FanFiction Garret

You've got your road map for your story? Now you're ready to start planning conflicts, and from conflicts build scenes. I think in scenes when plotting out my stories; brainstorming until the entire work plays like a movie in my head. It happens almost automatically now, so if I miss something or have made things more confusing trying to explain, please let me know.

If you study the how-to side of writing long enough, you will gather conflicting messages or what appear to be conflicting messages. Everyone has a different writing approach so it’s only to be expected. But it can be confusing. For example, Jack M. Bickham titled Chapter 32 of his book The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) “Don’t Chase the Market.”

Most English teachers concentrate on the nonfiction approach to a paragraph. You have a topic sentence with three or four supporting sentences, and wallah you're on to the bigger structure of the paper.

Fiction is different.

A new speaker always begins a new paragraph. A new speakers means someone different starts talking. It can be someone present in the scene, someone who just walked in, or someone who has never spoken before.

You've read a story and you'd like to leave a comment; something more useful than "that was good" but less than offering a suggestion for any flaws like an in-depth critique. Orson Scott Card in his book How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy gives five questions that concentrate on story mechanics instead of literature theory.

First I would like to apologize for the lateness of this tutorial. The New Orleans Saints football team (American football) won their first Superbowl, and I got caught up in the revelry.

Now a short review: a plot is a series of causally related events that emerge from a series of ever-intensifying conflicts and proves a premise at the end. Unlike real life, fiction has a point and once you reach that point, you feel satisfied as a reader. That's the difference between a great ending and a groaner.

I have recently fallen in love with fanmixes and started making my own. What is a fanmix? It is a soundtrack; based around the universe, a character, a relationship, or a fanfic. You group the songs you have chosen for it, make cover art for it, and present it for other people to enjoy. There are two methods to the presenting. Method A is to list the titles and performers of the songs with lyrics and/or commentary about why you chose it. This method won’t get you in trouble with the record companies and some fandom sites insist on it so they won’t get in trouble.

Verbs That Aren't Verbs

Welcome back to the discussion of verb forms. Only verbals, which are formed like verbs, are not used as verbs in the sentence. They are nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, and are commonly found starting a phrase.

They are three types of verbals: participle, gerund, and infinitive. What this tutorial will do is define each type, give examples of their phrases, and let you test yourself on them.

What the Heck is Pacing?

Pacing is an often overlooked element of a story. Have you ever put a story aside because it dragged? Were completely confused because of the rapid speed? Agitated because there was nothing but action, action, and more action? In short, pacing is the managing of internal pieces for the story's best interest (and the reader's continued pleasure).

Okay, so you've done the exercises and know your characters as thoroughly as you can possible know them. Now how do you get the readers to know them that well? "Show don't tell." If you haven't heard that writing rule before now, you should know that it is the oldest writing dictum around. With characters, it means you put them in action every chance you get.

Example: The tan-furred humanoid pulled off his helmet, reveling clearly the mouse stamp on his facial features. He raised his empty hands and took another step closer.

First some definitions to make sure we’re all on the same page.

Canon

means “the authentic works of a writer” or “a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works.” For fanfiction writers, this means the movie, television show, or book providing the source material for the universe the fanfiction is set in.

AU