Things a fanfic author REALLY shouldn't do...

[§Tsunami§]

Tip 19: Don't rush nor drag your storyline, know how to keep your plot interesting.

If there is one reason to like adventure over romance on fanfiction, it is due to the fact that the romance plot wise is not exciting at all. You know exactly what will happen, and more often than not, it is a single, rushed chapter (although some good ones take their time.) However, this tip is not about this. (I just find the number of romance one-shots annoying after a while)'

Rushing a storyline can happen to fatigued writers, often at the end, when you just want to conclude everything quickly, or sometimes at the beginning, when you want things to happen quickly. Less experienced writers will make this mistake during the climax: Error! Especially avoid this during your most exciting scenes.

One way to avoid rushing is to have an in-depth outline of every chapter. This can help avoid rushing a bit. Also, if you have a tendnency to rush, force a word limit on a chapter that is higher than normal.

Draggers drag on their scenes too long. They tend to drag, unfortunately, on a rather boring scene. Again, an outline helps, but only to a certain extent. Draggers can place a word limit that is lower than normal, to help a scene move along. Also, don't talk about non-important things to the reader or characters. Stay focused, and this will help lower dragging and rushing.

Good lengths of plot can be helped by plot, good characters, and most of all, good focus. Word limit helps, but shouldn't be relied upon.

Finally, although helpful, one needs to keep their plot interesting as well as smooth. Through in twists, sexual tension, conflict between friends, lovers. Audiences get sucked into a violent encounter, a blossoming or troubled romance, and past histories of characters. Let everything develop, but never lose sight of your plot's goal.

[§Tsunami§]

Tip 20: (Last tip of mine, feel free to input.)

Make your dialogue fit with your character.

One: Never "tell" through dialogue.

I have seen one too many characters just spill a whole event they saw in one dialogue. Often, it has very little piece, and sometimes they could have done without it completely. Further, it makes them out of character! Characters can inform one another of events, but quotes doesn't necessarily mean you can tell rather than show.

Two: Keep your characters in character.

Don't make someone like Tails all of a sudden be a complete chivalrous man, or Sonic all of a sudden say sorry in some sweet voice. Although I have complete respect for AU fics, sudden OOC without logical explanation is unacceptable. A shy person isn't going to suddenly yell for no reason, even if it seems funny, you have to remember your full audience. Save it for a moment that is right.

On the other hand, simplicity can work, and so as for all my tips, follow at your own discretion.

Three: Show accurate emotion.

You shouldn't always write "I'm sorry, bud." Sonic said sadly, after wards. Empathatically, sarcastically, sincerely, know your synonyms. I'm sorry alone can have a stronger affect, particular if you want to be creative, the reader has to imply a sarcastic or sympathetic tone in the character.

Four: Keep the dialouge consistent with tone and mood.

Pretty basic, really. If someone starts crying, they're not going to smile a few sentences later and say something happy. Sometimes, I get aggravated with characters that cry a lot about things they shouldn't really be crying over. (Humorfully, there is an application to this, but in the context of what this particular situation was used, it was not well done.) For example, Cosmo was crying over being useless, and Tails was comforting her. Then suddenly, in this story, Tails starts crying for failing her, and then Cosmo comforts him. What? For one, why would Tails choose at this moment to be weak? Two: How would Cosmo even recover here. This contrasts the mood and the tones previously established.

Keep that in mind, and you'll go far.

[Twilitbeing]

Now... just to make sure, is that last bit from someone we know? (You can answer in a PM if you don't want to post it publicly.)

I think there are important exceptions here, namely for parts two and four. While a character's personality certainly determines its behavior most of the time, there are circumstances where this pattern can and will break. At times, keeping to character is itself unrealistic: you wouldn't expect a civilian scientist to have full use of his logic in a crisis or combat situation, for example. Know the rules, but know the exceptions as well.

[§Tsunami§]

No (In regarding to your first statement, although I can't guarantee it, I've seen such phrases in several stories.

Actually, I have to disagree with your argument. In that regard, for the civilian to be logical in a situation would be completely inhuman, and therefore out of character. Not only that, but it would make the character somewhat flat! Personality, a complex scope, has more than one side to it as well. One must understand that an introverted person isn't going to act introverted toward every situation, for example. A logical person isn't emotionless. An emotional person may actualy not panic in a crisis, but act as a leader because it is needed. And finally, a disorganized person isn't incapable of organization here and there.

It is not knowing rules or exceptions, but to realize that truly staying in character requires flexibility, and that actions are not always decided by personality, but by human nature, preparedness, and other factors. It is also important to realize that characters develop. Finally, a character's dialogue may seem that it is out of character, but context and analysis may reveal that they are actually in character. The best situation I've seen this is when a character confesses their love to another when they want to protect them, while before they seemed to show not the slightest incantation to be willing to utter a confession. Both times (I think 3 times...) I've seen this, the character actually did not leave with the character (as she asked), but instead continued on their own path. Before, they all but wanted for them to reciprocate the love. Why did this occur? Because the confessor felt guilty, and the other knew they weren't telling them they loved them because of love. Guilt is definitly one of the emotions that makes people seemingly act different at times.

(Of course, these are tips, not laws. I don't expect everyone to agree with them, nor with my example.)

[Twilitbeing]

That's exactly what I was getting at, though I might have chosen my words poorly. My point was just as you said - that "in character" does not mean "static." While someone may appear to have personality shifts under stress, in reality his reactions are as much a part of him as his typical behavior. Many startup writers fail to understand the multi-leveled nature of a character's psyche (id, ego, super-ego); they try to imitate reality through consistency, but only sabotage themselves as a result.

Oddly, I'm reminded of the well-known Shrek line, "Ogres are like onions."

[§Tsunami§]

Stickying these tips. Would be Writers, use them as you will!