I like writing on fanfiction and everything!. But how do I become a better writer!? Like have more reviewers and everything!? I can't help but realize that my stories may not be interesting or anything!? Help!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>Books & Authors> How do I become a better writer?Question: How do I become a better writer!? I like writing on fanfiction and everything!. But how do I become a better writer!? Like have more reviewers and everything!? I can't help but realize that my stories may not be interesting or anything!? Help!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There's a slight difference between becoming a better writer in general and becoming a better fanfic author!. Reading the classics and practicing are good tips for your overall writing skills!. However, to be a successful fanficcer, there are a few more things to consider!. First, what is success!? By your question I assume you define it as attracting a large following of readers!. That's a good goal, and there are ways to get there!. However, it's not the only definition of success in the fanfic world!. Many fanficcers ignore the strategies that will get them the largest reader base and write strictly for personal goals of excellence and creativity!. Often these stories are ignored by most readers, but they likely have a core following of discriminating readers!. The replies those kind of readers give, though small in volume, are the kind that stay with you for a long time!. But back to the original question--here are some strategies that will boost your visibility and hopefully provide you with the feedback we all love!. 1!. Familiarize yourself with the community!. Read a lot!. Participate in message boards!. Read other fanficcers' replies to other stories!. You'll get a feel for what storylines and styles are popular and which are ignored!. 2!. Take a personal refresher course on the basics of grammar and style!. I did that before I jumped into fanfic, and it helped immensely!. I'd also check out books from the library about writing novels!. The tips you find will be invaluable in your fiction career and are usually just as applicable to short stories and one-shots as well as full lenghts stories or epics!. If you're short on reading time, I recommend two books as the fanfic writer's must reads: Strunk and White's 'Elements of Style' and Orson Scott Card's 'How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy!.' Finally, perhaps you don't participate in the Star Wars fandom, but TheForce!.net's Index on the fanfiction boards is chock full of writing resources!. 3!. Make sure you are familiar with the formatting on your particular site!. Besides bad grammar, hardly anything will send a reader running faster than blocks of dense paragraphs!. 4!. Find a beta-reader!. Once you do your mini refresher course on writing, nothing will improve you more than a personal mentor who critiques your work thoroughly!. It can change your quality of writing more than you'd imagine!. Fanfiction!.net now has a beta service, and TheForce!.net's has many beta-reader/mentor options!. One caveat: before diving in and sending the request, read some of the potential beta's writing and reviews of other writers!. Ideally, you want someone whose who succeeds in areas you'd like to improve, who is courteous and thorough in feedback, and who is around the site relatively frequently!. *The above tips should help the quality of your writing!. Here's some ways to get a lot of readers* 4!. Write about a subject everyone on your site seems to enjoy!. Be saavy in your choice!. It's useful to know that the demographics of fanfic readers are overwhelmingly women!. That should clue you in that romantic or dramatic fics heavy on feelings and character development are a safe bet, while stormtrooper fics light on plot and heavy on dogfights will likely bomb!. That's not to say the latter catagory isn't a valid creative realm or that those fics can't be literature!. Many brilliant and popular fics are way off the beaten path!. Usually, however, those authors already have a fan base or are simply incredible writers!. Rule of thumb for attracting lots of readers: Stay with the main characters and popular 'ships (romantic relationships)!. Don't have an overly complicated plot!. 5!. Get the heck away from Mary Sue! If you don't know who she is, wikipedia her!. She will kill your career!. Basically, a Mary Sue story is wish-fulfillment!. This is the beautiful young girl with the gorgeous voice, ESP, cornsilk/flowing copper/silken raven's wing/ hair, emerald/crystal blue/stunning violet orbs for eyes, tragic past, front and center plot position and and every male character from Spock to Qui-Gon Jinn going gaga over her!. Alternatively, the anti-Mary Sue: the tough talking, hard as nails, excessively plain chick who is trying so obviously to not be Mary Sue that it's downright funny!. Whether she's the Kimberly Green-next-door who finds herself on the Enterprise or the Chim'biir Li-Ghry'yn who defeats Anakin Skywalker without breaking a sweat (and then beds him, also sans perspiration), the readers you want will always spot her!. Just don't write yourself into the story!. Tell a story for its own sake, not because you want to be inside!. If you were a Star Wars writer, I could give you a few overused plotlines to be careful with, but I think that's a little specific!. Email me if you'd like more SW fandom info!. Hope this helps, and good luck with your fanfic endeavors!Www@QuestionHome@Com The best way to become a better writer is to write a lot, and write often; however, you need something worth writing about!. This is where life experience and education come into play!. Definitely take classes that an English major would take!. Try getting your work published, have editors look at it, post it on the net, do anything to get your work out there and proofed!. The bottom line is, write a lot, write often, and have lots and lots of people look at it and give you feedback!. Take care, good luck =D!. Michael LWww@QuestionHome@Com Pay much attention to how your favorite authors you their words, the structure, order, and diction!. See how developed are the characters, notice what you like about how they develop and look at plot structure!. The more you pay attention to these things in other books the more you will think about them when you are writing your own story!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Reading is really a good way to help you get ideas and learn different styles of writing, but more than that, you have to keep writing and working at it, even if you think it sucks!. Another way to learn is to join a role playing site!. Writing with other people pushes you to get better and really allows you to compare your work with others and see what you're doing wrong!.Www@QuestionHome@Com practice, practice, practice! Get feedback from people who will offer you useful and constructive critiques!. Read a lot of the genre you are writing in!. Accurate research!. Hire a researcher if you do not have time, even if it's a college freshman English major!. Send off stuff for publishing!.!.!.local magazines or independent book publishers for starters!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Read alot!.!.!.reading helps you pick up on what other writers do with their story lines!. also you can google some writing tips!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Write more, have more people review, practice, and read the type of writing you want to do!. What's your fanfiction name!?Www@QuestionHome@Com Read a lot and write at least a little bit every day!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Read a lot, and write even more!Www@QuestionHome@Com |