How to Write Fan Fiction

Pick a moment the original story skipped or a question it never answered, choose a trope that fits, and write one short scene first. Keep the characters recognisable, tag your work clearly, and post a first chapter only when you know where the story ends.

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Get an idea

Start from a gap

The best fics start where the original story went quiet: a missing scene, a side character's view, a "what if" at a turning point. Ask what you wanted to see that the story never showed.

Pick a trope

Tropes are shared shapes readers love: enemies to lovers, found family, time travel, fake dating. They help readers find your story and give you a ready structure. See the prompt ideas or try a trope generator such as enemies to lovers.

Keep characters recognisable

Readers come for characters they already love. Change their situation as much as you like, but keep how they talk and what they care about. If you change something big, say so in your notes.

Write one scene first

Don't plan a fifty chapter epic on day one. Write the one scene you most want to read. If it works, the rest of the story will grow around it.

Tag and post

Most fan fiction sites ask you to tag the fandom, characters, relationships and rating, and to add content warnings where they apply. Clear tags help the right readers find you and keep the wrong ones away.

Going long

For a multi chapter story, plan the ending and keep notes on your own canon. Our guide to writing a long fic covers that.

Cite this entry

AI Fanfiction Generator. "How to Write Fan Fiction." Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://aifanfictiongenerator.com/how-to-write-fanfiction/