Jump to content

Close
Photo

Getting back into writing

aka i need tips or advice or criticism

  • Please log in to reply
2 replies to this topic

#1 Akanuma

Akanuma

    Fresh Meat

  • Fresh Meat
  • 3 posts

Posted 10 April 2015 - 02:46 PM

So I used to write Naruto fanfiction (albeit somewhat terrible ones) @ https://www.fanficti...raomoi-Akawarai

 

I never had a set pace for updating and eventually stopped. However, I want to get back into it and with specifically Naruto fanfiction once more. Return to my roots and all before moving outward.

 

What I am looking for right now is:

 

  • Advice/Tips

I don't really do canonical fanfiction, so you won't see NH/SS or the likes. I like taking it to what ifs and wild AUs, so that's what I'll be doing again. If anyone has anything that falls under tips/advice (I'll count 'please don't do x' as advice if you can explain why 'x' would be cliche or terrible)



#2 Tiller

Tiller

    Missing-nin

  • Missing Nin
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,041 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 11 April 2015 - 06:47 AM

Well what kind of story are you looking at writing? Romance? Action? Thriller?



 


#3 Decius23

Decius23

    Fanfiction Junkie

  • Chakra Water Walker
  • PipPip
  • 346 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Germany
  • Interests:Fanfiction, Manga, Anime, Gaming, Books, Freeriding, Science

Posted 12 April 2015 - 11:27 AM

AUs and 'what ifs'? Good, we could use those on ff.net.

As an avid reader of Naruto-fanfics (read: Total fanfiction junkie) i've got some tips.

If there are some unclear things then please ask me to clarify, i'm just stating what comes to my mind...

 

General Tips:

  • Consistent use of time (if you use the past tense as you normal tense then stay in the past tense)
  • A few typos or grammar mistakes are ok but not too many
  • Stay the hell away from obvious mistakes (they're and their for example)
  • A good chapter should have a minimum length of 3k words, the optimum lies between 5k and 10k words
  • Don't tell, show. Naruto doesn't 'fight Sasuke', he 'kicked Sasuke in the face'
  • If you don't update for a while then update your profile, if you stop writing then update your profile and your stories.

Story Tips:

  • Don't change the characterization of character without also explaining the reasons (Sasuke became a sadist in the academy? Explain the whys somewhere in the story).
  • If you introduce a crossover element then change it so that it fits into the Naruto-universe. Don't call Spiderman 'Spiderman', give him and his powers japanese names and an appropriate backstory (for example as an experiment of Orochimaru)
  • Plan out the rough outline for your story, including start, 'highpoint' and ending, before you start to write
  • If you do a divergence story (a story which diverges from canon from a single point) then watch out for how the divergence point changes the characters (if the point is an attack on Naruto then you can't have him act like nothing happened but how exactly did this change Naruto? And what of other characters?)
  • If it's an AU story then make sure that your ideas fit into the universe or change the universe entirely (modern skyscrapers don't fit into the universe but you can change the universe into a modern, 21st century version)
  • Never give a character a power-up and the complete knowledge on how to use it at the same time (ex.: Giving Naruto a kekkei genkai. Giving him 'Hyoton' and the knowledge on how to use it is dumb)
  • Avoid giving out power-ups as much as possible

A few good examples of AU stories (what came to my mind):

  • 'Naruto: Soldiers of Fortune' from 'Kenchi618 - Perfect example on how you translate the Naruto-universe into a 21st century theme without butchering important points
  • 'Will of Foxfire' from 'Quill of Molliemon' - Excellent example on how mixing something new (demons and supernatural) into the universe while having basically the same universe as canon
  • 'Training for the Job' from 'desaix' - complete revamp of canon with politics and backstories when important information was missing (identity of Minato and Kushina, the Uzumaki clan etc,)
  • 'Whirlpool Country' from 'paradox jast' - diverging from canon after Asuma's death. Changes on maturity of Naruto without letting the reasons unexplained

I just wrote what came to my mind, so if i have more i'll add it to the list...


Edited by Decius23, 12 April 2015 - 11:36 AM.

What could have been:
gallery_14986_310_31088.jpg




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users