Fan Fiction FAQ 6.0

Dear TFN fanficcers,

Welcome to Fan Fiction! Before you scream in terror at the size of this FAQ, let us assure you that this place is not as scary as it seems.

Fan Fic is where fans write and read stories set in the Star Wars universe. It's a warm, creative, and often insane environment. Before you jump in, please take the time to go over the rules below – this will save you a lot of trouble later on. Furthermore read through the Rules & Announcements forum for general Jedi Council policies, as they all apply here.

For some tips on general etiquette, watch How to Behave on an Internet Forum. Funny, entertaining, and very informative.

How to contact the mods

The moderators for Fan Fiction are Commander-DWH, mavjade and Luna_Nightshade. We can help you with any trouble you have on the boards. To contact us, click on our names here and then send a private message. We'll read your message and get back to you as soon as possible.

If we're not online and you need help right away, contact any online Jedi Council moderator to help you. If there are no JC moderators online, contact a FanForce RSA.

Let us know if you have any suggestions for improving the FAQ. This is for your benefit as well as ours. The clearer and more concise the FAQ, the better everyone will understand the rules, and the better this forum runs.

Following this is a table of contents for your FAQ-navigating ease. Many thanks to whoever bestowed HTML powers upon the mods.


With a little bit of drama and a lot of blunt trauma,
The Fan Fic Mods





Table of Contents


I. Fan Fic lingo

1. Upping threads
2. Pimping threads
3. Concrit
4. Thread manager
5. Abbreviations

II. JC lingo and general rules

1. Family-friendly
2. Baiting/flaming/snarking – addressing other people
3. Bashing
4. Thread-crapping
5. Profanity
6. Famous people

III. What's in the header?

1. TFN Archive
2. Story forum links
3. Fan Fic Index
4. Sticky threads

IV. What can I post in the Resource forum?

1. Fan Fic forum concerns/questions
2. Redundant threads
3. Appreciation threads
4. Games
5. Polls

V. What can I post in story forums?

1. Story types
2. Sexual depictions
3. Sexual references
4. Slash
5. Interspecies Romantic Relationships
6. Violence
7. Mature themes
8. Religious themes/blasphemy
9. Ratings for EU novels
10. Actor Fics

VI. What about socialization?


VII. Shared Usernames


VIII. Promoting Fics

1. Why you can't promote your fic
2. How you shouldn't promote your fic
3. How to get readers
4. Can I promote other websites?

IX. Update PMs


X. [COLOR=0066cc] Plagiarism[/COLOR]


XI. Writing Help

1. Need a beta?
2. Need help with an idea?
3. Have a good writing tip?
4. What about co-writing and round-robins?

XII. Challenge/Discussion Threads

1. Running a thread
2. Fan Fiction Master Challenge Index

XIII. Story Indexes

1. New Story Index
2. Completed Story Index

XIV. [COLOR=00cc66]General Fan Fic Etiquette[/COLOR]

1. Incessant Upping
2. Borrowing
3. Spoiler policy

XV. [COLOR=ee7700]Fun and Games[/COLOR]

1. Fan Fic Awards
2. Trivia Contest
3. Mod Challenges
4. Mod Approval

XVI. Last Words



Fan Fic Lingo


Fanficcers have their own crazy way of talking to each other. Here are some terms and rules to help you move around these forums.

Upping
Posting in a thread for the sole purpose of putting it on page 1. Incessant upping is considered spamming and will earn you a ban. When it comes to upping your story or replying to your readers, please exercise common sense and courtesy to your fellow writers.

Pimping
Shamelessly promoting your story or thread. This is often done in other threads or through PMs, and it's considered very rude. Certain threads will allow you to mention your story freely, while others prefer that you don't. If you're unsure if story/thread pimping is allowed somewhere, PM the mods or thread managers.

Concrit
Shorthand for "constructive criticism," and defined in Fan Fic as any suggestions to an author that would change the style/tone/plot of a story (see below for more details). Commenting on formatting details such as paragraph spacing is not considered concrit. You must have an author's explicit permission before giving concrit, whether publicly or privately. Any unsolicited comments will be removed.

Thread manager
The person in charge of a particular thread. In the story forums, it's the author. In Resource, it's the person who runs the discussion or organises the challenges. Socks may be used if two or more people are managing a thread (see Shared Usernames for more details). Thread managers are responsible for ensuring the thread runs smoothly and bringing any problems to the mods' attention. You can contact the managers if you have questions about the thread.

Abbreviations
Common shorthands used on these boards.

Characters
H/L - Han and Leia
L/M - Luke and Mara
A/A or Ani/Ami or A/P - Anakin and Padme Amidala
S/S - The Skywalker and Solo families
J/J - Jag and Jaina
K/J - Kyp and Jaina
J/Z - Jaina and Zekk
J/TK - Jacen and Tenel Ka
Sabewan/Obidala/Siriwan – Obi-Wan and Sabe; Obi-Wan and Amidala: Obi-Wan and Siri
A/T – Anakin and Tahiri
OC - original character
ISRR – Interspecies romantic relationship

Timeline
EU - Expanded Universe (all of the books)
KOTOR – Knights of the Old Republic game, 4,000 before TPM
JA - The Jedi Apprentice books about Obi-Wan's youth before TPM
JQ - The Jedi Quest books about Anakin Skywalker's youth before AotC.
TPM - The Phantom Menace
AotC - Attack of the Clones
CW – Clone War
RotS – Revenge of the Sith
ANH - A New Hope
ESB - The Empire Strikes Back
RotJ - Return of the Jedi
NJO - The New Jedi Order books, 25 years post-RotJ
YJK – The Young Jedi Knights books
DN – Dark Nest trilogy, 31 years post-RotJ
LOTF - Legacy of the Force series, 36 years post-RotJ
PT - Episodes 1-3, the prequels
OT - Episodes 4-6, the original trilogy
post-RotJ - takes place after the movies
pre-TPM - takes place before the movies
inter-trilogy or IT - between the two trilogies

Genre
AU - alternate universe
Obi-torture - Obi-Wan gets hurt and comforted
H/C - hurt/comfort
squad fic - fighter squadron stories
humor - lots of silliness
angst - anguish, torment, fear, anxiety
crossover or x-over - mixing Star Wars with another movie, tv series or book
round robin or RR - multi-author story inviting more people to join in (also called an add-on)
songfic - a story based on the lyrics of a song


JC Lingo and Board-Wide Rules


These are the JC standards as they apply to Fan Fic. Please see the Rules and Announcements forum for complete board rules.

Family-friendly
The standard applied to the JC forums. Stories in Fan Fic must adhere to this standard in descriptions of sex, violence, and torture. See What can I post in story forums? for more details. Technically, we do not follow the MPAA rating system, but we use this context to help us judge a whether or not a story’s fit for these forums.

Baiting/Flaming
A bait is a comment that elicits a particular (usually negative or TOS-violating) response from another user. Flaming is when one user attacks another.

Baiting Examples (meant to offend, but not necessarily offensive unless you know the context)
HAN: (to Lando) What's going on . . . buddy?

HAN: You didn't see us alone in the south passage. She expressed her true feelings for me.

ANAKIN: General Grievous. You're shorter than I expected.

LEIA: You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought.

Flaming Examples (obvious insults)
LEIA: I don't know where you get you delusions, laser brain.

HAN: Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us!

VADER: He is as clumsy as he is stupid.

ANGRY ALIEN DRIVER: Jedi poodoo!!

Borderline Examples (stop just short of naming names, or with strongly implied insults)
HAN: If we can just avoid any more female advice, we ought to be able to get out of here.

QUI-GON : The ability to speak does not make you intelligent.

OBI-WAN: Why do I get the feeling we've picked up another pathetic lifeform?
--examples courtesy of ophelia

Bashing
Incessantly making strong negative comments about a particular topic.

Thread-crapping
Posting in a thread for the sole purpose of derailing it or bashing. Also known as trolling.

In Fan Fic we don’t allow users to flame stories or discussion threads. A general rule of thumb is, "If you don't like, don't read it, and don't post in it." We also do not criticise spelling and grammar. People who might not know this will get a polite PM informing them of this "local" standard. For people who are well aware of it, this behaviour is considered flamebaiting.

In addition, users are free to express negative opinions, but the focus should never be other users. Discuss the stories, not the fans. Always be respectful and polite. The JC Rules of Conduct and Terms of Service prohibits abusing other users. If you receive a flame via PM, a administrator will need to access it, but once it's seen it will be treated as a post on the board.

NB: Jedi Council moderators can only act on events that occur at the JC. Report comments on other boards or in instant messaging to the management involved in those forums.

Profanity
Authors can use curses from the Star Wars movies and the books. The mods will edit anything on the disallowed list and will send a PM reminder. Repeat offences will result in disciplinary action.

These lists apply to all JC forums and are subject to change.

Allowable:

Hell
Damn
Douche (when not being used as an insult)
Crap
Ass / Arse and derivatives (when not being used as an insult at a person)
Bitch (true dictionary definition and verb useage)
Bastard (dictionary definition and some verb useage)
Penis / Vagina / any proper term for genetalia (only in a sheer biological sense and discussion)

Not Allowed:

Prick (except when used as a proper noun or a verb)
****er / **** / ****ing
Tosser
**** / ****ing / ****ed (and any term / acronym that uses the letter "f" that implies it, including - wtf, lmfao, rotflmfao, stfu, etc.) (wt* is allowed as is ****ing)
****
****
Retarded (when directed at someone or something - demeaning)
Nigger / Chink / Gook / Coon / Cracker (any racial slur)
Gay / Ghey / Homo / Dyke (used in derogitory fashion)
Fag / Faggot (when used in a derogatory fashion)
**** / ***** (also BS, POS for 'piece of ****' and SOL for '**** out of luck')
Cock/Dick (when used as slang for genitalia)
Tits / Titties
Pussy (when referring to anything other than in the feline sense)
Bitch (referencing a person) (also Bee-yotch, or Bi-otch, or Bitchslap)
Son of a Bitch (or it's acronym)
Bastard (when used as an insult to any person)
Whore (when used as an insult to any person)
Slut / Ho
******* / ********


NB: In fanfics, whore,bastard, and slut are allowed as insults between fictional characters. Aside from dictionary definitions, other uses will be edited. In stories, however, we encourage you to find your own Star Wars curse words.​

Famous people
In Fan Fic we accord famous people and those involved with Star Wars (or any other venture which might make their names known) the same level of respect we would fellow posters. This means that in spoofs, SW-meets-Earth stories, or discussions in Resource, we will treat a personal attack on a celebrity as an attack on a poster. This doesn't mean you can't critique work. Attacking looks or simply being cruel is not permitted.


What's in the header?


TFN Archive
The Archive is a juried repository for completed stories, whereas the forums are a place where anyone can post their stories while they are in progress. For more information on the TF.N Archive and its submission guidelines, visit the FAQ or contact one of its editors: Herman Snerd; MariahJade2; LLL; Pallas-Athena.

Story forum links
Three of the four story forums in Fan Fic are divided by timeline.

Before the Saga = before TPM.
Saga = TPM - RotJ
Beyond the Saga = after RotJ.

Classic = stories posted before Fan Fic split into its era-specific forums. You may still reply to the old stories, but any new fics should be posted in the appropriate era forum.

Fan Fic Index
A listing of the most popular and helpful threads in Resource, as well as story indexes. Before posting a thread in Resource, please look through the Index and check back several pages through the forum to make sure a similar thread doesn't already exist.

Sticky threads
The most important threads in Resource. These include the FAQ, the Fan Fic Index, and the Fan Fic Update. We post Updates every two weeks to announce the latest forum news and moderator decisions. Other threads are stickied as needed.


What can I post in the Resource forum?


This is the place to discuss all things related to writing and reading fanfic, and to participate in challenges and games. Promoting your story is allowed only in select threads and at the discretion of the thread manager. Please see Promoting fics for more information.

Fan Fic Forum Concerns/Questions
Forum-specific questions may be discussed in Resource. Wider issues, such as rules implemented by the site owners or concerns about the way Fan Fic is handled, should be taken to Communications. Below are some examples provided by former Head Admin rhonderoo.

Comms

• Should Fan Fic have to come to Comms to discuss forum-wide policy?
• Should slash be allowed in Fan Fic?
• Should the Fan Fic FAQ be updated to be more in line with the overall JC TOS?

Resource

• Should we move the Awards dates up?
• Should there be a thread cap on Character threads?
• Should Fan Fic updates be on Monday instead of Wednesday?
• Should we rotate banners in Fan Fic?

Questions regarding moderator actions should always be taken up via PM. See the Moderator Complaint Resolution Process for more details and instructions.

Redundant threads
If a thread is already present for the topic you'd like to discuss, we will most likely lock the new thread and direct you to the old one. There are exceptions for challenge and discussion threads (see below). If you have an idea for a thread, check the Fan Fic Index and the first few pages of Resource. If an old thread is locked, PM the mods to have it unlocked.

Appreciation threads
Such threads for authors, stories, and OCs are not allowed anywhere.

Games
You must have moderator approval prior to posting. See Fun and Games for more info.

Polls
These have been disabled. If you feel that you must include a poll with a question in the Resource Forum, contact a mod.


What can I post in story forums?


Only stories are allowed in Before the Saga, Saga, and Beyond the Saga. Narrative fiction, poetry, parodies and screenplays are all acceptable formats for the story forums.

As stated before, Fan Fic holds a family-friendly rating, which does not necessarily mean PG in the traditional MPAA sense. Because of these standards, we’ve instituted several guidelines for story content. Included here are "high water" marks donated graciously by several authors. We will ask you to edit descriptions that are any more explicit.

Sexual depictions
a) An example of the absolute limit for explicitness in sexuality. Very little is mentioned specifically here, and it is very much consensual.

Anakin pulled her in even closer. "Oh Padmé," he whispered softly into her ear. "Never, never, never think that..." he started to undo the fastenings on her coat. It was an oddly heavy coat for the season, and he figured that even in the chill of the flat she would be hot. He slipped his hands inside and to his surprise, they met bare flesh. Anakin pulled away and looked at Padmé, thoroughly puzzled.

Padmé smiled sweetly at him and began to finish undoing the buttons.

"I wanted to make my apologies to you... in person," she said huskily, and dropped the coat to the floor where it pooled around her ankles. The only thing that adorned her now was a pair of slip on shoes that were quickly and carelessly kicked aside. She kissed his open palm, delighting in his reaction.

"I'm sorry Ani..." she whispered, and then began to tease his finger tips over her lips suggestively.”Can we kiss and make up?"

Anakin only nodded dumbly at first and pulled her back down onto the bed, closer to himself. He finally found his voice, choked as it might have been. "Only good part of a fight," he murmured into her ear. "Making up... next time... skip the fight... go straight to this... "

Padmé began tracing kisses down the front of his body, undressing him as she went. Very quickly, she realized that her plans for an apology were being very, very, well received indeed. Very...

--Darth Breezy, "The Rocker Chair"​

b) Stories depicting sex with minors are not allowed. For these forums, a minor is anyone below 18 years of age. Romantic pairings are fine, as is a minor holding a crush on an adult, but these may not cross into sexual relationships.

References to anyone under the age of 16 being involved in sexual relationships are not allowed.

Minors (16 and 17 year olds) can be referenced as being involved in consensual sexual relationships, but in no case are they to be involved with anyone over the age of 21.

Sexual references
As opposed to sexual depictions, addressed in ratings, sexual references may simply be comments made in passing.

a) Mentioning prostitution is generally acceptable, although it should not be glorified; and again, sexual encounters cannot be explicit.

b) Mentioning incest is questionable and would depend on context. Depictions of characters engaging in incestual practices or incest as an ongoing theme in a story is not allowed.

NB: Incest is defined as sexual relations between blood relatives. A pairing with Mara Jade and Anakin Solo, for example, is allowed provided that Anakin is a legal adult.

c) Rape can be discussed but should not be graphically depicted, or, if it can be helped, depicted at all. The emotional and practical fallout is fair game.

d) Sadomasochism, even if it is consensual, is not acceptable.

Slash
As defined by the TFN Archive lexicon, slash fiction is "fanfic featuring people of the same gender romantically involved." The JC does not permit such stories, including fiction of other genres that while not technically slash contain some of the elements that make up a slash fic. As they are used in officially released material, allusions and innuendo are permissible so long as they remain ambiguous and are in reference to original characters.

Interspecies Romantic Relationships
If you have questions regarding suitability of a pairing, please PM a mod before posting.

a) For a definition of pairing:

Pairing = Sex, fooling around, romance/marriage
Non-pairing = Dancing, holding hands, a light kiss, feelings that are not acted upon, unrequited love, passing reference to familial relationships (e.g. “I'm part Twi'lek, part Selonian.”)​

b) All pairings that appear in the EU are allowable. For example, in the X-Wing Series, there was a pairing of Face Loran (a human) and Dia Passik (a Twi’lek). Therefore, a human/Twi’lek pairing with different characters is allowed in Fan Fic.

c) Species involved in the pairings should be sentient species, meaning the species have language and culture.

d) Alien/Alien pairings - where the participants are sentient beings of opposite sexes - are allowed.

e) Human/Alien pairings - the human may only be paired with another humanoid. The definition of humanoid for Fan Fic is as follows:

1) For each species considered, if the character could be played by an actor in a suit (this includes pre and post-CGI era), then it is considered humanoid and is allowed. Examples: Wookiees, Neimoidians, and Ewoks.

2) Characters that are CGI creations, or part-CGI creations, but which could have been played by an actor in a costume in the pre-CGI era, would count as humanoid. Example: Gunguns.

3) Beings such as Yoda, who was played by a puppet originally, or Sebulba, who in The Phantom Menace was a CGI creation, but who would have been played by a puppet in the days before CGI, is not considered humanoid.​

For EU characters, there are too many to list, and moreover new ones can appear all the time. Therefore if you have a character from a species only used in the EU that you would like to pair with a human, and you have a question about the suitability, PM a mod with the pairing in mind and a description of the EU alien. If possible, references such as books and page numbers where their characteristics are considered should be provided.

If a human/alien pairing exists in the EU, this obviates the rule, and that alien's species may be paired with humans in stories.

f) Labeling is required. Therefore, if you have a fic that involves an interspecies pairing, please label this in your subject line so that people who wish to avoid such fics may be warned. The label suggested is "ISRR" for Interspecies Romantic Relationship.

Violence
This example demonstrates an absolute maximum for the depiction of violence. If an author has a piece that is even approaching this level in terms of explicit depiction, it should be PMed to a moderator before being posted to be verified as staying within the limits.

With a sudden burst of speed, she was there. The rebel rushed forward, screaming rage and obscenities, her vibropike slashing high then low as the blood lust pushed her toward the Jedi. Etched in stark lines of hatred, her face was painted a crimson mask of gore and death.

As she shoved the pike toward the Padawan, he leapt aside, hoping to escape her fury. She twisted into his path, reaching forward to spear him and rid the universe of the Jedi abomination. But it was too late.

With one quick thrust, the woman was impaled, the lightsaber blade plunging into her chest. A red mist blossomed out, blood heat turning cool in the air, and covered them both in a fine spray. In the green glow of the saber, the crimson haze darkened, devastation apparent in black gore.

For a brief instant there was silence between them. And suddenly, the insane grunts of her uncontrolled Rancor rage spiraled into high-pitched wails, screams of searing agony.

Qui-Gon just stood there, frozen in the moment.

He did not hear the shrill echoes of destruction going on all around him. The raucous curses and whispered pleas for mercy, the exploding pulses of detonating bombs, the faint song of far-away birds were without meaning. All he could see, all he could hear, all he could feel was her hoarse howl of bloodied pain.

She moved then, pulling fiercely at the light spearing her chest, as though she could pluck the torment from her body. But she did not understand that it was already too late. Instead, her hand sliced apart, the fingers falling away and downward, making soft plopping sounds as they hit the blood-soaked ground one by one. Her voice gone in the scorching agony, the mewing whimpers grew fainter as she stared at the Padawan. And then she slumped sidewards, collapsing into the saber.

Qui-Gon tried to shut off his blade but not soon enough. Her body fell apart as the light sizzled through flesh and bone. Her life's blood spurted out in a scarlet cloud, coating everything. As the woman collapsed into pieces, one shortened arm seemed to reach for her errant fingers.

And then she was dead.

--dianethx, "In The Moment"​

Mature themes
Stories may be based on mature themes, such as drug abuse and torture, but the guidelines mentioned above must be observed. Instances of either should be treated obliquely.

a) Drug use
Drug use should not be shown in great detail and certainly should not be glorified under any circumstances. It should not be used for humorous purposes.

b) Torture
Torture is similar to drug use and rape in that it should be alluded to, rather then actually shown. Its use in a story should also be limited.

1) Generally, no more than three instances of described (instead of alluded to) torture should occur in the entire story. In general more than one instance of described torture within a single story post would also be considered excessive. Ongoing torture may only be alluded to, not shown, and only IF it is necessary for the story.

2) As a rule of thumb, any torture sequence that goes on for more than two screens of text is going to get an automatic request to edit. Within that limit, extremely graphic depictions (which go beyond the excerpt below) may also be asked for an edit.

3) An example: While it is clear what is happening here, Arldetta only mentions a few specific actions, and often in a distant way. The focus is more on what Obi-Wan is feeling rather than what is happening. It is also less than half a screen long.

"[That may be so, but you have been gone for hours. And that is still an offense.]" Slightly calmer, the small floating man pulled a strip of flexi-steel ribbing from a shelf behind him. His hand moved down to the controller, once again activating the impulse. Obi-Wan was rendered immobile as waves of torment crashed through him. A new agony ignited as the strip landed across his shoulders. Quickly and efficiently, Watto flogged the boy. Fifteen lashes in total were dealt but they were enough to make the suffering child cry out in protest. After the last stroke fell, Watto spat down at the imp, “[You’re lucky you’re getting off light. Now close up.]” The Toydarian flew away without another thought. Curled in on himself, Obi-Wan wallowed in his wretchedness. Hugging himself to fend off the anguished remonstration of his body. Tears streaked his dusty cheeks, leaving distinguishable trails. He remained on the floor waiting for the distress to abate enough to allow movement.

--Arldetta, "The Enemy Beside You"​

Authors who exceed the limits on any of these issues will be asked to edit their work until it complies with the board standard. As these are real issues, and serious ones at that, we ask that you always treat them with tact, caution and respect.

Religious issues/blasphemy
Stories should not make fun of or otherwise insult real life religions. Faiths may be addressed, however, and religious icons may be used in humorous ways as long as it's kept in mind that the faith itself is never attacked. In other words, one might use a Book of Genesis style to spoof a character or an event in Star Wars, but not vice versa. Of particular note: judgment will not be based on which religion was the spoof basis--a slur on Hinduism or Buddhism (or any other religion) is to be seen the same way as a slur on Christianity.

Ratings for EU novels
In the Star Wars films, violence is limited and not particularly graphic, there are very few torture scenes, and sexual themes are downplayed. Bear in mind that not all of the Star Wars literature published meets these standards. For reference, here is a listing of suggested ratings of officially-issued books, as determined by a panel of board moderators (with special thanks to our colleagues in Literature, for their input!):

Updated list TK

Jedi Apprentice - PG
Legacy of the Jedi -- G

DEL REY (Early):
The Han Solo Adventures -- PG
The Lando Calrissian Adventures -- PG
Splinter of the Mind's Eye -- PG

DEL REY (Normal):
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter -- PG
Rogue Planet -- PG
Cloak of Deception -- PG
The Approaching Storm -- PG
Tatooine Ghost -- PG
Survivor's Quest -- PG
Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine -- PG

DEL REY (Clone Wars):
Shatterpoint -- R
The Cestus Deception -- PG
Medstar I -- PG/PG-13
Jedi Trial -- PG-13

BANTAM:
The Han Solo Trilogy -- PG-13
Shadows of the Empire -- PG
The Truce at Bakura -- PG
The Bounty Hunter Trilogy -- PG-13
The X-Wing Books -- PG-13 (some PG)
The Courtship of Princess Leia -- PG
The Thrawn Trilogy -- PG
The Jedi Academy Trilogy -- PG
I, Jedi -- PG
The Black Fleet Crisis -- R
Children of the Jedi -- PG
Darksaber -- PG
Planet of Twilight -- PG-13
The Crystal Star -- An abomination.
The New Rebellion -- PG-13
The Corellian Trilogy -- PG
Hand of Thrawn Duology -- PG

JJK - G
YJK - PG

DEL REY (NJO):
Vector Prime -- PG-13
Dark Tide Duology -- R
Agents of Chaos Duology -- R
Balance Point -- R
Edge of Victory Duology -- PG-13
Star By Star -- R
Dark Journey -- PG-13
Enemy Lines Duology -- PG-13
Traitor -- NC-17
Destiny Way -- PG-13
Force Heretic Trilogy -- PG-13
The Unifying Force -- PG-13​

Actor Fics
“Actorfics," are fanfictions which feature real world people. The administration decided that this will no longer be permitted, as it can be seen as an invasion of privacy by the people involved. Actorfics in progress before December 14, 2002, will be allowed to wrap up, but new ones may not be started on or after that date.


What about socialization?


The official rule
Conversations within a thread that stray from the thread’s theme are considered off-topic and should not be allowed to overwhelm the thread. It is the responsibility of the person who begins a thread or hosts it to redirect the topic of discussion when necessary. If for some reason this is not possible (the host is not online for an extend period of time) and no other user has stepped forward to refocus discussion, a mod may take whatever action necessary to insure that the Fan Fiction boards stay focused on Star Wars.

If you're in doubt, your friendly fanfic mods will be happy to help you figure out which conversations on your thread are pertinent and of interest to all, and which ones are likely to be perceived by your readers as off-topic, exclusive, and of interest only to the few involved.

a) Any discussion of Star Wars, writing, or fanfic writing/stories is considered on-topic. Discussion of Star Wars actors are considered on-topic only when the discussion pertains to the actor’s portrayal of his/her SW character. A discussion of the nuances of facial expressions that Natalie Portman brought to her role as Padme is on-topic, but a discussion of her stripper performance in "Closer" or discussion of a recent sighting in LA is not.

b) In general, five posts out of every twenty five should have something to do with the topic in hand. This is merely a guideline, and we mods will exercise common sense in evaluating this. If, for example, one whole page in a thread ends up getting derailed, but the pages before and after all contain discussion that is on-topic, it’s not necessary for a moderator to step in. Pages and pages, however, are not acceptable.

c) On story threads, readers can leave feedback, and authors can reply to their readers’ feedback. But all should take care to not excessively "up" stories or keep them on page 1 with random chatter. Please be considerate of your fellow fanficcers in this respect.


Shared Usernames


The JC forums forbid sharing usernames. It makes enforcement of rules more difficult when the mods can't be certain which person it was who actually broke the forum rules.

However, Fan Fic allows shared usernames for stories or index/discussion threads under the following conditions:

a) You must inform the mods of the shared username and everyone who has access to the name.

b) The shared username can only be used in the appropriate story forum within the story thread itself, or for discussion threads, in the Resource Forum in the appropriate thread.

Under no circumstances can the shared name be used elsewhere. Should forum rules be broken under the name, every person who shares access to that name will equally share in whatever punishment is doled out.


Promoting fics


Why you can't promote your fic
It gets annoying and spammy. Everyone wants comments on stories, and when so many authors start asking for readers, the forums can get cluttered. To save space and our sanity, Fan Fic limits story promoting in all forms.

Some discussion threads will allow you to post links to your stories, but you must adhere to their guidelines within the thread.

How you shouldn't promote your fic
Don't start threads asking if you should start a story, continue a series, include a character, or anything of that nature. Place-holder threads, in which you state you'll be starting a story in the future, are also not allowed.

How to get readers
The first and best way is to make friends with other authors. If you post in someone else’s thread, the odds go up that they will do you a favour and stop and see yours. So a good idea is to visit various threads, talk, and listen and help with other members. Interact with your fellow authors. They will visit your story, and help you out along the way, just as friends do.

If you're a little shy, start or join a round-robin, These collaborative stories are exceptional icebreakers and allow you to meet fellow authors. It's also a great way to get feedback.

Can I promote other websites?
Promoting a website unrelated to TheForce.Net is not allowed outside of the proper thread. Check the Fan Fic Index for official places to advertise. A thread containing an advertisement of another website will be locked on sight. If you want to promote your own website your sig is the best place to do so.

NB: All promoted websites and advertised links must adhere to TFN standards. If a site requires registration and cannot otherwise be viewed by non-members, only the pages accessible to non-members need to be family-friendly.


Update PMs


To notify readers when new chapter or stories have been posted, authors can PM reminders to readers. We allow this only if a reader explicitly requests such PMs. Otherwise, they are considered solicitation, and the author is warned for spamming.

Readers who receive unwanted PM updates should alert a moderator. Readers who asked for PM updates but no longer wish to receive them are responsible for alerting the author on their own.

To make the PMing process easier, lazykbys_left created a mass-PMing method. Again, this should be used only if readers have asked for notifications.


[COLOR=0066cc]Plagiarism[/COLOR]


Plagiarism is deliberately copying an author's work and claiming it as your own.

On TFN, plagiarism is an extremely serious infraction and will result in a 3-month ban.

a) If you suspect you've been plagiarised, see a suspicious story, or you've been accused of it, follow this procedure:

1) PM the mods with links to the original story and the alleged plagiarism. Be aware that similar plots or characters is not necessarily enough to warrant a call of plagiarism. Users often get the same ideas for a story.

2) We will review all stories in question, considering such things as plot, characters, similar details. We will also ask all involved parties to provide any notes and outlines for their stories.

3) If a story has been deemed an act of plagiarism, the thread will be locked, story content removed, and the author banned for three months. If not, the thread may remain open, but we will not tolerate any negative remarks toward the author regarding the incident.​

b) If you borrow material from a profic author or any real-life material in general (such as song lyrics or poetry), the original creator must be credited.

c) Before borrowing from a fellow fanfic author, you must ask that author's permission first, even if the fanfic is posted at another site. (This includes re-writing, re-posting, or embellishing someone else's fanfic.) Failure to do so could result in a ban. If you are unable to contact the original author for permission, PM one of the Mods and we will discuss it on a case by case basis.



Writing Help


Need a beta?
A thread specifically seeking a beta reader will be redirected to the Beta Reader Index.

Need help with an idea?
The Resource forum comes in handy in this situation. If there are no existing threads to answer your questions, you can start a new one. For in-depth help on actually writing your story, check the Beta Reader Index.

Have a good writing tip?
Tips and tricks are always welcome! Many threads cover genres and styles. Feel free to contribute to them or start a new thread if one doesn't already exist.

What about co-writing and round-robins?
In a round-robin or group fiction, authors take turns writing or taking on the different roles in a story. You may post threads asking for co-writers. Planning threads for RRs are allowed, but they should not turn into social threads. The actual story should be posted in the story thread, not the Resource thread.


Challenge/Discussion Threads


Running a thread
As stated above, challenge/discussion threads are the responsibility of thread managers. There are many types – discussion alone, discussion and index of relevant stories, challenges and index of responses, etc. Regardless of the type, it falls to the thread manager to stay on top of thread, whether that entails updating an index or issuing new discussion topics. Two or more users may co-manage a thread, in which case they may use a shared sock.

Before starting any thread of this type, first check the Fan Fic Index as well as the first 10 - 15 pages of Resource for any similar threads. Then contact the mods for final approval. This is not meant to limit discussion threads. Rather, it ensures that no one's stepping on any toes, and it cuts down on redundancy.

a) In most instances, a sock should be created when starting a 'ship- or genre-based thread, especially one with an index and challenges. This makes it easier for the thread manager to hand the thread over to someone else if she steps down.

b) In general, every index should be contained in the corresponding discussion thread. For example, an index of Aayla Secura stories should be listed in an Aayla Secura discussion thread, rather than a separate thread. An exception will be granted to an index so large, it slows the thread down.

Fan Fiction Master Challenge Index
This index is a collection of challenge responses from various challenges.

a) Thread managers each get one post to list responses for the challenges they run. This makes it easier for readers to find the responses, rather than digging through story forums for fics. If you're using a sock to run a challenge, use the same sock to index responses.

b) If you start a challenge thread, there are two ways to handle responses.

1) Create a response thread in each story era where people can post their responses. This makes challenge fics easier to find and helps cut down on clutter.

2) Have participants post stories in individual threads with the name of the challenge in the subject bar. For example: "A Night on the Town – Seedy Siders November Challenge."
A) The thread manager is responsible for indexing the responses. They can be listed in the manager's Resource challenge thread or in the Fan Fiction Master Challenge Index.

B) When the stories are posted in individual threads, the New Story Indexers are not obliged to list them.​

Story Indexes


New Story Index
Each story forum has a New Story Index run by volunteer users. The new stories posted are gathered daily and listed with a specific format. It helps the indexers a great deal if you present story info in your first post with this format. If your story isn't listed, PM the appropriate indexer with your story info as per the instructions in the Index threads.

Completed Story Index
Each story forum also has a Completed Story Index. This differs slightly from the New Story Index in that authors must submit their stories for listing, but the required format is the same. Each CSI is stickied at the top of each forum. Stories must be completed to be listed.


General Fan Fic Etiquette


For more comprehensive discussion on good graces, visit the etiquette discussion thread.

Incessant Upping
Don't do this! The rule applies to both story threads and Resource threads. Even in a social thread, this behaviour is frowned upon.

Borrowing
In Fan Fic, there's a fine line between "borrowing" and "stealing." When it comes to story ideas, OCs, names, titles – literally, anything that was created by someone else – you must ask the creator for permission to borrow. Failure to do so could result in anything from a stern warning to a ban. You must also credit the original author when posting your story.

If you borrow material from a real-life source, you must credit the original author.

Spoiler policy
We follow the same Spoiler Policy as the Literature Forum, which is that spoilers must be denoted with spoiler space (buffer screen space before and after the spoiler discussion) or HTR (highlight to read) for:

• One month (30 days) after a novel release

• One week after a comic book release

As a matter of courtesy, please do not post major spoilers in thread titles. Also, when using HTR, remember to make the text color the same as the highlight color.


Fun and Games


Fan Fiction Awards
Once a year in summer, the forums put on awards to honor the wealth of talent we have. There are ceremonies for each story era. The mods choose an Overseer to organise the affair, and this person in turn helps select the hosts for each era with input from the mods. Teams of volunteers are gathered in a private forum to plan ceremony dates and procedures. An Entertainment Manager is selected to collect entertainment pieces that will be posted during the ceremonies. The Awards FAQ explains the process in further detail.

Anyone can volunteer to help count votes, while the hosts and Overseer should have some experience either volunteering for the Awards or running a discussion thread. The era socks and Overseer receive VIP colors during their tenures.

Trivia Contest
About once a year, Herman Snerd hosts a trivia contest where sneakiness and backstabbing are encouraged. The questions range from forum history to minute story details to things you’d find only by looking in someone’s profile. You can play in teams or alone, and the winner receives VIP colors.

Mod Challenges
About two or three times a year, the mods host a juried challenge game. The challenge’s premise varies, but the mods and user volunteers judge the responses according to pre-set criteria. In the end the top three winners receive VIP colors. One outstanding user chosen by the mods receives not only VIP colors but the opportunity to make the mods wear horrible colors and ridiculous icons for a week.

Mod Approval
If you have a game idea, contact the mods with as much information as you can provide.