by Saint Fang

Created on: December 24, 2009

Ever since my fanfictions in the Maximum Ride section of Fanfiction.net started to become popular, people are constantly asking me for advice on writing their own fanfics. One of the questions that seems to pop up the most often, though, is 'How can I get people to read and review my stories?' That is, after all, what most Fanfiction writers strive for on Fanfiction.net and many other sites. Those beloved reviews. The recognition for all that hard work you put in to coming up with and writing your piece. But, how do you get that recognition? Well, I can't honestly say I'm an expert on the subject, but after writing popular Fanfiction for over a year, I can at least say I have some experience and may be able to offer some tips.

1. It is impossible to turn out a perfect first draft.

So, you typed up your whole chapter or story in some kind of word document. You're ready to post it now, right? Wrong! Revision is key, even in Fanfiction. No one wants to try to decipher a chapter full of typos and bad grammar.

Now, there is, of course, a spell check and grammar check in most all forms of Microsoft word, but I would say, from personal experience, to never just go with what Word is telling you is right. Read through it yourself. Just because Word or whatever you're using says it's wrong doesn't always mean it's wrong. Or even if they don't pick up on something. You don't think it looks right? That's what Google and online dictionarys are here for! Or, even grab your only dictionary!

Personally, I type all my chapters into Wordpad and edit them myself rather than deal with those annoying multi-colored squggly lines that Microsoft Word gives you, but that's just a personal preference. Another good idea may be to get a beta, which is someone who basically proofreads your work and helps with whatever you may ask them to help with, such as spelling and grammar or coming up with a plot. Which leads me to another important note...

2. No Plot, Big Foul.

Put some effort into your story! Read other fanfics in the same category and try to do something that hasn't been done before. Depending on the type of fanfiction you're writing, you may not have to come up with anything extremely complex, but there should at least be some point. For instance, I wrote a humorous Fanfiction where the only real point was that the characters kept getting sick. It was all basically random adventures, but it, at least, had some sort of focus.

Please note that this is one of the rules that flies

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