Writing Advice For RWBY Fanfiction

Jaune Motherfucking Arc

Oh boy. I've been looking forward to this one. But before we get into the fanfiction bashing, we need to sit down and ask ourselves, "What makes Jaune so appealing?"

No, seriously. Like, why is this random ass side character loved so much by the fanbase? The only thing I personally find likeable about him is his semblance, and not the actual character himself. A lot of people have said time and time again that Jaune felt more like main character material than Ruby Rose herself, and given the struggles he's gone through, I can agree.

You have these dudes saying that Jaune is a relatable character since most of the crap he's gone through has probably happened to most of the viewers. So naturally, they'd emphasize this with character on an emotional level. Normally, this would be a good thing, but like everything else Roosterteeth does, it's been gone and fucked up right down and under.

I know a lot of you will disagree with me on this one, but it feels as though the writers gave Jaune all these issues so everybody, and I mean everybody, could relate to him. But by doing that, they've ensured that Jaune has nothing but flaws. Sure, he's a nice guy, but everything he tries is an epic fail. The writers made Jaune less relatable and more pitiful as a person. I get what they intended to do, but this was not the right way to go about it.

Given how butchered Jaune was from the get-go, you'd never have thought anyone could write him worse than the creators themselves, right?

Unfortunately, people still somehow manage to mess him up further. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the Wattpad authors killed Jaune, lobotomised him, then replaced his brain with their own. In case you don't understand what I'm trying to say, if a story has him as the main character, that's usually not Jaune. It's a self-insert wearing his skin.

At this point, people are just using Jaune as an excuse to write themselves into the story. They make it so he's this really cool, overpowered edge lord who somehow has a harem of twenty girls. Need I mention how he is never written in character in any of these? It's not like the author gives a damn, especially if it's a reincarnation fanfic. You can live the same life, walk the same path, have the same team, or even vomit in the same trashcan, but no matter how hard you try, your façade will never be the real Jaune Arc.

I don't know what to tell you. Just face the music and use your own OC instead. People will bash your story, but at least you needn't live with the shame of pretending to be something you're not. But if you feel the absolute need to write a fanfiction about Jaune and still value your integrity, then write him as the most human character possible. That may sound obvious, but Jaune's whole character is that he's a normal guy who makes mistakes and learns from them... or at least that's what Roosterteeth intended.

In short, just read Coeur Al'Aran fanfiction. He's the most competent author I know of who can write Jaune in a believable and in-character manner. Yes, his stories are long as fuck, but they do the character justice. Why can't y'all write like this guy? Wattpad would be a more respectable website if you tried.