*) What is Fluff?

The short answer is: "Fluff" is a term for fiction written by list members. It has its origin (as far as I know) on the ADND-L list, where fiction submissions by list members were scorned as "off topic fluff" by some others. The term has been adopted by many netters and is no longer considered derogatory.

*) Guidelines for posting Fluff

Over the years a massive amount of fluff has been produced and the following guidelines have evolved. Most of these are guidelines only, but a few should be considered RULES (label all fluff, use warnings for explicit material). Your audience will appreciate it -- trust me! -- if you abide by as many as you can; they're the result of consensus among some of various lists' most prolific authors. They're mostly common sense.

* Any material that YOU have ownership of (generally pieces you have written) may be posted to the list.

* LABEL your fluff in the subject line.

For your own fluff, the subject line should begin with the word FLUFF and then say something about the fluff itself (title or topic) and give chapter or part number, if applicable.

If the fluff is part of a shared-world story line, use a word or short phrase that unambiguously identifies the universe (PARTY FLUFF or whatever).

* Fluff with sexual content or extreme, graphic violence MUST be labeled as such. The subject line should include the word WARNING. Somewhere near the top of the body of your fluff post, indicate what you are warning against: ("Sexual content" or "Graphic violence").

Only the word WARNING should appear in the subject line because some people's mailers automatically flash the subject line of incoming mail. Having a phrase like WARNING--EXPLICIT SEX appear on unexpectedly on one's screen is not always a Good Thing. On the other hand, readers do need to know what is being warned against -- some people object to violence but not sex or vice versa.

Including these warnings is still important. Many people either don't enjoy explicit fiction or read their mail at work (on breaks and during lunch, let us hope ;-) ) and would rather not have their supervisor see THAT when they happen to peek over the hapless subscriber's shoulder.

* Post fluff only as plain ASCII files, not as encoded attachments, and particularly not as word processor files. Readers of Vampyres access the Net via a wide range of systems: some are using limited systems that will let them read only ASCII; others who have word processors may not have software compatible with yours. We can all read ASCII, however -- please use it to post.

Some mailers automatically MIME-encode or UUencode attachments. When posting fluff that you have already written, paste it or merge it directly into your mail file; do not use the attachment feature for posting.

If you want to share something other than ASCII text, such as graphics or a word processor file, it's fine to *offer* it onlist, but please distribute it only through private e-mail.

* If you have created a *big* fluff, such as a novel or an ongoing, make-it-up-as-I-go serial, please number the parts sequentially as you post them. This makes organizing much easier for people who "batch" their fluff to read.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you have *any* doubts or concerns regarding retaining control over your work, (i.e., if you are thinking of trying to publish it), you should NOT post it to any electronic mailing list, newsgroup, or other means of e-dissemination. Distribution is simply too widespread. (The issue here is *control*, not *copyright*.)

SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE YOUR FLUFF MORE READER-FRIENDLY

* Put a blank line between paragraphs. It makes the document a little easier to read as it scrolls by, even though it adds to the overall length.

* Check your spelling. While the ideas in a poorly spelled document may be very good, if it's hard to read you're going to lose a significant portion of your potential audience. Losing *any* part of an audience is usually a writer's worst fear! So be kind to yourself (and the rest of us). Proofread. Use the spell checker, if you've got one. Use a dictionary if you don't. And for goodness' sake, *proofread* (can't say it enough). Somehow it's harder to catch mistakes on a screen than on paper, and the darnedest things can slip through if you let them.

* Check your grammar and word usage. Spell checkers are great, but they don't know the difference between your and you're -- they're both spelled correctly. So -- one more time -- PROOFREAD!

Some particularly common and particularly maddening errors that I've seen complained about include confusion of *it's*/*its*, *your*/*you're*, *their*/*they're*, and *whose*/*who's*. If you have the slightest doubts about any of these (and maybe even if you don't!), find some sort of style manual and check them out. You don't need a fancy or expensive reference -- even an old _Harbrace College Handbook_ would do. Yes, this is the computer age, but the nuts and bolts of our language haven't changed that much since the days of the fountain pen.

* Make sure that your lines fit on one line. Some editors will not wrap lines properly if you just type merrily to the end of the line without inserting a hard return. This causes a blank line to appear before the next line of your precious prose, making it *really* *confusing* to read. (In fact, some list members react to this practice by deleting on sight!)

* Don't double space your text.

* Avoid the dreaded TAB key. Different systems interpret them differently, and a nice 5 character tab on your system might be 50 on someone else's. If you're using a word processor that converts your work to ASCII text, check the resulting file. When some programs convert files to ASCII, tabs become spaces and indented text becomes flush left. If you want to indent, use the space bar.

* Include a copyright notice: "copyright 19XX (your real name)." It will at least show your intention to protect your ownership of your work. (Again, if you're *really* concerned about control over the work, DO NOT POST IT to ANY list, newsgroup, whatever. Electronic documents are very easy to share -- and to modify, sometimes with the best of intentions. If you get trembly at the thought of a chunk of your work showing up in somebody else's .sig file, don't post it. Anywhere.)

* There is no firm limit on the size of any individual posting. Some mailers/systems have difficulty in dealing with files greater than a certain maximum, and larger files are often delayed. Shorter fluffs are more likely to be received (mailers won't gag on them) and read (listeners have time for them). A maximum of 200-300 lines will be easier on the mailers and attention spans of everybody involved. Some mailers place upper limits on outgoing files and will chop everything after a certain number of lines before the file has even left your site! (I've seen this happen at the 500-line mark.)

* If you want commentary, include a note to that effect (along with your e-mail address) at the top. Some of us will take ANY excuse to critique and/or edit others! :-) And be prepared to WAIT PATIENTLY for responses. Some list members "batch" fluff for later perusal, rather than reading it as it appears.

* No matter what, don't let ANY of us discourage you. If you want to write, you should write. Try to take any criticism with a large grain of salt -- after all, it's only the opinion of the reviewer!

Actually, this group is more likely to encourage than discourage. And don't be too disappointed if no one comments on your piece. If the fluff you slaved over and posted with trembling hands meets with a vast silence, it may be because it's a time of year when there are relatively few subscribers. Maybe your audience finds words insufficient! And seriously -- it is harder to write a favorable review than an unfavorable one. Some people who read your piece probably liked it but simply don't know what to say.

* BORROWING CHARACTERS AND SHARED WORLDS...

Do NOT use another author's characters without permission. Query the "owner" of the character before you ever use it. He or she will probably tell you what you may or may not do with the character.

Shared worlds also occur in the form of "virtual parties" "hosted" by kind list members who provide a setting for fluffery. List members participate by posting activities of one or more attending personae at said party. Virtual parties are limited to a few days' duration, as determined in advance by the host. Anyone who wishes is free to join in virtual parties. In fact, everyone is encouraged to do so!

Multi-writer story lines of indefinite duration (sometimes coordinated by one or more writers, sometimes not) also appear onlist from time to time. Rules for participation vary but are usually announced in conjunction with postings of that particular shared-world fluff. If you would like to join in a shared world but don't know whether there are conditions for participation, write one of the participants off-list and ask. He or she can put you in touch with the world coordinator.

If you decide to contribute to any shared world, be considerate of your companions in fluffery. If someone has indicated that certain things are *not* to occur, don't write them. And do keep up with the story line as it appears. I've seen some amazing "saves" after one player fumbled a thread of a story, but jumping into a shared world without a reasonably thorough familiarity can generate confusion and ill-will. In other words, look before you leap! This is not meant to discourage anyone from fluffing along with the rest: it's just a reminder that you need an extra measure of common courtesy when sharing a (fluff) world with others.

If you post to a virtual party or other ongoing multi-author fluff, it is extra-important that you LABEL YOUR FLUFF in the subject line. Use whatever word/s is/are appropriate and unambiguous, such as "Party Fluff." Some listeners don't have time to keep up with the volume of fluff that virtual parties can produce; some don't read fluff at all. Others *do* want to keep up with the party (or whatever) and need subject lines to help them sort through everything. So LABEL that fluff!

Whether you write in a world of your own imagination or contribute to the shared worlds, please send your efforts to the list. We're all (pardon the expression) dying to see what you've got!