.:Shipping Fic Rules:.
copied from the Fan Fiction Rules, written by Psychic
Follow the General Forum Rules and Shipping Community Rules!
You should already know these, but in case you don't, you can find them here and here.
copied from the Fan Fiction Rules, written by Psychic
Follow the General Forum Rules and Shipping Community Rules!
You should already know these, but in case you don't, you can find them here and here.
Welcome to the Shipping Fics sub forum! This is the place where you can post fan fiction of Pokémon shippings, as well as shippings from other anime, manga, video games, books, TV shows and movies. As with all other sections of the forum, we have a few rules that you should keep in mind before posting here, so please take the time to read them all.
This sub forum is for shipping fics only. Non-shipping stories belong in the regular Fan Fiction section found here, which have their own set of rules.
.:Rules for Writers:.
***When you post a new story, be sure to PM either Meowth City or xEryChan with the link, so that they can add it to the Ultimate Pokemon Shipping Fic Catalog or the Alternative Shipping Fic Library, which helps to promote your fics.
***When you post a new story, be sure to PM either Meowth City or xEryChan with the link, so that they can add it to the Ultimate Pokemon Shipping Fic Catalog or the Alternative Shipping Fic Library, which helps to promote your fics.
Only post your own works
The fic must be written by you and/or your partner. If the fic is from ff.net and by you, you must state it. Any fics found to be from other places with no statement of possession will be deleted. In addition, do not ever claim someone else's work as your own. This is plagiarism and anyone found doing this will receive an infraction.
Collaborations (collabs) – stories co-written by more than one person – are allowed as long as all the authors give their consent to have it posted and are credited properly. If a co-author isn’t a forum member, a means of communicating with them should be provided.
Ratings Are Essential!
All stories must include a rating and the names of all the shippings featured in the story listed in the title or first post. They must be an accurate representation of your fic. Non-Pokemon stories must also include the name of the fandom it belongs to. If you wish to change or add to the title of the thread, please ask a shipping mod. Any stories lacking the necessary infomation will receive a warning to add one. Failing to comply within a week of that warning being given will result in your thread being closed.
Here is a guideline of each rating to help you decide what one is right for your story:
G – Familiarity with the characters. This rating is given to fics that are like that of a Pokemon episode.
PG – Material of some maturity, such as implied violence and occasional strong language. No sexual content beyond a quick kiss. Possible references to themes such as abuse.
PG-13 - Material of a higher level of maturity, such as actual violence in scenes. Possible references to themes such as abuse. Still no sexual content beyond a kiss and/or indications of sexuality. Typically but not always more use of strong language.
R - Material of still higher maturity, including violence, sexual relationships or implied sexual activity, and other adult themes such as rape or abuse. Sexual content up to summary of activity or touches, but never a full description – that means no explict detail. (these are called "Limes")
NC-17 - *MUST be approved by a shipping mod - The material is of fully adult maturity, including violence and explicit love-scenes, aka, "Lemons". To get approval, send either Meowth City or xEryChan the plot summary, an example of the story's NC-17 parts, and how many times you think the story will delve into NC-17 ("often" "once" etc.). NOTE: PWP (Porn Without Plot) is not allowed. That's just smut. Go elsewhere for that.
If you find a fic/chapter that might have the wrong rating, then please PM a shipping mod about it. We’re not talking about the difference of PG to PG-13, we’re talking the difference of PG to R or NC-17.
Name Your Pokemon Shippings Correctly
99% of Pokemon Pairings (no matter how bizarre) have a specific name. Almost all Human x Human pairs have a name, and a good chunk of Pokemon x Pokemon combinations also have names. You can find those names here at this site -> http://shipping.bulbagarden.net/listaz.html
To search for your ship, use CTRL +F and type in one of the characters involved (using their English name).
Thus, a named ship can simply be listed as:
"Pokeshipping" rather that "Ash x Misty"
If you cannot find the name for your ship or it is unnamed, simply put:
Human 1 x Human 2
Example: Ash x Misty
If it's an unnamed Pokemon x Pokemon ship, put:
Pokemon Species 1 x Pokemon Species 2
Example: Pikachu x Buneary
*This form is to be used even if they are nicknamed OC Pokemon. Jack the Pikachu x Bun the Buneary is still Pikachu x Buneary in your list.
If you have human OCs, you must state they are OCs like so:
Human 1 x OC 1
Example: Ash x Diane (OC)
OC 1 x OC 2
Example: Sam (OC) x Tyler (OC)
*If you are using OCs in your own alternate universe (i.e. not related to Pokemon), then your fic belongs in the Regular Fanfiction section.
Every Chapter Must Be A Page Long
This is measured in Microsoft Word using the default font and size settings. If you are unsure, then just attempt to write at least 1,000 words per chapter and you should be fine. Note: This applies for ALL types of fan fiction - whether it be one-shots, drabbles, or what-have-you. There are no exceptions.
In the case of poetry or drabbles, which are typically shorter than a page, these MUST come in groups if you wish to post them in their own threads. Drabble Collections can be posted as stand-alones, but the collection must have a particular subject (i.e. Amourshipping) or a running theme (i.e. a popular challenge) - basically, they must all have something in common, aside from being written by you. Otherwise, post your drabbles in the Drabble Thread. Please PM either Meowth City or xEryChan before posting your Drabble Collection, and then state you have permission from them at the top of your thread.
Furthermore
No post should contain multiple chapters. One post = one chapter, simple as that. The exception to this is that a prologue can be in the same post as the first chapter if you so choose. Separating them is also fine. Similarly, you must post the entire chapter at once – don’t divide a chapter into multiple posts or only write up half of it and edit in the rest later. The exception to this is if your chapter is too long to fit onto one post. In addition to that, do not make separate threads for each chapter. Keep the whole story in one thread.
Do not write a fic solely to insult or bash
While friendly jabs, satire and parodies are fine, fics written for the sole sake of insulting individuals, groups or ideologies will be closed and infractions will be issued. This includes racism, sexism, homophobia and so on. These can be themes in a fic; a character can be sexist if done tastefully and so on, however the fic shouldn’t exist for the sole purpose of bashing any person or group of people. Even if it is meant as a joke, if you believe that someone may possibly take offense to it, and especially if people do take offense, omit it.
No Images Allowed Within the Story Itself
Pictures do not replace words. Therefore, stories that contain an excessive amount of images or smilies instead of text will be closed immediately. If you wish to include pictures, such as cover art for your fic or chapter artwork, they should be in the author’s notes or at the beginning/end of the chapter.
When double-posting and bumping are acceptable:
While these are generally not allowed, fic writers may do so under certain circumstances.
Double Posting: A single person posting twice (or more) in a row. If a writer posted a chapter of their fic and nobody has replied to it, then they are perfectly allowed to post the next chapter anyway. Updates and important information such as the author’s absence or decision to make a change to the fic may also be double-posted after a chapter or another update. Please do not abuse this. Also, if a chapter is too long to fit in just one post is it perfectly okay to divide it up into multiple posts back-to-back.
Bumping: Posting in a thread that has not had a new post in thirty days or longer. If the author has a new chapter, they may post it even if it would bump the thread. Deleting a chapter/the entire fic and reposting it to bump the thread is not acceptable.
.:Rules for Readers:.
For a more in-depth guide to reviewing, please refer to this
Wanna Play the Review Game, then go here
To request a fic, go here
For a more in-depth guide to reviewing, please refer to this
Wanna Play the Review Game, then go here
To request a fic, go here
The following posts are considered SPAM and are not acceptable on their own:
Any posts that are not talking about the fic itself. Chatting, questions unrelated to the fic and the like belong in VM/PM or in the Shipping Authors' Café.
Vague posts that say nothing about the fic itself, such as: “I like this fic!” “You’re a great writer!” “Please add me to the PM list.” These kinds of posts can be posted anywhere, and don’t show that the poster even read the story. If a writer put in the effort to write a fic you enjoyed, the least you can do it type up a few lines’ reply.
Posts asking about fic updates: “When will the next chapter be up?” “Are you almost done the next chapter?” They are rude, period.
Posts that do nothing but bash the fic or writer: “This fic sucks!” “You’re an awful writer, you may as well give up on writing.” These posts are unhelpful, and again, rude.
Posts that contain nothing but a number rating for the fic without any sort of explanation for it: “I loved this! 9/10!” “The characters weren’t my favourite, so I give it a 2/5.” “This is garbage, 1/1000!” A number rating alone isn’t helpful to writers.
Posts begging to add characters or make silly changes: “I’d like this more if you put Ash in it.” “Can you make the character catch an Absol in the next chapter?” “Can you put my character in it?” “This would be way better if you made May like Drew instead of Ash!” This isn’t your story – if you want these things, write your own fic.
Criticize – Don’t Flame
Flaming is directly insulting someone or something. A flame for a fic rarely has any positive notes, and it won’t back up statements with examples or offer ways to change or improve. If someone says “your grammar sucks” without giving examples or advice to fix it, you have a problem.
Proper criticism highlights both the good and the bad. There can still be plenty of negative criticism, but it backs up statements by explaining what could be better, why it could be better, and how it can be improved. The aim is to help a writer improve their story and general writing skills by giving specific help and advice.
Please keep this distinction in mind when responding to fics.
When bumping is acceptable:
You are allowed to respond to fics even if the last post is from more than thirty days ago. However, there are conditions to this:
You must post a substantial review. Don’t respond to an old fic if you don’t have anything to say beyond “I liked this.”
The fic writer must still be active. If they have not been online in twelve months, chances are they are not coming back, have abandoned the fic, and will never see your reply.
If you have any questions about these rules, feel free to PM any of the Shipping Community moderators (xEryChan, Meowth City, Sushi, Tiffany) and we will gladly help you out! Have fun!