z

Young Writers Society


I'm back to writing fanfiction, but...



User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 336
Reviews: 2
Thu Mar 19, 2015 3:57 pm
TheArchon says...



I have sworn to not ruin The Kanto Kronicles this time. I ruined it by obsessing over perfection. Now, I am fine with nothing being perfect. However, I need advice on a few concerns.

1. Should I use the details I planned out? I started writing The Kanto Kronicles with only a few details on each of the three sagas, a basic idea of the characters, and an idea of an interesting, corrupt setting. However, once 9th grade began, I filled an entire notebook with planning and hated it. I'm considering ignoring everything I thought about for the story during 9th grade so as to not revive any negative feelings.

2. My main character, Thomas, seems boring. Here's what I know about him:
Thomas is a calm, collected person. He always tries to remain calm, even in dangerous situations. He has kept his mother from becoming permanently depressed, even though she is still very sad. Thomas is also very nice to people, especially his younger brother, Marcus. Thomas and Marcus have a good relationship. Thomas and Marcus do mess with each other sometimes, especially Marcus to Thomas, but they still love each other. Thomas does his best to act respectful and polite towards others, but he can still be a serious person. His father’s death has even made him more mature than he was before.
Thomas is able to have visions of the future. He fails to save his father (who dies) and his cousin (who gets injured) after the first two visions. Perhaps this could cause him great anxiety and make him cautious?

Besides that, I know nothing about him. So far in my actual writing, Thomas is cliché and has boring reactions.

3. Should I write the entire first draft or rewrite some chapters as I go along? I love my prologue, but I dislike my first chapter. Again, Thomas seems boring and I could not capture his personality (whatever it is), nor the setting of the story, well. After writing a few more chapters can I go back and edit?

4. How do I develop the setting? I'm very confused on this. All I know is that the Kanto region is corrupt and secretly being controlled by Team Alpha, an evil organization. Despite all the violence that goes on, parents still send their children to train Pokemon.

Final words: I have spent almost two years pondering this story and do not want to plan out tons of things before writing. I know this is only a Pokemon fanfiction, so it doesn't have to be extraordinary. I also don't want to take five years to write this. However, I want The Kanto Kronicles to be as best as it can be. Thank you!
Wibbly wobbley time-wimey stuff
  





User avatar
1220 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 72525
Reviews: 1220
Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:21 am
View Likes
Kale says...



Do whatever works.

If you feel that negatively about the planning, throw it out. Your stated goal is to avoid negativity, so forgetting all that planning sounds right in-line with the whole avoiding negativity angle.

If you don't know your characters, get to know them. Whether you get to know them through character sheets, interviews, or writing the story out, it doesn't matter, so long as you get to know them.

If you're trying not to obsess over perfection, then rewriting as you go is counter to that. Rewriting is a symptom of that ever-elusive search for perfection, and if you're rewriting as you go, then you're wasting time that could be spent writing the rest of the story on trying to perfect an incomplete part of a story. Just write the first draft in full, and then you can focus on rewriting.

If you don't want to plan, then don't. Just write and see. I'd recommend against posting up your first draft since it will be rough and inconsistent, but that first draft will lay the groundwork for everything else, including your characters and the setting, and the story itself will be your plan.

And if these things don't work out, then go and change something, anything, so long as it helps you to write the story.

The important part is to just write the thing already, and stop dithering about making it the best story ever. Making it the best story ever comes after you have an actual story to work with.
Secretly a Kyllorac, sometimes a Murtle.
There are no chickens in Hyrule.
Princessence: A LMS Project
WRFF | KotGR
  





User avatar
355 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 2099
Reviews: 355
Mon Mar 23, 2015 1:15 pm
LadySpark says...



1- If you hate something that means later you're not going to want to write it. Either start from scratch with a plot you don't hate, or fly by the seat of your pants with only a few details (I wouldn't suggest that, at all, but it is an option)
2- I think you're problem is everything you said about Thomas was a good thing. From what you've said, he has no faults. This makes him a Gary Stu. What drives him crazy? The way you have him written, he's a robot, not a person. He's respectful, he's always calm, he's super mature... There's nothing bad, so there's nothing human--thus, he's boring. Add some faults, some hate, some reasons he's not awesome and you might change your mind.
3- It's really what works for you. No one can tell you how to edit your novel.
4- Here's the thing, people develop their worlds differently. Since yours is fan fiction, and I assume not an AU (if it is basically disregard this part) I would say you should research the world of Pokemon (Or whatever it is, I know nothing about pokemon) and build your world like a tower of blocks, taking bits of that world, and bits of your own to mold it into exactly what you want. Worlds are something you can't ignore, you have to actually build it or your story is going to crumble.

Good luck! :)
hush, my sweet
these tornadoes are for you


-Richard Siken


Formerly SparkToFlame
  





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:48 am
eusouJT says...



Hi

You know there are actually some people on youtube who use fanfiction Pokémon cartoon characters to make short episodes, if I were you and only if this interest you why don't you go on youtube and propose some of your plots to some the directors of pokemon fanfiction on youtube? who knows it might go somewhere.
  








Writing is like love: the real thing is a lot less romantic
— dragonfphoenix