Some bonehead mistakes, common in fanfic, to avoid...

[Buster's Uncle]

Copiously illustrated?  I don't see why not...

[Buster's Uncle]

Effect and affect are a little tough to keep straight, but effect is a noun referring to a phenomenon, while affect is the verb form of the phenomenon in action.

Setting fire to it has the effect of blowing it up.  Setting fire to it also affected it explosively.

Affect is usually a verb, and effect is usually a noun. To affect something is to change or influence it, and an effect is something that happens due to a cause. When you affect something, it produces an effect.

http://grammarist.com/usage/affect-effect/

(I looked it up to be sure I got it right before posting. )

[Buster's Uncle]

Of - pertaining to.
Off - away from.

-It appears that this one tends to happen more as a mere typo than from ignorance, and thus not as strong a pet peeve as most of the stuff I've mentioned in this thread, but still a frequent (embarrassing) error and something to look out for.

[Yitzi]

Effect and affect are a little tough to keep straight, but effect is a noun referring to a phenomenon, while affect is the verb form of the phenomenon in action.

Setting fire to it has the effect of blowing it up.  Setting fire to it also affected it explosively.

Affect is usually a verb, and effect is usually a noun. To affect something is to change or influence it, and an effect is something that happens due to a cause. When you affect something, it produces an effect.

http://grammarist.com/usage/affect-effect/

(I looked it up to be sure I got it right before posting. )

But "effect" can also be used as a noun, meaning to create an effect. 

[Buster's Uncle]

I thought I said that...

[Rusty Edge]

If he rites a story in leet-speak, ai gets tu rite a story in lolspeek.

We can has deal?

I think I'd like to read that. If it makes me lol, I might have to buy you a burger.

[Rusty Edge]

There's something I want to say about original characters in fanfics that I can't quite wrap my head around to articulate...

...It's something about when I'm looking for a story about Kirk and the usual suspects having adventures - there's a real good chance that I don't like that Lieutenant you created for your story nearly as much as you do, and it's definitely possible to make me feel like you're forcing your pet character down my throat.  It's something fan writers do a lot, related to the 'Mary Sue', if not THAT bad.

Valka?  Do you get what I'm talking about?  A little help?  (Probably a good time to tell the crowd about Paula Smith coining the term 'Mary Sue' - and explain why Ensign Sue is a Very Bad Thing for the benefit of the uninitiated...)

Okay. So the fan fiction writer's original characters should be like guest stars in a tv series.  If they are competent, they should be a traitor, a murderer, an enemy, or a tragic red shirt victim. If they are likeable, they should usually be in need of rescue- victims, screw-ups, or romantic interests. Not both. If you're looking for something different, let the secondary Chapel, Sulu, Chekov characters etc, step up. Or if it's Star Trek, it's the new stuff they encounter which provides the variety.

Is that the idea?

[Valka]

No, that's not the idea. Original characters can be both competent and likeable, but the line is drawn where they're TOO competent and likeable and are written so as to make the regular characters look like idiots who can't do anything and practically worship the "Mary Sue" character.

[Buster's Uncle]

Actually, that is a lot of the idea -though Sues are definitely often part of that spectrum, to be sure- but my inspiration was from looking at a Dragon Ball fanfic forum and being annoyed at, for instance, an author who expected me to know who their OC (original character) Guy Otran was - or care.  I'm in there looking for stories about Goku, not somebody's pet character who gets mentioned first in the description.

It's a very fan thing to do - but if the writer is any good and their own creations are pushing out the canon stuff, maybe time to create their own sandbox and play there.  -And actually own something...

[Rusty Edge]

Well, maybe I could re-read some Known Space or other Niven, and ponder a new plot. If I can do that, I can attempt a story this Spring/Summer. Any preferences or suggestions?

[Buster's Uncle]

I LOVE Niven/Known Space.  PLEASE.

[Buster's Uncle]

This thread could use a complete reboot with -at least-all the info organized to replace it as a writers resource sticky.

Comments, additions and contributions welcome, as I'm not in a huge hurry, having recalled another NEW-to-us resource I was let down on someone else copy-pasting and getting permission in the past...