FANFICTION RULES - READING IS REQUIRED BEFORE POSTING! *UPDATED*

FUN STUFF LOUNGE ~ FanFiction Rules

ATTENTION: YOU MUST READ THESE RULES BEFORE POSTING!

1. This is an open forum, open to members of all ages. Therefore all stories posted here must be rated G or PG. (See definitions of ratings below if they are in any way unclear.) Any story posted here that does not stay within PG guidelines may be deleted by Administration. If you are uncertain as to whether your story contains content that is inappropriate for this Forum, feel free to PM Aikenseeker or LadyC with any questions you may have BEFORE you post your story. We will be happy to help you in any way we can.

All fiction posted here must be respectful to Clay, and must be suitable for all ages to read. Keep it clean. This applies to all stories posted. Fanfiction with adult content should be posted in the Adult Playgroud Forum.

No slash stories are allowed at all under any circumstances. Ever. As in Zero Tolerance. Slash fiction will be removed from the forum, and the offending member's posting privileges may possibly be suspended. Slash fiction is any story that depicts Clay in a same sex relationship. If you're not sure if your story crosses that line, PM LadyC or Aikenseeker and we'll be happy to help you.

2. Each piece of fan fiction should have it's own thread, that way all feedback and reviews from readers can be posted right there in the same thread. Multiple chapters of ongoing fiction, add-ons or updates should be posted in the same thread.

New story, new thread.

3. The title of your story, along with the story's rating, must be the title of the thread. The rating needs to be displayed clearly so that readers are aware of the rating before reading. For example, if my story is called Clay's Giggle Makes Me Wiggle, and it's rated G, the title of the thread would be:

Clay's Giggle Makes Me Wiggle - Rated G

4. All stories must include a disclaimer. A disclaimer is a legal statement that states that you, the author, do not represent Clay, nor have any affiliation with Clay whatsoever, and the story you write is pure fiction written for entertainment only. You receive no money or monetary compensation whatsoever. This is important, as silly as it sounds. It must be included in the format as shown below. If you have questions regarding the disclaimer, please PM LadyC.

5. All stories must be posted with the following format at the beginning:

Title: (Story title)
Author:
Rating: (G, PG, NC-17 or R)
Content Warning: (ie... sexual content, action and mild violence, language, and so on)
Disclaimer: (This is the legal mumbo jumbo mentioned in rule #4 above. It's where the author states that they do not have any affiliation with Clay, the story is pure fiction, and they write it for entertainment only and receive no monetary gain or compensation.)
Author's Note: (Optional) If you have anything you want to add, such as a certain inspiration for the story or a dedication...

You do not have to repeat this every time you update or add a chapter. It only needs to be at the beginning of the first page of each story.

6. Any time you post your writing in a public arena, even a closely moderated one like Claymaniacs, you are opening your work up to be read and reviewed by others. Usually, feedback is positive and encouraging, but there are no guarantees that everyone will like what you have written. You must be prepared to handle constructive criticism and possibly unflattering comments about your writing. This does not mean, however, that any author should ever tolerate flaming, harassment or abusive comments. If you receiving any reviews that could be considered such, please notify a moderator immediately.

7. Normal forum rules apply also. Claymaniacs reserves the right to remove any story that is deemed inappropriate, disrespectful or offensive at any time without notice to the author. Again, if you are in doubt about the content of your story, PM Aikenseeker or LadyC BEFORE you post it, and we'll be happy to help you.

How to rate your story:

G = No cursing, very little violence. Appropriate for readers of all ages. Basically - you'd let your children read it.
PG = Minor violence and minor cursing like "Damn" or "Hell". Light romantic or flirtatious storylines. No adult content.
NC-17 = Adult sexual content and language. May contain some violence or adult storylines. Not appropriate for readers 17 and younger.
R = Similar content to NC-17, except the R rating is generally used for stories involving graphic action and violence.

Advice to Authors:

Avoid grammatical and spelling errors:
Writing your story in a separate program, such as Microsoft Word, or any other word program that offers a Spelling and Grammar Check, is a good start. Proof-reading your work before posting it is also a good idea. Too many mistakes draw the reader's attention away from the story. Typos and spelling or grammar errors become distracting. You may lose readers if you don't take the time to proof read. Your stories are a reflection of you - polish them up if you want them to shine!

Advice to Readers:

Fanfic authors survive on feedback. If you enjoyed what you read, take the time to let the writer know not only that you liked the story, but what it was about it you enjoyed. Feedback doesn't always have to be positive, but it does always have to be polite. Constructive criticism that the author can use to improve their skills is welcome as long as the comments are about the STORY and not the AUTHOR personally, and the feedback is not unkind or belittling.

It takes courage to share something you've written. I know this personally. A little bit of yourself goes into each story you write. Please take that into consideration when you leave writing tips or constructive criticism. Claymaniacs will not tolerate flaming, abusive comments or personal attacks.

Remember, fanfiction is not everyone's cup of tea. To read or not to read - that's your choice. Respect, however, is mandatory.

Help and Assistance

If you have any questions about any of the fanfic board, you can contact Aikenseeker or LadyC.

Thanks, and HAVE FUN!!!!! Aikenseeker and I look forward to reading your creative stuff! So bring it on, y'all!

LadyC