Updated 2021:

About My Fanfiction:

1.) I won’t post often. I have a life. Fanfiction is only a small part of it.

2.) I story hop. Inspiration comes and goes like a fickle muse.

3.) I will never abandon a story. It's mine. I would not waste my time if I didn't care.

4.) My stories are not up for adoption.

5.) Reviewers: Thank you. I appreciate you.

6.) Do NOT ask for updates:

I’m not sure if some readers realize this, but asking for updates after I have just posted a chapter is not endearing. I appreciate the thought and effort it takes to write a review or post a comment, but asking for updates is rude, especially since fanfiction is a hobby for me, not a lifestyle. Send me a review about what you liked or leave constructive criticism, but don’t bother me about updates.

7.) About My Writing:

I write Flash Fiction. Similar to Micro Fiction, Flash Fiction is brief, but compact; often singular, stand-alone works that range anywhere from a paragraph to a page. The challenge of Flash Fiction is to express as much as you can in a beautifully simplistic manner. This means that my Fanfiction chapters are usually very short.

8.) Author Notes:

I don’t like reading (or writing) author notes within the chapters of stories because I honestly feel like it is a waste of time, especially if writer is trying to be funny, answering reviews, and/or blathering on about something which is of no relevance to the story itself. For my works, I avoid them when at all possible, but if it must be done, I indicate them in bold at the bottom of the chapter.

9.) Disclaimers & Content Warnings:

My rule of thumb is to place the disclaimer at the top of the first chapter of a story and only that chapter. Every consecutive chapter is part of the “book” and therefore does not need additional disclaimers. I don’t do content warnings for sensitive topics. If the story is labeled “M” for mature, it is because it has mature content, whatever that may entail. It is not my job to filter your reading preferences. If you are reading a M rated story, you’re going to get M rated stuff.

A Note For Readers:

It has come to my attention that I have been part of the fanfiction community either as a writer or a reader for over ten years. Which. Is. Crazy. As such, I wanted to share a few thoughts that I have on fanfiction in general and on a few specific items in particular.

Here are a few criteria I have developed when searching for fresh, intriguing and immersive Fanfictions. For those interested, I give my reasoning after each rule of thumb so you understand where I’m coming from with each idea.

Delgodess’ Ten Commandments of Fanfiction

1.) Thou shalt give thy story a Name.

Name your darlings. By not naming your story, you are telling your readers that you don’t care about it enough to name it. So why should they care to read it?

2.) Thou shalt take thy time to write a story summary.

This is a pet peeve of mine and goes hand-in-hand with the first rule. If you do not take the time to write a proper summary for your story, you are telling your readers that you don’t care enough about your story to do so. This is pure laziness. If you have the time, drive and creative energy to write a story, you can damn well write two to three sentences to pull the reader in.

3.) Thou shalt format thy text correctly or thou shalt die.

OK. Maybe you won’t. But your views will. Formatting your story correctly makes it easier for your readers to actually read it. If it’s not formatted intuitively, no one’s going to bother hurting their eyes.

4.) Thou shalt not have Author Notes within thy narrative.

Don’t do it. It ruins the flow of the story and pulls your readers out of the experience. I don’t care how funny you think you are. You’re not.

5.) Thou shalt not have a big “reveal” for thyself, nor thy OCs.

This is a huge one for me. If you are writing a story with original characters or self inserts, do not let your characters tell any of the canon characters/cast that they are reincarnated/inserted/have gamer powers. From my experience as a reader/writer, doing this completely upsets the immersion of the story. If someone were to tell you, to your face, that the world in which you live is fictional and that you are just a character in a book, you would literally think they are insane. Since most fanfictions try to mimic reality, this would be the proper response of the canon characters/cast*. The best option, I think, is to just have your character avoid the issue entirely. Why is it relevant for the people around the OC/SI to know? Because really? It’s not.

*From what I have seen, there are only two ways a “reveal” would work:

· A spoof or crack fanfiction: These stories have OCs/SIs and plots that are deliberately created to be humorous and nonsensical. Thus, the “reveal” would not actually impact the story at all and the fanfiction can continue without interruption.

· The “Non-Issue” Reveal: This goes back to the “relevancy” idea. Maybe your character is placed into a position where their reincarnation/insertion/gamer powers are found out, either by a Big Bad, a ROB, or even a trusted family member. Le gasp! You’re a special unicorn snowflake. Here’s the deal: that shit doesn’t even matter. So you died/were transported/have infinite potential? There’s nothing you can really do about it, it just is, so why make a fuss? And for those thinking your foreknowledge is worth crap: See #8.

6.) Thou shalt not replace the Main Character with thyself nor thy OCs.

Look. I’m not against SIs being inserted into a main character. I’m actually a huge fan. However, if you’re going to do a self-insert, your character needs to have substance. They can’t just follow the main storyline of the plot with no changes or other developments. That’s just you living out a self-fulfilling fantasy that nobody else wants to read. It’s dull and unengaging. Have fun with it. Change the canon. Go wild.

7.) Thou shalt not insert thyself nor thy OCs overtly into main events within The Plot.

I put this one here because, well… it’s just more interesting to have a character that is subtlety placed in a world. That way they are not just following the same storyline/plot that we’ve all seen in cannon and read about in fanfiction. They are doing something different. They influence the story in small ways or not at all. They literally become a character onto themselves, one that could potentially exist in the canon, if we twist sideways and squint.

8.) Thou shalt not take the Weight of the World upon thy shoulders.

One common thing I see in fanfiction is the original character/self-insert freaking out about their place in the world and the impact they have on the events around them, especially with all their “foreknowledge”. They start thinking that somehow, the fate of the world rests on their choices. Then they get all angsty. This is a ridiculous, egotistical idea. The world does not revolve around you. Reality doesn’t work that way, so in these fictional realities it’s not going to work that way either. They, and their writers, need to get over themselves.

9.) Thou shalt not do Romance. *Exceptions Apply

Romance in fanfiction is difficult. It’s hard to get right, especially when you have a bunch of young writers trying to live out their romantic/sexual fantasies. Often times it can be downright disturbing, especially when the relationships displayed in the stories are not an accurate representation of what a real, loving relationship would be. That’s why I think romance should be avoided in fanfiction, *unless it is not the main focus of the story and develops naturally over (a long) time between two characters.

10.) Thou shalt not have a harem.

*Steps onto soap box.*

Harem animes make interactions between characters lighthearted and funny and use a dash of perversion to make an oddly compelling and strangely captivating narrative. They toe the line of indecency, never crossing it, and it is this tension which makes harem stories so fascinating.

Not so for harem fanfiction.

You know that line? Most harem fanfictions fly right over it, straight into what is known as “limes” or “lemons” (or rather, badly written porn). Now don’t get me wrong: lemons have their place in writing, with readers anxiously awaiting steamy interactions between characters or screaming “finally” when the afore mentioned characters have that sweet kiss and tastefully written bedroom scene we’ve all been rooting for since chapter 15. However, most harem fanfictions are not written with an eye for realistic romance, tactful fade-to-blacks or closing curtains. They are often used as an excuse to have characters have sex with lots of fake, big boobed, anime beauties.

What’s more, these stories never talk about the logistics of having a harem. How would the character develop meaningful relationships with all these women/men? How would they take care of them and make sure that their lovers have food and shelter and all the love and attention they deserve? How would the OC deal with jealousy and infighting? What would the character do when a pregnancy comes up? It’s all fun and games until someone starts popping out a baby!

There are, however, even more disturbing aspects to harem fanfiction that I personally find revolting: obsession, control and a blatant lack of what real, loving relationship should look like. As soon as a lover becomes a part of the character’s harem, they suddenly loose all autonomy. They are reduced to a collective, always needing the main character to mediate and solve their problems, while acting as a wanton sex object. This is grossly disrespectful, not only to the idea of a person’s individuality, but also to the craft of writing itself! These characters are often much loved in their cannon roles and give purpose and meaning to their stories. Reducing them to sex-crazed harpies is a great disservice to who they were as characters and what they went through in their narratives.

Additionally, just assuming that these women (because harems are often made up of women) would be okay with this type of treatment is ridiculous. A loving relationship of compassion, compromise and communication is a two-way thing and you can bet your socks that these feisty, independent and strong female leads will fight for that. Some of the characters placed in harem fanfiction are goddamn legends who have done their time and earned respect. Writing them in a position any less than what they deserve is a fucking travesty.

It is for these reasons that I steer clear of harem fanfictions. I shall now step off my soap box.

*Steps off soap box.*

Final Note: All of these rules are subjective of course. But these are the guidelines that I use when choosing what fanfictions to read or deciding what and how I’m going to write. These guidelines have helped me find jewels within the thousands of fanfictions that exist. Try it out.