Why Creating Original Stories Matters (Even if Fanart Gets All the Likes)

Hi guys! It's me, AiTommy✨️

So, yesterday I released my original novel, The Princess and the Blade, on my website!

My own Disney-princess ish Romance Fantasy YA light novel lol

I've been thinking a lot about something that I know many of us artists grapple with, especially in the online world: the allure of fanart versus the importance of creating original stories.

You probably get to know me through my fanarts. Maybe PPG/PPGZ stuff or my Touken-Ranbu fanarts.

I shared my original content here and there, but it didn't get much attention compared to my fanarts.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about it at all! Because I love making fanarts, I'm proud of these works! I totally enjoy it and I don't have any plans to stop making fanarts.

That being said, I have been thinking about making my 100% original content, characters, and stories and sharing it along with my fanarts for a very long time.

In this blog, let me discuss the thought process behind this novel and why it's important to create your own content.

Fanart is Powerful—But It’s Not Everything

Let’s be real: fanart is a great way to grow your audience fast. It’s what the algorithm loves, and it’s how many of us first got noticed online.

And that's how I grew my online presence, on Instagram, on TikTok, and on YouTube!

I'm super proud of myself, I enjoy making these content, and I am so glad people enjoy my artworks!

But if you only ever create fanart, it can start to feel like you’re stuck in someone else’s world.

...Do I feel like that too? Hm, yeah kinda?

Original stories let you show people who you are.

The characters you create, the worlds you build, and the emotions you explore are all reflections of your unique voice.

And while it might take longer for people to notice your original work, the connection you build with your audience will be deeper and more personal.

I love making fanarts, but I have always wanted to make my own original stories.

If you ever check out my website, you will see several pages dedicated to my original stories and characters.

I LOOOOOVE these characters and concepts. But I didn't have time to elaborate on the completed work that can be shared with my audiences.

I wanted to make it an actual story and work that something decent enough to be seen by others and perhaps loved by my audience. But I didn't have time to do that.

So last month, while I was working on my new art course, I put my time and energy into writing my own original novels.

I was heavily inspired by Frozen, the mega-hit Disney Princess movie series back in 2016 or 2017. While I loved the concept of Frozen, I kinda had(and still have) mixed feelings about the story(and how the studio treats Hans as a character. I HATE how they treat Hans as a character, thus I couldn't enjoy Once Upon a Studio that much).

Anyways... I wanted to make my own original princess story and that's how I came up with these two characters, Charlotte and Hoche.

I made my first YouTube AMV of these two, which is still one of my favorite animation works I've made so far!

I wanted to make a webtoon series of them, but right now I have two ongoing comics, my BrickxRobin series and PPGZA.

And let me tell you, making comics is... so hard. It's not just about the process itself. The weight of writing the decent story and bringing myself to make it is just too much to handle.

I was joking that it would take 10 more years to make my original webtoon series. I meant it.

But then I thought... I don't have to make another webtoon series. I can write.

I talked about it several times on my YouTube podcasts and maybe in my blog, but I love writing. I write novels in Japanese and English. I took several creative writing courses when I was in college, and I enjoy making stories through words.

It's a different type of medium, but it tells stories. I love telling stories.

And it took less time than making comics.

That's why I finally brought myself to set up their character backgrounds and personalities, make the compelling story lines, and actually write their stories, with a proper title. I just called this story Charlotte for a long time, but I changed it to make it sense.

I made this logo on Canva!! But maybe I'll hire the designer later on to polish it

I knew who these characters were and had a few ideas of how their stories went, but I procrastinated on polishing it so long.

However, I also think that because I took this long time to think about who they were and how they came together in the end, I didn't have that much trouble writing their stories as a novel. I probably would have stuck if I tried to write this story back in college.

I already put all the story beats and what's gonna happen in the overall story. I just need to write it as a novel.

Now I can promote it on Social Media and share their stories. I know it won't attract many people like my fan arts, but there are people out there who would like to read my stories. Original ones.

That means a lot to me.

Balancing Fanart and Originals

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean I’ll stop making fanart. I will make reels, illustrations, and comics of PPG, TKRB, and other stuff too.

Or I'm not saying that if you don't enjoy my original content like my fanart stuff, you are not the true fans or anything like that.

I love making fanart, and I know you do too!👍️✨️

But at the same time, I want to grow as a creator, and that means investing in my own work. I think there’s space for both, and honestly, seeing people support my original characters has been so motivating.

Fanart is fun and effective to grow on social media, but original work is where your real growth happens. It’s slower, sure. But it’s so worth it. If you’ve been on the fence about starting your own story, this is your sign to go for it.

Anyways, that's all I want to write in this blog!

Thanks always for your support, and hey—go check out my original story! I just started sharing it, and your support means the world. 🌍💖