1) Love what you write about, then, write from your heart.
OK, so I'm a sucker for romance. I can't help but get drawn into a "Boy meets girl" "Boy / girl makes the relationship impossible." "Will they EVER get together?" scenario...a la my favorite BtVS heroine / hero duo, Buffy / Spike. Family and friends may forsake you, but you can't help yourself, you've lost your heart. You want things to resolve the way you've imagined it and it's gone beyond imagination and spilled over into real life...and into print.

2) Keep your characters true to themselves.
One of the nice things about fan fiction is that you already know the characters, they are already a part of you. Use that! Sit yourself down in front of your computer (a pencil and paper, quill and parchment...whatever) and make them dance to your music.

Another nice thing is that your audience is already qualified, they know the characters too and, depending upon where you post your fiction, and what you've written in your headline notes, they already have an idea what they're in for. So, you don't need to worry about the usual writing "musts" like character development, location, unless you're adding in new people.

But, hey, like I said, you're already past that...so now all you have to do is "be" the character. As you write, sure you want to get from Plot Part A to Plot Part B, but you need to do it in character. Lift your fingers from the keys for a minute and imagine just exactly how Spike would act when met with a situation. Would he be amused? Flummoxed? Excited? Frightened? Heroic? Charming?

If his reaction doesn't fit with your plot, explain it, or someone will call you out on it. Maybe if you follow his reaction, your story will change, maybe for the better. Be open to the possibilities.

3) Research.
At last count, BuffySearch.com had nearly 4,000 BtVS sites listed. These people are, figurative and literally, your friends. Each web site represents at least one person who shares in one of your most intense interests. Visit them. Bookmark your favorites and go back often.

You should also put together a list of several of your favorite resource sites; demon-pedias, fan fiction forums, discussion sites, translation and slang dictionaries, beta lists, writing tips (one of my favorites is Ms. Nitpicker). (BEWARE: SOME OF MS. NITPICKER'S EXAMPLES ARE NC-17 AND THE SITE SHOULD BE REGARDED AS SUCH.)

Then take the time necessary to research any data you intend to use in your fiction, from where mustard comes from, or what those little things on the ends of your shoelaces are called, to how to perform an actual exorcism. As they say, the devil is in the details and you have to know the details to write credible fiction.

4) Be kind to your reader; do the basics.
No one wants to stumble through a forest of grammatical errors. It's exhausting and, yippie, they have someone to blame for it...you. So clean up your act. Verify spelling, proofread, check for sound-alikes and errors in tense. Read it out loud and listen for flaws in characterization. Then, do it all over again.

One last note: Total disregard of standard formatting rules is the least forgivable error; punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing, separating dialogue, double-spacing between paragraphs are the least you can do. Do not make the very act of reading a chore for your audience.

5) Take your time
Okay, you've written your first fic. You love it. You know others will too. You set up the header and aim for the "send" button. STOP! Save it instead. Put it on your desktop for at least two days. Savor it in your mind. Hold it in your heart. But DON'T read it. Wait. I know, it's difficult...you want feedback, you want others to know what you've imagined...just 48 little hours. Now open it up and re-read it. Now that you're thinking clearly, you'll find things to change; unresolved ideas, phrases, even plot lines that totally disappeared. Clean it up then send it to your beta (see below), listen to their suggestions and write it again. Trust me, the ends justify the means

6) Finding a Beta
God bless them! A good beta can be the answer to your prayers. They will take your manuscript and provide you no end of feedback, ranging from another set of eyes for proofreading, to suggestions on plot or characterization.

You can find a beta through writer's resources like The BtVS Writer's Guild, at some of the finer fiction sites, or you can just ask around on list. Make sure to discuss up front the nature of your fic, the pairing, the rating and the content...some betas are experts on character, others on grammar, others in slash and the beta needs to fit the fic.

Once you have someone lined up, test them out on something small, a few paragraphs or a chapter and see what you get back. Remember that what you're looking to access are talent and communication skills, things which may vary wildly from beta to beta, just like from writer to writer.

When you've found a good one, whose feedback you trust and appreciate, hold on tight! The beta's help can be the most important step in the process of publishing your story. Their input is much like the editor of a movie...invisible but integral.

Now that you have one, be kind to your beta. Do the usual due diligence regarding the manuscript; spell check and paragraph. And when you submit a fic to them be clear on what you expect them to do.

If you're just looking for an overall "the plot seems solid" let them know! But if you want a fully flushed out beta that includes spelling, grammar, formatting, rewriting, paginating, etc., then be prepared to get back a lot of notes, and act on them. Even if you disagree with something your beta has suggested, at least acknowledge it. Recognize that a lot of time was poured into the project on your behalf, the least you can do is say "Thanks." You might need their services again.

7) Surviving a dry spell and turning it around.
Read, read, read.
Join newsgroups and read everything. Speak up! Especially remember to link to sites that archive your favorite authors and other sites that are resources for ideas.

More than just general content, each of these sites also represents another perspective on the relationship you've adopted. Fresh ideas and good friends can be found there. Even sites dedicated to hating your favorite characters can provide inspiration.

Write, write, write.
Experiment; Try writing in different styles, try re-writing something from your archive from a different point of view, try writing something with as much description as possible (where it takes three pages to describe an amulet or a scene).

Pay attention!!!!
You never know when the muse will strike. But you have to be on your toes when it does. Look around you and observe everything. Sit in the park and watch people. Watch dogs do...what dogs do. Re-watch your favorite show, favorite movie or reread a familiar book. Change your routine. Go home a different way, or do something totally alien to you...like take up playing the bongos...your muse will find you in the oddest places.

8) The Subject Line: What is it?
In the subject line of your post, you must include:

"FIC" to indicate what is being sent.
The title of your story
The part number in relation to total parts (1/3)
The pairing (if applicable)
The rating.

This basic information allows people to pull the fics to one side to read later (or to go right to the NC-17 goodies!).

9) The Headline: Give credit where credit's due.
At the beginning of all fan fiction, you must include certain information:

Title ­ The story name.
Author ­ Your name (or pen name).
Rating ­ An estimate as to how your story would be rated using motion picture ratings as guidelines (Visit the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA)).
Distribution ­ Here's an opportunity to plug your site, or give mention to others' as pre-approved distributors. You can also use this space to advise other website owners if your material is available for the asking or the taking.
Disclaimers ­ List the creators with song / poetry / character credits...nasty legal things might happen if you don't. See "Chilling Effects" for more info.
Notes ­ Special recognition here for friends, supporters, betas, heroes, contributors to the "cause".
Spoilers ­ Warn people if your story is related to the televised plot. (If you use plot from unseen episodes without prior notice, be prepared for major fallout!)
Pairings ­ Indicate the group dynamic of your story. (Especially important if you are posting to multi-shipper or single character sites.)
Feedback ­ Your e-mail address. You can make a note here about the kind of feedback you prefer, especially if you're on an author's list. You may ask for critique, or beg off of flames, but don't be surprised if you get what you didn't ask for.

10) Feedback
Now that you're a "published" author, just sit back and wait for the feedback to pour in...should be any time now...just around the corner...yep, soon What? Nothing? Nope. Don't be surprised. There may be 500 people on your newslist, but you get nothing; no note, not even an "E-Gods that was horrible!" Nothing. Don't be surprised. It is the rare reader that actually responds to your plea for feedback. I mean, they're great to get, but if that's why you're writing, then you should put away the computer now. Write because you love it, because you HAVE to, not for fame or for accolades. (See #1.)

Take the time to thank people for feedback when you do get it. It's like gold. Treasure it.

Do unto others and don't hesitate to give serious feedback when you feel it's warranted. See "It's like gold" above.

Just a note about flames. These happen. They're unexpected, their harsh and they're ALWAYS WRONG. The authors of these little e-mail gems are ill-spirited people, seeking out someone's day to ruin for a twisted reason of their own. Maybe you wrote that Spike "slipped on his Docs", when EVERYONE KNOWS that Docs have laces and this detail torks them off somehow. Just let it go. It's not worth a return volley or ANY loss of sleep. That said, I suppose there's a possibility that somewhere, sometime, one of them might, way down inside that evil diatribe of theirs, may have a point...but it's not worth looking for. If their point were valid; if it were important; if it were intelligent; they'd be able to articulate it with words instead of with just abusive, nasty attitude. Be a duck and let the water roll off your back. Listen to the critics you care about. If you want or need serious feedback because you're seeking to improve as a writer, gather advise from the people whose writing you like, whose opinion you trust and e-mail them offline for assistance...they're most always happy to help fledglings like us.

11) Post it; follow the rules!
Post only to appropriate newsgroups / sites. If you post a B/S fic to a B/A list...you're just asking for trouble! And, if you post NC-17 where it's not allowed, your bringing down a world of trouble on yourself, your list and all the other members.

Don't link off list. Publish the story to the group...don't make people link back to your site or to another archive just to read your story. First, we're back to don't make the readers work...do the work for them. But secondly...it's only right for you, as a member of a group, to want to keep people talking within that group instead of elsewhere. Build your community and keep people close.