Okay. I admit it. I am not an internet celebrity. But, I don't think I ever claimed to be one. But, I am positively sure that more than half of the people reading this article know me for my fan fiction on FanFiction.net. (Here's the link for the other half: http://www.fanfiction.net/~elizamoonchild) Every once in a while, I get an email from a follower who wants my advice. So, I decided to write an article on my techniques. So, let's start by me stating the obvious.
I am a HUGE fan of the Playstation video game "Final Fantasy 7"! And favorite pairing of all time is Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi. AKA "Yuffentine". And with this, we come to our first step!
Step #1:
If You're Going to Write a Fan Fiction, Make Sure You're Passionate About It!
And I don't mean you'd be willing to murder the idiot who has the "berries and cream" to say that Cloud Strike is a major crybaby (which he is). What I mean is that if you're going to write a book or an article on something, you'd better know what you're writing about. If you don't know anything about the characters or the universe that you're writing about, dig deeper before you start typing. Rent the movie and watch it a few times. Play the video game/computer game more than once so that you understand their struggles and goals. And while you're at it, read about them on Wikipedia or some other info site. It might give you a bit of a biography WHICH IS ALWAYS VERY GOOD!
I did this for Final Fantasy 7 which, now that I have said this inside my head, doesn't sound very good. But, it's necessary! I know Gaia inside and out. I have played it too many times that I have lost count! I have also watched (more like studied) all the movies and all the games that came after the original including "Dirge of Cerberus" and "Crisis Core" to name a few.
So, when I say that I love Final Fantasy 7, I mean it.
This also means that I know the characters inside out. I know every single character's background and history. And if there is a portion of their life that is left blank, I add to it. This leads to...
Step #2:
Know Your Characters!
When SquareEnix (Squaresoft) decides to leave a part of the character's past a blank, I do what I like to call "fictional character math". Everything needs to add up in order for everything to make sense. I'll use "Cid Highwind", as an example:
(Note their physical appearance such as hair, eyes and any scars or tattoos, if they have any!)
Name: Cid Highwind
Age: mid 30s-late 30s
Weapon: Spear
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Tattoos and Scars: No tattoos but possible scar under bandage on left side of face, near eyebrow.
(Next, note their demeanor and habits)
Curses a lot, smokes a lot, very rough exterior but can be very supportive at times. A good leader when Cloud is absent. Has no patience, openly insults anyone who agitates him. Barrett Wallace and Vincent Valentine can also be considered his best friends.
(Does this character have a back story?)
Yes, he does. I use this site as a reference. (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Cid_Highwind)
(Does he have any weaknesses?)
No real weaknesses but he does fall in love and eventually marries his assistant named "Shera". Great for kidnapping stories or hostage situations.
The bottom line? TAKE GOOD NOTES!
Step #3:
Be Sure To Be Accurate!
My one pet peeve about fan fiction is that people will write about a character that someone else has created and turn them into something that is totally unrecognizable! Don't do that. Ever. Some people might kind it entertaining but many won't. A character from a video game or a movie is not water, they're either clay or solid rock. They don't become whatever you want them to be. They already have their own personalities. So, you can put them in situations that will mold their characteristics ever so slightly (without completely changing them) or maybe they're not the kind to change and they stay the way they are.
Let's use Mr. Highwind again as an example.
So, with everything that we know about Cid, let's put him in our example fan fiction.
"Cid's wife, Shera, wants to go to the store to buy food for the week."
(Question: Does Cid come along? Do they have children? Sure, let's give them a couple of kids.)
"Shera asks Cid to watch over the children. She'll be back soon."
(How does Cid respond to this? REMEMBER! Cid is difficult to deal with and Shera is a push over. Also, add some personal experiences to the story to make it realistic!)
"Cid hates being the one who babysits. He says the kids never listen to him and all they do is crap all over the place!"
(How does Shera respond? Perhaps being married to Cid has molded her personality a little. Maybe she's not so weak anymore. Maybe she's able to stand up for herself.)
"Shera says she has to go food shopping because the last time Cid went, all he got was snacks and beer. She shows him the shopping list. If he's able to buy everything on that list, he can go."
(How does Cid respond? He seems like the type of guy who hates to do "women's work".)
"Cid grumbles and few swear words and tells her to go do her shopping but hurry up! Shera leaves. The kids wake up."
(Are the children just like their mother or their father? Maybe their father. It's funnier. I would assume that Cid was a difficult child to deal with since he's difficult as an adult.)
"Drama ensues. The kids climb on everything, they get into the cupboards, they break a few things."
(What can Cid do to calm the situation? What are his interests and talents? Maybe he can share them with the kids.)
"He takes some Popsicles sticks, calls them over to the table. He creates tiny airplanes out of the popsicle sticks and some paper that can sail across the room. This greatly entertains the children and Cid has fun as well. Shera gets back soon and finds the children playing quietly with the toy planes. They will grow up to be just like their dad."
THE END
Simple. All it takes is to ask yourself the questions. "Who ____ do this? Would ____ talk like this or like that? How would ____ answer a question like that?"
It's kind of like interviewing the character only you come up with the answers with the mostly likely results. Speaking of which...
Step #4:
Keep The Characters In Character!
Remember when I said that the character in your fan fiction already has a personality? Well, if you're writing a fan fiction that you want your readers to take seriously, then this is important to remember. You have to keep in mind that these are not your original characters so if a certain situation rises, they need to handle it their way. If someone stole Vincent Valentine wallet, would he start to spaz and then break down and cry like a little girl lost in the woods? Nope. He wouldn't. If I was Vincent Valentine, I'd use my intelligence and super-human abilities to solve this crime and catch the thief. And then, I'd let Barrett rough up the thief a little because I don't get into fights.
Of course, in your story, there will probably be a situation that the character has never been in before in the games or in the movies. But, you'll just have to use your vivid imagination and what you know to create a bridge across that gap. For example:
If Cloud Strife were to get drunk, what kind of drunk would he be?
Let's see what we know about him:
-He's very stoic.
-He has a humorous side but it only comes out whenever Barrett Wallace is involved.
-He's depressed and has low self esteem.
-He thinks before speaking.
So, with all this knowledge, you can turn him into...
A) The kind of drunk whose depression only gets worse. That means he would continue to blame himself for Aeris's death.
B) He could be a fun drunk. He makes jokes, he sings all the songs in the karaoke box and he'll dance with all the ladies.
C) He could be an honest drunk. He wouldn't do so much thinking before speaking and would probably say a few things that he'd regret in the morning.
In Conclusion:
You have to know what you're writing about and who you're writing about. It's all a learning process. If you just want to have fun with it, then have fun with it. Make it outrageous! But if you're serious about this sort of thing, then do your research. And if you still don't know, dig deeper. So, it's important that you have a passion for whatever it is that you're writing about.
0 comments:
Post a Comment