Fanfiction Rules

These aren't made by me, but I figure every author should have them in their profile to help improve their writing. Written by Bookworm Gal, A.K.A The Queen of Bookworms. Check her stories out, they're awesome!

1) Do not make canon characters act completely out-of-character. The only reason you should do that is if you handle it carefully, it is short term, and you have a very good explanation as to why. Nothing throws a person for a loop like their favorite character acting weird all of a sudden. This also means that you shouldn't treat your least favorite character like they're an idiot just because you hate them. Try to be fair to all the members of the canon, not just those you like. In fact, take it as a challenge to write them well, despite your personal feelings.

2) "There," "their," and "they're" are different words with different meanings. The same goes for "it's" and "its." Learn them and know which one is which. It makes a world of difference in your writing if you use the correct word.

3) Reread and double-check your work. Spell-check is not fool-proof. Sometimes just going over something will help you spot dumb mistakes. I end up writing out on paper my story first, then type it. That takes care a lot of mistakes, just copying it to the computer. Then, I reread it a little later to spot the rest. Find your own system, but you need to reread your work!

4) One word, people: grammar. Do not fear it; love it. Nothing can scare off a reader like horrid grammar in a story. And if they do stick around, chances are they can only barely understand what they're reading.

5) All pairings are fair game, if it makes sense. If there is no hint at a character having feelings towards another, good or bad, why act like its been there all along? Those new feelings can develop, but don't create them all at once. It's not nice to break up an established couple just to stick the hero with your original character either. And not every boy and girl (or boy and boy, or girl and girl. I'm not against that, if there is a evidence of that in the canon to support that kind of relationship. Please don't do that just because you can) has to be a couple. Friendships can be just as important and difficult to craft, but worth the effort in the long run.

6) "Ain't" is not a word. The only reason I will allow it in a story is in dialog. People can say it in conversation, but other than that... NO!

7) Be descriptive in your work. Don't just say "It was a black cat," say "The feline rubbed his midnight fur against her leg, blinking his amber eyes with pleasure." Much more fun to read.

8)There are hundreds of ways to say "said" (yelled, cried, whispered, begged, questioned, wondered, remarked, called, announced, gasped, laughed, smirked, growled, groaned, screamed, smiled, joked, hissed, explained, described, muttered, grinned, wept, panted, sighed, asked, coughed, snarled, shrieked, snapped, chuckled, choked, shouted, giggled, moaned, whined, complained, whimpered, breathed, mumbled, assured, purred, informed, babbled, yelped, lied, suggested, complimented, blabbed, snickered, commented, replied, grumbled, summarized, declared, etc). Use them. They're more descriptive of the tone, volume, style, and emotions of the speaker and really take a good story to a great story. I'm not saying that you can't use "said," but don't be afraid to spice things up a little too.

9)Don't be afraid to try new story ideas. Just think them out first. How many times do you find a fanfiction that is incomplete because a writer doesn't know where to go from there? It helps to have a rough plan for the story of how to get from point A to B. It prevents you from writing yourself into a corner. You can always change it as you go, but it will give you some structure to work with.

10)Original characters are fine to add to a story, just beware of the curse of Mary Sue. Make them believable. This means faults, imperfections, a back story (not a overly sappy one with either too much perfection or too much angst! That's not a back story; that's a soap opera), and real personality. Don't just photocopy yourself in so you can date your favorite character, either. Create an original character, meaning not existing elsewhere (including the real world). In all likelihood, not every canon character will like the same person equally. Some may hate them (shocking, right?) and they could be very well justified in their hate. Some personalities just clash. (This does not mean that your least favorite character must be mean to your original character so you can show the world why you hate that character. Try to be better than that.) The more realistic you can make them, the better. If possible, create an individual that could easily have existed since the beginning, even if they didn't deal with the canon characters directly, and seems to belong in that universe.

A story about a traveler.( I don't own this short tale, props to who did though!)

Once upon a time, there was a curious traveler. At first, he was bitter, and was not fond of the world he discovered on his long journey. “This place is full of nothing but conceit and ignorance. There is so much to know and so much to see, and all they do is destroy it and stand still, blind to it’s beauty.” He looked down on them in spite.

But the longer the traveler explored the world, the more he grew to tolerate it. He learned there were those who were strong, and kind, and those who could learn. He learned they were not as weak as he’d thought, and he started to even like them. He wanted to show them the things he knew, he wanted to protect them and help them grow.

The traveler found many others who would travel with him for a time, ones he could share his secrets with. He loved to see them smile, and discover things just as he’d done many times. They could never stay with him, but he was fine because there were more to meet and see.

As he continued on his travels, he grew to be a hero. The more he loved them, the more he protected them. He saved the world many times without ever asking to be thanked. But in this big world, he was actually very lonely. There was no one who would ever really understand the things he’d seen, or anyone who would stay with him. He never really wanted them to leave, but he knew they always would.

So he would smile, and show them as much as he could because he wanted them to stay with him as long as possible. He hid away his own feelings, his darkness, his selfishness, and his pain because it meant “Just a little longer.” His love for this discovered world grew and grew, but with that so did the pain of knowing there were some he could never save, and those who would leave him. His love was so great that he learned to lie in order to protect his own heart and the hearts of those around him.

But one day, the traveler grew tired. His travels were long, and his loneliness was devouring him. He collapsed, unable to walk any further. But he thought “I have made many friends. Perhaps if I rest a while, one of them will come and carry me just until I get my strength back.”

So he waited, and he waited…

There were those who passed him without a glance, and some who remembered him but only scowled and scorned him, for they believed he had given up. “Look, the rest of the world is suffering and you’re just lying there. How pitiful that someone we thought was good is actually so selfish. You’re a liar.”

No one came to help the traveler. And slowly, he remembered why he originally hated the world.

They all forgot him and moved on, being just as blind as they were when he found them.

The traveler died from fatigue, and no one came.

I feel that this sad tale's end could be different... use your imagination to give a different but still believable outcome.