The Fan Fiction Rules - Please Read

[General Nonsense]

One more question (forgive my too many questions), I'm not sure what my fic would be rated. It contains violence, mild language, some alcohol use, and some gruesome elements. The violence isn't really graphic and most of it is fantasy violence. I think it's rated pg-13, but I'm just not sure.

[Dragonfree]

Yes, that sounds like a PG-13 to me.

[General Nonsense]

Right then, I guess I'll go ahead and post it

[Zekrom_Lover]

I can't do the 2 page thing, because, I have no way to get accsess Word. I am sorry, so I would not know if there is any exception to this, but if there is that would be great.

[Torpoleon]

I can't do the 2 page thing, because, I have no way to get accsess Word. I am sorry, so I would not know if there is any exception to this, but if there is that would be great.

You could ask someone (like me, who would like to help you) to have your chapters when you are done with them so they could see if it reaches the 2 page limit.

[Zekrom_Lover]

Thanks! You would do that for me?! Your so nice! Im truely sorry for what I said.

[Breezy]

I can't do the 2 page thing, because, I have no way to get accsess Word. I am sorry, so I would not know if there is any exception to this, but if there is that would be great.

There are free word processors out there that are similar to Word. OpenOffice for example has a lot of functions that Word has. Likewise, if you have a Google account/email, you'll be able to access Google Docs, which, at the least, has pages and basic editing functions for you to use.

Likewise, you might already have a word processor installed on your computer but may not know the name of it. Some other word processors are Microsoft Works and Wordperfect.

[Dragonfree]

You can also do a word count. Two pages in Word is roughly equivalent to ~1000 words.

[Charmanderman]

I need help with rating for my fanfic, there is violence but it's only like "Pikachu used Thunderbolt" kind of stuff. It takes place during a war between two Pokémon but they don't actually kill they just make the Pokémon faint and it only really shows the war in like, the first chapter. I'm assuming it will be something like G or PG but I just need conformation.

[bobandbill]

PG at most would be fine for that, pretty sure.

[Gelatino95]

I want to post a non-pokemon fic, but I want to know something first: do I have to get my fic idea approved before I can post it? I've followed all the other rules, such as the two-page rule.

[JX Valentine]

I want to post a non-pokemon fic, but I want to know something first: do I have to get my fic idea approved before I can post it? I've followed all the other rules, such as the two-page rule.

Hope no one minds if I tackle answering this question, but you only need to get the potentially R-rated ones approved. Non-Pokémon fics are A-OK so long as you know where to put them.

[Fire Aruseus]

How do I get a fic approved? Do I have to send the mods a copy or what?

[Breezy]

You only need to get a fic approved by a mod if it's rated R. If it is rated R, send the mods a section of your story (particularly the part that may make your story rated R in the first place).

[Fire Aruseus]

I don't know where to post this but I saw someone using smiles in their fanfic.

[JX Valentine]

I don't know where to post this but I saw someone using smiles in their fanfic.

Just checking, but you're asking if it's okay to do that, right?

If so, generally, it depends on the situation and the reader. For example, it's not okay to do something like this:

"I'm here for my first Pokemon! " Sally said.

But it's somewhat more okay to some readers (and not all even) to do something like this:

He opened up his Pokédex and pointed it at the bird. Right away, it pinged, and its blank screen lit up with a new entry.


"PIDOVE
The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon
Each follows its Trainer's orders as best it can, but they sometimes fail to understand complicated commands."

So, to recap, if they're being used in the way you would use them in a chat, it's not okay. If they're visual aids of some sort, they're somewhat more okay, but it's a case of Your Mileage May Vary. Some readers prefer not to have images in the middle of a chapter for their own reasons, and some do. It runs on similar logic to what's discussed in this thread.

[Psychic]

I don't know where to post this but I saw someone using smiles in their fanfic.

JX is pretty much right on the money. If you mean that you saw something that breaks the rules, you can report it using the Report button, which is the little red and white triangle with the exclamation mark on the top right-hand corner of each post. You can report any rule-breaking post in any section, and it lets the moderators know that you saw something wrong so we can do what we can to fix/deal with it it. Hope that helps.

~Psychic

[eeveegirl810]

Okay I have a couple of quick questions.

1.

Say I post chapter one of my fan fic. How long do I have to wait to post another chapter if nobody posts? I have nine chapters of a fan fiction already done.

2.

Say nobody posts on my fan fiction at all. Am I still aloud to keep posting chapters till the the fan fiction is done even if nobody ever posts?

3.

I use Google Docs because I'm not using my own computer right now. I have to be strict on what I use because my own computer, shamefully, has viruses right now. So I have to continue using Google Docs. It has a automatic spell check, so right after I put a space, if a word isn't spelled right, it will have a red line under it. It does pages. Is it okay if I use it and post fan fictions, using it to type up the fan fiction? I will proof read, but I just want to make sure its okay.

4. If I posted a chapter once the amount of time I have to wait to post has passed, and if I do this frequently, is it counted as abusing that rule?

[JX Valentine]

Because a lot of these also have answers that stem from what's a good or bad idea for a writing community, allow me to throw in my two cents to help you figure things out.

Say I post chapter one of my fan fic. How long do I have to wait to post another chapter if nobody posts? I have nine chapters of a fan fiction already done.

I'd say go with whatever you're comfortable with. Naturally, you don't want to go too fast (like post all nine of those chapters on the same day) because you want to give your readers time to look over all the material you've presented so far. On the other hand, you also don't want to wait too long (especially if you have short chapters) because you could get bumped to the next page or forgotten about. In my experience, a new chapter every couple of days works -- just enough to keep your fic on the first page of threads, basically. That way, you'll be more likely to catch someone's eye.

Also, keep in mind that you'll want to keep up the pace after you've run out of pre-written chapters, so try to aim for a time frame that works for your writing speed too. For example, if you can put out a chapter in a week, maybe it's best for you to post a chapter a week so you can stay consistent there. That way, your readers will know that they can expect a chapter once a week on a certain day.

Say nobody posts on my fan fiction at all. Am I still aloud to keep posting chapters till the the fan fiction is done even if nobody ever posts?

Oh yes. It sucks when that happens, and there's been instances in which that's happened. You always have that risk when posting in a new writing community because not everyone knows you, so not everyone might jump to read your work. Just don't give up and keep posting. You'll get someone to post eventually, even if it's after ten chapters or more. b)'')b

I use Google Docs because I'm not using my own computer right now. I have to be strict on what I use because my own computer, shamefully, has viruses right now. So I have to continue using Google Docs. It has a automatic spell check, so right after I put a space, if a word isn't spelled right, it will have a red line under it. It does pages. Is it okay if I use it and post fan fictions, using it to type up the fan fiction? I will proof read, but I just want to make sure its okay.

This is actually a brilliant idea, believe it or not, because Google Docs is a legitimate word processor. It's got spell check, a means to save (for proofreading later and whatnot), and everything else you pretty much need to write a story, and it's for free. So, if anything, I wish more people would have the sense to use Google Docs.

Or, in short, I'm pretty sure people would think it's A-OK.

If I posted a chapter once the amount of time I have to wait to post has passed, and if I do this frequently, is it counted as abusing that rule?

That one I can't really answer due to it being mod territory more than "is this okay for a writing community" territory, but I can at least circle back to the answer I offered for the first point if it helps you decide whether or not you'd like to trouble yourself with that question in the first place.

[eeveegirl810]

Thanks JX. I actually,unlike what my speed used to be, I've been able to write a new chapter every three days at the latest, but there have been a couple of days I've been able to write two chapters in a day,it usually depends on my mood.