The Fanfic Writers' Craft

8. An Evening Chat with @tessiete (Or, Do Lupin and Obi-Wan Vibe the Same?)

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:13:23 GMT

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:

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/

7. Dialogue (Or, Lemons and Lemonade)

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 17:41:38 GMT

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

6. Writing in English as a Second Language with @venom0usbarbie (Or, Feeling the "Académie Française" Looking over my Shoulder)

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 18:08:53 GMT

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

You can find Jo and Lani online at:

Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3
Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
Barbie (@venom0usbarbie): tumblr ; AO3

5. Past Tense v. Present Tense (Or, Trendy Kids Breaking the Rules?)

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 15:00:19 GMT

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

4. "Shipping" (Or, Imagining Vietnam Vets Reading Our Fanfiction)

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 15:00:19 GMT

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

3. Original Characters (Or, Starting Fandom Fires!)

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:59:47 GMT

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:

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!

2. How to Plot? (or, Vibes - It's 90% Vibes)

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 08:00:18 GMT

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

1. What Is Fanfiction? (or, Children with Unsupervised Internet Access in the Early 2000s)

Wed, 25 May 2022 15:58:28 GMT

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