Fanfiction

I'm a fanfic writer. Sorta. I don't really write things like "ships" and crossovers, but I have been known to write/roleplay stories based on other author's works. I have never, mind you, written a fanfic that involved anyone else's characters (don't like to... I write original characters in other worlds.)

I'm going to rant a bit about fanfic writers, today. Not because I'm particularly against fanfic, (I'm not... when I am published, I won't ban it) but I do get annoyed with fanfic writers.

If you write it, this applies to you.

People have no idea what your acronyms are. If you are talking about your fandom with anyone OTHER than another fan of that fandom, don't use acronyms. H/R, R/Hm, JUGHHSTT, or whatever, has no meaning outside of that fandom. Even if the discussion is regarding fanfic, and you are speaking with other fanfic writers... don't assume that everyone knows your cutesy abbreviations. Don't assume we care to find out if we don't know. If someone starts spouting acronyms, I generally ignore them.

You're a writer. Take the time to do just that, and write it out. Acronyms are all well and good, but we as writers have gotten caught up in the tide, and have started getting lazy. It's just a couple of extra letters, people... for clarity's sake, USE them.