Everything you needed to know about the
   _Battlestar Galactica_ Fanfic list

<-- Preamble -->

The Battlestar Galactica Fanfic List is operated by
Sanna Guerin and Erin Gieg through the kind generosity
of Eagle, owner of eyrie.org. The BSG-FANFIC Archives
is maintained by Erin Gieg.
(http://www.mirarialpacafarm.com/archives/)

This list celebrates the Classic Battlestar Galactica
series which aired from 1978-1979.

<-- Introduction -->

In the fall of 1997, it was realized that there isn't
a proper forum for BSG fanfic writers and their
oeuvres, and as such, they don't get the feedback they
need to improve their writing, thus this list was
created precisely for that.

The purpose of this mailing is to give the writers
that feedback, both from fellow writers and the people
who enjoy reading fanfic. Generally speaking, this
list has a population smaller than that of most.

The list volume varies according to the amount of
fanfic released, the issues, the phase of the moon,
you may see my point. You get the picture. Expect
anything from as little as 10 to upwards of 20 or 30.
We have had days in recent memory that cover both
extremes.

<-- Commands -->

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<-- Removal Policies -->

This is supposed to be a friendly and constructive
environment for everyone. Inappropriate posts (such as
spamming, flaming, etc.) will not be tolerated. Two
(2) warnings will be issued to the offender, and if
the problem persists, s/he will be removed from the
list. No buts about that.

<-- Definition of a critique -->

Someone has posted a story.  What do you do?  Writers
appreciate acknowledgement about their work, and the
most valued prize of all is constructive criticism.
This latter form of feedback is known as a critique.

As a list of people from wildly different skill levels
and knowledge, everyone has something of interest to
contribute.  Some have proofread and edited before
(either in other fandoms or professionally); others
are good at English grammar; others have knowledge
invaluable for a story.  There is always something to
say.

When you write your feedback, take some of the
following points into consideration:

 1.Does the story read well? If not, try to find out
what.
 2.Does the story make sense? Is it logical? Is there
a lack of continuity? Any contradictions?
 3.Grammar and spelling (optional if you know what
you're looking for)
 4.Character development - can you _hear_ the
characters saying this?  Is it believable given plot
devices?
 5.Plot development - is it too fast, too slow?  Did
it come so far out of left field you have no clue what
happened?
 6.Your own reaction to the story - what did you
like, not like, etc.?

<-- Posting Netiquette -->

The purpose of this list is for BSG fanfic writers to
get criticisms on their stories, and also for general
discussion of elements of writing, character
development, the universe of Battlestar Galactica,
etc. Off topic (OT, and should be marked as such)
threads may be occasionally brought up as long as they
are relevant to writing (i.e. a particular
professional writer's style that you admire; an
article about writing you may have discovered, etc.),
but they shouldn't continue for an extended period of
time.

<-- Content rules -->

Since this is a list for fanfic, please use good
judgment when posting material. If we need to "rate"
the material, nothing more than the typical fare seen
the original episodes and room for a little more (ie,
nothing you'd want someone under maybe 13 to not have
access to). Some members of BSG-FANFIC are under 21/18
(depends what the age limit is in your area, I
suppose), so slash and overtly adult material
(anything sexual or violent that you wouldn't want a
child or teenager to get their hands on) is not
appreciated, but if you're not sure, ask Sanna
(seanchaidh101@yahoo.com) first before you post. There
are three mailing lists devoted to "restricted"
stories located at Yahoo!Groups
(http://groups.yahoo.com), for materials and writings
that are deemed adult in nature.

<-- Canon material -->

To most BSG fans, material that is considered to be
canon is usually what was shown in the 1978-1979
television series. While three sets of comics (Marvel
[1978-1979], Maximum Press [1995-1998] and Realm Press
[1997-??]), and two sets of novels (Berkeley
[1978-1986] and Simon Preiss [1997-1998]) have been
published, the majority of fans do not consider these
to be canon, generally due to conflicting information
within them.

This list does not accept fanfic from the 2003 SciFi
miniseries of the same name.

In the matter of Richard Hatch's books ("Armageddon"
[1997] and "Warhawk" [1998]), too much of his material
conflict with what we were shown in the series. For
example, the theory of Parnassus as the original home
world of humanity versus Kobol; the pure-blooded
Kobolian pedigree; and the "centon" vs. "centar"
controversy. The general consensus is usually that if
you feel you must use them, then do so; just look into
the original material first for alternative.  If you
use it, make it believable.

<-- Stories -->

Previously, a schedule for posting was arranged to
prevent too many stories from being posted at once.
However, that was removed, so when you have something
to post, feel free to send it when you are able.  If
it is a work that is in several parts like a serial,
please do not send it all at once. It would be
preferable to post in a staggered fashion.

Stories can be posted by either the moderators OR by
the writer. PLEASE READ THE STORY FORMATTING SECTION
_VERY_ CAREFULLY!!!

If you happen to miss a story or part of one, you can
always find it at the BSG-FANFIC list archives
http://www.mirarialpacafarm.com/~archives/) which is
updated as often as possible. If you DO NOT have
access to the Internet, please contact either the
Archivist, Erin Gieg (airys@mirarialpacafarm.com) or the
author to get a copy of the post.

<-- Story formatting -->

One annoying aspect about email is that there are many
email readers, and they are not always compatible.
NEVER ATTACH A STORY TO SEND TO THE LIST.  Instead, do
the following:

In the word processor that you are using, save the
file as a TEXT file (*.TXT) using the SAVE AS command.
All word processors should have that command. Make
sure that the changes are implemented (usually by
closing the file then reopening it). Select the text
and paste it into the body of the email. You might
also want to edit your file, since font formatting,
such as italics and underlining, disappear in text
format. Whatever symbols you use (for example,
_underscores_, *asterisks*, 'single quotes'), please
keep them consistent!

As a general guide, 8 pages is a good length for an
individual email. Anything longer runs the risk of not
making it through the eyrie.org server. If you have
difficulty with any of the above, email Sanna
(seanchaidh101@yahoo.com) for assistance.

<-- General rules -->


1. Be sure to edit your emails when replying so we
don't get messages that are miles long. It gets hard
to read them, and they take up too much space.

2. Send messages in ASCII text, not HTML. There are
some people whose mailers cannot read HTML, and thus
comes up as "meaningless code."

3. In the matter of attachments, please don't send
them to the list - either stories, pictures, web
documents, nada. You will just clog servers, and
chances are they won't get through the eyrie.org
server, anyway. Your best bet would be to post the URL
if it's available on-line. Also, with the increasing
occurrence of virii being sent via email, this is a
good precaution.

4. Agree to disagree! It's only natural that people
should have differences of opinion, but when tempers
begin to fray and fingers type out flames, that's
getting too carried away. This list is for fun, and
for education. Don't wreck the experience for others.

5. Subject lines should be about the topic of
discussion. Once the discussion changes from the
established topic, change the header to reflect this.
We're here to talk about fanfic, writing, and
everything associated with it.

6. No one-liner messages. If you want to say, "Me,
too," to someone's comment about this story having
great character development for Athena, then say _why_
you feel that way.

7. Signature files should be no longer than 8 lines.

8. Always sign your posts. We like to know who we're
talking to.

9. And most importantly, enjoy your stay! Without you,
there wouldn't be a list!

Sanna Guerin and Erin Gieg,
Moderators of BSG-FANFIC