We don't profess to be experts on writing, shippy or otherwise, but as avid fan fic readers, writers and editors of a print fanzine, we do know what works and what doesn't. Therefore, we'd like to offer a few suggestions, tips and such on writing.

Although spelling and grammar checkers are a good starting place, if you really 'care enough to send the very best', you'll need more. A full-fledged dictionary is a must. Everyone misuses a word occasionally, and double-checking in your dictionary can save you from a lot of embarrassment. Also, good dictionaries have appendices that cover the basics of grammar and style and go further than even the best computerized spelling and grammar checkers.

And speaking of style, are you bored by the same old, same old--words and catch phrases that is--when you write fan fic? Chances are so are your readers. Invest in a thesaurus. (Yes, most word processing programs have them too, but they are not complete by any means.) The occasional (please note the 'occasional'; don't bury your reader in a blizzard of multi-syllabic terms) addition of a new word or phrase can liven up your writing and has even been known to inspire a writer to new heights.

Also we'd like to recommend you have at your fingertips at least one book that is wholly devoted to the rules of grammar, capitalization and punctuation. Written language can be so confusing if you're not careful. You want to say what you mean, and the best way to be sure that your ideas are understood by your readers is to make sure you've made yourself crystal clear. This means making full use of your language and that means using the right grammar, spelling and punctuation. See our reading list for some suggested titles.

Once you've done your best and checked everything, get yourself an editor or beta reader and listen to their suggestions. A good editor/beta can be a writer's best friend. At the very least, because they didn't write the story and can step back a pace or two, a good editor/beta will spot the errors you miss. They'll also be a sounding board for ideas, which sometimes is all you need to get past that pesky writer's block. At their best your editor will pinpoint that weak spot in story structure, and help you sharpen your grasp on that difficult character. We can't emphasize enough their importance to the art of writing.

Research. We also can't stress enough the importance of good research. All it takes is one error to throw your reader out of the story. Whatever setting you chose for your story, take the time to learn the basics of time and place so that your premise is logical and believable. Unless you're dealing with time travel, King Tut isn't likely to have crossed paths with say, John Glenn. You have the resources of the entire web at your fingertips. Use it. Another point: respect canon. Take the time to make sure you get it right, especially when writing shows with complicated myth arcs like The X-Files. In short, research, research, research. Chances are if you don't have a fact at your fingertips someone out there will.

Related to a well-researched story is writing within canon. Canon is what happens on the show as it is broadcast. It's what makes the show what it is. It's what creates the characters we're writing. Most fan fic by definition goes beyond canon; we want to write about what the shows don't cover, or if they do cover it, we want to write it differently. But if you throw all canon out willy nilly, what's the point of writing in your favorite television show's universe in the first place? If you do change something in a show, take the time to work out a believable way to depart from canon. Aside from showing respect for your favorite show, you'll find that the characters will fit more easily into your story if you do.

Tied in tightly with writing canon is character. Writing the characters so that they ring true to the ardent fan isn't easy, but trust us, it makes a difference. There is nothing more unsatisfying than reading a fic that has a great plotline and having it ruined because our favorite characters are unrecognizable.

Okay, this is a toughie because everyone has their own take on a character. Your vision of Stargate's Jack O'Neill is likely to be different from that of your next door neighbor's, even if she's been right beside you on the couch watching the very same episodes of the show you have. This is where dialogue is crucial. Stargate's Jack O'Neill, for example, is a twenty-first century, career military man, over the age of thirty. Don't have him speaking or acting like the sixteen-year-old clerk at your local K-mart or your college roommate. It just doesn't play. Use dialogue appropriate for the person. But go ahead and occasionally season his speeches with those favorite phrases you've heard in the broadcast version of the show. They're part of what makes Jack O'Neill, Jack.

This brings us to setting as a characterization aid. Where is your character? On an alien planet or in the offices of his hometown newspaper? Does the character exist in current times or is he in the future or the past? For example, city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune, Lou Grant is likely to speak and act very differently from Daniel Jackson, archeologist and anthropologist for SG-1, just because of where he is when. Make sure the dialogue and action reflect the time and place of the character.

One final note about character writing. All of us have a particular character with whom we identify most strongly in a show and the tendency to write for this character exclusively can be damaging to the other characters. Make sure that each character remains distinct. Don't give Samantha Carter's lines to Daniel Jackson or Teal'c.

If you do chose to shake things up and put a particular character in situations usually reserved for one of the other regulars, remember to stay true to time, place and temperament for that character. In other words, don't have Andromeda's Nietzschean warrior Tyr behaving like former High Guard officer Dylan—unless of course the point of the story is to show how Tyr's time aboard the Andromeda has changed him and made him more like Dylan.

 Which brings us to a final delicate subject about fan fic writing---Mary (or Marty) Sues. We've all heard of them, even perhaps accused some other writer, of creating a Mary Sue character. And if we're honest, we've all probably written at least one character that borders on MS ourselves. But true MS's are easy to spot:

The new ensign boards the Starship Enterprise and is smarter than Spock, can fix the engines faster than Scotty, fly the ship better than Sulu and is more beautiful than Uhura and Chapel combined. Captain Kirk falls madly in love with her and must turn to her to save his ship. She and she alone, of course, has the answer and is mortally wounded saving the Enterprise, dying prettily in Kirk's arms as he declares his undying love for her. The End.

That people, is classic Mary Sue. Extra points if the ensign physically resembles the author of the story. Our suggestion here? Very simple: avoid it at all costs. Most television shows already have enough characters to adapt to almost any situation; you'll almost always do better choosing one of them for your protagonist/hero. Chances are very good that your readers want to read about canon characters anyway--that’s why they're reading fan fic in the first place. Create your own characters to enhance the ones in canon, not take their places.

This ends our little tutorial on writing fan fic. We hope you found something here you can use and that when you do, you get raves from your readers.