Ficly

Ficly-tiquette: Sequels, Prequels, and Major Tom

“If you want to be incrementally better: Be competitive. If you want to be exponentially better: Be cooperative.” ~Unknown

What a beautiful thing it is for the human mind to create out of its own depths a work of artistic expression. How much more beautiful is that creative act when it becomes a cooperative effort, the joint brainchild of two or more writers. Ah yes, that is when, here on Ficly, we have that elusive and prized magical creature, the Coop Story.

There is just something amusing and fun about writing characters and honestly not knowing what they’ll do next. The exercise of continuing another author’s style, narrative voice, or take on a genre can also be an opportunity for growth as a writer. Or, on a more self-serving note, it’s one way to get at least one comment, as the person you sequel or prequel is bound to comment on it.

So, in an effort to encourage more of this sort of thing, this sort of thing that happens to be one of the basic points and purposes of the site [hint, hint], I thought I might lay down two ground rules and invite you to add your own for discussion.

1. When you sequel or prequel something by someone else, tag your piece with ‘sequel’ or ‘prequel’. That way, those of us who like this sort of interplay can use the search feature to find them more easily.

2. If a story is posted here on Ficly, the assumption will be that the author desperately wants you to prequel or sequel. If that’s not the case, please indicate so in a comment on your own story.

So let it be written; so let it be awesome.

10 comments Posted 2009-09-09 Author: THX 0477

Comments

  • Stovohobo

    Great post. Though the ten-comments-per-published-ficly idea is a great one too, I value a sequel much more than a comment (plus, it’s really hard to keep up with the quota when you keep on sequeling).

    Thanks for reinforcing the fundamentals of the site.

  • Zerrakhi

    I’ve pretty much given up using tags, because there’s absolutely no pleasure in trying to list all the thematic categories a story might be classified under. Tagging is dull. It’s a chore. However, the sequel/prequel tag idea is different. I wouldn’t need to agonise over whether a story is a sequel or not, because it either is or it isn’t.

    My policy on Ficly is to make a point of reading old stories. When I have the time (not as often as I’d like), I like to sit down and read all of a given author’s stories, starting with the oldest, looking for something that inspires a sequel. I figure that old stories have been waiting for a sequel the longest, so I try to prioritise them.

    True, I haven’t sequelled much lately. Time, alas, is harder to come by than good intentions.

  • StudMuffin (LoA)

    Hey, attention all Ficly members, Mighty Joe Youngs wife, Jesi A.K.A Not You, is in the hospital and is very very sick.
    If you have facebook, please join this group to let him know we’re there for him no matter what and to show how many amazing people are truly on this site.
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129342870484

  • Fyora Cartagan

    I, personally, write here FOR the sequels and prequels, it’s just the way my writing works. In creative writing, I’m an introduction/conclusion writer, and I struggle with the body, unless I have someone there to help me along, and illustrate (or answer) some questions the reader still has. (In academic writing, I’m the exact opposite, but a creative introduction always makes for an interesting academic paper.)

    @Zerrakhi: I was notorious (at least to myself) for using lots and lots of tags on my stories back on the old site, perhaps I would get more sequels and comments if I were to pick up that habit again…

  • Textual Phoenix

    I love it when someone pre/sequels my stories, especially when it takes them in a direction I never would have thought of. I sometimes write stories that I specifically see as being stand-alones, but if someone wants to do an addition to it, go for it!

  • Marli

    Hey muffy I tried that site but no go can you give coordinates and check your post. Thanks Marli

  • Marli

    What a great idea. It would save me from getting red faced again.Thanx THX. Marli

  • ElshaHawk (LoA)

    Thanks to everyone who went to facebook and joined the group. Jesi left us @ 1AM Sept. 9th.

    (sorry this wasn’t about sequels or prequels, THX)

  • THX 0477

    I like Zerrakhi’s idea of trolling through old stories for one to sequel. I used to do that back when I had more time. Alas, the demands of a busy life.
    And to Stovo’s comment, the more I think about it, I have come to the decision, for me at least, that the opportunity to jump in with a good sequel or prequel should trump the comment to story ratio rule. In other words, I think I shall hesitate less to throw up a sequel or prequel just because I haven’t hit the requisite number of comments yet.
    And to those posting comments here regarding Mighty Joe Young’s situation, that’s quite alright by me. He’s a great member of our little community and deserves all the help and support we can give him.
    Thanks for all the comments guys.

  • Robotech_Master

    As long as we’re talking about ficly etiquette, I’d like to call folks’ attention to a series of posts I made back on the old Ficlets.com board: “R_M’s Ficlets Best Practices”. A lot of them still apply today.

    http://ficlets.ficly.com/stories/26091