fanfiction vs fictionpress

so it seems that after nnwm i've become sort of addicted to writing. or maybe it's because i hadn't let it out in such a long time, once i started writing, the floodgates just burst wide open. 

okay, first and foremost, the novel i did for this last november is a fanfic. a castle fanfic, to be specific. its AU, and editing's a Bitch. but yeah, it will be posted onto ff.net sometime in the near future...? i'll start soon as i've sorted through the first five chapters to my liking... and i'll put the link in one of my posts here... 

but yeah, getting fanfiction to work is such a hassle. first you have to upload it, and if you select the wrong format while uploading, you can only edit, but not publish. i dont even know how betas work. pfft. 

anyway i kinda posted a one shot while i'm searching for time to edit my novel, and it's a castle fic too ;p so pm or msg me if you're interested to read that. gahhhh.

fanfiction vs fictionpress. 

one is a platform for fanwork, the other is for original works. i've mainly stuck to ff, since i could pick stories or movies that i liked etc, but i only venture into fp when a friend recommends something to me. 

since i've written two novel length works, (one's a fanfic and the other is completely original) i'd like to take some time to talk about that. so essentially i'll be comparing a fanwork(on ff.net) and an original fiction(on fp.net)

the thing with ff is your characters are already created. they have a background already, and you're only exploring more of said character. even if you introduce your own Original Character, the rest of the "world" is already set. you've got your main characters and supporting characters with all their quirks and personalities already. the author doesnt have to delve too deep to bring the characters to life. how many OCs do you have to focus on anyway? even if your OC plays a major role, you wont have more than a few, or it'll be over at fp instead of ff. if you choose to write something set in the fantasy world, magic already has it's rules. you already know what kind of creatures exist in that land. the technology available has already been predetermined by the original writers or authors. you're just borrowing them to explore.

on fp however, the authors have to really work on developing a character. and the hardest part of that is to create someone who is real, and not this perfect version of who you'd like to be. it takes a whole lot more effort to create someone that's completely authentic and real, and three dimensional. you want to create your own magic, sure, go ahead. good luck making your rules though. oh what, you dont need rules, you say? then say goodbye to your storyline. what's your character going to do when he or she faces any complication? just magic it away? sure, do that and your plot will magically disappear as well. or maybe you decide that in your story, animals will be able to talk.  do you even realize the repercussions of that? try writing a scene. how are you going to keep the focus on who you want when the insects that you dont see, but will logically be in the scene, all begin clamoring to get their opinions heard. only some animals can talk, you say. and how is this selection made? how do you distinguish the animals that can speak and those that cant? i'm rambling away, but see, this is the thing with writing on fp. you have to think out all the details and rules and reasoning. it's more of a challenge, but it's more rewarding as well, since you set the boundaries for your story.

anyway, lots of people out there say ff is a really good place to start writing, and it's true. it's easier, and a great practice, not to mention the reviews you can get to help you improve. (reviews, not that easy to get actually. i've had 187 visitors in the past 90mins, but 0 reviews. boohoo.) but if you're up for something more challenging, go try your hand at writing something original. think out of the box and create your own world ;)