How to Write a Fan Fiction Epic

Nothing is quite as eyebrow-raising as epic length fanfiction. These stories typically reach over a hundred thousand words, and the longest known thus far is three point five million and still going. But how do they do it? How can someone write one hundred thousand words, or more, of fanfiction? Well, as someone past this goal with a story I am currenly re-writing, I thought I might offer some pointers to those of you curious-and brave-enough to try it.

What You'll Need

  • Patience
  • A notebook
  • A pen or pencil
  • Any and all helpful fan websites
  • A basic idea of where your story is going

The Research Process

You need to research, even if this is an AU universe, because you must know your characters, especially since you will be spending at least one hundred thousand words or more with them. I recommend searching for fansites about your fandom and learning everything you can. If you plan to stay in the original universe, then research is even more important since such vast space will force you to delve into your universe more than a shorter fic.

This is why you need to know where your story is going. Have a rough outline or a detailed outline, but know at least some of what you want to do ahead of time. If you want to write a Harry Potter AU, research the characters so you know the little things as well as the big things. If you plan on introducing OCs into Hogwarts, you need to look up Hogwarts, the possible classes your characters would have, etc. Research is important. Dates, times, places, people, events... These would all be good things to know.

The Writing Process

Possibly the scariest part of the story is actually writing it. Yet again, your outline will help stop you from flying off on some wild tangent halfway through the story. Whether you do it on paper, on your phone, or on a computer, you need to keep track of where you are each day and where the plot points are. This is important because a large story will have a main plotline and several smaller ones, all which should be resolved for a cohesive story.

Also a difficult task is keeping each character in character for the entirety of the story. It would be a good idea to lean back and ask yourself if what your character is doing makes sense for the given situation. While this is already a challenge even with a short story, it becomes a more difficult and more important task with an epic. Your readers are going to follow the character just as much as you are, and many of them will probably sit back and ask themselves why your rebellious character chose to actually follow the rules for a change when he hasn't for the majority of the story.

Characters in general become more important in an epic because, most of the time, you end up with more of them. Your main characters are going to come across more people, make more friends, and most likely face more adversaries whether it is in the main plot to stop world domination or just get a coffee from the rude barista at the local cafe. Knowing your characters is vital. If you are using pre-made characters, your research will help you here. If you are using OCs, you can outline them to your liking.

Plot is also extremely important here, as there are many plot points. Your main characters have their main conflict, of course, but they will also have several smaller ones, as will your supporting characters. Keep track of all of these and, like I mentioned above, write them all down so you at least do not forget to cover one. Your main characters might stop a nuclear meltdown, but if you left a supporting character in the middle of the SATs he's been worrying about for the majority of the novel, the readers are going to notice.

Also important is the avoidance of fluff. Fluff is defined as extremely long and unnecessary descriptions or scenes that do not actually have anything to do with moving the characters toward their goal. While these scenes do happen in everyday life, they pull a novel down and have readers skipping pages or chapters because they want to get to the good stuff. Check yourself. Ask yourself if the scene you are writing is important for one of your plot points or your character development. If it is not, it is most likely not necessary.

Do not strain yourself as you are writing this. Epics are long and often difficult for some writers to compose, so make sure you do not have eyestrain after a long session at the computer or a wrist sprain from a long session of handwriting. This story needs you for the long haul, and unless you are someone who can drop a story for a week or more and then pick it back up with no problems, recovery time is not something you want to be worrying about.

Lastly, find yourself a strong support system. I say this because writing alone is hard enough as it is, but taking on such a monumental task will be even harder without someone there to coach you along the way.

Tips and Tricks

  • Set up a long plot that must be gradually reached in small steps so that you will have a better time establishing length. For a story of mine, the plot follows a young couple as they face a pregnancy. By going through their day-to-day interactions, learning how to become parents and facing the challenges of a pregnancy, I can easily make it a longer story by simply not skipping weeks and, sometimes, months.
  • Eliminate the time-skip. While this is a friend to many writers, instead of skipping a month or two, figure out something that can happen in that time to help further plot or character development. Then, you will be able to cover more time and, therefore, write more words.
  • Flashbacks are your friend. In stories with traumatized characters, instead of saving it all for one big reveal, incorporate flashbacks bit by bit, like pieces coming together to reveal a larger puzzle. For those using pre-made characters, having insights into the characters' behavior and past will greatly aid you as you can choose events to display in a flashback.
  • I hope these tips will aid you in the writing of your own fanfiction epic. Remember, the longest in history thus far is three point five million words, and Mibba has its own at two point two. If they can do it, you can at least give it a shot!

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