The Fight Of The Century

HOW TO START WRITING ORIGINAL FICTION AFTER BEING A FANFIC WRITER

hello hello, it's me again!

i've been a fanfic writer for a long time! i started writing on wattpad when i was about 12 years old and continued writing there for a few years, switching from one fandom to another. but deep down, i really wanted to start writing my own novel, with everything created by me. at first, it was quite challenging, and i had to do lots of research, like everyone else. but eventually, i figured it out, and now i love writing original fiction!

if you're a long-time fanfic writer who's ready to dip their toes into the world of original fiction, you're in the right place. while it can be quite intimidating to move away from the familiar worlds and characters you love, writing original fiction can be an incredibly rewarding experience. here are a few tips to get you started:

start with what you know just because you're writing original fiction doesn't mean you have to start from scratch. draw inspiration from your favorite genres, characters, and settings to create something new and unique.

create your own characters this is your chance to explore new personalities and relationships that won't ever come to life unless you decide to! take the time to really develop your characters and give them distinct voices and motivations. [check this out: build a character (masterpost)]

focus on world-building unlike fanfic, where the world and its rules are already established, in original fiction, you have to build everything from the ground up. take the time to create a rich, detailed world that your readers can get lost in.

embrace the freedom fanfic can be restrictive, as you're bound by the expectations of the fandom. with original fiction, you have the freedom to tell any story you want. take advantage of that freedom and let your imagination run wild. [check this out: free Notion template for writers]

don't be afraid to make mistakes writing original fiction is a learning process, and you're bound to make mistakes along the way. embrace those mistakes as learning opportunities and keep pushing forward. [check this out: useful resources & tips for writers]

i hope this was useful! if you have any questions, feel free to dm me or send an anon message! <3 have a nice day

related posts:

how to start writing original fiction

character development : a collection of resources

Readers of TCF: Why You Should Read Turning and Vice Versa

Are you interested in Found Family tropes? How about time travel fiasco and everything in between that's happening to badass main characters? Want to get involved and seeing the battle between corrupted monarchy and royalty? Last but not the least, feel the thrill of seeing OP characters kicking bastardized enemies from behind and giving them their own medicine? If so, Turning/TCF should be the perfect novel for you!

I wanted to point out the similarities and differences of what makes Turning on par with TCF's themes! Keep in mind I haven't reached halfway of Part 2 of TCF yet, so my knowledge might not align with TCF's current timeline. With that out of the way, here are the common themes of why you should read TCF/TURNING:

1. Found Family

It's what hooked me into TCF in the first place—everyone's relationship with Cale, a tight knit that wouldn't seemingly unknot no matter how hard you try to separate them. In TCF, we have Cale as the center of the wave, our beloved Commander who had experienced many fights of his own that shaped his world view, and consequently, how other people spanning a whole continent see him as well. Meanwhile Yuder, in his current 2nd timeline, had not only learned to cherish and paid attention to those around him but also communicate and connect to a deeper level he previously failed to achieve in the 1st timeline. You could argue that Yuder's title as Commander's Assistant is almost the exact same as Cale's position as the Young Master. In a way, they have their main support, but it doesn't mean it's only their means of support. What's funny is that they're both picking up strays left and right on the street and giving those said stray a place they could comfortably and confidently call home, and it never fails to make me smile every time they have a new recruit.

Yuder is more active at involving himself with the other Calvary members, it's because of his unique disposition as Commander's Assistant and also a former Commander gave him the power and ability to patiently train people. Not to mention, he is considered as Instructor From Hell for his absolute 0 nonsense and merciless style of train that makes people pass out after training, grow exponentially and come back for more.

If you're wondering if the side character that you just read and loved instantly would disappear, worry not! Kuyu and Yoo Ryeo Han treat their characters carefully and equally, and more often than not, they will reappear in the story! Whether unintentionally or intentionally is the biggest question.

2. Commanders Of The Previous Life And Their Similar Position

They both prefer to be the forefront and lead the fight—often clashing with the enemies head on. They even have more or less similar fighting styles, in which they wouldn't want to draw out fights unnecessarily, have an incredible mountain of patience in dealing with pests and would wholeheartedly throw hands at anyone who insults their loved ones. Not to mention, they're both sacrificial bastards™. They're both generous, in a way they would teach other people how to fight and fend for themselves, thanks to their commanding experience that spanned for a decade.

Their previous lives are a topic of sensitivity—and I can't help but see how they were distant and cold in their previous life after losing the people that were important to them. Similar to being cursed with a series of bad luck (ahem). Cale became closed off, harder to approach yet still providing help and assistance in his own way as the team leader despite that, he had the strong will to live on. The Calvary members' impression on Yuder were negative at the start, thanks to his stoic expression and unwillingness to approach or connect to anyone, leading to a series of accumulated misunderstandings and bad reputation, but despite that, he was their unmoving fortress and cave that shielded everyone until his death. Both gave off the impression of being respected and feared, with nobody that they feel connected to.

In a way, you could conclude their 1st timeline as nothing more than horrible strings of bad luck since you can't exactly fault anybody. And that's exactly the beauty of this tragedy. Their past lives were their own experiences, and not exactly a direct result from a single person.

As a transmigrator, Cale was given a second chance to live his own life through a novel he read. He used his knowledge to manipulate the original timeline and twisted it to his favor, and suddenly, he has a god tier level good luck. Unknowing that he had literally and metaphorically picked up people with him and became a living legend for generations to come.

As a regressor, Yuder woke up after his execution thanks to the hypocrisy of nobles and false accusations. Virtually having nobody to believe him only to wake up in 11 years from the past and became determined to protect the important person that died in his timeline: Kishiar La Orr and stop the tragedies that happened in his past life.

It made me realize they weren't so different in circumstances, after all.

3. Outside POV

We can't forget the hilarious reactions that people often harbor for these two protags! My main source of POV prime entertainment would honestly be Clopeh from TCF and Kiolle from Turning. They have their own interpretation and often hilarious thoughts for the MC, but they respected and feared them the same.

It is through these interactions that we had the glimpse of how people in the novel interacted and perceived them, and let me tell you, it gets hilarious from there. With Cale, and his absolute 0 self-awareness and refusal to explain his actions any further unless necessary vs Yuder, who would shoot down any misunderstanding and still be misunderstood in a silly way.

Misunderstanding is a common theme in TCF but don't let it stop you since it only plays on how other people perceive Cale with no dramas attached. It serves as a pace of narration and even comedic undertones. Turning in particular, is like a breath of fresh air. Fixing the misunderstanding is a theme in Turning, and I couldn't be more happy to indulge in both tropes.

4. Enemies

Ah, yes, secret organizations are a common denominator in both novels, but of course—there's more. Monsters in particular, are present in both novels. It almost led me to believe that if we combine these two novels, they wouldn't be out of place. Gods, mages, priests, sword masters, guardians—you name it, are shared by them like a ping pong ball.

The powerful antagonists don't disappear from taking a hit from one blow, and we see it both in TCF and Turning time and time again about how they're running on time. The conflict in TCF that should be minor became much bigger than anticipated, and I could say the same for Turning.

The fights in these novels have lessons ingrained in them—and that's what I cherish the most. The protagonists grow with the people they surround themselves with, and how those people would repay the favor later on.

What sets them apart is the existence of plates and ancient powers in TCF and omegaverse in Turning.

I didn't consider Awakener as the main difference because, if you think about it, the Ability Users in TCF could be considered as "awakeners" in Turning's world building system. Which is why I wanted to read or see a crossover of them, if possible.

5. Almost Exact Elemental Abilities

How nostalgic, this was the og's in TCF! Cale is never the same without the talking ancient powers he conversed with in his head. As much as I wanted to push how it led to funny interactions and nothing more, it was also the reason why Cale was such a badass despite being dubbed as having a small and weak plate! He mercilessly trumps over his enemies with his ancient powers despite not wielding any weapons: Wood/Shield, Healing, Wind, Fire and Earth. I'm aware he has more than that but I don't want a long list of their attributes AND names yet. What we do know is that Cale would overcome that weakness and grow to be more powerful as the chapters goes on, and that same goes for his people as well.

As for Turning, Yuder is an awakener that could wield all natural elements, namely: Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Although his abilities are at a disadvantage when facing monsters, his dexterity and efficiency in different kinds of weapons and experience makes up for his weakness. Similar to being an Ability User, being an Awakener grants the person their unique set of powers after encountering a battle of will with themselves. So the power varies from character to character. I love learning a new character's ability, and what role they would play in the Calvary!

6. Opposites Of Methods Yet Similar In Goal

Cale wants to live peacefully and achieve a slacker life while Yuder wants to save the world and prevent the disasters happening again in the 1st game (timeline).

If you think that Cale doesn't have the same goal as Yuder, you're wrong. Cale and Yuder are similar in so many ways, that both ultimately wanted to save people and grant world peace if possible. They both made the impossible possible and hilariously enough, in their way to becoming a legend. They both don't see their own actions as praiseworthy and get confused whenever other people praise them. Their own failures and shortcomings are the reason for their self doubt. It shows that despite everything, they're still human.

Cale has creative liberties and more headache inducing than Yuder, but they made everyone worry about them in equal measure. Being confined and forcing a vacation for them makes everyone feel relieved, haha!

7. Romance

Expecting a romance in TCF is virtually little to none, unless you include side character romances, it isn't the center of the novel. I firmly believe that Cale wouldn't entangle with any romance subplots, but of course, as a reader, we have the power of fanfiction in our side and making our imagination a reality. Although there's no romance, the interaction between Cale and his Found Family is a reward in itself.

Turning, however, has the greenest of green relationship regarding our MC and ML! Yuder and Kishiar's dynamic is my go to read whenever i'm in dire need of fluff. Sometimes, they're so sweet that it gives me so much tooth rotting fluff! I can't even stand it sometimes, I need a relationship like them in my life! The relationship between their 1st game and 2nd game are so stark you could hardly believe they're the same person as they once were due to the bad luck set by their first connection to the point it sent you to tears.

And that's exactly the charm. In Turning, love is both painful and beautiful. In a way, Kishiar and Yuder accept each other's flaws and shortcomings without compromising anything, with no misunderstandings and toxic relationships. It's a step up after reading toxic BLs, and frankly, I can't go back there after reading this masterpiece.

if you dislike omegaverse, fortunately for you, it isn't centered to just that and it's relatively new in their current era that makes you forget about it until it reappears due to the minority of people that falls under the category of alpha/omega. It's a refreshing take on the trope we readers knew so well and read how characters adapt to these changes, as well as suffer the consequences. It wasn't until 300+ chapters in the novel that suppressants became a thing, and there isn't even a power imbalance between an omega and alpha. Their second gender doesn't affect their social status and they're treated as normal people because of being a relatively new phenomena.

I'm loving how there's like, no tags 💀😭😭🤣

Life imitating art.

I despise Venion so much omg

Storytelling in Any Season

Incorporating the seasons into my stories is enjoyable. Not only are seasons a relatable life experience, but passage of time can be tricky to portray without them. The best part about adding the seasons to a story is that they have strong potential to aid the plot.

Seasonal details that are easy to add to create the scene and affect the plot.

CLOTHING; if I walk this path in winter, I have to wear huge boots that can handle slick mud. If I walk it in summer, the dead grass scratches my bare legs because now I am wearing shorts.

EXTREME TEMPERATURE; whatever we do today it better be indoors and out of this heat wave/blizzard. If the battle/heist/romance/etc. takes place in this weather, there will be consequences!

CHARACTER MOOD; autumn is Character A's favorite time of year! they gain a positive, upbeat attitude as soon as they see signs of autumn. Character B feels dread and becomes easily agitated during autumn. The two of them clash more in autumn than any other season.

EVENTS; holidays aside, some seasons may be busier for one character than another. I had a weekend job during summers and was rarely available. Weddings are most common in spring. Community events that affect traffic, shops, or social atmosphere can occur at any time of year.

TRANSPORTATION; some parts of the world rely on different transport for different seasons. A bicycle when it is temperate, a bus or train when it is miserable. A car for dry weather is replaced with a car outfitted for inclement weather. A regular trip to the grocery store may even need to be cancelled completely. And don't forget air and water travel!

HISTORY/TRAUMA; certain seasons in your story may be marked by pain. This is the season the war took many lives. This is the month unforgettable tragedy occurred. The upcoming season marks the anniversary of a huge mistake we'd all like to forget. Social and personal customs will reflect this memorial.

FOOD; in the modern-day US we are used to most foods being available year-round. This is not the case globally or historically. Seasons can be marked by what foods are or aren't available. This can include meat, produce, and dairy, but it can also extend to dishes and meals.

RESOURCES; like food, weather and climate affect access to many things your characters may need. Washed out roads halt shipments, but heavy rain is good for crops. Intense heat can damage perishable supplies, but dries out firewood fast. Natural disasters halt production while simultaneously increasing demand. Even a weather event in another hemisphere can affect your character's resources.

Whenever you think "How do I portray the changing seasons?" pay attention to the changes you have to make each season. Places you go, your personal habits, the items you carry with you, the events you prepare for, and all of these real-life details affect YOUR "plot" every day. Consider which ones would affect your characters, and use them to both set the scene and move the story along.

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✩ This was written in response/addition to @writingquestionsanswered post Incorporating Seasons Into a Story. Please see their post for other important tips!

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+ Visit me on AO3 - Wattpad for my fanfiction, and Pinterest - Unsplash for photo inspiration.

The Soo Trio & Earth Abilities

Let's talk about Earth Abilities for a moment, shall we?

It's been a long-standing debate in the fandom whether Cale has more Abilities than just 2. Of course now it’s at least 3, since he got Embrace from Lee Soo Hyuk. However, just like how the area where Cale and the others live was never called “the whole world”, merely “the two Continents” implies that there might be more continents in that world, Kim Rok Soo had never been stated to have “2 abilities”. Instead, he was called a “Multiple Ability User”.

It was especially worth noticing when OG Cale!Kim Rok Soo was talking with Choi Jung Soo about it. He said he was getting hang of his new Abilities, but Choi Jung Soo warned him that Kim Rok Soo was a “multiple Ability User” and that his Abilities were hard to master.

Furthermore, it appears that Abilities evolve over time, as in the beginning of the cataclysm, most people seemed to have only 1 Ability per person – Park Jin Tae was an unusual case, and thus kept it a secret.

What form Abilities take highly depends on the person’s personality and interest. For example, there was person at Kim Rok Soo’s shelter who used to be a music major, and her ability allowed her to project her voice for others to hear from far away.

Kim Rok Soo’s first Ability was Record. Which fits his personality of someone who has excellent memory and is able to process all information to his advantage. His second Ability, gained after years of working for the Company, was Instant. Yet again, it fits with how desperately he wished to rush in and save his team. He’s also someone who breaks the rules to achieve his goals no matter what it takes, so no wonder his Ability allowed him to transcend time itself.

Unlike Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo, who tragically died quite young, Kim Rok Soo lived to his late 30’s. He had time to develop more Abilities afterwards. I don’t have valid theories about what his third Ability could potentially be. I suspect it was probably something passive, such as “Perseverance” or something. Perhaps it’s an Ability that allows him to stay conscious for as long as he needs to in order to accomplish something. It’s a wild shot, but it’s as good of a guess as any. There haven’t been any clear hints about that yet. Perhaps I’m wrong, and it’s all just red herring – maybe Kim Rok Soo just had 2 Abilities all along and that was it.

Let’s talk about Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo for a moment, shall we?

Lee Soo Hyuk is a fascinating case. He’s clearly someone special. He doesn’t seem to be a Single-Lifer – because he naturally reincarnated after his death. And yet, even Monsters recognize he is someone unusual. He is a natural-born hero: he has the charisma, the skills, and the ideals of one. And his first unnamed Ability was incredibly strong – it allowed him to cut through anything. The power was described to be eerily silent, cutting through the air itself.

...And that Ability previously belonged to Choi Jung Gun, aka. Nelan Barrow, the first Dragon Slayer.

Why the heck Choi Jung Gun decided to hand this ability to Lee Soo Hyuk is a mystery. He doesn't exactly strike me as a generous type. I’m very curious to learn about that story in the future. For now, I just assume Choi Jung Gun saw potential in Lee Soo Hyuk (there was implication that he’s able to see some ‘Threads of Fate’ during his meeting with Cale in the Sloth Test) and decided he should have it due some circumstances.

After getting that Ability, Lee Soo Hyuk developed Embrace. We know Embrace came second, because he did not use it in the Sealed God’s Test, despite going against an Unranked Monster and giving his all. It was also a very peculiar and unusual Ability – it was even able to seal a God!! That is no small issue, Lee Soo Hyuk’s Abilities are all busted!!! No wonder he was such a big deal in Korea.

And finally, we get to Choi Jung Soo. He’s the one I really wanted to talk about from the start.

You see, we all forget that Kim Rok Soo was not expected to be the successor of Lee Soo Hyuk. In fact, everyone in the Company expected it to be Choi Jung Soo. Considering how incredibly skilled Kim Rok Soo was, that’s quite a big deal.

Choi Jung Soo gave Choi Han his Miru Ability – his own variation of it being the White Miru – but looking at Lee Soo Hyuk and Kim Rok Soo, it becomes obvious that he must have had another Ability.

And that’s where chapters 580 & 581 come in.

Cale meets Choi Jung Soo and is incredibly happy to see him. Choi Jung Soo is naturally wary of the person who has Rank 1 Monsters such as the Dark Tiger following him. Cale then thinks this:

“‘He’s wary of me again.’ He could tell that Choi Jung Soo was quite wary of him. That was why Choi Jung Soo was focusing his gaze on him instead of the monster Alberu or Choi Han who had a sword on his side. Cale could tell that Choi Jung Soo's ‘intuition’ was still there after seeing Choi Jung Soo be wary when he was trying to speak as warmly as possible.”

Choi Jung Soo, on the other hand, thinks this:

“The fact that such a person had recognized him through foresight was shocking, and it was weird that he was being so friendly. He also found something weird about himself as well. ‘...I don’t feel any wariness toward him.’ Choi Jung Soo had been quite tense since the world became like this. It was because he was weak. This world was now one where the weak could be preyed upon by the strong at any moment. But for some odd reason, he didn't feel any wariness toward this man named Kim Rok Soo even after hearing how strong he is. Choi Jung Soo found that the current situation was even more chaotic as he had never felt this way before.”

Choi Jung Soo feels wary NOT because he’s distrustful towards Cale. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. He’s wary BECAUSE he’s not feeling distrustful, and finds that very strange!

Don’t you see what this is??

This is, yet again, foreshadowing, my friends! Choi Jung Soo has an ‘Intuition’ Ability!!

It makes a lot of sense! His first Ability wasn’t the White Miru – because when Choi Han starts training him, he doesn’t have that yet. Choi Jung Soo recognizes Choi Han’s style as familiar, but not the Ability itself. It should have been a dead giveaway if Choi Jung Soo used the same-looking dragon power.

Park Jin Tae had a similar Ability, which allowed him to recognize individual’s strength based on the pressure they gave off. I think Choi Jung Soo’s Ability has less to do with strength, and more with intent. Especially because he thinks this regarding Choi Han:

“Choi Jung Soo realized something at that moment. They had said that Choi Han was the strongest person in the group. ‘But why-’ For some very weird reason... ‘Do I have even less wariness toward this person than even Kim Rok Soo?’ Choi Han was standing there with a stoic expression, but it did not seem threatening at all to Choi Jung Soo. It didn't seem to be because Choi Han was younger than Choi Jung Soo. ‘What is going on?’ Cale continued to speak as Choi Jung Soo became even more confused while looking at Cale and Choi Han.”

Choi Jung Soo feels completely safe with Cale and Choi Han, which confuses him extremely. Those individuals are the strongest, and yet, he feels absolutely no ill intent from them.

That is no mystical connection, or Choi Jung Soo recognizing Choi Han as his family... That is not at all what is going on here. Choi Jung Soo’s logic dictates that he should feel wariness towards the two strongest individuals, and yet his Ability is telling him: “Those two are Completely Safe. You can Trust Them.” Because both Cale and Choi Han love him already as family, even though he doesn’t know them. That must have been very confusing.

I am very looking forward to Choi Jung Soo reuniting with Cale and Choi Han in the Murim world later. I am very sure we will learn more about his Intuition Ability there. I’m convinced such an Ability would be very useful for recognizing allies and forming a rebel group to fight against the Hunters.

Do not underestimate the subtle powers. After all, Cale’s Record was able to change the fate of multiple worlds so far.

So, there you have it! All known Abilities of the Soos:

Lee Soo Hyuk: “Slashing” Ability (received from CJG), Embrace (given to Cale)

Kim Rok Soo: Record, Instant, possible third Ability

Choi Jung Soo: “Intuition” Ability, White Miru

Ralsei’s Astral Projection habit - it’s not about us.

It’s about Susie.

Twice now, Ralsei pulls Kris aside and asks them to think about what Susie’s doing.

People have theorized this is to “get alone time away from the Player”, but I think he actually does this because he’s trying to communicate something about Susie to Kris.

“Astral Projection”?

Both Kris and Ralsei act like they’re viewing/have viewed Susie’s scenes.

In Chapter 2, Ralsei is alright with Kris not viewing Susie’s scene if they’re not interested.

 If doing the Snowgrave route, Kris will skip Susie’s scene by themself, and Ralsei, after initially being flustered, will say, “As long as Susie’s happy”.

So that’s why - what?

Keep reading

Some doodles as well!!

I was reading abralhugres ' "one last death" and "I'll save you when you're weak"

While it's...cute? in fanart to see Kris go up and hug Susie, in canon, when Kris is moving on their own to sit next to her, they always give her space.

(Measuring tape for social distancing added for emphasis)

And the one time Kris (jokingly?) asked her for a hug/to share her jacket, they asked, they didn't glomp her.

They immediately smile at her ribbing a moment later, showing that they're not bothered by the refusal.

In fact, any time they've gotten physically close, it's because Susie approached Kris.

Which Kris seems to be perfectly alright with; she's their best friend and Kris does seem to want to be close to her, since they ask her for a hug after the Spamton fight.

My point is, Kris deliberately gives her space when it's up to them how close to get to her. Not only are they respectful of her boundaries, Kris seems to want Susie to bridge that physical gap herself.

If they hug, Susie's probably going to be the one to do it first.