I. Introduction

    Do you have this irresistable urge to check every 24 hours the status of fanfiction just in case they have been updated? Do you have the need to write a review or message to the author once a week passes and the author doesn't write a new installment?  Well, if you do then the Fiction Stalkers Society is for you!  Some other symtoms of Fiction Stalkers are:

• Willingness to go through a hip-deep amount of links to find the author's personal site.  After locating the author's site you then proceed to bookmark and check it every week for developments.

• Dive bombing the author with encouraging emails.

• Creating a cult to worship your favorite author.

• Find the author's friends and from then on find out where he or she lives so you can follow him/her around for real. *You're scary.  Runs away from the stalker.*

• Know your favorite authors email addys by heart and there are ten or more of them!

• Find a way to make a defunct but unfinished fic come back to life by finding a chorus to help you campaign to the author.

If you have any two of the symptoms You're welcome to join in the Fiction Stalkers Society is always open to new members!  Um, of course you guys know that this isn't serious right? ^__^()

II. Fic Stalking Secret #1 - the Message

This chapter deals with how one may compose a message or review to soften the heart of a fiction author to write more or at least get their attention. Some methods to be discussed in this chapter are creative praise, signature enthusiastic pleading, threats (none-to-serious, I hope *sweatdrops*).

One of the problems of messaging an author is avoiding the "Me Too" Syndrome. If your email has only something that can be summarized in a sentence "I love this fic, write more!" you may not garner the appropriate response or even the attention of the author. Here are some of the methods currently at use.

Creative Praise

Don't praise the author by just saying it's the best fic you've ever read, elaborate. Tell them you like the plot, the portrayal of the characters etc. Better yet do one up and point out some the weak unimportant fault of the story before complimenting the author effusively. Emphasize on the fact that you like the fic even with the particular fault. Warning this method may backfire if you have not read the story well enough! This can be a very embarassing mistake.  Be very certain of details before you write the message. Also be prepared for insecure authors who may foist the entire fic as a beta read to you. Do not disappoint them!  Beta read to the best of your ability and promptly hand the piece back so that they will continue the fic!

Signature Enthusiastic Pleading

This can be seen in three ways:

Use "glomps", " glowing anime eyes" and other enthusiasm actions to emphasize your liking of the fic.

Use "going down on your knees" and such pleading actions to show that you really mean that you need the next installment now, thank you.

Use "-sama", "-sempai" and "-san" addressing the author to convey respect. Also "bows and worships" are other ways to show that you really enthusiastic of the author and the fic and are humbly pleading for the next installment.

None-To-Serious Threats

Another way to make your letter stand out is to threaten the author--in a not so serious way of course!  Make sure it's very clear that you're not serious.  Threats can be either fandom related or generic.

All example threats begin for our purposes with the phrase -- If you don't finish this fanfic...

Some fandom related threats:

• *death glares*...Silrayn, SHI-NEEEE! (Weiss Kreuz)
• I will send you a virus in my next owl. (Harry Potter)
• I will sic Farfarello on you with a new set of knives. (Weiss Kreuz)
• I will send you to the Oblivious Dimension. (Flame of Recca)
• *whacks you with a mallet* (Ranma ¹/2)

Some generic threats:

• I will skin you alive.
• I will hang you down by your toe nails till you cough up the rest of the story.

Another thing, these methods are best used in tandem with each other so mix and match to your heart's content!  And above all have a fun time reading and don't harass the author please. =^o^=

III. Fiction Stalker Secret #2 - Finding Contact Information

 

This is the chapter that I call "Dissenting authors may kill me now…" I am well known to hound an author into the ground for a fic. Here are some ways to find someone's contact information even if they don't put it in the profile page!

1. See if the author has a page link on his/her profile page. This is the easiest way, from then on you could probably locate the email pretty easily. We authors always hunger for feedback leave our emails lying around in our home site. *gets a glare from her fellow authors* Yes we do! We do!
2. Find the fanfiction on the mailing lists. Most authors have their fiction on the fandom mailing list you just have to find them. They need an email addy to post on the mailing list unless it's been forwarded of course.
3. If the fanfiction is forwarded or you don't get any replies another way to find the contact information is to trace all the links that come with the message. This requires patience. You're bound to hit a few dead links and dead ends or links to other pages of the same author trace them as far back as they go till you reach your goal. Sometimes the author has left the fandom all together :<, persuading them to come back is often a problematic thing. Wahhh! Come back!
4. If all else fails, look the author name or fanfic title in google using double quotation marks like this ""x"". It should work.

IV. Must-learn Fiction Terms

Jonah - these writers seem to disappear in the belly of a whale called real life for months on end then re-emerging triumphant to post fiction again!

The Nail - these writers are those that need to be nagged to get to work like a nail needs a hammer so that it can be buried in the wood.

Noah - Someone who can't seem to make singular stories, makes them all in an arc. *silrayn yelps happily: this is me!*

Tease - Someone who takes his/her sweet time even if he/she already has the rest of the fic in the hard drive.