Disclaimer
Hello, my name is Hannah Yeager and on ff.net my pen name is Isabel Night. I write Ronin Warriors / Yoroiden Samurai Troopers fan fiction, and I mostly focus on the Four Dark Warlords / Yon Masho
I will try to write, at least once a month, and editorial on fan fiction writing and ff.net; please note that these are editorials are not endorsed by ff.net or any of the staff in this guild. These are purely my opinions in the 11+ years I've been writing fan fiction.
I also ask that my editorials not turn into actual blown-out fights. The guild moderators do have the power to lock my editorials should a verbal fight break out. You don't have to like what I say or agree with it, but do not pick a fight in my thread.
With that out of the way, here is my first editorial...
I will try to write, at least once a month, and editorial on fan fiction writing and ff.net; please note that these are editorials are not endorsed by ff.net or any of the staff in this guild. These are purely my opinions in the 11+ years I've been writing fan fiction.
I also ask that my editorials not turn into actual blown-out fights. The guild moderators do have the power to lock my editorials should a verbal fight break out. You don't have to like what I say or agree with it, but do not pick a fight in my thread.
With that out of the way, here is my first editorial...
Fan Fiction & The First Impression
Let's face it, the world is shallow. Americans who enjoy watching reality TV can be amused by American Idol, 16 & Pregnant, Growing up Gotti, and more as the list stretches on. We like to see TV Stars get their just desserts on TV for our sick, demented pleasure. And if you think Americans are bad, you should see some of the stuff they advertise in Europe.
My point is: the world is shallow. People do judge how you look and first impressions are a big deal. Because of how shallow society is, how you dress, how you present yourself, and all the non-verbal signs you give tells everyone everything about you in that one moment. Is it shallow? Yes. Do I hate it? Yes.
However, I'm not a young teenager who believes that I can change the world. I tried that when I was part of a mock government organization; harsh reality blew my dreams out of the water. That's not to say I didn't have small victories: a state-wide implementation of the Amber Alert System in North Carolina, a uniform sex education policy to be adopted in North Carolina - again, small victories.
One thing I learned while in mock politics was that research and appearance is everything. You dress the part and you cite your sources. You do your research and you come prepared. In simple terms, you had to sell your idea. And if you couldn't sell it, then why should anyone vote for your bill or resolution?
It's the same way in fan fiction. Most people who read your fan fictions on ff.net aren't going to know you personally. They're looking for a good story and they have chosen to spend time looking at your story. They're going to like, review, or dislike your story based on its first impression. That's how it works. I'm a firm believer in judging a person based on character. Even at 29 years old, I wish people could judge others not by appearances, but by their actions.
Sadly, this is not the world we live in. People are shallow. Unless they know you in real life, most people who read your fan fiction are going to judge your work. Not because they don't know you personally - they could care less - they just want to read a good story. And your story is the first impression reader get to view you. And if you don't make a good first impression by not having correct grammar, correct spelling, well-rounded characters, etc. what do you think they're going to think of you? If your story hasn't gone through several Beta Readers, why should they like it? Why shouldn't they just think you're a dumbass n00b writer who doesn't take time to put effort into his/her work? Again, back to real world/mock politics reasoning. Is it shallow, yes, but a poorly written story with typos does create a bad first impression. And in this world, first impressions are everything.
Here's another example of first impressions: I recently went to a job interview at a local McDonalds. I dressed up in a nice top and skirt, wore jewelry, and wore make-up. When I got there, there were all these other job seekers dressed in a collared shirt and jeans.
I waited until it was time for my interview. After the initial interview, I was taken aside by the hiring manager and thanked for dressing up and looking nice. Do you know what that told me? I made a good first impression over other candidates. Believe it or not, I actually got the job - but had to quit because of transportation to and from work.
Now, was that hiring manager shallow by taking me aside and thanking me for dressing up because I was serious about the job and I cared enough to look nice? You can decide that for yourself. My point is: those who read fan fictions do not know you personally. Your story is their first impression of you as a writer. Yeah, you can say fan fiction is just for fun, but when someone wants to look at your story, what first impression are you giving them? A crappy story that has typos, grammar and spelling errors, and chat speak? Or are you trying to make a good first impression by submitting a grammar/spell-checked document, with well-rounded characters that has been looked over and checked?
Yeah, fan fiction can be fun. But always remember that every new story is a first impression. And you can blow that first impression or make it worthwhile. The choice is up to you.
Other Editorials:
Fan Fiction Editorial #1 ( <-- You are here.)
Fan Fiction Editorial #2
Fan Fiction Editorial # 3
Fan Fiction Editorial # 4
