Originally found here, but posted here with edits for language and updating.
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Fanfiction! Those stories that many of us slave over to get perfectly right, in order for other lovers of the fanbase (not necessarily the fandom) to read you're own original ideas, not to forget the benifit of becoming closer to those with your same interests.
But then, other people screw it up, and all is doomed.
If you're familiar with fanfiction, you should get this. If you yourself have heard these ten lies, or told one yourself, then I suggest you pay attention! If you've done the latter, I command you to go and slap yourself with a large and dangerous object.
Lie #10: I don't understand why no one likes my story
Yes you do; stop lying. Usually when a person says what they don't like about a fic, they tell why. If not, you should ask them why, and take in consideration of that certain aspect of your story. Try using actual sentence structure, and maybe proper grammar. Just because this is the Internet doesn't mean you should become a complete idiot, and suddenly lose all knowledge of how to spell the word 'you'.
One thing that's very bad about this lie is that most people who say this aren't even trying to improve them self. They only whine about their story, trying to find out what's so wrong, yet ignore all of the advice others give them. Or, perhaps they just decided that no one liked their story after one negative opinion. Sadness.
Lie #9: I only saw one episode of the show but I can make the story anyway
NO. If you're not sure on something, don't try and make up crazy crap about it that you believe is right. I know Irkens can't reproduce sexually; don't try and tell me that only green-eyed males are capable of doing so. You look like a dumbbell when lying, so DON'T DO IT.
If you seriously have watched the show, and you're not sure about something...ASK A QUESTION. Seek out for someone who knows the show well, and see if they can help you! It's not difficult. Your efforts will show through your writing. If you still want to claim that Batman is actually Robin's father or that the two are *cough* an item or one or both are having an affair with the Catwoman, then stay the heck away from me.
Lie #8: People who give me bad reviews are only jealous of me
You wish. No one is jealous of you, they've just been driven into insanity by your story. Try listening to constructive criticism.
Lie #7: I have a lot of reviews so my story must be good
Wrong! One of the biggest lies told by some rather arrogant writers. Just because you have a lot of reviews, or positive comments doesn't necessarily mean your story is "good". In other words, written well. If you constantly have to have someone TELL you that your story is good for you to believe it yourself, then something may be wrong.
Do most of the people who end up reading your stories turn out to only be close friends or relatives? Do they only give you positive opinions? Do they know jack crap about writing? Chances are, you're doomed. Try and get your work out into the public. If you really want to see what others think of your story, have someone who doesn't even know you tell you their opinion. With that absence of friendship, you may find out the truth about your writing.
A lot of Mary-Sue writers fall victim to this lie, thinking that just because a lot of people say it's a good story means it's not a Mary-Sue.
Lie #6: I didn't have enough time to read over my story, so could you review it anyway?
Good gosh PEOPLE. If you're going to tell us that your story sucks, and you didn't make any sort of valiant effort to check over it, then we're not going to read it. At least try and replace the story with the version that DOES have corrections some time in the future. I'm tired of people saying the stories have mistakes and stuff. WHY DON'T YOU TRY FIXING THEM? Whiney wench, get out of my house.
Lie #5: Slash fanfiction could really happen
People have long been battling over whether expressly heterosexual or unattached characters of a show could really have a homosexual relationship. Well, I'm here to answer that question.
No. No, they cannot.
For those who didn't know, even after reading the above sentence, slash fanfiction is fan fiction that turns established canon characters gay and pairs them up. Unless the characters are ACTUALLY gay or bisexual in the show, they aren't going to pair up with someone of the same sex. If you actually got to talk to the creator(s) of the canon fiction that ended up with a fandom, you'd see that they'd be rather horrified to see their characters getting paired up with another, doing things the character probably wouldn't even do with someone of the opposite sex. slash relationships are only made up from a person's hopeful wishes and fantasies and nothing more.
What is mostly disturbing is that people try and make a character gay without any explanation. You don't suddenly decide to like people of the same sex overnight (at least most people don't), then go about cheerfully the next day, as if nothing happened. Like Mary-Sue writers and other shippers, slashers never take into consideration how the original character acted before they supposedly became interested in a character of the same sex, turning them into a completely different person. This just doesn't work. This is called yaoi for male gay porn fanfics, yuri for female, and slash for either one.
Slash-writers are homo, bi, and heterosexuals, many are girls, usually in college or high school, who apparently have a large amount of free time. They usually are working on other fictional works, hoping to be published, making slash fiction on the side.
Lie #4: Mary Sues are okay to write
I don't think so. People try and prove, but the only thing Mary Sues are really good for is for examples of what you should stay away from.
Mary Sues in fanfiction are original female characters that are often paired up with a canon character or a few. They're always written so the rest of the cast is outshone and in complete amazement by them. Mary Sues are stunningly beautiful--or attractive, and often mysterious enough to gain the canon character's attention. Their behaviour ranges from unbelievably altruistic to broody to obsessive to bratty, and they never get along with someone of the same sex unless that can be used to make them look better than the other character, or if they are gay. But we are always being told how perfect they are. And no one really likes characters that are "perfect" by design.
Let the truth be known. Making original characters is RISKY. You can't just really do whatever the heck you want--The setting the original characters of the fanbase live in even have certain guidelines so that they make sense--meaning they weren't created by following crazy and senseless rules.
The worst thing about Mary-Sues is that no one wants to admit that is what they are, yet they go flaming other writers for writing them.
The second worst thing about Mary Sues is that people don't realize how bad the story really looks with them in it. Just having a Mary-Sue in a story could really ruin all sorts of aspects of your story: plot development, character development...
Some people like to just be free and write whatever they want, despite how disturbing it may end up. A lot of them say, "Hey, why don't you shut the heck up! People can write the way they want, you shouldn't be labeling them!" Well, if these people REALLY cared about their future career that deals with writing in any way, they'd better get used to their writing getting labeled. If you can't try and get advice at a young age, imagine what could go wrong in the future...
Lie #3: Song fics are cool
No, no they are not! They are dreadful! Every - last - one!
Song fics are fanfictions composed of the lyrics of a song, with the interruption of the story. The story supposedly relates to the song. It is not the same as writing a story, then inserting music later to go with it.
The problem with song fics is that no one cares about the song. Usually when people make them, they use their favorite song--songs people either hate, or never heard of, and are expected to feel the same way the writers feels about the song. This is virtually impossible to do in fanfiction. The song could end up relating to the story, but with the constant interruptions, it's hard to concentrate. You fail at trying to make a sentimental piece. You FAIL, and you die!
Music can and should be included in stories where it fits, in the form of background audio, or as the odd mention of it by title or as something a character is singing or playing, but not in a songfic that goes - phrase of story, phrase of lyric, story, lyric, story, lyric and so on.
Lie #2: I saw a fic like mine, so they obviously were trying to copy me
Just because you see a fanfiction similar to your own doesn't mean the writer copied you. Maybe you're story just isn't original. I'm tired of people saying that people copy their work, when technically, it wasn't theirs in the first place.
Try and use an idea no one's thought of. If you choose one that's used a lot, then all of the stories will be like your own.
Lie #1: My fic is the best fic in the world
No. No, it's not.
So shut the heck up.
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