Good wits jump; a word to the wise is enough.
Don Quixote. Part ii. Chap. xxxvii. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616)
Welcome to The Attic. Our goal is to promote creativity and encourage the development of writing skills as well as share our thoughts on a variety of topics. To help facilitate a pleasant environment for member communication, The Attic has established a Code of Conduct. If everyone is considerate of others, uses common sense and follows these simple rules and guidelines, a good time will be had by all. However, repeated or serious violations will result in action being taken by the Mod Squad, so please play nice and happy writing!
Membership Agreement
In order to post to a forum you must be a registered member of The Attic community. By obtaining membership and posting to this board, you agree that you will not post any material or links to material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, make excessive use of vulgar or profane language or use race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexual preference as a means of insult. In addition, posts that are clearly insulting or personally directed towards any member(s) individually or as a group, directly or indirectly are not allowed.
Furthermore, by obtaining membership and posting to the various forums, members are voluntarily agreeing to follow the rules. This includes giving up the right to certain kinds of speech in return for the ability to use the boards. If you do not feel you can follow the rules, you have the right to create your own message board and make your own rules there. We’re not opposed to expression of different thoughts and opinions but would simply point out that the definition of free speech as outlined in the Bill of Rights applies to the government…not to private corporations, groups and message boards such as this one.
Moderators and administrators frequently review forum messages and will actively uphold and enforce the Attic’s Code of Conduct using their best judgment and discretion. If you have a concern, issues or questions please address them to the Moderators at modsquad@gamejag.net. Private messages and emails sent to individual Moderators regarding Attic business including complaints about other posters will be forwarded to this address for consideration and response.
Please note that the Hell’s Kitchen forum does provide Members with a place for discussion of topics and issues not permitted in other Attic forums. The Hell’s Kitchen forum operates under a separate set of guidelines and rules noted in the Introduction to the forum.
Guidelines for Posting and Commenting:
Minors. Remember that there are children and minors visiting the Attic on a regular basis. Therefore, avoid using gratuitous sex and violence, and other objectionable content. We're not saying that sex and violence can't be included -- just that they should contribute to the storyline and not be too graphic. We also encourage you to post a warning/disclaimer in the title. If you have any questions about whether your story meets this standard, please run it by a Moderator prior to posting.
General Discussion. Not everyone will always agree with you, ever, nor do we all enjoy the same types of stories. If something said on the board upsets you, it is important to talk but please talk with your friends, your family or your pet. If you must discuss the matter with the person involved, please send a private message (PM) to them.
Interpretation. When writing or commenting, please remember that fanfic is about interpretation and imagination. There is no One True version of any game NPC or game event. You may write them any way you like, provided you follow the CoC, and the same holds true for other people. If you don't like a particular interpretation, it doesn't mean the other person is wrong and needs a long lecture on the errors of his/her ways. Write your own version instead, and you will both be happier.
Plagarism. Writing fan fiction often translates to use of the same story background. It is likely that some of us might end up sharing plot elements and ideas. Still, there is a line between sharing and plagiarism. Overstepping it will not be tolerated. It is considered polite to mention sources of inspiration for your story, or any unforeseen overlapping. But if you suspect foul play, contact the Forum’s Moderator(s) along with evidence of the alleged misconduct. The Attic's reputation is our first priority.
Offering criticism and Comment. Honesty does not equal rudeness. It is possible to put forth constructive criticism in a way that doesn't hurt the feelings of the one critiqued. Don't tear people down, build them up. Don't write 'This is bad', write 'I think this could be improved if...' The object of critiquing is to help the other person, not to demonstrate your superiority. After all, you already know you are superior – don’t you?
If you offer criticism and the writer doesn’t seem inclined to incorporate the changes you suggest, don’t get defensive. Remember that it is the writer’s choice. The point of criticism is to offer help, not to force others to fit your own personal taste. And remember, just because they don’t adopt your suggestions doesn’t mean they are stupid, or bad writers with no room for improvement. They are simply disagreeing with you.
The Attic recommends that Members review The Art of Critique for a more in-depth description of constructive criticism.
Receiving Criticism. If you receive comments and criticism that seem to note issues or concerns, don’t get immediately defensive. Stay calm, reread your story, and consider whether the reader might have a point. Perhaps you could improve your story in some way you hadn’t thought of before. On the other hand, perhaps you will think the point made isn’t a valid one. That too is your right as a writer. You decide to what extent the criticism should influence your writing. If you are uncertain, it might be a good idea to ask a third person.
Content of Comments. There is no ‘minimum length’ for comments. A simple word of encouragement can be very heartening. However, remember that if you always keep your comments very short, you may get short comments in return. If you invest a lot of time in your comments on others, they are more likely to do the same for you.
Number of Comments. Everybody enjoys getting comments on their stories, but how much time folks have to spare varies. We all have to pick and choose, and nobody has the time to comment on everything. Also, remember that commenting is a give and take situation. If you comment, you usually get comments in return. If you never comment on others, you are less likely to get comments on your own stories.
Multiple Postings. It is usually inadvisable to post a large number of chapters in a bulk. It is not prohibited as such, but it risks annoying other posters, and you also run the risk of putting readers off reading your story, due to the sheer volume. Usually it is better to spread the chapters out. If you still want to post them all at once, post the first chapter as a new thread, and then the following ones as follow-ups to your original thread. That way the board will be easier to follow.
Moderator Actions:
We support self-expression and encourage all our Members to be tolerant of each other’s differences. But in the event that good manners and good sense fail and the Attic’s Code of Conduct is violated the following applies:
Moving topics and posts. Moderators may move off-topic posts or threads from one forum to a more appropriate forum without warning.
Warnings. A general warning will be issued as a “Mod Comment” within threads where discussions move off-topic and appear to be going awry (becoming heated, taking on personal overtones or include minor CoC infractions.) Typically the Moderator(s) will ask that a particular line of discussion be moved to Hell’s Kitchen. In these cases, the members involved should end their discussion and change forums. At the Moderator’s discretion, s/he may also decide to move the posts or threads to Hell’s Kitchen, delete them or lock the original thread.
Deleted threads or posts. Moderators may delete posts or threads without warning as they deem necessary.
Locked Threads. Ignoring Moderator warnings and requests to end or move a specific discussion will result in a locked thread. In addition, Moderators may lock threads to ensure that discussions are continued in a more appropriate forum.
Banning. Banning is reserved for very severe offenses and for members who, after many repeated warnings, fail to comply with the Code of Conduct. A temporary ban of up to seven (7) days may be instituted with the agreement of two or more moderators. A permanent ban requires the agreement of two moderators and the site administrator. Warnings, for purposes of banning consideration, include Mod Comments in threads, deleted or moved Member posts as well as emails or PMs to the member regarding his/her on-line behavior.
