a.t.e.c Mini FAQ (2/3) -Fanfic Guidelines
Shaz915
By Michelle Hiley (e...@hiley.demon.co.uk)
Note: these are not some Almighty Rules. They're just my personal
thoughts, culled from three years of writing fanfic. Some are posting
tips, some general pointers as regards manners in the fanfic world, and
the last two are aimed mainly at new fanfic writers. Suggestions and
corrections humbly received.
1. If your story is more then 30K, divide it into parts and post the
parts separately. Some providers have difficulty receiving postings over
30K, and will cut them (aol often have this problem). Number the parts -
stories sometimes turn up in an odd order, due to the whims of the News
Gods. I once posted a 22 part story, and part 12 vanished, and turned up
three days later. Who knows.
2. Restrict line length to 72 characters. 80 at the absolute most, but
72 is best. This allows comfortable reading for everyone.
3. Don't forget to add a disclaimer that the characters belong to
Warners etc and are used without permission. No idea if this is really
worth anything legally, but at the very least it's polite to
Warners.<g>.
4. You might consider putting a warning label on your story for any of
the following situations. As an author you have the right to write about
what you like, but it is only fair to your reader to warn them if you're
going to use sensitive subject matter. So I'm sure it would be
appreciated if you labelled for:
a. Violence.
b. Bad language.
c. Sex (specify hetero or homosexual, and also specify whether it's
consenting).
d. Excessive sadness. You don't have to give the plot away, but in the
case of a very upsetting story (for example a main character dies of
cancer or something), it might be nice to say something in the intro by
way of warning that the story is a sad one. Not everyone will want to
read very upsetting fic.
A suggested age rating is also a good idea. See Sharon's category list
for more advice. Note: there are some things that are still considered
taboo in fanfic - including stories promoting sex with children or
animals. Not only is this illegal and distasteful, but many providers
have a policy of dropping groups that carry such fic. At the very least
you can expect a complaint to your provider, and possibly even a visit
from your local law enforcement. Stories promoting sex with children or
animals are not welcome here.
5. Mention what the last episode you saw was, especially if the story
contains spoilers for that episode. This helps people avoid stories that
might spoil them. It's also useful in years to come, when people are
looking back on the archives and Dejanews. Knowing a story was written
after "A Hole In The Heart" helps them place it. If you are setting a
story in the past, mention which episode it follows as well as the last
episode you saw.
6. If you quote a poem, song etc, do mention in the intro where it comes
from. Not only is this polite to the person you're quoting, your readers
will want to know.:)
7. If the story isn't finished, say so in the intro (or in the summary
if on a website). Posting unfinished stories isn't a problem, but
readers have the right to know if this is just one in a series.
8. Do run your story through a spellchecker first, and use the alt.tv.er FAQ,
(found at http://www.digiserve.com/er/) to
check character names. Having Randee siting at the recupption desk
talking 2 Jeri is extremely irritating for your readers.<g>. Nobody
expects perfection, but you should at least try.
9. Read your fic yourself before you post it. It's amazing what you pick
up on the second or third time through. Even better, get an editor to
read it over and advise you.
10. Don't forget to give your story a name. And put your own name and a
contact address on it, for feedback! Remember if you change e-mail
addresses, to contact any archives carrying your stories, and ask them
if they'll update your address.
11. Exercise caution when writing about real people. Carol Hathaway has
no feelings to be hurt, and if you want to write a story in which she
has sex with the entire hospital, well fair enough. Julianna Margulies
on the other hand is a human being, and entitled to a certain amount of
respect. Do what you like with the fictional characters, but when it
comes to writing about the actors, be more careful.
Examples of what I mean from the X-Files group. A story in which the
main character was having a torrid affair with David Duchovny was seen
as unfair. After all, nobody asked poor Mr Duchovny. On the other hand,
another excellent story had Duchovny and Anderson accidentally swapping
places with Mulder and Scully. The horror of the actors at their plight,
and their resourcefulness in trying to cope were very well done, and
both were allowed their dignity (neither had sex with anyone, both
behaved very well). It's a question of judgement. Ask yourself how you'd
feel if that story was written about you.:)
Of course stories *only* about the actors are off-topic anyway. But they
might be brought into ER stories (like the example above where Mulder
and Duchovny change places), and if they are, well just use a little
tact.:) Kerry Weaver is indestructible, Laura Innes is not.<g>.
12. Don't use smart quotes. They're those little curly quotes Microsoft
use. They are non standard, and often get stripped out entirely. If you
write in Word, save as plain text. It's really very bad of Microsoft to
use something so non-standard, and as an archivist, I'd personally like
to kick their butts for it (do you have any idea how long it takes to go
through a story re-inserting every apostrophe and quotation mark?).
13. Do what I call a "logic read." Every story should have this done at
least once. Read it all the way through just looking for lapses of
logic. Then read it again, visualising it. Here are two genuine examples
from stories, which Ra and I picked up on during simple "logic reads."
A woman is in her kitchen canning fruit from her garden....but earlier
in the story, it's been established it's early May. That fruit wouldn't
be in season yet. Reason; the story was originally set in the autumn.
The time was changed, but the author forgot about the fruit.
A woman comes into a room with her arms full of laundry - and then pours
someone a glass of water and hands it to them. What happened to the
laundry? She never put it down.
Sometimes when you've worked on a story a long time, you no longer "see"
it. So it can be a good idea to ask someone who hasn't read the story
before to do a logic read prior to posting. Amazing what a fresh pair of
eyes can do.
14. Use specialists. "Specialists" are what I call people I bring in to
help on just one aspect of a story. For ER, unless you know about
medicine, you'll need a medical "specialist" to try and help get the
medical details straight. Ask around, you'll usually find a nurse,
doctor, med student, paramedic, someone on the group who can just help
you sort the basics. Sometimes you'll need a geographical specialist,
someone who knows Chicago and can help you with scenes outside the
hospital. Non Americans should get themselves a dialogue specialist, so
that when the characters speak they aren't using non American words and
phrases. Likewise, anyone using Corday in a story might be well advised
to get a Brit to check her dialogue (she's going a bit native, but even
so there are things she wouldn't say). See point 18 for more on this.
15. Always remember to credit and thank your editor, specialists, and
anyone else who helped on a story. Not only is it good manners, they
like to feel their hard work has been appreciated.
16. I think everyone knows this one. Don't use characters created by
another fanfic author, or write sequels to their stories without asking
their permission. This is the height of bad manners in fanfic circles.
Sometimes an author will grant permission if asked (depending on the
story), but if they say no, then you mustn't proceed. Should they say
yes, then be sure and credit them in the introduction, and thank them as
well.
I've been asked to say something about plagiarism so OK, here goes.
First up, IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE TO DELIBERATELY COPY THE WORK OF
ANOTHER AUTHOR. Plagiarism is wrong, pure and simple. Don't do it.
However, coincidences do happen. We're writing about a small group of
people, with limited scenarios. Inevitably, some stories might be
similar. So don't immediately assume, if two stories have elements the
same, that one has copied the other. Simple plot elements in common
happen a lot, because they're logical. If Doug is attacked, he'd
logically weep in Carol's arms, and not Kerry's. Likewise the odd phrase
or situation might crop up several times.
If you seriously suspect someone has copied your work, mail them
privately. You've the right to enquire, but they've the right to defend
themselves in private. Plagiarism is a serious accusation, not to be made
lightly. I've seen totally innocent authors destroyed by public
plagiarism witchhunts. Talk to them privately, and bear in mind they may
not be at their computer. People go on vacations, so give them time.
Should you find yourself on the enquiry end, then one of three scenarios
is possible. And I've known cases of all three of these.
1. You deliberately copied the author. In which case, for shame. You
should apologise immediately, and withdraw your story from any archives
carrying it. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable.
2. You did read their story, but you forgot it, and copied it
accidentally. This does happen, the subconscious does strange things.
The correct thing to do is confess the moment you realize.<g> Mail the
author to apologise, publicly acknowledge what happened, and wait and
see what the author says. Some authors might be happy to let the story
stand if you credit them. This happened to me once, I suddenly got an
apologetic letter from another author, who had copied me without
intending to (I hadn't known about her story). I was quite happy to let
her story stand, and she added a note to the introduction. It happens
sometimes, I understood. However if the author objects, then you should
withdraw the story.
3. You've not read their story, and it's pure coincidence. In which
case, stand your ground, you've done nothing wrong. You don't need to
apologise, withdraw your story, or add a note. The author does have the
right to politely enquire, you should just as politely explain you've
not read their story.
To anyone thinking "yeah right!", well this does happen. I once wrote an
almost word for word copy of a story I'd never read - and then sent it
to the original author, a friend of mine, to proof read! Bless her, she
never said a word. You can imagine my shock when I found her story on an
archive a month later, and realised it had been posted before my own. In
that case we had a very unusual plot, and identical dialogue in places.
But all pure chance - I'd never read her story, and she couldn't have
read mine. I wasn't obliged to add a note, or explain publicly, but in
this case I did, because the two stories really were identical.
Actually, it was quite frightening.
17. Never distribute or archive any story without the permission of the
author. For co-written stories and round robins, you should obtain the
permission of all the authors who've worked on it. Again, I think
everyone here knows this one already, and asks permission, but I thought
it wouldn't hurt to add it here. Some authors add a disclaimer "May be
archived intact," in which case fine, although they do mean intact and
unaltered. If you want to change it - go ask them.
18. International spelling and phrases. Fanfic generally does not
conform to any particular country's way of spelling things, and indeed
there's no reason why it should. As a British author, I happily take
pride in having Carol in her colourful coat stepping off the kerb. I
would never use an American spelling unless an American actually wrote
something down in my story. In the same way, I'll use British words and
phrases in general description.
Dialogue however is different. Carter might go outside to throw away the
rubbish, but he wouldn't *say* that. He'd say "trash." So I'd probably
write. "Carter paused, his arms full of rubbish. 'I'm just taking this
trash outside.'" This is more something that non Americans have to watch
for, but Americans should bear it in mind for Corday.
With co-writing, I tend to use the rule "she who writes the line,
controls the spelling." I've done five stories co-written with
Americans, (not including round robins), and a joy of mixed spelling
they are.:)
So, except with dialogue, stick to your own international flavour <g>.
Although sometimes, a little compromise can help. I recently baffled my
American editors with the term "carry-cot." A suitably Transatlantic
"baby carrier" satisfied both Brits and Americans, and was understood by
both.
19. Never worry if a story suddenly goes in the opposite direction from
the way you want it to. A story with a life of its own is a good thing.
I've seen it mentioned elsewhere that many authors are surprised when
suddenly the characters start "talking" to them, and wanting to do the
opposite to what was intended. Let them, let the story go the way it
wants to, and roll with it. Characters taking over is a good sign.<g>.
20. Finally, something I've been told once or twice. "I want to write a
story, but I don't have an idea." Well I suggest forget it. Not
permanently, but turn your attention to something else and don't worry.
Stories come when you least expect them. Always carry a notebook and pen
for when an idea does strike you. My husband once found me in the middle
of a supermarket, leaning against the frozen fish counter, scribbling
away. Standing waiting for a bus, in the bath, having my teeth filled -
I've had story ideas at all those times. So get a small cheap notebook
and a pen, and keep them to hand. You never know when the idea for that
steamy Anspaugh/Edson NC17 fic will strike.....
------------------------------------------
DougCarol1
labels? DC-NC17, etc? If so I guess I won't be posting here anymore....
Visit Every Picture Tells A Story...a George Clooney web page...
Michelle
dougc...@aol.com "DougCarol1" writes:
> Does this mean to post fan fics now you have to follow all these rules? And
> labels? DC-NC17, etc? If so I guess I won't be posting here anymore....
Well much of what I wrote was mere suggestions, not orders. But yes,
certainly some of it is standard Netiquette and should be observed. NC17
fic should certainly be labelled as such, or with a clear age rating and
indication of subject matter (such as "Rated 18: Adult consenting
heterosexual.")
This is standard practice on every fanfic group I've ever encountered.
As a rough guide, the following points were mere suggestions on my part.
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20. They'll help make
you more readable, but it's up to you whether you follow them.
The other points are standard acceptable practice on any fanfic group,
and yes, they are important. Except no 7, that's a lot more minor an
offence. <g>.
They were, in a nutshell:
4. Label stories containing sensitive material. No paedophile or
bestiality stories.
7. Let your readers know if the story isn't finished (this is only a
minor sin, but it is unfair to your readers).
11. Don't libel real people. Do what you like with the fictional ones
though.
16. No plagarism and no borrowing without permission.
They're the Golden Rules of Fanfic. I didn't make those up, they're
logical standard practice, and I've never known a fanfic group that
didn't observe them.:)
Regards,
--
Michelle.
"An incurable romantic who is very warped." - Maggie Doyle's opinion of
the secret romantic novelist.
ER page: http://www.hiley.demon.co.uk/er/ Now With ER Tarot!
WPAdmirer
>labels? DC-NC17, etc? If so I guess I won't be posting here anymore....
>
I think the intention of the FAQ was for these to be suggested rules that
people use. Every fanfic group that I know of asks people to post things with
designations like the NC-17.
I don't mind. I consider it a courtesy to those who read the fanfic. If
someone doesn't want to read graphic sex (no matter what kind) they should have
a right to not read it.
For the rest of us - we hunt for that NC-17 rating because we know that's where
the good stuff is. (grin)
If you object - that's cool, but really, I don't think anyone is trying to
restrict any of us who write fanfic.
WP
Michelle
wpad...@aol.com "WPAdmirer" writes:
> >Does this mean to post fan fics now you have to follow all these rules? And
> >labels? DC-NC17, etc? If so I guess I won't be posting here anymore....
> >
>
> I think the intention of the FAQ was for these to be suggested rules that
> people use. Every fanfic group that I know of asks people to post things with
> designations like the NC-17.
Yes indeed. I didn't make this up, it is absolute standard practice.
Rather like the rule that says that stories posted here should be about
ER, and not Chicago Hope.:)
> I don't mind. I consider it a courtesy to those who read the fanfic. If
> someone doesn't want to read graphic sex (no matter what kind) they should have
> a right to not read it.
Absolutely. Not to mention that some underagers may read this group - or
their parents may, trying to pick out suitable stories. For their sake,
any sensitive matter should be labelled. It's true that parental
reponsibility means parents should prevent children from reading such
stories, but we have a duty to warn.
> For the rest of us - we hunt for that NC-17 rating because we know that's where
> the good stuff is. (grin)
And yes, there is that flip side to it.<G>.
> If you object - that's cool, but really, I don't think anyone is trying to
> restrict any of us who write fanfic.
The only restrictions on subject matter are those that either break the
law (paedophile), are libellous (distasteful stories about real people),
or steal (plagarism). I would hope everyone here agrees on those.
They're just common decency rules. And naturally, of course, stories
should have some link to ER.<g>.
Otherwise nobody is stopping you writing what you want. Write all the
NC17 fic you like. Have the entire staff brutally murdered if you wish.
Just label it please.:)
Michelle
e...@hiley.demon.co.uk "Michelle" writes:
> As a rough guide, the following points were mere suggestions on my part.
> 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20. They'll help make
> you more readable, but it's up to you whether you follow them.
>
> The other points are standard acceptable practice on any fanfic group,
> and yes, they are important. Except no 7, that's a lot more minor an
> offence. <g>.
>
> They were, in a nutshell:
>
> 4. Label stories containing sensitive material. No paedophile or
> bestiality stories.
>
> 7. Let your readers know if the story isn't finished (this is only a
> minor sin, but it is unfair to your readers).
>
> 11. Don't libel real people. Do what you like with the fictional ones
> though.
>
> 16. No plagarism and no borrowing without permission.
>
> They're the Golden Rules of Fanfic. I didn't make those up, they're
> logical standard practice, and I've never known a fanfic group that
> didn't observe them.:)
Whoops and I missed out 17. Another Golden Rule, don't post, archive or
distribute any story without the author's permission. That's just common
courtesy, I think everyone knows that one.:)
Eliz1296
>Does this mean to post fan fics now you have to follow all these rules? And
>labels? DC-NC17, etc? If so I guess I won't be posting here anymore....
Why would putting a label on something cause you to not post here? Takes about
30 seconds, it's a courtesy to your readers and to other people who use this
group and it's probably something you do pretty much anyway, isn't it?
These are just guidelines posted for the benefit of the group. The authors have
said they are open to feedback on them.
And by the way, quite a bit of work went into them, especially on Michelle's
and Sharon's part - mine was easy.
Elizabeth
Eliz...@aol.com
Shaz915
a minor change. I put the mistake down to the fact that I'm in the middle of
changing my email account, and also the obvious time differences. I'll just
repost the one point where the change has been made.
Sorry Michelle!! :)
------------------------------------
8. Do run your story through a spellchecker first, and use the alt.tv.
er FAQ to check character names. Having Randee siting at the recupption
desk talking 2 Jeri is extremely irritating for your readers.<g>. Nobody
expects perfection, but you should at least try. The FAQ can be found at
http://www.digiserve.com/er/
----------------------------------------------------
Sharon:)
"You heard the woman! Peel! Chop! Devil!" ~Monica, TOW The Lesbian Wedding
Michelle
technot...@NOSPAM.4u.net "The Wrong Trousers " writes:
> In article <908463...@hiley.demon.co.uk>, e...@hiley.demon.co.uk says...
> > Have the entire staff brutally murdered if you wish.
>
> "Carter Goes Apeshit", anyone? :->
>
> --Trou (yep, that's a real fanfic, and nope, I didn't write it...)
It is indeed. It's one of the ones on my archive, and it was written by
the excellent Julia Ryerson. And I recommend it highly, it's hilarious
if you like slightly macabre humour. It was written at the end of season
four, when a few of us were going "How much more can Carter take?" Julia
decided it was about time Carter snapped.
If you like it, do tell Julia, I'm sure she'd love to know.:)
Michelle
sha...@aol.com "Shaz915" writes:
> I'd like to make an apology to Michelle for posting her Fanfic guidelines sans
> a minor change. I put the mistake down to the fact that I'm in the middle of
> changing my email account, and also the obvious time differences. I'll just
> repost the one point where the change has been made.
>
> Sorry Michelle!! :)
Don't worry about it.<g>. It's also my fault for being slow to reply to
mail. Thanks for the correction.
--
Michelle the Control Freak.<g>.
Michelle
technot...@NOSPAM.4u.net "The Wrong Trousers " writes:
> In article <908529...@hiley.demon.co.uk>, e...@hiley.demon.co.uk says...
> > > "Carter Goes Apeshit", anyone? :->
> > >
> > > --Trou (yep, that's a real fanfic, and nope, I didn't write it...)
> >
> > It is indeed. It's one of the ones on my archive, and it was written by
> > the excellent Julia Ryerson. And I recommend it highly, it's hilarious
> > if you like slightly macabre humour. It was written at the end of season
> > four, when a few of us were going "How much more can Carter take?" Julia
> > decided it was about time Carter snapped.
> >
> > If you like it, do tell Julia, I'm sure she'd love to know.:)
>
> Like it??? When Carter got medieval on Peter Benton, I jumped up from
> my chair and cheered!!! ;->
>
> --Trou (President, Society for Prevention of Carter Abuse)
Well please tell her if you haven't already.:) Same for anyone else who
reads a story on my archive and likes it. Last time I spoke to Julia,
which was a few months back, she'd had no feedback at all on any of her
stories. She's a new author, that was only her second story. Several of
the new promising authors on my archive got no feedback, and I note a
few of them don't seem to have written very much since. I'm bad at this
as well, I rarely send feedback.
May I join this Society to prevent Carter Abuse? Over at the Temple
(plug, plug, on my page), I actually use the abbreviation NCC (Needless
Cruelty to Carter). Your organisation sounds an extremely worthy one.:)
--
Michelle.