7 Deadly Sins of Fan Fiction

Well, I actually didn't know what the original 7 deadly sins were. Or really, what 7 deadly sins are in the first place. But hey, that's what the internet is for, right? For anyone else who needs the info, I'll leave you with "Widely known in the Middle Ages as sins that lead to damnation. They are: pride, covetousness (greed), lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth." And now, the 7 deadly sins of fan fiction. Let's do this.

Those of us that read fan fiction enough probably know that there are quite a few things that will instantly lead your fan fic to damnation. I have used my plethora of knowledge gathered from obsessively reading Harry Potter fan fiction since I was like 12. This is 10 years of experience right here.



1. Impulse
Character death out of no where is not cute. Neither is random instances of rape. Or really just anything coming out of left field. We know you didn't have that scene planned in the beginning. Maybe it was a ploy for readers, or to get more comments, or maybe even more likely that you just didn't know what to do next. Trust us, we can tell.

2. Deceit
Your story is clearly not a Destiel fan fiction, so why did you label it as such in the tags? Did you think we wouldn't notice? Oh, we noticed, and we're definitely not reading your story now.

3. Singularity
Your story was doomed from the moment you said your OFC was "not like other girls". Let's be honest. Your character can be unique, but no one is that unique. Like seriously. (And we all know your character is totally like other girls. We're just not saying anything because your portrayal of Jacob Black was to die for.)

4. Extortion
If anyone is playing spin-the-bottle or seven minutes in heaven, your story might just be a vessel. I'm not even going to go there. 666. We know you're just extorting our love for bad party games.

5. Indecision
Different than impulsiveness, if your character is going to spend the next 20 chapters trying to figure out which guy she wants to be with, that's not a good time for anyone, and your character is not going to get any sympathy for me. (Unless she has to decide between Fred and George because hello.)

6. Lacluster
If your story is boring or lacks detail, it makes it difficult to read. We need your story sparkled in glitter and covered in rainbows, but don't be generous because too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

7. Insensitivity
You can write about whatever you want. This is a free internet. (Except internet is not free but hey). But, if you're going to write about things that might upset people, such as rape, abuse or drugs, do it with a little class.