Chapter Text
Episode 01: Idea, Plot And Theme
Alright, to write a fanfiction, you must have an idea.
The idea, in my terms, is simple; for example:
What if Senku wasn't a scientist but a singer instead?
This is just an idea, a seed or a spark. Not a plot.
Oh, you don't know the difference between plot, idea and theme? I'll explain:
An Idea is the simple, fundamental thought which is shaped by the plot and presented with a theme.
Idea:
Eren is a coward.
Plot:
Eren is a coward who was always afraid of the idea of fighting Titans. When Wall Maria fell and he was forced to undergo training thanks to circumstances, he knew he was toast. Welp, he hoped to at least get the police job: easy, comfortable life.
Which is precisely why he wants to yell and tear off someone's(Levi’s, preferably) hair because this furry titan who can apparently speak, is ten metres away from him.
“We meet again, brother." the Beast Titan said. “Humanity’s Strongest,” he smirked. “Our battle will be legendary,”
Yup. He was screwed. And getting chewed.
Theme:
This will be written in a way that is serious for everyone in the fiction, tense and dangerous. But readers? Let’s hope they don't die from laughter.
This should be clear now.
Let's explore the concept of "idea" first...
To get an idea, you MUST have a clear understanding of that fictional verse. Because it is very likely that you are going to get roasted in the comments if you don't have enough knowledge and make a fatal mistake in the fic.
How do you get an idea, now that you have a clear understanding of that particular verse?
Fanfictions are based on “what-ifs”. Look for what ifs. It's not difficult.
For example, let's pick a verse. Uh, you’ve all seen at least one episode of Naruto, right?
Let's pick episode one.
Changing a fundamental aspect:
- What if Naruto was a girl?
- What if Naruto was a psychopath?
- What if Naruto liked reading books?
- What if Naruto was smart?
These are what ifs of fundamental aspects, not what ifs of actions or events. These change the core of canon, changing a character is the easiest example.
Changing a key event:
- What if Naruto passed the exam?
- What if Iruka didn’t save Naruto?
- What if Naruto used some other technique?
- What if Naruto died?
I hope this clears any confusion.
Plot...?
Suppose you have got an idea(Yay!), time to expand it. That's where plot comes in. In order to expand an idea, you MUST connect the idea with other possible things. What changes would it do to canon if a certain key event or a fundamental aspect was altered?
For example, let's use this idea: Naruto passed the exam...
Naruto passed the exam and got in a team with Lee and TenTen.
Alright, we have connected a dot. So what would happen if he got in a team with them?
Naruto passed the exam and got in a team with Lee and TenTen. All he wants is to prove his worth to the villagers.
Hmm, makes sense. But that's not anything—
Naruto passed the exam— and got in a team with Lee and TenTen. All he wants is to prove his worth to the villagers, which is why when Gai-sensei offered him that he would make him the strongest Shinobi ever, he accepted the offer immediately.
Okay, now that makes a lot more sense.
When you write this kind of plot, it will seem like a story with no particular end. It's not a bad thing but you can certainly set a clear goal:
Naruto passed the exam — and got in a team with Lee and TenTen. All he wants is to prove his worth to the villagers, which is why when Gai-sensei offered him that he would make him the strongest Shinobi ever, he accepted the offer immediately. He may have failed this year's Chūnin Exams but next year, he'll show everyone that he IS the best, believe it!
With this plot, you can end the story when he reaches his goal or fails (whatever happens). Or you can continue writing it, go beyond!
Therefore, to come up with a plot, you have to—
- Link events that naturally follow from your idea.
- Think about what changes in the world or characters because of it.
- Let one event lead into the next until you have a clear story path.
What about the theme, then?
The theme is basically how you write the story. You could make a perfectly normal setting extremely creepy with the theme. For writing a story for that Naruto plot? You should go for a plain, typical growth-type generic shounen theme.
That's it. These are all common sense but I guess I needed to clarify these three fundamentals before delving into any further exploration.
Let me know what you think. Do ask questions; though note that these are my personal made-up terms, which might not be what they officially mean, but they worked for me when I started and should for you, too.
Next chapter? Genre.
