I have been reading fanfiction for nine years. I love it. I have met some truly talented authors and read some exciting tales through FF.net, but I have a list of grievances that won't let me be.
If you want people read and review your work here are some simple solutions when writing fanfiction.
1.
Check your Grammar! I'm serious. I understand that there are writers out there to whom the English language is a second language and I forgive them, but to the rest of you out there. Check your damn grammar. We are not in elementary school anymore. You should know the difference between 'You're' and 'Your'. It makes your piece look sloppy. I understand that errors happen. You'll find errors in my work, but I do make an effort to correct them. You should do the same!
2.
Enough with the damn Ipods! It's a magical world and I understand writers' especially in the HP universe to want to input a bit of Muggle technology into the universe of magic, but if I have to read one more story where some (probably teenager) puts an iPod or other Apple product into a fanfiction I am going to stop reading it. Firstly, it annoys me because the timeline. In HP the series ends in 1998. iPods were not around then. While I thought it was strange the way JK set up the timeline for the series, I respect the fact that it was her story! And when writers mess with the timeline offering up iPods and other Apple products, it just makes me want to smack some sense into the writer. And secondly, it annoys me because it is such a yuppie trendy poser move. A writer can write in Muggle music technology and not sound like a d-bag. The fact that writers add that bit in there just proves to me, as the reader, that the writer lacks creativity and intelligence due to the fact that they bought into this idea that Apple is somehow more than a company. Now I may sound like I hate Apple and I do, but I do own an iPod. And there are times when I want to just ditch the thing, but it plays my music and so I have kept it. I don't, however, buy into that trendy idea that iPods are a status symbol. It's a freaking iPod. That's all! It will not make you cooler, it will not make you smarter, but the fact that you bought into that idea that it would do all those things probably makes you less intelligent. If you want to buy into that trendy status symbol nonsense then by all means do so, but keep it out of your fanfiction.
3.
POV, enough with the flip floppin'. I am beyond fed up with authors flip flopping their points of view in a story. I will stop reading it and probably send you a nasty review. And here is why... it confuses the reader. It doesn't make you cool like Stephanie Meyer, it makes you look idiotic. If you want to do first person then do first person, while it isn't my favorite POV of story telling I will accept it. If you feel the need to tell a story from multiple points of view then do third person. You can jump around to each character and share their insights. I have noticed an increase in this over the past couple of years in the land of Fanfiction and makes me wonder if English teachers are just not teaching about third person properly. Keep it consistent otherwise your readers will be confused and probably ditch your fanfiction without reviewing it.
Those are my three major grievances of fanfiction. I probably have more, but I am cold and need to put on some socks. For all you Michiganders out there and others of the Midwest, stay warm!
