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WRITER'S RESOURCES
Below are some links to some really good sites for writer's. I hope to add to this as I find worthwhile
sites. These links are primarily for FanFic writing, but offer many good tips for general writing. Below that is an FAQ I put together.
Fiction Factor Online Magazine
FAQ's
Should I send feedback to an author?
Well, you are under no obligation to send feedback, but if you liked the story, it would be a courteous thing to do. If you do not like the story, then send the author constructive criticism.
What is constructive criticism?
Ha! Constructive criticism is doing more than saying, "I didn’t like this story….." It is telling the author why you did not like the story, beyond, "This story sucked…." Well, WHY do you think it sucked? And if you throw around phrases like "Out of character!" Tell the author WHY you think they wrote the characters out of character.
I sent feedback to the author, but they didn’t respond the way I thought they would. What’s up with that?
Just as you are not obligated to send feedback to an author, they are NOT obligated to agree or acknowledge that you have sent feedback. They are doing you no favors by writing the story and you are doing them no favors by reading/reviewing the story.
What is "flaming?"
There is much debate about what an actual "flame" is. For some it is simply not agreeing with what they’ve said, and saying so. For other’s it is not caring about what they say in regards to you as a person, writer or about anything creative you’ve done; be it stories, photo manips, original artwork or whatever when they let you know they don’t like it, and you shrug it off. And for some , it is "going after" someone on a list, usenet site or various bulletin boards. This would be naming the person and writing some very nasty things about them, usually without provocation or regarding something that is private.
What is NOT "flaming?"
Simply disagreeing with someone is not "flaming." Talking about something in very general terms that has happened to you or someone you know is not flaming.
Why do people write stories based on TV characters?
Because we like the show and we want to see/read things the creator’s of shows would never, in a million years give us.
I’ve written a really great story based on my favortie TV show. What are the chances I could sell it to the network who does my show?
Uh, slim. The best example (and I think pretty much the only example) of someone going from FanFic to TV writer is in the Xena Universe and a woman named Missy. Let’s be realistic; there are numerous lawsuits waiting to happen if they start buying stories people have written. Not to mention that while we all think we are great writers and we KNOW these characters, in reality we probably aren’t and we don’t. All fanfic is pretty much "out of Character" by the very definition of FanFic. We are writing things our characters would never be allowed to do, and we didn’t create these characters, so, we don’t know what the creator had in mind when he or she put pen to paper. It’s just an educated guess.
Who died and made you the Queen of the FAQ?
Nobody. Just 10 years of floating to various fandoms and reading thousands of stories. Of watching and observing how fans react and how some fans become so wrapped up in these universes it’s scary. It’s sort of like being an actor, anybody can say they are one. No training required. Just a little common sense is all you need.
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