New Fic Approval Process

[Foomatic]

Greetings, oh esteemed denizens of the Kittenboard!

We have implemented a new approval process for new fics posted in Pens. This is to help us screen fics to make sure they are FAQ friendly. Once you post your fic, you will get a message requiring approval from one of the mods. Please only post once. We will read your fic, and once it is approved, your post will be seen in Pens. If you have any questions about the process, please don't hesitate to let one of the mods know. Thanks!

[Finey_McFine]

Hi Foo,

Does this only apply to new fics or for updates on fics already in progress? Just wondering...thanks!

[Foomatic]

New fics only.

[BeMyDeputy]

How does this work for a series of one-shots? Does each one need approval?

[Foomatic]

Past authors have kept all their one shots in a single thread (ie Sassette's Vignettes or Dline's Short Fic Thread). Established threads that are updated with one shots or ficlets won't require approval, but the mods will still be reading and screening to make sure they adhere to FAQ. Only new threads for brand new stories will require approval. As long as it's FAQ friendly, you're all good.

[ContriQ aka Paow]

Okay, good to know. Since I ALWAYS forget the rules.. well except for the no JFK, which is pretty much all I remember..

But what if it isn't approved? Can you re-write it then(Change so that it fits the FAQ) and post it after that?

[Foomatic]

I can't give a solid answer to that. It will have to be on a fic by fic basis. Whenever we come across a questionable fic, we discuss it as a group and go from there. There's four of us, and we strive to be as fair as possible. We don't want to stifle anyone's creativity, but just know that posting here does come with its restrictions.

[BeMyDeputy]

Just as a handy reference, THESE ARE THE PENS RULES.

HERE are the general KB rules.

Links are posted elsewhere, but I thought another set in this thread would be appropriate.
Kate

[DaddyCatALSO]

I'm not completley sure I follow the process. Will the message be asking the author to re-send in a PM a copy of the post already up?

[Kajun]

I'm not completley sure I follow the process. Will the message be asking the author to re-send in a PM a copy of the post already up?

No. Just post as normal. The author will receive notification the fic needs to be approved. We will have access to the thread created and as soon as it has been approved, the thread will be on PENS. One of the mods will let the author know if the fic is approved or of any FAQ issues.

[John Martin]

What if the first few chapters of a story are Willow-only or Tara-only?

Here's an example. I'm working on a story based on a fairy tale. In the original fairy tale, the hero has some adventures first. Part-way through the story, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful princess. The rest of the story is about the hero marrying the beautiful princess and getting her back after the villain kidnaps her.

In my story, the first few chapters will have Willow only. The beautiful princess Tara won't show up until chapter 6 or 7. The rest of the story will be about Willow falling in love with Tara, marrying Tara, and getting Tara back after the villain kidnaps her.

The first chapters of the story won't have Tara in them at all. If I post chapter one, are you going to reject the story because there's no Tara in it? Or will you take my word that Tara will eventually show up and there will be a Willow-Tara romance?

[Kajun]

What if the first few chapters of a story are Willow-only or Tara-only?

Hi John, Tara entering the story in later chapters is perfectly fine as long as Willow and/or Tara is/are not in a current relationship with some other character. We are mainly checking for issues that are against the PENS guidelines and making sure each new fic includes proper disclaimers. Once approved, each chapter posted, while not requiring approval, must continue to follow our FAQ and will be monitored.

[BeMyDeputy]

So, the FAQ says:

Any creative effort featuring Willow or Tara with any other character in any romantic/sexual situation is Off Topic and does not belong on the board.

and Kajun said:

[A fic] is perfectly fine as long as Willow and/or Tara is/are not in a current relationship with some other character.

I may not like this interpretation, but it's a valid one and I can accept it.

That said, can you guys please put GIANT WARNINGS up before you take down:
On Second Thought (AntigoneUnbound)
Y'all (JustSkipit)

They both open with Willow dating Oz, only to for her to leave him for Tara.

[Foomatic]

So, the FAQ says:

Any creative effort featuring Willow or Tara with any other character in any romantic/sexual situation is Off Topic and does not belong on the board.

and Kajun said:

[A fic] is perfectly fine as long as Willow and/or Tara is/are not in a current relationship with some other character.

I may not like this interpretation, but it's a valid one and I can accept it.

That said, can you guys please put GIANT WARNINGS up before you take down:
On Second Thought (AntigoneUnbound)
Y'all (JustSkipit)

They both open with Willow dating Oz, only to for her to leave him for Tara.

I wanted to clarify here.

Any creative effort featuring Willow or Tara with any other character in any romantic/sexual situation is Off Topic and does not belong on the board.

"Featuring" is the operative word here, and it creates a gray area when trying to decide if a fic violates FAQ or not. It's up to the mods discretion, and really, it's the spirit of the story that we take into account. Obviously, a fic that has chapters and chapters of Willow or Tara with someone else before the two of them hook up is not going to fly here. "Featuring" leaves it up to interpretation, which is what the mods are here for.

[Kajun]

So, the FAQ says:

Any creative effort featuring Willow or Tara with any other character in any romantic/sexual situation is Off Topic and does not belong on the board.

and Kajun said:

[A fic] is perfectly fine as long as Willow and/or Tara is/are not in a current relationship with some other character.

I may not like this interpretation, but it's a valid one and I can accept it.

That said, can you guys please put GIANT WARNINGS up before you take down:
On Second Thought (AntigoneUnbound)
Y'all (JustSkipit)

They both open with Willow dating Oz, only to for her to leave him for Tara.

To everyone:

Xita, owner and founder of this fine establishment, put a lot of time and thought into creating the guidelines for this forum. Some guidelines have changed over the years. Yes, there are fics posted here that are, within a strict fundamental interpretation, against the FAQ. It is a tricky situation and we take each fic, how it fits within the spirit of the Willow and Tara relationship, along with other factors, into consideration.

Unfortunately, people tend to post fics without reading the FAQ at all and their story gets pulled as a result. This can be very hurtful and discouraging, especially when it's a first time sharing work in a public forum. The approval process was activated as a preventative measure. We do not enjoy pulling fics. It is unpleasant for everyone. Before posting a story, all members should read the FAQ. If you are uncertain if a planned plotline fits within the guidelines please feel free to contact a moderator.

Everyone should keep in mind that when a fic is removed from PENS or the archives, it is often done at the author's request. Occasionally, an older story is brought to our attention, otherwise.. we are not searching thru every fic posted since day one and pulling everything even remotely against the guidelines.

Kate, I understand your concern but rest assured we have absolutely no intention of pulling either of the fics you mentioned. Both are excellent stories and, IMHO, fit within the spirit of the Willow and Tara relationship and this board.

[Roger Doger]

Well that makes things clear.

Now I know that my 50% done, 252 page, 61 thousand word W&T fanfic novel, a labor of love, a creative endeavor I've been working on for a while but have yet to post, a tome which has a W&T friendly ending but bends these rules only slightly, will not be welcome here. At least it won't in its raw form. I suppose I could make a "Kittenboard version", one which is rule friendly. Perhaps I could do like the government does and redact whole paragraphs.

What's the electronic equivalent to a magic marker?

~ Roger

Silly me. It's time for bed.

[JustSkipIt]

Kate, I understand your concern but rest assured we have absolutely no intention of pulling either of the fics you mentioned. Both are excellent stories and, IMHO, fit within the spirit of the Willow and Tara relationship and this board.

Well that's a relief. When I first read that comment I was like... what? My story is going to be pulled after it's been posted for the last... 8 or so years? And Oz never appears in the fic until they actually return to Sunnydale? I will say that many years ago I had a fic pulled (I still disagree with the reasoning but I've given up that fight). It was pulled without informing me or contacting me in any way so I think that if a fic is pulled, it's only reasonable to contact the author and tell him/her that it was pulled and why.

[Foomatic]

I'm sorry that happened to you Deb. In the last couple of months we've been pretty good about contacting people and letting them know when and why their fic was pulled, so I can guarantee that any fic that gets submitted won't be pulled or disapproved without reason. We certainly don't want to alienate people, so we try to communicate as much as we can with the authors of the board when it comes to questionable fic.

[xita]

The thing to really notice is here is that nothing has changed. It's the same FAQ that has been here for years, the same rules that were recently discussed and voted upon.

The new board is allowing us to try something new, thread approval. We are trying to disturb Different Colored Pens as little as possible. It is a whole lot more disturbing to both author and readers if a NEW fic suddenly disappears after having been on the board for a few days and after readers might have become invested in it.

Approval happens fast, we are 4, and 99.9999% of fics have no issues. It's just for the first post in a thread.

If you have questions about the FAQ and how that might apply to your fic, be sure to PM or email any one of us and we can help you decide.

It is not our policy to tell anyone what to do, so it would be up to you what to do with your fic, if it is not FAQ friendly.

Deb, my apologies about that. We have always tried to communicate to the author when we have pulled a fic. People have come and gone and I can't guarantee everyone's motivations, but if it was me, it was certainly an oversight. This new board keeps a lot of records and I would be able to tell you now. You can PM me if you want to discuss that particular fic.

[LestatDraconus]

I don't know if this is allowed or not so I thought I'd ask even though I read the FAQ.

Can a relationship consisting of someone other than W/T (that is only heard of but never featured) be included?

Example: "I heard that Willow was dating some scruffy Auror"

[JustSkipIt]

Xita - no worried. It was a long time ago.

[sacinema]

Hi everybody, especially the mods,
I'm thinking about writing a story and want to ask if I could start with the plot or if it might be against the rules. The fic would be called "A foreign Affair". This is the general idea:

In the ruins of after war Berlin Willow Rosenberg a dashing US woman pilot meets chanteuse Tara Maclay, who managed to get through the years of Nazi Germany. An evening out with military friends brings Willow to a night club where Tara makes a living in singing for the benefit of allied soldiers. From the moment they both lay eyes on each other they are overwhelmed. Both feel a bit uneasy about the mutual attraction but Willow is drawn to come back as often as possible to hear Tara sing. When the both are getting closer Tara's past comes in their way. Willow finds herself torn between the loyalty for her duty and her developing feelings for the blonde singer.

And this might be a problem: In later parts of the story we learn about Tara dating a guy in former years (only dating nothing else).

I'm not sure if this will be okay to write. I would be delighted to get a mods opinion. If you do think it's not alright I won't continue thinking about this story.

[Laragh]

Hey sacinema

The mods can give you a definitive answer, but as far as I'm aware, any mentioning of past relationships is fine as long as it's past and not current, so your idea seems like it would fall fine within the FAQ. I hope you get on well with your story

[Foomatic]

Sorry for the late reply!

Like Laragh said, past relationships are fair game, it's the current relationships that we are concerned about.

[Foomatic]

Just wanted to clarify my statement, "past relationships are fair game to a certain extent." Back to your regularly scheduled Pens fic.

[EasierSaid]

"Just wanted to clarify my statement, "past relationships are fair game to a certain extent.""

Sorry to tease, Foo, but that bolded "to a certain extent" is deliciously vague! How about this:

Wrong: Smooching ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
Right: Thinking about how smooching ex-boyfriend/girlfriend was never as life-altering as the awesomeness that is kissing Willow/Tara.

Meh, I say, when in doubt, ask a mod. They've always been really great about getting back to me whenever I've had a question, and (in my experience) are more than happy to discuss their reasoning for any decisions they make. And honestly, if your idea doesn't fit Pens and you don't want to make it fit Pens, there are still a bunch of other places to post, so it's not all a wash. The Litterbox recommendation thread is proof enough of that. Good luck everyone and happy writing.

[Foomatic]

Yep, it is a big fat bucket of vague. It's a grey area that's wide open to interpretation, which allows some flexibility with the FAQ. We don't intend on moderating the board with an iron fist. Like it's stated above, there are four of us, and I think it's fantastic that people are reaching out to us when in doubt. That's what we're here for. . You'll fnd us to be a very agreeable bunch. And we don't bite. Hard.

[Finey_McFine]

Damn, I kinda like when you guys bite. Hard.

[EasierSaid]

I for one LOVE the vague, Foo. (Neverland wouldn't be posted on Pens without some of that vague!) Just thought it was a funny bolded phrase. Sort of like, "let me clear this up, with something slightly ambiguous." So silly.

[DaddyCatALSO]

Well, for exmaple (of course this fic is years old) I had a scene where Tara is kissing Willow right after doing "soemthing else" and Willow thinks back that "right after 'something else'" was never her favorite time to kiss Oz but it makes Tara's kisses even sweeter, and that wasn't flagged. bobk