This is the Moderator Journal for slash_theplan. Have a nice day.

( Who are the Moderators? )

Questions, comments, concerns about slash_theplan, submit them right here. Comments are screened.

Can I post an ad for my community/website?

Absolutely not. No exceptions unless you have been given explicit permission by the Maintainer.

Can my community/website be an affiliate?

Sure, simply ask and we'll list you in our community userinfo.

This is my first time posting in this community, is there anything I need to be aware of?

As a matter of fact, there are a few things. We ask that your post be made with a Title, a Rating, and a Pairing, all listed outside of your lj-cut. As well, all fanfictions/pictures must be posted beneath an lj-cut. More specific details are addressed over in this post and it is recommended that you read (or skim) through it.

I can't find a story. Am I allowed to make a post asking someone if they know where it is?

Absolutely. However, it is suggested that before doing so, you search through the memories yourself just in case you happen to stumble upon it before you need to ask someone else's help. If you have a question about anything else you are allowed to post in the community, refer to this post.

I think I want my story looked over by a beta, but I don't have one. Any suggestions?

That's great that you're thinking you want a beta for your story! Refer to our list of volunteer beta readers and pick one out that suits you.

Can I DirectLink to my writing journal and just make it look like a fancy lj-cut?

Sure you can, plenty of people do. However, be sure to note this post beforehand so that you are aware of the repercussions to DirectLinking.

Why doesn't the layout ever feature Pierre/David?

It has been a rule in this community from the start that there will never be a P/D layout? Why? because hott_baguettes exists. Their community is especially for P/D and it will always sport a P/D layout. slash_theplan is a community for all of the other Simple Plan pairings as well and we want to make sure that somewhere we are always honoring them. What fun is it to have two P/D layouts on both of the Simple Plan fanfiction communities? We want the variety.

POST: ACCEPTED
what am I allowed to post?

• Anything that can be considered slash-related Simple Plan Fanfiction.

This includes
-short stories
-full-length stories
-drabbles
-poems

• Slashy things you may have seen any of the members of Simple Plan do or say on TV or when you went to see them in concert.
• Links to homemade videos.
• Requests.

This includes
-request a plot because you feel like writing but have no ideas
-request that someone write a story using a plot/idea that you have come up with
-request help finding a story if you have searched through the memories and come up unsuccessful
-request help finding an old picture that you saw a million years ago of Pierre leaning over Sebastien's shoulder and looking so incredibly cute

POST: DENIED
what can't I post in here?

• Ads of any kind.
• Newbie posts. Introduce yourself when you make your first story post.
• Exit posts.
• News that you are going to see Simple Plan and you want to know who else is going.
• Reminders to vote for Simple Plan for whatever award they've been nominated for. That's Patrick's job.
• "Pierre is dating who?"

Are you sure you're allowed to post that? Check this post to be certain your post won't be deleted.

Have you used a Spell Check of some sort? LiveJournal has one on the bottom of your Post an Entry page if whatever writing program you happen to use on your computer doesn't.
Take advantage of these things. Misspellings of even simple words can make or break the quality of a story.

Would you show something that was written like this to your Composition teacher? That is to say, would you show your teacher a report that wasn't spell checked or looked over to make sure that all the punctuation was used? No. You wouldn't give your teacher a paper in which the word "I" is never capitalized and where there is no separation between proper paragraphs.
Always check to make sure your structure and grammar are as proper as possible. It makes the story much easier and more enjoyable to read.

You say you want the pairing of your story to be a surprise? Is that so? That's so cute. However, I don't care. As the FAQ states, all posts must have the pairing listed. It's nice you want your story to have that element of surprise, however, there are plenty of readers--the head moderator included--who will not read a story if they do not know what pairing it is they're going to be reading about. And, since the head moderator is the one who would be adding your story to the Archives, if she doesn't read it (and subsequently doesn't know what pairing your story goes under), your story just won't be added. What's more, it will also be deleted.

Need a Beta Reader? Would you like for someone else to go over your story? If you would feel better about posting if another author were to look over your story and personally check it for you, then a beta reader could be what you're looking for.

Are you certain your story is rated properly? Remember, the more content that others might find offensive, the higher the rating it may need. Refer to this post if you are unsure of what your rating should be.
An accurate rating is a courtesy to have

Did you lj-cut? All pictures, poems, and stories must be hidden behind an lj-cut. It keeps the community looking spiffier. If it's not necessarily either of those things, we trust you to use your best judgment.

Do you like your story? Be proud of your accomplishment. If you think it's really not all that good, there might be a reason for that. Always make it a point to enjoy what you've written. If you don't like it there can't be much more hope for the public.

Be prepared for the Haters. Some people aren't going to like your stories and some of them are going to feel the need to tell you. Be prepared to take criticism on your writing and try to take these to heart. Maybe the next time you write, think about whatever it was someone said they didn't like, and if you can, adjust. It can help you get better. However, there is a difference between constructive criticism and a flame. If you feel that you have been flamed, either ignore the comment or (recommended), bring it to the Moderator's attention so that deal with the situation accordingly.

RATING GUIDE

I've been reading fanfiction for quite some time and something that I've noticed over that period has been the incredibly large number of times I see someone rate their own story incorrectly. More often than not, this happens with the distinction between R and NC-17 ratings and I can understand the reasons why that might be. So, for everyone's reference and because I am just that bored right now, I've put together this handy post—complete with pictures!—that will be made available to anyone who ever questions their own ratings ever again.

( Disclaimer )
( Rating Guide )

Please understand that I/we am/are not going to become these sort of rating Nazis when it comes to this subject, especially not with the lighter forms of ratings. However, if a fiction is CLEARLY NC-17 and only given an R rating, please don't be offended or surprised if you are commented with a link to this post asking you to re-evaluate your choice of rating. Believe it or not, there are some people who don't generally care for NC-17 or who are just not in the mood for it at the time and it simply saves a person those moments of beginning a story that they may not want to read.

The following post I make in this community is a story that was posted about a year and three months ago. Recently, a member asked about said story and where to find it and when I went into the Archives to get the link for them, I realized that there was a small problem. There was one link in the Archives to the last post of the story which incorporated links to all previous parts, however, the links to all previous parts had been directed toward the writer's personal writing journal, which had been deleted.

The good news is that when posting in the community about updates, she always posted to the community page. Not with a link going directly from the community and into her writing journal, but she actually posted the story in her community entry as well as in her writing journal. Since she did this, I was able to go back in the calendar (to May of 2004, to be precise) and I found all of the old community entries so that the Archives can be properly taken care of.

Basically, one of the finest David/Sebastien stories this community has ever seen (in my own opinion, of course) was able to be saved because the author posted to the community as well as into her own journal. So, please take this as a forewarning to all of those who like to link directly to their writing journals: I don't mind if you do it. I know it's an easier way for you to keep tabs on comments and who reads and whatnot when you cross-post to other communities and such, and I understand why you do it. However, please be advised that if you have a habit of doing this and someday decide that you don't like that journal anymore, your posts have the chance of being completely lost if you don't move them properly/have backup entries somewhere/inform those in charge of the Archives about it.

Now, that all being said, I've reposted all of the links to previous parts of this particular story into one post so that it will all be easy to locate in the Archives. If in the future I see another incident like this, I will probably do something of the same thing but I'm not about to make it my mission at this time. If you find something like this has happened, let me know and I'll take care of it as soon as possible, but that's probably the fastest way to get it done.

ADDED NOTE

The following request has been brought to my attention:
Can you mention people friends locking their old fic too? Cause that's pretty annoying too. Especially for people who don't have or want livejournals.

Of course, I have no athority over whether or not your personal journals or writing journals are made Friends Only, however, there is an advantage if the places where you store your stories are left open. If your writings are left open, those who don't have LiveJournals can still read and comment and, really, what writer doesn't appreciate a comment? Also, if you are one of those who locks your journal, you have all the more reason to post to the community, that way at least your Simple Plan fanfics can be read from the Archives.