Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related All you need to know about posting/commenting on fanfic!

I was just reading through the excellent FAQ which Meredith Knight wrote for these boards some time ago, and realised that it answers many of the questions which people ask from time to time. New board members may find it particularly helpful if commenting or posting stories for the first time.

So I thought it might be useful to link to it from this folder.

The Posting/Commenting/Using these Boards FAQ .

If you have any questions, or any suggestions for things to add to this FAQ, please let the admins know!


Wendy

I think there should be a 121 rule in posting stories. (One to One rule)

The subject matter can be so subjective sometimes that you may feel that all your comments are constructive criticism but also feel that the respective authors wouldn't appreciate it.

Hence, it would be helpful to include a comment such as 121 welcome/appreciated in new stories.

--

Some authors prefer privacy, others want the whole roast. There should be a cue in between.

Otherwise, you tend to run with message board sycophancy.

(I don't think anyone here wants that.)

Yes, I've encountered it, where everything sort of starts to look the same or ends up in flame wars. Now I haven't encountered flaming here, but it would be nice to know when or if constructive criticism is appreciated.

Sometimes it isn't, which is odd enough. (I come from a graphic arts message board.) And if you end up on someone's wrong foot, they may, even unrightfully so, blow up on you.

Dundan... this poll, Are you a pendantic reader? might interest you. From what I recall, authors and readers both go over what they like want and expect as far as feedback (and nitpicking ) when posting to the boards.

Sara

See, that's the thing Sara. People DO have expectations when posting a story. Sometimes they don't care about characterization and sometimes they would want it pointed out.

Which is why it would be helpful to include the 121 rule when actually posting a story.

Folks shouldn't have to read through a poll to figure out what each author/reader wants.

Which can vary from story to story..

Sorry, but I don't understand what a One to One rule is. I might not have read carefully, though. Would you mind explaining, please? Do you mean that all criticism should be done privately? Or that the author should express their desire for feedback at the beginning of the story?

- Laura

Very true, Dundan. I think that's something you only find out through experience, though - as you say, some authors want that sort of critique and some perhaps don't.

But the other point about any sort of constructive criticism on fanfic is how it's made, and that can very much determine an author's response to it. If the reader simply posts to say what they didn't like or don't agree with, that may put a writer's back up. If, on the other hand, a reader starts with what they liked and then moves on to make suggestions, that's a lot more likely to be seen as constructive.

Characterisation is not always a black and white issue, of course; what's in character to one person may be out of character to someone else. I've seen some fascinating debates on the subject. They're enjoyable as long as everyone bears in mind that the question is subjective.

Ultimately, with any story, the choice to accept or reject suggestions and critique is the author's - if you ever get to the point of feeling that you're banging your head against a brick wall, then (as the FAQ suggests) that's probably the point beyond which you should've decided to read a different story instead!


Wendy

Laura,

Pixolator, courtesy of the great graphic arts forums for Zbrush at pixologic.com, I think said it best concerning this form of forum etiquette:

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The 121 Rule (One To One Rule).

When posting your opinion about an image, try to balance your This is great because... points with This could be have been better if... points. (and always remember to be kind )

...

We can either (if we like this rule)
1. Use it globally for all images that are posted in this forum.
2. Use it only when the artist who has posted the image has asked for the 121 feedback

---

So basically, you are asking for criticism when posting a story (specifically) by posting a "121 feedback appreciated".

Like in any creative process, this can be a very subjective process. Authors typically change their attitudes towards a story and this is just a means for them to ask for additional perspectives other than their own.

When it might not be readily apparent.

This is to ensure you don't only get, yes, that's great, comments but also encourage people to speak their minds concerning this or that, specifically. (I would opt for option 2 in this case. )

Hope that explains it.

Okay... so, in other words, you mean essentially what I said - ensure that you balance criticism with positive points. I think that's what most people would understand by constructive criticism.

I have to admit that I was confused too, then - I thought that you meant 'one to one' commentary, as in how Laura defined it: privately to the author. That's what would normally be understood by one to one.

Anyway, I think we can reassure you that, if a story is posted on these boards as opposed to being sent directly to the fanfic archive, the author does want input from readers - most writers will make changes as a result of feedback before submitting to the archive.


Wendy

Hey, don't blame me. I'm not the one who made up the rule. lol

Essentially yes, it is another way of explaining the same board etiquette but with the added bonus of asking for that criticism.

That's pretty much the 121 rule.

It would be helpful in this context, because as I've read in other topics, a lot of writers use beta readers!

In this way, you can expose your writing to a similar form of critique without going through the hassles of writing a story from scratch along with a beta.

Um... I've got to ask, Dundan. Out of curiosity, why would writing with a beta be a hassle? I mean, to me, writing with a beta is pure pleasure. Almost as nice as writing with a co-author.

Just curious,

Kaethel

Well, Kaethel, isn't it?

I mean you have to think about e-mail correspondance for one, and then you have to consider the perspectives of someone completely different than your own while re-writing parts or entire plot sections of a story. (Or depending on the job assigned.)

Considering on the nagging ability of the beta, that sounds a bit like a hassle to me, rather than doing it yourself.

Plus, your creative process is being filtered somewhat whether you're writing with a co-author or getting early reads from a beta. I recommed cloister on stories.

Perhaps you and your beta have found yourselves the rarity of being on similar perspective grounds. Few of us are not so lucky.

Hey Dundan,

Well, you have a point to an extent... especially if you happen to have a bossy beta, who has strong opinions how you should write your story. You have to have a good partnership with each other.

But in the main, I've found them to be wonderfully helpful and supportive. I'll admit that e-mailing new parts out does tend to distract me from writing the next part, in that I'm waiting for their feedback instead of writing more, <g> but that's more than made up for in their encouragement and input. They ask plot questions I never thought of, they laugh at my jokes and re-assure me that there is someone out there who likes the story. All their suggestions are just that, suggestions. If I don't agree with them, they don't pout or argue And while it can go overboard, usually it's really motivating to have people out there wanting more of the story.

That said, I can certainly understand that having a beta isn't for everyone. And if you prefer writing the whole story first before letting anyone else in on it, then more power to ya. Most of my shorter stuff is completely written before I send it to anyone -- as were a lot of my older stories. It's just the longer, more complicated things where I've learned that it really helps me to have another perspective or two.

PJ

Well, that's the art of choosing a good beta, isn't it? You pick someone you think is likely to have a similar perspective to you - or, if you're feeling very brave, you pick someone who you know will have a different perspective, in the hope that he or she will bring a new and fresh viewpoint on your story that you wouldn't have otherwise considered.

Of course, finding this illusive person isn't necessarily easy, I'll grant you that. Personally, I use people with whom I've built up a relationship through email and IRC correspondence. Once I've got to know them, and their work if they're a writer, then I've got a pretty good idea whether or not they'll be a good BR for the story I'm writing.

If you're new to the L&C scene, of course, that's not an option. Though, thinking back to when I was new, I didn't actually use a BR for my first couple of stories. It was only when I got to know people that I then asked someone to read for me.

Yvonne