Everything I know about writing, I learned from fan fiction
Well, not everything. I did learn some stuff about creative writing in high school, but that feels like eons ago, and I learned very quickly that my skills weren’t up to snuff when I first ventured into the world of Twific.
In the last eighteen months, I’ve written two novel-length stories, three chapters of a novella, a collaboration with my beta and a handful of one-shots. I look back at the first things that I wrote and marvel at how much better my writing has become. I am positive that wouldn’t have happened without the support of my friends in the fandom and the resources I’ve had the ability to take advantage of.
I wanted to share some of those things with you today. I know I’ve been sharing a lot, but sharing is caring, so I hope you enjoy my observations, which are admittedly probably the same as everyone else’s observations. But I’m going to put them out there anyway.
1. Get thee a beta. I know, it’s been said a million bajillion times before on every blog, in everyone’s “my experience in fanfic” columns, in chats, etc. That’s because it’s the truth. It is the most important thing you will do for your writing. It doesn’t matter how good you already are, you will still miss something. It’s just an inevitable part of writing; you grow so close to your own words and you read over your own chapters so many times that there is no way you can catch everything on your own. In fact, I catch things in other people’s writing that I miss in my own. For that reason, I am glad I have such an amazing beta.
Just as authors in the publishing industry have editors, authors in fan fiction need to have a beta. Even the most acclaimed and best-selling authors have an editor, so why would we assume we don’t need one? It’s the most important relationship you will have over the course of your story, even if it’s just a drabble or a o/s. And just as an author must be comfortable with their editor, fanfic authors need to be comfortable with their beta. Honest communication is key here. If you aren’t comfortable with your beta or you are frequently butting heads, then you probably need another beta. I have been lucky in that my real life bff has grammar skills that are off the chizzain, so of course I roped her into being my beta before either of us really knew what a “beta” was. We kind of muddled through the process together, and we have both come out on the other side with knowledge we didn’t know we didn’t already possess. It’s been a learning experience for both of us; one that I wouldn’t have wanted to share with anyone else.
If you aren’t as lucky as I was and you find yourself using a beta that you don’t know very well, it’s important to establish guidelines before you begin. If you prefer to use Track Changes for edits, you need to make sure your beta is comfortable using this method. If you want to upload everything to Google docs, you need to make sure your beta knows how to access it. Do you want strictly line editing, or do you want edits for flow and content? It’s a definite must that these things are discussed so you are both on the same page from the beginning, otherwise it can cause tension and frustration for everyone involved.
From the beta end of things: you should also always, always discuss time frame. As an author I know what it’s like to be impatient to post a chapter; as a beta I know what it’s like to have eight chapters in my inbox and mounting frustration at time constraints. If you expect the edits will take a few days, give yourself a week; if you think it will take a week, give yourself two. That way it’s a pleasant surprise to your author if you get it back sooner and you’ve given yourself leeway in case something unexpected happens. As a beta, you don’t want to slap a deadline on yourself that you know you can’t meet, and you also don’t want your author sitting around wondering what happened but afraid to contact you.
In the end, I wasn’t able to keep up with my beta duties, so I had to resign. Considering the fact that most betas are also authors working on their own multi-chapter stories, the time issue is probably the biggest issue. But most importantly, if you tell an author you’ll have the chapter back in three days, you need to have the chapter back in three days. Obviously shit happens and there are exceptions to every rule, which is why the author/beta communication is so important.
2. Brainstorming is fun. Sometimes, it’s a necessary tool. I am one of those people who don’t outline well. I never passed that part in my writing courses. My “outlines” resemble hastily written thoughts on a napkin more than they do an actual outline. I just don’t organize my thoughts well on paper, but I do know what I want to happen in my story. I have a fairly linear train of thought, so when that line runs up against a brick wall, I have a hard time plowing through it to find the line of the other side. Enter my brainstorming friend.
While I was writing Finding Forever, there were times where I would stop writing and just think, “well, crap,” because I knew where I wanted to go, but there was a mental ravine I had to cross to get there, and the bridge over said ravine had not yet been built. Those were the times where I fired up yahoo messenger and IM’d Meesh. I’m sure she cringed every time she saw “hey, you there?” pop up on her computer, but she always came through. She knows how my mind works and she would always catch things I didn’t. During the last three chapters, I came up against such a block that I didn’t know if I’d be able to finish the story or not. Had Meesh not been there at those odd hours to help me work it all out, I am certain I’d still be sitting on chapter 35 right now.
Meesh wasn’t the only one who helped me brainstorm; Saluki , Jules and Bforqueen helped me out a great deal too. They always let me vomit my ideas and work out the scenarios on gchat, no matter what time of day…or the middle of the night, in Bforqueen’s case. The people you brainstorm with don’t have to be your beta, just as long as they are invested in your story and they are people you trust.
3. Pre-readers are great for instant validation. I’m not going to lie, that’s originally why I took on my pre-readers, though I didn’t call them that at the time. Then, it was just a few friends that I forced to read my chapters in every single incarnation, especially if it was a chapter I was particularly fond of. In truth, I credit the WCs for helping me find my pre-readers. I always loved teasing in the WC sessions, and likewise loved being teased by the other authors. It’s a great way to find out if you are wasting your time on a particular stretch of chapter. When I found out about Google Docs, I was even happier, because I could give my pre-readers access and they could read the chapter as it was developing. If I wrote some really bad crap, I would be alerted before I finished the entire chapter.
When it comes to pre-readers, it’s important to be comfortable with their candor. The reason you want a pre-reader is so they can give you a thumbs up or thumbs down before releasing it to the masses. They can catch things you might not see yourself, such as dark themes, paragraphs that read awkwardly and mess up the flow of the chapter, etc. They can tell you if particular portions might offend sensitive readers. They also make the beta’s job easier, since they help you work out the kinks before it’s sent off in the final version. I owe my pre-readers a debt of gratitude because in the last six months, I think my writing has vastly improved because of the valued opinions of these women. It also took the stress off of my beta because I wasn’t emailing her a new Word doc every six minutes and asking her to read it immediately. Wait; who am I kidding? I still did that, I just did it through gdocs and gchat.
As in all things with your writing, make sure the people you trust with your chapters are, well, people you trust. Plagiarism is rampant in the fan fiction world, and while most people are honest, you still don’t want it falling into the wrong hands. Yes, it might be only fan fiction, but ask the authors how they would feel if their hard word had been ripped off by someone else. Even if it is a story that is based off of Twilight, Harry Potter, etc. it’s still something the authors put hard work into.
4. Grow a thick skin. There are always those jackholes out there who think they are professional literary critics and want to school you on how your story could be so much better if you just did a, b & c, even though the stories are generally posted chapter by chapter, and the reader has no idea if you are actually going to do a, b & c. There are always the people who, no matter how good your writing is, are going to find something to nitpick about. And, unfortunately there are always going to be trolls out there who just flame stuff for the sake of flaming, though they are much easier to deal with than the other two. A thick skin is important anytime you put a creation of yours out there for the world to see. My skin is still currently in development, but it’s much better than it was before. Just ask my beta. That doesn’t mean I don’t get frustrated when I get a negative review; but it’s going to happen. People don’t all have the same taste in what they want to read, which is why there is such a variety of genres out there, but if the negative reviews bring up valid points, you can still learn from them. However, if the reviews are just plain stupid, the best way I’ve found to deal with it is to laugh about it.
I’m not trying to come across as a seasoned author by any stretch of imagination; I’m far far from it. I’m merely noting my experiences from the last eighteen months. It’s been an incredible journey and I have learned a lot about myself over the course of my last two stories. I’ve been motivated to write an original story now that I’ve proved to myself that I can actually finish one. I plan to blog about my adventures writing original fiction, but that means I’ll actually have to start writing said original fiction. Hopefully it’s as fulfilling as writing fan fiction has been.
Until next time, have a blessed day!
Yeah, GREAT information, Sue! It’s always good to have these reminders out there, even when it’s been said again and again. When I first got into writing fan fic, I didn’t know what a beta was. I’ve been lucky to work with two incredible, amazing betas that have helped me grow and understand repetitive mistakes I have made in my work. Having a beta hasn’t only helped me become a better writer, it’s helped me become a better beta, too!!
I wrote a o/s for Wicked Wednesdays here at MVF and I sent it to PTB (this was back in the day before I had a regular beta). The suggestions they made for my story really helped it to be a more developed piece than what it was when I submitted it.
Thank you so much for putting this out there again, invaluable!
Hey bb!!
I totally agree with everything. Especially the part about the beta. I’m lucky that Jess was willing to beta me without even thinking about it and I’m proud to have not only the fastest beta on the planet, but also such a skilled one, who understands everything I write, is totally into my story and not afraid to call me on stuff. It helps that she’s also a wonderful person and a good friend, which makes our beta/author relationship that much more valuable. I wish I could pay her for the ammount of work she puts into making my stuff presentable…she deserves it.
As for pre-readers…They have become very important! There are often times when I think something I write sucks, until you guys come in and tell me I’m stupid for even thinking it. Or when something is so clear to me, but none of you guys get it and I know I need to add something. All of this stuff is so important, and I’m still learning it all.
Good blog bb!!
xoxo
Haha, you know I can’t resist commenting! :P
I agree with every single point you made, Susan. I’ve been writing IPoN for almost a year and a half now, & it’s been… quite a journey – both for positive reasons & for negative.
It’s taken me quite a while to develop a thicker skin. I used to get quite defensive & argumentative when I got criticisms that were less than positive. Now, however, if I think a reader made a valid point, I thank them & tell them that in retrospect they’re probably right. If I don’t agree, I might make a small comment in defense of my writing decisions, but more often than not, these days I merely thank them for reading. Funny thing about that – I had a reader at FFn who announced to me that they’ll no longer be reviewing because I “can’t handle criticism,” just because I didn’t argue with them or get defensive.
Flames – I used to react badly to it. Badly I had to’ve been the most thin-skinned person on the planet. I must be getting used to it now, though, because now I find it funnier than anything. A reader called me a “motherfucking whore” in a recent review, and I actually laughed.
In regard to outlining – I personally think it’s an invaluable tool. IPoN Book II is so much more organized than Book I, and I have the fact that I outlined Book II to thank for that. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that it’s necessary to stick to that outline religiously, because a lot of plot points develop as you’re writing, but it’s definitely a useful guide and an organzing tool for your brainstorming.
Brainstorming with others – The brainstorming sessions with my beta definitely helped me to hammer out plot holes & to develop my story. I’d recommend it to anyone.
Betas – I’ll admit to not using one with all my oneshots, but I’d never do a multichaptered fic without one. Susan made a valid point about being too close to your own writing; what makes sense in your mind might not necessarily make sense to other people, & you don’t seem to catch things in your own writing that you might catch in others.’ Odd but true. Pre-readers are good for this purpose too – especially if you need a “test audience.”
That being said, reliable betas are often difficult to find, especially when you’re a newbie to the fandom. That’s actually why I didn’t have one for many of my o/s’s. Luckily, there are sites like Project Team Beta now. I wish I’d heard of that site when I’d first started writing Twific.
Anywho, thanks for sharing your experience, Susan! :D
-Kari