The Fanfic Writer's Craft: Recent Episodes
@pebblysand & @copper_dust
The Fanfic Writers’ Craft is a podcast that discusses all things fanfiction with a focus on the art and science of writing for the enjoyment of fan communities. Every two weeks, Jo and Lani (otherwise known in fandom as @pebblysand and @copper_dust) sit down for a fun, multi-fandom, fanfic-related chat and delve into particular topics such as: the particularities of writing and reading fanfiction, monetisation, how to build a fanfiction plot, etc. Hope you enjoy!
You can find us and contact us at: https://thefanficwriterscraft.tumblr.com/
In this episode, @copper_dust (“Lani”) interviews two wonderful guests about the use and integration of multimedia in fanfiction, and storytelling in general. With @crazybutgood (“CBG”), she explores the presence of origami and paper art in fandom, and discusses CBG’s creations and inspirations, as well as her collaborations with other artists and writers. @newsom (“Ruby”) later joins to discuss her use of coding and AO3 workskins to integrate letters and papers to her fics, and, tangentially, the quirkiness of getting into fandom as an adult. We hope you enjoy this episode!
This week, we mention:
- @getawayfox’s amazing pie art
- Darklands by Ruby
- The Shoebox Project
- The Thirteen Letters by dropdeaddream and WhatAreFears
- @La_Temperanza’s tutorials for AO3 coding
You can find us online at:
- The Fanfic Writer’s Craft: tumblr ; spotify
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
- CBG (@crazybutgood): tumblr ; AO3
- Ruby (@newsom): tumblr ; AO3
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand)discuss point of view, a topic which was requested by one of our listeners, @turanga4. They explore the different types of point of view that exist in narration, the choices writers make in deciding to tell stories from a particular perspective, and debate the dreaded concept of head-hopping. They also touch on the sensitive subject of second-person narration, and question whether reliable narrators really even exist.
This week, we mention:
- Then we came to the end by Joshua Ferris - a novel told in first-person plural
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Merry Men by @copper_dust - stories where the point-of-view character is not the focal character
- Lolita by Vladimir Nobokov - example of a story told from the point of view of a very unreliable and unlikable narrator (please, check trigger-warnings/the topic of this book prior to reading it)
- the fault in faulty manufacturing & ce ne sont que des cailloux by @pebblysand - examples of an unreliable narrators, and of works where language and narration is affected by the identity and vocabulary of the narrator
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel & Room by Emma Donoghue - examples of how a different point of view can change a story
Your recommendations for this week are:
- Troyby Stephen Fry
- The Alexander Trilogy by Mary Renault
- He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly (tw: sexual assault) or anything else by Erin Kelly
- Ghostwritten by David Mitchell
You can find us online at:
- The Fanfic Writer’s Craft: tumblr ; spotify
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) sits down for a chat with wonderful guest and long-time fandom friend, Tess (@tessiete). They talk about meeting online ten years ago on the The Good Wife fandom, about quasi-stalking their favourite writers and about their experiences moving from small fandoms to huge fandoms - in Jo's case, Harry Potter, and in Tess's case, Star Wars.
They explore Tess’s work re-writing myths and venturing out into the wild world of original fiction, and go on very long tangents about silly things like… copyright law. They also have a good few laughs about it all.
In this episode, we mention:
- orbythesea
- Netflix v. Bridgerton Musical
- Salinger v. Colting, 607 F. 3d 68 - US Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit 2010
- Suntrust Bank v. Houghton Mifflin Co., 268 F. 3d 1257 - US Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit 2001
- Alpha, Beta, Omega controversy
Your recommendations for this episode are:
- Lord of the Rings - recommended by @tessiete as an exploration of a fantasy classic and lore, accompanied by Tolkien's letters to fans; a great insight into the mind of a writer
- @treescape's work - recommended by @tessiete as some of the best Star Wars fanfiction out there
- Selling Sunset - recommended by @pebblysand because you can probably learn a lot from dramatised reality television
You can find us at:
- Lani (@copper_dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
- Tess (@tessiete): tumblr ; AO3
- The podcast: https://thefanficwriterscraft.tumblr.com/
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to discuss the ins and outs of writing dialogue and finding your character’s voice. We talk about monologues, about the hardship of not having professional actors reading the lines we write, working on dialect, and letting go of expectations of perfection. Lani also introduces us to some of her favourite television pieces and tells us why she thinks those exchanges work so well, and Jo talks about how, as an ESL writer, when life gives you lemons, you learn to make lemonade.
Your recommendations for this week are:
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - recommended by Lani and everyone else on the internet.
- The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin and The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach - recommended by Jo for their amazing dialogue
You can find Jo and Lani online at:
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand):tumblr ;AO3
- The podcast: tumblr
As previously mentioned we will be taking a break from broadcasting for the next four weeks but should be back on the 16th of September. In the meantime, if you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback, don't hesitate to let us know by messaging either of us on tumblr, or by sending us an ask! We love to hear from you <3
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) sits down with a guest, Barbie (@venom0usbarbie), to discuss her experience going from writing original fiction to fanfiction, as well as a topic that is of great interest to both of them: writing in a second language.
Barbie is French and writes both in her native language, and in English. In this episode, she and Jo explore the reasons why they, just like so many other writers online, write in English as a second language, dive into the advantages and disadvantages of having two cultures to draw from, and give some tips and tricks about how to perfect your English prose.
Your recommendations for this week are:
- the Benjamin Franklin method - recommended by Barbie to improve your writing skills and understand who great texts are crafted
- A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders - also recommended by Barbie, breaking down the skills and the prose of four Russian writers in a very compelling and emotional manner
- Borgen - recommended by Jo as a television series with strong female leads
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to debate the use of the present tense as a main narrative tense in fanfiction, and its opposition to the more 'traditional' past tense. They discuss the prevalence of this 'trend' in young adult original fiction in recent years, and why they believe it permeated fanfiction in the mid to late 2000s. Jo defends her love for the present tense, both as a reader and as a writer, whereas Lani expresses her more reserved attitude towards this shift.
Your recommendations for this week are:
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - recommended by Lani and everyone else on the internet.
- none of this is serious by Catherine Prasifka - recommended by Jo as a book that uses present tense as a great narrative device, and which also fits her obsession with stories of how social media has changed our lives
You can find Jo and Lani online at:
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to chat about the portrayal of romantic relationships in fanfiction, also known as “shipping”. They discuss the importance of romance in fandom, the high popularity of gay pairings in fanfiction (especially male/male pairings), and debate what they believe even qualifies as “romantic” in writing. Lastly, they talk about writing non-romantic fanfiction content, also known as “gen,” and why they both gravitate towards it, these days.
Your recommendations for this week are:
- Desperado by fluorescentgray (HP, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin) - recommended by Lani for its treatment of romantic settings
- All Involved by Ryan Gattis - original work recommended by Lani, deals with the 1992 riots in Los Angeles
- We Had to Remove this Post by Hanna Bervoets - original work recommended by Jo, deals with content review in social media
You can find Jo and Lani online at:
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) talk about original characters in fanfiction. They discuss how they come up with them, how they name them, the purpose they can serve in fanfiction, and touch upon the somewhat controversial subject of self-inserts and "Mary Sues." They also talk about the differences between fanfiction and original fiction when it comes to writing characters, and about the different techniques writers can use to craft well-rounded protagonists.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- random name generator
- the sorting hat chats personality "test"
Our recommendations for this month are:
- My Dad Wrote a Porno - for the lolz and how not to write porn
- British Scandal - for bits of British history, great storytelling, and food for the brain
You can find Jo and Lani online at:
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
If you have any feedback, suggestions, or if you want to be featured on the podcast, please feel free to let us know by PM-ing us, or sending us an ask!
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to chat about how they come up with new ideas for fanfic, their relationship to plotting and outlines, how they usually try and dig themselves out of plot holes, and the value of getting comments from their readers as they go along. They also go on a rather long tangent about a condition Jo has, called “aphantasia,” and how that impacts her writing style.
Your recommendations for this month are:
- Knowing Where To Look by ala_baguette for some HP post-war politics and an unusual POV
- The Lincoln Lawyer (TV Series); The Lincoln Lawyer (Film); The Michael Haller book series by Michael Connolly for food for thought on the topic of variations around similar characters/themes.
You can find Jo and Lani online at:
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down for a general chat about fanfiction, original fiction and the origins of the podcast. They discuss discovering fanfiction as kids with unsupervised internet access in the 2000s, what it means to write fanfiction as adults, and how blurry the line between fanfiction and original fiction can be.
Your recommendations for this month are:
- The Elements of Style by Strunk & White for writing and stylistic tips!
- dirgewithoutmusic on AO3 for excellent, non-cliché HP fic
- the divine comedian also on AO3 for someone so good they could get published if they filed off serial numbers
You can find Jo and Lani online at:
- Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
- Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3