# Greetings from WriterWren (FA Writing Admin)



## WriterWren (Aug 19, 2011)

Greetings!  My name is WriterWren.  I am the new Admin on FA who will be handling issues with writing submissions.  I am joined by my colleague Grammatist.  We are both writers with many years of experience under our belts.  Our focus on FA is with handling trouble tickets and questions about writing submissions.  We are not here to proofread any submissions for grammar and spelling, merely for violations of the AUP.  Please be sure to follow the guidelines listed in the AUP, though for the most part writers need only be concerned with properly rating their work and not uploading prohibited subject matter.  

If you have any questions at any time, please NOTE me through my FA page (not the forums) since I do not visit the forums regularly because they are so vast.

If you find any writing on FA proper which violates the AUP or is mis-categorized, please create a Trouble Ticket and the issue will be dealt with promptly.

On a related note, I would like to praise the moderators of this forum, as well as its users, for creating such a wonderful place for writers to come.  I was most impressed with the threads containing all sorts of information useful to many writers.  Very well done!  Youâ€™ve created a valuable resource for everyone.

The only command I will issue at this time is for you all to put writing utensil to paper or fingertips to keyboard and WRITE!

Tusen tukk!

--WriterWren


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## Grammatist (Aug 19, 2011)

Hello Wren and writers!

What a great forum!  The abundance of information here is rather impressive.  I wish all writers new and experienced luck in their endeavors.  And please don't be intimidated by us.  It's always safer to ask if something you are unsure about is safe to post rather than posting and hoping.

Keep writing!

-The Grammatist


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## Poetigress (Aug 19, 2011)

WriterWren said:


> though for the most part writers need only be concerned with properly rating their work and not uploading prohibited subject matter.



In terms of written submissions, what exactly _is_ prohibited subject matter? It seems most of the AUP deals with visual imagery and audio, so it might be a good idea to spell things out as they relate to text.


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## M. LeRenard (Aug 19, 2011)

Hi guys.  Thanks very much; I've put quite a lot of work into this place to make it useful.



			
				WriterWren said:
			
		

> We are not here to proofread any submissions for grammar and spelling


That's partly what the critique subforum is for, after all.


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (Aug 19, 2011)

Poetigress said:


> In terms of written submissions, what exactly _is_ prohibited subject matter? It seems most of the AUP deals with visual imagery and audio, so it might be a good idea to spell things out as they relate to text.



I'd always assumed that the standards for content in visual art carried over to textual art

Stories with violence, described nudity (tasteful, not sexual) or vulgarities would be mature, and then erotic fiction would be adult

However, there will probably be more leniency with textual art, due in part to the perceptive nature of the visuals; the description may be less or more "mature" than the person reading it may perceive. Also nobody reads on FA so it's not like there's reason to care

I myself am just going to keep posting everything G rated, and if someone goes through the trouble of TTing that it should be mature then whatever

Just don't forget to put a red border on HOT PONOGAPHY and I think you'll be fine


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## FlynnCoyote (Aug 20, 2011)

Welcome to the community guys and kudos and thanks for being here to help.


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## WriterWren (Aug 20, 2011)

Poetigress said:


> In terms of written submissions, what exactly _is_ prohibited subject matter? It seems most of the AUP deals with visual imagery and audio, so it might be a good idea to spell things out as they relate to text.



Thank you, Poetigress, for asking!  Specifically, I was speaking of minors in adult situations, as well as animal/human in adult situations.  ('Animal' = non-anthro)  I'm sure other items will be found to add to that, thankfully, short list, but for now those are the ones we are keeping an eye out for.

In regards to minors, that is also where the focus of a story gets called to attention.  Technically, the story I posted to my FA page contains a scene of a minor in an adult situation.  However, that is not the focus of the story and nor was that scene written for anyone's pleasure.  The event occurs to snap the main character into action.  It is based, sadly, on real-life bad things which can happen to people (adults or children), and the intention behind the story was also to educate the audience and draw them into what it really may be like to go through that.

As writers, there is so much we can put into a story.  Even the goriest or smuttiest book can be written without reprisal because, while the written word can evoke an incredible emotional response, images are much more in the audience's face.  For instance, you can read an article about someone dying in a car accident and you are fine.  However, if you drive past that same accident and see the yellow tarp over a body and a bloody, mangled arm sticking out, THAT will haunt you (to some extent) for a while.

Ratings for stories are tough.  The story I wrote, if published as a full book, would not be marked as "mature" because (in my experience) only erotica is ever rated (or separated from other fiction) (and Manga, but again, that has a visual element).  However, here on FA, we should follow the ratings rules just so no one can argue with us.  For now, I would consider romantic sex (like you would find in a romance novel) in a story whose focus is NOT the sex as Mature if the sex is written out.  Hinted-at sex (like a movie fading to black as the characters are kissing passionately) is fine for General.  Erotica (stories about sex written for the sex) should be rated Adult.  This is more for your protection so you don't get the parent who has found one of your romance stories, which contained a scene of a married couple having sex, on their child's computer all up in your hizzie for "allowing" their child to be exposed to your "porn". 

If you post a story in chapters, you do not need to make the entire release Mature or Adult if the events which would create those ratings are only located in certain chapters.  Feel free to rate each chapter individually.  I encourage you to make it clear to your readers if any elements in your story may offend, starting off with language (swearing) and going right on up to violence, drug use, and sexual situations, much like the new ratings boxes you see on movies and TV shows nowadays.  As a writer, I will say I find this aspect challenging because I don't like to give away specific events of a story but I do want to make sure I warn the reader ahead of time what they might be getting into.  *HOWEVER, let me also add that, if I find a story containing a BANNED subject, I will delete the entire story, not just that chapter.*

If anyone has any questions about anything I've said in this post, please don't be afraid to discuss it with me, either here (in this thread) or through a PM on FA.  If you want to know whether a story/chapter in your gallery should be rated differently, I would be more than happy to review the situation with you.

I am not here to wipe out everyone's galleries because I deem something inappropriate.  Writing is such a flexible medium and contains many grey areas which just don't exist in other mediums.  If you are willing to work with me, I am more than happy to work with you.  Especially if you come to me before someone else creates a Trouble Ticket about your work.

Tusen tukk!


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## WriterWren (Aug 20, 2011)

Ishtar5 said:


> Welcome to the community guys and kudos and thanks for being here to help.



Thank you!

Or rather...

Tusen tukk!


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## WriterWren (Aug 20, 2011)

Tybalt Maxwell said:


> .... Also nobody reads on FA so it's not like there's reason to care
> 
> I myself am just going to keep posting everything G rated, and if someone goes through the trouble of TTing that it should be mature then whatever
> 
> Just don't forget to put a red border on HOT PONOGAPHY and I think you'll be fine



I'm hoping we can make people care!  Just because it takes time to read a story as opposed to glancing at a picture doesn't mean what we create is any less worthwhile.  Pictures are a dime a dozen on this site, but well-written stories are much more rare.  I'd love to see that change.

In regards to the ratings, please read my reply to Poetigress or my journal (same text in both places).  I don't recommend willfully leaving your stories at risk for a TT being posted about them.

Tusen tukk!


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## kitreshawn (Aug 20, 2011)

Well, if you want to change things then the way the site handles stories needs to change.  Significantly.  But suggestions for that sort of thing belong in another thread.

Anyway, welcome WriterWren and Grammatist!  I hope you enjoy your time here.


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (Aug 20, 2011)

WriterWren said:


> I'm hoping we can make people care!  Just because it takes time to read a story as opposed to glancing at a picture doesn't mean what we create is any less worthwhile.  Pictures are a dime a dozen on this site, but well-written stories are much more rare.  I'd love to see that change.
> 
> In regards to the ratings, please read my reply to Poetigress or my journal (same text in both places).  I don't recommend willfully leaving your stories at risk for a TT being posted about them.
> 
> Tusen tukk!



You remind me of Jack Layton, except without the cancer

While an FA where written work is actually read sounds utopia-esque, how do you plan on carrying that out?

Show me your platform and I'll support you~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd honestly feel flattered if somebody opened a TT about how they were offended by "Drug use in a G rated submission". Flattered and then bemused. People shouldn't really be reading if they don't want to learn new ideas anyway


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## WriterWren (Aug 20, 2011)

Tybalt Maxwell said:


> You remind me of Jack Layton, except without the cancer
> 
> While an FA where written work is actually read sounds utopia-esque, how do you plan on carrying that out?
> 
> ...




Unfortunately, you can lead a horse/dog/orca/dragon to a book, but you cannot make them read it.  That being said, by encouraging writers to write and post their work, and to encourage them to post it with proper formatting so their stories are easier for their audience to read, I'm hoping we can all raise the bar a little bit and maybe make written submissions a little more popular.  Even if it's just amongst ourselves and the fans we already have garnered.  And, personally, even if it means the number of submissions for writing increases, the world will be a better place due to increased use of imagination.  Did no one see _Neverending Story_?  Or _Field of Dreams_?  Call their names!  If you write it, they will come!  :grin:

Tusen tukk!


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## Antonin Scalia (Aug 20, 2011)

Please make people write better magically.  please


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## FlynnCoyote (Aug 21, 2011)

Antonin Scalia said:


> Please make people write better magically.  please



That`s what critics are for. If you read something that is shite, speak up. Problems like this don`t disappear by being ignored. 

That said, I endorse _constructive_ criticism over the method of saying _You`re shit so give up._ If there are ways they can improve and you can see them, point them out.


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## WriterWren (Aug 21, 2011)

If I could find a spell (or a computer program which would automatically make obvious corrections), I'll let you know!

Tusen tukk!



Antonin Scalia said:


> Please make people write better magically.  please


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## Antonin Scalia (Aug 21, 2011)

Ishtar5 said:


> That`s what critics are for. If you read something that is shite, speak up. Problems like this don`t disappear by being ignored.
> 
> That said, I endorse _constructive_ criticism over the method of saying _You`re shit so give up._ If there are ways they can improve and you can see them, point them out.



No some people really should not write.


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## WriterWren (Aug 21, 2011)

No one should ever be told to stop writing.  Even if someone doesn't get the basic rules of how to write a good story, no one's creative efforts should be put down.  This is also important because what one person sees as shite, another sees as gold.  The best reports about that are from major authors who were rejected many times for a particular manuscript when they were noobs but then one company liked it and published it and went on to make millions off that author for many years.  You can be those other publishing companies are kicking themselves in the ass!  

My best experience was from taking a creative writing course, as well as basic English courses to teach the rules of grammar and writing.  VERY informative and forces you to look at your work more critically.

Tusen tukk!



Ishtar5 said:


> That`s what critics are for. If you read something that is shite, speak up. Problems like this don`t disappear by being ignored.
> 
> That said, I endorse _constructive_ criticism over the method of saying _You`re shit so give up._ If there are ways they can improve and you can see them, point them out.


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## WriterWren (Aug 21, 2011)

Antonin Scalia said:


> No some people really should not write.



If you don't like a particular writer's written work and they don't respond to constructive criticism (provided they've asked for it), then just don't read their stuff.  Simple as that.  I'm an avid reader, but I don't read every book in the fiction section at my library and I will put down a book if I don't like it and not read anything else by that author.  Easy peasy.  :grin:

Tusen tukk!


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## Antonin Scalia (Aug 21, 2011)

Make the resources for writing sticky mandatory reading


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (Aug 21, 2011)

If I might make a suggestion

(and give you a means to "raise the bar")

We might get more people interested if we ban the following

RP logs 
("Boxxysbrother wrote: lolp *yiffs a murr* (9:15)"
luvgeorgeclooney wrote: *yiffs a murr back*(Sorry! Got distracted with porn) (9:48))

Card builds
("I call this deck 'the dogs tongue'. While I don't usually mix other games into my yugioh deck, there is a general consensus as to the formula for converting pokemon which your tournament leader should be able to help you with, which is why venusaur is included in this deck.
-Kuriboh (ONE)
-Magical star sign (FOUR) <- Interchangeable with Monster reborn, should your tournament have restrictions on card amounts
-Blue eyes white dragon (THREE))

Nobody wants to read either. Not even your friends

Also submitting 3 parts to a serial at once. This aggravates me to no end. The point of writing a serial is to gain feedback to be used in improving the quality of your later chapters. If you post chapters one through four all at once as separate submissions then you're making the feedback point moot, meaning the only thing you accomplish is pushing people off the front page

Thumbnails should be any size. No title page is going to be 50x50 or 100x100 pixels (fuck I can't remember). While the thumbnail is good for gaining attention through imagery, it's seldom relevant to the story just because the artist can't use their title page (TOO BIG) so they usually just stick to a mug shot of their character. Let's fix this by redesigning the writing submission section of the front page to be a list of titles (then we can fit more on there too!) and allowing any image size in the attached picture. This will also fix the issue with the big blurry mess that is the compressed then stretched image appearing in submissions and favourites


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