To the Fanfic Community
Dec. 18th, 2005 09:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
salienneSwiped from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
enigma731 with my own addition.
1. A period goes at the end of a sentence. A space goes after the period and before the beginning of the next sentence.
2. A sentence is generally begun with a capital letter.
3. Multiple exclamation points really are not necessary. Particularly when they turn into "1's" at the end because the author was too lazy to continue holding down SHIFT.
4. Exclamation points at the ends of three or more sentences within the same paragraph also are not necessary, dialogue (of the angry! or shocked! variety) being the only exception.
5. A new paragraph is begun when a new speaker talks. Not when the author feels like hitting ENTER.
6. Commas go INSIDE quotation marks.
7. Contrary to common opinion, "a" and "I" are not, in fact, synonymous.
8. Neither are "ma" and "my."
9. Dialogue may ONLY be attached to the end of a speaker-tag via a comma. This method of attachment does not work between dialogue and any random sentence, "Because I said so."
10. "A lot," "at least," and "all right" are actually composed of two separate words.
11. Apostrophes are not needed to make things plural. Your fic tends to get rather possessive if you don't watch that one.
12. Saying "I suck at summaries" in your summary is probably NOT the best way to get people to read your fic.
13. Neither is saying "first fic! Be nice because I don't really know how to write yet!"
14. Nor is saying "PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAZE REVIEW BECAUSE I THINK MY FIC IS DA BEST IN DA WORLD AND I REALLY NEED YOU TO PATCH UP MY FRAGILE EGO!!!111"
15. Pairing names are not arbitrarily derived. Either there is a set standard which all authors use, or full names must be written out. Random initial combinations are confusing, particularly when there are two (or four) characters with the same initials in the fandom.
16. Actor based fics are creepy. Don't post them; get help.
17. "Slash" means "a pairing other than the canon ones." Therefore, do NOT tell me that "slash is canon!!11" Sure, yeah, okay, maybe it works. Maybe it works really well. But it's not canon.
18. Posting 10 word chapters inspires no one to review more often.
19. Neither does posting 20,000 words at a time. (Yes, I've seen it. Don't tell me I'm exaggerating.)
20. Fics centered around pregnancy, teenage versions of the characters, character death, and/or children of the characters are incredibly UNlikely to be original. Think.
21. Fluff is like marshmallows. It can only go so far on its own. After so many chapters without any amount of plot, it just gets sickening.
22. There is a difference between OC and OOC, though one is generally the cause and the other is generally the effect.
23. READ the Author's Note. It's there for a reason. Do NOT review asking whose POV the fic is, when the next update will be, what's going on, what's going to happen etc. without first reading the author's explanation.
24. Yes, it is fanfiction. No, this does NOT give you permission to rape the canon or characters. If you do, don't blame deleterius, mary_sues, GAFF, or any other such community for sporking/snarking the HELL out of you.
enigma731 with my own addition.1. A period goes at the end of a sentence. A space goes after the period and before the beginning of the next sentence.
2. A sentence is generally begun with a capital letter.
3. Multiple exclamation points really are not necessary. Particularly when they turn into "1's" at the end because the author was too lazy to continue holding down SHIFT.
4. Exclamation points at the ends of three or more sentences within the same paragraph also are not necessary, dialogue (of the angry! or shocked! variety) being the only exception.
5. A new paragraph is begun when a new speaker talks. Not when the author feels like hitting ENTER.
6. Commas go INSIDE quotation marks.
7. Contrary to common opinion, "a" and "I" are not, in fact, synonymous.
8. Neither are "ma" and "my."
9. Dialogue may ONLY be attached to the end of a speaker-tag via a comma. This method of attachment does not work between dialogue and any random sentence, "Because I said so."
10. "A lot," "at least," and "all right" are actually composed of two separate words.
11. Apostrophes are not needed to make things plural. Your fic tends to get rather possessive if you don't watch that one.
12. Saying "I suck at summaries" in your summary is probably NOT the best way to get people to read your fic.
13. Neither is saying "first fic! Be nice because I don't really know how to write yet!"
14. Nor is saying "PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAZE REVIEW BECAUSE I THINK MY FIC IS DA BEST IN DA WORLD AND I REALLY NEED YOU TO PATCH UP MY FRAGILE EGO!!!111"
15. Pairing names are not arbitrarily derived. Either there is a set standard which all authors use, or full names must be written out. Random initial combinations are confusing, particularly when there are two (or four) characters with the same initials in the fandom.
16. Actor based fics are creepy. Don't post them; get help.
17. "Slash" means "a pairing other than the canon ones." Therefore, do NOT tell me that "slash is canon!!11" Sure, yeah, okay, maybe it works. Maybe it works really well. But it's not canon.
18. Posting 10 word chapters inspires no one to review more often.
19. Neither does posting 20,000 words at a time. (Yes, I've seen it. Don't tell me I'm exaggerating.)
20. Fics centered around pregnancy, teenage versions of the characters, character death, and/or children of the characters are incredibly UNlikely to be original. Think.
21. Fluff is like marshmallows. It can only go so far on its own. After so many chapters without any amount of plot, it just gets sickening.
22. There is a difference between OC and OOC, though one is generally the cause and the other is generally the effect.
23. READ the Author's Note. It's there for a reason. Do NOT review asking whose POV the fic is, when the next update will be, what's going on, what's going to happen etc. without first reading the author's explanation.
24. Yes, it is fanfiction. No, this does NOT give you permission to rape the canon or characters. If you do, don't blame deleterius, mary_sues, GAFF, or any other such community for sporking/snarking the HELL out of you.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 06:12 pm (UTC)2a. Use the imperative tone when you are giving instructions.
For example:
"2. Begin a sentence with a capital letter, unless you have a good reason to not do so."
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 06:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 06:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-18 06:52 pm (UTC)*does use 'alright' occasionally*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-19 07:47 am (UTC)P.S. I'll send you some of my work soon!