fuckingconversations:

saarebitch:

puckish-saint:

chitarra10:

wolfburied:

I think a big part of why I read way more fanfiction than books is that there’s just a hell of a lot less exposition

the first 10 pages of most books are always “these are the main characters and here’s some background on each of them and this is the setting etc etc” and it’s such a fucking hassle getting to the plot sometimes

fanfic is just like “fuck it you know all of this already let’s go”

That’s a really good point.

Same here but there’s actually a point here of well written exposition.
Take AUs for example. Even in the most complicated, as-far-removed-from-canon settings we get at most a single paragraph before the actual fic where the author gives us a quick rundown of the rules for that universe. The rest we are left to figure out on our own and it works.

We’re not spoon fed every trivial detail when all we want is to get to the plot. Everything that’s important is said at the moment it is important, not sooner not later.
Especially in long fics characters often take on such a unique characterisation that you get to know them all over again but the readers do so organically, in the situations that define those characters as they happen.
Same with looks. The fic author generally assumes the readers know what the characters look like and don’t spend paragraphs describing them, and only bring it up when it fits the plot.

I’ve read a few fanfics from fandoms I’ve never been in and surprisingly it still worked out. I had generally a good idea of who these people were, what they did where and why and how they worked together. 

Point is, if you’re a writer writing original fiction, pretend it’s fanfic and everyone knows your setting and characters already. That way you’ll only have to add a few details if and when your beta readers mention needing more information and chances are they won’t need a lot. 

Point is, if you’re a writer writing original fiction, pretend it’s fanfic and everyone knows your setting and characters already. That way you’ll only have to add a few details if and when your beta readers mention needing more information and chances are they won’t need a lot.

Bolding this fantastic advice. 

Bolded text is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. 

Most of the time the details and nuances come across via your characters reacting to things, or noticing things. You really don’t need a whole lot of exposition, as long as you’re consistent in your characters knowing about things. 

– Since your characters are already in this world, they’re used to certain things. You can use their casual treatment of certain things, or incredulous confusion at other things to establish what is ‘normal’ and what is not. 

Also, many location-words have a lot of subtext woven into them based on each reader’s experience. “He sat down in the Library” will conjure an image of whatever library the reader is most familiar with. You really don’t need to lay out every single detail of the library, unless it has some greater significance, or you’ll call it out again in a later chapter… like, if the library would later come under seige by water dragons, you can lovingly describe all the super old books and elaborate woodwork, SO you can later describe the horror your character feels at having those old books and woodwork sodden and twisted from water damage. 

Give places, give things, give EVENTS details, but not for detail’s sake. Details are SIGNIFICANCE.  

Source: Worked as a ghostwriter. Basically just made several MLP AU fanfics, and a few variations of the standard Marvel CoffeeShop AU. It’s amazing how few words you can use to describe a scene and the reader’s brain fills in all the details themselves.