The 100 Writing Tips

5 ☢ Media

5 ☢ Media

We apologise for not updating in a while, but here is the next hint topic on our list: media.

Media is essential to help your reader visualise your story. As well as your reader, a face claim, gifs, images and videos can help the reader to imagine your story more vividly but also helps them to relate to your characters.

Here a few tips to do with media:

i. Have a unique face claim.

And when I say unique, I mean one that is rarely used. I have seen Nina Dobrev and Crystal Reed constantly used in all types of fanfictions (not that there's anything wrong with them, and even I am guilty of using the amazing Nina Dobrev), and I have even seen comments where people are fed up with stories using overused face claims.

Therefore, our tip is to use a more unique face claim. Believe it or not, it might have the chance to lure in more readers since I have heard of people avoiding fanfictions who use overused face claims.

How? There are loads of face claims books out there filled with hundreds of different face claim options. Just search Face Claims and plenty of books will pop up.

As well as choosing a more unique face claim, also chose one that you feel connected to. Which one reminds you of your character? Which one looks as though she's going to fit into the environment you throw her into?

ii. Add a playlist and music

This may seem obvious, but this adds an edge to your story. If you also add a song to each chapter then your readers can listen to it whilst reading and feel the mood of the chapter reflected in the song, as well as the pace. Also use songs that have lyrics which relate to the chapter, for example Warriors by Imagine Dragons for when The 100 are fighting against the grounders at the end of Season 1.

iii. Gifs

This may also seem obvious, but gifs are much better to use than still images. This is because we can get a sense of the character by being able to visualise the way they act within a certain gif, for example, what they look like when they cry or do another action, e.g.

As well as this, there are people who make crackship gifs which means that you can receive a gif with your face claim and love interest realistically looking, smiling etc. at each other.

iv. Images

Images can also be used to show readers what your character looks like so that they can visualise your character easily throughout the book.

You can also create or ask someone else to make a crackship edit which is an image where you combine your face claim and The 100 love interest to look like they're doing something together. e.g.

[This is a terrible example I made ages ago for Sacrifice, but hopefully you get the idea]

v. Covers

This has been mentioned before, but have a good cover that will stand out. There are many fanfiction cover books and cover makers out there which make a variety of different styles of book covers. You can also use Pixlr online or superimpose to create your own book covers, using inspiration from other covers that you like the look of.

If you are looking for a cover theme for all your books, then go to teenwolfys 'Cover Themes' book to get templates from and inspiration for your own covers (please do not claim these themes as your own if you use them).

There are many graphic designers out there who create moodboards, covers and crackship gifs and edits. Just search it and find a designer that is open. Don't forget to complete the payment.

Hope that this helped, and we will be back with more tips and hints soon.

~The Admins