Why Struggling Writers Should Start Writing Fanfiction

There are as many aspiring writers out there as the stars in the sky. However, not all of them can write as smoothly as they'd like to. In fact, many of the successful authors have been in a rut too before they earned the success they have right now. Struggling to write - or even to start their story - is a common plight among many authors.

At this point time, any writing is definitely better than no writing at all. So what do you do if you are struggling right now? How do you break out of the rut of writer's block? One good tip is to start writing fanfiction.

Now, a writer has definitely started as a reader. Before they decided to pick up the pen, they have definitely read a lot of books or a book that have inspired them to write. As such, it should be easier for a writer, who is also a voracious reader, to actually start writing a fanfiction story than a never-heard-before story from scratch.

Why is that so?

If you start writing a fanfiction story, you already have the main elements of a story built right there - the world setting, the main character, and even the secondary characters. You don't have to brainstorm what kind of society the characters should live in or who their family members are. In fact, you can build a plot out of the current conflicts already existing in the story you plan to write a fanfiction for.

Once you've decided on the conflict or plot, then that's where the characters come in. You already have a template for how the characters typically act. Through the original works, you already have an idea of what the characters’ mindsets are or what their beliefs are. All you have to do is use your imagination to put the setting, characters, and conflicts together. Your writing flow will be much smoother than when you write from scratch, which should let you get back into the writing rhythm.

Since the story is a fanfiction, most of the world setting, characters, and even the plot devices are fleshed out already. And since you are just trying to get back into writing, there is no need for you to work hard into explaining anything that will make the story more easy-to-understand.

What you just have to do is focus on the plot of the fanfiction that you are trying to write. If you laid out your story and then put it into writing, you'd be getting back your writing rhythm. It is highly likely that you'd be inspired to write a new story too. Through the fanfiction story that you are writing, you can get your creative juices to flow out, which can definitely spark the fire for your own original work.

Aside from considering writing fanfiction stories as a way to kickstart your original writing project, you shouldn't forget the fact that there are fanfiction novels that have become great successes in the literary world too. The most famous one is definitely E.L. James Fifty Shades of Grey. This book was a fanfiction written with Twilight's Bella Swan and Edward Cullen as the template. The book's success in the fanfiction world spilled into the mainstream literary world that Fifty Shades has already become a whole new literary universe all on its own. In fact, many readers nowadays would probably not associate Fifty Shades with Twilight anymore.

It isn't just Fifty Shades. We also have The Mortal Instruments series written by Cassandra Clare. Did you know that this book series was created based on Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter? Of course, the characters in the Mortal Instruments books aren't quite similar to their original, but it is no doubt that the fanfiction books are just as interesting as the original.

With all these things in mind, writing fanfiction is not a bad thing. This is especially so when you are a struggling writer. So if you are experiencing writer's block or is actually in a rut, don't hesitate to give writing fanfiction a try. It should be worth it!