Pokemon Fanfiction Writing Guide v2
Second version, by frostweaver, of course. This will be made into a new thread. o.o;
Pokemon Fanfiction Writing Guide v2 ^_^
By Frosty <3
These are general guidelines, which will aide you in your upcoming career of Pokemon fanfic writing. Though these guidelines often contain exceptions, it is recommended that you will follow through with these guidelines until you've gained much understanding about Pokemon writing.
This guide should cover all aspects of Pokemon fanfic writing, or at least most of everything. Every question is written in FAQ format.
This guide does not include tips on writing a fanfic in a script form.
Table of Contents
Preparation
-What do I need?
-What should I write on?
-What qualifies a fanfic to be a 'Pokemon fanfic'?
-What do I have to consider about when I'm writing?
-What is 'Stream of Consciousness' writing?
Plot and Acronyms
-What are the stereotypical plots in Pokemon fanfic?
-What is the 'most welcomed' type of plot?
-What are the 5 conflicts?
-What are the Acronyms used in Pokemon fanfic writing?
Narrative Manner
-What is narrative manner?
-What is 1st person narrative?
-What is 3rd person omniscient?
-What is 3rd person limited omniscient?
-What is 3rd person objective?
Prologue Writing
-What are the common errors to avoid about Prologue Writing?
-What is a Prologue? Do I need one?
-What should be included in a Prologue?
-How should I write a Prologue?
-Is there a sample of an 'ideal Prologue' and a 'terrible Prologue?'
Titles and Names
-What are the common errors to avoid about Titles and Names?
-What should I do about my fanfic's Title?
-What should I do about the title for this chapter?
-What names should I use for Characters in my fanfic?
-What nicknames should I use for the Pokemon in my fanfic?
-What names should I use for my original Pokemon/Places/league?
Characters (Humans and Pokemon)
-What are the common errors to avoid about Characters?
-How do I introduce my Characters?
-How do I write the dialogues for my Characters?
-How do I add physical descriptions for my Characters?
-How do I add emotional descriptions for my Characters?
-When is it suitable for a story to have no character description?
-What is a minor character
-How is the narrator a Character?
Setting
-How should I handle the time aspect of setting?
-How should I handle the landscape aspect of the setting?
-How should I handle the mood aspect of the setting?
Pokemon Battling
-What are the common errors to avoid?
-How do I describe a Pokemon attack?
-How do I make a Pokemon battle interesting?
Coherence and Clarity
-What is Coherence? What is Clarity?
-How should I make my story Coherent and Clear?
Diction
-What is Diction?
-How should I handle Diction?
-How do I find the denotation of a word?
-How do I find the connotation of a word?
Tone
-What is Tone?
-How do I portray Tone?
Literary Devices
-What should I do if I want to emphasize something?
-What is a symbol?
-What is an allusion?
-What is foreshadowing, flashback and in media res?
-What is a motif?
-What is a repetition?
-What is alliteration, consonance and assonance?
-What is a theme?
Story Structure
-How do I write the beginning for my fanfic?
-How do I write the rising actions for my fanfic?
-What is a climax?
-What is a denouement?
Fanfic Promotion/Improvement
-How do I become famous?
-What is a beta reader? Where do I find one?
-How do I attract more readers to read my fanfic?
-How do I attract more reviewers to review my fanfic?
-When should I update my fanfic?
-How should I advertise my fanfic?
FAQ
Preparation
What do I need?
-A very basic idea about what you want to write for your fanfic
-Spell checker/grammar check if you're doing this on the computer
-A thesaurus and a dictionary
What should I write on?
-Up to you to decide, as this is where originality comes in
-Be flexible, as a Pokemon fanfic do not have to be about Pokemon journeys
-You do not have to follow the format of the Pokemon game, anime or manga
-You don't even have to include any Pokemon (if you're talking about characters from the show/manga)
-You don't even have to include any characters from the Pokemon media (if you're talking about Pokemon and only)
What qualifies a fanfic to be a 'Pokemon fanfic?'
-Either of the following conditions must be met (not all, but at least some):
1. Story takes place in the world of Pokemon
2. Pokemon must be in the story
3. Characters from the Pokemon media are in the story
4. The concept of Pokemon is mentioned in the story
What do I have to consider about when I'm writing?
-Basically, everything that's mentioned in this guide
What is 'Stream of Consciousness' writing?
-This is to write without any pre-planning or thinking about your work. Just write whatever comes to your mind. It doesn't even have to be in story format.
-Advantage is that it maybe original, and can be used as inspiration for many ideas
-Disadvantage is that it will always need to be processed in order for it to become a fanfic, and it may not always lead to somewhere
Plot and Acronyms
What are the stereotypical plots in Pokemon fanfic?
-Note: stereotypical plots can be combined with one another
-'Original Trainer' A new trainer(s) set off on their own journey to be a Pokemon Master, similar to what the anime and the game has already. Traditionally, most new writers tend to jump to this type of plot first, and it is stereotyped as 'bad' fanfics.
-'Back to School' Pokemon characters go to school and this usually involves romances more than anything.
-'Dark fanfics' World of Pokemon is in huge chaos, and needs to be saved. The innocence of the Pokemon world is taken away, only to be replaced by the dark deeds that exist in the real world as well, such as murder and betrayal.
-'Team ____' Perspective is taken at a character that's on the dark side instead of the usual heroes who fight against these teams, such as Team Rocket/Magma/Aqua.
-'Pokemon Perspective' The fanfic is through the eyes of a Pokemon rather than the usual human characters. Usually, this involves the entire story dedicated to the feelings of the Pokemon towards what the Pokemon world is like, and most of the time, this type of fanfic is filled with angst, easily tied with 'Dark fanfics.'
-'Parody' Pokemon/Pokemon Characters join part in various TV shows, or other well-known programs in the real life world, and see how will the Pokemon Characters handle each situation. Usually this type of fanfic is comedic.
What is the 'most welcomed' type of plot?
-Generally, anything but the Original Trainer because Original Trainer is stereotyped itself to be a 'bad fanfics of low quality.'
-However, some authors prefer to work against their odds. By writing a good fanfic with a plot idea that's stereotyped as 'bad fanfics,' an author can become famous easily.
What are the 5 conflicts?
-'Man vs. Man' deals with conflicts between 2 human beings. The protagonist and the antagonist/s compete against each other in order to reach their own goal first, while often trying to stop the others. This is the most common conflict. All forms of rivalry is based on this conflict. It is possible that it is two organizations going against each other, and this is still classified as 'man vs. man.' Pokemon are included as a 'man' here, so any fanfic that deals with the struggle between a Pokemon and a specific trainer will also belong here. Team Magma and Team Aqua's grudge against each other is a form of 'man vs. man' although there aren't any distinctive two individuals. 'man vs. man' is considered to be the weakest and shallowest of all conflicts.
-'Man vs. Supernatural' is where a character challenges that of a legendary or supreme being, or the power of the unexplainable, such as ghosts and strange voices. Both the man and the supernatural may or may not be 'good.' This involves with a struggle between those with limited power against those who are suggested to have no limits in strength with no signs of weakness. Often, in Pokemon this is a battle between the trainer/organization against a legendary Pokemon (usually, Mew, Mewtwo or Kyogre/Groudon.) Man may borrow or rely on the strength of other legendary or supreme being/s in order to try to win the battle. Legendary Pokemon are considered to be supernatural for the Pokemon World, making this conflict to be the 2nd weakest and shallowest of all conflicts.
-'Man vs. Nature' is where a character faces the harshness of the natural environment. A character may be stranded in the wilderness, and must fight against the natural world in order to survive. Man and/or Pokemon must rely on his own resourcefulness and various talents in order to survive. Sickness and diseases are also considered as part of the natural world. For the purpose of a Pokemon fanfic, wild (non-legendary) Pokemon are considered to be part of 'Nature' but any Pokemon that has been captured is considered a 'man.' This conflict is considered to be one of the higher level conflicts.
-'Man vs. Society' is where a single or few character/s must face the challenges from the wide public. Often, this conflict deals with characters who must fight against the set orders and rules within the world which they live in. Another possibility is how an individual tries to maintain their individuality. In Pokemon, this often deals with a Pokemon character trying to change the Pokemon world's concept of capturing Pokemon for battles. This conflict is considered to be one of the higher level conflicts.
-'Man vs. Self' is where a character battles against himself. He must make decisions which are difficult for him, and fight against his own desires/beliefs and reason with his own mind. The character embarks off a spiritual journey in order to define himself in his ability, strength, identity and beliefs. This conflict is considered to be the pinnacle of complexity, being most welcomed by readers over all other conflicts. At the same time, it is also the most difficult to write without being considered 'corny.' A good 'man vs. self' conflict is enough to place any fanfic's plot as an excellent one. If supported by other conflicts, your readers will definitely be enticed.
What are the Acronyms used in Pokemon fanfic writing?
-OT (Original Trainer- describes the Original Trainer type of fanfic)
-Oneshots (short stories that will not have any updates)
-OOC (Out of Character- describes how the story portrayed in the fanfic is unlike the character in the Pokemon media, and therefore is unreal)
-PM (Pocket Monster, another name for Pokemon)
-Note: acronyms are only used in reviews and shouldn't be used in the story
Narrative Manner
What is narrative manner?
-It is the way the story is presented/narrated. It is how the narrator gets involved with the story.
-Considered as one of the 5 components of story writing (plot, character, setting, theme, narrative manner)
What is 1st person narrative?
-The narrator is a character from the story. Story is told through the viewpoints of this one particular character.
-Story is told using 1st person's viewpoints. 'I' and 'we' are used.
-The story may not be truthful through the 1st person narrative. It is possible that the character who's acting as the narrator is lying, or is unreliable (ex: narrator is mentally ill, or an alcoholic.) In these cases, readers must try to discover the true story through diction, and little hints that the narrator has left behind unintentionally. Perhaps sometimes the narrator just briefly mentions something because it is unimportant to that character, but this 'minor detail' maybe implied for something only the readers have realized (therefore, creating dramatic irony)
-Character description regarding other characters can only be revealed by the narrator (who may be biased, however) or by absolute precise choice in diction and tone.
-Story sounds a lot more close, as if the readers and the characters are on a personal level
-Also greatly empowers the character component of the story, but is only strengthening the protagonist.
-Is one of the harder narrative to write a story on.
What is 3rd person omniscient?
-The narrator is told from a side point of view. The narrator does not have any role in the story. The narrator is not involved in the action.
-The narrator is all-knowing. He knows exactly what all characters are thinking, and is capable of sharing this knowledge to the readers. Being all-knowing, the narrator is completely trustworthy and accurate in details.
-Character description is easily accomplished, as the narrator can say anything accurately.
-Increases the power of the character component of the story in general, but is not as effective in strengthening the protagonist as the 1st person narrative
-Easiest narrative to write a story on, and is the default setup.
What is 3rd person limited omniscient?
-Exactly the same as the 3rd person omniscient, except that now the narrator is limiting his own knowledge.
-Only one character's mind is known and described at a time. Though the narrator knows exactly what all characters are thinking, he will only talk about one at the same time, where the fully omniscient character will mention multiple characters' way of thinking at the same time.
-In terms of writing difficulty, this is the transitional stage between the 3rd person omniscient and the 1st person narrative.
-Its advantage is that a feeling of mystery can be made. One character's mind is understood (mostly that of the protagonist), and the other characters' minds are shrouded in mystery (especially that of the antagonist.) Yet the narrator may give us occasional glimpse of the other characters' minds, in order to increase the tension.
-Increases the strength of the plot component of story writing.
-The standard narrative for most fanfics, because the advantage of this narrative benefits the fantasy/adventure genre the most.
What is 3rd person objective?
-Narrator also talks at the sideline, not being involved with the story's mainstream plot.
-The narrator does not know any character's thinking at all. The narrator is objective instead of telling the story in the subjective manner. This is the main difference between this narrative and any other narrative.
-Objective voice only presents what is present, but will offer no interpretation. For example, the 3rd person objective narrator will tell us that a Totodile growled at its trainer, stomped the ground and then ran away. It will not tell us that the Totodile is angry at its trainer, but the evidence is present for the readers to safely interpret Totodile's emotions.
-Greatly strengthens the theme along with the setting component of a story.
-Weak for a fanfic because it relies on the reader heavily. If the readers are not keen readers and are only looking for plot, a 3rd person objective story will make absolutely no sense to these readers. In the fanfic world, there is only a limited amount of readers who may spend time to reread parts of the fanfic in order to find clues about the real story in a 3rd person objective narrative.
-Hardest narrative to write on, but it has the most strength at heart. It stands strong with the greatest influential power over the readers.
Prologue Writing
What are the common errors to avoid about Prologue Writing?
-Saying 'this is the prologue' as your readers aren't stupid
-Giving out your entire story, as this is only suppose to grab your readers' attention
-Writing a short summary instead of a prologue, as they are different
-Prologue fails to increase tension, or stirs interest in readers
-Saying to the readers 'this story will get better' (no reason for this, as your story should always be as good as it can be)
-Giving the readers a list of anything. That is boring.
-Talking as the author, as that is part of the author's note and not the prologue.
What is a Prologue? Do I need one?
-Prologue is a short introduction before the story used as a short review to attract readers to keep reading
-It is completely optional and not necessary for chaptered fanfics
-Not an option for Oneshots, or the prologue should be just integrated as part of the Oneshot itself
What should be included in a Prologue?
-What you regard as the most tense or interesting moment (usually, the moment is near the beginning of the fanfic, but this again is only a matter of choice)
-Introduction or background information regarding what is to come in the first chapter
How should I write a Prologue?
-Think of what you want to include in the prologue
-Most of the time, you want to give as little information as possible. Prologues have less description than any other part of the story.
-For prologue, it is generally shorter the better. End the prologue immediately if you think that you've succeeded in increasing the tension or hooking the attention of your readers
-Be sure that everything in the prologue is precise, and all details are pointing towards the same direction of increasing the tension. If a description is not meeting this goal, then it's best to save this detail for another part of the story.
-Often, prologues include the usage of cliffhangers to increase tension
-You can also use powerful/emotional quotes from your story
-Do not include any of the things to avoid listed earlier in this FAQ
Is there a sample of an 'ideal Prologue' and a 'terrible Prologue?'
The bad prologue: (no author name given as this isn't something to be proud of)
Okay let me layout the main stuff and give you the audience the idea of what im trying to do. This saga was inspired by the soap opera The Bold And The Buetiful (obviously). Ill add on more stuff as i go along and more people are welcome to help me write, just pm me. Okay heres the main stuff:
-Location: Pallet Town
-Present Day 2004
-pokemon replace the humans(so everyone is a pokemon)
-the pokemon will talk in english
-they will have houses just like normal humans would and some pokemon may live together
-there will be no cars and pokemon may not have pets
-theres no such thing as pokeballs or pokemon trainers
this is all i can think of right now as for the sagas reality, ill come up with more stuff as the story unfolds.
Main Characters: Pikachu(of course)(male), Nidorino(male),Butterfree(female),Marill(female),S nubbel(male)
Other Characters: Chansey(female),Pichu(male),Mudkip(female),Raichu( male),Treecko(male),Charmelion(male)
ill have more characters as time goes on.
Okay now its time for the prelude:
In the quit town of Pallet Town, Pikachu is a sports writer for the local news paper and reports on pokemon battles. Marril, his wife, stays at home and takes care of their son Pichu. Nidorino is also a pokemon battle reporter and doesnt take kindly to Pikachus new promotiuon.He was once Pikachus best friend. Butterfree is a next door niehbor of pikachu and marril. Snubbel is a merchant and freid of Nidorino. Chansey is the nurse at the pokemon center. Mudkip and Treecko are freinds with pikachu and marill. Raichu is Pikachus father. Charmelion is the local detective for the pallet town police.
The first episode will be written in probly a day so i can get the story straight.Like i said just pm me to help me write the saga which will probly consist until there is no more to be writen.
-Notice how it is full of spelling mistakes already. It shows little effort from the writer. It is overly revealing. Why will anyone want to read on further when they know half of the story already? The list is uninteresting and boring. It doesn't sound very serious or professional. The writer also treats the readers as if they're stupid, saying some of the most idiotic comments.
The good prologue: Pokemon MASTER, ch.10 (not used as an actual prologue, but this qualifies to be one)
Cold, so biting cold. As she hugged herself around her slim shoulders,
folds of her ice-blue cloak blew out in front of her by the biting winds
at her back. She stared out at the black tumbling waters of the vast
ocean. From her perch upon a seaside cliff that seemed to be made
entirely of ice, she remained silent and still, even as her high heels
seemed to hold her unnaturally steady upon the sheer slippery surface.
Cold to suit her frozen soul. It was what she was after all. To tell the
truth, she didn't know how she could still be alive with her very heart
unbeating, a block of ice.
Sea-green eyes blinked once. She could sense them coming. She reached
within her cloak to remove her small spectacles and put them on
carefully.
She watched.
And waited.
-The prologue is hardly revealing, and notice how the author didn't say anything himself. The lack of information stirs up the readers' feelings to read on forward in order to find out who is the mysterious woman, and what she wants to do. Tension is increased from the grave and serious tone of the prologue. Characterization is present already, laying down some bases of understanding for the reader regarding what is to come soon. There's also an incomplete sentence which succeeds in emphasizing the importance of the small phrase.