Fan Fiction's Ten Commandments

Authors anonymous/unknown; compiled by Nancy Brown

1 - art a fanfic writer, not God. Unless thy name is Roddenberry (or Carter or Weisman) thy stories are not canon, nor are the characters all thine own. Disclaim them as such.

2 - the newsgroup holy; do not repost thine stories each week. That is the purpose of the archive.

3 - shalt not take the First Amendment in vain. Thou dost have the right to express thine opinion. One doth not have the right to do so simply to cause a flame war.

4 - thy spellchecker and thesaurus.

5 - shalt not release a story that another hast not proofread.

6 - thine friends and thy self into thine stories can be vastly entertaining for all. Telling the world all thine fantasies through thy character is a little disturbing. Telling thine fantasies about thine friends through thy character could be grounds for stalking charges. Use thy best judgement.

7 - mayst commit adultery with thine characters as thou might please, but thou shalt post a "Mature Readers Only" warning.

8 - shalt not use another author's characters in thine stories without permission.

9 - shalt not play in another author's (or authors') universe without permission.

10 - is thy greatest friend. Learn to both give and take it constructively, and thou shalt live long and prosper mightily.