How Do I Write a Case File?
| Meta | |
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| Title: | How Do I Write a Case File? |
| Creator: | CindyET |
| Date(s): | 2001 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | The X-Files |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | How Do I Write a Case File? |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
How Do I Write a Case File? is an essay by CindyET.
It was posted to the X-Files website Working Stiffs in 2001.
Some Topics Discussed
- X-Files fanfiction
- the creation of a hypothetical case file fic called "The Lizard Man of FEMA"
Excerpts
I love to write case files. Who wouldn’t? Each one is a marvelously complex puzzle. Crafting one is more satisfying than finishing the toughest New York Times Crossword. From beginning to end, I find the process challenging, engaging, and more fun than I would have ever thought possible.
Over the past two years, I’ve written 21 case file fics, and am currently working on numbers 22 and 23. Thanks to reader feedback, advice from other fic authors, and several semesters of creative writing courses at the University where I work, I’ve learned many techniques that have helped me write better stories.
For the purpose of this article, I’ll start a case file from scratch in order to take you step by step through the process.
How do I begin?
With a question. Scully’s question, to be exact. I ask: “Mulder, how is this an X-File?”
Before I begin any actual writing, I still have another decision to make. What’s the subplot gonna be? As Mulder and Scully encounter each situation, how will it impact them personally? After all, the XF is not Dragnet. Mulder and Scully are not emotionless and pokerfaced like Joe Friday and sidekick Bill Gannon. M&S react on a personal level to the crimes they investigate. Adding a subplot that includes those reactions creates a richer story.
David Amann, writer for the XF, said in an interview in Cinemascape’s The X-Files 2000 Yearbook, “No matter how strong an idea might be on its own, the framework must include compelling positions for Mulder and Scully…. Ultimately, the stories are about them.” (Or about Scully and Doggett, or Doggett and Reyes, if you’re into writing case files about the newer characters.)
I completely agree with Amann, and after reading his interview, I took his advice to heart and began adding subplots into my own case files.
On the show, we seldom get much of an epilogue. Chris Carter prefers to leave his stories open-ended and a bit unexplained. I’ve found, however, that when I try to do the same in fanfic, I receive complaints. After writing my first fic, I was told my ending felt incomplete and rushed. Now I go against the X-Files’ convention and write a thorough conclusion, wrapping up all the details and leaving no loose ends, as if the story were a traditional murder mystery instead of an X-File.
Another valuable lesson I’ve learned as I’ve become more experienced at writing is to pare down the story to its absolute essentials. Now I heartlessly axe any scenes, dialog or details that do not advance the story or contribute to the plot or sub plot. I also choose metaphors, similes, even verbs that tie into the storyline. All action or exposition has a purpose. Nothing extraneous is allowed to stay.
My final step before posting is to enlist the help of a trustworthy beta. More than one is even better. Some are experts at proofreading -- they spot every typo and grammatical error. Others are superb editors -- they question confusing passages, character inconsistencies, missing scenes, superfluous information, etc. An honest beta is worth his weight in gold. I’ve been fortunate enough to know several and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank authors/betas David Hearne, Brandon Ray and Marybeth Cieplinski for the many hours they’ve devoted to reducing my learning curve. I bow humbly to their eagle eyes and expertise.