Fan Fic Writing Peeves

So I've ranted about fan fiction reviews and reading fan fiction, but this time, I would like to share my ten pet peeves about writing fan fiction. Maybe, you might find something here that you can relate to. Again, this is my own personal opinion. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as you enjoyed my last two rants about writing fan fiction.

Writer's Block

I get this more than I would like to admit. It's the dreaded phrase that many writers fear and do not want to experience. That feeling when you load up your writing program and try to get your ideas onto paper. Only... it doesn't.

Like the frog that's stuck in your throat (as the French say,) the epic ideas in your head just can't leap onto the paper as much as you would like them too.

Too Many Ideas

With so many plot bunnies that run around in your head. It can be really hard to choose which one to go with and write. You can try all of them if you want, but then the others just come out to grab you. I get a lot of ideas that just come to me. I think a lot of my ideas for stories come from the things around me and real life experiences. But there are ideas that just jump at you and you don't know how to describe where they come from.

Not Enough Ideas

And then there is the polar opposite when the ideas just don't come at all. Like you know how the story begins and how it ends, but what about the filler in the middle? How do I get from A to B? Trying to think of some ideas, and then your mind goes blank.

Is This Good Enough?

Writing can be a very expensive, exhausting and lonely process. Once your fan fics are out there, you do wonder if your work is good enough. It doesn't help that there are a lot of tough critics and flamers out there in the writing communities and sometimes it can really hurt a writer's ego to the point where they don't want to write again.

Sometimes when your work gets lots of readers but no comments, it can make you wonder, "Wow! Do I suck this much?"

Distractions

We all have commitments outside of writing. Whether it's a job or studies. But then there are also a lot of distractions online too. Social media being one of them. Sometimes you decide that you're going to write a lot of words today, then you think, "I've just got to this!"

Before you know it, the time has gone and you haven't written as much as you would have liked. But don't worry, we all have days like that. Just keep on going.

Timekeeping

Writers, especially for ones that study or work full-time struggle to complete their fan fics. They may promise weekly updates to balance out their work and fan fic hobby, but sometimes things get in the way and you have to make priorities. It's frustrating really, there are lots of fics that I would like to finish off, and even with timekeeping, this becomes hard.

Lack Of Energy

When you've come back home after a long day from school or work, and then go home to write. I can tell you it's not easy. We all live busy lives and writing can take up a lot of energy, both physically and mentally. There's nothing wrong with having a break once in a while to recharge yourself.

Lack Of Sleep

Who's guilty of staying up till three in the morning finishing off that one chapter? I know that I am. And I'll admit some of the stuff that I write when I'm lacking sleep just isn't as good as the stuff I write when I'm fully awake or bribing with energy.

Editing

It's not easy to edit your own work. Sometimes you get too attached to your own work that you don't want to cut anything that needs cutting out. And finding the right beta reader for your fic can also be a challenge. Even though there are lot of beta readers out there, you may need one that knows about the fandom you're writing and knows about things you may need help with.

Worrying About Word Count

Some readers like short chapters and some like long. Some readers consider short chapters as a sign of laziness. I tend to aim for chapters to be 1000 words, but some aim for 5000. I don't want my work to be judged on how long or how short it is — I want it to be judged on the writing itself.

And that concludes my pet peeves about writing fan fiction. A lot of these can also apply to other writing as well. I hope you enjoyed reading this article.