Moki's Fanfiction Blog

One of Moki’s main priorities when starting this blog was to share her love of writing and of FanFiction with others and to provide encouragement and writing tips to new or would-be writers. I think this is a wonderful idea and couldn’t resist adding my thoughts on each of the topics raised in this post.

WRITE A GREAT STORY – Or at least the very best you can. I’m sure that many of us out there look back at our early stories and cringe a little. I know I’ve been tempted to go back and re-write mine from time to time – but I think (at least I hope) that feeling reflects my growth as a writer.

FanFiction is a wonderful forum for new writers. One of the greatest advantages is the assistance that is freely offered in the form of Beta’s. These people offer their time, talent, knowledge and experience to assist others to improve their writing. How good is that?

I must admit that I am at a loss to understand why any new writer would “slap” a story together and not care about the fundamentals that are crucial to the enjoyment of their would-be readers. To me, it shows that they either don’t believe they have a problem, are too shy to ask for help or simply have no real desire to improve as a writer.

As Moki can attest to, we often “bounce” story ideas off each other to ensure we’re on the right track or to get a different POV. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced writer, it is essential to ask for help when you need it – especially when there are so many people willing to provide assistance.

FINISH YOUR STORY – I think I am among the minority in that I prefer to finish my story before I start to post it – most people seem to “post as they write.” It’s certainly a personal preference that is mainly attributed to the fact that I seem to be forever tweaking and tinkering with dialogue or narrative. Sometimes, mid-story, I get a better idea that I couldn’t change if I’d already started to post.

There’s nothing worse than getting engrossed in reading a story – only to find that it’s been abandoned. If I find a story I like that is a “work in progress,” I have a look at the author’s profile to see if that person finishes their stories. If they have a habit of abandonment, I tend to move on.

If you happen to get “blocked” and don’t know how to move forward with your story – don’t abandon it, ask for help!

BE SPECIFIC IF YOU DO ASK FOR FEEDBACK – I am not a big fan of someone asking for reviews but I don’t mind someone asking for specific feedback. I would do that before I post but it’s a personal choice.

One thing I would suggest is that if your story contains any specialist detail – medical, legal, forensic, etc. do some research to ensure your story is plausible. Even then, it’s good to put a little waiver in your A/N, stating that you are not an expert. There’s always someone “out there” with greater knowledge or experience and they can be quick to let you know if you made a goof!

REPLY TO YOUR COMMENTS – FanFiction not only provides me with an outlet for my writing but I have also been blessed to receive many reviews for my stories. Whether these reviews are positive, offering constructive critique or even when I feel they are a little harsh, I always reply to every review. If someone has taken the time to read my story and offer their feedback, then the very least I can do is thank them for their effort. In doing so, I have established many “on-line” acquaintances and a few very special “on-line” friendships.

As a personal sideline, when news of my struggle with my health spread around the FanFiction site, I was overwhelmed by the amount of emails and good wishes received from other FanFiction members. These messages continue to filter through and mean the world to me. There are thousands of lovely people out there and replying to your reviews can help open the doors of communication and establish some great friendships. (I wouldn’t recommend getting sick though. lol)

WRITE A GOOD SUMMARY – A good summary is an absolutely crucial part of enticing readers to read your story. If the lure isn’t attractive, the fish won’t bite! If I don’t like the summary, I won’t read the story. I’m certain I have missed many good stories because the summary hasn’t interested me. Don’t just slap up a summary – take a little time with it or ask someone for help – it will make a big difference.

OOPS! I’m now quite embarrassed to realise that my comments are longer than Moki’s post. (Sorry Moki.) Of course, these are just my personal views but I think the common thread is that FanFiction and blogs like this one, provide the tools to help you become a better writer – all you have to do is ask.

Your post and the response were both very helpful. Being very new to FFnet, I must admit that I did not know what a Beta was until I read this. I would like to write a story and have a rough outline in my head but I know I will need help with my characters and refining my story line. Maybe someone can help me decide the best way to choose a Beta?

My dear Laine, please don’t ever feel bad for writing a longer comment than my original post. I took that as the biggest compliment ever. You have such great insight into the fanfic world and I appreciate every single bit that you’ve added to this blog. Heck, I’m starting to think I should list you as a “contributing writer” now.

Hello Penny and thanks for dropping by and commenting. As for your question about beta readers, yes that can be quite a tough decision. I’m sure you’ve noticed that ff.net includes a whole section on beta readers and they’ve made it easy to narrow down the search by choosing people who are interested in the show (or movie, etc) you wish to write for, as well as the genre, etc. Still,, even after you’ve narrowed it down you might find that there’s a large list of people available. If I were you, I would perhaps look to see what those people have written and get an idea of their style to see if it’s something that you enjoy. Then after that, try sending them a PM and just see how you guys “hit it off”.

I’ve been lucky that I have other fanfic friends now that I can bounce ideas off of, but this wasn’t always the case. So another suggestion I have is to start talking to other fanfic writers. The best way I’ve found to do this is just by reading and reviewing. Like Laine said above, many friendships have started that way (including hers and mine). With more fanfic friends, you’ll have an easier time finding someone to help you out.

At some point I’m planning on adding a forum up here on this blog, to allow fanfic writers and readers to have a place to chat and share ideas, etc. Hopefully that will help people even more.

I’ve been reading your stories on FFN for a bit, Moki, and just discovered this and your other blog. They’re great! And congrats on being hired as a Daemon’s TV.com writer.

I have to say this is some very helpful and accurate advice, both in your post and in Laine’s comment. I started writing my first fanfic last year, and particularly with replying to reviews/comments I too have made quite a few online friends and acquaintances, and I think this has helped me as a writer to have people to discuss ideas with and get quality feedback from.

Anyway, keep up the great work with your writing and blogs, etc.

Hi Tiffany and welcome! Glad you’re enjoying my stories and thanks for the congrats.

So happy to hear that you found this post helpful.

Hi there! I’m on a Moki blog binge at the moment as I’ve been remiss and have been away for a bit. And by a bit, I mean…oh, two, three months? *ahem* Apologies.

I saw the guest post by Laine, but haven’t read it yet as I was sidetracked to read the “reviews” posts you recently added. Rather than reply to both, I’ll just add my two cents here, if that’s okay.

As are many of us here in the fanfic world, I’ve found myself rather addicted to reviews, comments, feedback of any kind. I’m very aware that if/when I get brave enough to venture into the “real” world of publishing, the feedback will be nill and/or most likely “constructive” in nature (unless I’m miraculously wildly successful and then the feedback will come in the form of money, not words) and so I thirst for any word that what I’ve put out there has been received favorably and enjoyed.

My personal goal with writing fanfic is both to practice the craft of telling a story and to spend a little more time with characters I love to watch. My public goal with writing fanfic is simply to entertain for the moments any one person spends with their computer and my words. If I’m told I’ve done that, then I’m a happy girl.

I find myself cringing slightly at the term “constructive” critiques or reviews because more often than not that word is defined to the masses as a charge to “find something wrong with the story and/or writing style and point it out to the writer.” When I receive such feedback, I always appreciate it in the form of a PM where I can have a conversation about the observation with the reviewer and have an opportunity to fix it. It’s not ‘wrong’ to put it in a review, if done respectfully and with the knowledge that you’re dealing with a creative individual that has just (like your friend) taken a leap of faith and put a little bit of their hearts out for the world to see.

Aside from that small personal quirk, I couldn’t agree more with what you and Laine have said here. I saw on the other post that Sensue mentioned you need to leave reviews in order to get them; I agree with that as well, though, sadly, I don’t have a lot of extra time to read — therefore, reviews from me are in actuality few and far between. It isn’t because I *don’t* review…it’s because I haven’t read it. Yet.

Regardless if I get 20 reviews or 300 reviews, I reply to each. Even if I have to reply to them *after* the next chapter has been posted. As I see it, there is no obligation with fanfic: you post for free, you read for free and both are exchanges of ‘gifts’ (some more welcome than others). I am acutely aware of how much time people do NOT have, so if I’m gifted with a review (and therefore with their time to have read as well) they will be thanked.

This give-and-give exchange has garnered me a good many friends and some loyal readers that I actually find myself watching for each time I post.

The posting often or at least consistently also resonates with me. I got hooked on an extremely long (over 25 chapters) but extremely good WIP in the Supernatural fandom a few years ago and it took the writer over a year to update between chapters once. The story was amazing when it was completed, but I’d lost interested between chapters and actually had to be reminded by someone else that I’d never finished it. I know that life happens, and there’s nothing for it. But if your goal is, in fact, reviews, I totally agree with this assertion. My goal is — even with WIPs, because I am one of those who posts-as-I-write — is to post a new chapter every two weeks and I make that claim at the beginning of the story.

Occasionally, I’ve had finished stories to post, but when I’m in the WIP mode, I always have a completed outline I’m working from so that I know where I’m going and how it will end. Short of a catastrophic event in RL, I’m able to hold to that schedule when posting a story simply because I know what it’s like to be on the waiting end. And if there’s no obligation on the part of the reader, then it’s on me to keep them engaged if I want their feedback.

I also agree with the Summary whole-heartedly. I saw that Supernaturalgeek said, on the other post, that it is frustrating when you see “better summary inside” or something of the like. If you can’t let me know even a smidge of what your story is about in two short sentences, then I probably don’t have the time to invest in it. But, also, make sure your summary actually *matches* your story. I’ve come across a few that I simply stopped reading because I felt led astray.

I thoroughly enjoy any feedback — even the “good story, thanks for writing” dashes. But I simply adore the reviews where people have actually taken the time to quote me back to me and let me know how that particular part or line from the story made them feel as they read. That kind of review doesn’t necessarily hone my grammatical skills nor does it help me shave off unnecessary descriptions or lengthy dialog. But it does encourage me to continue and it does let me know what I’m doing right (at least in their eyes).

And both of those aspects keeps me writing, and through writing, I continue to learn.

I have seen some of the “slapped together” stories that have been referred to here, and again, I cringe, because I’ve also seen a “this is marvelous” review attached to those such stories. In some (rather selfish and shameful) way, it feels as if those stories have lowered the bar and belittled some of the positive energy sent my way. But, then again, it’s a free exchange of imagination, and I don’t have to read or review those stories.

I applaud you, Moki, for this blog and for providing a platform for fanfic writers to share information as well as gather input from you. You certainly do have a clear head on your shoulders; you know what you’re in this for and what you want to get out of it. And that is very refreshing.

Thank you.

Wow, thanks Gaelic. I do know what I want from this blog and to see it coming to fruition makes me very happy. I love hearing from everyone and really do want this to turn into a place where fanfic writers (and readers) can voice their opinions and get help. I’m even toying with the idea of adding a forum at some point, if the interest is there for it.

Like I said over on Laine’s post, I’m working on writing even more posts about the subject of reviews, the next targeted at giving advice on how to review. I can’t say enough how every word written by you guys is helping me to make this blog better.

So thanks again Gaelic, not only for your kind words about my blog but also your insight into this subject as well.