Using Fanvideos as Inspiration for your Fanfiction
The first time I saw a fanvid (a video made by a fan to show their love of a TV show, movie, etc.), I think my reaction was probably much like the first time I discovered there was such a thing as fanfiction:
“Wow, this beautiful piece of art was made by a fan??”
Since then, I think I’ve developed sort of a love/hate relationship with this thing known as a fanvid. I love them because when they are good (and so many of them are), they can bring out a myriad of emotions in me from laughter to tears. Yet I also hate them because they are much like chocolate to me and I can never watch just one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked up at the clock only to find that an hour has just gone by and all I’ve done is watch fanvids.
Recently though I’ve discovered something quite useful about fanvids; and that is their ability to help me write fanfiction. At first it happened by accident – I would watch a few videos in a particular genre or about my favorite character and suddenly I would find myself busily typing away at a fanfic soon after. Once I realized the power of the fanvid however, I started to use it purposely and had some great results.
Writing a particularly action-packed scene in your current fic? Find a few videos to match the mood and watch how fast your fingers fly across the keyboard.
Got a really emotional scene that you need to sink your teeth into? Just pull up a few sad fanvids and soon you’ll be wiping away your tears…while writing that pivotal scene.
If you’re stuck on a story or just can’t seem to get in the mood after a long day at work or dealing with those other issues known as “real life”, a fanvid can be the perfect way to get yourself back into the mindset you want.
Here are a couple examples of some fanvids I’ve found inspiring to my work:
Got a fanfiction issue, question or problem? I can help! I am now offering fanfiction consultating/coaching services to anyone, in any fandom, writing any type of story. If you’re interested in a consultation, just email me at Moki@mokisfanfictionblog.com to get a free evaluation and find out what I can do for you.
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Hey folks!
I’d like you to check out a guest post from Laura Glenmore, all about how to avoid writing a “Mary Sue” (for a full definition of this term, as well as any other fanfic terms, please see my Fanfiction Glossary).
I know I myself have cowered at the thought of adding a female OOC to any story, just out of fear of inadvertently creating a Mary Sue. Whether you’ve had the same worries, or have never even heard of a Mary Sue, I encourage you to check out Laura’s post. It’s vital reading for fanfiction writers everywhere.
Fanfiction Writing Tips: 5 Ways to Avoid the Dreaded “Mary Sue”
a guest post by Laura Glenmore
She’s exotically beautiful, talented, skilled and destined for greatness. Introducing the Mary Sue (or Gary Stu for male characters). She/he is, all in all, one step short of perfect. Or might already be.
Perhaps the most outstanding quality in a Mary Sue is her lack of flaws. Authors highlight their importance in the story by giving them as many positive attributes as possible. Other characters become overwhelmed by their beauty, wit and power. No one can really beat or compare to them.
Sound familiar? Perfect heroines have been in fanfiction since the beginning of time. If you’re starting to think that your OC might be one, don’t worry just yet. Not every character with a remarkable amount of great traits is necessarily a Mary Sue (MS). Writers can avoid this label by creating a believable back story that explains the positive traits.
However, if the trait appears out of thin air without any natural development, you’re looking at a MS. The attribute is given just to make the OC stand out. It lacks any personal growth and there’s no real justification as to why they’re like that.
Mary Sues are normally an idealized version of the author. So it’s up to you to make your characters as believable as possible. Here are a few useful tips to help you achieve it:
The Importance of Visual Imagery in Fiction and Fanfiction
Hello folks!
Here’s another great guest post, this time from writer Joy Paley, who may not be a fanfiction writer herself, but I found her advice very helpful for my fanfiction work. Hope ya’ll do, too.
Show Me, Don’t Tell Me: The Importance of Visual Imagery in Fiction
- A Guest Post by Joy Paley
If you know anything about the basic craft of creative writing, you’ve most certainly heard the oft repeated “show, don’t tell.” What many teachers might not offer are the different techniques you can use to show, instead of telling. Here are some of the best tools to have in your writer’s arsenal, to keep your prose active and exciting.
1. Dialogue
Dialogue is one of the most powerful ways you can flesh out a character, without getting boring or obvious.
Take this dialogue from The Great Gatsby; Daisy and Gatsby, long lost lovers, have just been reunited and their meeting is full of awkward happiness. Daisy appears to be crying for no reason, while looking at a stack of Gatsby’s clothes:
“They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such — such beautiful shirts before.”
The narrator of the story could have said, “Daisy seemed simultaneously ecstatic and scared upon seeing Gatsby,” but these two sentences of dialogue, where Daisy makes excuses for her spontaneous crying, say it all in a much more nuanced way.
2. Specific Details
Generic details like the line, “he was angry” are a classic symptom of telling and not showing. Hone in on details that are specific to your characters and setting, not that anyone could experience at any place or time.
See how Huck Finn describes his Pap’s anger in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
“Then the old man got to cussing and cussed everything and everybody he could think of, and then cussed them all over again to make sure he hadn’t skipped any, and after that he polished off with a kind of a general cuss all round…”
Huck’s account of his Pap’s anger lets the reader know that Pap is experiencing a very specific type of drunken anger. It’s related to the situation and the person being described and is not a generic, interchangeable sentence that could be found in any book or essay.
3. Avoid Clichés
A paragraph can be proofread and well-written, but if it’s got a cliche in it, it becomes dull and laborious to read. Why?
A cliché is a metaphor, gone stale; it no longer offers layers of meaning or description, because readers have heard it so much they don’t actually consider the comparison being made anymore.
Take this description of a black Mary statue from the popular bildungsroman The Secret Life of Bees:
“She was black as could be, twisted like driftwood from being out in the weather, her face a map of all the storms and journeys she’d been through.”
Do you think you would have the same exciting visual of this statue if the metaphor was “she was black as coal” or “ she was black as tar”? Those tired cliches don’t even bring an image into your mind, but the excellent metaphor above certainly does.
Joy Paley is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on the subject of earning your High School Diploma at Home for the Guide to Career Education.
Got a fanfiction issue, question or problem? I can help! I am now offering fanfiction consultating/coaching services to anyone, in any fandom, writing any type of story. If you’re interested in a consultation, just email me at Moki@mokisfanfictionblog.com to get a free evaluation and find out what I can do for you.
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More Fanfiction Writing Tips…
Using Screenwriting Tips to Write Better Fanfiction
Fanfiction Writing Tips: How To Get More Constructive Reviews
Fanfiction Writing Tips: How To Get More Reviews
Fanfiction Writing Tips: Writing a Good Action Scene
Fanfiction Writing Tips: Keeping Your Characters In Character
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