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Fiction Factor Newsletter
Aug. 31st, 2009 09:23 amMore articles from Fiction Factor Newsletter
http://www.fictionfactor.com
For some of our "romantically inclined" authors:
Secrets of Writing an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel by Jessica James
http://romance.fictionfactor.com/articles/secrets.html
There was also an interesting article - How to Impress an Editor (and How To Mark yourself as an Amateur) by Lee Masterson. The full article can be found here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/impress.html Although it was aimed at the professional (or wannabe professional) writer, there were some points that could also apply to fanfic writers. I've paraphrased some of these to "fit" our particular arena.
Pro - A reader wants to see a submission that is clear and easy to read.
Amateur - Who cares about the eye-strain the reader has to suffer?
Pro - Remember at all times that you are not the only person posting a story on that day.
Amateur - Demand that you be given comments precisely 24 hours after you submit your work (or you won't post the next chapter!)
Pro - Check the formatting so readers aren't looking all over for the next sentence or paragraph - or can actually tell where the next paragraph begins.
Amateur - The hell with formatting - I don't have time for that stuff...
Pro - Briefly describe your work - provide a summary that gives the reader an idea of what to expect.
Amateur - Tell the readers how much your grandma LOVED your story. Remind them again how good it is, because your best friend said it made her cry. Throw in another reminder of your brilliance and tell them you're the next Stephen King.
Pro - Double- then triple-check your work for spelling and grammar.
Amateur - Run your story through the computer spell checker and hope it caught everything. Or just rely on your own judgment. Or don't bother with any of that - after all, it's just for fun!
Pro - Realize that an honest critique is not a personal thing, even if it points out flaws in your story. This is a good thing.
Amateur - Respond to non-glowing reviews with death-threats. Or perhaps send a rude article about the self-serving nastiness of readers who don't have a clue, and definitely question the motives of the reviewer.
http://www.fictionfactor.com
For some of our "romantically inclined" authors:
Secrets of Writing an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel by Jessica James
http://romance.fictionfactor.com/articles/secrets.html
There was also an interesting article - How to Impress an Editor (and How To Mark yourself as an Amateur) by Lee Masterson. The full article can be found here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/impress.html Although it was aimed at the professional (or wannabe professional) writer, there were some points that could also apply to fanfic writers. I've paraphrased some of these to "fit" our particular arena.
Pro - A reader wants to see a submission that is clear and easy to read.
Amateur - Who cares about the eye-strain the reader has to suffer?
Pro - Remember at all times that you are not the only person posting a story on that day.
Amateur - Demand that you be given comments precisely 24 hours after you submit your work (or you won't post the next chapter!)
Pro - Check the formatting so readers aren't looking all over for the next sentence or paragraph - or can actually tell where the next paragraph begins.
Amateur - The hell with formatting - I don't have time for that stuff...
Pro - Briefly describe your work - provide a summary that gives the reader an idea of what to expect.
Amateur - Tell the readers how much your grandma LOVED your story. Remind them again how good it is, because your best friend said it made her cry. Throw in another reminder of your brilliance and tell them you're the next Stephen King.
Pro - Double- then triple-check your work for spelling and grammar.
Amateur - Run your story through the computer spell checker and hope it caught everything. Or just rely on your own judgment. Or don't bother with any of that - after all, it's just for fun!
Pro - Realize that an honest critique is not a personal thing, even if it points out flaws in your story. This is a good thing.
Amateur - Respond to non-glowing reviews with death-threats. Or perhaps send a rude article about the self-serving nastiness of readers who don't have a clue, and definitely question the motives of the reviewer.
