Imagine that you're browsing a fanfiction archive. You read a summary of a story and it catches your interest, so you click on it. What comes up on your screen is something along the lines of: usagii walked into the arcade where she saw andrew and said hello and then her mamo-chan walked in and then he called her meatball head...." Etc., Etc., Etc. Spelling mistakes. Mixing of dub and sub names. Incorrect capitalization. Run-on sentence. The truth is, it's not just your imagination. These mistakes and others are all commonly found in fanfiction all over the Internet. Frequently running into these mistakes has inspired me to write a page about fanfiction (or any writing) etiquette, and so here it is. Here I'll address everything from grammar points to what makes a good review. By no means do I claim to be an English teacher, but I want to share some of the things that I do know. The purpose of this page is not to talk down to anyone; it is simply to share my opinions about what makes good writing. Read on!
Grammar
Grammar is something that I tend to be very nit-picky about. It's natural for everyone to have some grammar mistakes, but when the whole story is plagued with mistakes, it's difficult for the reader to keep reading. Here are some things to remember when it comes to English grammar.
1. Run-on Sentences.
I find it so frustrating when a story is full of run-on sentences. Personally, I get so caught up in looking for the period that I lose track of what's going on in the story. Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit. But, as a general rule, it's easier to process information when it's given in smaller amounts. Here's an example of a run-on sentence:
Princess Serenity sat down on her bed and sighed and it was the evening of the ball, and in a few minutes she would have to go downstairs and confront a barrage of people complimenting her on her coming of age, and courtiers from all over the Solar System would tell her how much she'd grown since the last time they saw her.
Wow...that's a lot of information to swallow all in one gulp. Here's the corrected paragraph:Princess Serenity sat down on her bed and sighed. It was the evening of the ball, and in a few minutes she would have to go downstairs and confront a barrage of people complimenting her on her coming of age. Courtiers from all over the Solar System would tell her how much she'd grown since the last time they saw her.
Easier to read, huh?2. Changing of Tense and/or narration
It's very odd to be reading a story in which the author suddenly switches tense or narration. Here's a quick run-down on the two things:
Stories are written in past tense (Usagi ran), present tense (Usagi runs), or, rarely, future tense (Usagi will run). Stories are generally written using first person narration (I, we) or third person narration (she, he, it).Sometimes, the author will purposely switch the tense or narration to fit the story line, which sounds fine. Unfortunately, many authors tend to switch the tense or narration in the middle of a sentence or paragraph. Here's an example of switching tense and narration:
Serena sat down in a chair on the balcony. She had been in love once before. I close my eyes and am transported to an earlier time: my 16th birthday party.
That's confusing. First of all, the last sentence sounds as if the author (me;) suddenly decided to tell her readers about her 16th birthday party. Second, the first two sentences are written in past tense. There's no reason for the third sentence to be written in present tense.
3. Spelling Mistakes
This is one of the most common mistakes, and one that I tend to have trouble with. It's ok if there's a few typos in a story, but it's frustrating when every other word is spelled incorrectly. A story might have a great plot, but it's very distracting if there are a lot of simple spelling mistakes. I recommend running your story through Microsoft Word or some other program with a spell check feature before posting it. Spell check won't catch every mistake, but it's definitely worth the extra time.
4. Capitalization
This one's also a big one. Here are some general rules:
-The first word in a sentence is always capitalized. I.E. "Rei ran through the park." Not "rei ran through the park."-Names, first and last are always capitalized. I.E. "Chiba Mamoru." Not "chiba mamoru."
The pronoun "I" is always capitalized
-Names of the days of the week, months of the year are always capitalized. I.E. "A Thursday in -September." Not "A thursday in september."
Titles that precede names. I.E. "Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion." Not "princess Serenity and prince Endymion."
5. Formal writing versus Informal Speaking/Typing
As a general rule, you should not write the same way you speak. Of course, there are exceptions, such as if you�re writing from a certain character�s point of view or if you�re writing dialogue. Also, you shouldn�t write using any online abbreviations. Here are some examples of what to avoid:
-�gonna� instead of �going to�-�ya� instead of �you�
-�yah� instead of �yes�
6. Commonly Confused Words
There are a number of words in the English language that are commonly confused and/or misused. Here they are:
A lot/alot - Alot is not a word. A lot (two words) is the correct way.Breathe/breath � Breathe is a verb meaning to inhale air, I.E. �She felt as if she couldn�t breathe�. Breath is a noun that describes air inhaled or exhaled in breathing, I.E. �She stopped to catch her breath.�
Farther/Further � Farther is when something is physically at a greater distance, I.E. �The red ball is farther away than the green one�. Further is going beyond or continuing to a greater degree, I.E. �Let�s explore this situation further�.
Its/It�s - Its is used to show belonging, I.E. �The bear scratched its neck�. It�s is a contraction meaning it is or it has, I.E. �It�s a beautiful day.�
Fewer/Less - Fewer is used when you can physically count the things being spoken about, I.E. �You have fewer than ten books on your shelf.� Less is used with more abstract things that cannot be counted, I.E. �I spent less time on my homework today.� (Note: Yes, grocery stores are using incorrect grammar when they write �10 items or less� on the express lane.)
Desert/dessert - A Desert is a hot, dry, sandy place. A dessert is a sweet treat that comes after a meal. Hear/here - Hear is what you do with your ears. Here is a location (I am here).
Lay/lie - This is probably the most confusing one. Lay is a verb meaning to put or set on or against something. Lie is a verb meaning to be in, stay in, or take up a horizontal position. I.E. �Lay the pencil down on the desk.� I.E. �I want to lie down because I�m tired.� Here�s where it gets confusing: the past tense of lie is lay, and the past tense of lay is laid. So, the above sentences would be �Yesterday I laid the pencil down on the desk� and �Yesterday I lay down because I was tired.� These always trick me!
Loose/Lose - Loose is the opposite of tight. Lose is the opposite of win.
Than/Then - Than is a comparison, I.E. �I�m more tired than she is.� Then is at that time, I.E. �I went to the pool, then I jumped in.�
Who�s/Whose - Who�s is a contraction meaning who is or who has, I.E. �Who�s at the door?� Whose shows possession, I.E. �Whose paper is this on my desk?�
To/Too/Two - Too is used in cases such as the following: �There are too many people here�. �I want to go, too!�. Two is the number 2. To is used in almost every other case, including: �I want to go to the store� �The building is next to the library�.
There/Their/They�re � There is used to show possession, I.E. �That cake is theirs�. They�re a contraction meaning �They are�, I.E. �They�re late!�. There is used in all other cases, such as: �There�s going to be a storm� and �I can�t go there today.�
Your/You�re � Your is used to show possession, I.E. �Thanks for lending me your notes�. You�re is a contraction meaning �You are�, I.E. �You�re late again!�
Whew! That was a lot to type. Thanks to my English teacher from a few years ago for teaching that lesson�it�s been one of the most helpful things I�ve ever learned!
Other Tips
1. Word Wrap
If you're posting your story in a text file (like the stories on my site), it's extremely helpful to your reader if you wrap your file. An unwrapped story is one in which the reader has to side scroll to read the text. It's irritating, and a lot of people (myself included) won't continue reading the story because it's such a pain. To wrap a Microsoft Notepad text file, open the file, go to "View", click "word wrap". However, that's not all you have to do. Then, go to your file, and about halfway down each line, hit enter, so that the right side of your file is blank when you're finished. Happy wrapping!
2. Check Your Links
If you have a fanfiction website, please please please check all of your links to your stories. It sucks if you reach a cliffhanger in a story and then can't continue because the next chapter's link is wrong.
3. Post, Post, Post
Do you want a lot of people to read your story? I recommend posting it at different fanfiction archives around the web. I've done that with "Shadows of the Past", and gotten an awful lot of reviews as a result. I recommend Aria's Ink, A Sailor Moon Romance, and Fanfiction.net. Those are the big ones, and you'll probably get a good volume of reviews.
3. The Rules of the Review
The idea behind reviewing a story is great. However, people often abuse this. For example, a lot of people are downright
cruel in their reviews. A good review, in my opinion, highlights both the weak and strong points of the story. Here is an
example of a good review that I once received:
"I have to give you props on being able to capture a reader's attention. The plotline is excellent and character development is also good. However I think Queen Serenity would have also heard her daughter's pleas for help, not just Endymion, and she would also have sensed something strange about Theronius. But that's just what I think. Please update soon."
Of course, every author loves the reviews that scream, "Oh my gosh I love it! Please write more!" I'm not trying to tell people not to do that. Everyone loves being praised. The bad reviews occur when people say things like, "Well your story kinda sux because Usagi ends up with Mamoru instead of Seiya you're grammar is awful too." Besides the obvious grammatical errors, the reviewer is just cruel. You can't be mean to someone just because you don't like his or her plot idea. Also, don't ever be condescending to the author. For one thing, he or she is less likely to take any of your suggestions to heart, and it's just a rude thing to do. Treat other people as you wish to be treated. Everyone was a beginner at one point. The thing to remember is that constructive criticism is great, but rudeness is unnecessary.
4. The Most Important Thing
All of these rules are extrememly important, but there is one thing to remember above all else when writing. YOU are the author. I hate, hate, hate it when fanfiction tip pages tell you what to write and what not to write. I personally don't care for Usagi/Seiya fics, but it's not my place to tell people not to write them! If you want to write about a Sailor Sun, then go for it. Is it overdone? Maybe, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done well! Never, ever let anyone limit your creativity!
That's all, folks!
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