A guide to writing HP fan fiction

Where to start

Whenever you're creating your story, it is often difficult to know where to begin because your mind is overflowing with so many ideas! Here, I will explain what you should do if you're feeling like this.

Decide the narrative form

The narrative form is the way in which the story is presented. For example:

First person narration
"I sat beside the coal fire and watched as the burnt Orange embers burnt through the coals. It provided a source of heat, which was throughly refreshing for me"

This follows the exact perspective of your main character. They will tend to use pronouns like 'I' or 'me' whenever they're discussing the story. The 'fancy' term for this is called homodiegetic narrative (is my nerdiness coming out too much?) and all events will be from that characters perspective.

Second person narration
"This is so cool, isn't it? Hogwarts is honestly such a great place. I love it here! What would your favourite subject be?"

This is the least common of the three, and hasn't been used in any of the fan fictions I've read. However, I will still explain the concept as it may be something you would love to use. In drama, we have the ideology of the fourth wall which separates the performer from the audience. In literature, is is basically the same. You, as the reader, will separate yourself from the discourse because the story doesn't actively involve you. Second person narration is when we break this fourth wall, like the way I am talking to you right now.

Third person narration
"Hallie Blackwell was a girl of around 12 years old, her hair, a dirty fair colour, fell just below her shoulders"

This is the specific narration used within the entire Harry Potter series. It presents the view that an omniscient narrator has been closely following the journey of your main character. I love using this type of narration because I believe it allows you to easily do things from different perspectives. If you're just starting out, I would recommend this type of narration

The position of your narrative

Goodness gracious, all of this must seem very overwhelming I know, but trust me it will make sense once I've explained it.

Linear narrative: This is where the story presents itself in the order that it happens. For example, starts at the beginning and finishes at the end.

Non-linear narrative: This is the a completely reversed concept. The story starts at the end or with some type of flash forward to a later point in the series. Don't be afraid to use this particular type of narrative, it can be so cool to see!

Knowing your characters
There is absolutely no point going into your story with any idea of what your characters are like. If you're creating a completely different non-canon character, it is important to establish they are and a few basic things about them.

Birthday
Star sign
Favourite foods
Love interest (if any)
Favourite song
Best friends
Family
Fears
Strengths
Weakness

If you're creating a non canon character and pairing them with a canon one, please make sure you include some of the initial traits that they were given in the series. This will enable your readers to see why they fit so well into the story.

Settings
Deciding where your main character is in the opening of the narrative can often help you create a sense of story. Here is a list of possible settings you could start your story from.

1. Hogwarts classrooms
2. Courtyard
3. Malfoy Manor
4. The burrow
5. Diagon Alley
6. The department of mysteries
7. Forbidden forest
8. Main character's house
9. Hogsmeade
10. Whomping willow

Establishing characters and writing chapter one

Chapter one, I must argue, is one of the more difficult chapters to write. Whenever I was writing the opening chapter of 'Endgame', I had to get that perfect balance between establishing Hallie's character and creating new friendships. Your first chapter should be interesting and not too long, you don't want your reader to get bored easily.

Setting up your characters so that they go through character development is a good idea. My main character Hallie is really quite shy from the outset, but begins to develop in confidence as the series goes on.

If you need a few starting points for your first chapter to begin, here is a few sentences you can begin with

First person narration starting lines:

"I woke up with the same burdening feeling of misery that had bothered me every day this week"

"Blatantly apologetic the letter had suggested. Personally, I had never read a worse apology in my entire life. How on earth did I get into this position?

"The clean autumn air clung to my nostrils as I awoke with a burst of freedom when I walked through the front doors. Ah, the first day of term"

Second person narration starting lines

"Have you ever felt so tired that you just completely fall down on your bed again? Same. The novelty of Hogwarts really had worn off me by the time I had reached fourth year"

"Homework is the bane of my existence! What about you? I've never found anyone who enjoyed doing homework. Only Hermione Granger, of course that's her"

"I am tired of every boy in Hogwarts thinking it is okay to gawk and stare at the Beauxbatons girls. The audacity! Why are people so inconsiderate? The Yule ball is coming up too, and it looks like I haven't even got a date yet"

Third person narration starting lines

"As she pinned back her long dark hair into two bobby pins. She had been equally frustrated with it all morning, for it had not been sitting the way she wanted it to"

"He had been pacing in the library all day, trying to remember all the charms equations that had so earnestly burdened his brain. He had to admit, once these exams were over, he would be very happy indeed"

"The boy began to dander across the courtyard and admire the fresh plants that had been planted all around. Neville Longbottom, he guessed, would appreciate these admirable amounts"

If you have any more questions about beginning a chapter, please write them here and I will answer them for you :)