Take my word for it - writing fluently in a language other than yours is complicated. Different grammar rules, different words for what you want to say, and the list goes on. You want to be understood, but you don’t know how to express yourself properly. You think in one language, and write with another.

Now try to think about writing a piece of decent fan fiction with these handicaps. Try to show emotions, make the reader like your argumentation, your story line. Make them like it enough to read other stories you’ve written.

Scared? Don’t be. I believe it’s possible to do it. After all, I know the feeling very well. I’m Brazilian, and my mother tongue is Portuguese - even after years of learning, English still is a foreign language for me, no matter how much I get to know about it.

I’ve been writing Beatles fan fiction for quite a time now, and when I look back to my first works in English (composed when I was about 17 years old), I cringe with fear and shame. Not that the stories were that bad - but where was my spelling and grammar sense when I wrote those? I still want to know.

No matter where you are from or what your first language is, here’s some advice I can share on how to make your fanfic work in English, from my own experience:

1. Have some ground beneath your feet.

…as in a dictionary and a grammar book near you for prompt consultation. You might want to have as well a thesaurus (a book of synonyms - believe me, it’s more useful than it looks) or, if you are a poet, a rhyming dictionary. And, as all Beatle-related fic writers must, have a good reference book on tour dates, record releases, etc - the “Anthology” book, for example.

If you can’t or don’t want to buy anything, use the Internet. I personally love the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and thesaurus (http://www.m-w.com), which is mostly free and very accurate, and the Beatlelinks’ database (http://www.beatlelinks.net).

2. Don’t trust your instincts - find a beta reader.

Back on my first fan fictions, I used to think I was a flawless writer - I knew the language so well, I didn’t need to be corrected. Well, guess what - I did need correction, and so does everyone.

So, once you’re finished with the text, get some help; find a person to be your beta reader. The ideal person is someone who knows the language better than you do - your English teacher, for example.

3. Know what you are saying.

Don’t use an expression or a word you don’t know the meaning of - you might use it out of context and make your story impossible to understand. Or you might end up offending someone without noticing.

4. Know the slang - and how to use it.

A teenager from the 21^st century would rather be caught dead than saying old slang like “what a gas!” - and a teenager of the 1960’s Cavern Club days would not, by any chance, use words like “phat”. Slang changes from time to time in every language - check out what used to be spoken in the time you are setting your story, for the story’s sake. Again, don’t use anything you don’t know the meaning of.

5. Local references? Good, but provide the subtitles.

You want to include your town on your story, or a character that speaks your language? I’m all for it - but be sure to give the reader some explanation. Tell them more about it - where is the city, what language do they speak, what do people eat there? Details make the story greater.

And, out of courtesy to the readers - if you are using an expression in your own language, you might want provide the translation to English as well.

6. Don’t go regional until you’re ready.

Don’t try to master Scouse lingo or other kinds of regional speech until you can write well with the standard English (American or British, depending on your education). Your first mission is to be understood - then to add some ”spice” to the text.

7. Live the language.

Be part of international discussion forums. Read other fan fictions in English. Speak out, learn from your mistakes. That’ll improve not only your writing, but your knowledge of English as a whole.

And, most important - have fun! After all, “there’s nothing you can do that can’t be done”. So jump in and get it writing!

Anna Carolina Fagundes was born in São Paulo, Brazil in January 1981, and has been writing Beatles-related fiction since 1997. Nowadays she's a journalist in her home country, planning to get a Masters Degree in Journalism abroad (probably England). She is also a songwriter, and is part of a rock duo called The Liverpool Affair with her fiance.

Tell Anna Carolina Fagundes what you thought of her story!