Get your own Free HomepageBelow are a list of rules (well, they're more like guidelines . . .) which you should read and bear in mind when you write your own Destroy! review for publication on this site.
1. No Slash Fiction!
Slash fiction, that is pornography written under the guise of fan fiction by using characters from a TV show, is not covered by the Destroy! review. Slash is different from adult fanfic, as slash is written purely to shock or titillate. If a Transformers fan script has the eff word in it, it can safely be described as adult fiction, while it is certainly not slash fiction. Incidently, there *are* some slash review sites about.
As rightly pointed out to me by Wendy Kelley, "Slash fiction specifically refers to erotica between two or more characters of the same sex." Or, at least, it used to. The first slash couple were Kirk and Spock from Star Trek. The name comes from the way these couples are portrayed, eg Spock/Kirk (that's a *slash* in the middle). These days though, most anyone can be slashed, from the expected Mulder/Scully to the sickening idea of Homer/Lisa. This site *will* *not* post reviews of slash. Relationship stories are fine. Though the defining line is pretty thin, anything that goes beyond kissing, or a line similar to "and so they went to bed" is off limits. The easiest way to draw the line, is to look at how a story is classified in an archive. If the story is "slash", "erotica", or is described as being 'one character/another character', it's probably not suitable here. If the story is under "romance" or "love", and is rated NC-17 (18 certificate) or R, then it is probably not suitable either. Use you're own judgement
2. Don't review your own fiction!
I can't emphasize this point enough. The last thing I need is a load of people sending in 5/5 reviews of their own/a friend's/your mum's fan fiction. This site is dedicated to bringing impartial reviews of fan fiction, and is not an advert break.
3. Don't criticize the fiction if you don't like the show!
If you read a fanfic which stars characters from a TV show you don't like, don't mark the fiction down because of this. Treat each and every story as being completely separate from its source show, if possible (though if you know the show, don't be afraid of picking out references). This site is dedicated to bringing you the best fan fiction, not the most true to source fiction. If you feel you can't fairly judge "Dinosaurs: In Manhattan" because you hate the show "Dinosaurs!", don't bother reviewing it.
4. Don't judge the author!
We all write bad fiction from time to time (some of us do it regularly), but there is always that chance that the next fanfic you write will be either a classic or a clunker. Try to never use the author's name within a review, unless the name is also the name of a series of fanfics (ie the ubiquitous Holdridge scripts). If I read a review of one of my stories saying how bad the story is, I'm going to try ironing out the creases mentioned. If a review just slates me as an author, I'm not going to take any advice, and continue writing badly.
5. Be constructive!
Don't spend your review saying "This fanfic is bad" when you can say "This fanfic is bad, because . . .". If a fanfic has good points, point them out, and vice versa.
6. Don't take up too much room!
If you are reviewing a one page poem, don't take ten pages telling us what you think. Similarly, a 200k epic can't be reviewed in one line.
7. Don't spoil the story!
While it's often a good idea to give a quick summary of a plot, don't give away too much. Why bother reading a mystery fanfic if we all know the butler did it.
8. Don't review an unfinished story!
As many of the fanfics on the Interweb are MPs, it may be tempting to review a story that is yet to have it's final part uploaded. Resist, I say, for the story is not yet, er, finished. If, however, there are a number of stories making up a continuous plotline, it is perfectly okay to review one story in the series - and this includes virtual seasons of shows.
9. Don't give 0/5!
The lowest mark in Destroy! is 1/5, and the highest mark is 5/5. Don't go any lower or higher. Nothing good can come of it.
Here are the lists of the types of source and types of fanfic we deal with in the Review, with the greatest priority given those formats at the top of each list:
Television Shows
Movies
Comics
Role Playing Games
Professional Novels/Short Stories
Radio Shows (yes, they do exist)
Pop groups
Toys (unless they have a TV show or other specific plot line source)
Celebrities
Other
Short Stories
Fan Scripts
Novels
Poetry
Filk (fan songs)
Top Ten Lists
Other
(note: we do not deal with transcripts)
© Dan Ness, 1998. So you want to redistribute this, huh? Well tough! This is my work, and it stays here. Link to the title page.
Get your own Free Homepage