30 Days to 50K: The Beginning

As many of you know, November is National Novel Writing Month, more commonly known as NaNoWriMo. Each year thousands of authors around the world take part in the challenge to pen 50,000 words in 30 days.

This month Dee and myself (Nikki) have chosen to take on the challenge, and share our experiences along the way with YWW? readers. We'll be checking in here each week, talking about our progress, the ups and downs of the challenge, and perhaps even sharing some excerpts from our work. Essentially, YWW? will be our writing journal for the next 30 days.

We hope readers can enjoy walking along this path with us and getting a glimpse at the way the mind of a writer sometimes works.

Without further ado....

Dee:

November 1, 2012 – 6:00am

Today is the first day of NaNoWriMo.

This year, I’m gonna make NaNoWriMo my bitch.

Please pardon my French, but this blog post is supposed to be about my reactions to the month long
basket of crazy that is NaNoWriMo – and this is exactly what I thought. All of our posts this month will
be like that – honest honest reactions to what this journey is like – really like. The highs and lows, the
successes (which I hope are many) and the failures (which I pray are few). Taking on the beast that is
NaNoWriMo is a hard thing, definitely not for the faint of heart. But for those of us who have decided to
take the plunge, the payoffs far outweigh the risks.

NaNoWriMo, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is an acronym for ‘National Novel Writers Month’
and, true to its name, it is a national event where writers attempt to do the impossible – write a novel
(or 50,000 words) in 30 days. Sounds crazy right?

That’s because it is.

There are a million reasons why someone would be nuts enough to give it a shot: developing the
discipline of writing everyday – giving themselves a daily writing goal and working hard to achieve
it, forcing themselves to move past their inner critic long enough to put pen to paper (or fingers to
keyboard) and pull the stories rattling around in their heads into reality and, for some, just to be able
to say they did it. Whatever the reason for taking the journey, those of us who join in the fray, rushing
toward the 50k marker, start out with the brightest of hopes and pray that we’ll make it.

So today I begin. I’m not alone in this journey – which makes it a bit easier. At the moment my heart
is filled with the hope that when midnight rolls around on November 30 th I’ll be able to count myself
among the winners. Yep, I’m feeling pumped, encouraged, unbeatable – like some punk rock, ninja
warrior bent on world domination –using plot structure and character development instead of
numchucks and poisoned daggers. I feel like a winner – let’s hope that feeling stays.

Cuz this year – I’m making NaNoWriMo my bitch.

Nikki:
November 1, 2012

My life is pretty much insane. I like to think of it as a big state of organized chaos, as most of it is self-imposed. Don't believe me? Let me elaborate: I work 40+ hours a week as a supervisor in social services. I intern at a crisis shelter for 25 hours a week as part of finishing my Master's Degree. I also have about four WIPs in the fan fiction world, write for Examiner.com, and have a  life that somehow manages to get balanced in there.

So how the hell am I going to fit in writing a 50K novel? The answer: I have no freaking clue.

Every year I take the NaNoWriMo journey, and every year so far I've fallen short. Lack of time wasn't an issue in past years, but lack of motivation and an overwhelming case of writer's block always managed to slow me down or put my writing to a halt. This year, the plot bunnies are dancing and although time is scarce, the motivation is there because my goal is to be a published author by the end of 2013.

The goal for NaNo is to get to 50K words by the end of November. Of course I also strive to hit that number, but my own personal goal for the month is to produce as much quality writing as I can given the demands of life. I might not hit 50K, but I’m okay with that.

Most people would have a general idea of what they’re planning on writing when they start NaNo. I don’t this time around. I’ve decided to let my mind take me where it wants to go, and as the story starts to shape up, I’ll post my novel information and begin to post my chapters. I’ve always been one for structure in my day-to-day life, but when it comes to writing I just can’t do it. I would struggle with an outline, I’d feel like I was cheating my characters if I didn’t let them guide me down the path of the story, and I would feel like I was limiting myself and my creative abilities. Obviously a lot of writers use these when drafting their creations, but for me, it just doesn’t work.

So, here I go! I’m venturing down a well-beaten path in hopes of coming out on the other side with the start of what could eventually become my first published piece of literature.

Welcome to NaNo season! Cheers to it!

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Self Promotion 101: Pimp Your Fic, Part II

Last time we talked about five tips to promoting your fan fiction masterpiece.  

To review, here they are:

Tip # 1. Dedicate Accounts Exclusively to Your Fanfic Writing.

Tip # 2. Put Your Profile to Work.

Tip # 3. Create a Provocative Story Description.

Tip # 4. Direct Your Contacts To Your Fic.

Tip # 5. Broadcast Your Updates

These next five tips build upon the previous five and I’m making some assumptions: you’ve got dedicated Twitter/Facebook/tumblr/blog accounts under the same name as your fan fiction identity; your profile is reflective of your writing persona and directs readers to your work; your story description is intriguing and compels potential readers to check out your first chapter; you’ve appended the story’s hyperlink to all social networking profiles and communications; and you’ve begun to alert current readers when you post new chapters. *Rubs hands together excitedly.* Excellent! Let’s go!

Now, not to freak you out, but here are the facts: FanFiction currently lists 200,300 Twilight stories. Did you know that? And look at the rest of these:

Harry Potter —- — — 606,892 fics

Narturo —-— —309,171 fics

Glee —- — —78,658 fics

Supernatural —- — —65,912 fics

Buffy —- — —44,593 fics

NCIS —- — —31,687 fics

Bones —- — —18,235 fics

Grey’s Anatomy —- — —12,307 fics

iCarly —- — —12,754 fics

Castle —- — —10,815 fics

Once Upon a Time —- — —4,150 fics

Pretty Little Liars —- — —2,953 fics

Walking Dead —- — —1,988 fics

Okay, calm down. I’m not trying to make you feel insignificant. My point is that getting eyeballs on your story can be a challenge. You’ve already figured that out; hence your eyeballs on this article.

Here’s the deal … what you get out of your marketing efforts is directly proportionate to what you put into them. Ocular (eyeball) traffic isn’t about the quality of the work itself. Sorry. It just isn’t. The world is full of brilliance that never saw the light of day because no one bought a megaphone and stood up on the bleachers at half time to sing it’s praises. Quality will, however, affect your retention rates — how well you keep those eyes coming back — but that’s a topic for another day. Today we’re talking about traffic, a.k.a. eyeballs, clicks, views, visitors, and reviews. These things require provocative marketing tactics with a hard focus on recency and frequency.

Am I saying you’re gonna have to brag? Hell, yes! What if it’s hard or embarrassing? Assume it will be. What if you annoy some people? You can count on it, so get over yourself, cupcake. If you’re here to be well liked by everyone, you’re in the wrong business. If you are here to share the wonderfulness that is your story with those eager readers who will fall in love with it and be forever changed by it, then this is a good place to start.

Look, you obviously had the ovaries/cojones to post a story. Apparently, you’ve gotten it into your head that your story deserves more ocular traffic than it’s currently getting. So, guess what? You’re already up to your armpits  in bragging activity. You might as well hold your nose and take a dive. So — ego in park, brain in third gear, let’s get going!

********

Tip # 6. Tease, tease, tease. Get people interested enough to click on a link to your story. The tease generates new readers and keeps current ones hungry for more. Keep a list of all your social media followers who have self-identified as your readers. How do you get readers to self-identify? Ask them! Announce in your chapters that you give progress updates, excerpts, and sneak peeks on Twitter (from now on, I’ll just say twitter, but know I mean Facebook/blog/tumblr, etc). Some will bite, some will just lurk, and that’s okay.

Once you have that list of self-identified reader tweeps, notify them personally when you tweet a tease. What’s a tease, you ask? It can be anything from:

A) A quote … which fits in a tweet. If you have to use a tool like TweetCut to shorten the text to fit in the tweet, do it. Even better -- choose a short but powerful quote that fits in the social media field without abbreviation! Discussion of the mandatory components will follow in the next tip.

B) An excerpt … which requires a tool like Twitlonger. I recently used to deploy a 2,500 word excerpt of an upcoming chapter.

C) A full-on chapter preview … which is just that — an early reading of a not-yet-posted chapter. This will most likely require the use of Dropbox. Dropbox allows you to save a file to a secure site, then provides you with a short link to that file which you can then deploy through social marketing channels.

D) A review of a recent chapter … which is exactly that. You’ll need Twitlonger for this, but keep it short. “Here’s what readers are saying … bla bla bla.”

When you have a new chapter to announce, send out 2-4 tweets spread throughout that first day it posts. Do this every day, experimenting with which days of the week and what times of the day net the greatest response rate. How do you determine response rate? Keep a close eye on the Traffic Stats>Story Stats graphs on your fanfiction account and on your trackable hyperlink back to the chapter. More on that later. Keep tweeting, decreasing in number as you go, until the URL is no longer being accessed, or until you post your next chapter.

If you wanna go hard core, there are services that will automatically deploy your tweets at predetermined times. If you do do that, always alter your text. No one wants to see the same thing over and over.

Whenever possible, use your story's full title. The more your readers, tweeps, and friends hear the title inside their heads, the more likely they are to remember it. Be careful, there is a fine line between promoting and spamming. Use that Twitter account to interact, have fun, and build relationships with your tweeps. You want the majority of your tweets to be from you -- the person -- not you the Mac Daddy of fic pimps!

Tip # 7. Track Your Following. In an ideal situation, every marketing effort will net you either quantifiable results; education you can put to work informing future marketing choices.

An effective chapter announcement might look like this:

'Taking One 4 the Team' CH208 The When & the How: A Bone to Pick - the recent chapter in a #Bones romance http://bit.ly/QepuHn 

Or,

#Bones Chasing Cars: S7 Finale Story! What happened off screen B4 Bren left the Christening. http://bit.ly/K8MW4k

A quote for that same chapter might look like this:

"That would depend on if you were the kisser or the kissee," said Booth. "Should we experiment?" Ch 208 TWATH:AB2P http://bit.ly/QepuHn

At the very least, every effort should contain the following:

A) Provocative text … the quote, excerpt, preview, review of your fic. To see samples of each of these, check out my samples.
 

B) The source of the information … the name of your chapter/story. This can be

▪               The full title: ‘The When and the How: A Bone to Pick’

▪               A squished title: ‘TheWhen&theHow:ABone2Pick'

▪               The title’s acronym once it’s achieved name recognition: ‘TWATH:AB2P’

C) A trackable link back to your story/chapter. This requires the use of another very simple tool which will create a unique and trackable URL for your chapter/story. I use bitly.com. Copy and paste the new chapter hyperlink from FanFiction.net into bitly. Bitly shortens the URL from something like this:

'http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7177882/208/The-When-and-the-How-A-Bone-to-Pick'

to look like something like this:

'http://bit.ly/QepuHn'

Now, I can either deploy a tweet straight from bit.ly, or I can copy the URL and use it where ever I want. Bit.ly tracks every time that link is clicked and provides me with that information.

D) Hashtag to fandom threads. Always include the hashtag (#) for your fandom. For example, #BONES, #ICARLY, #NCIS!Twitter followers visit the threads of these accounts to see what’s going on, to chat with others who love their show, and to find other tweeps to follow. This is the perfect place to find fellow fans who may become readers one day. However, interact here, don’t just pimp. People want to know you are a person, not a machine. People don’t have relationships with machines. Well, none that we can talk about here on this website at least!

If you make sure your tweets contain those components, and you watch the activity they generate, you will soon learn what works and what needs improvement. As long as something works, keep doing it!

Tip # 8 Return the Favor. When you are fortunate enough to have another writer comment publicly about your story, do the same for them. If you read another writer’s story, make sure you review generously. Every review is precious to me … but there’s something especially sweet about a review from another writer. Your fellow writers know what it takes to birth a chapter. A nod from one of these precious people hits me right between the eyes and sets my writer's heart on fire. What comes around goes around, people. Spread the love and it will come back to you in unexpected ways. But, do it out of love, not looking for something back. That’s not what this is about. If you want respect in any endeavor, you first have to give it.

If someone asks you to read their work, be gracious and do it if you can. I struggle with this myself because I feel like I’m cheating off someone else’s homework when I read other fics in my own fandom. On top of that, I find myself overwhelmed as it is with my own writing and endless reviewing. However, you don’t have to read another person’s whole 208 chapters … just take a look at a couple and comment on what you appreciate about it. And always … always … without exception, compliment in public, provide constructive criticism in private. It should go without saying that if you ain’t got no money, take your broke ass home. In other words, if you have nothing nice to say and you have not been explicitly asked for feedback by the writer … keep your comments to yourself and move on. #ThatIsAll

Tip # 9. Above All, Be a Gracious Recipient. One of the best tools for the fanfic writer is the website engine itself. Not only do they provide activity metrics in the Traffic Stats section, they also provide you with other invaluable tools. Quite frankly, it is amazing we are able to get this kind of marketing for free!

On the Account>Settings>Account Options section of your fanfiction.net account, make sure you have elected to Accept Private Messages. Then, under Alerts>Settings/Guide>Alert Settings, make sure you have elected to be notified about Plus+ Alerts, Review Alerts, Author Alerts, and Story Alerts.

When you receive a notification from fanfiction.net that someone new is following your story, go to their profile and send them a personal message welcoming them to your story and thanking them for their readership.

When someone Favorites your fic, or you personally, well, that act deserves a bouquet of flowers and a box of cyber chocolates because this person has just given you free pimpage. Yes! Every time you post something, those people will receive an email alert. How slick is that? Just remember, every message is an opportunity to be gracious, welcoming, and proactive about promoting your work.

When you receive a review, always respond and thank the reader for taking the time to share their thoughts with you. (Are you noticing a theme here? It’s called ‘expressing appreciation’) Readers frequently get so engrossed in a story that they whip from chapter to chapter without stopping to breathe, much less write a review. Their time is as important as yours is … thank them for choosing to spend some of it on giving back to you.

Regular reviewers are golden. They are your cream, but the lurkers and anonymous reviewers are your bread and butter. I promise. Acknowledge them in the opening notes of your next chapter. Never, ever, deride lurkers, anonymous reviewers or one and done reviewers. Not all people come to fan fiction looking for a relationship. Many come solely to extend their experience of their favorite character universe. Readers don’t owe you anything. You chose to write that story and put it up there. They have taken nothing from you. If they choose to express their appreciation, that is a gift to you. Treat it as such.

Tip # 10. Become a Pundit. And the last tip … write an article for a website like this. Get your name out there. That’s how you garner greater ocular traffic, drive more eyeballs in the direction of your brain child. That being said, allow me to lay some pimpage on you:

Interact with me on Twitter at @MoxieGirl44,


Peruse my Bones Titles,


Or, hell, just go straight to the blurb of my magnum opus …

The When and the How: A Bone to Pick
 “Following VNM's death & spurred by an unlikely catalyst, B&B navigate the rough terrain of their neglected relationship. Facing their mutual pain over the previous year while working a shocking case, they discover the true meaning of partnership—in life & in love. Quoted by one reader: "This story will make you laugh and cry, think and feel. It's the secret that every Bones lover deserves to be let in on."

If you’re a Bones aficionado, sample a chapter: ‘A DreamIs A Wish Your Heart Makes’

There. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? Now get to work, chop, chop!

Written By Catherine Cabanela  

@MoxieGirl44 

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Tricky Raven presents 'A Haunting in Forks'

The arrival of October brings many things: crisp fall air, hot apple cider, the changing of leaves, and of course, Halloween. 

This Halloween, celebrate the season with our friends over at Tricky Raven. The site has several fun features running during the month of October, including:

The Witches Cauldron: A place for fans to share their favorite Halloween recipes.

The Ghost of Halloween Past: A place where fans can share their favorite Halloween memories.

Haunted Hallway: Story recs that definitely aren't for the faint of heart.

In addition to these cool site additions, Tricky Raven is hosting a variety of Halloween-themed contests, including A Haunting in Forks, which is open to both readers and writers! Make sure to visit the Tricky Raven twitter account, where you'll find even more Halloween tweets! 

Visit Tricky Raven here: http://trickyraven.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network.

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Self Promotion 101: Pimp Your Fic

My parents raised two computer engineers, an apparel designer, a horticulturist, and me. And what did
I, the English major, end up doing when I grew up? Mostly sales and marketing, but I’ve always dreamed
of being a published fiction writer. Twenty-five years ago I read a book that said if you write your
dreams down, they will come true. So, I did. And I waited. Then I waited some more. Nothing happened.
Then, about a year ago, we got a Netflix account and before I knew it, I got sucked into the Fox
drama ‘Bones’ universe.

When the current season at the time ended, I had the same reaction that has compelled many viewers
and readers, serial game-players and Manga connoisseurs, to begin writing fanfiction. It went something
like this: “What?! Are you kidding me?! I can’t believe it! Nooooooooooooo!” Followed by lots of ugly
crying.

For days I walked around in panicked circles. “It can’t end like this!” I cried to anyone who would
listen. “These two characters are in love and they deserve to be together. We, the viewing public, want
to see them get together! The show needs more of this and less of that and perhaps this other character
should be resurrected from the dead and the other guy who’s in jail for manslaughter— well that should
turn out to be a really bad hallucination from some tainted sushi!”

You know how it goes; you’ve been there. Your experience may have been different, but your passion,
your soul’s absorption of the make-believe universe, at some point, compelled you to find a way to
become part of that make-believe universe. That’s when you learned about … FanFiction!

So, you read. And read some more. Or, maybe you never read, you just wrote. You wrote in a frenzy of
imagined conversations and furtive glances, blistering conflicts and feats of unimaginable valor. And
maybe you even wrote about sex. All kinds of phenomenal, acrobatic, multi-orgasmic, love-crazed,
phantasmagorical sex. Whew!

So, here you are. You wrote it, or like me, are still writing it. And you want more people to read it.
Because, well, you think it’s pretty dang good and so do both of your reviewers, right? So, how do you
get more readers to your story? You could yell, but on the internet, nobody can hear you scream ...
unless you make a video, and, well, good luck with getting people to click on that hyperlink. People don’t
like to be yelled at.

So, how do you do it? How do you draw the masses to your brainchild? Well, you put on your nattiest
full-length purple overcoat and every single scrap of jewelry you own, you gas-up your bouncy-trouncy

ride, and you hit the road. That’s right, you go pimping. You pimp that puppy like she were of alabaster
skin, raven hair, legs that go all the way up, hips that just won’t quit, and a bountiful bust-line that could
satisfy an army.

Some people prefer to call it gratuitous self-promotion, but lets face it people, if you wanna get heard,
or in this case, read, you gotta go pimp your fic. If you’re not comfortable with that moniker, then call
it ‘getting the word out about that fabulous story you wrote about a universe and cast of characters that
you’ve come to love like your own children or future children.’

Well, I am no pimp-master and there’s more than one way to get the word out, but I do okay. I’ll tell you
what ‘I’ do in the first five of ten easy steps for the neophyte, wannabe fic pimp. You’ll have to tune back
in next time for tips #6-10!

Tip # 1. Dedicate Accounts Exclusively to Your Fanfic Writing. Maybe you already have accounts under
your own name on facebook, twitter, tumblr, a blog, and the like. Create accounts dedicated almost
exclusively to your fanfic writing. Be your writing persona on these accounts and let that writer’s freak
flag fly, baby! If that means blocking some of your friends and family members, co-workers and your
pastor, so you can hang loose, do it! Out of the twenty-five adults in my family, only two are not blocked
from my MoxieGirl44 twitter account. One of those is my husband. I have a separate account that I
communicate with my family on. MoxieGirl44 is for me and my readers.

Tip # 2. Put Your Profile to Work. Your personal profile on your fic site serves one purpose: to introduce
yourself to your prospects and make them want to read your fic. Your profile is a sample of your
writing… so treat it that way. Be succinct and direct, friendly and honest. My profile immediately tells
the reader that, a) I am in love with the Bones characters and storyline, and that’s what compelled me
to write, b) this is my first attempt at fanfic and intended to be of rough draft quality, c) my dream has
always been to be a published fiction writer, d) these are my titles and what they are about, and e) I
hope they enjoy reading them.

Also, if there is something distinctive about your fics that sets them apart, make sure to mention that.
This allows the reader to either self-select or self-eliminate from the get-go. Believe me, this is a good
thing. If they are not going to enjoy your writing, you don’t want them reading it and leaving a negative
review … simply because what you write is not to their taste. For example, I mention that my fics are PG-
13. This makes a difference for some readers.

One last thing: choose a profile pic you really like and never change it. It doesn’t have to be of you, but it
should be consistent. This is called ‘branding’. Use it in the profiles of all your social media. You want
readers to immediately confirm that they have found you when they search for you on facebook,
twitter, tumblr, fandom community sites, blogs, and anywhere else you will be talking about your love
of the protagonists in your fandom. It helps to have the same name everywhere you go, if at all possible.
On fanfiction.net and Bonesology, I’m MoxieGirl. Everywhere else, because that wasn’t available, I’m
MoxieGirl44. But everywhere, I have the same headshot avatar (unless the site doesn’t allow it), so
readers know they have found me.

Tip # 3. Create a Provocative Story Description. Be provocative, intriguing. ‘Ron has a crush on
Hermione, but doesn’t want her to know. Harry plays quiddich and catches the golden snitch’, isn’t
going to cut it. Try, ‘Harry and Ron fall into a dormant volcano that’s about to erupt for the first time in
1,000 years. Will Hermione get to them in time and what shocking secret will she learn if she does? Who
finds out about their misadventure and goes to extraordinary lengths to nearly get the trio expelled from
Hogwarts for life, dying in the attempt?’

Read the story descriptions of other writers and notice which ones make you want to read the story!
Then write a description like they did.

Tip # 4. Direct Your Contacts To Your Fic. A hyperlink to your writing profile or your fic should appear on everything you put out for the (appropriate) masses to see. Make the website address for your writing
profile, or your best fic, a permanent part of your email signature, your Twitter profile, your facebook
homepage, your fanfic blog, any fandom sites, and on any online articles are media where you make a
comment.

Tip # 5. Broadcast Your Updates. Whenever you make a change, ans especially when you post a new
story or chapter, let everyone know! Tweet about it, making sure to include a trackable hyperlink and,
just as importantly, a hashtag actively followed by members of your fandom. What’s that? For Bones,
it’s #Bones, or #BonesHitatus, or a variant of those. You can find out what hashtags are used by your
fandom by doing a quick search in Twitter using the ‘# Discover’ function on your twitter homepage on
the twitter website.

Be careful though, more than once or twice at a time is frowned upon. You don’t want people to block
you or report you for spam. Just drop a couple reminders every once in awhile and see what happens.
When you are first starting out, tweet directly to those who are your self-identified readers following
you. Once you get a substantial following, people will know to watch out for your broadcasts and this
will no longer be necessary.

Tune in next time for the next 5 tips:

Tip # 6. Tease, Tease, Tease
Tip # 7. Track Your Following
Tip # 8 Return the Favor
Tip # 9. Above All, Be a Gracious Recipient
Tip # 10. Become a Pundit

See you soon! Keep writin’ fanfic!

Author: Catherine Cabanela, Guest Blogger
Fanfic Writer, ‘The When and the How: A Bone to Pick, An Epic Bones Romance’

MoxieGirl on FF.net
MoxieGirl44 on Twitter

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Getting Over the Fear of Posting

First Post

You’ve tossed the idea around in your head a thousand times. You’ve read dozen of
fics; some made you afraid to try writing a story that could stand alongside it. Then there
are those fics you wonder how the author ever thought to pass it off in your fandom! But
you decide to take the dive.

You come up with the best story plot ever! Or, at least it’s awesome to you. You’ve
spent days writing the first chapter, using your favorite character as the hero and the
worst characters as the villains. The Terms of Use and Guidelines have been read and
agreed to. It all comes down to the click of a button and it’s done.

Two hours have passed and you can’t help but go back on the site and see if anyone
has read your first chapter of your very first fan fiction. Your heart skips a beat when you
see you’ve had 5 visitors and 20 hits to your tale; but no reviews. You read the chapter
over again, smiling at your accomplishment . . . that is until you find the three missed
spell words and two homonyms. And more time passes.

You check your emails but you’ve got squat. You change the notification on your smart
phone to push your email every 15 minutes. So what if your cell phone battery will
be dead within 4 hours. This is important! The day is almost over; 19 hours since you
posted your first fic and not a single review, not even to say that you suck. You are
ready to deem yourself a horrible writer, delete your fan fic profile, and hide under a
rock.

As you are trolling through your email you get the best notification ever.

[New Review] for (Insert Story Title)
You have received a new review from FanFicCrit
“It doesn’t suck . . . Update”

Then you get:

[New Story Follower] FanFicCrit is now following your story (Insert Story
Title)

Your faith in your writing is rejuvenated and just in time too. You’ve already started
working on chapter 2!

If You Write It, They Will Come
Let’s face it all fan fiction readers are simply obsessed with their characters. And it is
because of this obsession that they will seek out everything they can. Your fiction will be
in the mix that they choose from. Be sure to craft your summary to read as awesome as
your fiction. After all, this is your reader’s first glance at what you have to offer.

Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Writers
We all have that hero on our favorite fan fiction site: we have read all of their stories;
they seem to come up with the most unique plots, use the best characters, and rack up
hundreds of reviews. It’s great to have a role model but your writing should be yours!
Don’t worry if your story doesn’t read like any others; that’s the point. Your writing
should be as unique as you are.

You Too Will Soon Know the Tricks
What’s the best day to post on? How does a beta work? How do I design these pesky
story covers? What the hic does A/N, canon, O/S, PWP, and AU means?
There is so much to writing fan fiction, it’s no wonder it’s its own little world. There
are countless resources out there that can help you get over the fear of posting and
reposting and posting again. Awesome sites like You Write What!?! Can help you learn
all those abbreviations, plus show you how to pimp your own fics to gain readers, and
what’s the best day to post (I personally have no luck when I post on Wednesdays . . .
go figure). Don’t be afraid to join sites and read up on how to be become a great writer,
even if this is just a hobby. In time you will know these little gems too.

You’re Obsessed Now So Keep Going
You’ve gotten over the hard part. You’ve put your thoughts on display for all to see.
You may not have gotten a hundred reviews your first time out but guess what NO ONE
DOES! We all have to put in the time and energy and as you will see most of us laugh
at our own first fics. My first fic is far from unique . . . Bella the vampire and Edward a
human . . . oh yeah, that’s original. Not to mention, I used more clichés than should
ever be a loud in a single story. But just like every other multiple story writer, I pressed
on and with it I grew and I am still growing. You will improve and evolve as well.

The fear of that first post is like an initiation process for all fan fiction writers. Those
who get over the fear, get the reward . . . The Fandom Obsession! Now go forth and
write. If you’ve gotten pass your first post than go read your first story and reminisce
on how far you have come both in your writing and understanding of fan fiction. If you
are still considering taking the dive into fan fiction, fear not! Remember you are not
alone and we have all been in the same boat. The fear to post doesn’t really go away;
it just changes. You will always experience a nervousness of posting a new story, a

new relationship idea, or a different plot with unheard of changes (like killing off main
characters or making the bad guy the hero). But use that nervousness to fuel you. It
could mean you are onto something new and great.

So Fear Not and Happy Posting!!

Author: Challa Fletcher, Staff Blogger

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The Top 10 Mistakes New Writers Make

A little less than five months ago, I sat in front of my laptop, nervously chewing on my
fingernail, staring at the first chapter of my very first fic. It was ready to go — all I had to do
was hit ‘Post New Chapter’.

A series of doubts ran through my head as I hovered over the button, taking ragged breath
after ragged breath. What if I misspelled a word? What if there’s a paragraph out of place?
What are people really going to think of this chapter? Of this story in general?

With one last sigh, I finally took the plunge, said screw it and hit the damn button.

The decision to post my first story was definitely not a mistake, but the weeks following
were full of them. Yup, I did misspell that word. And no, people really didn’t like that part of
a chapter. Also, I won’t pretend that bad review didn’t hurt a little bit, and yes, it did make
me rethink the direction of my story for more than a few seconds.

I try to use spell-check, I try to proofread several times, I try to ignore the critical reviews,
and I constantly remind myself this is my story and not to change it for anyone. But the truth
is, I’m still a new writer — five months is nothing compared to others — and I’m still flying
by the seat of my pants most days. It’s an uphill battle and I haven’t quite reached the top.

So with all my own mistakes still fresh and bleeding, I figured who better to tackle the
subject of the top 10 mistakes new writers make than me? Like I said, I’ve made plenty, but
I also took a similar approach to my last blog post and invited a few fic-writer friends who’ve
been around the block a few times to share with me the biggest mistakes they made
themselves, not to mention common mistakes they see others making.

We’ll just forget about how many of these I may or may not fall under...

Lack of Planning

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had a plot bunny sneakily infiltrate our brains to the point
where we can’t think of anything else and absolutely MUST sit down at the computer and
get it out on “paper.” We’re so excited, and we’re certain this could be the best thing we’ve
ever written. In our excitement and our haste, we give it a quick proofread, think of a title,
whip up a summary and scramble to our posting site of choice and immediately publish it.

This happens with a lot of new writers and a lot of seasoned ones, too. You start a story,
post it, but then you realize you have no idea where you’re going with it. Many fics have fell
to an untimely, premature death because of it. The point is to make a plan. Set a goal.
Think out, write out, blurt out some kind of rough outline at the very least so you have a

focal point and know what your story and what each individual chapter is working toward.

Grammar, Punctuation and All That Entails

Not even sure where to start on this one. When I asked my fic-writer friends their biggest
mistakes, I was shocked how many responses I received that fell under this category.
Punctuation, grammar, tense changes, dialogue tags, POV changes, over-description,
under-description, lack of description, he-said-she-said, “don’t these people own a
thesaurus?” Phew.

Fixing and improving many of the things on the above list is a grueling process. Personally,
I feel these are the hardest mistakes to rectify because many of them are rooted in us. We’ll
never stop doing them if it’s already something we do because we’re probably not aware
we’re doing them in the first place.

Which segues perfectly into my next point...

Flying Solo

It’s a common term you hear flying around the fanfic world — beta. It’s the place a chapter
goes between you and your readers, a person you trust to call you out when you veer off
the plot, put commas in the wrong place, give you constructive criticism to help you
improve, and offer you a supportive and helpful ear when you need help brainstorming your
new chapter.

But many new writers decide to fly solo, whether by choice or blissful unawareness that
such a thing as a beta exists. Yet, here’s what I gathered — FIND. ONE. As Dragonfly76
put it, “I wouldn't have been able to finish my first fic (which was a monster) without my
betas and pre-readers. Since then, I have gained so much value from that relationship. It
has made me a better writer in many aspects both creative and technical.”

Rushing the Plot

This is one of those mistakes I’ve had to stop myself from making on several occasions. It’s
easy to get ahead of yourself - one, as a writer, you tend to get bored. You’d much rather
get to action-packed, ooey-gooey or angsty bits and skip over all the build-up and plot
development it takes to get there. And it’s easy to think your readers might jump ship if you
don’t get things moving and get them moving right now.

But here’s the thing — most readers WILL stick with you through the “boring” parts. They

have more patience than we tend to think, and would probably be more apt to peace out if
you throw a curveball plot twist in completely out of left field. Don’t let anyone fool you
because most readers love the build-up, so long as they know it’s working toward
something juicy down the road.

Reviews are NOT Everything

Oh, reviews. We have a love-hate relationship with them. Publically, we claim it’s not about
the reviews, but we’ve all sat in front of our email inboxes, staring holes through the screen,
refreshing every three seconds, waiting for that first notification to come in after we post a
chapter. Reviews are like straight-up crack — addictive, damaging, life-altering crack. When
we get them, we feel validated. When we don’t, we assume our stories are horrible and
therefore, we suck at life entirely.

Take a deep breath. First and foremost, HAVE CONFIDENCE in yourself and what you’ve
created. Even if you don’t get the reviews you hoped for, don’t let it define your work or you
as a writer. There are tons of stories out there with way fewer reviews than they deserve,
and many with way MORE than they deserve.

Letting Bad Reviews Affect You

Speaking of reviews, the love and encouragement for your story will usually pour in by the
dozens. You’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside, send a heartfelt thank you note and move on
to the next.

But then you get that first bad review. In the case that it’s not a fellow writer trying to provide
constructive criticism to help you improve, this usually comes in the form of unnecessary
critiquing or even the inappropriate, anonymous flame. It might just be one, but you likely
won’t forget it. In fact, it very well might make you question everything about your story, not
to mention ruin your day, just because one person didn’t have the tact to keep their mouth
shut.

Buck up, buttercup. Don’t let it. People suck, and that will never change. I’ll let my friend,
Niamh, close this one out: “The sooner you learn to take the good with the bad, and
remember that there are people who will patiently wait to see where you're taking them
before they get all gutsy with the keyboard, the better your story will be.”

The Need to Please (trying to please readers)

Moving on, I’ll step up to the podium and admit this is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes

I’VE made as a new writer. I feel this incessant need to please people in various aspects of
my life, which probably stems from the fact I hate people being angry or frustrated with me
for ANY reason. Sadly, I’ve come close to letting this cross over into my writing as well.

This is where you really have to step back and remind yourself, repeatedly if necessary,
much like I have, that this is YOUR story, and the more you try to please every single one
of your readers, the less it becomes so. If readers don’t like the way you’re handling things,
developing your characters or advancing your plot, they are more than welcome to push off
and write their OWN story. Also, even if readers don’t agree, it doesn’t necessarily mean
they won’t stick with you and trust where you’re taking them, even if they’re not a huge fan
of the means to your end.

The Green-Eyed Monster

Why can’t we all just get along? Good question. Much like the real world, you will encounter
a variety of personalities who write for the same fandom as you. These competitive
personalities won’t always be supportive and they won’t always be encouraging. As a friend
of mine put it, jealousy is a bitter pill, and there always will be someone out there who thinks
their work is better than yours and might come up with “theories” to explain your success,
i.e. riding on the coattails of your friends in the fandom and capitalizing on their success via
association.

As my friend also put it, no matter what anyone might say to you about who you know or
why you may have or have not won awards for your writing, pay no mind. The jealousy and
the anger that goes with it can eat you alive. Do this for you, and don't allow anyone to have
that kind of power over you.

All Smut, All the Time

As we all know, one of the beauties of fanfiction is giving us those more, ahem, tender
moments we never got in the canon stories. Traditional, slash, femslash, BDSM, poly, you
name it — there’s something out there to satisfy every sexual appetite.

As a new writer, though, just don’t be fooled into thinking sex is the ONLY thing readers are
interested in.

Granted, that IS going to be the only thing SOME readers are interested in, but there are
authors out there who fill that niche just fine and it doesn’t have to be you, unless you want
it to be. If that’s the case, more power to you. If not, just keep in mind when someone tells
you “this is the slowest moving story they ever read” (read: where the hell is the smut?),

there are many more readers out there who are just as interested in intriguing characters
and a unique plot as they are lemons.

Not Getting Involved

There is a big old world outside of FF.net, which to me, is the least personal, socially cut-off
place you could possibly post your story. It works to gain readership and it definitely gets
you reviews, but for the most part, you’ll find your tenure in the world of fanfic writing to be
more fulfilling if you branch out and find other places to share your work.

There are smaller, more personal “communities” scattered around the Internet willing to
give your story another home. These are communities where you won’t get lost in the
shuffle of hundreds of thousands of stories, communities whose members will support you,
encourage you, promote you and offer you friendships you probably won’t gain over at
FF.net. My first story is posted in three of these places, and it goes without saying this was
probably one of the best decisions I’ve made as a new writer.

But being there isn’t enough. Get involved. Start a discussion forum, weigh in on other
topics, throw out a hello in the chat room. Cultivate those relationships and don’t be shy.
You won’t make friends being a wallflower, and once you stop, you’ll truly be getting the
best out of this experience.

Author: Megan aka @Meliz875

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Fanfictionary

Wouldn’t it be nice if Webster came through, picked out all the confusing/foreign/
over-our-head fanfic terminology, and wrote up a special dictionary just for fanfic
writers and readers to use?

<insert dreamy sigh here>

A girl can dream, right?

I’m sure we’ve all wished for something to help decipher the sometimes-confusing
jargon associated with a story at one time or another. While Webster may be in
no hurry to help us out, there’s still some hope! I took to Twitter and Facebook
to ask writers and readers alike what some of the most confusing acronyms and
terms in the fanfic world are. You may recognize some of these terms from YWW’s
original Fanfictionary piece from March. With any luck, a few of these terms will be
new to you, and this list will help make the world of fanfiction a wee bit easier to
understand.

AH: All-Human
While the characters in the original work may have had supernatural powers
(vampire, werewolf, fairy, etc.), the characters in an AH fanfic are all living,
breathing humans.

A/N: Author’s Note
These are commonly found at the beginning of a chapter. Author’s use these to
communicate with readers, whether it be to thank them, inform them about a
special outtake or upcoming events, give out a content warning, or announce
something about a contest, compilation, blog update, or the like. These may pop up
at the end of a chapter on occasion as well.

Angst:
I could write all day about angst, as it’s my favorite genre, but I’ll just say this – angst
stories hurt. The characters in these stories often feel excessive amounts of pain
and anger. These stories often deal with serious issues such as abuse, substance
abuse, self-harm, infidelity, and many more topics. If you’re lucky you might find
one of these that ends on a happy note, but I usually don’t recommend going in to an
angst story expecting the best outcomes.

AU: Alternate Universe
In an AU fanfic, the majority of the story elements are far removed from the original
story. For example, if the original story was set in the 1940s in Santa Monica, CA,
an AU version of it might be set in New York City in 1990. The characters in AU
stories are generally the same as the ones from the original fic, but they might have
different personalities or appearances.

Beta:
A beta is the fanfic equivalent of an editor. A beta reads an author’s chapters, fixes
any spelling errors, grammar errors, or general structural errors, and then returns
the piece to the author to post. Sometimes betas work with an author to re-structure
a plot if the author has deviated, or to help develop the characters more if the author
hasn’t done this very well. While the author is responsible for creating the story, I
like to think of the beta as the one who puts a little extra sparkle on it before it goes
public.

Canon:
A canon fanfic story contains one or more elements from the original story. Common
examples of canon items are relationship pairings, physical appearances, and
character personality traits. In addition, the setting, backstory, and elements of the
plot can also be canon as well.

Crackfic:
A crackfic is a completely crazy story. The characters do things that are off-the-
wall and often funny, the plot makes no sense whatsoever, and more often than not
readers sit back and wonder “what he/she smoking crack when writing that?” after
finishing the story.

DED:
DED is simply the way some people refer to “dead.” I’ve seen some reviews where
people say, “I’m DED,” or “This chapter left me DED.” I would guess it could have
both positive and negative connotations, depending on what it was in the chapter or
scene that made someone feel that way.

Fandom:
Fandom refers to the collective group of people who are all fans of a particular film,
book series, TV show, comic book, cartoon, etc. Fanfiction authors are typically
members of the fandom that their story is based off of.

Favorite Story/Author:
This is a function on most of the major sites where authors post their fanfiction
work. On FanFicton.net, for example, you have the option to add an author to your
favorite’s list or add a story to your favorite’s list. These lists are public, and other
writers and readers can pull them up off of someone’s profile. Placing authors
or stories on your favorites lists makes these items easy to access in the future.
Authors get email alerts when they or their stories are favorited.

Follow Story/Author:
This is another function on most of the major sites, although it’s also known
as ‘alerting’ a story or an author. There is no public list of stories or authors a
person has followed/alerted. When you choose to follow a story, you will receive
email alerts when the story updates. When you choose to follow an author, you will
receive email alerts when the author posts a new piece of work, or when he or she
updates any existing pieces of work. As with favorited items, authors receive email
alerts when they or their stories are favorited.

Hard Limit:
In the fic world, a hard limit is a story element that prevents the reader from
starting the story or finishing the story. Examples of hard limits are character
deaths, slash relationships, rape, abuse, or non-canon pairings. It’s always a good
idea for an author to disclose any potential hard limits in the story’s disclaimer or
the first author’s note.

HEA: Happily Ever After
A HEA fanfic story has just that – a happily ever after! HEA stories may have a bit of
angst woven in at different points, but when all is said and done, boy has met girl
(or boy) and they live happily in their big house with the white picket fence and 2.5
children (or furry substitutes). Love typically prevails in a HEA story, although it
may be friendship or family ties that prevail instead. If you decide to read this type
of story, you will be smiling at the end.

Lemon:
Simply put, a lemon is a sex scene. The details are juicy (hence ‘lemon’), there is
often graphic and explicit sexual content in the scenes, and well-written ones leave
readers in a hot mess looking for more. Occasionally an entire story is considered
a lemon because it consists of content that is purely sexual in nature. Lemons are
often very popular – sometimes even craved – by fanfic readers.

OOC: Out of Character
This means that the characters in a fanfic piece behave in ways that are different
than how they behaved in the original fiction piece. For example, Edward Cullen is
quite chivalrous in the Twilight series. An OOC fan fiction piece might feature him as
arrogant, abusive, or just plain an asshole.

PPS: Please Post Soon
This is an acronym often used by readers in their reviews, and sometimes when
communicating with an author on social networks like Twitter or Facebook. We all
know how it is to fall in love with someone’s story. When a reader is eager for more,
PPS is their way of asking the author to share more – soon!

Pre-Reader:
I’ve often seen the terms “pre-reader” and “beta” intermingled, but to me (and
to some others in the fic world that I talked to), a pre-reader is in fact a different
thing. While a beta goes through and makes corrections to the story itself, a pre-
reader exists to provide nothing but creative feedback on the writing. A pre-reader
will read a chapter and then discuss any ideas he or she has in terms of the plot,
characters, backstories, or details with the writer. A pre-reader offers creative input,
maybe even helps the author with parts of a story at times. While a beta may do all
of these things as well, pre-readers generally don’t do any of the crossover tasks of a
beta.

R&R: Read and Review
R&R is a term used by an author. I’ve typically seen it in the Author’s Note at the
beginning of a chapter. Essentially, this is the author’s way of asking readers to not
only read the chapter, but also to review the chapter after they’ve read it.

Reviews:
Reviews are comments that readers can post for each chapter of a story. Reviews
are public, but reviewers have the option to leave anonymous reviews if they wish.
Anonymous reviews aren’t always positive, however, and are frowned upon by
some people in the fanfic community. Reviews can be good, bad, or downright ugly
at times. Reviews are also a way that authors gauge the popularity of their stories,
which can be both a positive and a negative thing in the big scheme of things.

Slash:
A slash story contains a homosexual relationship. Usually one of the members
involved in the relationship is a canon character from the original fiction work.
Slash involving two males is generally referred to solely as “slash,” while slash
involving two females can be known as “slash,” “femmeslash,” or “femslash.” Slash
relationships can be a hard limit for certain readers, so it’s a good idea to indicate in
a disclaimer or A/N that the fic contains one.

UST: Unresolved Sexual Tension
Ever read a fic where two characters are clearly sexually attracted to one another,
but they do a beautifully constructed dance around one another for the first five
or six chapters? Those five or six chapters would contain quite a bit of what we in
the fanfic world call UST – unresolved sexual tension. UST is typically not acted on
immediately, and leaves readers wanting more and chomping at the bit to read the
next update. UST involves a lot of buildup, maybe some casual flirting and an almost
kiss or two. The characters in question may be involved in relationships with other
people, but still have a lot of UST between them. Readers are often eager to see
these characters act on their desires – if the author decides to let them!

Views:
Views refer to the total number of times a page is visited by a user. For example, if a
story has 5,000 views, then that means the page was accessed 5,000 times. In other
words, the story was viewed 5,000 times, although these may include repeat views
for a single page by a user or could be a new view on a single page from different
users.

Visitors:
A visitor is a person who views multiple pages on the site. For example, if a user
accesses a story, reads the first chapter and likes it, then proceeds to read all 18
additional chapters and read the other three stories an author has posted, that user
would now be considered a visitor. A story may have hundreds of thousands of page
views, but only a few thousand visitors, as only a few thousand people actually read
the story and actually navigate through the pages.

This is only a relatively small collection of the terms that are used on a daily basis in
the fanfiction world.

Hopefully this post can help fanfiction newcomers get their toes wet and start to
understand more of what is meant by the different words and acronyms authors
and reviewers alike use on a regular basis.

Got any more terms you’d like to see defined? Simply leave a comment here and I’ll
comment back with the information I come up with!

Happy writing – and reading!

Author: Nikki Storebo, Staff Blogger
Fanfic writer, 'Hot Commodity' and other Twilight goodies.
Blueeyedcherry in the fandom.
RPExaminer on Twitter.

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The Art of The Review

If fan fiction were its own nation, reviews would be the currency.

The above statement is one I would venture to guess almost every author (and probably reader) of fan fiction could agree with. Writers love it when readers leave them a review at the end of a chapter. After all, what human doesn’t like to receive some type of acknowledgment after working hard on something? Reviews are a way for authors to know what people loved, what they hated, what stuck even after the chapter ended, and whether or not the plot bunny in question will carry out like the Energizer rabbit or fizzle away relatively quickly.

Unfortunately reviews are also a way for authors to get hurt, to lose motivation, and sometimes they’re one of the driving factors in an author choosing to pull and discontinue his or her story.

I don’t claim to be an expert on this topic by any means, and I’ll be the first to admit I’m still relatively new to the whole fan fiction game (I only started posting a year ago). I have been told, however, that I write good reviews that critique without being cruel and that offer praise and suggestions when applicable. That being said, I was more than happy to volunteer to cover this topic. It also happens to be an area I’m pretty vocal about and that I sometimes struggle with as a writer (I think we’ve all wanted to throw our computers out the window after reading a scathing review).

When it comes to reviews, there’s the good, and then there’s the bad and the ugly (which I like to group together). There can be some good in a bad/ugly review, and some bad/ugly in a good review, but for the most part, when I think of reviews, a few common characteristics come to mind for each of these groups.

A good review…

Highlights what the reader liked. It doesn’t have to contain paragraph after paragraph of praises for the author, but if a certain phrase, scene, character, or moment struck your fancy, don’t hesitate to share that! Authors always know what they liked best about a chapter, but every time we click “post new chapter” we’re left wondering if readers will love what we loved or if they’ll completely hate everything we’ve written. I don’t believe in nor am I a fan of stroking someone’s ego, but it’s nice to know that the time spent writing meant something to someone outside of our small writing bubble.

Critiques, but does so in a constructive manner. I’m sure we’ve all read (and some may have even written) a scathing review in which the author gets chewed up and spit out over grammatical errors, portions of the plot, a character’s features, or another detail from the story. I understand and love the fact that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but there is a respectful way to deliver that opinion, even when it isn’t a positive one. Rather than saying something like, “This Bella is such a spoiled bitch and if I were Edward or any other male character in the story I’d run far, far away,” a reader could say, “Bella hasn’t exactly been the poster child for respect when it comes to how she treats Edward. I wonder if he’ll stay with her or if he’ll end up leaving?” Delivery is just as important as content when it comes to reviewing, and good reviews are delivered in a tactful manner. 

Reviews the story, not the author. Making comments on a writer’s style and skills is one thing – reviewing the author’s character is entirely different. They’re not common (thank goodness!), but I have seen the occasional review that gives a rundown on the author’s character but pays no mind to the story itself. Perhaps an author has made a comment on Facebook or Twitter that you don’t agree with, or they replied to a review in a less-than-tactful manner. It’s okay to be upset, it’s okay to want to say something to them, but there is a time and a place where that is appropriate, and it’s not in the review section. A large number of fan fiction authors are also set up on some social networking site, and can be reached privately there to discuss wrong doings. In addition, popular sites such as FanFiction.net and The Writer’s Coffee Shop provide readers with the option to send authors private messages (PMs) if they choose to. The fandoms are a place where people come to enjoy something they love, not a place to foster judgment and hate. Readers and writers alike are responsible for keeping things that way.

Is passionate. Did a particular part of a story or a scene in a chapter leave you feeling incredibly happy, sad, angry, or excited? Tell the author that! If a piece of writing can elicit strong emotions from readers, it means the author is doing something right. Readers are very quick to tell an author what he or she is doing wrong, but it’s a far less common occurrence for us to hear when we’ve done something that really left a mark. As always, classy review is better than a trashy one, and being tactful in your delivery is a good thing.

A bad/ugly review…

Is filled with one rude sentiment after another. Spending twenty minutes writing a review that tells the author how terrible the plot is, how the characters are all stupid/dull/stereotypical/any other irritating quality, how the author’s update schedule isn’t what the reader wants, etc. etc. is not only rude, but it’s also not tasteful at all. Just because someone posts their work and puts everything out there does not mean readers have the right to be disrespectful. If you’re filled with that much hatred for a particular story, perhaps it’s best to simply stop reading.

Is written with the intention of hurting the author. Wait, what’s that you say? You don’t like a particular author? You don’t like the person who betas a story? So what? Move on! Don’t spend your time composing a deliberately nasty review simply because you dislike the individual behind the story. Find a different story to read or connect with an author that you do like. By composing a vile review, you’ve done nothing but caused an author to waste a minute reading the review and another five or ten minutes stewing over it, and you’ve wasted your own time that could have been spent doing something more constructive or enjoyable. There are thousands of stories from hundreds of fandom’s out there to read. Why spend even a minute being callous when you could be busy falling in love with one of them?

Are demanding. Telling an author to “please update soon” is one thing. Demanding that they “update or I won’t read this story anymore” is completely bogus. Fan fiction authors write for free. They take time out of their schedules (some of which are already jam packed) to work on and post stories that readers can enjoy. They aren’t required to post a specific number of words or chapters at a set frequency. Each and every one of us has a life outside of the realm of fan fiction. Authors and readers are also students, professionals, parents, husbands, and wives, and have daily activities to attend to. Be patient. If you’re curious about the status of a particular story, send the author a message or a tweet. If you feel like you just can’t wait anymore, put the story on alert, add it to your list of fics to be read in the future, and move on to the next piece. Providing an author with nonstop proverbial kicks in the ass usually does not have a positive or desired effect on the story.

Tells the author how to write the story. These reviews may very well be some of the most infuriating ones authors have to read. Our stories are like our babies; we all work hard to craft a set of characters and a plot line that we can fill with scenes and situations our minds dream up. To have a reader come along and tell us that something should have happened a different way or that two characters should not be in a relationship with one another is the last thing we want to hear. It’s even more difficult to stomach it when the reviewer has never written anything of his or her own. In a perfect world, everyone who wanted Joey to end up with Dawson could have pushed a button on his or her remote to hand-craft an alternate ending. Unfortunately that was not how the writers of Dawson’s Creek wanted things to come to an end, and it was their story to tell, not the audience’s to write. Be respectful of the creativity people choose to share with you. And if you really want to see a fic where Bella ends up with Jacob and Edward falls off a cliff … open your word processing program and start writing! The fan fiction universe is an ever-expanding one, and we’re always happy to accept new writers!

This list could go on and on, and I’m sure that some of you will have more to offer up down in the comments section on the post. But for those who are new to the game – or even those who are seasoned veterans – I think this is a good place to start.

Reviews are a touchy subject for most, but they don’t always have to be. With a little time, attention, and some TLC, readers can craft reviews that not only express their thoughts on a story, but also provide the author with some constructive criticism, and maybe even include a few humorous points as well!

I’ll leave you with my definition of the “3 R’s”: read, review, and most importantly, respect.

Happy reviewing!

Author: Nikki Storebo, Guest Blogger

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Beta 101: How to be a Beta

Of all the inboxes, on all the sites in all the world…she walked into mine.

Okay, so maybe my adventures as a beta didn’t begin so dramatically. But narratives without drama are like 50Shades of Grey without the Twilight references…they just don’t work.

           

My life as a beta actually began quite by chance. I read a story, and the more I read of the story the more convinced I became that the author was really onto something, if they could just push themselves to write outside their comfort zone. In a move that was very uncharacteristic for me, I sent the author a private message that was brutally truthful, pressed send and prayed I wouldn’t find myself on the receiving end of a flame worthy reply.  To my shock her response was positive. Becoming her beta was such an organic process that it’s hard now for me to remember who asked whom, but it doesn’t really matter – the result was still the same. We agreed, tentatively, to begin the process together and I’ve never looked back.

It feels like ages since that initial email but, in reality, it’s only been a year. In that year I’ve learned so much. Working with Sam (yeah…that Sam) I’ve learned a million big and small things – how to support someone else’s dream, how to push someone to a level they didn’t think they were capable of and a lot about myself as a writer. It has been one of the single most rewarding experiences of my life – and I’ve gained a lifelong friend in the process.

So, now that all the mushy stuff is over, let me share with you what I’ve learned about being a beta.

1.    You’re  a beta…not God

You’d be surprised at how many people get the two confused! Working with an author, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day the creative direction of a story, the vision for what it’s going to be, is theirs alone. You can assist, cajole, challenge and support but you cannot do it FOR them. In the beginning of our beta partnership I’d return Sam’s stories chock full of red corrections. Corrections aren’t wrong (if you’re betaing for someone with grammar issues PLEASE markup that manuscript! Friends don’t let friends post crappy work), but my corrections went beyond grammar and punctuation. I would change whole passages to fit what I felt was the best way to write the story. Sam and I think similarly so it didn’t cause many problems but eventually I had to learn to trust Sam’s voice – let her tell the story. My job wasn’t and isn’t to tell the story for her, but to help her see the areas that can make her story better – and then let her do the work. In the end, as a beta, your influence on the story should make it a better version of the author’s own voice. It shouldn’t sound like you.

2.    To Thine Own self Be True

I’ve received many requests to beta. When I receive them the first thing I do is research the author’s work. There are some things I don’t feel comfortable or capable of betaing (graphic violence, slash, incest, rape or thriller/mystery/murder). If the author leans toward these things I politely decline the invite and, if I can, direct them to someone else. Is it because I think I’m better than them? Absolutely not – it’s because I know myself and what I’m capable of. I can’t help an author write a great violent scene because my brain doesn’t work that way. 

As a writer I want to see other writers do the best they are able to do. If I don’t believe my influence will accomplish that then I do them and myself, a disservice to accept the beta request.

If you’re going to beta, you have to know your limits.

3.    Manage Expectations

There are some authors who want to post four times a week. There are some writers who want you to return their story with edits inside of 24 hours. There are some authors who expect you to SPAG their work (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) but leave the content alone and some authors who expect you to comment on the content of their story. Not being clear on the author’s expectations, and yours, right out of the gate can doom the beta relationship to failure before it even begins.

 I was very fortunate to beta for someone who, like me, has a very busy life. She was happy to get the story back whenever I was finished with no real urgency or pressure. And if she did need something in a specific time frame she was very good about letting me know when she sent it so I could plan accordingly.

Managing expectations also means understanding the writer you’re working with. If you beta for a 15 year old whose first language isn’t English you have to make allowances for that. You can’t read a love story written by a first time teenaged writer and expect it to read the same as something from a 40 year old seasoned writer. Challenge the author but make sure your expectations are realistic.

As easy as it was with Sam and me, I’m fully aware that many beta relationships fall apart based on unmet expectations. For that reason I recommend that anyone deciding to beta get all the expectations out on the table before making a commitment to the partnership. Determine (and put it in writing if possible) how often the author expects to post, what turnover time they expect for editing and exactly what kind of editing  they want. And once those expectations are laid out do your very best to stick to them. If they have expectations that you don’t feel comfortable meeting then be clear and upfront about it. It’s sometimes an awkward conversation but it saves a lot of headache and hassle in the long run.

4.    Don’t bite off more than you can chew

I have been very guilty of this. I was honored when someone asked me to beta. I have a beta for my own stories and I know the reason I have him (shout out to @DwynArthur) is because I have immense respect for his skill in storytelling. To have someone see me that same way felt good – really good. Good enough that it became harder and harder to say no. Being the regular beta for two people was okay (I beta for my beta…I know…weird), and even the third person was a stretch, but not impossible. However, after the third person I took on I tried to take on a fourth – bad idea.  I ended up unable to help the way I planned, had to direct them to someone else and there were hurt feelings all around.

When you beta for someone the work can often be time consuming. If they are working on multi-chaptered fics or some stories require more attention than others you can find yourself spending more time betaing than you do writing your own stories or realize that you aren’t giving as much time or energy to each authors story as it deserves.

Every author deserves your best effort and you can’t give your best effort if you’re stretched too thin. There are going to be times when the difference between being a good beta and a great beta is as simple as three words – no thank you.

Learn from my example – don’t bite off more than you can chew.

5.    Zip Your Lips

I wouldn’t think that this point was necessary but I’ve heard some horror stories that make me feel obligated to mention it.

When you become a beta there are times that an author will share with you the direction they see their story going, potential story lines they’re working on and/or outlines for sequels. In the world of fan fiction there are many storylines that have been used and re-used, even so, when the person you beta for shares story ideas with you it is your responsibility to keep those ideas to yourself. By bringing you into their creative process they trust you to maintain confidentiality and when you share ideas that aren’t yours with anyone outside of that partnership it can carry the sting of a betrayal.  Even if you are sharing it with someone you trust, or someone you think the author would benefit from interacting with, you should never do so without express permission from the author.

6.    A Steady Diet of Cotton Candy…Only Gives You A Toothache

Compliments are nice, but as writers we cannot live on a steady diet of “that was awesome – don’t change a thing!” If you’re asked to beta for someone who doesn’t agree with that…RUN!!

There is one thing you have to be able to do if you’re a beta, one of the most important things in my opinion. If you’re going to beta then you have to be comfortable with telling the truth…the whole truth, even when it’s not the prettiest truth in the world.

Everything that the author gives you, no matter how good of a writer they are, isn’t going to be Pulitzer worthy. Sometimes they’re going to send you work that is (as I term it) lazy writing. Sometimes they’ll give you stories with plot holes as big as Texas and sometimes the work may be all around bad (harsh? Yes…but ask any beta and they’ll tell ya it’s true). So what do you do when that happens? Some would say that you just point out the good stuff, correct some of the bad stuff and wish upon a star that they’ll get better. I don’t agree with those people. Real writers who get real betas want real critique. Real critique – positive, encouraging, honest and effective – makes us better writers and isn’t that what we all want?

As a beta it’s tempting to throw a bunch of feel good words at the author but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade. If there is a plot hole it’s your job to point it out. If one of the characters is lying flat on the page, it’s your job to point it out and help them bring life to it. If their grammar rivals a first grader…yep, you guessed it; it’s your job to point it out. It’s scary at first, but if they came to you then they trust your judgment and appreciate your insight.

There is an amazing author who sometimes critiques my work (he shall remain nameless but I think he knows who he is). In the beginning I’d read his critique and to be honest, it stung – more than a little bit. He told me what I did right but he also told me what I did wrong (I hate being wrong). But as hard as his words were to take, his advice is something I carry with me into every story I write. It felt like swallowing rainwater at the time, but it made me a better writer.

  

One of the most amazing things I’ve ever read from Sam (and she’s written a lot of amazing stuff) was a very emotional scene. She sent it to me with her usual message “Dear Dee, This is awful, I hate it…you probably will too” or something along those lines. I didn’t hate it, but I knew she could do better. I sent it back to her with a little direction but no words of my own added. I was blunt and honest. I told her what was working and what wasn’t and refused to let her accept less than she was capable of. It was a hard conversation. I think she must have re-written and re-sent that scene at least five times. At one point I thought we’d both pull our hair out, but when all was said and done I read the scene and literally cried – it was just that beautiful, and I know that she was proud of what she was able to accomplish.

There are probably a million more tips I could give you on being a beta but I think I’ve pulled on your ear long enough. The last thing I’ll say is this, the relationship between a beta and an author comes in many different forms, but no matter how you find them or they find you I can only hope that you’ll be as lucky as I have been and that your beta partnership brings out the best, not only in the author, but in you.

Now it’s your turn. Tell us how being a beta or finding a beta has worked for you? Leave us your comments or tweet us at @BlogFanfiction.

Author: Dee Miles, Staff Blogger

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