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682 lines
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DDDDD ZZZZZZ //
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D D AAAA RRR GGGG OOOO NN N Z I NN N EEEE ||
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D D A A R R G O O N N N Z I N N N E ||
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-=========================================================+<OOOOOOOOO>|)
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D D AAAA RRR G GG O O N N N Z I N N N E ||
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DDDDD A A R R GGGG OOOO N NN ZZZZZZ I N NN EEEE ||
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\\
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\
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-- Writers' Frequently Asked Questions --
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Note: This file was last updated 12/26/1998. Recent changes are noted
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by a bar '|' in column 1.)
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What is DargonZine?
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Hmmm. If you don't know the answer to this one, you should go
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read the DargonZine Readers' FAQ first!
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What is the Dargon Project all about?
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The project was founded in 1985 as a way for amateur fantasy
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writers on the Internet to meet and become better writers
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through mutual contact and collaboration. The focus of the group
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is on mutual support, encouragement, and improvement.
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The duchy of Dargon is the common thread that all stories share.
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All Dargon Project works take place in that environs, and
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authors are encouraged to share and borrow the places and
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characters and events that are part of that milieu. Authors are
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expected to comment upon other writers' works in progress, use
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other writers' events and characters from other stories within
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their own, and even co-author stories.
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Does DargonZine accept submissions that aren't Dargon fiction?
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No. There are several Internet emags that will accept your
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non-Dargon fiction and nonfiction submissions. We print strictly
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Dargon Project material.
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Do I have to join the project in order to submit stories?
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Yes. Because this is a collaborative project, as a non-member
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you can't just submit a story for publication. Submissions must
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integrate with both the existing body of published work, and any
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work that is currently planned or in queue.
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You will also be expected to critique others' works and
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contribute to the shared world. People who don't want to
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participate in a communal project should consider submitting to
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other emags.
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How do I become a project member?
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To become an official Dargon Project member, send email to the
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editor, Ornoth Liscomb, at <dargon@shore.net>, requesting that
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you be added to Dargon-L, the Dargon Writers' Forum. Once you're
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on the list, you're a member, and will start receiving mail from
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the writers' forum. Once you start seeing list mail, send out a
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brief hello to introduce yourself to the group.
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How do I send a brief hello to introduce myself to the group?
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Any email that you send to <dargon-l@brownvm.brown.edu> is
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echoed to all the Dargon Project authors. This list is similar
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to others all around the Internet and the usual rules of
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netiquette and polite posting apply.
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Another thing to bear in mind is that the Listserv software that
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redistributes your mail doesn't like seeing its own name in your
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mail, so when you reply to Dargon-L mail, it's best to not
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include mail headers in your citation. If Listserv sees its name
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in your mail, it will probably delete it rather than
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redistribute it, and no one will see your comments.
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How do I find out who is on the Dargon-L list?
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Send an email to <listserv@brownvm.brown.edu>, with the text
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"send dargon-l list". You'll be sent a copy of the file that
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lists the current Dargon-L members.
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What if I'm not on the network?
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Being an effective member of the project really requires that
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you have the ability to get mail to and from the Dargon-L
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discussion list. Although one could technically produce stories
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without access to Dargon-L, participation in the discussions and
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reviewing others' work are requirements for submitting your own
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| stories. Relatively inexpensive email access can be obtained
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| through several online services.
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How do I get started writing?
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| Very shortly after you are added to Dargon-L, you will also be
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| assigned a "mentor", another writer in the group who has a lot
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| of experience and knowledge about how DargonZine works, the
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| details of the milieu, and so forth. Use that person as your
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| first sounding board for ideas, and the first place you go to
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| get answers to your questions. Your mentor should be supportive,
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| and if you aren't getting what you need from that person, speak
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| to the person who assigned your mentor and see if you can be
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| assigned a different mentor.
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How do I get up to speed on Dargon and all the things in it?
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Once subscribed to Dargon-L, you need to get up to speed on what
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is currently going on in the project, and what has gone on in
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the past. Ideally, you should read all the back issues, but we
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realize that's expecting a little much; a few back issues
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(especially the ones that are pertinent to current storylines)
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are sufficient to get the flavor of what's going on in the
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project.
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The biggest thing to remember is to speak up. If you have
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questions, ask away! Don't be shy. We can't anticipate all the
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information you'll require.
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| Start bouncing your story ideas off your mentor, and then the
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other writers. Bear in mind that many of your ideas just won't
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be appropriate for Dargon, but be patient and try to work within
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the structure. Don't try to make your first story the be-all and
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end-all.
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Once you've got an idea that everyone thinks is workable, start
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writing!
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How frequently will I be expected to publish?
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Well, it'll probably take some time for you to get up to speed,
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so your first story may take some time. We have a general rule
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that authors are dropped after failing to publish for two years,
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but the hope is that you'll publish more frequently than that.
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One to three stories per year would be great!
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All authors are expected to post status reports at the beginning
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of each month, indicating the stories they are working on, where
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| those stories are in the pipeline, and what progress they have
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made in the previous month.
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What is the submission procedure?
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The first step in the creation of a Dargon story is coming up
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with a story idea. Bear in mind some of the concerns discussed
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in the "Guidelines" section, below. Once you've got an idea of
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| what you want to write about, you should send a brief
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| description or outline to your mentor, who will discuss it with
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| you. When your mentor approves, you should post the outline to
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Dargon-L, so that the other authors know about it. They'll do a
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sanity check to make sure that it fits in with the project and
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what's gone before, and may suggest alternative storylines and
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point out potential problems. Iterate as necessary.
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Once there's general acceptance of your storyline, you can go
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off and write your initial draft. Bear in mind the items
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discussed in the "Stylistic Concerns" section, below. When
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you're done, spellcheck it, proof it, and have some of your
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| friends read and comment on it. Then send it to your mentor.
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| Iterate as necessary. When you're satisfied that it's in good
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| shape, post it to Dargon-L. Be aware that if you post a story
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which has obviously not been spellchecked or proofed by another
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person, you are likely to receive strong feedback.
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The other writers will make general and specific comments on
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your story and recommend changes. Allow a couple weeks for
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people to read and comment, but don't hold the story up by
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waiting for comments after a reasonable period (say, four
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weeks). Consider what they have to say and make any changes you
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think are appropriate and re-post the story. Iterate as
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necessary!
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Keep doing this until everyone's pretty happy with the story as
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is. You are the person who decides when the story is ready to
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print. When it is, send a copy of the story to the editor for
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publication and get started on your next story!
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Do I get paid for publishing in DargonZine?
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| No. DargonZine is oriented toward the aspiring amateur writer,
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| and as such is thoroughly noncommercial. We have no funds with
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| which to compensate writers. No one receives monetary
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| compensation for the work they put into the project. The value
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| our writers derive is from sharing ideas and techniques with
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| other writers.
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Do I need to pay in order to participate in the Dargon Project?
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| Kinda sort-of, but not much. Let me explain...
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| For the past dozen years, the editor handled all costs incurred
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| in producing DargonZine. However, it now takes over $1500 to run
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| DargonZine for a year. In order to relieve the editor of these
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| costs and more fairly distribute the burden of our "vanity
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| publishing", the authors recently voted to institute what we
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| think is a fair system of dues for writers. It works like this:
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| The only people who *have* to pay dues are those who have been
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| with the project for more than a year, and who have had at least
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| one story printed in DargonZine. That way new writers have a
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| "free trial" period to determine whether the group is of value
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| to them.
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| Furthermore, the fees are graduated. People who have full-time
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| jobs are expected to contribute the full fee: $25 per year. But
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| students, part-time workers, and other people who are cash-poor
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| are only expected to contribute $12.50 per year.
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| We hope that is a fair system. The intent is to try to offset
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| some of the costs associated with running the magazine, and all
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| dues and expenses are strictly tracked by the Assistant Editor.
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| Note that paying dues doesn't relieve a writer of their other
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| requirements such as actively working on stories and
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| participating in discussions. Even if you have paid dues, you
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| are still subject to removal from the project if you aren't an
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| active participant.
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Who retains what rights to stories printed in DargonZine?
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DargonZine retains the right to reproduce its own issues and
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reprint stories for special collections such as "Best Of"
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issues. The names "Dargon" and "DargonZine" are copyrighted by
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the editor. The author retains all other rights. A copyright
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notice to that effect appears in every issue.
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Be aware that most publishing houses and magazines consider
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publication in DargonZine to constitute surrender of "first
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publication rights". This has implications for writers who wish
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to print their Dargon stories elsewhere.
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Also note that your use of other writers' characters is with
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their permission -- they retain the rights to those characters.
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Unauthorized use of characters and things that are not yours, in
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stories that are printed elsewhere, constitutes a violation of
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copyright laws.
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Because of these issues and the essentially collaborative
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nature of stories which take place within the shared milieu,
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DargonZine stories cannot be published outside DargonZine itself
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unless reworked so that they no longer reference the shared
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world or any other elements which the publishing writer does not
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have exclusive ownership of.
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Do I retain control of the characters and things I contribute?
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Once you have introduced something to the project, anyone can
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(with your permission) use it. After you leave the project,
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your characters and things become free game for anyone to use.
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Writers are encouraged both to use other writers' characters
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and places, and also to create characters and places and things
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that other writers can reference in their stories.
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While you are an active Dargon Project member, you are the
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"curator" of the characters, places, and things that you create.
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You are the authority on those things, and have final say
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in what can be printed regarding it, unless you are overruled
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by the group as a whole. However, if you leave the project,
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the project retains the right to use those characters and
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things within future Dargon Project stories. "Curatorship" of
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those entities may also be transferred to other active writers.
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Can I use other peoples' characters and things?
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As this is a collaborative anthology, authors are highly
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encouraged to use other writers' characters, but there are some
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important factors to be kept in mind. Above all, check with the
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curator of the character. That character may be destined to do
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something else or be in the wrong geographic location or be out
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of touch in terms of timeframe. If the original curator is no
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longer with the project, check with the group to see if someone
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else has adopted or is using the character in their work.
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How do you keep track of all the characters and references and all?
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| Our primary tool is a database called the Author's Master
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Database (or "the AMD"), which lists all stories, writers,
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characters, things, references, curators, and so forth. The
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database is regularly updated, and is one of the most important
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resources a Dargon Project writer can have.
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A subset of the AMD is the Online Glossary, which lists all
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characters and places and such, along with their definitions and
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what stories they appear in. This is available on the DargonZine
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| Web site at <http://www.dargonzine.org/glossary.shtml>.
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What other resources are available to Dargon Project writers?
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There is also an email daemon called "The Dargon Project
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Library", which is designed to be a quick reference for Project
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staff and readers. To request a document, send mail to
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<khaytsus@cs.colorado.edu> with the text "Request <document
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name>" in the subject line. For a listing of available
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documents, send "Request DARGON".
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There are also several facilities available on the DargonZine
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Web site through the DargonZine Writer Menu at the URL
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| <http://www.dargonzine.org/bin/writer_menu.pl>. From there you
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can view the Global Status Report, which shows all the stories
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currently in progress and where they are in the pipeline. From
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this menu you can also obtain the current list of DargonZine
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writers. There is a full-text search which allows you to specify
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a character string, and you will be shown every instance of that
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character string in every FSFnet and DargonZine issue which
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| contains it. There is also a form for updating Glossary items
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and the details of each time that item is referenced in a story.
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Note that the Writer Menu is password protected. If you are a
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participating writer and need a password, please contact the
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editor. This Writer Menu will be the place where future
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| facilities for the writers will be made available.
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Can I co-author a story with someone?
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Sure! Unless you're geographically close to someone or have the
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money for a lot of phone calls, true co-authorship may be
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difficult. But don't let that stop you from trying!
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Two ways that we've gotten around this are as follows. We've
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produced several stories where different authors wrote different
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sections of the text. For example, one person would write a
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specific encounter between two characters, while the other
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writes a larger context: one of the characters' visit to Dargon.
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Another alternative is to write about the same events from two
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different characters' perspectives.
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But feel free to experiment with whatever you think might work!
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The main thing to be careful of is plotting out a lengthy
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storyline that requires multiple people to get their parts done.
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We've had problems in the past where a storyline took years (of
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real time) to develop, and in the meantime some of the key
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writers left the project. Be careful that you don't put yourself
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in the position of having to clean up after someone who left you
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holding the bag!
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How do you resolve conflicts?
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Obviously, the first thing to try is compromise. If differences
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of opinion continue, the opinion of the majority of active
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Dargon Project writers rules. When people are in a receptive
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mood, the editor can occasionally get away with issuing edicts.
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Is material posted to Dargon-L canon?
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If someone discusses (for example) an idea about a new coin, it
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doesn't become an immutable fact unless it sees print in a
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story. As authors, we are bound by what the readers have seen
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within the pages of the magazine. We are not bound by ideas that
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have been presented in Dargon-L. The ultimate test of whether
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something is a fact is whether or not it has seen print.
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Is there anything else I have to do as a project member?
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As a project member, you are expected to be an active
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participant in the discussions that take place on Dargon-L. You
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are expected to provide opinions and critiques of other authors'
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ideas and stories in a timely manner. Your comments on stories
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should be turned around within two to three weeks at most. And
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don't forget those monthly status reports! In short, Dargon is
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not a place for lurkers!
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Individuals who do not actively participate in the project and
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are "idle" for several months at a time will periodically be
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removed from Dargon-L at the editor's discretion.
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When you join Dargon-L, you will find some people who are better
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writers than you, and some who aren't as good, and many with
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specific areas of knowledge. One of the difficulties you face is
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taking blunt criticism of your writing maturely, without getting
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emotional. Remember that criticism is intended to improve your
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writing.
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You are also expected to provide criticism of others' works in a
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sensitive and constructive way. Be considerate in your comments.
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The goal of the project is to provide a supportive environment
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for aspiring writers who wish to improve.
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Above all else, be a professional.
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It is also hoped that you'll help promote the magazine by
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telling your friends and encouraging people you meet on the net
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to subscribe. The magazine's success is in your hands, and we
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hope that you can help us make it better.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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-- DargonZine Writers' Guidelines --
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Over the course of a fifteen-year collaborative writing project, we've
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learned quite a bit about writing fantasy. What follows is a list of
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general suggestions to bear in mind when developing a story idea. While
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some may sound arbitrary or unnecessarily restrictive, the collaborative
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nature of the project requires that we accept certain limits on what we
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can write about.
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Set your stories in the vicinity of Dargon.
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New writers should base their first stories in the immediate
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vicinity, rather than strike off on their own. All writers are
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expected to set stories in or near Dargon on a regular basis.
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Don't use powerful magic.
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Magic is exceedingly rare in Dargon because it is very
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destabilizing. Magic can be used, within limits, but it cannot
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be used so liberally as to effect society. If you do use magic,
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make it very rare and unique. There's nothing more pathetic than
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reading a story full of spells and items that are right out of a
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Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. It's also a good idea to
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"dispose" of powerful magic by the end of your story.
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Don't introduce new technologies.
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This is a medieval society, and introduction of new technologies
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can have the same destabilizing effect as introducing powerful
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magic. Don't do it.
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There are no explosives in Dargon.
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Don't overuse nonhuman races.
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The world of Dargon is a human one. There are a few nonhuman
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races around, but don't use them too liberally. Again, if you
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use them, make them unique -- and please don't lift species from
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roleplaying games or similar sources.
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No superheroes!
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Powerful characters are also destabilizing, and are often the
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sign of a writer who is trying to overcome a sense of personal
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inadequacy. Similarly, don't introduce anti-heroes. Like our own
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world, Dargon is populated with relatively ordinary people who
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occasionally find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
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Don't be a worldbuilder!
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New project members must overcome the desire to "leave their
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mark" on Dargon by creating lots of new continents and kingdoms
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and cities and other named items. You'll be much more fondly
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remembered for a single good, powerful story than for the mess
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you make of the map. Write your stories to be consistent with
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the landmarks and people who are already there.
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Don't start anything you can't finish.
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When you introduce a character or a plot, be sure that it's
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something that you will have the time and energy to finish.
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There have been a large number of plotlines that petered out,
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because the person writing that thread left the project. Don't
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leave a mess that other writers will have to clean up.
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Know what you're writing about.
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If you're writing a story that takes place on the high seas, do
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some research into it. Learning about your subject matter not
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only gives you a passable understanding of it, but will also
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give you the ideas and vocabulary to make your story vibrant.
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You'll only damage your own reputation as an author if you write
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about impossibilities such as castles with 300-foot towers.
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Don't steal names.
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It may be tempting to name characters after your friends, but
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it's unprofessional, juvenile, and usually illegal. Come up with
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your own names for people, places, and things.
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In addition, stories which feature "real" people or which
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feature "cross-overs" between Dargon and "reality" aren't
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allowed.
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Don't use "modernisms".
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|
One of the things that Dargon writers will check you on is your
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use of modern phrases, such as "Cool!" or "policeman" or
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|
"gastroenterology", especially in dialogue. Use of "modern"
|
|
language can destroy the reader's willing suspension of
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|
disbelief.
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|
|
|
Don't borrow roleplaying game plots.
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|
|
|
The Dargon Project is for serious, aspiring writers, not for
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|
people who want to document their gaming sessions. People who
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|
lack the originality necessary to come up with their own plots
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|
and who rely on others to make a story interesting have no
|
|
business calling themselves writers.
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|
|
|
The Gods.
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|
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|
We've already got several pantheons, thank you, we don't need
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|
any more.
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|
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|
The gods do not actually manifest themselves in Dargon. Period.
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|
|
|
What time is it?
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|
|
|
All Dargon stories must indicate the date they take place, and
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|
should reflect events happening at that time.
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|
|
|
There is a vague sense of a "current" time in Dargon, which
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|
writers should stay within. If you write a story that takes
|
|
place in the comparative past, be aware of other things that
|
|
happened at that time.
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|
|
|
If you write in the comparative future, be aware that your work
|
|
will be very closely scrutinized. Any references to people or
|
|
things gives the reader some foreknowledge about what will occur
|
|
in the "present".
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|
|
|
For example, if Dargon is being attacked by Beinison hordes, and
|
|
I write a story in which Clifton Dargon appears that takes place
|
|
two years in the relative future, the reader knows that Clifton
|
|
will not die in the intervening time. For this reason, we try to
|
|
keep most stories within the relative past or present.
|
|
|
|
Is there a message in your story, or is it purely entertainment?
|
|
|
|
This is perhaps the most important question you have to face as
|
|
a fantasy writer. To be sure, there are many commercially
|
|
successful fantasy writers who fall into both camps, but the
|
|
presence of a message is what differentiates most fantasy from
|
|
being considered "good literature".
|
|
|
|
The message doesn't have to be profound or delivered in a
|
|
heavy-handed way. In fact, many fantasy stories' message is
|
|
"It's tough being a teen," which is why so few adults take
|
|
fantasy seriously.
|
|
|
|
A good writer writes because he has something to say about
|
|
life, and the Dargon Project encourages amateur writers to
|
|
experiment with the message. It can be as simple as "Losing a
|
|
friend is hard," but be aware that it is there. The skill with
|
|
which you develop and communicate your message is what separates
|
|
the mediocre writer from the artist.
|
|
|
|
Do you involve the readers' emotionally?
|
|
|
|
A story cannot succeed if it doesn't involve the reader. He
|
|
must be made to care about the protagonist(s) and feel for them
|
|
in their plight. A successful story isn't one where the good
|
|
guys beat the bad guys, but a story that makes the reader feel
|
|
intense emotion. How that is accomplished is the art that we,
|
|
as writers, pursue.
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|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
-- DargonZine Writers' Style Guide --
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|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
This section details how submissions should be composed and formatted.
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|
|
|
|
|
Dashes:
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|
|
|
When using dashes to set off an independent phrase -- such as
|
|
this one -- use two characters, and set them off as if they
|
|
were a separate word. Something -- well, exactly --- like that.
|
|
|
|
Ellipses:
|
|
|
|
Ellipses should appear as a single three-character word, set
|
|
apart from other words. Like ... this. When an ellipse ends a
|
|
statement or sentence, additional punctuation is not used in
|
|
addition to the ellipse; it stands by itself and ends the
|
|
thought or statement. If the ellipse begins or terminates a
|
|
quotation, the quotation marks directly abut the ellipse.
|
|
|
|
Emphasis:
|
|
|
|
Use *asterisks* around words to indicate emphasis, rather than
|
|
_underlines_ or CAPITALS.
|
|
|
|
Format:
|
|
|
|
Submissions should be mailed as ASCII text. Anything else won't
|
|
be read, to include ZIPped or UUENCODEd text, word processor
|
|
files, or text with imbedded control words.
|
|
|
|
Headers:
|
|
|
|
All stories must begin with a header, and all the lines in the
|
|
header must be centered.
|
|
|
|
The first header line contains the story's title. If it is part
|
|
of a serial, the second line will contain the part number, and
|
|
an optional title that is specific to that part.
|
|
|
|
The next line will contain the word "by" and the author's full
|
|
name, and then a line with his network userid if he wishes it
|
|
to be known to the readers.
|
|
|
|
The following line will contain the Dargon date when the story
|
|
takes place. All stories *must* have a Dargon date.
|
|
|
|
The header will be followed by a blank line, after which the
|
|
text of the submission begins.
|
|
|
|
For co-authored stories, the first attibution line will contain
|
|
"by" and both the author's full name and (optional) network
|
|
address. Subsequent attribution lines will contain "and" and
|
|
subsequent authors' full names and (optional) network addresses.
|
|
|
|
Hyphenation:
|
|
|
|
Do not hyphenate words. Words that would otherwise exceed
|
|
the line width should be spilled to the next line rather than
|
|
split, as they will be reformatted by the editor before
|
|
publication.
|
|
|
|
Indenting:
|
|
|
|
Don't indent your base text. Whenever a space appears in
|
|
the first column of your text, this will be interpreted and
|
|
formatted as a paragraph break.
|
|
|
|
For text that should be indented, adjust both left and right
|
|
margins inward by 5 characters.
|
|
|
|
Justification:
|
|
|
|
Submissions should never be right-justified or contain more than
|
|
one blank between words.
|
|
|
|
Length:
|
|
|
|
Stories should range from 80 to 800 lines. Stories that exceed
|
|
800 lines must be serialized into two or more stories that will
|
|
be published separately.
|
|
|
|
Paragraphs:
|
|
|
|
Paragraphs should be indented 5 spaces.
|
|
|
|
Quotes:
|
|
|
|
Use double quotes for dialogue. When single quotes are needed,
|
|
use two 'apostrophes' rather than `open and close' quotes.
|
|
|
|
Sections:
|
|
|
|
Submissions will often be divided into separate sections by a
|
|
single blank line. This indicates a change of setting, time, or
|
|
viewpoint.
|
|
|
|
Serialization:
|
|
|
|
Stories in excess of 800 lines must be serialized. The author is
|
|
responsible for breaking the submission into parts and writing
|
|
appropriate prefaces (remember that parts won't appear in the
|
|
same issue).
|
|
|
|
Ideally, a serial story should either be submitted and approved
|
|
by the group as a whole, or individual parts should be able to
|
|
stand on their own as independent stories. We don't want to get
|
|
into a situation where a series is left only partially completed
|
|
when an author leaves the project or loses interest in the
|
|
storyline.
|
|
|
|
Spacing:
|
|
|
|
All submission should be single-spaced.
|
|
|
|
Spelling:
|
|
|
|
Run your submission through a spelling checker and have live
|
|
humans proof it *before* you sent it to Dargon-L. Spelling and
|
|
grammar are basic skills that any writer must master, and it's
|
|
extremely unprofessional to expect the other writers to perform
|
|
this function for you. The purpose of the project is to teach
|
|
the art of good writing, not fourth grade spelling and grammar.
|
|
|
|
Trailer:
|
|
|
|
Stories should end without any trailer. All pertinent
|
|
information must be given in the story header.
|
|
|
|
Width:
|
|
|
|
80 columns maximum, 70-72 columns preferred.
|
|
|
|
|