Tina answered, “Other writers inspire me a lot. I read and often thought, ‘Wow, these people gave it their all to write; it’s perfect.’ I have way too much fun reading fanfiction because honesty, most fanfiction nowadays are crafted way better than fiction books you would find in a bookstore. It is hard to find a good book nowadays! On the other end of the spectrum, there are bad writers who also inspire me a lot. I see what they do has charm, but it is either too fast-paced or the characterization isn’t consistent. It makes me look at my own writing and wonder if I am doing the same or if there’s something else I could do. Either way, I am always inspired by others and their efforts, and I hope to be a better writer every time I post something new.” 

She replied, “When I wrote my first piece was my favourite moment. My first reviewer became my friend for a while. We would review each other’s writing and have fun talking about the Dragon Ball series. I really treasure this experience because I couldn’t have gotten myself involved in fanfiction the way I am now without that single moment  where she decided to post my very first review.”

She explained, “My writing style has gotten much much better! I used to write in different tenses so much and the points of view in the stories changed a lot. But I’ll admit that sometimes I treat my updates like my job: it is not as fun as when I started and I cared less for grammar. But my goal is to entertain my readers and that has not changed.”

She responded, “My first tip would be to not care about grammar when you’re making your first draft. Do not care about perfecting it. Just write, write, write! There is nothing that is much better than to actually write what you want without judgment or wanting to impress anyone but yourself.

“The second tip would be to have a sort of plan, even if you aren’t sure about the ending. It may end up changing! I know some friends who write everything and post chapters weekly after they have already written their chapter, but sometimes readers’ opinions, time, or both can influence how you feel about your story.

“The third tip is that while you can have people comment and critique, remember you know best about your writing! If someone says the character was too irrational, and you feel that wasn’t the case, then don’t change it! If you feel that you find yourself doubting yourself, just rewrite the scene and choose which one you like the best. But in the end, every piece of advice given your way shouldn’t be taken. Sometimes, you have to learn that people have their own tastes and you just can’t please everyone.”

She exclaimed, “Yes, I would be able to! Hopefully, anyway… I think I still have a long way to go when it comes to writing something like that. I am also very hard on myself as a writer, and I wish to write something that has never been done before, but with a twist that I can call my own without pushing boundaries. Trying to do something that no one has done before is extremely hard and frustrating, but trying to do something that you can say you can see yourself in is a more realistic goal. I want to be able to have a style that people can see is my own.”  

As a fellow fanfic writer, this interview with Tina was extraordinary. She opened up a lot about her experiences as a creative fanfic writer. Many lessons can be learned here, especially the one where it says to enjoy what you do. Hopefully, fellow fan fiction writers can feel inspired by this and learn every writing adventure is dependent on the said person. What you do matters! Never think less of that.

That's all for the day, reader! But stay attuned and keep on casting spells on your stories.