Are you trying to write a well-done, entertaining Rowdyruff Boys/Powerpuff Girls fanfiction?

If so, read on:

Hello, my name is Hana (but you can call me Nights). I'm here to help you write an awesome fic! But, you must be willing to follow along and read carefully.

The usual steps for writing are these:

Plan

Write

Rewrite

Edit

But since a lot of us get confused with these steps, I shall divide this into three categories: Planning, Writing, and Publishing. Each category will be separeted into steps. So, here we go!

1. Planning

Step one: The Plot.

You're sitting on your bed when suddenly, THE BEST PLOT EVER POPS INTO YOUR HEAD! What do you do? How do you react?

Most amateur writers will rush to the computer and type out it out in story format, publish it, and, a few chapters later, abandon the story and never let it see the light of day again.

Do we want to do that? Nope. So, this is what we should do:

1. Instead of rushing to the computer to type out the "oh so marvelous idea", research it. Think about it. Ask yourselves these questions:

A. Does this plot make sense?

B. Would my characters (In this case the RRB and the PPG) fit well into this story?

C. Will I be able to update this later on?

2. If you answered "Yes" to all of the above, take a sheet of college-ruled paper and write out your thoughts on it. Make sure that you know enough about the subject that you can make it into a good, well-developed story. If you can write a short drabble on the basic plot, then good for you! You are one step closer to creating a good story.

3. Afterwards, think about the later chapters. Ask yourself these questions:

A. Will I get tired of writing this?

B. Can I write at least one paragraph for each chapter I plan to write?

4. If you answered "yes" to B, then take out some more paper (or enter a new document in Word) and type out a paragraph for each chapter you wish to write. Not only is this easier then an outline, but it lets you know whether you will drift away from the main plot or not. Make sure to stick to the chapter outline. Whatever, you do, DO NOT DRIFT AWAY FROM THE OUTLINE. If you suddenly get a wonderful idea in the middle of writing your fic, go back to your outline and make sure that it fits with the format.

Step Two: Character Development

1. Since this is aimed at RRB/PPG fanwriters, I'm going to make this very clear: DO NOT MAKE ONESHOTS WITH THIS PAIRING. Take your time. Remember that the Rowdyruff Boys DESPISE the Powerpuff Girls. They want them dead. For this pairing, it's best if the story is chaptered. Also, make sure that they stay in character. I'm sorry, but Brick isn't a prince charming who loves flowers and dandelions. He's tough. Egotistical. And he would do ANYTHING to destroy the powerpuff girls.

So, to help you out, I have gotten character profiles on the RRB and the PPG:

Blossom: "the smart one" and self-proclaimed leader of the Powerpuff Girls. Her signature color is pink, and she has long red hair with a red bow. She was named for having spoken freely and honestly to the Professor shortly after her creation. She is often seen as the most mature, level-headed and composed member of the group, although she can also be fussy, overbearing, vain, and overly analytical at times. She tends to "parent" Bubbles and Buttercup, and often tries to play peacemaker between the two if they fight (though she is very quick to argue with Buttercup). In the episode "Ice Sore", her special superpower is revealed to be ice breath. Blossom also studies Chinese, and knows how to speak it to a certain degree.

Bubbles: "the cute one". Her signature color is light blue, and she has short blond hair in two pigtails. She was named for her cute and bubbly personality. She tends to act like the baby of the group, despite being the same age. Her best friend is a stuffed octopus doll she calls "Octi". She displays and is defined by innocence, playfulness and gentle demeanor, having a tendency to be naïve, ditzy, submissive and sensitive, leading to her often being regarded, by friends and foes alike, as the group's weak link. She can become very independent and aggressive when pushed, however, and among the girls, she is most feared by Mojo Jojo after having single-handedly taken him down in a fit of rage in the episode "Bubblevicious". Her special superpower is that she knows all languages — Spanish, Japanese, cat, dog, squirrel, and so on — shown in the episodes "Fuzzy Logic" and "Stray Bullet".

Buttercup: "the tough one". Her signature color is light green, and she has short black hair in a flip. She was named because "Buttercup" begins with the letter "B" like her sisters, much to her chagrin. She is a tomboy and is easily enraged. Sometimes her aggression gets the better of her, making her reckless and stubborn. She possesses a mean and somewhat vindictive streak not shared by her sisters. She has, however, shown a softer side in several episodes. For example, in the episode "Cover Up", she had a soft green blanket that she was obsessed with that she would hug that gave her the confidence to be a better fighter, and she is quite protective over her sisters.

RowdyRuff Boys:

Brick: Blossom's equivalent, he is the abrasive, short-tempered leader who possesses little of Blossom's tactical logic. He often goes off on gloating tangents that even irritate his brothers. He wears a red cap compared to Blossom's bow. He also originally shared Blossom's hair bangs which were visible under his hat. After his resurrection, the bangs are no longer visible, having been replaced with a long, spiky ponytail. One difference between him and Blossom is that she is the group's peacemaker, whereas Brick is practically the cause of most of the arguing within the group. His signature color is red.

Boomer: Bubbles' equivalent, he is a loud-mouthed dimwit, as opposed to Bubbles' naive sweetness. Bubbles stated in the episode "The Boys are Back in Town" that she thought Boomer was "cute." His hair parts in a curved fashion like Bubbles; it goes on longer on each side and lacks pigtails. After his resurrection, his hair is longer and spikier on each end. One difference between him and Bubbles is that he isn't easily disgusted, while she is very easily disgusted by most of the stuff that he would almost always enjoy. His signature color is blue.

Butch: Buttercup's equivalent, he is a hyper-aggressive borderline psychotic, exceeding Buttercup in both blood lust and rage. He has a tendency to twitch when he gets particularly excited. He shares Buttercup's small triangular part and had a small cowlick on top of his head in place of Buttercup's flip. After his resurrection, all his hair spikes upwards. One difference between him and Buttercup is that he has no conscience whatsoever, while she would occasionally apologize. His signature color is green.

2. Now, ask yourselves: "Does my story make my characters seem OOC? Are they in character? Would they really act this way?" When it comes to RRB/PPG, it is better when the chapters are a bit longer and more drawn out. Make sure that you show the progressiveness in the "falling in love" part of your story. Remember: they DESPISE each other.

2. Writing

Step One: Following the Format

One thing that most amateur writers will almost always do is depart from the format. Folks, this is a big no-no! The reason you wrote the format in the first place was to make sure that you wouldn't wander away from the plot. Ask yourselves these questions:

A. Am I following the format?

B. Does this chapter make any sense?

C. Is this relevent to anything I have previously written?

If you answered "No" to any of the above, then I suggest to deleting that chapter and rewriting it. Yes, I know, it sounds horrible, but it's for the best. If you want people to take your work seriously, then you must do your best on your stories, even if they are "just fanfics". Each story you write is a step further to developing your skills.

Step Two: Editing

When you are writing a story, most of the time you lose track of yourself. You are so into the chapter, that you do not really pay attention to your grammar or to your spelling. And when you are done, you are so excited to post it up online that you don't even care to look over it. Do you think that most professional authors do that? Of course not! They check their work over and over again. Ernest Hemmingway, one of the greatest writers of the modern era, wrote over one hundred drafts for one book! Patience is the key word here.

Using the grammar and spelling checker on your computer can be useful, but remember that sometimes the computer can miss things, like instead of saying "Powerpuff" you say "Powderpuff". Obviously the computer won't know the difference. Sometimes the best way to check your work is by doing it yourself.

Also, do not use IMing lingo (ex. lol, btw, rofl, lmao, brb, gtg, :D, :), ^-^ etc.) Not only is it annoying to read, but it gives the impression that you are immature and don't care for grammar. Remember, you want people to think of you as a mature, experienced, and professional writer. You may be amateur, but your writing can seem professional.

3. Publishing

Step one: Title

Every good story deserves a good title right? Right! Make sure that your title is eye-catching, attractive, and has relevance to your story. Here is an example of a good title:

Heaven's Gate

Now, here's an example of a BAD title:

Does this really need a title?

or

RRBXPPG lool!

Notice how each title gives off an aura. The first one says, "Sophisticated, eye-catching, too good to resist, marvelous ect." The second one says, "My author was too lazy to give me a title, so the story is probably pretty lazy too." And the third one says, "This story is going to make your eyes bleed and your IQ drop ten points." And all three titles are for the same story, but each title gives the reader a biased opinion of the story.

Step Two: The Summary

Ah, the summary. The window to your story. Many people underestimate the importance of this small, but vital part to critiques. But seriously folks, this is vital for people to know what your story is about. How else are people going to know about the plot to your story? Here's an example of a well-written summary:

"Who are you really?" the small figure asked, her body swinging gracefully with the wind. "Which one of you is really the mask?" -from the Justice League section.

Doesn't that want you to read more? Don't you want to know what happens? Doesn't it make it seem as if the the writing is going to be even better inside? That's the trick to getting people to read your stories: good summaries. Now, here's an example of a badly written summary:

PPGXRRB, lol, I'm not good at summaries but the storis really good thanx!

What does that tell you about the author? If she's not good at summaries, how do you expect her to be good at storytelling? The summary is the simplified plot element that you use to attract readers. It tells gives people a biased opinion on your writing without them reading your stories! The key to respect from other writers is a good summary. It goes this way in the real world too.

Step Three: Reviews

I'm going to make this short and simple: there are the good reviews and there are the bad reviews. Almost always, when you write a fanfiction, people are going to give you this kind of response:

"OMG! THIS IS SO GOOD! UPDATE SOON PLZ!"

This is NOT the kind of review you want to get. As you mature, and as your writing matures, these people are going to leave you. You won't be getting the same kind of attention you were getting when all you wrote was fluff. Believe me, I know.

What you want is a constructive criticism. Not a flame, not a "you suck!" criticism, but a well-written, thought out critique. Be wise and don't respond to the review with an "OMG YOU ARE SUCH A LOSER MY WRITINGS JUST FINE THANKS!!" Read it through and apply it to your writing. Be wise. FIX IT. Critics come with everything, so you have to learn to deal with it. If they say you have horrible grammar, improve your grammar. If they say you have horrible spelling, improve your spelling! It's that simple. These things HELP YOU.

Well, that about all I have to say folks. Anymore questions? Go ahead, review or PM me. I'm here to help!

Oh...And I'm sorry about making fun of you guys earlier. I really am. Take this as my "nice version" :).

Signed,

Nights.