More about the tagging thing (now with a poll) + season 8 comics fics

[ruuger]

You all probably think that I have some weird fixation with tagging (and you would be right - I did once work as a librarian, after all), but here's yet another post about the tagging thing.

First, since a few people have asked me about it, I've now added a 'Season 8' tag to the community for those who want to post stories that use the new comics canon. If you have already posted Season 8 stories, I would love if you could go back and tag the posts accordingly with the new tag.

Because not everyone has access to the comics as they are released, please mark any comics spoilers clearly (preferably including which issues of the comics the story spoils) in your author's notes and try to avoid including spoilers in your summary, etc.

And just as a general reminder, by tagging your stories yourself, you save a lot of time for us mods, so read the previous posts about tagging if you haven't already. Any other questions, just ask me.

To make full use of this modpost, I would also like to hear your opinions about some (mostly tagging-related) community issues

[Poll #985016]

Oh, and because I also love statistics, looking at our tags list, the most popular characters in this community so far have been Spike (44 stories), Buffy (29 stories), Angel (22 stories), Giles (20 stories) and Xander (16 stories). The only characters in the tag lists still without any stories are Eve, Hamilton, Jasmine and Amy.

Comments

[mabus101.livejournal.com]

Interesting information, Ruuger.

I have a bit of a problem, to be honest. Though I still need it betaed, I've completed the next segment of my ongoing fic DeadWar (which, it so happens, contains Amy!). Unfortunately, I'm no longer sure the story belongs here. I initially intended to include only brief mentions of two non-canon relationships between characters who appear to be single post-Chosen and -Not Fade Away--Xander/Illyria and Dawn/Connor--to indicate that their lives have moved on since series' end. The trouble is, they've escaped the box I put them in, slowly assuming more symbolic importance. The story is still not remotely "about" them--in a broad sense, it's still gen--but it seems no longer to fit within the boundaries here.

I'm beginning to think it may be best to remove the story and send it over to somewhere like buffy_fanfic, but I'm happy to take my cues from the mods.

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

If you feel that you're overstepping the rules here, then by all means do what you feel. I don't think you should remove the story per say. Maybe just put a note on the next/last GEN chapter saying how it's continuing, but now in this comm, etc. I don't think you'd need to remove the entire thing.

But do what you feel. Thank you for saying that, instead of just posting because all the other parts are here.

I mean, are the relationships explicit? Do they take the forefront? If you want, I can take a look at it, unless you feel you want to take your story in those directions. It's your baby. :)

[mabus101.livejournal.com]

As Barb said, I'm trying to err on the side of caution. I don't want to make any trouble here. Initially, I just didn't think it was realistic to have the characters in question stay single indefinitely just because their canon ships were dead or with someone else, if they had any at all.

The story is dealing with themes like redemption, forgiveness, peace and war--that sort of thing; I don't expect any ship to take up more than a small fraction of the fic as a whole. There won't be any overt sex between the characters--especially not Xander and Illyria, who are slated to take the whole fic to actually get together. Basically, they serve symbolic purposes for the characters involved--the parts we've begun to see are Xander's extreme reaction against demons since Buffy's death and Illyria's struggle to live in the human world without the humans who initially helped her adjust.

I think I'll post the next section (once it's been betaed). Individually, I think this part is within boundaries--it's just that it brings a little focus for the first time to where I'm going with Xander and Illyria. After that's out, it should be clear what this is about and why it's important to the story as a whole. If any of the mods think it'll become a problem in the future, I can move the story then. Sound okay?

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

That sounds fine. I trust that you know what you're doing. You're pretty much a veteran, even if this comm is still a baby. :)

[mabus101.livejournal.com]

*amused* If you say so. *has been ficcing less than a year*

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

Wow! I'd never know it.

[mabus101.livejournal.com]

*points to LJ* There's a few pieces there lately about my history as a writer. I haven't quite gotten to the fanfiction part yet, but I went through a several-year hiatus when I didn't write anything. Before that, no fanfiction even when I was writing, and not much of anything else, not that got finished anyway.

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

Writing is a weird process. You limited by a lot of factors, in terms of developing the right scenes from your head to the paper/screen, the words you choose, the time you have, annd yet you're limitless in what you do. But when you hit that slump . . . there's nothing to pull you out. Temperamental, I'd say.

Though, like was mentioned in your LJ, roleplaying, is a valid writing/fanfic form. At least, to me anyway. Whatever gets the muse going.

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

I ADORE statistics. Maybe we should do them every month. :D It's a good move to add S8 comics for those who read and write it. Of course, must add spoilers.

[ruuger]

As you've probably noticed, I'm not a huge fan of the comics, but I thought that since there are people writing stories based on them, I should let people know that comics-fic is allowed here and also remind people to mark the spoilers if they do post it.

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

I love the statistics things, too. You and your nifty polls. :)

I'll have to dig for one of my Hamilton gen ficlets. The guy needs some love.

Super seekret mod message #42: I haven't been able to work any on the judging rules for the challenge comm, but I do plan on doing those soon. I'll send you an email maybe this weekend? I really should get working on them. *g*

[ruuger]

Hey, no mocking my polls! :P

But looking at the answers to the "other suggestions for improvement" question, we seem to be doing a good job :)

I'll send you an email maybe this weekend?

I'll mark it down in my schedule ;)

[shinodabear.livejournal.com]

I wasn't mocking, I swear! *cookies?*

Great hear we're doing well for these wonderful authors. Makes me feel like I'm giving back to this fandom instead of just contributing to it.

[rahirah]

I picked option 3 for the first question, but mainly because I'm in a situation somewhat similar to user. I have a number of stories that feature only canon relationships...but they take place in an AU where those relationships have developed in significantly different ways than they did in canon. So do they count as canon relationships, or not? Even when the stories aren't about those relationships per se, the differences are often important background information. I mean, if 95% of a story is about Spike and Dawn's adventures in Pylea, and Buffy shows up in the last five percent, drags Spike off-stage, and when they reappear for the curtain call, there is a strong inimation that she and Spike have done more than hold hands, does that make the story S/B?

After the massive What Is Gen? kerfuffle of a few months back, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

[mabus101.livejournal.com]

I trust you mean me? ;)

Not too long ago I posted a story set in an AU where Angel didn't erase the day he turned human. It opened with him and Buffy in bed, and it was pretty clear what they'd been doing. But the story was about the Wolfram and Hart goons who burst through the door with Dru and Darla a few moments later, and no one batted an eye.

Which is to say I think your Pylea stories are perfectly acceptable here, IMO.

[ruuger]

We've generally been pretty lax when it comes to the rules, especially with longer stories, if the story is plotty and relationships are not the focus.

So I think if you see the story as gen in nature, I don't see any problem posting it here - maybe add a disclaimer that it's a gen story set in a longer AU that verged off canon after episode X and where Buffy and Spike are in an established relationship, so people who are allergic to B/S or want their gen completely without relationships know to skip it.