How to Write a Fanfiction

Co-authored by Lucy V. Hay

Last Updated: February 21, 2024 Fact Checked

Fanfiction refers to a type of fiction using the settings or characters of existing work in tribute to it. If you're a big fan of a certain fictional universe, you may choose to write about some of its characters yourself, either expanding the official story or changing it altogether. Although the readership of fanfiction tends to be quite low and niche, the people reading what you'll write are bound to be as passionate about the source material as you are. Fanfiction is a fun and creative way of expressing your love for something, and the possibilities are virtually limitless.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Exploring the Source Material

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Choose source material to work from. Fanfiction is always based on an existing work of art. You are essentially making a story that expands or otherwise alters existing fiction. The mediums you might choose from are endless. Fanfics have been written about books, movies, television shows, video games, and just about anything else with a narrative base and a fandom to admire. You should pick a fictional universe you already feel close to. Common choices for fanfic are Star Wars, Harry Potter, and a number of anime and manga franchises.
- The choice of the universe you choose to base your own work on will have the largest impact on your story and the way it turns out. Certain universes also favor certain approaches in fanfic. It's important to note however that your choices as a fanfic writer are limitless. You can do anything you want to the source material, even if that means transforming it into something else entirely.
Most fanfiction tends to be based on a science-fiction or fantasy-themed universe, like Harry Potter or Star Trek. These are great to base fanfics off of because they offer huge universes with an endless amount of storytelling potential. Look online and read up everything you can about the given universe. Even if you're planning on breaking free of the established canon (what the author/director/etc has already established) with your fanfic, it helps a lot to know the rules before you break them.

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Read some fanfiction. The best ideas you'll get for your work will be inspired by the source material itself. With that said, it still helps to see what other fans have done with the same ideas. Using a website like Fanfiction.net, Archive of Our Own, and Wattpad, or you can take a look through some fanfiction that matches yours on source material.^{[1]
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Research source} Read some stories people have written. Most importantly, get a grasp of the ways in which people use and adapt the source.
- In looking for fanfiction to read, you may get the looming impression that a lot of fanfiction lacks quality. Being part of the fanfic community means acknowledging that not everyone is at the same level of skill. Most fanfiction is amateurish. It takes patience to find the great stuff.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Planning Your Own Story

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Determine your scope. Because fanfiction is so diverse and open-ended, it helps to make some rules up for yourself before you go into writing it. Is your story going to be big or small? While some fanfictions can become as long as books, the majority tend to be fairly short. However, there is a lot of debate amongst the community as to how long a perfect fanfic would be.^{[2]
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Research source} Certain lengths and styles fit topics better than others. In the end, your length will be decided in the actual writing process, but it's a good idea to keep a prospective scope in mind before you put the pieces together.
- The shortest fanfics are called "drabbles".^{[3]
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  Research source} These are usually between 50-100 words long. It is surprisingly challenging to tell a story in such a small space, so it may be a good place to start if you want to test your skills without the time investment.
- So-called "fluff" pieces are short and light-hearted. They tend to be less than 1000 words and deal with a mundane aspect of a character's life.
- More involved fiction can be hundreds of thousands of words long. These tend to be the fanfics that people give most attention to, assuming they're fuelled by a plot that justifies the length.
- Fanfics don't need to be conventionally narrative or prose either. You can write your fanfic as poetry, or write up a tableau of a character's mental state during a given scene.
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Imagine "what-if" scenarios for your source material. All fanfic is based on speculation. Whether you decide to write a sequel to the work or alternative history, everything is based on that first "what if" question. What if a certain character died (or didn't die) at a certain point in the story? What do you think happens after the credits roll in a movie? Another common question discussed in fanfiction is "What if this character and this character were a couple?" This is called shipping and is a common, if not overused, source for fanfiction material. Ask yourself these questions in the early stages of planning fanfic.
- Explore the source material more if you are having a hard time finding a creative starting point. Failing that, look into more fanfic. It can be inspiring to see where other people have gone with it.
- Some writers write their own characters, or even themselves into fanfic, where they interact with the characters themselves. Any character created by the author is called an "OC", or original character. An OC meant as a stand-in for the writer is known as a self-insert.^{[4]
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- First, look for your concept, and then think about how that plot is going to work regarding the structure and the characters.
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Consider writing crossover fanfic. Crossover fanfiction refers to a genre of fanfic that combines characters from different fictional universes together. Like chemistry, the possibilities become virtually endless when you decide to mix two different things together. There tends to be a lot of very bad crossover fanfiction around, in large part due to the fact that it takes far more tact to harness multiple universes at once. However, they offer a lot of amazing opportunities for a prospective writer.^{[5]
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- An example for one crossover might be putting the characters from Star Wars in the Star Trek or Mass Effect universes.
- It is recommended you try your hand at crossover fanfic if you're torn between writing about two or more different universes for your next fanfic.
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Decide how true to the original you want to be. Because fanfictions are incredibly diverse, it's a good idea to figure out where you will stand relative to the rest of it. Some fanfiction will run amok with the source material to the point where it has no resemblance to the original. Others will try to create a true-to-form expansion of the original. Generally speaking, no matter where you go with it, the strongest fanfics at least retain the spirit of the source original.^{[6]
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- It's a good idea to consider the concept of "canonicity". Put simply, canon states whether something 'is or isn't' in a fictional universe. Portraying Star Wars' Han Solo as a swashbuckling rogue may be true to canon for example, but writing that he is a fan of the 90's sitcom Friends would certainly not be canon.
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Write from an outline. A proper outline can mean all the difference when it comes to writing fanfic. While you may brush an outline as too "work-like" for something that's ultimately supposed to be fun, knowing where you want to go with your writing can help minimize writer's block and make a more fluid product in the end. Many pieces of fiction use a similar dramatic arc. It may be broken down as such:
- The beginning. A beginning should set up the setting reasonably well, as well as establish the motivations and stakes of your central characters.
- Opening conflict. Something will often happen that sets a hero on his quest. This often (but not always) is the doing of the antagonist. The rest of the story will involve the protagonist trying to set things right again.
- The story's middle. The middle of a story may be seen as the meat of a character's quest. This is where the story's world is fleshed out, character relationships are kindled and strengthened, and the stakes are gradually raised.
- The low point. Before the story's resolution, there is usually a point where the character is at his most dire moment, where everything seems lost. You can probably think of many films that match this trope.
- The resolution. A climax wherein the protagonist triumphs. It usually comes shortly after the hero's lowest point and takes the momentum to the very end. There is occasionally a denouement (falling action) afterward where it shows the aftermath of the final conflict.
With an outline now in place, you'll have a visual reference with which to see how well your plot actually works. Before you sit down to write, it's a good idea to browse over the material you already have and see if you can trim (or expand) anything. Originality tends to come through in the editing process, where you can cut out the things that don't match your own vision. Keep in mind that a plot is arguably the most important thing casual fiction has going for it. Even if your writing skills themselves aren't the sharpest, you can still get a reader's attention if you're telling a great story.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Writing Your Masterpiece

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1
Begin your action early on. Assume from the start that whoever's reading your fanfic is going to have as much of a knowledge of the source material as you do. Giving them information or description at the start is not going to pull a reader in. Instead, you need to give action that's going to get them interested in reading more.^{[7]
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- In the case of fanfiction, the description is helpful, but there's a tendency to overdo it.^{[8]
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  Research source} Keep your descriptive writing compact and effective.
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Refer to the source material. If you ever run into writer's block or find your progress slowing down, it does a lot to return to your source material and enjoy it again. While you should be referring to the original if you're trying to stay true to canon, you should still be looking to your source material in the case of major revisions. Good fanfic is fuelled by a love of the source every bit as much as a natural creative talent, so making a habit of returning to enjoy the original work is a healthy habit to start.
- At different stages of your own writing process, you can get a better grasp of how your work matches (or snubs!) the tone of the original by returning to it. Given the thought you'll have been putting into writing your own fanfic, it's quite likely you'll have a more discerning eye for the source material.
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Stay true to your characters. While settings and story can be changed with more liberty, readers are not going to like it if you are changing the characters themselves. A character is much more than a visual appearance, and while your creative instinct should have the final word in all cases, you may as well have been writing a different name where theirs should go if you're making them do something they wouldn't do from the start.^{[9]
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Research source} Keep in mind that this is different from consciously trying to rework your characters.
- One example where radical character changes work is in the case of 'mirror universe' fics. Generally inspired by the Star Trek alternate universe episode, you could write a fanfiction that takes place in a mirror universe, where characters are an evil twin version of their official selves. Adding a beard or goatee to your characters to signify their evilness can be fun but isn't necessary.
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Write every day. The creative juices only really get flowing if you're putting yourself into the same project every day. Writing is a sure case of this, as you need to be thinking about what you're writing on a regular basis. Pick a time to write each day, and do your best to match it. It could be during your lunch hour or after work. Making a consistent habit of writing will ensure your story builds up quickly. Before you know it, you'll have a considerable piece of work to call your own.
- Many writers find listening to music that fits the tone you're going for is a good idea. For instance, if you're writing a Star Wars fanfic, listening to a John Williams score might put you in the right mindset for it.
- Most fanfics are less than 1000 words long, but it is recommended you try to go for something longer. Longer stories give more opportunity to explore characters, themes, and settings.
- If you're feeling the dreadful writer's block, it's probably due to a lack of confidence. Try pitching your story to friends and family members to get them on board. Brainstorm character motivations, brainstorm character archetypes and plot archetypes. This way, you'll have loads of pages of notes before you even go near the computer, and as a result, you'll be bursting with energy and ideas won't be able to wait to get to the computer to write.
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Edit your work. Editing is a necessary part of any kind of writing. If you want your fanfic to be taken seriously, rest assured you'll have to go through this process as well. Read over what you have and see what you can do to improve it. Remove parts of the work that don't matter, and add what you can if you think something needs clarifying.
- Showing your work to a friend early on can help. You can get his feedback before you invest the time in editing it. It is possible he'll be able to tell you specifically which things could use polishing.
Writing fanfic is going to be a learning experience. It's quite likely you'll gain skill over the course of writing it. However, it's important from a reader's standpoint that the work feels relatively consistent, whether in terms of tone or general writing quality. If you think your work has changed considerably over the course of your fanfic, taking some extra time to edit the earlier parts up to par can make all the difference.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Getting Your Work Out There

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Post your story on a Fanfiction outlet. Fanfiction has an extensive and devoted fanbase. There is a range of communities you can post your material on. Arguably the best-known and recommended of these is FanFiction.net.^{[10]
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Research source} The website has an exhaustive list of different categories, genres, and crossovers your work may fit into. Make an account and find the matching category for your work's source material.
- Quotev, Archive of Our Own, and Wattpad are alternatives if you're looking to publish your story in additional places.^{[11]
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  Research source} It is recommended to publish your story on multiple sites if you can, as this will maximize your story's exposure.
- There are certain websites that specialize in fanfiction from a particular source. If you're looking to read or write a fanfic from the Harry Potter universe, for example, there is at least one website specifically dedicated to it.^{[13]
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Send your work to publishers. As a general rule, fanfiction should not be written with the intent of having it published commercially. Copyright protects unlicensed individuals from taking advantage of creative property. However, publishers are beginning to warm up to the idea of publishing works of fanfiction.^{[14]
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Research source} Although your choice of the publisher will be limited to the one with the appropriate creative license, getting it accepted by them may actually stand the chance of turning your work into the series canon, provided it doesn't conflict with established canon.
- For fanfiction writers with commercial aspirations, you can remove any trademarked names and ideas in your story and replace them with original content. Some bestselling 'original' fiction, like E.L James' Fifty Shades of Grey and Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, began as works of fanfiction.
- If the book you're writing fanfiction for is common domain, it may be published without any name changes as long as your work is only based on the original works that are common domain.
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Link up with other fanfic writers. If you're starting to get serious about your creation you can do no better than to talk to other fanfiction aficionados. Sites like FanFiction are perfect for it. Not only will they be able to give you helpful tips and advice on how to improve your craft, but they'll also probably help promote your work if they like it enough.^{[15]
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Research source} As a general rule, if you offer feedback on someone's work, the chances are high you will receive feedback in return.
- It should go without saying that you'll receive the most helpful feedback from writers that are fans of the same source material you are using.

Annotated Fanfiction Page and Things to Include and Avoid

Annotated Fanfiction Page

Community Q&A

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How do I protect myself from being sued if I write a fanfiction?

Community Answer

Include a disclaimer noting who owns the copyrights to the characters and settings you're borrowing. As long as you don't make a profit from it or significantly detract from the market value of the original work in some way, you most likely won't come under fire.

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If I am writing a fan fiction that has multiple chapters, should I write one and wait for feed back and suggestions or just continue to write?

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Continue to write! People will start to read your fan fiction and leave reviews once you start posting more.

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Is it okay to change the characters feelings/emotions/personality a LITTLE BIT in the story?

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Definitely! In fact, many writers like to write what's called OOC (Out of Character) and emphasize one aspect of a character's personality. This is YOUR writing and you have the creative freedom to do what you want with it.

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Tips

Some people like to write their fanfictions as they go, but in order to keep from getting writer's block for a while and people giving up on your story, writing it ahead of time and posting it in pieces is a better idea!

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If you're writing fanfic purely for your own sake, there are absolutely no rules whatsoever.

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Fanfiction isn't limited to conventional narrative prose. You could even write a poem from a character's point-of-view.

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Warnings

Fanfiction is unlicensed by nature, so there's next to no money to gain in writing it. If commercial success is a priority of yours, you're better off coming up with creative properties of your own.

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Fanfiction has to stand up to many rubrics of traditional narrative writing. That includes staying consistent and giving care to basic things like proper spelling and grammar.

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If the original creator doesn't want anyone writing fanfiction of their characters, it is important to respect their wishes so you don't get sued.

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