Delta's Guide to Writing Adventure Fanfics

Ok, I know I'm a new member here, but I have plenty of experience in writing adventure/action stories. This guide is meant to help users who struggle with writing these types of stories. I'm not saying "Do this or your story will stink", I'm giving you suggestions on how to do it.

Part 1 - Brainstorming
The first thing you need when writing a fanfic of any kind is a plot, characters, and (a) setting(s). Some of these may come easily to you, while others may not. It is usually best to plot out exactly how your fanfic will go, from start to finish, before you start to write. Otherwise you'll have one big mess.

Start with a basic outline, listing the basic elements of your story (I'll use Into the Wild as an example):


 * Name - Into the Wild
 * Setting - The Forest, ThunderClan camp
 * Characters - Rusty/Firepaw/Fireheart, Bluestar, Graypaw/Graystripe, Ravenpaw, Tigerclaw, Spottedleaf, Lionheart, Sandpaw, Dustpaw, Etc (You guys know who)
 * Conflict - RiverClan taking territory, ShadowClan battles, Tigerclaw
 * Resolution - Doesn't really happen until Darkest Hour
 * Outline -
 * Rusty goes into Forest, meets clan cats
 * Rusty becomes Firepaw
 * Etc

Once you have a basic outline, you can create a more detailed outline, like the one above, for each chapter (If you want). Otherwise, you can create a more detailed outline of the entire fanfic using your original one. Once that's done, you can start writing.

Part 2 - Writing
When I start to write, I usually create a Word Document (Although any word program will work). This allows you to write, reread, and edit your fanfics before you post them. This lessens the possibility of typos and grammatical mistakes that can often appear in fanfics that are written while in the article editor.

Don't be afraid to delete a sentence, paragraph, or even a page. If it doesn't sound right, read the surrounding text and see what you can do to fix that. If it still doesn't sound right, rewrite the entire section.

When you're done with the chapter, read it aloud to yourself. This helps you to catch errors and such that you might have otherwise missed. I find it best to wait until the next day and read it again then. That can help you catch your mistakes, though you'll probably have a few "What the Tigerstar was I thinking?!!" moments. For more on preping your fanfics for posting, see Part 7 on Posting.

Part 3 - Prologues
Prologues are where you set up the plot for your story. You could use a prologue to introduce a plot, major characters, or something else that has a place of great importance to the story.

For example, the Warriors novel The Fourth Apprentice uses it's prologue to set up the basis of the story, which is Dovepaw learning about the prophecy and her powers. The scene is set in StarClan, like other Warriors books, giving it a more mysterious feel. This makes the rest of the book feel a little more real, a little more down to earth (I'm ignoring the fact that Warriors is about talking cats).

It is possible to skip the prologue, starting directly with Chapter 1. This will through the reader right into the action. While this may be a good attention grabber, it can also leave the reader with questions, such as:


 * Who is who?
 * What is going on?
 * Where is this?
 * Why is this happening?

This may confuse the reader to much, and they may lose interest in your story. Unless everything is explained later (As in, Chapter 1 or 2), it would probably be best to include a prologue.

Prologues are usually sorter than the average chapter, having less content. However, this depends on what the content of your Prologue is, and how much of the plot/ending you are willing to reveal/hint at.

Once you're Prologue is done you can move on to the body of your fanfic.

Part 4 - Body
TBW

Part 5 - Closing
TBW

Part 6 - Adding Humor
TBA

Part 7 - Posting
TBW

Conclusion
TBW