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Rules: FF&W Rules [Updated 2018-09-18]

Bay

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The Fan Fiction & Writing Rules, Guidelines, and Regulations
(Updated 2018-09-18). Rules originally written by Nolafus with minor changes/additions by Bay Alexison)

First of all, welcome to Fan Fiction & Writing! If this is your first time here, please take a few moments to look at each of the rules below so your time here can be fun and enjoyable. Do you want to write? How about read and review? Don't worry, all these topics will be covered so you know exactly was is and isn't allowed in this wonderful section.

All Pokecommunity rules are in effect here. If you're unfamiliar with the rules, they can be found here.

General Rules

Respect Everyone:
This means no flaming. Writers of all skill levels are free here to post their work, if I catch you disrespecting other members, your post will deleted and an infraction will be given out. No exceptions will be made. I will not tolerate bullying here. If someone acts disrespectfully towards you, that is NOT a green light to be disrespectful back. Simply report the offending post, and a moderator will come and sort things out accordingly.


No SPAM:
SPAM (Stupid, Pointless, Annoying, Messages) are posts that hold little relevance to the thread and will be deleted. Make sure that your posts add to the topic at hand.

Posting Your Story:
So you've decided to upload your story here. Awesome, and we encourage you to do so, but please read through the rules first. This way, no complications will occur. Failure to comply by these rules will result in a closed thread.

Everything Belongs in One Thread:
Do not create a separate thread for each chapter. Simply post your update as a reply in your thread, and you're good to go. This place would get messy, fast, if everyone was posting individual chapters. So, to keep everything nice and organized, please post all chapters and updates in one, convenient, thread.

Make Your Story Readable:
This means to follow the English grammar rules to the best of your ability. No one expects you to have a perfect story, but if the story is filled with tons of mistakes that clearly shows you didn't proofread or put any real thought into it, your story will be closed. Let your story or chapter sit for a day before you proofread it and upload it.

Only Well Written Script Fics Are Allowed:
Script fics are commonly seen as an easier way to write a story. Unless you script fic is more than just dialogue, it will be closed. It's okay if you use the script format for dialogue, but please include narration and description.

Your First Post Must Contain Part of Your Story:
This means that part of your story (be it a chapter, prologue, or poetry if you're doing a poetry thread) must be in the first post. If you're really picky and like things to be really organized, you may post the first part of your story in a response within ten minutes of opening the thread up. If the thread has been up for more than ten minutes with no story, then the thread will be locked. In case you were wondering, author's notes won't cut it.

All Updates Must be Finished Works:
You may not post a halfway incomplete chapter and ask for feedback. If your chapter is incomplete, there is no reason to post it. The only exception to this rule is if your new chapter goes over the character limit. Then you may post part of your chapter in one post and then the rest immediately in another reply.

Give Proper Warnings:
Warnings will protect readers against anything that they will not want to read. Warn against excessive violence, romance, and things like that. Warnings may be at the top of the story, or at the beginning of the chapter in which they are present.

Posting a New Chapter:
Authors, you may bump threads past the two month limit only if you are posting a new chapter. You may also bypass the double posting limit this way. We realize that for some people, writing new chapters might take more than a month. This only goes for posting a new chapter, any other reason for bumping your thread will result in the post being deleted and the thread closed until you have an update ready.

NO Plagiarizing:
Do not steal someone else's work and claim it as your own. If you are caught doing this, a permanent four-point infraction will be dealt out. No exceptions.

Post on the Forum:
Your story must be present on this site. No linking to another site as this could technically count as advertising. This also goes against the "First post must include some of your story" rule. People mostly prefer to read stories that are here anyways, so posting the story here is really in your best interest.

Do not Create Threads for One Kind of Poetry:
The section could get a little messy if there were a thread for each individual poem. Instead, create a single thread to post all your poetry in for all to enjoy. This way, all your poems will be in one place and the section stays nice and organized.

Use Prefixes:
The prefixes are there for a reason. Please use this to indicate whether or not your story will be a [Pokemon] story, [Other Fanfic], [Other Original], or a [Poetry] thread. Worldbuilding threads also have the prefixes [Pokemon World] and [Other World], more info on how to post those threads in the Pokemon World/Original World Threads section of the rules.

The Use of Language and Sexual Content:
Since this is literature, the use of minor language can be used. However, try to use it sparingly. Remember that a younger audience can access your fic, so keep that in mind. As far as sexual content goes, that is a very touchy subject. You may hint in your story that something happens, but for all of our sakes, please don't go into detail. If you're on the fence about putting something in, don't. If you're really not sure, PM a moderator and they'll tell you whether or not it's allowed. Excessive amounts of these will result in the thread being locked with possible infraction(s) depending on the severity.

The 1,000 Word Rule:
This is more of a suggestion than anything, but I will warn you to work on one of your chapters if I deem it to be too short. If you're worried about the length of your chapter, have it be around 1,000 words. It's about one and a half pages in Microsoft Word, and it's a pretty good length that's not too hard to reach. Just to be clear, this only goes for chaptered fics. Drabble threads, poetry threads, and things of that nature are exempt from this rule.

Reading and Reviewing:
So you want to read and possibly review some stories? That's really awesome, but before you go headfirst into the first story that catches your eye, please read a quick summary of what's acceptable. If you're worried about leaving a good review, please take a look at this guide. If you're not into long, lengthy reviews, short comments are now acceptable. Even a sentence or two that points out something in the story is cool. So, be sure to tell the author what you thought of their work!

Be constructive:
No putting the writer down in any way. You can still point out negative things within the story, but please keep all negative things to the story. Never attack the writer directly. Try to include what the writer is doing right, as well as wrong. This will help leave a constructive review.

Don't pester when the story will be updated:
Don't ask the author when the next update will come. Writing takes time and it's something that can't be forced, so pestering for an update isn't the best idea. It usually involves a backlash from the author, and if I catch it first, your post will be deleted. If you're dying to know when the author will update next, send the writer a polite VM asking about the progress on the next section.

Posting in Stories Over Two Months Old:
Any story that hasn't been commented in for two months or more you are still encouraged to post your thoughts on it! Who knows, the writer might be inspired by your feedback! However, if a story hasn't been updated for years, then it's more likely than not to be abandoned.

Pokemon World/Original World Threads
So we have new prefixes, Pokemon World and Original World. That's because this section is now accepting worldbuilding threads! For the most part rules for worldbuilding threads are the same as ones for fanfiction and other writings.
  • If you're making more than one world, then one thread per world.
  • Authors of worldbuilding threads can bump threads past the two month limit and bypass the double posting limit.
  • When leaving feedback, you can comment same way as you would with regular writings as long as it relates to the thread.
  • Don't comment in worldbuilding threads over two months old. Don't pester when there will be a new update.
  • Discussions on worldbuilding overall goes to Writer's Lounge.

Have fun and create your worlds!

The Writer's Lounge:
This section is where you can kick back and discuss various writing topics with your fellow writers. You can also get some help developing your story and various characters. Interacting with one another is highly encouraged!

Fan Fiction Archive:
Once you have completed your story and you're done with the edits, send the moderator a VM/PM and your story will be added to the collection. This is also here for the readers who want to read through some completed stories. Please remember that many of the stories in this section are fairly old and the author might not be checking up on it, so I would refrain from commenting on the story directly. Instead, try sending the author a VM explaining what you thought of it, I'm sure they would love to hear from you.


These rules are subject to change at any moment as the moderator sees fit. All updates will be announced in the title of the thread. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the current moderator. No question is too small.

Current Moderator:
Bay Alexison [PM]
Venia Silente [PM]
 
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