Tips for writing better fan fiction

Meta
Title:	Tips for writing better fan fiction
Creator:
Date(s):	December 1999
Medium:	online
Fandom:	many
Topic:
External Links:	Tips for writing better fan fiction, Archived version
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

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Tips for writing better fan fiction is an essay by LJC.

It addresses fanfiction and editing. In the essay, she lists twenty suggestions/pieces of advice.

Excerpts

Once upon a time, using my experiences as both a fan fiction author, editor, and Loony Archivist, I decided to put together a Fanfic FAQ for the two Star Trek: Voyager on-line archives that I run.

My goal was to educate and inform—particularly those new, inexperienced authors— about and of both the history of the participatory creative sub-genre of fandom proper, and the craft of writing itself. Each section was followed by links to essays and FAQs and websites, to serve as further resources on the same topic. There were sections on history, Mary Sue self-insertion, how to become a better writer, and tips on how to write better fan fiction.

It was that last bit that got me into the most trouble.

Before we get into what the trouble was, allow me to re-print that section of the FAQ: [see essay]