For established or long term fanfic writers, what advice would you give your younger self?
For established or long term fanfic writers, what advice would you give your younger self?
Given the chance that you can talk to your younger self. It might help others who are lurking here too :)
Just heckin do it.
I wasted my high school years feeling like I wasn't passionate enough about writing to actually do it, and that I would never make it as a writer so there was no point in writing, and that my voice was just one among millions of cooler, more creative, and more talented people.
And although all that may be 100% true that doesn't mean I shouldn't write.
Just because there millions of other voices out there, doesn't mean no one should ever hear yours. There might be just one single person that needs to hear exactly what you need to say and if you manage to touch that one person then it was worth it.
So yeah, just write. Write indulgently. Write the trashiest of trash.
Even if you're only making a bag of microwave popcorn, if you offer it up to someone who really wanted some microwave popcorn, you will become a hero! Lol.
Yes to this! Fanfiction is a personal journey. It’s. Ever too late to start. Well said. :)
Get out while you still can! Go make friends and have a real life! Don't repeat my mistakes!XDJokes aside, I would advise to keep on keepin' on. :) And stop doomscrolling fanfic_rants trying to figure out what you shouldn't write based on people's pet peeves and annoyances. Yes, people are needlessly critical but tbh you're gonna be writing rarepairs and rare fandoms so readers will have to engage with your stuff anyway or make their own :P
Haha. Our lives were taken over by fanfics at some point. Though I wouldn’t trade fanfiction for anything. It was my comfort zone, my teacher and to some really loaded ones, a mentor and a therapist. A fanfic even helped me process a painful break up. Where others would just say “you’ll get over it”. I find the fanfic communities are more supportive than people IRL.
That said, your advice is very solid. A lot of us had that negative review from time to time. But we can always delete or ignore them. Fanfictions are our safe space. We read and write at our own comfort levels. :)