New rules for fanfic writers. Certain Stargate writers in particular.

[icarus]

After reading a certain fanfic, which no doubt is excellent despite its flaws but I couldn't continue:

1 - Never, ever tell us the obvious. No one reads fanfiction without at least a rudimentary knowledge of the show. Yes, we know Jack is a colonel. Yes, we know the general is crusty but friendly. If you absolutely must tell us these things, please, for the love of God, don't do it in exposition, which is dry, dry, dry. *hacks up exposition*

2 - You are allowed the occasional dash. You are not permitted to use it in your first paragraph, nor are you permitted to use more than one per paragraph. If you have dull, unimportant information to convey (see previous point), don't shout it with a dash - a dash is not a parenthesis, it emphasizes - instead please try another technique. Perhaps two sentences? Pretend you have a lifetime limit on the number of dashes you use and must save them for important occasions.

Thank you for your consideration.

Comments

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That sounded sexier than I meant it to, but you get the idea.

Ha! Yeah, I turned in an essay last week with one terribly over-loaded sentence. The guilty culprit: a set of dashes. *sigh* I really ought to know better.

Icarus