Michael Jackson Fanfic Tips

•Joseph•

(Isn't that picture just so cute? I adore it. It's probably my favourite photo of Michael and Joseph ever! 😍❤️)

Anyway ...

Title is pretty self-explanatory. Let's just go right in with the example.

Michael's POV

Omg omg omg Joseph is coming today. No no no I can't do this there's no way. I feel so sick that I might actually physically throw up noo no no.

Oh God no he's here. No please no.

"Hey!!" he shouts at me, coming towards me and trapping me in a corner.

I gulp nervously and look up at him in fright "Father please don't hurt me please"

"It's Joseph not father." He takes off his belt and starts whipping me with it as I cower down in the corner crying madly.

I really hate my father so much I can't even describe it.

Okay ... I've written enough. Let's get started.

First off ... why does Joseph have to be violent and nasty in almost every Fanfic he features in? I really don't understand it. I mean, sure, in real life he was somewhat of a ruthless man, but why not change it up a bit? In one of my (not great – I'm admitting that now) fan fictions on my other account, I made Joseph nice! (Tabloid Junkie – my first ever work. And definitely not my best). People thought it was great seeing a nice Joseph rather than an "I'll slit your throat" kind of Joseph for once.

And Michael's reaction is always the same. They make adult Michael Jackson seem absolutely terrified of his own father. Like ... yeah, I understand he would be scared, but he wouldn't react in such an over-exaggerated way. Of course, he regurgitated sometimes at the knowledge that his father was coming over to visit, but ... some people almost write it as if it's a fun subject to write about. They seem to enjoy portraying Michael as some scaredy cat that can't control his bladder or his gag reflex.

I'll admit that it can be fun to write events that aren't necessarily happy; it's more realistic and shows another side to a character, but you need to remember that this subject was extremely sensitive to Michael, and shouldn't be written about flippantly, as if it's nothing. Hell – he cried in interviews when asked about his childhood. It breaks my heart! I don't know about you. 

Next thing – what's the belt business? I know that's what Joseph used to hit Michael, which is truly terrible, but it's used in so many Fanfictions, and as a result, has almost become a Moonwalker-exclusive cliché of its own. And besides – Joseph's tough treatment on his children happened in childhood, not adulthood. I've seen this stuff in adult Michael Jackson fanfics! Like, what?

Then there's the name business. It would be lovely – for once – to read about Michael calling his father ... well, his father. Seeing him call his father "Joseph" all the time also makes itself a Moonwalker-exclusive cliché, in a way. This was also a sensitive subject to Michael, I believe, and I think that if Michael read the stories we write about him, he would want to see "father" being used rather than "Joseph", too. Because even if he couldn't call him that in real life, maybe seeing it in a story would be a sort of escape from reality. (What the hell am I talking about now? I'm kind of ranting about nothing.) You get the idea though, I would like to think.

And finally ... "I hate my father so much". Michael never hated his father. Maybe for the purpose of your story, you want him to hate Joseph, but if you want realism, he loved his father ... he just didn't understand him. C'mon, Moonwalkers. You should know this, right?

"I wish I understood my father."

Clue's in the quote. :')

Anywho, that's all from me. Writers, please avoid cliché-ness and change up Joseph's character and overall impact on the story a little. It makes your story a lot more entertaining to read if it's unique in terms of the little things like that. :3

Peace. ✌🏼️