Discussion You Know You're a Fan Fiction Writer When...

I run into that problem at times but I don't let it bother me.

 

I use names seen during my work in the archives

 

I never use Behindthename.com or anything like that for character names anymore, so I don't run into that problem. My newest method? Taking the first two or three letters from either a name or a word, and adding either the last two or three letters, the first two or three, or just one letter from another name or word. I'll also use the so-called "Karen Traviss Character Naming Method," in which you close your eyes and type a consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel, consonant, and you have a name. For example: Kalem

 

I named a few few planets using countries but I spelled their names backwards and in an upcoming one cut the first letter off. So Japan becomes Napaj and Germany becomes Inamreg. I changed the 'Y' into an 'I' since it looked better.

I use either Google Translate or the Babylon translation program for names of alien races

I have used behind the name for definitions but that's it.

 

...when you love the Elvish and Hobbit name generator so much that your characters end up having code names in Elvish.

 

...you help administrate a wiki dedicated to fanon and fan fiction, attaining that position through the crafting of stories and relevant encyclopedic articles in addition to other admin-type stuff.

 

...You help administrate a wiki dedicated to fanon and fan-fiction, attaining that position through the crafting of stories, drawing of pictures, writing of relevant articles, in addition to spending countless of hours hitting "Random Page" and going general maintenance, the type of stuff no one else wants to spend countless of hours doing because it is tedious as all hell.

...While you do such things, you look upon the ideas of others and either genuinely like them, shake your head and wonder why, considering borrowing aspects of them, or flat-out determining that you can do a better job, which spurns you onto a writing spree that never really goes anywhere.

 

TrakNar is that wiki swfanon.wikia.com? Because I was stalking you one day, and I found you.

I love borrowing fanon elements and putting them into my stories. It's one universe, after all!

 

Hmmm, I'm very protective of my characters, so if someone 'borrowed' from my universe without telling me, I'd be a little upset.

 

If they're on a fanon wiki, which anyone can edit/screw up, then someone borrowing characters would be the least of my worries. And if I were to publish them on a fanfic site I would give cred.

 

I don't mean borrow characters, mists no. I meant borrow aspects. There is a tremendous difference.

 

Some of us on the Star Wars Fanon Wiki advertise the fact that we allow other users (on the wiki, at least) to incorporate references to our fanon in their own stories. For example, my fanon military branch, the Republic Marines, bears that tag.

 

...when you have to ask forgiveness BEFORE you indulge in mystical technobabble.

 

...When you start to consider adapting your upcoming Wushu campaign into comic form... before you even start the campaign.

 

... when you spend inordinate amounts of time creating a playlist of music specific to your fic so you can be inspired while you write. This is when JW's body of SW work just isn't sparking.... aww who I am kidding? It's in the playlist, too. There is a playlist for each fic I have going. I have spent months making lists of what needs to be included for each fic and in what order. What can I say? My muse likes to shake her booty and sway with cell over her head on the slow parts. Whatever it takes to keep her around!

 

You would laugh if something happened to Facebook but would die if fanfiction.net (or wherever you post your fanfics) went down.

 

Hah! Every time TFN goes down, I don't know what to do with myself!

 

When you know your characters just as good or better than real people and don't give a hill of beans over that fact.

I understand fictional characters better than real people.

 

When you're still doing this while having a time consuming job.

 

When you're still doing this AT your time-consuming job! (We were really slow over Christmas last year...)

 

Or when you quit doing your job just to write fanfiction.

 

When the readership/lack of readership determines the level of your depression. (Or maybe that's just a writerly thing in general).

 

^^^Yeah. I'm like, 'C'mon people, this is actually pretty good, why aren't any of you reading it?' Maybe I need to get braver and post over here; I've only posted on FF.N.

 

If we don't know about the story...we can't read it. Why don't you put a link in your sig. I would LOVE to review your story.

 

I think it definitely contributes.