Warriors Fanfics: Specialized Writing Guide

Original Clans

July 11, 2019

This section deals with making original clans that do not copy those from canon. It exclusively focuses on original content. So if your story takes place in a point-for-point canon setting, it may not help you too much.

When writing Warriors fanfiction, most of us decide to create our own clans for the characters to romp around in rather than use the canon's. There is nothing unexpected about that, but keep in mind that most fanfics across most fandoms choose to use canon settings exactly as presented. Sometimes it gives the readers too much familiarity with their setting, which means that any and all deviation will be unexpected and seen differently. There are still ways to keep canon settings unique, like exploring seldom seen parts of a location, seeing it through the eyes of a different character, or seeing the setting in the past or future. This way, we can make our setting different from the canon's without removing that all-important familiarity that draws our fans in.

Warriors does not have this luxury...

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CLANS IN WARRIORS

Ever wonder why we always use our original clans over the Erin's? The clans, factions, and settings of the Warriors universe are very rigid, meaning even minor alterations to their traits can push our fanfiction into AU (alternate universe) territory. Worse yet, they could scare our potential readers off by sharing canon names and nothing else. Few people want to read our story where the description ends with "In this universe, ShadowClan is good and ThunderClan is shady." But why not? It is because of how plain some of the clans truly are, and how hard-set their traits are. Using ShadowClan as an example:

- They are located in open grassland, so they rely more on stalking and ambush tactics more than other clans.

- It is rumored ShadowClan cats are taught at a young age to be ruthless and detached, but that is not always the case.

- At most points in the series, ShadowClan holds more land than the others, and is far more territorial as a result.

- ShadowClan warriors are taught winning battles is more important than following the warrior code, and are more likely to use dishonorable combat techniques.

So what would happen if we took those traits of seclusion and perceived ruthlessness away? They would not be ShadowClan anymore. Aside from owning more territory than the other clans, they would be exactly like them.

Clans in Warriors lack unique culture and social norms. Acting shady is not a social norm. Having your camp in a trench instead of hollowed out trees or rock formations is not a unique culture aspect. They are just basic traits. ShadowClan is no more different than ThunderClan. But these small traits are treated as cultural differences for the canon clans. The majority of ShadowClan cats are supposedly ruthless, more likely to ignore the warrior code, and know how to ambush better than others. This has not really proven true. Their cats stalk no more than RiverClan's. Their nefarious outliers are no more evil than ThunderClan's. There really is little in the way of divisive traits amidst the clans.

Nothing is truly stopping the clans from dissolving their borders and uniting. Cultural, religious, and political reasons prevent it in the real world. But in Warriors, none of that exists. The events that split them up in the first place do not hold up anymore. They were killing each other thinking there was not enough prey to go around, so StarClan proved them wrong and it caused them to divide for their own good. Much later, they are guarding their borders and making rules about hunting territory. If there is enough prey and land to go around, why even divide and defend in the first place? There is no political or economic (economic being resources) reason. Everyone has the same religion, so there is no religious tension among the clans. And there are no real cultural differences between them, so no cultural rifts. If they brought their borders down, they could live in peace and better regulate hunting, disease, and external threats like Sol and Scourge.