How to Write Fanfiction for Beginners! 5 Fanfic Writing Tips

On my channel, I get a lot of people who are really, really new to fanfiction as a medium, and while I offer all these tips about how to plan, post, choose your POV, all that, I thought to myself, “What sort of tips would the most beginner of beginners would want to know?” and… now we have this video!

Here, I will be sharing five tips that every fanfic writer should know before you start writing, so that when you’re ready to write your first fanfiction, you know what to do.

A little about me: my name is Cora (she/they) and I'm a creative writing graduate, professional copywriter, and self-proclaimed fanfic writer extraordinaire with over 10 years of experience here to help you live your best fanfic writing life! Subscribe to my YouTube channel for your fortnightly dose of dreamy fanfiction tips. 💞✍️

Want to follow me outside of YouTube, as well? Check out these links! 👇

Logo designed by @illustratornow on Twitter and Instagram.

[MetisLeigh]

A few tips I have for beginners:

1. Above all else, write for yourself. Getting engagement is great but you'll be disappointed if that's your main motivation. Fanfiction should be a fun hobby, not something to fret over about comments and kudos. Write the story you'd want to read and trust that it will find its audience in due time. Even if that never happens, you'll always have something you'll enjoy reading. And no, it's not cringe to read your own fics.

2. Have the two-cake mindset. Don't scrap a story just because another writer came up with a similar idea. The readers don't have to choose one over the other. If anything, they'll be happy there's two fics with the same premise to enjoy! Two cakes!

3. This one's going to be a bit of a hot-take, but if someone offers to provide criticism or advise, consider hearing them out. I understand that these stories are very personal to some so you're under absolutely no obligation to listen to advise or tips, but most seasoned writers are nice and want to help those new to the hobby. We've been where you are and we want to see you thrive and enjoy the ride. That said, there is a code of etiquette where people should ask to provide critique first and it's considered rude to just dump criticism into the comment section regardless of how well-meaning and politely worded it is, but if it's offered first, I recommend taking it.

4. Don't compare yourself to other writers. It can be easy to feel discouraged if a fic gets tons of comments/kudos or the writer has a great style that leaves you feeling like everything you write is terrible, but keep in mind that many of us have years, even decades, of experience in this hobby. Trust that your skills will grow with every word you write. Speaking of which -

5. Don't rely on motivation alone to get you writing. It's great when you have spurts where the words just flow out of you, but don't count on them. Establishing a consistent writing routine is more important and each writing session is a success. Even if you only write one sentence, heck, even just one word, the fact that you showed up to write is a win!

6. If you're stuck and just can't seem to get the words out, set a timer and start writing the first thing that comes to mind. Don't worry if it makes sense. Just keep writing until the timer runs out. You'll be amazed by what you come up with!

7. Your first draft will be terrible. This is true for everyone. It doesn't matter if you've been writing for ten years or ten minutes. The first draft will be an absolute mess, but it will also be as valuable as gold.

8. At the very least, have an outline of your story before you post it. Nothing's more disheartening than abandoning a story because you write yourself into a corner. I had a trail of discontinued fics when I first started out.

9. It's okay to have your dessert first! I often see people on r/fanfiction talk about how they can't wait to write a scene but feel discouraged at having to slog through the preceding chapter. You don't have to write your story in order. If there's a scene you can't wait to get to, write it first! One of the multi-chapter fics I actually managed to finish only happened because I wrote the ending first.

These are all tips that I wish I had when I started out and I still hold myself to them. I know this was a lot but as you say, this is an ice-cream sundae bar, so take and leave the tips as you see fit! ^_^

[hal]

I've been writing fanfiction for almost eight years, but only recently i've began to write in english, my writing feels completely different, it's good to come back to the drawing board every once in a while sksbsjbssj

[BlueSeaSlugs]

"...the main reason to read fanfiction To Indulge"
the last points made in the video are the ones I struggle with still. I've been writing for a little over a year. some day I'll become brave and post all my self-indulgent works to ao3 instead of hording them like an embarrassed ogre

[harperisintoomanyfandoms]

A tip for some to write in-character dialogue: If the original media has voice acting, try to read it in that characters voice! see if you could hear the character saying that.
(this may not work for everyone, but it works well for me!)

[SCREAMINGCRYINGONTHEFLOOR]

i wanna try writing fanfics, but every time i read the drafts i make, i audibly cringe and delete it. that’s my biggest problem: im too cringed out by it to post it lol

[Doctorwhonerd]

Please do make a whole video about writing in/out of character. I haven’t written anything yet and this is one of my biggest struggles

[Ollllivr]

As a teen, i can’t get myself to post any of my fanfics, ‘cause i feel like it’s obvious i’m not an adult. Hearing people talk about how their fanfics from when they were a teenager were super cringey makes me incredibly self conscious 😭 ik I’ll probably feel the same way about my own fanfics when i’m older, but still.

[LocalLolbiit]

I can confirm that no matter what you write, fanfic wise, that there will be people who like it. For example I wrote a fnaf fanfic, it isnt as popular as most but I remember receiving so much love for it.

[avah]

Watching this with about 90% of my first fic done so I'll definitely be using this advice for my second one. Thanks for the advice!

[nowayjose]

Good soup!!
Instead of writing advice, I have a format suggestion: frequent line breaks. Long, unbroken paragraphs are daunting to read, and strategically placed line breaks are juicy. Rich. Scrumptious

[deellaboe]

I was drawn to the colors, and my gosh, what a sweet and kind video. I've been writing for a while now, and I'm older. One piece of advice is just to write your story. Who cares what people will say. Trust me, you'll touch one soul out there.

[Littleghostman]

WOOOO new video, I watch these religiously, honestly you make the only videos that actually help me with my writing lol

[RLocke]

I needed to hear the self-indulgement speech. Since hearing it, I became motivated to continue my fanfiction.

[dataecto]

I always loved writing but it wasn't until your videos that I started posting/actually thinking about posting :D Keep on keeping on !

[mglouise]

brb Im going to binge your entire channel. I've writted one shots before but Im writing my first longfic and oh my goodness is it a different ballgame. finally found content that is tailored to fanfiction! thank you for your service

[Sketchbook-Gal-XE]

Perfect timing! I started writing my first fic this week and I've been struggling a little (mostly nerves) but this advice really helps! thank you <3

[ninesroom]

thanks so much for this!! i used to write fanfiction once upon a time but it’s been YEARS, and nowadays i tend to hyperfixate on things so intensely that i forget how to actually write with a clear head lol. this was super helpful <3

[ona]

Thank you for this 💖 I have been writing fanfiction well over half my life now but I feel like I have to relearn how to do it, because while I still absolutely love it, I feel like I used to have so much more fun when I was younger and I feel a little lost, like I’ve forgotten how to do it. I also hesitate way too much to post stuff online, it’s so frustrating because I remember not caring so much when I was a much younger writer. Tip 5 is exactly what I needed to hear!! 😭💖

Also, I am so happy I found your channel! You’re super helpful and I love your outfits and the colours & background music you use in your videos.

[gameingretro]

2:55 thats very diffuclt for me since i cant really understand persnallaties that well

[briecheese]

holy cannoli- while you were talking about how it’s okay to be self indulgent, an idea hit me like a semi-truck.

i thank you 🙏