Ingredients for a successful fanfic?

[Sandoval]

Hi guys and gals, what do you think are the ingredients for a successful fanfic? Do you think an original or unique concept is required, or is it more to do with the execution? Many of the successful fanfics I've seen on here and following many members' signatures to Ad Astra appear to be the 'standard' ship flying around the Federation concept, yet the execution and obviously the quality of the writing is the reason for their success. The "Silverfin" stories here by Bry Sinclair and the "Gibraltar" ones are examples of extremely well written fare, Gibraltar's work in particular is on a par with any Star Trek I've seen in print and certainly better than some.

I don't mean to propose that they are derivative when I put them in the category of 'ship flying around the Federation' so please don't take it that way, what I'm trying to get at is that the concepts themselves aren't anything massive like a ship visiting another galaxy or something. Maybe it's their strength that they're not far-fetched concepts like that? Perhaps concepts that are too far-fetched stretch the imagination too far and become like a joke?

What about characters? New ones or is it sometimes best to use some existing, one-off characters like "Silverfin?

What are people's thoughts?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I mentioned in a reply to your comments on "SOS" that basically the best way to write fanfic is to just write it.

As for how to start it, that all depends on if you feel comfortable with an established series, or if you would rather have a little more freedom and create your own ship/station and crew.

If you opt for something original, what's the basic premise? Is it a deep space explorer, likely to be alone for a long period of time? A workhorse of Starfleet doing numerous and different mission in Federation space? A medical ship? A team from the S.C.E.? A science ship? Civilian freighter? The possibilities are limited only by what you can create.

I find it easier to decide on the type of ship before coming up with the crew, as that way you know what positions you need to fill and what types of characters you'll need. The men, women and various trans-gendered and neutered beings that will be the focus of your story need to be believable and original (not just a carbon copy of someone who has come before). If they're human, alien or hybrid, give them quirks and flaws and ambitions. Post Dominion War is a good playground, as people will have gone through a lot and will be recovering for a while afterwards.

Once you've got the scene and the cast together, then you just need to start. Some people like to plan out everything that will happen, others just start writing and see where things go. Whichever works for you is best.

Hope that helps you in some way.

-Bry

 

[mirandafave]

Essential ingredients: characters

how you come about them is going to be your own approach. Sometimes in a story or setting the characters come first and everything else forms around them. Sometimes you need to create certain types to fit the roles and the setting you create.

As to the standard fare of ship flying from here to there, yup, there's nothing wrong with that. It's the story you write for that ship that counts. Make it interesting. The premise itself need not - often the great premises fall flat for the lack of follow through and execution. There is sometimes something to be said for keeping it simple. That said, just tweaking the standard a little can be enough to make things splendidly different and fresh. A C.O. who is an alien? An entirely alien cultural pov - Romulan/Klingon/Cardassian. A civilian ship. A truly scientific vessel caught up in something more than its mission brief, etc.

 

[DarKush]

Bry and Mirandafave are definitely on point with their suggestions. I don't have much to add beyond what was said already. Though I will say that success is in the eye of the beholder and I wouldn't worry so much about reader reaction, especially when you're getting started. Though positive feedback is great. Gibraltar was very kind in regard to the first fanfic story I posted years back on Trek Writer's Guild and we've been buds ever since. But even negative criticism can be beneficial. It can help you see weak points in your writing and give you things to work on and improve. CeJay had both positive things to say and constructive criticism of my early work and I appreciated his honesty and worked on improving the weak areas he perceptively pointed out, and now we're buds too.

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer for any of your questions. It's all about what you're comfortable with and what is fun for you. I was a big fan of 24th century Trek so I decided to base Dark Territory in that period. I wanted some freedom from the shows so I based it right after the Dominion War, a period lightly covered onscreen at the time I started the series. In fact it was supposed to be tied to the DS9 Relaunch, but I felt that was ultimately too constraining and plus I didn't have enough time or money to read all those books so I decided to forgo the Trek Lit. universe and go my own way. So, it's really up to you in terms of new characters or canon characters. Some writers just love the canon characters and want to write further adventures for them. That's cool. That's not really my thing, though I use canon characters on occassion. And that's cool too.

I personally like the simple concept of a ship and crew. It's instantly recognizable for Trek fans, it is pretty open ended, and can lead to all types of missions and adventures. Sometimes I think the more complex premises can crumble under their own weight. At least starting out, I recommend starting simple. A starship, station, or colony, or something basic like that. Where you can make it different is the characters. For me, characters are key in DT. I trade up ships on the regular because the ship isn't a character in my stories, its about the human and aliens populating them that count. I look at giving my characters flaws, quirks, conflicts, to set them apart from one another and hopefully make them interesting.

It's also okay to take time to develop your ideas and restart them if necessary. Originally I started out with a 23rd century series, based after Undiscovered Country, still my favorite Trek film. It took me probably about a year to just get the concept off the ground. The main character switched from male to female and I could never get a series off the ground after the first story. So, I scrapped that and went to the 24th century, which was my favorite anyway, and it all started coming together. I wasn't as concerned about a starship though I did want something that I hadn't seen much of onscreen or in other fanfics and decided on the Prometheus, a pretty cool ship. As I said before, the ship wasn't the main thing so I've done a lot of ship hopping, which has allowed me to play with more starships that I've liked. But really its all about having fun. Don't make it so hard that it stops being fun. That being said, I think the best fanfics are the result of stick-to-it-ness. Once you start, try to finish. If you scrap it, try to finish whatever you decide on next. A good thing to keep you motivated is coming up with characters that you like, that you care about, and it can motivate you to finish their stories because you want to see how it turns out. And don't be afraid to veer off from your plans if it feels more organic for your characters to go in a different direction.

 

[kes7]

It is ALL about the characters. I would (and have) happily read about my favorite characters eating lunch, taking naps, catching colds, and all manner of other mundane stuff. Of course it's even more fun when they go on adventures, but adventure for the sake of adventure falls flat for me. Give me interesting, nuanced, three-dimensional characters to love and I will follow them anywhere. Give me cardboard cutouts and I wouldn't even sign on for a trip with them to Risa.

 

[Finn]

I agree with most of them. My fanfic has been on hold due to school. But it revolves around a Starship Captain in 2387 still haunted by the memories of the war, taking command of a post-Dominion War Nebula Class refit going into deep space.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

I recommend reading Common Story Flaws and Plot Devices to Avoid and Writing Better Star Trek.

 

[Gibraltar]

Thanks for the kind words regarding my series.

I can only echo what many of the other writers here have said about the strength of characterization in fanfic stories. So long as the characters are interesting, and you write those characters true to themselves (essentially, don't have them act too much against their established nature without good reason) your stories will be solid.

Other, more stylistic considerations evolve over time, usually with critical feedback from other writers and your readers. I know my writing has evolved considerably since I began some five years ago.

Good luck!

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Forgot to say, glad you like my stories.

I got started on my writing after being inspired by TheLoneRedshirt's Tales of the USS Bluefin and Gibraltar's...eh...Gibraltar.

-Bry

 

[BolianAuthor]

Hi guys and gals, what do you think are the ingredients for a successful fanfic? Do you think an original or unique concept is required, or is it more to do with the execution? Many of the successful fanfics I've seen on here and following many members' signatures to Ad Astra appear to be the 'standard' ship flying around the Federation concept, yet the execution and obviously the quality of the writing is the reason for their success. The "Silverfin" stories here by Bry Sinclair and the "Gibraltar" ones are examples of extremely well written fare, Gibraltar's work in particular is on a par with any Star Trek I've seen in print and certainly better than some.

I don't mean to propose that they are derivative when I put them in the category of 'ship flying around the Federation' so please don't take it that way, what I'm trying to get at is that the concepts themselves aren't anything massive like a ship visiting another galaxy or something. Maybe it's their strength that they're not far-fetched concepts like that? Perhaps concepts that are too far-fetched stretch the imagination too far and become like a joke?

What about characters? New ones or is it sometimes best to use some existing, one-off characters like "Silverfin?

What are people's thoughts?

For me, the highest priority is to put a fresh spin on an old concept, or come up with a totally new one. Take an idea, and turn it on its ear... be totally original... diametrically opposite of what is currently being offered by the fan base. That will cause your work to one, not be a copy, two, not be the same old same old, and three, will make your work stand out as fresh and unique.

That being said, you have to have a concept that is also captivating and fully engaging to the reader on a variety of levels, while still managing to entertain. Not the simplest thing to do, but it can be done. If you have a concept that borrows from a basic generic concept that has been seen before, use it to take it into a direction wholly different from what the reader expects, when they first begin to read your work.

As for characters... my own personal preference is to create fully original characters, and only use established characters as cameos at most, or occasional guest stars. My own personal belief is that it makes for a better writer to have to come up with his or her own original cast, then just re-use what is available, and have all the background work done for you. The Enterprise is not the only ship out there, and there are many other stories to be told.

And yes, execution is vital... even a great story will be substandard, if you cannot convey, at least on an emotional level, what you want to convey to your readership. You want them to FEEL what your characters are going through, and you want them to FEEL not only the intensity of battle scenes, but the "reality" of the universe you paint around them... you want them to become lost in it all... the illusion to consume them. You want to trick their mind's eye into believing that your story is playing out like a TV episode or film.

On the issue of ships and warfare... my own personal preference is to NEVER use anything that could be called an "ubership"... I have a very high disdain for fanwank, and I myself always choose to use smaller ships. For my TOS-era Gemini story, I am using a Surya-Class ship, and for my TNG/DS9-era story Entomalians, the U.S.S. Quasar was a Nebula-Class ship. There is no reason to use the biggest and baddest "just because you can". That makes no sense to me. Again, this is only my own personal opinion. Take it for what it is worth. The same for warfare... all too often there is a fanfic or fanfilm that comes out and describes the UFP in yet another "devastating war". One reaction to this...

YAWN.

There are PLENTY of fresh new and captivating stories to tell, without resorting to combat to engage and enthrall your audience. If you have to base your story on combat alone, or center it around a war... all I can say is that I think you can do better. You can be more original than that. If you can't, well... IDK what to say to you, then, lol.

Again, these are only MY personal takes on the issues... others may agree, others may not agree. But it is where I myself stand.

 

[Solarbaby]

Hi guys and gals, what do you think are the ingredients for a successful fanfic? Do you think an original or unique concept is required, or is it more to do with the execution? Many of the successful fanfics I've seen on here and following many members' signatures to Ad Astra appear to be the 'standard' ship flying around the Federation concept, yet the execution and obviously the quality of the writing is the reason for their success. The "Silverfin" stories here by Bry Sinclair and the "Gibraltar" ones are examples of extremely well written fare, Gibraltar's work in particular is on a par with any Star Trek I've seen in print and certainly better than some.

I don't mean to propose that they are derivative when I put them in the category of 'ship flying around the Federation' so please don't take it that way, what I'm trying to get at is that the concepts themselves aren't anything massive like a ship visiting another galaxy or something. Maybe it's their strength that they're not far-fetched concepts like that? Perhaps concepts that are too far-fetched stretch the imagination too far and become like a joke?

What about characters? New ones or is it sometimes best to use some existing, one-off characters like "Silverfin?

What are people's thoughts?

For me, the highest priority is to put a fresh spin on an old concept, or come up with a totally new one. Take an idea, and turn it on its ear... be totally original... diametrically opposite of what is currently being offered by the fan base. That will cause your work to one, not be a copy, two, not be the same old same old, and three, will make your work stand out as fresh and unique.

That being said, you have to have a concept that is also captivating and fully engaging to the reader on a variety of levels, while still managing to entertain. Not the simplest thing to do, but it can be done. If you have a concept that borrows from a basic generic concept that has been seen before, use it to take it into a direction wholly different from what the reader expects, when they first begin to read your work.

As for characters... my own personal preference is to create fully original characters, and only use established characters as cameos at most, or occasional guest stars. My own personal belief is that it makes for a better writer to have to come up with his or her own original cast, then just re-use what is available, and have all the background work done for you. The Enterprise is not the only ship out there, and there are many other stories to be told.

And yes, execution is vital... even a great story will be substandard, if you cannot convey, at least on an emotional level, what you want to convey to your readership. You want them to FEEL what your characters are going through, and you want them to FEEL not only the intensity of battle scenes, but the "reality" of the universe you paint around them... you want them to become lost in it all... the illusion to consume them. You want to trick their mind's eye into believing that your story is playing out like a TV episode or film.

On the issue of ships and warfare... my own personal preference is to NEVER use anything that could be called an "ubership"... I have a very high disdain for fanwank, and I myself always choose to use smaller ships. For my TOS-era Gemini story, I am using a Surya-Class ship, and for my TNG/DS9-era story Entomalians, the U.S.S. Quasar was a Nebula-Class ship. There is no reason to use the biggest and baddest "just because you can". That makes no sense to me. Again, this is only my own personal opinion. Take it for what it is worth. The same for warfare... all too often there is a fanfic or fanfilm that comes out and describes the UFP in yet another "devastating war". One reaction to this...

YAWN.

There are PLENTY of fresh new and captivating stories to tell, without resorting to combat to engage and enthrall your audience. If you have to base your story on combat alone, or center it around a war... all I can say is that I think you can do better. You can be more original than that. If you can't, well... IDK what to say to you, then, lol.

Again, these are only MY personal takes on the issues... others may agree, others may not agree. But it is where I myself stand.

Cool advice!

 

[JarodRussell]

If by successful you mean "Read by more than 4 people on TrekBBS", then it's only about promotion.



And, but that's just my personal preference, I don't read fanfic that doesn't have an abstract right at the beginning (kinda like the summary on the back of the book cover).

 

[kes7]

If by successful you mean "Read by more than 4 people on TrekBBS", then it's only about promotion.

I'm don't think this is true.

(Actually, I'm not even completely sure I know what you mean. )

 

[FordSVT]

This might sound petty, but spend some time getting the title right.

Nothing looks more amateurish than a title like:

"Star Trek: ARMAGEDDON!"
"Star Trek: OMEGA!"
"Star Trek: REBIRTH!"
"AFTERMATH!"

And so on. Try coming up with a title that hasn't been used by a hundred other fanfic authors and a dozen different sci-fi show episode titles.

Same goes for ship names. "Agamemnon" was cool when B5 used it, you don't have to name your mile long uber-ship with twenty torp launchers the same thing.

 

[kes7]

You know, the OP asked "What makes a good fanfic?" NOT "What are your fanfic pet peeves?"

Would it kill us to stay positive and not tear other people's efforts down?

 

[FordSVT]

^What? How can we possibly have a discussion about what makes good fan-fiction without mentioning the obvious pitfalls that can detract from that effort? And no one got specific about anyone's work, perhaps you should calm down.

Even if someone did get specific, is it not possible to offer constructive criticism without offending or someone claiming they are "tearing down" their work? What writer would present their work in a public forum and expect it not to be criticized? There is no such thing as a good writer that considers their work above criticism, even if it's the voice of a friend or an editor.

 

[kes7]

Some of the "example" titles you used are titles of actual stories by writers here on the board. It would be one thing to go into those threads and say you think their titles could be stronger/more unique. That's constructive criticism. It's quite another thing to go into a thread like this one and use titles of real people's work as examples of what NOT to do, especially in the sort of sneering tone you used.

"I prefer a unique title" is constructive. That may have been what you were trying to say, but it came out sounding like "these titles suck." Not constructive, IMO.

 

[FordSVT]

They're unoriginal, and uninspired, and sound like they were created by an online name generator. I wasn't picking on anyone in particular, but the fact that I pulled a few random names out of the back corner of my mind as examples only to find them being used here only reinforces my opinion. I looked back five pages and didn't see the any of these titles used on any of the current stories, I guess I should have realized I might offend someone who wrote a story three years ago by indirectly mentioning their title.

Anyways, I'm done defending myself, and unless you're a moderator I suggest you drop it too.

 

[kes7]

I'm not offended; they're not my titles. I've only written one story here.

Considering we're all doing this for fun, I was simply wondering if it might not be better to keep the tone of this thread positive and encouraging. You are right in pointing out that I'm not a moderator though, so I'm more than happy to "drop it."

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

As opposed to saying characters or plot is more important I'll say that whatever you have first is more important. If you have great characters, the plot won't be as important since truly compelling characters make a story easy, just writing their reactions to the normal, everyday things going on around them. However, if you have an awesome plot idea, even an average, sane, normal, run-of-the-mill person can be interesting because of their reaction to the awesome plot line. Either approach works to get a fic started.
Personally, though, characters are what keep me (and others I'm sure) interested in a story. However, if nothing ever happens to them it can get tiresome. So a good balance is crucial.