Please Proofread & Format All Submissions

Hello, everyone.

As you know, we moderate and look over all fanfics. We mods read over your fics to ensure they're within content guidelines and appropriate, but also that they're legible. You and I both want the reader to enjoy the piece, but also want to make it a comfortable read.

Now, I'm not saying you need to have something pristine and shiny, but the most jarring thing to immediately see is a wall of text. Please split apart said wall and create some paragraphs and/or keep dialogue separated to a degree.

Sithicus Helpicus: http://goo.gl/EzZOE

This guide will demonstrate a good spacing, but also one that is too much. You can find a nice balance between the two and it's fairly easy not to over-space things. PLEASE space your writing. It is very difficult to pass a wall of text.

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Also, drop a minimal proofreading into your fic. For those of you that don't have/write in Microsoft Word like I do, you can use Google Docs which functions almost identically. It gives you access to many of the same basic features like italics, bold, indents, fonts, pitch, etc. Most importantly, it also has a built in spell checker.

Now, I pass fics with errors, but their errors are not in such a volume as to make it very difficult to read. In my own writing, I have plenty of errors in a more proper level, always striving to weed out the more general writing and grammar errors. Many of you write significantly less per chapter than I do so a quick proofread shouldn't take more than a few minutes, even in detail, to complete. No matter the writer, you will always have mistakes as soon as you finish. This is normal, so a quick proofread can really help clean up your story.

Thank you and good luck. I always communicate the issues denying approval to every writer so that they can fix their story and improve as an author.

One last bit of information: the Writer's Training Grounds in Ponychan's /fic/ section is where I pulled the guide. There are several more and I implore any aspiring fanfiction writer (or writer in general) to read through them all. They offer many extensive tips. While it's a lot of helpful information, you'll want to slowly slip into practice of their lessons.

Sincerely,
Aynine

 

Additional information not in the above post is that I also tell writers that I DO approve where they can improve further.

While reviewing and deeply critiquing is beyond the scope of my general duties, I will provide more extensive feedback if you ask, on top of what I already have.

Note: Excessive gore and any clop are against the rules and will be denied (this is already listed). As also listed, romance and violence are accepted.

If you feel you're unsure if your writing is a bit too much into either category (too violent or too passionate in its romance), I can provide feedback and suggestions for rewriting and toning it back while still maintaining the intent/tone.

For example, I did recently decline a story because its violence was a bit much. I offered suggestions of how to capture the scene without actually explaining any detail of the violence that occurred, yet still left the reader with the sense and implications of what had transpired.

Please note that, while additional chapters are typically not reviewed, you owe it to your readers to make them as nice and legible as possible. Again, if you're unsure of content, you can send it to me for review. Additional chapters are simply added onto the first post by you via an edit, so you do not need to resubmit them as separate fanfics.

That's all for now!

 

The one thing that is difficult to emulate for submissions is a novel styled format--that is, indenting paragraphs, but they remain attached to each other. This was successfully done with Of Mares & Magic, but that was posted specifically in Google Docs.

Now, for the forums, indents are completely optional, but also often lost when pasting over. That is why I ask that you space. Walls of text aren't automatic denial, but they are a major factor. I have recently approved two fics (one having the novel style, and the other not) that came off as walls of text. It was written well enough to overlook, but I DID tell them to space it after I submitted it. The fact is, no one likes to read a wall of text.

Remember, indents are optional. Spacing is pretty much required. When in doubt, you can glance over the posted guide or look at some of the highest rated fanfics on Equestria Daily or something. When starting out, I emulated "The Ballad of Twilight Sparkle."