Hi, everyone! I got in touch with teen writer Helen Armstrong when she so graciously took the time to read and comment on my MG manuscript. She mentioned she writes fanfiction, which I knew nothing about. I'm happy to post her article on fanfiction here - it's both enlightening and informative!
Entering a Fake World
By Helen Armstrong
What if Lily Evans had chosen Severus Snape over James Potter?
What if Frodo had taken the Ring into Mordor alone?
What if Juliet hadn’t killed herself?
What if Katniss had chosen Gale?
To find the answers to these questions, you need only to visit fanfiction.net. There are hundreds of thousands of stories in their online database, written by thousands of authors worldwide, all based on questions like these.
Fanfiction is a story based off of characters or settings in a book, movie, TV show, or sometimes celebrities. Fanfiction authors take the characters and put them into different circumstances and write about ‘what would happen if.’ They sometimes create original characters and throw them into the mix, and sometimes they create a cast of completely original characters and put them into the setting of the book/movie/TV show.
I’ve been writing fanfiction for three years, since the age of twelve. I started out writing Twilight fanfiction, which was so bad I want to curl up in a hole and never be seen by humankind again. As I got better at writing in general and writing fanfiction, though, and wrote all kinds of it (fanfiction for Harry Potter, celebrities, other books, etc.) I learned that it can sometimes be tougher to write fanfiction than original stories. The author has to get to know a character that is not their own. The actions and thoughts need to be consistent – the character has to remain In-Character if the author expects any kind of good reviews.
The review part of fanfiction is the part that I really love. I’m a teenage girl, in need of constant gratification, and I love being able to weave a story and watch readers' reactions as I update it chapter by chapter. Sometimes I take reader’s opinions into account, sometimes I just sit back and laugh as they get frustrated over the two main characters dancing around each other for 30 chapters before finally getting together at the very end.
It’s pretty fun to read a book and conceptualize a fanfiction based off of it. I’m one of those people who’s always thinking ‘what if?’ Fanfiction is all just a big ‘what if?’ It’s a fun, harmless way to explore the possibilities.
Showing posts with label teen writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teen writers. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
What I've Been Up to This Week (This Concerns YOU!)
Well, it's been a busy week. I'm going to tell you about it because my busy week isn't really all about me. There's info in here for you, too!
Monday
I suddenly realized if I wanted to apply to the Rutgers One-On-One Plus program, I'd better get to finishing the application. This is an amazing opportunity I learned about at the Who's the Seuss? workshop I mentioned previously. About 70 to 80 applicants are selected for this one-day mentoring program in October, which matches writers with editors, agents, experienced writers and other publishing professionals. The deadline, alas, was today. But I'm telling you this so you can plan ahead for next year!
Monday through Thursday
Intense writing and revision to meet my (mostly self-imposed) deadline.
Thursday
Gave an interview about my writing to a local weekly called The Spotlight. I'm excited because it's publicity for my upcoming book signing and I know people really do read this paper. I'm scared because I don't know what the article is going to say. Very strange to be on the other side of an interview. I could have been better prepared. I gave the interview off the cuff knowing I had extremely limited time. I didn't want to risk missing my chance altogether. I think I made up for it by mulling over some of the questions later and emailing the reporter some "better quotes." People used to do this all the time to me when I was a reporter, and I always used the new stuff because it was thought out and just plain better. So there's a tip if you ever feel nervous after an interview.
More on the importance of preparing later. Happy weekend!
Monday
I suddenly realized if I wanted to apply to the Rutgers One-On-One Plus program, I'd better get to finishing the application. This is an amazing opportunity I learned about at the Who's the Seuss? workshop I mentioned previously. About 70 to 80 applicants are selected for this one-day mentoring program in October, which matches writers with editors, agents, experienced writers and other publishing professionals. The deadline, alas, was today. But I'm telling you this so you can plan ahead for next year!
Monday through Thursday
Intense writing and revision to meet my (mostly self-imposed) deadline.
Thursday
Gave an interview about my writing to a local weekly called The Spotlight. I'm excited because it's publicity for my upcoming book signing and I know people really do read this paper. I'm scared because I don't know what the article is going to say. Very strange to be on the other side of an interview. I could have been better prepared. I gave the interview off the cuff knowing I had extremely limited time. I didn't want to risk missing my chance altogether. I think I made up for it by mulling over some of the questions later and emailing the reporter some "better quotes." People used to do this all the time to me when I was a reporter, and I always used the new stuff because it was thought out and just plain better. So there's a tip if you ever feel nervous after an interview.
More on the importance of preparing later. Happy weekend!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
My First Book Signing
It’s official—I’ve scheduled my first-ever book signing!
Where: The Book House, Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY
When: Saturday, July 9, 3 p.m.
I don’t know why I haven’t done this before. I started writing books back in 2004, when I co-authored Bridal Guide Magazine’s How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Gown. It never occurred to me to promote my books. I just wanted to write them.
Now that I’m doing this, I can see the benefits definitely go beyond selling books, which is the reason I thought authors did signings. I emailed friends and family about this, and everyone is so excited. Excited! Congratulating me!
I have to say, it makes me feel good. You need a little validation sometimes when you write on your home computer for editors who live across the country. Sure, they’ll email me that I did a good job. But this interest from people who know me and live nearby is really, well, great!
What I’ve realized from all this: I’ve been too shy about sharing my successes. (The kicker was when a friend of a friend emailed back to say she never even knew I write—I’d never mentioned it!) That’s no way to go about building a career. Better to actually tell people you write. Show them the books when they come out.
That may sound simple and obvious. But I'm not too shy to say it wasn't so simple or obvious to me—up to now!
Where: The Book House, Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY
When: Saturday, July 9, 3 p.m.
I don’t know why I haven’t done this before. I started writing books back in 2004, when I co-authored Bridal Guide Magazine’s How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Gown. It never occurred to me to promote my books. I just wanted to write them.
Now that I’m doing this, I can see the benefits definitely go beyond selling books, which is the reason I thought authors did signings. I emailed friends and family about this, and everyone is so excited. Excited! Congratulating me!
I have to say, it makes me feel good. You need a little validation sometimes when you write on your home computer for editors who live across the country. Sure, they’ll email me that I did a good job. But this interest from people who know me and live nearby is really, well, great!
What I’ve realized from all this: I’ve been too shy about sharing my successes. (The kicker was when a friend of a friend emailed back to say she never even knew I write—I’d never mentioned it!) That’s no way to go about building a career. Better to actually tell people you write. Show them the books when they come out.
That may sound simple and obvious. But I'm not too shy to say it wasn't so simple or obvious to me—up to now!
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