Fan Fiction of the Week: Firecracker

Firecracker is a gripping The Walking Dead fan fiction. In this edition of Fan Fiction of the Week, we take a closer look at this awesome story!

Give us a brief summary of Firecracker.

Firecracker starts out in the first season of The Walking Dead with my original character, Raine, who is the younger sister of Rick Grimes. She is very close to Daryl Dixon, which the rest of the group can't seem to understand, but they never question it. Raine is very much a firecracker, hence the story title. She does whatever she wants, when she wants and that's what Daryl is so attracted to. They eventually end up together romantically and have to survive the apocalypse and any other obstacles they encounter with the rest of the group.

What inspired you to write Firecracker?

Well, I've always been a huge fan of The Walking Dead and I absolutely love Daryl Dixon. I had always wanted to write a story about him but could never think of anything to make it about. I got a lot of my inspiration for this story by listening to the newest album by Daughter over and over again. Several of the songs just jumped out at me and I sat down, started writing and this story was the product.

How long have you been working on this story?

I started working on this story about two months ago. I finished it faster than I thought I would, but it's been a hard process. There were several times where I just felt like giving up on it because I just didn't feel like I was doing a great job. Then I just told myself to forget about any negative things people could say and kept writing.

What is your favorite thing about writing Firecracker?

I really loved getting into the mind of Raine. I put a lot of myself into her which made it a lot more fun in my opinion. There are SO many similarities between her and myself, so it was easy to become her. I loved being able to just completely escape while I was writing.

What is the most challenging thing about writing it?

Time. I know I wrote this story really quick, but there were times when I just wasn't able to write. I also had a hard time writing out their feelings for each other. I didn't want everything to seem so cheesy, but I realized no matter how I write, it's going to end up that way. But the most difficult part was trying to remain original.

Have you ever experienced writer's block with this story? If so, how did you overcome it?

Oh, yes. I had severe writer's block, but only for a short amount of time. To overcome it, I would just put on Daughter and listen until it all came back to me.

Do you write with an outline, or just wing it?

I've written with an outline before, but for the most part I just wing it. I find it easier for me that way, but when I have the time to proofread, I do so that everything is in order. The last thing I want is for my readers to think I'm a terrible writer because I misspelled a word by accident or because I have run-on sentences.

Do you have any pre/post writing rituals?

Before I start writing, I listen to Daughter and I usually have a snack by my side, usually just cool ranch Doritos and a soda. I usually try to find a quiet place to write, because I'm easily distracted, but once I'm in my little bubble, I just pull up Microsoft Word and start typing away.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Thank you, honestly, from the bottom of my heart. I've never been a very confident writer until I joined Mibba. My readers have really made me feel so special and confident. They've given me the push that I needed to really start writing and I hope that they will continue to read my stories.

Special thanks to Fandango and elixir for editing!