prillalar | Fanfic posting templates

Fanfic posting templates

What's the most useful way to post story headers? What information do you like to see? What's the best way to format it?

Over the years, I've boiled mine down to this:

Whisky and Water by Halrloprillalar
Stranger in a Strange Land, Jubal Harshaw/Valentine Michael Smith, NC17, 2300 words
Mike's first drink.

Notes: Thanks to Kest for beta and doing all those single malt taste tests.

What is usually recommended on community info pages is this, which I find a lot less readable:

Ttile: Mark of Cain
Author: Halrloprillalar
Fandom: Classic Battlestar Galactica
Pairing: Adama/Cain
Rating: R
Summary: An argument over Adama's orders turns violent...at first.
Author's Notes: Nobody would agree to beta this so all mistakes are mine!

What do you prefer to read? To use?

Bonus hint: When posting fic to a community, unless the rules prohibit it, put both the title and author name in the subject line. It makes it a lot easier for people who are browsing the comm archive later on.

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I'm Virgo rising and thus: obsessed with order. Therefore the list format goes down best with me.

I hate it when people don't put the ship or rating in a header - as a few people in the Atlantis fandom refuse to do - because I feel that I should be given a choice before I start reading. I don't want to begin reading a fic and find my time wasted when it turns out to be het/a slash pairing I hate/extremely explicit - so I think it's only fair to warn people.

I've recently seen the argument that 'you wouldn't have a rating on a book' - but to be perfectly frank, I don't read real books anymore. And I wouldn't buy a book that I didn't have a decent blurb for.

/grumble.

As for the bonus points - I do that as often as possible! :)

Yeah, I really like to know the characters in advance as well. I don't need every single detail, especially if there's a triangle or something, but if there isn't at least a clue about who's in the story, I won't click.

Rating is good too because I might read mild fic at work on my break, but not something explicit.

Fanfic and books are not the same thing at all; they fill different needs, they have different distribution methods, and different conventions.

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alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com - 2005-12-29 11:14 (UTC) - Expand

i like the first one better; the other choice seems a bit, i don´t know, cold? to me. but it´s functional.

They both work -- I just find the second harder to read. It's busier to my eye.

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ponderosa121.livejournal.com - 2005-12-29 11:24 (UTC) - Expand

On the whole, either is fine. Generally speaking, for me, the name of the fandom is as important as the identity of the pairing. Title and author's name are important as well.

I find the listing as 'readable' as your form, unless space is an issue.

I like to see the name of the fandom too. The people and comms on my flist are so diverse, it's just easiest if that info is there at a glance so I can fit my brain into the right context.

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fajrdrako.livejournal.com - 2005-12-29 11:26 (UTC) - Expand

I must confess that I'm used to the latter, and thus find it fairly transparent.

On the other hand, most of the time I find fic via a rec or because it's a writer whose work I trust, so the whole matter of story headers is moot. I prefer not to be told too much, as a general rule.

The latter format certainly has the weight of convention behind it. And it works fine -- I just find it harder to take in the information as quickly in that format.

Mmmm, single malt taste tests....

I usually boil it down to title, pairing/fandom, and a brief summary, though I hate summaries so I don't think mine are ever very informative. It probably makes sense for a community to require a more detailed template, because it will pull in readers that may be unfamiliar with one's previous work (which is usually the only real determinant of whether I'll read the story or not).

Mmmm, single malt taste tests....

It's for research!

I can totally see the value of a template for a comm too, to make sure everybody includes the same info. (But of course, I usually just stick with my way becuase I'm one of those people who thinks that rules don't apply to them. *g* So long as I have the required information, I don't fret too much about using the exact template.)

I mostly use the latter format, because that was what was always required on lists, and so it's just what i'm used to. When I strip it down, it always makes a story feel... less final/less official.

In my own LJ, I will sometimes just do "Title | Fandom | Pairing or Characters | Rating | word count | (and spoiler warnings if necessary)" but that's usually for something that hasn't been officially betaed etc., and if I do revise it and post to a community, I'll put all the other headers on it there.

It's interesting how using the different header styles makes you feel differently about your story. Does it work the same for other people's stories?

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musesfool.livejournal.com - 2005-12-29 11:30 (UTC) - Expand

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laylah.livejournal.com - 2005-12-29 14:33 (UTC) - Expand

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prillalar - 2005-12-31 13:07 (UTC) - Expand

I like both, but I have to say I'm so used to yours that it makes it easier when browsing my f-list to see "weee, a fic I'll actually enjoy" X3

The only thing I really want to see in the header is the pairing. I don't really see the point of saying the fandom because obviously if you know the characters of the pairing, you will be able to know where they are from.

I don't really see the point of saying the fandom because obviously if you know the characters of the pairing, you will be able to know where they are from.

Last year I was browsing my flist and I saw a story with the pairing "Tucker/Archer". Oh my god, that's so sick! I thought. But then I realised that it was not Fullmetal Alchemist but rather Enterprise. Context is everything. :)

Also, I'm watching/reading five different series right now with a character or characters named Tachibana!

I like the first for readability, but can understand the point of the second for archival purposes. You could include the second at the end of the fic, to satisfy that need.

On my website, I use something very similar to the first on the category pages, but more a list format on the actual story pages, especially on the plain text versions. It's easier for me if people want a copy to archive -- I can just point them there.

Archiving was always a big deal on mailing lists, but LJ comms are pretty much their own archives so it seems less important now.

*nods* Tick off another mark for 'used to it' for the second one. It's what I'm accustomed to from browsing the comms, so my eye is trained to extract information most easily from that form.

Of course, on my ficjournal proper, I give the summary first and then cram genre, rating, continuity and warnings onto one line. *shrugs*

There's a lot to be said for convention. :)

I'd prefer the first one. It's simple. The list format is serviceable, but with so many lines it is actually a distraction for me.

Yeah, that's it for me too. I think it's easier to get the info from the first version or something similar.

I don't post to fic comms, but I pretty stick to the second format (although I list characters rather than pairings because I'm weird that way and there's something about the OTP mindset that annoys me and makes me avoid it as much as possible). I loathe ratings, and since I post on my journal, I figure everyone knows who the author is.

I don't list the fandom in the header notes, but I do throw it into the title box...

I like having the fandom somewhere -- I usually put it in the subject as well as in the info template. I find it's really helpful to get quickly oriented to the context, so people can figure out whether or not they want to read it.

I totally don't care, except that I want to see the fandom if there might be a doubt, the characters or pairing, the rating in language I understand, and the length. I am neither for or against warnings, genre information, summaries, or notes.

I figure in our own LJs, we should give whatever info we want to. I'm trying to work out what's the most usable way for me to present the information so people reading can easily tell if it's something they want to read or not.

I'm not big on warnings, though I usually put one on if there's violence or non-con. Even then, though, it's usually vague.

The latter does irk me slightly. I mean, my eyes are always drawn to the big bold letters, which prove to contain no useful information whatsoever! I manage to contain my woe, but I do like the condensed form better, and yours is pretty much perfect.

People use the second format without the bolding too, but I find that even harder to read. I suppose a lot of it, too, is just being consistant so people can get used to whatever format you're using.

I find that the second one is easier to use, because I can scan the info until I get to the variable that is most important to me, and read to see if it's something I'm interested in. The first way, I'd have to actually read every line to figure out if it's something for me, or not.

However, when I'm posting a link to a story, I use the first type - because the second type header is at the other end of the link, and usually the 'do I care or not' info is in the subject line of the entry where I'm posting the link.

I bet we could make a variable tree to see how people scan for info. Fandom would usually be first, followed by characters/pairing. If it's on a comm site, then author. After that it's probably more down to individual preference.

I think it depends on the exact posting situation. For instance, I'm fairly monofandomous; about all I ever write or rec is HP, so I don't bother with listing the fandom for a piece. I think title, author's name(s), rating, pairing and summary are the only things absolutely necessary in a header, but I'll add other material as the situation seems to warrant, or as required. For instance, I'll warn for certain squicks or spoilers on fairly recent new canon; if an archive requires me to set a genre, I'll set one. I don't have a problem with listing a pairing like Draco/??? if that's supposed to be part of the surprise.

That said, I do think some headers give too much information. I frankly don't give a damn about word count (though I can understand why others would) and some people go way the heck overboard in listing ships--just stick to the ones that count, not every single one that's even so much as hinted at. There's a point at which the amount of info thrown at you renders it all meaningless, you know? In that vein, I also tend to dislike long, detailed A/Ns in headers, expecially when they're crossposted to multiple comms. That's just excessive.

I think the whole listing fandom thing is helpful even if you're only writing in one fandom becuse people who are reading your LJ may have lots of fandoms represented on their flist and it helps to orient them. But I do associate your username with HP so that's not a problem for me. :)

I like to include word count because some people don't like to read really short stories, some people don't like to read long ones, etc. ITA about listing too many pairings -- sometimes you get so much info there in the headers, there's no reason to read the story anymore.

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mad_maudlin - 2006-01-01 01:35 (UTC) - Expand

I much prefer the latter. It's structured, it's organized, and it makes sure people don't leave anything out. (It's also easier and much faster for me to read; my eyes automatically scan through the format, no searching required.)

But I honestly don't care if people use the other one, as long as they use it completely. And, actually, I don't need information on the rating (unless it is for something unexpected; "NC-17 for explicit violence, torture, rape, death" is something I really need to know going in), and I don't need the summary, and it won't kill me if the author leaves out the pairing. (Although all these things make me more likely to read the story, just because I like things to be, you know, predictable.)

From the standpoint of recommending and maintaining a recs database, though? The second format is way better. It really helps to have each category labeled. And, again, that second format makes it much harder to leave things out.

Also? Please do not put the title only in the cut tag. Please. I'm begging you. (Not you specifically, obviously, as you don't do that. It's more directed at flashfic writers in various communities.) We don't see the cut tag on the comments page, which is the one people will bookmark and link to, so nothing important should go in there. And please put in a subject line for an LJ FF post that is more informative than "EEEEEE!!!!! PORN!!!!!" (Ideally, put in the title and fandom of the fic, plus author in communities.) If something is untitled, still include the header information; just say it is untitled. Saves tons of time searching around for potential titles in the cut tag or in other random places.

And I think it should go without saying (but obviously does not) that putting deliberately misleading information in the header is unkind. It's fine to omit things as necessary; not everyone uses the same format, so if you skip over the fandom or the pairing because it needs to be a surprise, most people will not notice. But do not say it is Sheppard/Weir if it sort of starts that way but is actually explicitly Sheppard/McKay. Do not say that a story is PG13 if it includes graphic mutilation, character suicide, and eight paragraphs describing a brutual rape. Be nice to your readers, is what I'm getting across here. (And, again, I don't mean you, Hal; as far as I know, you've never done any of this. I mean you, fandom. The general you. I'm having pronoun issues today.)

I'm trying to think if I've ever tricked someone with headers. I've sometimes been a bit misleading about content, but never about characters or ships, I don't think. Hmm...

I sometimes think that people don't *want* their fic to be found and read, they make it so difficult for people.

I prefer the second, because when I'm busy I only skim my friends' list, and it's easier for me to miss fic if the story header is shorter.

I know! I'll start using the blink tag on the title. *g*

Since I first started to write for fandoms, I got roped into using the 2nd format for posting purposes. So I've just gotten used to it and would prefer reading/using that. However, I'm not picky so I can read your format without trouble. What I don't like is that the 2nd format sometimes get really long, especially if people include everything and more. I try to not. ^^

I find the length of the second format and the sameness of the lines to be difficult. But it's not like it's obscure or anything.

And every time I see that Kaito icon, I want to give him a hug!

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disutansu.livejournal.com - 2005-12-31 17:52 (UTC) - Expand

Either is fine, really. I'm used to yours. Well, truthefully, to only be used specifically by you. :D The only fic I've ever published to LJ was in the standard InuKai comm form, required by "law". ;D

Maybe we all need our own formats, so it's easier to tell which is whose. *g*

I've never posted on communities, so unfortunately mine is even more condensed then yours. Usually it's:

title. pairing. word count. summary.

Standard list forms almost irk me unless it's actually in a community where it's required? *the minority*

I think the main thing is that people can tell you are posting fic, in which fandom, and about which characters.

There isn't enough ROOM in the subject line for everything I already need to put in it, let alone add my name in too. >.<

I try to put something like [Fic] Title - (Series, pairing, 1/?)

It's a holdover from my mailing list days, I think, where you had to cram as much as you could into the subject line. It's also why my fics tend to have short names.

Then I'll put the full version down below, in the format of your second example, just because that's acceptable on every comm I'm part of, so I don't have to sit and think 'okay, is THIS comm one of the ones I can post X type of summary to, or does it requrie Y info'.

I can see where putting the author name in the subject line might be helpful for looking through archives, but there's a limit to how much you can meaningfully cram in there.

I usually try to put all that into the subject line and add my name in comm postings. On LJ you don't have the same limit as in email; at least, I've never had a problem getting all that in the subject line.

Nobody's ticked me off yet for using my format in comms instead of standard list format -- I do make sure I've got all the required info there.

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