Fanfiction 101

[jesterlady]

So, I haven't gotten it all down yet. I'm not the greatest writer in the world. I've certainly made many a mistake. But maybe there should be some sort of standard for writing that we all have to pass. Probably not, but just listen to this semi-bitter fanfiction writing rant.

Comments

[dhfreak]

This is really helpful really. I am one of those persons that starts a fic and sort of doesn't correct it or doesn't read it. I am bookmarking this post. Because this really helps me out a lot. I do get frustrated also. But I can't really say anything because I am one of those people.

[jesterlady]

Oh, I'm so glad. My only real purpose for this was to rant a little bit, so I'm thrilled it was of actual use to someone. Thanks for letting me know.

[dhfreak]

Really it does help. I really need to start to actually finish and correcting my stories befor posting them. If I can't finish them I shouldn't be posting them at all lol

[enigmaticblues]

WORD to all of this. I've been reading fic in The Sentinel fandom recently, and the two things I've seen that kill me are the nicknames (particularly when these two big, buff guys start calling each other "lover" ALL THE TIME *gags*) and when they cry. And I mean, they cry ALL THE TIME. Maybe this only really happens with slash stories, but... Good lord. When your characters cry more than you do, there's something wrong there. (Unless of course you're putting them through more than the usual kinds of hell. Then I'll maybe give you a pass.)

As for the beta thing, yeah. I don't have one for my Gate 'verse fics, so I edit compulsively. Sometimes, you just don't have a beta.

[jesterlady]

Oh, I know. I don't know if it's the 15 year old girls writing the big, burly men, but they cry all the time. It's like a weeping epidemic.

Compulsive editing FTW!

[dragonydreams]

Excellent points all around.

Capitalization and summaries are big sticklers for me lately. If the author can't be bothered to properly capitalize sentences, I'm not going to read the story. I've also seen a lot of people saying in their summaries that the story isn't good or criticizing it. Why would I want to read it?

PS. Point #2 in the last part above, I think you mean to say spoken dialog should be in quotation marks, not parentheses.

PPS. If you ever need a beta, feel free to ask me.

[jesterlady]

See, I already need your beta help. :) I totally did mean that. Thanks for the offer, I just might take you up on it.

Those are two big things, yeah. That seems like pure laziness more than anything else. *sigh*

[ihearttvsnark]

I have to agree with you about the spelling, grammar and punctuation. Nothing is more irritating than trying to read something and being too distracted by the mistakes to concentrate on the actual story. I also hate when people mix up words like breathe vs breath or waste vs waist

[jesterlady]

Those things are extremely annoying. I highly agree.

I'm glad to hear such an esteemed SV/Chlollie writer agrees with me because it does drive me crazy.

And it's fine to want to use that as a nickname, I love nicknames, I just want them to fit and have a history and reason behind them.

Ollie is such a namer, isn't he? I love that about him. :)

[issuegirls]

Hm, I agree with (almost) everything in your post. Aside from this:

4. If someone's name ends in S ie Giles, when you are talking about a possession of Giles', it's written Giles' not Giles's.

As far as I know, both are correct, but I would use Giles's, mostly because it would be pronounced "Gileses" so - for me at least - the possessive seems like it should be "Giles's", not "Giles'".

[jesterlady]

Well, I'm afraid I've never heard it being correct to do s's, but it's not like that will bring the world down. :)