Rules, Faqs and More
I decided it was time to lay down some ground rules for my journal, not to mention lay down some faq about said journal. The first thing to do is to lay down some ground rules.
RULES
No Flaming ~ There is a major difference between critiquing someones work and flaming them. I do not put up with telling fanfic writers to go and die. Actually, I don't put up with people telling them they should never write again either. (And to note, there is a major difference between telling a fanfic writer they should hold off posting, or telling a twelve year old they don't belong on the site due to laws and internet safety issues.)
Do Not Post Links to the Sporked Fic ~ If I myself do not post a link to the sporked fic, then don't post a link yourself. You can post links to other things, but not said sporked fanfic.
Do Not Post a Link in a Review or a PM ~ I don't mind fanfic writers finding their spork on their own, or through someone they actually personally know and discussing their fanfic, even looking for ways to improve. However, some Suethor's are not ready to address the fact they are badfic writers, or even ready to have a good laugh at themselves. Maybe some day they will be. Respect this.
Respect Everyone ~ I won't put up with people not respecting other people. This means no racist comments for one thing. We're here to enjoy a badfic and a Mary Sue, not to make fun of people too.
FAQS
Why do I do this? ~
While I like a well written fanfic, I also like a candy read of a badfic. I enjoy analysis and looking at things from an analytical point of view. Writing a badfic is not a bad thing either. On one side, it is the starting place for every single writer, on the other, some people write some badfic just for the fun of it. It is always good to have a candy read.
The Harry Potter fandom happens to have quite a few Mary Sues and badfics known for it, like The Eliza Trilogy, of which I've enjoyed reading the first half of the first three fics for the series. And then, we hav e ones like My Immortal, which is notorious in the history of the fandom, among some others.
But other fandoms, like Bleach don't have a record of said fanfics, either to simply enjoy, or to in fact learn from. Some of these fanfic writers never learn, but others eventually do and they decide to delete said fanfics from the site of others, so that they will be forgotten. Or, in some cases, due to breaking site rules, the admins delete them. I had to find The Eliza Trilogy.
Does this break the rule about respect?
There are some people on the net who hold a belief along these lines. If someone posted their work to the net simply because they want other people to enjoy. If they were not looking for criticism, then people should not supply it. To some people, this simply applies to just spork, but to others it applies to reviews.
However, fanfiction is still a form of writing and still has standards. Just because you've posted it to the internet doesn't mean it isn't a published piece of work. To publish something means “to prepare and issue (printed or electronic matter) for distribution and sale”... free online dictionary. In other words, money does not need be involved, nor does it being printed.
It doesn't matter if you are a famous author like Meyer, or you are some unknown person simply posting fic to the net. Once you've posted to the internet, nothing dis-includes you from the critique one gets on the site. Age also doesn't work due to the fact that if you are mature enough to be perusing the net, surely you are also mature enough to handle someone pointing out your faults. You won't grow otherwise.
The Spork...
Mary Sue Critique: This consists of both Mary Sue fanfics and badfic that I am choosing to analyze on the problems that lie within and that I also happen to ask why a Suethor does the things that they do. These are newer Mary Sue fanfics and I will not be providing links to them because of this. I won't be quoting every single part of the fanfic. That just isn't my stule
Mary Sue Classic: These are Mary Sues that are well known and also happen to be old. I will be providing links to these Mary Sues due to the fact that it has been so long since they were written. Again, I won't be quoting every single part of the fanfic.
Mary Sue Memories: These are simply memories pulled out of my memory banks. Some will have links, some will not. Actually, one of them I am looking for a link for as I can't find it anymore.
Rabid Quotes: Twihards can leave some very interesting comments that are interesting to spork the logic on. But they aren't the only ones. I am trying to find stuff other then just Twihard quotes.