Writing Fanfic writers, share your tips & techniques

[Dagger]

I just thought it might be interesting and helpful (especially for any new writers who come to this forum) for more experienced writers--or readers!--to share their advice here.

I hope this thread isn't similar to any others. I tried to check, but it's getting a little late, and my vision's not so good as it usually is. ^_^;

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I've noticed that a lot of fanfic authors complain about writer's block, so my first tip will deal with that problem.

Writer's block often strikes unexpectedly, right in the middle of a good story. One moment you'll be typing away, the next you'll be staring at a half-filled page, suddenly out of ideas. This may not work for everyone, but I've found that the best way to overcome writer's block is simply to write.

Okay, that sounded like a no-brainer. Allow me to elaborate. In other words, the next time you sit down to work on another fic or chapter, just begin typing whatever comes to your mind. If nothing comes to your mind, just begin typing. At this point, it doesn't matter how bad it turns out. The important thing is to get your creative juices flowing (so to speak).

After a little while, you'll start to get back into your fic, and the writing will come more easily. Your words will begin to flow more naturally, and everything will sound a lot better. So take advantage of this, and write as much as you can.

Once you finally stop, print out what you've written, and go over the whole thing with a pen, making corrections. You'll probably have to revise the first part, as it's likely to sound pretty forced. But now that you have the rest finished, this should be a lot easier.

Anyway, that's my method. I look forward to hearing about other people's writing habits and routines--so please post! ^___^

~Dagger~