Rules Refresher Course

["Kimber" <kimbertvs@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello and welcome to the list!!! Please take a moment to review this message. I am a robot...Just kidding...

To unsubscribe from this list, go to the EGroups website, at http://www.yahoogroups.com, and select the 'My Groups' link from the menu bar on the left. This menu will also let you change your subscription between digest and normal mode. You can also unsubscribe by using the email address located at the bottom of any message you receive from the list.

There is a FILE link on the main page. This can be used to house your own personal fic. Just make a folder for yourself and upload to your heart's content. You can also share Buffy/Willow related items such as sounds and pictures.

Feel free to add any relevant links to the LINKS section. Just make sure that you're not repeating what someone else already put there.

Okay, now on to the list itself. This list is dedicated to the most perfect couple to ever appear on a tv show, Willow and Buffy (hey, we can dream).

This place was created in hopes that there would be like minded people out there rooting for this couple. So, this is a place where we'll all be ableto exchange ideas, post fics, talk about that cute moments that are shown in the episodes, tell others why you think they would be good together and things like that.


It's kind of a hang out place for Buffy and Willow fans.

Well, now with all that stuff outa the way, on to the FAQ:

Rules, rules, rules. Who needs stinkin' rules anyway?? Well, every good mailing list does. Here are just a few pointers to get you going. Ahem, okay, with out further adieu.....

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1: Flaming.
"NO. Just say no to flaming."

Constructive criticism is encouraged and welcomed without a doubt, but if you are going to point out a flaw in the story or something that didn't makesense, do it off list and in a nice constructive way. Don't be mean, someauthors (like me) aren't very thick skinned and believe it or not, your opinion is very important to us.

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2: Feedback
"Aww, look at the poor bards in the cage. They must be starving!"

Our lists have been in existence since December 1999. There are three reasons for that: feedback, feedback and feedback. The more you say you like astory, the more an author will write. Feedback can be posted to the list and you are encouraged to do so. If the 'lurkers' see that a story they liked was responded to, then they will be encouraged to encourage the author. Get it?

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3: Story lines
"A Slayer, a Hacker, a demon - oh my!"

The names of the lists are BuffyWantsWillow and BuffyLovesWillow. heh. Dothe math. Rod rules supreme and I'm just his lil woman over here - he hasencouraged authors if they wish to post their other fic here they may do so. It's never been a problem before and I don't see why it should change. Just as long as it's Buffy The Vampire Slayer orientated - have a ball!

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4: Disclaimers
"Joss rules, I suck. He owns 'em, I wish I did."

Even though we know you don't own the characters or their likenesses, you need to put a disclaimer in your intro. This is to ensure your safety if anyone affiliated with BtVS came across it. You could get in deep stuff I'veseen it happen. For an example, see rule number 7.

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5: Distribution
"The usual suspects, all others ask first."

Also in your header, include anyone's name that is archiving your fic. Us weary archivists don't always have time to read your lovely story the minute it's posted, so we just scan the headers to see if it's one that we've been given permission to archive. As websites go, their a bear to keep up with and personally, as much as I love every author's work that I archive, I can't remember all 30 of their names off the top of my head.

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6: Off-Topic Posts
"OT: I whittled my own stake today and named it Mrs. Pointy!"

Off-topic posts are fine as long as they are labeled as such. Also, keep in mind that collectively, we are over 500 strong, so you may want to wait in responding to an off topic post until some other people have replied. That way you can respond to the poster and the others also.

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7: Headers
"Name, rank and serial number please."

All fics need a header. It's a simple little blurb but conveys all the important pesky details. Authors Notes is optional. Some people us it to dedicate the fic to someone or just make a random comment about the fic. Here is an example:

TITLE: At Loose Ends (1/1)
AUTHOR: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I don't own anything.
SUMMARY: Response to Rod's weekly challenge. . but with a twist. Write a story about coming back to or for someone.
SPOILERS: Everything is fair game.
DISTRIBUTION: The usual suspects. Anyone else, e-mail me please.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: A writers end product usually reflects how they feel when they write it. Angst abounds with my favorite couple. You've seen it before, you know what it means. Possible tear alert.

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8: Subject Line
"Hey can I post this here????"
Subject lines are the first thing we all look at. So in order to sort out the fic from the discussion, you should try to label your e-mails accurately. For example:

OT: Where's Rod?
FIC: The Trials and Tribulations of a missing List-Dad (1/1)
FF: The True Adventure Of a Listmom in Search of the Missing Listdad (1/?)

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9: Posting in parts
"Fic: Da Rulz and such (1/?)"
Parts are fine. Keeping our AOLers in mind, keep your parts below 20K. Ifit's larger than that, AOL recognizes the message as an attachment and wackyness ensues. If you open the folder your fic is in and go to 'view' then'details', you can figure out how large it is. If your story parts are posted more than 3 weeks apart, just give us a tiny synopsis of what happenedin the previous chapter.

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10: Ratings
"This is rated NC-17 for acts of wild monkey love."
Let's break it down folks. BuffyLovesWillow is an all ages mailing list which means that nothing over PG can be posted. Meaning no explicit sex, drug use, violence, etc. We have 'kids' here, possibly around 14 or 15 and while they may know a heck of a lot more than we did when we were growing up,encouraging the deterioration of their young brains is an activity best left to the people they interact with in real life. BuffyWantsWillow, however is an anything goes list. It's only limited by your funky and down right disturbing imaginations.

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11: Spoiler Space
"Can you believe the Initiative caught Oz-wolf and SHAVED him!!!"
While we all live for gossip surrounding the show, many people are from many different time zones, countries, planets, etc. Please include spoiler space in the body of your e-mail so if someone doesn't want to read it, they can just skip it. Also, don't ellude to the spoiler in the subject line. Make it vague like: OT: Possible spoilers for "Wild at Heart"

For example:

I read this over at the Buffy Cross & Stake:
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
9
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5
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1


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12: Respect
"Tell me what I mean to you, but in a good way."
Well, someone once said that opinions are like ***holes, everybody's got one. I think it's a good point. While we all hold our favorite Slayer and Wiccan in common, we hail from different parts of the country, as well as the world (and in some cases, different planets). We come from different families, backgrounds, upbringings and values. I may not agree with somethingyou say, but I can say it in a non argumentative fashion. Translated: Respect how others feel and they will do the same. Agree that you disagree, make intelligent and valid points for your side of things and move on.

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Rules will be added on an as needed basis. Suggestions are welcome as always. Again, Welcome to the list!! Go have fun!!

You list Parents,

Rodrigo & Kimber