self-insertions: The author places themselves into the fic. These are SUPERego fests. Don't do it! We aren't interested in your fantasies -'how you become a flawless all-powerful character and save the world. Male self-insertions always have their favorite canon to fall in love with. Female self-insertions become a heroine with the rest of the canons and the canons gives high respect and some male character falls for her. OOC is the norm here.
Canon’s heading for the author's home town: One or more of the canons will go to a foreign land, either for vacation, to runaway, to pursue an enemy, or move permanently to with/without their family. The USA, Canada, and Australia are popular destinations. Usually the canons will have lots of money, no problems in getting there without their family and no immigration problems. They often befriend a self-insertion type character that sometimes returns to the home of the canons with them.
New season fanfics: Author creates a new enemy for the canons to combat after the final season is over. Usually it starts a few years after the series ending. If the fandom deals with powers of some sort, usually the author will create new powers for the enemy.
Betrayal: This is where either the lead canon betrays his/her other friends or the friends betray the leader. In the case where the betrayed will be transported to another fandom and he/she will be paired off to canon of that fandom. In the case of friends are betrayed, the betrayer will look for a new set of friends, giving off the realm of Original Characters. This has been way too much.
Trauma: In this case it’s most often where a character doesn’t matter if it’s OC or canon will have a traumatic event happen to them, most times it’s rape (through either a daily occurrence or just a one time thing), and then that character will be paired off to another character who has a major sympathetic ear. This has been done way too much.
Resurrecting canons who have died in the fandom: In most cases, when the dead canons are brought back, especially when they were evil, they are brought back for vengeance or they become good and they will most likely become romantically involved with the good canon characters.
Long lost siblings to canons: Twins are popular. Sometimes they can come in as new exchange students. Normally if female, they become another heroine to the current canon heroines. Males will become some type knight hero to the canon heros. If the fandom has an existence of a previous life that is stated before the series begins, the siblings are usually part of the past and they mysteriously remember during the fanfic
Self-insertions: The author places themselves into the fic. These are SUPERego fests. Don't do it! We aren't interested in your fantasies -'how you become a flawless all-powerful character and save the world. Male self-insertions always have their favorite canon to fall in love with. Female self-insertions become a heroine with the rest of the canons and the canons gives high respect and some male character falls for her. OOC is the norm here.
Canon’s heading for the author's home town: One or more of the canons will go to a foreign land, either for vacation, to runaway, to pursue an enemy, or move permanently to with/without their family. The USA, Canada, and Australia are popular destinations. Usually the canons will have lots of money, no problems in getting there without their family and no immigration problems. They often befriend a self-insertion type character that sometimes returns to the home of the canons with them.
New season fanfics: Author creates a new enemy for the canons to combat after the final season is over. Usually it starts a few years after the series ending. If the fandom deals with powers of some sort, usually the author will create new powers for the enemy.
