Somehow, there are characters in Asianfanfics that get too mainstream and cliché. For example:

• Being an orphan
• Being super rich and beautiful and perfect a.k.a Mary Sue
• Being a gangster
• Being a nerd
• Homeless

Now I want everyone to put an end in this absurdity and look at this kind of character in a much deeper level. I will start off by giving you tips of how to "spice" up your characters even when using cliché plots.

When you create a character who's an orphan, make sure that you don't go saying "her mom and dad died in a car accident" because that's pretty much used in EVERY orphan story I know. Maybe make her mom as a flight attendant and the plane crashed or something. Then her father left to avoid responsibilities of his own child. 

Don't go killing people in a story by car accidents. I know it may be very frequent but be creative enough to think of other ways and means of...dying. (lol)

With a Mary Sue, basically, everything needs to be changed. Put in flaws. I guess, I 've talked about this in some of my earlier chapters. haha

Note that being a gangster doesn't necessarily mean that they’re only badass and they cut class (ooohh scary) with the stereotyping of bullying other students.

Gangsters kill people. They basically have a feud with another group/gangster (which people would always use in their stories. Gang fights). Gangsters are also known as mobsters in which they do crime together (e.g. stealing, robbing, drug dealing, and many more complicated and dangerous crime.)

AFF writers made it seemed like gangster are just teenage boys who dropped out of school and continue to bully those who they want (well, I guess, in some point it’s kind of like that) but it’s not the true meaning of being a gangster. They are not people who’re easy to deal with. Stories here on AFF practically made a joke out of the true meaning of gangs (and mafias).

A nerd is one of the most overused characters here on AFF. How they turn into goddesses after taking off their eyeglasses is a complete mystery to me. Putting on make up doesn’t do well either. It’s kind of very delusional and wrong to put it that way.

Maybe because of the movie of The Princess Diary that everyone got the idea of nerd turning princess kind of thing. It real life, nerds are not always equal to people wearing glasses and braces. That’s just stereotyping.

About being homeless…

There’s this featured fic once and it talked about being homeless and all. A girl was recruited on the streets by a huge entertainment company and got her in because she’s pretty… AND HOMELESS.

I’m sure it sounds like I’m ranting but really. Have you ever thought about it happening in real life? I’m sure it’s fanfiction and all but it’s being too out of the ordinary and going overboard with the word ‘fiction’ itself.

When you are homeless, you sleep elsewhere and most likely, on the streets, under the bridge, the stairs, the park, etc. You get greasy and filthy and smelly. You don’t get to eat as much and you’ll turn out really skinny. There’s almost no means of bathing and changing of clothes and all fortunate people can do. Now tell me, how can you get really pretty given the circumstances that you are homeless?

One tip in writing, above all: GET REAL.