Hm. I can't imagine where I've seen this before.
Anyway, fanfiction writers- sit up and take notice. Still trying to get a grasp on that elusive lightning in a bottle that really makes a story worth reading? You might want to try giving this a shot. Mister-Hand sends this to us in hopes that it can help you guys like it's helped some of the writers over on DeviantArt. In it, the second-best pony walks- er, trots you through some of the very basics of writing compelling works of fiction. Kurt Vonnegut abound!
Click the picture, or follow this word to read the whole comic.
48 comments:
How many fan fiction guides are there?!
ReplyDeleteya u go twi
ReplyDelete@Jelfes If they're at all responsible for making MLP fanfics actually readable, let alone good (Past Sins FTW), I'm not complaining.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest fear is unintentionally using a cliche. I hate sounding cliche.
ReplyDeleteThen my next biggest fear is accidentally using somepony elses idea.
Nicely done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to write a fanfic featuring card games on motorcycles....
ReplyDeleteThis oughta do it...
ReplyDelete"Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them— in order that the reader may see what they are made of. Even Fluttershy."
ReplyDeleteHrm...
Interesting set of guidelines. I certainly faved it.
ReplyDeleteI learned most of this my Creative Writing class when I still in high school last year.
ReplyDeleteThank for the review though Twilight! :D
And nice title drop...really...cliche?
This is a nice guide on 'how to write better fanfiction.'
ReplyDeletePersonally, I need a guide on 'how to write fanfiction.' Rule #6 may help with that, but I have trouble writing a complete story.
But I thought everypony wants to sound like Scootaloo!!!!
ReplyDeleteUseful all the way, except for the first rule. It's effectively saying the key rule to making a good story is to make a story good enough that a stranger won't feel like they've wasted their time.
ReplyDeleteI won't even delve into the implications of requiring every potential stranger must like a given story, but I will take specific note of the fallible logic. It's not even a valid rule to say that making a good story is a requirement to making a good story. It's like saying the way to draw an owl well is to draw the owl well.
Oh cool, time to, uh, kill everyone for...the drama! Yes! That's perfect! *writes*
ReplyDeleteHeheh, Great title. *snicker*
ReplyDelete@Clock Keeper
ReplyDelete"requiring every potential stranger must like a given story" is not what that quote implies in the least.
...and I'm probably still beyond hope.
ReplyDeleteOh well, guess I'll see when I finally figure out how to start it.
I actually got a few tips from this. But I don't write pony fiction, I write Halo fiction.
ReplyDelete"I cry a single tear for the ocean of blood that was spilled today."
ReplyDeleteI lol'd.
Really good advice, and it isn't limited to fanfiction. If you write any kind of fiction you should be doing this. It also helps to break down fiction like this in your English class (except don't call them cliches - use archetypes).
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add that the only reason you should be referring to a character in this way: "the purple pony did this. The purple pony did that" is if for some reason you are hiding their name from the reader. Otherwise just use the character's name or he/she/it as appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good guide, although I don't agree 100% with Vonnegut's points.
ReplyDeleteThat said, if you can't write well, write poorly and learn from your mistakes. Everyone starts somewhere! :)
I guess it might be ok advice for people who haven't yet developed critical thinking skills, but for everyone else, Vonnegut's points are kind of insulting. They don't add anything to the discourse, there's no reasoning to back them up, or allow for alternative methods. Just a black and white, do this or else.
ReplyDeleteI dare say Vonnegut's points are cliches themselves.
I keep hearing that point about starting near the end lately, and I would be the last person to go against Vonnegut. The urge to contribute something to this fandom is inexorably invading my psyche
ReplyDeleteTee hee. Saying something should be avoided like the plague is also a cliche.
ReplyDeleteWe should make a writing event where the sole purpose is to write purposefully bad, not in a Spiderses kind of way, but by using every cliche in the book.
ReplyDeleteJohn Freemane who is Gordon Freemane's brother was one day at the place that he works at doing the thing that he gets paid to do for money. He gotted emails from his borther, Gorden Freemane that he needed help at his his house with his math homework and also he was being kill by parasprites and manticores so john went.
ReplyDeleteHe got his compouter shutted down and wet down to the bottom of the building that is also the place where he works on a computer doing advanced things and there was his car and his motorcicle and John Freemane said
I SHALL TAKE THE CAR BECUASE IT IS SAFER AND HAS SAFETY RESTRAINST and being safe is a good idea all around i think we can all agree\
Jhon Freechamen was driving down the countrysidees which were nice and the plants were singing and the birds were sining and the pants were dead and messy from headcrabs and then john freemane got to the mayor's office and saidh
MISSES MAYOR MARE MY BROTHEL IS IN TROUBLE THERE AND WENT FASTER AGAIN
When john finally gotted to gorden freemans house he realised that he had rushed to ghet there too quickly because he had other things to do besides write and his brother said
JOHN FREEMANE, THIS ENDING FEELS RUSHED
and then john freemane went sad at the ground and went out of the door that was on the house that was the place where he was and kept going and didnt say nothing to no one
TO BE CONTINUED????
@R10t Pol1ce
ReplyDeleteOh, my lord YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Write it NAO!
@R10t Pol1ce Perfect! My time feels thoroughly wasted.
ReplyDeleteAll of those rules. I broke all of them. And I don't regret a single damn thing. I'M A REBEL!
ReplyDeleteI'M GONNA GET MY PROOFREADERS TO CREATE A COMBUSTIBLE RULE! I'M GONNA BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN! WITH THE RULES! DON'T MAKE LEMONADE! GET MAD! GET EVEN!
In all seriousness, this is some good advice and most of these suggestions are solid ones. Don't worry about rigidly sticking to rules, just... SINGLE TEAR DROPS ARE EPIC! XD XD I'm done horsing around now. n.n
Man, there's a lot of these guides out there, isn't there?
ReplyDeleteThis one has a few good points, but most of it is pretty basic. Really, if you want to be better at writing anything (fan fiction or no), this is what you do:
1) Just write.
2) Have someone WHO WILL ACTUALLY GIVE CRITICISM read it.
3) ACCEPT their criticism, as long as it is a) polite and b) constructive.
4) Using the new suggestions, edit your work until you feel it is ready.
5) Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you are fully satisfied with the results.
That's really all there is to it. The only way to get better is to keep at it.
And on a side note, don't worry if your idea seems cliche. There are maybe six stories in the history of mankind, and they have all been told a zillion times throughout the tens of thousands of years of our existence. The key is to dress it up so it seems fresh, throw in a few twists, and make sure the writing is entertaining.
Twilight advice for the win!
ReplyDelete^agreed. There's no magic formula; you just have to write and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite...
ReplyDeleteI don't really buy into any fiction-writing guides (fanfic or otherwise). There are a lot of stories that violate at least one of Vonnegut's rules, although for beginning writers they are pretty decent rules. One piece of advice I don't see enough is that people should just read more. If you read enough, you'll learn how good stories are naturally constructed. It'll become second-nature to you, so you won't have to consciously think things like "does my sentence reveal character?"
But hopefully you won't pick up any bad habits...One of my biggest pet-peeves in a fic? "The rainbow-maned pony blushed." Just say "Rainbow Dash blushed". It's the 21st century; in contemporary literature, you almost never see those descriptions in lieu of someone's name. Save that nonsense for your Jane Austen crossover (no offense to Ms. Austen of course). I mean, once in a while is okay, but it just feels like the author is trying to awkwardly avoid having to repeat "Rainbow Dash did this" or "Rainbow Dash did that" when in reality, that is way less awkward than trying to come up with a million different ways to describe Rainbow Dash ("the cyan-colored, fleet-footed filly", anyone?).
"Oh for the love of Celestia and all that is pony..."
ReplyDelete*Lol*, what an awesome twist of the expression, I am totally stealing that :D
I suppose I could bake muffins if I followed the recipe every time, but just following the recipe isn't going to let me understand why I can substitute a banana for an egg in muffins, but not in a sourdough.
ReplyDeleteThat was a metaphor.
@ToonNinja
ReplyDeleteWe should just call that "The Kkat Rule" from now on.
"...start near the end..."
ReplyDeleteHow ironic, since I write backwards.
@wackyteen
That's something that's kept me from doing a lot of things.
Worst of it is when you start something long ago, and then somepony suddenly tosses something along the same vein out there, then it makes you feel like everything after their's is just trying to be like it.
@What The Hay
I love sounding like Scootaloo! Scootaloo is my favorite!
Fuck yeah Kurt Vonnegut!
ReplyDeleteHuh. Actually, I can't think of any writers whose work is less compatible with MLP.
I remember that there was a Kurt Vonnegut book floating around my games design class for a while. A few people said it was good but then someone stole it. I've been meaning to buy my own but I keep forgetting. Anyway, this is a nice guide, mainly because the image of Twilight teaching a creative writing class is a awesome idea.
ReplyDeleteAwesome guide.... until the TITLE DROP! CURSE YOU TWILIGHT!
ReplyDelete@ megantron
ReplyDeleteYES, reading a lot is really the best way to become a better writer, IMO. (Well, besides practice. Practice, practice, practice!)
Especially published works since even poorly written published books have correct grammar and spelling (unless the editor was worthless). Even mediocre books usually follow the rhythm we are "used to" seeing in literature.
*drops program recommendation* YWriter 5. Free novel-writing organizational tool. Download it. It is seriously helpful. It was created by Sci Fi author.
ReplyDeleteY'all missin' rule ze-ro.
ReplyDeleteREAD REAL BOOKS.
Twilight's got it all figured out, trust her on this. Internet fiction is all very well, but read real books (or at the very least stuff that has professional writing and professional editing, which most real books have) and you'll soak up so many useful things just by doin' that.
Rule zero is READ. Without that, ya got nothin', and if you don't love to read you got no business writin' :)
Is that... pony Dante?
ReplyDeleteIt's funny. I work off my butt for more than five days on a fanfic and double check it, made it long and readable and it still doesn't get accepted. I did everything in the guides too so I don't get it.
ReplyDelete@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDelete...Fitting.
I think perhaps Kurt Vonnegut was projecting some of his own personal preferences onto writing as a whole.
ReplyDelete@What The HayScootaloo. Scoot-scootaloo~ :V
ReplyDelete