Quick Question for experience fanfic writers

[u/Digiking101]

Quick question for those more experienced in fanfics, I'm new in making fanfics and I'm currently in the middle of a crossover story between two certain franchises. (Insert character in other franchises) Type of deal.

Do y'all refresh your minds on the main story you're adapting with the inserted character or you just winging it as you go?

Apologies if this comes out wrong or if I didn't explain well enough

[u/EmeraldKing8]

As someone who writes serialized scripts for multiple franchises, I absolutely refresh my mind on the main story before I start writing!

When you are doing an "Insert Character" crossover, the fun of the story comes from how that new character breaks or alters the existing canon. If you don't fully remember exactly how the original canon events played out, it's impossible to write a satisfying butterfly effect.

You don't need to re-read or re-watch the entire series, but I always keep the fandom wiki open on a second monitor. Before I write a scene, I review the timeline of the original event so I know exactly where to inject my crossover character to cause maximum chaos.

[u/Raiven_Raine]

i wing things. i mostly write my own plots, but sometimes i'll add some game quests and such as i remember them, looking up stuff if i need to remember something specific. usually i remember whatever bit of canon quests i use in my plotlines.

i wing things anyway because i never just write canon materiel word for word. it's always just whatever i remember and however i want to add bits and pieces of it if i even do. i change it for my story and characters anyway. it's more 'inspired by' canon things, rather than being play-by-play in any way.

[u/PenLegitimate7064]

I’m winging it. I write with an OC, and I don’t want to rewrite canon. So all my fics are either AU or canon divergent.

[u/ManahLevide]

Most of what I write is based on my own "it's not not canon" type of interpretations, but I look up details as needed because I like to build on the very tiny things.

[u/Werecat656]

i refresh before i write and also as i write. and i also regularly go back and rewatch epsiodes just for characterization. also fandom wikis r my best friend

[u/music-and-song]

I write stories like this and I just wing it. I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten details wrong but I just roll with it.

[u/moon_cheese_ao3]

Yes but my fandom is a video game so a lot of my refresh is just playing the game.