A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fanfics

Writing fanfiction is a fun and creative way to express your love for something, and the possibilities are virtually limitless: from fluff fics to crackfics to crossovers, there are endless ways to write a great fanfic. We've created a beginner-friendly guide to writing fanfiction, including adopting the right mindset, planning your narrative, writing your story, and getting your work out there for other fans to foam at the mouth over, with expert tips from author and developmental editor Lydia Stevens. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

How do you get started writing fanfiction?

Research the fictional universe you want to write about (e.g. Hogwarts or Middle Earth). You can learn more at fan websites and wikis or by reading other fanfiction writers' works.
Imagine hypothetical scenarios to get your story started. For instance, "What if Harry and Draco were in love?" or "What if I were a jedi?"
Consider the structure you want your story to take (will it be prose or poetry? long or short?) and create an outline detailing the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
Get writing! Have fun, and don't worry about revising until after you've finished a rough draft.

Section 1 of 7:

Adopting the Right Mindset

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Try not to take yourself too seriously. Fan fiction is supposed to be fun! It's an outlet for your creativity and for your passion for the source material, whether it's The Hunger Games or Heated Rivalry (or both? 👀). So lighten up! The more pressure you put on yourself or on your story, the less fun it'll be.
- Treat your first few fics in particular like experiments. You're still learning the rules of the game, still learning what works and what doesn't.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Lydia Stevens is the author of the Hellfire series and the Ginger Davenport Escapades. She is a developmental editor and writing coach through her company Creative Content Critiquing and Consulting.
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Take the work seriously. We know, we just said not to take yourself too seriously, but seriously—fanfiction is art. And even if you're writing a crackfic about how Wolverine from X-Men and Ronald McDonald are soulmates, write it like it's the most serious thing you've ever done. Write it like your life depends on it. (But also, no presh.)
- While fanfic is a fun hobby, it's also work. Writing of any kind is a skill, and it needs to be honed through dedicated practice.
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Write the story you want to read. Fan fiction is all about creating content that doesn't exist in the current canon, or in any other fic writers' works. It's meant to be something for you, not for anyone else. So try to dismiss thoughts like, Nobody will like my Avatar: The Last Airbender x Jane Austen crossover :( or Nobody wants to read about Lilo and Stitch time-traveling to ancient Bethlehem and witnessing the birth of Christ. :( If you put your heart and soul into your fic, it'll show. Trust yourself. Trust your audience.
- But also, remember that not everyone will like what you write. Not every fic is for every fan. And that's OK!

Section 2 of 7:

Exploring the Source Material

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Choose source material to work from. Fanfiction is always based on an existing work of art. You are essentially making a story that expands or otherwise alters existing fiction. The mediums you might choose from are endless! Fanfics have been written about books, movies, television shows, video games, and just about anything else with a narrative base and a fandom to admire. You should pick a fictional universe you already feel close to. Common choices for fanfic are Star Wars, Harry Potter, and a number of anime and manga franchises.
- The choice of the universe you choose to base your own work on will have the largest impact on your story and the way it turns out.
- Certain universes also favor certain approaches in fanfic. It's important to note however that your choices as a fanfic writer are limitless. You can do anything you want to the source material, even if that means transforming it into something else entirely.
- We'll discuss common types of fanfiction later in this article.
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Research the fictional universe you're writing about. Many fanfics are based on a science-fiction or fantasy-themed universe, like Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, or Star Trek. These are great to base fanfics off of because they offer huge universes with an endless amount of storytelling potential. Look online and read up everything you can about the given universe. Even if you're planning on breaking free of the established canon (what the author/director/etc has already established) with your fanfic, it helps a lot to know the rules before you break them.
- Many popular fandoms have wikis entirely dedicated to their lore on Fandom.com. See if the fandom you want to write about has a wiki, and spend some time boning up!
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Get to know the characters well. If you're writing a fic about an existing character, you'll want to make sure you understand their personality and motivations pretty well. "One of the most important things to understand about making fanfiction characters is to stay true to the original character profile," says Stevens.^{[1]
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Lydia Stevens
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Expert Interview} "A fanfiction character should remain true to the original character’s ideals, beliefs, and convictions."
- As an example, she adds, "if the character values respecting authority figures, such as a monarch, president, or governing body, the fanfiction character should not be developed as an anarchist or one who challenges the authority figure."^{[2]
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Read some fanfiction. The best ideas you'll get for your work will be inspired by the source material itself. With that said, it still helps to see what other fans have done with the same ideas. Using a website like Fanfiction.net, Archive of Our Own, and Wattpad, or you can take a look through some fanfiction that matches yours on source material.^{[3]
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Research source} Read some stories people have written. Most importantly, get a grasp of the ways in which people use and adapt the source.
- In looking for fanfiction to read, you may get the looming impression that a lot of fanfiction lacks quality. Being part of the fanfic community means acknowledging that not everyone is at the same level of skill. Most fanfiction is amateurish. It takes patience to find the great stuff.

Section 3 of 7:

Planning Your Fanfiction

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Determine your scope. Because fanfiction is so diverse and open-ended, it helps to make some rules up for yourself before you go into writing it. Is your story going to be big or small? While some fanfictions can become as long as books, the majority tend to be fairly short. However, there is a lot of debate amongst the community as to how long a perfect fanfic would be.^{[4]
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Research source} Certain lengths and styles fit topics better than others. In the end, your length will probably be decided in the actual writing process, but it's a good idea to keep a prospective scope in mind before you put the pieces together.
- The shortest fanfics are called drabbles.^{[5]
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  Research source} These are usually between 50-100 words long. It is surprisingly challenging to tell a story in such a small space, so it may be a good place to start if you want to test your skills without the time investment.
- More involved fiction can be hundreds of thousands of words long. These tend to be the fanfics that people give most attention to, assuming they're fuelled by a plot that justifies the length.
- Fanfics don't need to be conventionally narrative or prose either. You can write your fanfic as poetry, or write up a tableau of a character's mental state during a given scene.
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Imagine "what-if" scenarios for your source material. All fanfic is based on speculation. Whether you decide to write a sequel to the work or alternative history, everything is based on that first "what if" question. What if a certain character died (or didn't die) at a certain point in the story? What do you think happens after the credits roll in a movie? Another common question discussed in fanfiction is "What if this character and this character were a couple?" This is called shipping and is a common, if not overused, source for fanfiction material. Ask yourself these questions in the early stages of planning fanfic.
- Explore the source material more if you are having a hard time finding a creative starting point. Failing that, look into more fanfic. It can be inspiring to see where other people have gone with it.
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Decide how true to the original you want to be. Because fanfictions are incredibly diverse, it's a good idea to figure out where you will stand relative to the rest of it. Some fanfiction will run amok with the source material to the point where it has no resemblance to the original. Others will try to create a true-to-form expansion of the original. Generally speaking, no matter where you go with it, the strongest fanfics at least retain the spirit of the source original.^{[6]
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- It's a good idea to consider the concept of "canonicity." Put simply, canon states whether something is or isn't in a fictional universe. For instance, portraying Star Wars' Han Solo as a swashbuckling rogue may be true to canon for example, but writing that he is a fan of the '90s sitcom Friends would certainly not be canon.
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Write from an outline. A proper outline can mean all the difference when it comes to writing fanfic. While you may brush an outline as too "work-like" for something that's ultimately supposed to be fun, knowing where you want to go with your writing can help minimize writer's block and make a more fluid product in the end. Many pieces of fiction use a similar dramatic arc. It may be broken down as such:
- The beginning: A beginning should set up the setting reasonably well, as well as establish the motivations and stakes of your central characters.
- Opening conflict: Something will often happen that sets a hero on his quest. This often (but not always) is the doing of the antagonist. The rest of the story will involve the protagonist trying to set things right again.
- The story's middle: The middle of a story may be seen as the meat of a character's quest. This is where the story's world is fleshed out, character relationships are kindled and strengthened, and the stakes are gradually raised.
- The low point: Before the story's resolution, there is usually a point where the character is at his most dire moment, where everything seems lost. You can probably think of many films that match this trope.
- The resolution: A climax wherein the protagonist triumphs. It usually comes shortly after the hero's lowest point and takes the momentum to the very end. There is occasionally a denouement (falling action) afterward where it shows the aftermath of the final conflict.
With an outline now in place, you'll have a visual reference with which to see how well your plot actually works. Before you sit down to write, it's a good idea to browse over the material you already have and see if you can trim (or expand) anything. Originality tends to come through in the editing process, where you can cut out the things that don't match your own vision. Keep in mind that a plot is arguably the most important thing casual fiction has going for it. Even if your writing skills themselves aren't the sharpest, you can still get a reader's attention if you're telling a great story.

Section 4 of 7:

Writing Your Fanfiction

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Begin your action early on. Assume from the start that whoever's reading your fanfic is going to have as much of a knowledge of the source material as you do. Giving them information or description at the start is not going to pull a reader in. Instead, you need to give action that's going to get them interested in reading more.^{[7]
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- In the case of fanfiction, the description is helpful, but there's a tendency to overdo it.^{[8]
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Refer to the source material. If you ever run into writer's block or find your progress slowing down, it does a lot to return to your source material and enjoy it again. While you should be referring to the original if you're trying to stay true to canon, you should still be looking to your source material in the case of major revisions. Good fanfic is fuelled by a love of the source every bit as much as a natural creative talent, so making a habit of returning to enjoy the original work is a healthy habit to start.
- At different stages of your own writing process, you can get a better grasp of how your work matches (or snubs!) the tone of the original by returning to it. Given the thought you'll have been putting into writing your own fanfic, it's quite likely you'll have a more discerning eye for the source material.
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Familiarize yourself with literary tropes. Common literary tropes that show up in fanfiction include romance tropes like "enemies to lovers" or the "meet-cute," fantasy tropes like "the chosen one" or "the secret society," sci-fi tropes like "newfound superpowers" or "time-travel," and so many more. Becoming familiar with these tropes may help you figure out where you want to take your fanfic.
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Stay true to your characters. While settings and story can be changed with more liberty, readers are not going to like it if you are changing the characters themselves. "The writer needs to craft a believable character that readers can relate to [and who] will stay true to the original character as well," Stevens notes.^{[9]
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Expert Interview} A character is much more than a visual appearance, and while your creative instinct should have the final word in all cases, you may as well have been writing a different name where theirs should go if you're making them do something they wouldn't do from the start.^{[10]
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- Stevens recommends following a "Who? What? Where? When? Why?" approach to fanfic character development:
  - Who: "Who is the character? [Create a] description of [their] basic characteristics, physical appearance, mental convictions, and emotional state of being."^{[11]
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  - What: "What does the character want? This question correlates with a character’s motivations and answers how they are going to overcome any impending conflict, whether it is a conflict with self, conflict with others, or conflict with the world."^{[12]
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  - Where: "Where is the character in their personal life compared to where they stand in the world? This question pertains to not only setting, occupation, hobbies, and habits, but…to their standing in the world."^{[13]
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  - When: "When is the character going to accomplish the goals they are setting out to obtain?"^{[14]
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  - Why: "Why is the character determined to resolve the conflicts and challenges they face throughout the manuscript? …What happens to the character if they don’t accomplish their mission?"^{[15]
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- But remember, at the end of the day, it's your fanfic, and you can change characters if you wish to do so. One example where radical character changes actually work is in the case of mirror universe fics, where characters act like an evil twin version of who they typically are.
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Write every day. The creative juices only really get flowing if you're putting yourself into the same project every day. Writing is a sure case of this, as you need to be thinking about what you're writing on a regular basis. Pick a time to write each day, and do your best to match it. It could be during your lunch hour or after work. Making a consistent habit of writing will ensure your story builds up quickly. Before you know it, you'll have a considerable piece of work to call your own.
- Many writers find listening to music that fits the tone you're going for is a good idea. For instance, if you're writing a Star Wars fanfic, listening to a John Williams score might put you in the right mindset for it.
- Most fanfics are less than 1000 words long, but it is recommended you try to go for something longer. Longer stories give more opportunity to explore characters, themes, and settings.
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Edit your work. Editing is a necessary part of any kind of writing. If you want your fanfic to be taken seriously, rest assured you'll have to go through this process as well. Read over what you have and see what you can do to improve it. Remove parts of the work that don't matter, and add what you can if you think something needs clarifying.
- Showing your work to a friend early on can help. You can get his feedback before you invest the time in editing it. It is possible he'll be able to tell you specifically which things could use polishing.
Judy Blume, Writer

The revision process is an essential time to elevate your writing. "I'm a rewriter. That's the part I like best...once I have a pile of paper to work with, it's like having the pieces of a puzzle. I just have to put the pieces together to make a picture."
Writing fanfic is going to be a learning experience. It's quite likely you'll gain skill over the course of writing it. However, it's important from a reader's standpoint that the work feels relatively consistent, whether in terms of tone or general writing quality. If you think your work has changed considerably over the course of your fanfic, taking some extra time to edit the earlier parts up to par can make all the difference.

Section 5 of 7:

Getting Your Work Out There

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Post your story on a fanfiction outlet. Fanfiction has an extensive and devoted fanbase. There is a range of communities you can post your material on. Some of the most popular are Archive of Our Own (aka AO3), FanFiction.net, and Wattpad. Tumblr is also a great place to share fanfic or discuss fandoms.
- Many writers cross-publish their stories on multiple sites to get as many readers as possible.
- There are certain websites that specialize in fanfiction from a particular source. If you're looking to read or write a fanfic from the Harry Potter universe, for example, there is at least one website specifically dedicated to it.^{[16]
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Link up with other fanfic writers. If you're starting to get serious about your creation you can do no better than to talk to other fanfiction aficionados. Sites like tumblr, AO3, or Reddit are perfect for it. Not only will they be able to give you helpful tips and advice on how to improve your craft, but they'll also probably help promote your work if they like it enough.^{[17]
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Research source} As a general rule, if you offer feedback on someone's work, the chances are high you will receive feedback in return.
- It should go without saying that you'll receive the most helpful feedback from writers that are fans of the same source material you are using.
- You may even find a beta reader on one of these sites who will read your work or trade fics with you so you can offer one another feedback prior to publishing. As Stevens notes, "Using beta readers, people who are familiar with the original story who can point out the errors in the development…is crucial to being successful to the writing and developing craft."^{[18]
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Section 6 of 7:

What is fanfiction?

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Fanfiction (or fanfic) is written content inspired by an existing work. Fans of an existing work, such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, or Twilight may crave more content from the franchise, or may wish things happened in the franchise's canon than didn't, and so they may write their own stories inspired by the characters and/or the world in which the story takes place. There are a few common approaches you can take to writing your fanfiction:
- Post-canon (PC) fics picks up where the original source material leaves off.
  - For instance, you could write a Hunger Games fic about a new war breaking out in Panem years after the events of Mockingjay, the last book in the trilogy, have occurred.
- Canon compliant (CC) fics don't alter the existing canon, but instead tell a story from another perspective, or expand on something that's only barely touched on in the original source material.^{[19]
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  - For instance, you might write a version of Twilight from Bella's dad's perspective.
- Canon-divergent (CD) fics reimagine the original source material. You might rewrite the ending to a story you felt concluded poorly, "ship" two characters (that is, imagine them in a romantic relationship) that don't actually get together in the original story, or do…pretty much whatever you want, really.
  - For instance, one of the most (in)famous fanfictions of all time is My Immortal, a wild Harry Potter fic involving an original character (OC), a vampire named Ebony, who becomes romantically involved with Draco Malfoy before traveling back in time to kill Lord Voldemort.
- Alternate universe (AU) fics imagine the characters in the original story existing in another reality.
  - For instance, you might write a fic in which the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender go to high school in contemporary America.
- Crossover fics combine multiple source materials.
  - For instance, you might write a story in which Vlad the Impaler time-travels to the future and becomes an X-Man.
- Fluff fics don't really follow a plot, but instead showcase characters in heartwarming scenes. They're feel-good, usually short, fics designed to satiate fans who crave more content from the stories they love.
  - For instance, if you're "still at the cottage" (IYKYK), you might write a fluff fic about Shane and Ilya from Heated Rivalry just, like, shopping for groceries together and fighting over which cereal to buy. And that's literally it

Section 7 of 7:

FAQs about Writing Fanfiction

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Is fanfiction illegal? It's sort of a gray area. Technically, fanfiction often violates copyright laws because the work is derived from existing works. But fanfic is rarely, if ever, used to make a profit and is created by fans purely for fun and in honor of the work they love, so it's generally protected under the fair use doctrine in the U.S. Because of this, writing fanfiction is unlikely to lead to any legal issues.^{[20]
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Do fanfiction writers get paid? Not typically, no. Since the source material is typically copyrighted, there's generally no money to be gained from writing derivative works…unless you change any copyrighted characters and situations, as E. L. James did in her Twilight fanfiction, which she edited and turned into—you guessed it—Fifty Shades of Grey, arguably the most popular fanfiction of all time.
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Is fanfiction cringe? It depends on who you ask. Some close-minded people will say sincerity in any form is "cringe," and there are few things in life more sincere than a rabid fandom. But sincerity and vulnerability are healthy traits. It's courageous to love something as much as twihards love Bella and Edward. You may be cringe, but you are free.

Annotated Fanfiction Page and Things to Include and Avoid

Annotated Fanfiction Page

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How do I protect myself from being sued if I write a fanfiction?

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Include a disclaimer noting who owns the copyrights to the characters and settings you're borrowing. As long as you don't make a profit from it or significantly detract from the market value of the original work in some way, you most likely won't come under fire.

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If I am writing a fan fiction that has multiple chapters, should I write one and wait for feed back and suggestions or just continue to write?

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Continue to write! People will start to read your fan fiction and leave reviews once you start posting more.

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Is it okay to change the characters feelings/emotions/personality a LITTLE BIT in the story?

Leio Rossi

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Definitely! In fact, many writers like to write what's called OOC (Out of Character) and emphasize one aspect of a character's personality. This is YOUR writing and you have the creative freedom to do what you want with it.

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Some people like to write their fanfictions as they go, but in order to keep from getting writer's block for a while and people giving up on your story, some people prefer writing a story ahead of time and posting it in pieces.

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Reading up on the works of Joseph Campbell can be surprisingly helpful in the case of fanfiction. If the dramatic arc of a hero is seen to be common throughout the majority of stories, it's a lot easier to compare your own story to that of the original material.

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Make sure you don't get discouraged by reading other people's work! Use their work as inspiration to keep getting better and better. Remember that constructive criticism is good, but don't let it or other people tear you down.
Losing inspiration while writing a story is common. To help get over that, reread the source material or other fanfictions. Then, go over your story again.

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