As I read fan fictions a bit more lately some have problem so this thread is here to fix them hopefully. This thread will be used hopefully and I hope this will be used for most Pokemon stories.

1) Proper use of the keys

Enter/Return: This is one of the most useful keys. Use it whenever you have finished with one idea and are ready to move on to the next paragraph. Use it when one person has finished speaking, and another is about to start. When doing so, hit it twice, to produce a blank line between paragraphs. This makes it a lot easier for your readers to tell where your paragraphs start and end. Large blocks of uninterrupted text are hard to read. This forums doesn't register the spacing between paragraphs so I suggest you do it yourself.


Shift: Another important key. Hold it down when your typing the first letter of a sentence, name, important place and title.

Caps Lock: This is used often to replace the "Shift" key. Do not use it only if the person is SHOUTING!

The Spacebar: Hit it once after every word, comma, and period.

2) Tips Details and Information

Description - Take time to describe the setting, object, and/or person around. Do not say that "there was a man standing next to me" or "The vase was pretty" Take time to describe it to the reader.

A description is not just a list of attributes. When describing a character, don't just list their name, age, height, weight, hair color, and current belongings. Bring this information out gradually when the person appears in a story.

Paragraphs - Use these as your basic unit of composition. Each paragraph should be used to point out a single idea. If a paragraph seems to long, it probably contains more than one idea, and should be split up for clarity. If it seems too short, expand on the idea.

Sentences - A sentence should contain exactly one action or statement of existence. If it contains more than one, split it into two or more. If it contains less than one, finish the sentence. Run-on sentences are often confusing, while fragments make the reader feel that something is missing.

Have names mentioned early in the conversation. Do not put, Joe meets a kid name Chad and they start to fight. Bring information about a character as the story progresses like family info or personal issues.

3) Correct Punctuation

. - Periods are used to end a declarative sentence or a command.

? - Question marks end a question or a interrogative sentence. (NOTE:interrogative is another word for a question)

! - Exclamation points ends a exclamatory or a command.

4) Run-ons and Fragments

I have asked people the question and asked "What is a Fragment and a Run-on"

This is what I get.

Run-ons: A very long sentence.
Fragment: A very short sentence.

Those definitions are incorrect! Now here is the real definitions.

Fragments - an incomplete sentence

Run-ons - Two complete ideas in one with out proper punctuation.

Now here is why a fragment happens.

1 - Missing subject and predicate.
2 - Not a complete thought.

How to fix Run-ons

1. comma+conjunction
2. semicolon
3. Period, start new sentence

5)Writing Format

Do not use this dialogs they take away the detail, like this one below.

Dad: Get you butt out of bed!
Me: Oh fine.

Use quotes when someone is speaking because they display more detail like the one bellow.

"Oi, Setsuna! Get in here like A.S.A. Fast!! We're going to have a family meeting." Kazumi called out from the living room.

"I heard ya. I heard ya." I mumbled as I walked out of my room and down the stairs. Seriously, why do we have to do this?

As you can see one of the quotes has a Japanese term, but still a good quote that is described in detail.

6) Tips in use of Pokemon

All I ask is to describe the battles and attacks in full detail we don't want to read a Bagon using flamethrower then on to the next action. Readers want detailed description of the battles attacks.

7) Characters Note: Original Text is credit to serebii.net in this category

Characters are fun, aren’t they?

The characters of a story determine much of whether or not the story is likeable. If a story has a killer plot, but has unbelievable characters, chances are that it’ll fall. People like to be able to connect with the characters they read about. It’s what keeps them tied into the story. Most people feel that they need to know what happens to the characters. If they die, if they succeed in their quest, etc.

Character development doesn’t always have to be deep, but readers definitely appreciate a good character. How about some tips…

-Unbelievable Strength

Don’t make a character unbelievably strong. If you have a normal kid, he acts and reacts like a normal kid would. You can’t have a normal kid get shot and get over it in half an hour. A normal kid isn’t going to forget a bullet wound… If the kid is even conscious.

This is true with trainers, too. They cannot have an unbelievably strong amount of power. If you have a story about a kid, it usually doesn’t work if the kid has eight legendaries.

-Believable Strength

It is quite possible to have a strong character. Sometimes the strength can be attributed to special powers, if you work with fantasy. These are the easiest to deal with, perhaps because they can be there because they were inane.

With ‘real people’ in fics, this can be somewhat hard. There can be characters who have unbending will to go on, or even derive pleasure from pain (Anyone seems “Tomorrow Never Dies”? Stamper is a prime example of this…). To make a character like this believable, the characteristics must be hard and strong.

As an example… Salvador is a strong guy with a hard will to continue. He never fails to work hard, especially when it is for his work (he works for the Rockets). He is willing to take any and all pain necessary on the way to achieving his goals. Throughout the story, Salvador has sustained minor injuries, and kept his strong will. When he is faced with an agent of another Team, however, he will sustain a much larger one…

"Salvador narrowed his eyes in concentration, debating whether or not he should leap forward and attack or not. There were certainly other alternatives. He could try to throw his empty gun at the man. He could hold back for a few moments, though it would most likely lead to being shot.

After a moment, Salvador decided that he could take it no more. His way of doing something was to go ahead and do it. He wasn’t going to change that because a guy had a gun at his head. If he was killed, that was it. He wanted to go down fighting.

He leapt forward with a speed that surprised him, but, unfortunately, failed to surprise the dark man. Even as Salvador lunged forward, reaching for the man, he could hear the gun being fired. Salvador felt the dark man step back, and then felt the force of the bullet piercing into his chest.

He cringed in agony, almost screamed. He felt bones shatter around his organs, felt a bolt of heat near his lungs. For a moment he tottered and nearly fell to the floor. However, he was able to hear his earlier thoughts, those that had stated that he didn’t need to worry about being killed. These thoughts kept him standing.
Salvador saw the form of the man in front of him. Though it was becoming blurry, he knew he could attack, maybe even hit. Maybe he was going to die, but he didn’t care. Once more, Salvador lunged forward."

Of course, a character doesn’t need to be strong all the way through to have moments of strength. A person can definitely find courage during a traumatic moment, before a possible death or the like. Strength lies deep in everyone. Depending on the character, it can be found at different levels.
The main point is, don’t make a weak suddenly character act strongly all of the time. Readers won’t swallow that too well.

-Alternate points of view

This is very useful in writing when developing a character.
While one character is thinking about his or herself, you realize what he/she feels about the traits he/she has. A reader can also make insights about the character by what he/she thinks of others.

For Example - NOTE: All the text in this category is from serebii.net for this example and next.

"Lydia knew that she didn’t like Chad very much. The truth was that she hated him, loathed him. The boy always seemed to be in some sort of trouble, whether it was because he had been caught talking one too many times in class or because he had been caught stealing from the local convenience store.

Maybe it’d be better to say that Lydia distrusted Chad. She didn’t know him very well, and didn’t want to. He seemed to be the kind of guy who would stand in a dark ally, smoking a cigarette and waiting, just waiting for some innocent bystander to walk by and…

Lydia shook her head vigorously. Of course Chad wasn’t doing that, he was too busy with homework and the cross team. Still, it was a feasible idea, one that could happen in the near future. She felt this strongly, and couldn’t shake her dislike for Chad."

In reading this from Lydia’s POV, you should be able to realize that she dislikes Chad. You can see that she distrusts him because of his actions. She seems to be stuck on certain ideas, and has a sort of prejudice towards those who seem ‘untrustworthy.’ She judges before she understand anything. You can also see that she has some sort of imagination.

To carry development even further, it’s good to write what other characters observe about their fellows. For example…

"Julia didn’t understand why Lydia always seemed to walk on the other side of the hall when Chad walked by. It was always a movement that could almost be absent-minded, a simple move to the other side. Julie didn’t think so, though. Not when it was always done.

Julia didn’t think Chad was a bad guy at all. He certainly didn’t deserve to be avoided like he was some sort of disease. Although Lydia was her friend, Julia sometimes had trouble understanding Lydia’s short-sightedness"

This further pushes the fact that Lydia doesn’t look below the surface. It also shows that she has perhaps made wrong judgment of Chad.

Obviously, you can do a better job of conveying information by using various POVs than I just did. It is a very useful technique, and I recommend it.

-Names

Name can be quite helpful in defining a character, too. A character’s name can reveal certain traits about him or her, contradict his or her traits, have a strong meaning to the story, or mean nothing at all.

Using a variety of names can be helpful. While it’s fine to use names such as ‘Rob’, ‘Jim’, and ‘Amanda’, it’s good to mix these in with less common names. I suppose this isn’t quite ‘character’ information, but it stays here because I don’t feel like putting it elsewhere.

Names such as ‘Angel’ can be used to either contradict or convey the characteristics of a character…

"Angel fit her name to a level of perfection that seemed undeniably firm. Her practical, caring behavior, along with her endless amount of forgiveness, seemed to fit nearly everyone’s idea of angelic. Her hair seemed to be spun of gold, and her body had been shaped to a soft faultlessness."

Or…

"Angel’s eyes blazed with anger as she watched the man before her. She had a short temper, and certainly wasn’t the most mild-mannered person in the world. Both Angel and the man knew that she could kill him without a second thought. For a moment, however, she simply glared, piercing eyes glaring out from under her black bangs, standing with an intensity that seemed to scream that she was a murderer."

So… I really have no way to wrap that one up.
I guess, while names can mean something, convey a characteristic, or symbolize something, it’s perfectly fine to have them be meaningless.

-Actions
A character must, obviously, stay constantly in character. By this I mean that you should make sure that if a character does something, it is befitting of him/her. It’s fine for a character to do something that SEEMS out of the ordinary… as long as you explain the reason for the actions.

For example, if you have a character who seems to be the perfect angel, you can make him/her do something ‘bad’ by a number of methods.
First, you could use a traumatic happening. Have a close death, or a near death experience.

There’s always the ‘hidden character’ method, too. The angelic personality could be a cover-up for the character… and as the writer, you don’t have to reveal this fact until you want to.
Isn’t that fun?

- Types of Pov's (POV's= Point of Views)

3rd person -

A type of writing if you want to use if you are not in the story. It's basically like the author is a narrator. This is common for beginners and I suggest working with this once or twice before going on to the next type.

2nd Person NOTE: Original text is from me!
This is not a common writing style that many authors use, but it is still an appropriate style. The main character is the readers basically from what I know about 2nd person. It uses pronouns like "you" or it could have something like this: You spoke, "...."

1st person -

It is when the author is in the story somehow or just telling it in the other person's eyes. This is used for experienced writers mostly, but can be used for beginners if used correctly.

8) The big thing, plot

Plot is the whole entire story this includes the introduction and ending so please pay attention to this.

Exposition - The main characters are introduced, time and places is stated, and some background info if possible.

Conflict - The problem of the story. No reader wants to a story with no problem. This makes the story so boring.

Rising Action - The action builds up and tension of the story rises.

Climax - The most exciting part of the story, where the problem is solved or about to be solved.

Resolution - Where the story ends basically, but that doesn't mean the ending can't have a cliffhanger if you're planning a sequel.

Remember plot is important because it explains the whole entire story, so basically it is the whole story, so no parts of the plot can be removed.

9) 9 Comma Rules!

1. Use a comma to offset introductory words, phrases, or clauses.
2. Use a comma between two descriptive adjectives, or can have a conjunction.
3. Use comma between three or more items in a series.
4.Use a comma before conjunctions if there is a complete sentences on both sides.
5. Use commas to offset unnecessary and parenthetical words, phrases, and clauses.
6. Commas must be used between days, dates, and years. This also applies to city, states, and zip codes.
7. Use a comma in a situation of a friendly letter
8.Use a comma where there is a natural pause is necessary or to avoid confusing words
9. Do not put a comma where ever you like. That is what we call Comma Splicing.

10) Quotes

I just love quotes, because thats when people start speaking and that adds some animation to the story.

"" - These are was quotation marks look like and now on to the Rules of Quotes!

1. Use a set of quotation marks to enclose a person's quote.
Ex- "I want pie right now!"
2. Put actual words of speaker in the quotation marks.
3. Use a comma to set off a quotation, as after said. (Meaning if the quote is just a regular sentence use a comma instead of a period)
EX for #3 - "I drove my car to my friends house," I said.
4. Use question marks instead of a comma when the person is asking a question and an exclamation point for a person who is shouting.
5. Use a capital letter to open quotations, however, if the quotation is broken into two parts, begin the quote with a lowercase letter.
6. Use a different paragraph each time a person speaks.
7. Almost all quotes end with a comma except for quotes that are exclamations and quotes when the person is asking a question. (Kepp that in mind. I am just reminding you)
8. Never do a quote back to back. Please start a new paragraph after the person is done speaking. You will never see this in books.
EX - "Hi Mathew!""Yeah, hi Davis!"


I hope everything in this clears up everything for writers. If their are more problem please contact me!

P_A

It took forever to read that, but it was very helpful to me. Thanks, and I hope more people use this.

This is my sig.

Thanks Bonsly. I know it is long, but it is good for writers. Anyway thanks for the luck!

Edit: I have now added a comma rules section!

I'm not really a fan of people dragging stuff that's mostly taken from other sites and pasted here, even if there is credit given. whatever. I didn't read it because I know that stuff already, but it's helpful and I know someone is going to ask for this to get stickied so fine.

Here. You're welcome.

I couldn't read it all in one day, but by the looks of it, nice job! Some of those small areas like commas are very helpful and creating an exciting plot with killer-roles and other elements such as these, my future stories will be perfected! Thanks for posting this!

Click my banner to visit Luigi's Engine Room, my art shop and ask for something! =D

Your welcome luckyluigi7!
P_A

i have a question. i know of a site thats pretty big on fanfics so would it be all right if i give a link to this topic i think it'd be very good for them.

Sure that would be OK, but give credit to me!
(What is the link to the forums?) (I am a Fan fiction fanatic)
(Send through PM please)
P_A

IDK if it matters, but someone could probable make a good story in 2nd person. You might think about adding it, since most people don't know what it is.

Thanks squire for new material!
P_A

(10-12-2008 11:01 AM)lilsparks101 Wrote:  I have a question. I know of a site thats pretty big on fanfics so would it be all right if I give a link to this topic I think it'd be very good for them.

Could I do that too? It's the same people, but it's new and will probably have lots of different authors someday.

I give permission for any use sharing this thread to other forums, but you have to give me credit.

Cool beans. Thanks!

I have now updated this with Quotation Marks section!

I found this quite informative.