RotG/GoC Fanfiction Writing Tips

Tension (Stakes)

Take a moment to ask yourself: What does my main character lose if they fail in my story? What do they gain if they win? Not what the world or other people earn or suffer from, but your character?

If you're having trouble answering that question, that's one sign this chapter's for you.

Almost, if not all, fanfictions, and stories in general, should have some sort of tension pulling the readers along. In other words, readers have to be worried about what's going to happen. Some specific fanfiction genres like fluff may be exempt, but as someone who doesn't write those, I can't claim to be the expert there. However, if you're writing a genre where you want the readers to be fret about your characters' fates, then you'll want some sort of tension. One major way to add tension to your fanfiction is with stakes—what your main character or characters stand to gain or lose from the events of the plot.

If they win their battle or goal, they should earn something specific. If they lose, they should lose something specific. If you do this, people who stumble upon your fanfiction will have more reason to keep reading. They'll worry more about if your character succeeds or fails their goal.

But how can you write stakes well, so that they actually work as intended? I have four tips.

1. Make Your Stakes Matter to the Character

For your stakes to be the most meaningful, they must be the peak of your, whether canon or OCs, main character(s)' desires. If the character wins, they should get what they want most of all, and if they lose, what they most fear should happen. This will make your fanfiction more riveting, and give readers a reason to be invested in your character's fate. It's okay if some of the stakes are less personal, such as a negative stake (what will happen if the character loses) being that they will die, but at least one positive stake (what they'll get if they win) and one negative stake should be integral to your character.

2. Make Positive and Negative Stakes Different

The positive and negative stakes shouldn't be opposites—for example, the positive stake being that the character will find happiness and the negative stake being that they won't. Some stakes can be like that, but there should be extra ones that differ between positive and negative—for example, an extra negative stake being that the character will also lose their best friend. It will make your stakes more interesting, and your fanfiction more engaging to your readers.

3. Make Your Stakes Clear

State them plainly—don't make them ambiguous or hidden. If readers don't know what can be gained or lost, they won't have a reason to be invested in your fanfiction. They may even stop reading it altogether.

4. Make Your Main Plots Continue through the Whole Story

It's okay if you switch back and forth between two major plots for a short while, but your fanfiction shouldn't be about one of them for one half of the story and the second for the other half. Don't give your readers a chance to relax, get a relief from your stakes. If your main character is dealing with more than one plot at once, or at least one plot all the way through, your readers will be more engaged.

A new reader taps on your fanfiction. The light from their phone doesn't quite hurt their eyes yet in the dark room, but it's past midnight. They should really sleep. Yet their heart begins to pound as they read more and more of your words. They know they can't rest until they finish it, maybe posting a few comments.

This is what could happen if you write stakes well in your fanfiction. Loyal, dedicated readers who can't help but finish your story, and perhaps even read more of your works. If you master stakes, then your fanfic has all the more reasons to grab hold of readers and not let them go until the end.