Alien Fanfiction Writing Advice

[TheSailingRabbit]

Having trouble making a well-balanced character? Not sure how to get from Plot Point A to Plot Point B? Want comments and critiques from other writers? Introducing the writing advice thread--specifically tailored for the Alien franchise.

When it comes to Alien fanfiction, there are many, many routes you can take. Doesn't matter if you want to use the typical Alien formula, or do something completely different. Both types of stories need an engaging plot and characters your readers will want to root for. This should be common knowledge among writers of all types of fiction. Sometimes, we need a little help, and I hope this thread can serve as a place where you can get some advice, and hopefully meet like-minded writers.

[Murfy426]

I'm liking the sound of this thread. It's definitely not an easy franchise to write effectively for, especially when trying to create something original.

[TheSailingRabbit]

I'm liking the sound of this thread. It's definitely not an easy franchise to write effectively for, especially when trying to create something original.

True. It took me over a month to create a completely new species, and I'm still making modifications to it.

I personally didn't want to use the "typical Alien formula." Some people do it well (your story, for example), and I just wanted to focus on characters and building different stuff in the universe. It hasn't gotten boring or stale, and people are actually enjoying it. Even though it can be easily dismissed as "Drake bitching and moaning about his life."

Characters and emotional conflict are my strong points. I've noticed that most fanfiction doesn't have good characters, and dealing with canon characters can be challenging.

Did I ramble? I'm sorry.

[Murfy426]

I'm liking the sound of this thread. It's definitely not an easy franchise to write effectively for, especially when trying to create something original.

True. It took me over a month to create a completely new species, and I'm still making modifications to it.

I personally didn't want to use the "typical Alien formula." Some people do it well (your story, for example), and I just wanted to focus on characters and building different stuff in the universe. It hasn't gotten boring or stale, and people are actually enjoying it. Even though it can be easily dismissed as "Drake bitching and moaning about his life."

Characters and emotional conflict are my strong points. I've noticed that most fanfiction doesn't have good characters, and dealing with canon characters can be challenging.

Did I ramble? I'm sorry.

Well thank you for reading my work so far sir, I'll get around to reading yours at some point and let you know my thoughts. I think at least for me personally, as a first time writer it's extremely daunting to continue writing when what I've already published has been looked over favourably. There's a sense of walking on a tightrope to keep that quality going as each chapter is released as well as keeping it as true to the established tone and canon as much as possible.

[TheSailingRabbit]

I'm liking the sound of this thread. It's definitely not an easy franchise to write effectively for, especially when trying to create something original.

True. It took me over a month to create a completely new species, and I'm still making modifications to it.

I personally didn't want to use the "typical Alien formula." Some people do it well (your story, for example), and I just wanted to focus on characters and building different stuff in the universe. It hasn't gotten boring or stale, and people are actually enjoying it. Even though it can be easily dismissed as "Drake bitching and moaning about his life."

Characters and emotional conflict are my strong points. I've noticed that most fanfiction doesn't have good characters, and dealing with canon characters can be challenging.

Did I ramble? I'm sorry.

Well thank you for reading my work so far sir, I'll get around to reading yours at some point and let you know my thoughts. I think at least for me personally, as a first time writer it's extremely daunting to continue writing when what I've already published has been looked over favourably. There's a sense of walking on a tightrope to keep that quality going as each chapter is released as well as keeping it as true to the established tone and canon as much as possible.

Sorry, not a sir. A ma'am. You know me as "AdmiralCats" on FF.net.

For me, it was daunting just publishing the first chapter. After that, it got easier to just write and publish because people enjoyed it. It was gratifying when I returned from boot camp, published a new story, and found people were still reading despite my lengthy absence.

As much as I wish I could turn it into a real piece of Aliens writing, I don't think Drake is a popular enough character to warrant interest. There's no Xenomorphs, so, others would say, "It's no good if there's no Aliens." The tone is different, too.