Posting
Update: Now that all literary works are in the same section, you no longer need to worry about its chapter lengths, structuring or placement, which is a good change, in my opinion. But of course, please try to give some indication in your title or opening words of whether the work is a story poem, song, or other. Thank you!
Please make sure that you have double-checked your work for spelling and grammar mistakes before you post it here; or reviewers will be quick to pick up on these errors, and will spend less time helping you improve your overall work.
If you feel that some of the content in your story is quite mature (e.g. graphic violence, sexually explicit content or strong language) then please make it known in the title of your work. You must take the necessary steps to place an honest age restriction on your work if needs be.
No plagiarism is allowed! So no copying another's work word for word. If similar ideas are being used to another author, then please state it in the opening notes to your story.
Try and use any reviewer's criticism as a way to improve your work, rather than feeling unfairly treated by negative comments. There will be guidelines for reviewers to follow as well, so in most cases their opinion will probably be valid.
Reviewing
When reviewing, you're automatically helping the author, and that's always appreciated! However, you mustn't take the opportunity, even if you feel that it's perfectly juestifiable, similar to insult another person's work and simply say "It's worthless" or "What the heck were you on when you wrote this?".
Any criticism must be constructive, and clearly show where improvements can be made, for example "I don't think you've explained this section here in enough detail" or "Perhaps this word would be a better choice here".
Also, whilst positive comments are fantastic, and help the author feel confident in their work, just saying "that's awesome" isn't of the greatest help. Authors should be posting here in order to improve their work further, as well as enjoying a positive reception. If you think there's something great about the person's long story, then tell them what it is exactly, so they can see their strengths in writing, and perhaps work on weaker areas.
Thank you for taking the time to read through these rules, and send me a PM if you think that there's something important that I've missed in this guide. Enjoy reading and writing!
Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:16 am
