So, you're an aspiring fanfic writer, are you? Or have
you already tried your hand at writing fic, but want some pointers on
how to improve your writing? Then read on! This page is designed
to help those people who are eager to write fanfic for Buffy (although most
of what I'll say here can be applied to any other fandom as well), but are
unsure of where to start, what constitutes good fic, and how to keep your
readers interested.
While this is meant to be helpful, please keep in mind that this is
all MY opinions (or the opinions of other people who submit suggestions
for this page to me), it's not a bible for fic, or the last word. I
am not a professional writer, I've never had anything published, I'm just
a poor college student with an enjoyment for writing, and an avid reader with
very specific tastes in writing styles. This page is merely meant as
a resource for those wishing to improve their fic, but unsure as to how to
go about doing it. Most of the things listed here are either common
sense, or my pet peeves. :-) Everyone has different tastes and standards
for fic, so what I might hate in fic writing, others might enjoy, or what
others hate, I might not mind. So, basically what I'm trying to
say is that this is meant to help, not to bash anyone's writing styles,
or anything like that. :-)
Anyway, on with the show. I'm dividing this page into a few different
sections to make it easier to find the information you want, instead of
lumping it all together.
Grammar & Spelling Guidelines | Buffy Lore
Guidelines | Plot Guidelines | General Fanfic Etiquette
*****
Grammar & Spelling Guidelines
Yes, grammar and spelling DO matter. A lot. While nothing
can spoil a fic more than a boring plot line, the closest thing on the list,
at least as far as I'm concerned, is poor use of grammar, or a ton of misspelled
words. I'm not an English major or anything, but my mom drilled grammar
into my head as a teenager, and it's stayed ever since. Bad grammar
is one of my pet peeves when I read a fic, and I often end up stopping
part way through a fic (or even a book), never to finish it, simply because
I can't stand to pick my way through the run-on sentences and poor punctuation.
The ability to combine an interesting plot line with intelligent grammar
is what makes a truly good writer. Yes, it takes practice (you should've
seen the first few fics that I wrote, after I got them back from my beta
reader- they were so full of corrections that I almost trashed them!), and
yes, it can be frustrating, but it really does make a difference. Having
an idea for your story is the first step in writing, but in order to share
your idea with others, you need to be able to form a decent sentence!
That said, I HIGHLY suggest that all fanfic writers find someone who
is not only knowledgeable in the Buffy universe, but who has a good grasp
of the proper use of grammar and spelling. Find that person, and
beg them to be your beta reader. It can make a HUGE difference. Not
only do you get someone to bounce ideas off of if you're stuck, but you'll
have someone who can tell you when you've strayed too far from the lore
of the Buffyverse, or when your story is too unbelievable, or when you've
got too many run on sentences. I swear by my beta readers; I don't
know what I'd do without them. So find one, or find ten- just find
someone to read through your story before you post it on your web site or
to a mailing list!
I'm not going to go into a long list of grammar rules here, because
frankly, I don't know the exact specifics of most of them, and even if I
did, it would take forever. Writing has always been one of my strong
points, and while I'm pretty good at grammar, I still make mistakes sometimes,
and I often don't know the reason for why I write the way I do. So,
instead of trying to give you a bunch of rules for grammar (if you want
those, go buy a book on writing, such as A Writer's Reference, by
Diana Hacker), I'm simply going to point out some of the most common mistakes
I find myself making when writing fic, or that I see others make in their
stories. If you know what to look for, it's easier to avoid doing!
***
#1- Avoid run-on sentences. That doesn't mean that your
sentences all have to be short and choppy; it just means that you need
to learn to punctuate your sentences properly, so that they flow well, and
do not appear too long. If you're unsure of how to use commas in a
sentence, and don't really have anyone to ask for help, your best bet is
to say the sentence out loud. Pay attention to how you say it-
where you pause, where you add emphasis, etc. Places where you naturally
would pause when speaking the sentence are a good bet of where to place a
comma. This isn't a fail-safe way of punctuating, but at least it's
a place to start!
An example of a run-on sentence: "Buffy walked down the street
towards the Bronze wondering if her friends would be on time and if she
would have any vampires to fight that night and she also pondered what she
was going to order to eat and drink and she hoped that the Bronze had a good
band that night."
A better way (but not the only way) to write this sentence would be:
"Buffy walked down the street towards the Bronze, wondering if her friends
would be on time. She hoped that the vampires would lay low tonight,
so that she could have a relaxing evening for once, with nothing more to
worry about than what to eat or drink, and what songs to dance to."
***
#2- Vary your writing style to avoid repetition. If every
paragraph starts off the same, the story is going to start to sound very
repetitive and boring. The same goes if you always use short sentences,
or if you always use long sentences. Instead, try starting your sentences
in different ways (not only for the beginning of each paragraph, but within
each paragraph as well. You don't want every sentence to start something
like, "She walked.... She did this... she did that...etc.") Also,
try mixing short sentences and longer sentences together in a paragraph
to vary the tempo. Short sentences, when used too often, can make a
story seem really choppy and childlike, but when used in moderation, they
are a great way to add punch and emphasis to what you're saying.
***
#3- Commonly Misspelled Words
There are many commonly misspelled words out there, and spell check is
one of the best ways of catching the misspelled words in your story. However,
spell check is not always right, and often, if there is more than one way
to spell a word, it will not catch it. For example, take the words
"its" and "it's." They sound the same, but their meanings are very
different. "It's" is a contraction of "it is," and is only used in
place of those words. An example sentence is "It's not the only choice
we have!" You can tell that "it's" is the proper form to use in this
sentence, because you can also substitute "it is." The word "its" is
not a contraction, and it implies possession. An example sentence is
"I hope its solution makes sense!"
Some other commonly misspelled words:
Their- implies possession. "Their house was filled with
potential Slayers."
They're- contraction of "they are." "They're finally here!"
There- directional. "The sword is over there."
To- a preposition (if that even helps, I can't think of a good
way to describe it!) "We should go to the Magic Box."
Too- implies that there is too many of something. "There
are too many vampires here for us to fight!"
Two- a number. "The two girls walked quietly into the cave."
Where- location. "Where the heck is Dawn?"
Were- past tense. "When were you going to call me?"
Affect- exert an influence. "She affected the outcome of
the world."
Effect- to accomplish, result. "The final effect was astounding."
Than- used in comparisons. "Buffy is more powerful than Willow."
Then- denotes time. "Buffy pulled out a stake, then charged at
the vampire."
Raise- to move or cause to move upward. "Buffy raised the
sword."
Rise- to go up. "Vampires rise at night."
***
#4- Re-Read Your Story When You're Done
Double-check your work when done- look for typos, misspelled words, incorrect
punctuation, etc. When reading fics, I often notice places where the
writer forgot to put any kind of ending punctuation on a sentence at all.
I think it is often just because the writer is thinking much faster
than he/she types, and so punctuation gets left out in the rush to get
the words down.
***
#5- Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are very important, because they mark what words are actually
being said by a character. Learn how to use quotation marks, and also
remember to vary the word usage. Many new writers overuse the phrase
"she said." There are many other ways to alert your reader as to who
is speaking, and also to convey the tone of the exchange. Below is
an example of a few ways to go about this.
"It's too late," Buffy wailed.
Willow tried to calm her down. "No, it's not. Come on, Buffy,
we've still got a chance."
"Yeah, we just need to keep our heads on straight," Xander interjected.
"But it's too hard! We're never going to be able to defeat him."
Buffy's distress was evident in her voice.
See what I mean? Hopefully
this explained what I'm trying to say better than I'd ever be able to! :-)
***
#6- Paragraph Usage
Paragraphs are another very important aspect of a story. Like sentence
length, I like to vary the size of my paragraphs. Some are shorter
(but try to avoid having a bunch of one word paragraphs, unless their dialogue.
Technically a paragraph must have at least two sentences, although
sometimes I break this rule when I'm trying to add emphasis to what I'm saying.),
and some can get pretty long. However, remember that the function of
a paragraph is to make the story easier to read. Looking at a solid
page of text, without any breaks, can be pretty damn daunting, plus if the
reader gets distracted, it is very hard to find where they left off reading.
Paragraphs are supposed to group together common information or one viewpoint.
Try to avoid skipping all over the place in a single paragraph. Instead,
try to fill the paragraph with more details about a single occurrence in
your story. For example, try not to have Buffy walking in the graveyard,
fighting a vampire, having a conversation with Spike, and then returning
home all in one paragraph. These are all separate things, and should
be given more attention in their own paragraphs. It will help add depth
and imagery to your story, as well as make it easier to read. The same
is true about viewpoints. If you're writing a paragraph about Willow's
thoughts, don't include Dawn's personal thoughts and Buffy's personal thoughts
in the same paragraph. It just gets too confusing.
***
#7- Tenses
Coming SOON
*****
Buffy Lore Guidelines
Coming Soon!
*****
Plot Guidelines
Coming Soon!
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General Fanfic Etiquette
#1- Disclaimers
Always, ALWAYS give your story a disclaimer. The point of a disclaimer
is to alert the reader to the fact that you are not in any way affiliated
with the creators of the show, and that you are not making any money of the
story. While sometimes this seems like it should be obvious, it's still
an important detail, because it keeps you from getting into legal trouble
if Joss, or someone associated with the show, comes across your story and
is angry at you for using the Buffy characters.
***
#2- Ratings
Always give your story a rating. Some people who read fic are under
18, or simply do not like to subject themselves to the more graphic violence,
sex, or swearing that is found in some stories. A rating system is
a way for you to alert your readers as to what kind of themes you have in
your story. A quick guideline to ratings:
PG- for all audiences, regardless of age. No swearing
(or very, very mild swearing. I'm not sure what the official rules
are, but I imagine that the use of words such as "hell" might be allowed if
it was in a religious context), no graphic violence (this doesn't mean that
there can't be violence, just that you shouldn't have descriptions of entrails
getting ripped out of the body, blood flying, etc.), and no graphic sex.
PG-13- Audiences thirteen and older. More swearing
and violence are allowed. Sexual situations are also allowed to an
extent, as long as they are not explicit.
R- For audiences seventeen and older. As much swearing
as you want, graphic violence, and fairly graphic sex scenes are allowable.
NC-17- for audiences eighteen and older. Pretty much
anything goes here, you can get as explicit as you want with sex and violence.
Slang words can be used for sexual organs (although, if you're trying
to create a meaningful love scene, instead of a mindless fuck, I'd suggest
watching what words you use).
***
#3- Spoiler Warnings
It is considered polite to give a little spoiler warning at the beginning
of your fic if you are including direct references to a particular episode
or season. Some countries are a season or more behind the U.S. airing
schedule, and people who haven't seen an episode may wish to be kept in suspense,
so that when they finally do see it it is a surprise. All you really
need to say is something along the lines of, "Contains spoilers for "First
Date," season 7."
***
#4- Thanking Your Beta Readers
A nice gesture is to acknowledge the time and effort your beta readers
put into your story. You don't have to get all lengthy, but a brief
sentence like, "Thanks to my wonderful betas for all their help" is nice.
You can include their names if you'd like (and if they are ok with
that- some people like to remain anonymous), but you don't necessarily have
to.
*****
Other good places to go for fanfic help:
The Concept Sheet- http://www.geocities.com/dannyblue2/pl-conceptsheet.html