One of my favourite characters is Ryuzaki Sakuno and since she is a minor character in Prince of Tennis, I look to fanfiction for development or romance stories. I hadn't been to fanfiction.net as a reader for awhile and decided to visit.
Well, the number of rookie mistakes I found was phenomenal! While I am not a famous fanfic writer, I have had some moderate success. That being said, here are some tips and things to completely avoid:
1. "This is my first story...I suck at summaries..."
If you admit to sucking at summaries, then what's to say the story isn't going to suck? People love good summaries so they can judge whether it is worth their time. By writing such things, you are making a decision for people.
For me, this is such a turn off. Take the time to write either one good sentence or two brief sentences. It makes a huge difference!
2. Ensure characters are not Out of Character (OoC)
I'm sure your story will have particular situations that will need the characters behave in a way never before seen on screen. The important thing is to keep the dialogue and actions realistic.
For example, if given a very stressful situation, Atobe would not have an Eiji like, talkative session. Instead, Atobe would maul it over internally because he cares about his reputation and needs to be viewed as confident.
Little things like this make a huge difference. The only time OoC is appreciated is in the humour category. A writer's skill is shown when people can laugh or think, 'that is so like ____'.
3. Grammar
For the love of writing, please use Microsoft Word or any other writing software that has spelling and grammar check! Some stories with great potential have been ruined because writers were more concerned about getting their chapters up faster rather than checking it over twice.
Fast doesn't mean good quality.
4. Keep notes in an author's note section
One must endeavor to maintain a good flow in each chapter so readers can enjoy your stories. It is important to create the proper mood from the get go. Don't put notes in the title and, obviously, not in the content.
These are the most basic tips that can be offered. If you can avoid all 4 no-nos, then you are on your way to success! Always remember that there will be reviewers that will give their two cents if they think something is not right.
Some can be nice and some can be downright terrible, so always try to cover your back ;)
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