The Fifth Fandom Commandment

| Thou Shall Not Write Bad Fanfiction |

Whether it's because of 'Mary Jane' characters (seemingly perfect characters that appear to have no faults), a terrible plot line, or lack of good grammar (is it really that hard to use spell check and use commas?), no one wants to read bad fanfiction. Not only that, it's just an insult to the original writers/characters/singers/actors/whatever your fandom is based on to write bad fanfiction.

Some tips for writing good fanfiction:

-At least try to use good grammar. Some people don't even seem to realize that commas exist, so if you aren't confident in your abilities, try Grammarly. It's free and easy to use.
-Try to think outside the box. Avoid the cliches. For example, in Harry Potter fanfiction, a non-Gryffindor or Slytherin character would be nice for a change.
- Try to give your characters a well-written backstory. It should be interesting, but don't overdo it. You may think, "Oh, the more traumatic the better!" but once you start getting really tragic, it might be hard to relate.
- Similar to the aforementioned point, your character should be easy to relate to. That means that they need flaws. Don't create a seemingly perfect character. It's also okay if you'd like insecurity to be one of their faults, but that shouldn't be their only one that is showcased.
- If you want to write about someone with a physical disability, mental illness, or the like, do your research. Ask people you know. If you don't feel comfortable doing so, visit several websites until you feel comfortable writing about it. It's just plain annoying when people don't properly depict things that real people are constantly struggling with.