Guide To Fan Fiction: Ch.4 Spelling Counts

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III. Spelling Counts
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This is one fact that I cannot stress enough. No matter how well your story might be written, how thought-provoking the concept, nor how in-depth your characterization, bad spelling and grammar will turn off more readers than any other facet of your writing. Sadly enough, spelling is one of the easiest problems to fix. The first rule is: if you want to write a story, don't write it on-line. Write it in a word processor like WordPerfect (my personal fave) or MS-Word/MS-Works, or even shudder WordStar. If you save it as ASCII/Dos text (Mac users, probably text form), you can find someone somewhere who will help you upload it. Once you have it written, and before you have it on the Net, run it through a spellchecker. If there's a word not in the spellchecker, pull out Webster's Dictionary. The point is, good spelling will encourage your reader not to click away from the story before Page 2. And know that you won't catch everything. (For example, during a reread of this essay in 2004, I found another typo.) Some word processors also have grammar checkers. Use them. There is nothing shameful about not being able to spell, nor is it a mortal sin to confuse your tenses. However, if you don't do anything about them, you're going to catch well-deserved flak. Anyone who doubts this can check out the MST-ing taking place on alt.startrek.creative. When you're done with your electronic checks and balances, upload the story. You're ready for the next step (no, it's not posting).

A special note for everyone posting to Fanfiction.net: when you post, you give a summary of the story. If you can't spell correctly in the summary, I'm not going to read your story. If you misspell the title of your story, I'm going to point at you and laugh, and still not read your story. Also please note that if your title and/or summary give away the end of the story OR if the summary contains the phrase "a mysterious new" *insert description of your character here* I still won't read your story (see Part VI) and I may make fun of you in a public place because I'm mean. Just so we're clear.