How to Write a Story on Quotev
Find a subject., Find a fandom., Choose a setting., Make your supporting characters., Find a point of view you want to use., Start typing., Check for spelling first., Check word choice., Make sure you capitalized as necessary and used punctuation...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Find a subject.
Your subject will be the star of the story, whether it be a person or an animal.
Keep in mind that most readers do not like "Mary Sues"
or characters who come across as perfect in every way.
Make your characters have flaws, but make sure they have talents too. -
Step 2: Find a fandom.
Most stories on Quotev are fanfiction works, so you might want to find a fandom you have read and feel comfortable writing for.
If you don't know anything about fandoms, skip fandoms and write with a general topic.
It's better to be a bit different than making a terrible fanfiction about a fandom you know nothing about. , If you are using a fandom, it's a bit obvious that wherever the fandom takes place, that will be where your story will take place.
If you choose not to use a fandom default, you should aim to find a setting that would match the character you've created.
For example, if your character likes to swim, use a swimming pool as the setting of your story. , No story is complete without supporting characters! You generally want to have your character to have a few friends and an "enemy." Remember that the readers will care as much about the supporting characters as the main one, so give your supporting characters back stories and a life behind where this story takes place. , You want to try to stick to one point of view throughout the entire story, because otherwise it becomes confusing.
Choose the one you feel most comfortable writing in, and stick with it for the entire story! , Before you worry about proofreading and editing and such, you need a piece to edit! Type anything you think might be interesting to your audience. , Using spell-check or something similar would really help out, since readers most likely won't read a story with improper spelling every two words. , Make sure one word isn't repeated too often; excessive repetition can become annoying and cause readers to lose interest.
If you find that you have used a word too many times, use a Thesaurus to find different words with the same meaning. , In a sentence you only need one exclamation point, and you want to avoid using ALL CAPS, as it portrays screaming at another character. , Readers don't really like to have to read author's notes, and sometimes they skip them altogether.
Keep them short and sweet and related to the story.
Example of an acceptable author note
- "Thanks for reading! I will be on vacation from 7/14/14-7/21/14, so I probably won't be writing.
I expect to be back writing about 7/23/14."
Saying "I won't update until I get 15 reviews!" Can be a huge turnoff to readers. , It makes you seem polite and appreciative of an audience. , Descriptions such as "Read the title" have become common recently, but this type of description can be a huge turnoff.
You want a description that is short, sweet, and mysterious.
You do not want people to know what happens at the end of the story, nor do you want them to be turned off by a bad description. , If you see one bad review, it's probably just a troll.
Overall, if it seems like they want you to continue, continue! If they don't like it, add a twist or start a new series. , Thank authors for reviewing and reading, then start writing the next part of the story unless there is something absolutely necessary to say. , Remember, as the author, it's ultimately your decision on whether you're going to continue or not. -
Step 3: Choose a setting.
-
Step 4: Make your supporting characters.
-
Step 5: Find a point of view you want to use.
-
Step 6: Start typing.
-
Step 7: Check for spelling first.
-
Step 8: Check word choice.
-
Step 9: Make sure you capitalized as necessary and used punctuation properly.
-
Step 10: Add an author's note at the end if it needs one.
-
Step 11: Don't hold stories "hostage" for reviews.
-
Step 12: Thank readers for reading.
-
Step 13: Write a description.
-
Step 14: Wait a few days and check the reviews.
-
Step 15: Write where you left off and repeat the above steps.
-
Step 16: Read the reviews again.
Detailed Guide
Your subject will be the star of the story, whether it be a person or an animal.
Keep in mind that most readers do not like "Mary Sues"
or characters who come across as perfect in every way.
Make your characters have flaws, but make sure they have talents too.
Most stories on Quotev are fanfiction works, so you might want to find a fandom you have read and feel comfortable writing for.
If you don't know anything about fandoms, skip fandoms and write with a general topic.
It's better to be a bit different than making a terrible fanfiction about a fandom you know nothing about. , If you are using a fandom, it's a bit obvious that wherever the fandom takes place, that will be where your story will take place.
If you choose not to use a fandom default, you should aim to find a setting that would match the character you've created.
For example, if your character likes to swim, use a swimming pool as the setting of your story. , No story is complete without supporting characters! You generally want to have your character to have a few friends and an "enemy." Remember that the readers will care as much about the supporting characters as the main one, so give your supporting characters back stories and a life behind where this story takes place. , You want to try to stick to one point of view throughout the entire story, because otherwise it becomes confusing.
Choose the one you feel most comfortable writing in, and stick with it for the entire story! , Before you worry about proofreading and editing and such, you need a piece to edit! Type anything you think might be interesting to your audience. , Using spell-check or something similar would really help out, since readers most likely won't read a story with improper spelling every two words. , Make sure one word isn't repeated too often; excessive repetition can become annoying and cause readers to lose interest.
If you find that you have used a word too many times, use a Thesaurus to find different words with the same meaning. , In a sentence you only need one exclamation point, and you want to avoid using ALL CAPS, as it portrays screaming at another character. , Readers don't really like to have to read author's notes, and sometimes they skip them altogether.
Keep them short and sweet and related to the story.
Example of an acceptable author note
- "Thanks for reading! I will be on vacation from 7/14/14-7/21/14, so I probably won't be writing.
I expect to be back writing about 7/23/14."
Saying "I won't update until I get 15 reviews!" Can be a huge turnoff to readers. , It makes you seem polite and appreciative of an audience. , Descriptions such as "Read the title" have become common recently, but this type of description can be a huge turnoff.
You want a description that is short, sweet, and mysterious.
You do not want people to know what happens at the end of the story, nor do you want them to be turned off by a bad description. , If you see one bad review, it's probably just a troll.
Overall, if it seems like they want you to continue, continue! If they don't like it, add a twist or start a new series. , Thank authors for reviewing and reading, then start writing the next part of the story unless there is something absolutely necessary to say. , Remember, as the author, it's ultimately your decision on whether you're going to continue or not.
About the Author
Isabella Turner
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: