.: Part 5 -- Fanfiction Options

[Demeter Tess Rea...]

Welcome to the rules that govern fanfiction posting/reviewing. You will immediately note that the Snitch's fanfiction forum is the largest section of the board and, as such, requires extensive guidelines. They are all fairly simple and easy to abide by. Failure to comply with any of the below rules will result in a warning and your work being deleted from the board. Any further work you post will be screened. If there is a repeat offense, expulsion will be considered.

.: Stay in topic. Your fanfiction should be "Harry Potter" related.

.: Create your fanfiction thread in the proper sub-forum. You will note that there are five "genre categories" that you may post in -- General [for "anything goes" work], Drama [for drama/suspense/horror work], Comedy [for humorous work], Romance [for extensive mush/fluff], and Songfiction [for fanfictions inspired by previously-written material]. Choose the category that your fanfiction most identifies with. If you ever need help making a decision, or simply need your fanfiction moved to another category, you may PM [Personal Message] Demeter Tess Reading, the administrator overseeing the fanfiction section.

.: No extensive slash/yaoi [same-sex romances]. Chanfics [sexual relationships between underage persons] are also blatently unacceptable. While such relationships may be mentioned [usually in passing] in your fanfiction, they are not to be written about extensively and certainly not to be explicit. This is a controversial topic and therefore should be left off the forums to avoid confrontations and such.

.: The fanfiction forum is rated PG-13. The Snitch does not allow R, NC-17, or XXX fanfictions to be posted. This means NO to -- explicit sex or rape scenes, graphic [gory] torture or violence, erotica, and porn. That said, if your fanfiction carries anything over a PG warning, please state in your first post that the thread is intended for adult readers. You should also make note of any warnings your fanfiction carries, such as violence, profanity, suicide, sexual content, etc.

.: Create ONE THREAD for your entire fanfiction. Do not create separate threads for each chapter, as it only clutters the boards. Multiple threads for a single story will be deleted without warning.

.: The typical fanfiction update should exceed several paragraphs. Do not merely "write as you go," posting a new paragraph every few hours. Take the time to write a full chapter, then post it. Not only is this more professional, but it's also easier on your loyal readership. Fanfictions that consist of one or two typo-laden paragraphs per update will be deleted. A certain level of integrity is to be maintained by authors.

.: Be certain to "mark" [copyright or patent] your work. You don't want anyone stealing or running off with your ideas. Basically, just leave your name and the date you created the fanfiction at the bottom of your original post. ["Fanfiction Title Here" © "Your Name Here" / "Date Here"] Some posters like to make their copyright notices more verbose. Regardless, it's up to you.

.: A "Fanfiction Database" [alphabetized by author] can be found within the "Fanfiction Announcements" sub-forum. Authors may request that their work be listed within the database. It is also a handy tool for readers, so that they may locate fanfiction of a certain author, genre, ship, or rating. Summaries are also included.

.: Be supportive of your fellow authors. While everyone would love to have the most popular fanfiction on the Snitch, this is not a place for competition or insults. As such, polls entitled "Who is your favourite Snitch author?" or "Whose fanfiction is better?" will be closed, as well as any other threads that instigate rivalries between authors. Most of your readers will also be fanfiction authors, thus it is expected that you maintain friendly relationships with your fellow writers.

.: Review-mongering [loudly begging for reviews to a fanfiction] is not accepted. It may take days for your fanfiction to earn reviews, as our members are quite busy. If, after a few weeks, you have yet to receive a review, you may bump your thread by double-posting. Likewise, threatening to not update until you have "however-many" reviews tends to turn readers off.

.: Reviewers are expected to be courteous in their reviews of a fanfiction. A level of politeness should be maintained at all times. Flames [profane, insulting replies] are completely unacceptable and will earn the reviewer immediate expulsion. Strive to be professional and constructive in your reviews, mixing the good with the not-so-good. Be specific, as authors appreciate incites into their writing style and characterization. Sensitive issues [such as grammar and spelling for those authors that do not have English as their primary language] CAN and SHOULD be addressed via PM [Private Message]. Above all, be amiably supportive of the author's endeavors. A lot of time, love, and effort goes into the writing process. Please be respectful of that.

.: Reviewers should not press authors for updates. Stress and hype often make authors overly nervous. Eagerness for another chapter is fine, but constant PMs [Personal Messages] or pressuring is certainly over-the-top. Instead of vexing the author, why not take part in the "Fanfiction Discussion" sub-forum? It's there for chatting about various fanfictions and the writing process that goes into them.

.: Be creative and have fun. That's what it's all about, isn't it? Remember, all of these rules will be strictly enforced, as with any other rule on the Snitch Forums, and there will be no exceptions. Thank you.

Please proceed to Part 6 -- Cast Discussion Rules...

@-->--- Tess [Forums Head]