IMP! Writers Corner: Rules & Regulations

Writers Corner Forum: Rules & Regulations

WC Dev. Team Viewbies: 

Viswasruti

Sutapasima

LizzieBennet

*India-Forums: Participation Guidelines & Rules
Please note that ALL members of India-Forums are required to follow the forum’s general codes of conduct. Please click on the link below to review these and note that there are consequences if any member is found to be in violation of these rules and guidelines.

Click Here >> India-Forums.com- Participation Guidelines & Rules

*Moderation

In general across IF the moderation chain is as follows: 

Viewbies > Moderators > Channel Moderators> Global Moderators. 

Within this forum, for any concerns, your first point of contact will be the section Viewbies  as they take care of the day to day happenings in the forum.

If the matter is still unresolved or if your issues are regarding their moderation, you can escalate your concerns to the Global Moderator.

Any issues regarding Moderation or Warning Queries will be entertained only by PM to DT. 

Do not argue about rulings/decisions/actions by DTs or open threads regarding their moderation within the forum and cause disruption in the atmosphere. If such a thread is opened, it shall be closed immediately, asking the members to contact the DT via PMs. 

Strict action will be taken against repeat offenders. 

For Urgent Issues please contact the Writer's Corner DT first. If the WC DT does not respond to you after 72 hours, feel free to contact Global Moderator or Admin.

*RPFs [Real Person Fiction] - Not Allowed!

Real Person Fiction is a type of Fan Fiction that is written on the celebrities essaying characters in a show or movie instead of the characters. [For example, A fan fiction written on the actors Barun Sobti and Sanaya Irani instead of the characters of Arnav and Khushi].
  
Fictions based on real people/celebrities is NOT permitted on the forum.
The forum is a platform for creativity, not a platform for fan wars and conflict. Such stories can be posted in your own personal blogs.

Anyone found in violation of this rule (any threads posted after February 5th, 2015) will face a 20% Warning Level Raise and the thread will be locked permanently.

*This rule applies to ALL forums on India-Forums.

*Plagiarism/Inspiration

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited, and strict actions will be taken against members found to be plagiarizing. India-forums only encourages original work to be produced.

Be aware that plagiarism not only puts you at risk legally but also puts the entire website at risk.

Know and understand the difference between inspiration and plagiarism

Inspiration - Taking certain ideas from someone else's work (the general concept/theme) and writing your own story based off of it and writing it in your own words. 

Plagiarism - Copying the entire plot, words or writing of another person's work.

* Penalties for Plagiarism: 

Plagiarizing a PORTION/ PARAGRAPH:  The member will get an immediate raise in warning level by 20%, along with a three day closure of their fan fiction with a notice of plagiarism with the plagiarized content removed. Each individual offense will be considered as a separate instance.

Example:  If a member was reported to have plagiarized in two separate fan fictions in this manner, their W/L will be raised by 40% along with three day closure for both FFs with notice of plagiarism left behind.   

However, for three or more instances (i.e. 3 or more FFs) of Plagiarizing a PORTION/ PARAGRAPH, the plagiarizer will get an immediate raise in warning level by 20%, and a notice of plagiarism will be left on the respective FFs with the plagiarized content removed and each FF will be closed for 1 - 2 weeks.  Two days after the notice of plagiarism, the offender will be temporarily banned for 1 - 2 weeks (depending on the extent of plagiarism).

Plagiarizing the ENTIRE CONTENT:  The thread will be locked immediately with a notice of plagiarism and the plagiarizer will get an immediate raise in warning level by 20%, Two days after the notice of plagiarism, the offender will be temporarily banned for 1 - 2 weeks (depending on the extent of plagiarism).  Shortly after the entire FF will be trashed.  

Each individual offence of this nature will be considered as a separate instance.   

If someone continues to plagiarize despite being penalized in the above manner, their account could face a permanent ban with all their breaching FFs being trashed!  NOTE that each offence will accumulate throughout! 

Though it may seem very harsh, this is a very serious concern and everyone's effort should be credited accordingly!  It is NOT fair to present OTHER'S WORK AS YOUR OWN!

Click Link  >> IMP: Plagiarizing Facts and Laws (credit: 18shabbo)

*Adult/Mature Content & Course Language:

India-Forums is a family-friendly forum, as such, we do not allow any explicit/sexual content and/or abusive or offensive slang.

Please do not write in all CAPS. It is considered shouting/yelling on the forum and is also just not pleasant. There is no need for your post to be in all CAPS. Exceptions may include Titles or one/two words in a post to emphasize something however ensure it is not used in a negative way. 

Abusive/Derogatory Language: The use of curse words is prohibited. If story demands use of such words, you may only use the first letter of the word and the rest must be starred out [e.g. f***] Note: when in doubt if a word can or cannot be used, contact DT to confirm. If any usage of curse words (without them starred out) is found, the DT will edit out the content and issue a Warning PM to the offender. The second time will result in a Warning Level raise.

Racially Discriminatory/Offensive Language: Anything that can be/is deemed offensive or discriminatory is prohibited in Fictions (especially racially discriminatory language).you are not permitted to degrade another religion, race, ethnicity, culture, nationality or gender. You may also not throw a negative light on any sexual orientation. The rule is not limited to the mentioned concepts but applies to anything considered offensive at the DT's discretion. Note: If the storyline demands a certain belief or dialogue that violates this rule, please double-check with the Development Team. More often than not, you will be granted permission with certain conditions!

* Adult Content - What Is Permitted and What is NOT

>Underage Molestation --> NO!

Why? Because child molestation is illegal and such content breaks the law of several countries

If it's mere background information of a character and you mention it briefly through a conversation or the character describing himself/herself, that's all right. If the rape scene is described AT ALL, the content will HAVE to be edited out immediately if brought to the attention of the Dev Team. If the content is NOT edited out and the author REFUSES to, the DT will be forced to edit out the content and lock the FF thread entirely.

>Rape In General/Sexual Scenes -> NO!

You have NO reason to describe a rape scene AT ALL or a sex scene. 

The Dev Team understands that sometimes, such scenes are essential for the progress of the storyline. The DT does not want to restrict the creativity of the members but even creativity has limits for an open forum in a family-friendly site. After all, this is the Internet and you always need to be careful of what you post here. Hence, you can post such scenes BUT in an extremely subtle way. 

If the scene is described graphically with body parts described and named along with an explanation of what's going on between the characters at that moment, you'll be warned and the content will need to be removed. 

Use of dirty talk between the characters while describing such scenes is an absolute NO. Use of derogatory language is not permitted; dirty talk is out of the question. If you're unsure about what dirty talk is exactly, PM the section DT or you can check the definition in Google.

>Describing The Rape Scene In A Good Light -> NO!

Although this constantly brings me back to 'don't post graphic content' over and over again, it won't be enough if I said a thousand times anyway. If you describe rape in a good light or encourage it, you will be issued a warning immediately publicly within the FF thread.

>Kissing Scenes-> YES!

There have been a lot of questions regarding kissing scenes in stories. Our answer to those questions is, yes. You can include kissing scenes for exactly two reasons, Tellywood no longer feels ashamed to depict kissing scenes in their shows so it's alright and two, it's safe ... so you don't have to worry about your young readers.

Using The 18+/Mature Content Label -> NO!

Just don't post mature content on the forum and you won't need the warning. As is it, there is no guarantee that underage readers will stop reading upon viewing your warning; therefore, it's not effective. Do NOT post graphic/explicit content, do NOT use the warnings.

(Rules and Regulations: Continued Below)

[All of above content is reused from

FanFiction Forum Rules and Regulation.

Credit: Angel-Jot]

Writers Corner Forum Rules & Regulations
Fresh guidelines from Admin 

 "Here are some guidelines and rules for behavior that can help make an online forum safe and engaging for members":

Be respectful: Treat other members with respect and refrain from personal attacks, hate speech, or any other behavior that could be considered offensive or harmful.

Stay on topic: Keep discussions on topic and avoid derailing conversations with unrelated or off-topic posts.

Keep it civil: Avoid name-calling, bullying, or any other behavior that could be considered harassing or threatening.

No spamming or self-promotion: Do not post spam or self-promotion messages, or use the forum to advertise products or services.

Protect personal information: Do not share personal information, such as your full name, phone number, or address, on the forum.

Follow the law: Do not post any content that violates the law, including copyrighted material, trademarked material, or anything that could be considered defamatory or libellous.

Seek permission before sharing other people's content: If you want to share content created by someone else, you should ask for permission before doing so.

Be open-minded: Be open to hearing different perspectives and be willing to engage in respectful dialogue with those who may disagree with you.

Be constructive: Provide constructive feedback and suggestions, and try to contribute positively to the discussions.

Be mindful of your language: Avoid using profanity or offensive language

Here are a few modified and added Rules to the Writers Corner forum: 

India Forums remains primarily a family-friendly site, and therefore our guidelines are tailored keeping in mind the different ages and mindsets of the members.

Fiction posted on India Forums is open to all Members and while we offer creative liberty to authors, we also recognize the responsibility we & you, as authors, share for the content you post here in this Writers Corner.

While you are still welcome to post your stories on the forums you are active on, please bear in mind that forums operate on separate guidelines that are different from those in the FF section, especially in regard to posting Adult content.  

We strictly prohibit members from posting 18+ stories (X-rated) in the WC Forum. 

If your story is deemed X-rated, you must migrate it to the FF section and apply said rating.

Please note that your fiction can be reported for explicit content in any forum, and the moderators are free to close your thread without prior notice or ask you to migrate it to the FF section.

PROHIBITED CONTENT across IF:

Please note that this isn't a complete list and will be updated from time to time, depending on the user base on IF. 

The Moderators hold the right to remove any fiction or content that we deem inappropriate for the site and its users.

A) P*rnographic Content: Anything that is posted for the purpose of titillation or sexual stimulation that doesn't have a proper plot line shall be removed immediately (P*rn without plot stories or PwP stories) and warnings shall be issued to the author. If the same author continues to violate the above rule even after warnings, warning levels will be increased. 

Mods of this forum reserve the right to remove such content immediately, without any prior notice. 

B: Explicit BDSM/ Incest (see amendment 7A below)/group sex/orgy/ will not be allowed. 

C) Necrophilia/bestiality/pedophilia/child prostitution/ underage sex will not be allowed even with an X rating. (Not an exhaustive list; it will be updated)

D) Description of Rape and any form of Non-consensual Sex: India forums will not allow any descriptive scenario of rape and non-consensual sex. Mentions of rape/ non-consent & sexual harassment, and ensuing PTSD and healing thereof of the rape survivor/s will be allowed with the appropriate TWs.

E) We DO NOT allow RP (Real People) Fiction on India Forums or self-insert fiction (second-person stories where the reader or writer plays the romantic interest opposite a fictional or real character)

F) Insensitivity, / discrimination/ jokes on certain groups, and labelling could be redacted if TWs are not posted. Or the author may be asked to remove that content.

G) Suicide & Self-Harm: We will not allow fiction or a part of fiction that encourages or instructs a character on self-harm. This also applies to substance abuse or enticement into criminal activity. We will encourage fiction or a part of fiction that talks about recovery, survival or that portrays the negative consequences of self-harm.

H) Child Abuse: India Forums will not allow descriptive child abuse under any ratings. An Author can just mention it without any detailed description. 

OTHER RULES FOR READERS & WRITERS:

1) It is important to respect authors who take the time to share their creativity with us. It takes a lot of bravery to put yourself out there & open yourself up to criticism.  Please be mindful while commenting on any story; refrain from making unsolicited comments that may be hurtful, demeaning, or needlessly critical. It is possible that criticism is welcome by some writers, but others may be sensitive about their writing. If you don't like something they’ve written or have found it triggering, you can let them know politely via PM or report it.

2) We promote healthy discussion in India Forums. However, this forum  is limited to stories, so  all discussions should also pertain to the story or the main source material for the story.

3) Please keep the chatting to a minimum and avoid one- or two-word comments or comments with only emojis.

4) While most authors are open to constructive criticism, please avoid gratuitous nitpicking. If you wish to offer a detailed critique, you can ask the author if they would be open to receiving a PM from you detailing what you thought needed to be corrected. Authors have the right to ask the moderators of this forum to delete any comment that might be hurtful to their sentiments or provide a needlessly detailed and unsolicited critique of their story. Remember, negative comments or criticism unnecessarily bring flaws to light in public, which may damage an author’s potential readership and popularity of their work. 

5) If you come across any rule violations, please use the report button to report the story &/or comment. Please be as specific as you can about why you are reporting the story. It usually takes between 2-7 days to deal with reports, so we ask you to be patient.

We are not obligated to provide an explanation of action taken to the reporter in order to maintain confidentiality, so please do not PM us asking if action was taken. If there is a report, rest assured that we have seen it and are obliged to act on it within the stipulated period of time. 

6) Reporting system: You can bring forward your queries or concerns to Viewbies Viswasruti, Sutapasima or LizzieBennet. 

7) Hateful comments and Instigation: Comments that are solely meant to instigate or provoke the author and other members, spread hate, or compare the story with other works in a negative light shall be removed, & you can get a WL raise or a warning PM.

8) Sharing Personal Information: Please do not post your personal information on social media. We are not liable for any leaks or breaches that occur since this is a public forum. So please protect your data and information. If we come across any such personal details, we will redact them.

9) Discrimination: Discussion of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, age, or sexual orientation comments made by the reader that are intended to bully, threaten, or harass others is strictly prohibited.

10)  Posting other social media account links: You are not permitted to post either your own or other IDs or links from other social media sites in the forum . Self-promoting your stories on other platforms by adding the links to your signature or in a post is also not permitted. You are, however, free to share such links via PM.

Mythological Fiction  in WC Forum Guidelines 07.10.2023

Mythology refers to stories that have roots in traditional lore and/or ancient epics or ancient epics/ texts. 

Since mythology is considered a component of religion and can be a sensitive topic for most people, with the characters often being revered, we are amending the rules to set a few guidelines on permissible content for mythological stories in the  Writers Corner  forum.

Three types of Mythological fictions are recognized in the IF .

1) Those derived directly from the afore-mentioned traditional lore or texts

2) Those written based on Mythological TV shows, movies, or book retellings of 1.

3) Original stories with original characters based on mythology

The following rules will apply:

A) All Mythological fiction MUST adhere to the guidelines for the general category. No explicit content will be allowed, i.e., all R and X-rated stories will be strictly disallowed.

B) Crediting source: Since mythology can be derived from varied sources, this is not a requirement. However, if you do know the source of the story (published texts), please attribute the source in the Author's note. 

C) Types of stories that are permissible:

1) Retellings or reinterpretations that describe canonical events in your own words This can include a character's inner monologues, reimagining a canon scene from a different character's point of view, expanding on a scene or story, or providing context for a particular event in the story.

2) Canon divergence: This refers to stories that diverge from canon, and fix-it fictions where a scenario/ story is re-written with a more favorable resolution. You can write canon-alternate scenarios, however bear in mind that such stories cannot change an existing character's traits and behaviour or demean, mock, or disrespect a canonical character or paint an established character in a needlessly negative light in order to glorify another.

**Note: Only canon romantic relationships are permissible between established Mythological characters. If the relationship is not part of the popular canon, you are advised to cite the source in the Author's note.

3) Modern retellings/ AUs/ Crossovers: These are permissible again, keeping in mind not to change an existing character's traits and behavior or disparage, mock, or disrespect a canonical character. 

You must keep in mind that Modern/ Crossover AUs cannot have a Mythological character swearing, drinking, misbehaving, in sexual situations, or speaking in a slang or disrespectful manner with the justification that they belong in the modern world.

4) Original stories set in the mythological world with mythological beings Introducing OCs that interact with established mythological characters is also permissible with the caveats mentioned in 2) and 3).

You can be as specific as you like on the details in the story to alert your readers to the content so as not to expose them to any possible Triggers, while keeping your summary as spoiler-free as possible.

***NOTE: At all times, you MUST keep the sentiments of readers in mind when writing Mythological stories and not write anything that is or can be potentially offensive, hurtful, demeaning or dismissive of any religion, sacred text, rituals/practices/ culture, belief/values/ancestry, person/group . 

The Mods of this Forum reserve the right to withdraw any story that they deem to be disrespectful of any religion/ race/ identity/ ability/ age.

Excerpts from Koeli's FF Section Rules are included.