Fanfiction is probably one of the most important aspects of the Slash community seeing as Canon doesn't give us a lot of what we want to see in the show or movie or book etc. Sure, it gives us the pairing and a decent amount of innuendos and other various situations to work with, but as Slashers, it's our job to take what's given to us and expand on it by writing what we think shoulda, coulda, woulda happened.
However, there are certain rules and regulations when it comes to slash, or any fanfiction rather. Even though what it all comes down to is basically the pet peeves of all the people reading. And different fandoms have different preferences. That's just how it goes, so it's your job to kinda scout out the lay of the land before you go diving into a certain fandom.
But, all that aside, here are some general rules that I (and a few others) think all fanfic writers, newbies and veterans alike, should take care to follow. And, they're not so much rules and they are guidelines, but I just figured I should put them out there anyway.
1)Try to Only Write for Fandoms that You Know like the Back of your Hand. That way, you know the characters and you know the story. Writing for something you've only seen once can be cause for a lot of "Out of Character"(OOC) moments, which is probably the most irritating thing in the world. Since you're basically playing in someone else's sandbox with someone else's creations, it's important that you get everything right. I'm not saying you have to be perfect on your first fic, because hello no one is. Get a Beta reader or read how other writers in the fandom portray and write the characters in their stories first. And if after that you're still unsure, post the fic anyway and ask for constructive criticism. People will be more than happy to lend you a hand at improving your writing.
2) Know Your Limits. When it comes to fanfiction, it's important to know yourself as a writer too. Understand what you can and can't pull off in a fic, like a sex scene for example. Because, no one wants to read a poorly executed erotic moment. If you know you can't write two men doing it and doing it convincingly, then sometimes it's best to just steer clear and write what you know you can pull off.
The same thing goes for different fandoms as well. For example, I know I could never pull of writing a convincing Star Trek fic or even a Merlin one, so I don't write them. Simple as that. I'm not saying you shouldn't try, but if after you've read some fics and you're still not convinced you can pull it off, sometimes it's best to know when to say no.
3) Have a Strong Summary. I can't stress how much a well written summary matters in the fic world. You want to keep it concise and to the point and, while not giving away too much, giving the reader an idea of what your fic is going to entail. A summary that reads like "Ok, so I suck at summaries, but this is a really good story anyway and you should just read it" is one that you should try to avoid. I know personally that if I see a story with a summary like that, i skip right over it. Because, if you can't write a convincing summary for this so called "amazing" fic, how am I supposed to buy into the fact that you're a good writer?
Also, take care to put the pairing in the summary as well. Or at least if it's going to be Het or Slash or Gen or whatever. I can't tell you how many times I've been reading a fic I thought was slash and then turned out to be het. I was not a happy camper. Tricking your readers is not the way to establish a good fan base for your writing.
4) PROOF READ. Please!!! Or get someone to do it for you. Typos ruin the mood of a story. Like I said before, it doesn't have to be perfect and some typos such as "our" instead of "out" can usually be glossed right over, but if you all of a sudden decide you want to write in third person, instead of first person, please make sure you've replace all the "I's" and remnants of that former POV before you publish. Otherwise, your readers will think you wrote it hopped up on crack.
5) Format. Make sure you have breaks in between paragraphs and dialog, not just skipping to the next line but actually hitting "Enter" so there's space between different lines of dialog and paragraphs. It makes it a lot easier to read.
Ok, well, I think I covered everything I wanted to in this segment. I'll go into more detail on a few of these issues at a later date in my "Things I Hate About Slash" series.
Writing and reading fanfiction should be an enjoyable experience to all, so please don't ruin it by being an inconsiderate douchebag. Lol I'm kidding. (Sorta)
Catch you on the flip side!!!
~Allie
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