On Writing Fan Fiction (Rules & Advice)

[The Count]

Self-insertion into a Muppet-based fanfic is okay around here. We do it all the time, it just depends on the level of how the self-insertion is written. As you pointed out, there are a ton of self-insertion fics floating here lately, I've had to delete a few because they were just plain lyrics with no actual story. But there are very good self-insertion fics from some of the older authors. If it wasn't for Sara (ReneeLouvier)'s Sadie's Stories and Beth (redBoobergurl)'s Rowlf's Stories and some of Lisa (TogetherAgain)'s actual completed fics, we wouldn't have the Hensonville City scenario. Catherine (Ruahnna) is the veritable master of good/excellent self-insertion what with the various cameos certain forum members have had in her grand novel Kermie's Girl, and I myself took the challenge to write a variety of short somewhat inter-connected fics some of which feature my fan-fic self. And I have to mention Kris (newsmanfan)'s Newsie's Stories as well as Kim (Slackbot)'s more Muppet-centric fics as well-written fics featuring either themselves or their own OC's, which is another thing we heartily welcome in our fanverse, again, so long as they're incorporated well.

Hope this helps somewhat.

BTW: All the authors/fics mentioned above can be found in the 2014 Fanfic Library Index thread.

 

[Harleena]

Self-insertion into a Muppet-based fanfic is okay around here. We do it all the time, it just depends on the level of how the self-insertion is written. As you pointed out, there are a ton of self-insertion fics floating here lately, I've had to delete a few because they were just plain lyrics with no actual story. But there are very good self-insertion fics from some of the older authors. If it wasn't for Sara (ReneeLouvier)'s Sadie's Stories and Beth (redBoobergurl)'s Rowlf's Stories and some of Lisa (TogetherAgain)'s actual completed fics, we wouldn't have the Hensonville City scenario. Catherine (Ruahnna) is the veritable master of good/excellent self-insertion what with the various cameos certain forum members have had in her grand novel Kermie's Girl, and I myself took the challenge to write a variety of short somewhat inter-connected fics some of which feature my fan-fic self. And I have to mention Kris (newsmanfan)'s Newsie's Stories as well as Kim (Slackbot)'s more Muppet-centric fics as well-written fics featuring either themselves or their own OC's, which is another thing we heartily welcome in our fanverse, again, so long as they're incorporated well.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Yeah, I guess that's true. I just noticed a lot of self-inserts, but maybe that's just on the Electric Mayhem side of the fandom. A lot of those fanfics just look the same to me…maybe it's just the shame of creating a Mary Sue self-insert of my own a few years back…when I read my old fanfictions, I can't help but cringe. I wanted to post a quote from one, but your eyes would probably bleed. But I guess there's no problem if your OC is a self-insert and joins the Mayhem, as long as she's not the most talented girl in the world and that her voice doesn't sound like Whitney Houston mixed with Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Adele, Idina Menzel, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Amy Lee, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Barbara Streisand, Carrie Underwood, and every other female singer I didn't already mention by name. And also, if your fic contains this quote: "Sure you girls sound like singers when you talk", you should probably do some serious editing. Also, stop making your OCs talk like Janice. We get it, you like the Electric Mayhem. But you don't need to say "Fer sure" and "Rully" after everything! Also, don't go overboard on the tragic past stuff. This fandom is usually pretty good about avoiding it, but there are a few…

 

[scooterfan360]

does this fan fic charactor that i made sound like a mary sue to you ? she gets hired by kermit to do costumes after hilda retires piggy was the one who suggested that kermit hire her after meeting her during an apperance in the charactor 's that i made home town years be for the charactor joined the muppets this charactor dealed with a lot growing up and into adulthood like growing up with a strict mother, dealing with her parents break up and men who treated her bad but my fan fics are not focused on her they are mainly foucus on scooter and his relationship with her in one my fan fics scooter taught my charactor that i made how to dance and how to love again in the second one which is the sequel it tells more about my charactors background but it doesn't focus on her okay moving on to scooter he is recovering from the loss of his uncle jp grosse in my fan fics and he has had his share of bad realationships with past lovers too and my fan fics are pg 13

 

[The Count]

@scooterfan360.

First of all, I believe the word is spelled "character", there's no "o" at the end and "relationship", there's no "a" before the "l". Making sure you type your story correctly is another thing that people should pay attention to when writing fanfic. To that point, also make sure you end your sentences where/when they should instead of having them run-on forever in stringing too many ideas together.

Regarding the fact that your story is a Scooter-centric story, I'd recommend delving into the fanfic index to check the following authors' stories.
Sara (ReneeLouvier),
Erin (Muppet Newsgirl),
Kim (Slackbot), and
Gina (WebMistressGina).

Hope this helps.

 

[AlittleMayhem]

Yeah, I guess that's true. I just noticed a lot of self-inserts, but maybe that's just on the Electric Mayhem side of the fandom. A lot of those fanfics just look the same to me…maybe it's just the shame of creating a Mary Sue self-insert of my own a few years back…when I read my old fanfictions, I can't help but cringe. I wanted to post a quote from one, but your eyes would probably bleed. But I guess there's no problem if your OC is a self-insert and joins the Mayhem, as long as she's not the most talented girl in the world and that her voice doesn't sound like Whitney Houston mixed with Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Adele, Idina Menzel, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Amy Lee, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Barbara Streisand, Carrie Underwood, and every other female singer I didn't already mention by name. And also, if your fic contains this quote: "Sure you girls sound like singers when you talk", you should probably do some serious editing. Also, stop making your OCs talk like Janice. We get it, you like the Electric Mayhem. But you don't need to say "Fer sure" and "Rully" after everything! Also, don't go overboard on the tragic past stuff. This fandom is usually pretty good about avoiding it, but there are a few…

As a fan of the Electric Mayhem who also writes fanfic of them with OCs, I completely understand your fustration with having the same not well written stories over and over again with self inserts and so on and so forth. I also understand how fandoms reaction to fancharacters can be very negative to the point where you hesitant to write your OCs stories.

But I honestly don't have a problem with OCs or self inserts, even the most beautiful or talented ones, so long as they are well written. I've read many a fic, both in this fandom and the next, that has all those troupes but we're just so good that you honestly didn't think that much of it.

Another thing I'd like to add (and this was pointed out to me on tumblr) is that typically young girls write these sort of stories with female OCs. In a world of full blown misoginistic media everyday, I don't blame them for wanting to create a persona that's the absolute bestest thing ever. Sure, it may not be always the greatest of results, but if it makes them happy and their not hurting anyone, then good (and this is coming from someone who used to make a comic series mocking other people's actual Mary Sues, something I've come to regret these past years).

One more thing. If you think about it long and hard, Batman is the biggest and most famous Mary Sue in history.

 

[scooterfan360]

@scooterfan360. my bad i was writing this post in the dark lol sorry for the incorrect spelling

First of all, I believe the word is spelled "character", there's no "o" at the end and "relationship", there's no "a" before the "l". Making sure you type your story correctly is another thing that people should pay attention to when writing fanfic. To that point, also make sure you end your sentences where/when they should instead of having them run-on forever in stringing too many ideas together.

Regarding the fact that your story is a Scooter-centric story, I'd recommend delving into the fanfic index to check the following authors' stories.
Sara (ReneeLouvier),
Erin (Muppet Newsgirl),
Kim (Slackbot), and
Gina (WebMistressGina).

Hope this helps.

 

[Harleena]

As a fan of the Electric Mayhem who also writes fanfic of them with OCs, I completely understand your fustration with having the same not well written stories over and over again with self inserts and so on and so forth. I also understand how fandoms reaction to fancharacters can be very negative to the point where you hesitant to write your OCs stories.

But I honestly don't have a problem with OCs or self inserts, even the most beautiful or talented ones, so long as they are well written. I've read many a fic, both in this fandom and the next, that has all those troupes but we're just so good that you honestly didn't think that much of it.

Another thing I'd like to add (and this was pointed out to me on tumblr) is that typically young girls write these sort of stories with female OCs. In a world of full blown misoginistic media everyday, I don't blame them for wanting to create a persona that's the absolute bestest thing ever. Sure, it may not be always the greatest of results, but if it makes them happy and their not hurting anyone, then good (and this is coming from someone who used to make a comic series mocking other people's actual Mary Sues, something I've come to regret these past years).

One more thing. If you think about it long and hard, Batman is the biggest and most famous Mary Sue in history.

Very true, a lot of these stories are written by young girls, often as wish-fulfillment characters. I usually try not to make fun of actual Mary Sues, and if I feel the need to mock the concept in general, I just create my own awful OC. For example, there's the Muppet character that I made to poke fun at the idea of a Mary Sue. Her name is Starsong Cassandra Raven Arianna Sakura Rose Mercury and she gets an additional middle name each chapter. She has black hair with natural fuschia streaks, pink eyes (like the color of peonies)…and her past? "I was born on the planet of Kawaiidesu. I was the princess, until my wicked sister overthrew me and killed our parents. I was then kidnapped by a man who abused me. I was able to escape to Earth, and was taken in by a family of wolves. Then, one day, those wolves were killed by hunters. I soon learned that I was part of a great prophecy, which stated that on my sixteenth birthday, I would be the one to save the world. I began to train with a great master, until I was kidnapped by the FBI, who did painful experiments on me to give me powers, like flight, invisibility, super strength, super speed, super beauty, telepathy, pyrokinesis, umbrakinesis, healing abilities, the ability to see through time and space, shape-shifting, ghost powers, magic, time travel, interdimensional travel, weather manipulation, freeze vision, heat vision, the sonic scream, psychic powers, and sparklekinesis! They also performed experiments that altered my DNA so I’m part demon, angel, fairy, mermaid, vampire, witch, neko-jin, unicorn, and goddess, so I have those powers too. When I escaped them, I came here, to fulfill the prophecy and save everyone! My life is so tragic!” Of course, that's an exaggeration, and there's probably not any pink-eyed-part-unicorn-super-goddesses in this fandom. But still. DON'T MAKE YOUR OC INTO A STARSONG!

 

[Harleena]

One more thing. If you think about it long and hard, Batman is the biggest and most famous Mary Sue in history.

What about Bella Swan? Or Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way? (Here's the fanfic Ebony is in http://myimmortalrehost.webs.com/chapters122.htm) Or Jenna Silverblade? http://linksqueen.tripod.com/mil.html (That's the fanfic Jenna is in. Warning: it's long) And Batman is not a Mary Sue. Here's an argument why. http://lesliannewilder.blogspot.com/2013/10/why-batman-is-not-mary-sue.html

 

[Slackbot]

I think we can all agree that both Wesley Crusher and Lestat de Lioncourt are textbook Mary Sues.

 

[scooterfan360]

my spelling is correct in my fan fics but i don't know where to place my punctuation and quotation marks could someone please help me ?