Before you can submit a story to Gossamer, you need to write one! This requires that you put the time and effort into crafting a story. Your first concern should be creating an appealing and well-written piece of work, not how to get your story archived at Gossamer. However, you will want to check out the section about configuring your word processor before you start to type out your story.
Pages with writing advice that is specifically directed at X-Files fanfic authors:
Deep Background
http://www.keleka.net/deepbackground/
A collection of research about the show and the characters.
The Elements of Phyle -- Kipler
http://members.aol.com/kipler/grammar.html
Many of the basics a X-Files fanfic author needs to know.
So You Want to Write Fanfic? -- Anne Haynes
http://memento.pinch-me.net/fic/AHwritefic.htm
A short essay on why to make sure that your fanfic is the best it can be.
Working Stiffs -- Nicole
http://www.geocities.com/workingstiffsfanfic/
A collection of links, articles and other information about writing
fanfic and the fan fiction community.
Pages with general writing advice:
Bad Fanfic! No Biscuit!
http://www.englishchick.com/badfic/
DangerMom's Handy-Dandy Grammar Guide
http://members.aol.com/DangerMom/guide.html
A handy guide to problems commonly found in fanfic.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc's Articles on Writing
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/ex_writing.htm
These links are just a small example of the number of resources for writers which are available on the Internet. Use them as a starting point to find resources which help you in your growth as an author.
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Most authors use a word processor on their computer to write their stories. Word processors can be as simple as the default Notepad/Wordpad (Windows) or Simpletext (Mac) that come with your computer system. They can be as complex as Microsoft Word, or Adobe PageMaker. If you're desperate and know little else about your computer, you can even write a story directly in your e-mail editor (the screen where you write e-mail).
Gossamer recommends that you choose a common word processor or text editor which contains a spell-check feature to write your story. The only limitations are that you know how to use your chosen program, and make it conform to the rules we specify for submission to Gossamer. It is your responsibility to understand these rules and know how to make your program comply with them.
Here are some links to information about configuring common word processors and text editors for writing stories:
Microsoft Word 97/2000
Microsoft Word XP/2002
WordPerfect
NoteTab
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Before you begin typing:
While you're typing:
To finish it up:
These are the basic rules to make your story readable and "pretty" outside the confines of your computer's word processor. Before you submit a story to Gossamer, you should understand what these rules mean, why they are necessary, and how to apply them to your story. Explanations of how to follow each rule are included later in this FAQ.
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Left Justification
Left justification means that your story will have a ragged right margin, much like this page and many other printed resources. But what if you think that full justification, in which the left and the right margin both are both straight, looks prettier when you're typing up your story in your word processor?
Most modern word processors alter the size of the white space between words to create those margins. The "space" between any two words may the size of a normal space, the size of a normal space plus a quarter or half of another, or up to the combined size of two or more spaces.
There's only one size for spaces when the document is converted to text. This means that if you convert a fully justified document to text, some of your words will have one space between them, while others may have two or more. This problem is noticable in a text file, and distracting to the reader. Good left justification is easily accomplished and accepted by fan fiction readers.
Line Between Paragraphs
Take a look at the way that the paragraphs appear on this page. There is a line between each of them, and no paragraph is indented.
The idea of putting a line between paragraphs has become standard on the Internet for many reasons. The most common reason is that distinct chunks of text are easier to read on a computer screen when they are separated by some white space. Indented paragraphs fill the screen with endless rows of text, without any place for the reader to rest her eyes.
Also, indents created by the tab key often don't translate very well to text format. Some word processors may remove them when you convert the file, leaving your story without any indication of when one paragraph ends and another begins.
On the Internet, placing a line between each paragraph follows the standard that readers are used to seeing. It means that your story won't stand out--in a bad way--because it's hard to read and exhausting for the eyes. Although your English teacher may frown on it as a standard for research papers, it's a good idea to use it when writing for the Internet.
Peeve Alert!
While we're on the subject of paragraphs, a piece of writing advice: when writing dialogue, each change in speaker starts a new paragraph. Each new dialogue paragraph should be a fully formatted paragraph.
Scully glanced at Skinner. "Sir, I don't know what to do." "Right now, all we can do is wait. There are no choices." "Inaction is chosing to do nothing." Skinner shook his head and looked at the figure on the hospital bed. "Scully, if you know of something we can do, feel free to fill me in."
Even if you only want to put minimal effort into writing and improving your story, that effort should include checking both the spelling and the grammar. Run your word processor's spelling checker. Read through your story slowly, at least once, to find those places where you've accidentally dropped words or mismatched subject and verb. Don't submit something that you wrote yet have never read through again--it doesn't represent your best, or even your average, work.
Some places to help you:
The Elements of Style (1918 edition) -- William Strunk, Jr.
http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html
[Current editions available at your local bookstore.]
The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2000)
http://www.bartleby.com/61/
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition (1995)
http://www.bartleby.com/62/
The American Heritage Book of English Usage (1996)
http://www.bartleby.com/64/
Common Errors in English
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/
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One of the terms you will hear often in fanfic is "beta-reader." So what's a beta-reader? A beta-reader is a person who reads your story before it is officially released, checking your story for common grammatical and spelling errors as well as offering you critical feedback. Beta-readers are a valuable part of the fanfic community, and a good way to work on improving your writing abilities.
Gossamer recommends that everyone work with a beta-reader to ensure that their stories are the best they can be. But, if you have no desire to receive critical feedback, or to hear that your story "as-is" isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread, you might not want to consult with one.
There is a group called The Beta Reader's Circle in the X-Files fanfic community which provides writers with an editor to proofread fanfic, formulate character and plot, or just bounce ideas off of. Their website is located at: http://brc.8m.com/.
This is a great idea if you are a new writer and are unsure about your writing. Many of the editors are long-time fanfic writers themselves, and all give constructive criticism to enhance the impact of your story. They won't flame or slam or compose nasty notes. They simply like to encourage and help as others have helped them.
To request an editor please fill out the following information and send it to: brc-request@lists.x-philes.com
GENRE - MSR, Case File, Slash, etc
LENGTH
VIOLENCE CONTENT - Scale rating of 0-4 on violence content.
0 - Violence-free
1 - Minor injuries like getting beat or hit on the head.
2 - Major injuries involving hospitalization such as a gun wound.
3 - Graphical descriptions of violence, death or dead bodies.
4 - Rape, torture or graphically depicted child abuse.
RATING - (G, PG, Pg-13, NC-17, R)
SUMMARY - (brief)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS - Any special needs like x-overs or secondary character insight.
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So, you've heard about the way that Dickens and other authors of his time wrote novels--writing them section by section and shaping the path of the story based upon feedback from readers--and want to try that form of narration.
WIPs have a strange place in the X-Files fanfic community. Some people despise them, some people love them. Many never get finished. They are frustrating for readers and archivists alike.
The Gossamer complete archives (Krycek, Fluky, Tooms, FTP, and Update) do not archive WIPs or any stories that have "to be continued?" at the end of the final section. Gossamer does archive series in which each section is a complete piece of work (whether that be a complete story or vignette).
The Gossamer WIP archive is currently defunct, due to no volunteers having the amount of time and energy keeping that archive updated required.
Gossamer does try to keep track of WIPs on the back-end of the archive, archiving them when the author has completed them. But we offer NO GUARANTEE about whether any WIP--even WIPs whose parts are submitted to us directly while they are "in progress"--will be archived. If you, the author, want your WIP archived by Gossamer once it is completed, it is your responsibility to bundle up all the parts and submit it directly.