How can I write Sliders fanfiction?

Come up with an idea, plot it out, and start writing. Once you've written it, post it to the Sliders Fanfiction mailing list or the alt.tv.sliders creative newsgroup. But keep in mind that fanfiction is just like any other form of fiction, and good writing skills are essential. Be prepared for negative feedback, but try to take any criticism as suggestions to make your next story better.

There is plenty of material for writers on the Internet that apply equally to fanfic as well as other fiction. Use your favorite search engine (the largest being Yahoo) to find them.

Is it okay to use characters and worlds, etc. from other peoples fanfic?

Only if you have asked the original author for permission.

What worlds/ideas have already been done in Sliders fanfic?

The best way for an author to find out what's already been done is to read all the stories.

But just because a world idea has already been done doesn't mean that another story can't be written using the same concept, as long as it's an original story not based on the previous one. Originality in concepts is extremely difficult in "Sliders." Always assume that any world you can think of has been or is being developed by someone else. Focus on characters and plot instead of trying to come up with original worlds. That will always get you a stronger story.

What is not allowed in Sliders fanfiction?

Always remember that the characters and concepts of Sliders are loved by the fans. You should never do something in fanfic that violates the rules and information established by the show or casts the characters in a negative light without a good reason.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the show has a large audience of minors. Gratuitous sex, violence, and profanity are frowned upon and in some cases will get you some nasty letters. Use discretion or at least put a warning on the story to help people who aren't interested in such things avoid them.

What is a disclaimer?

One of the ways fanfiction defends itself from legal attack is that the authors must acknowledge the source of the characters and concepts that the story is based on. The author must state clearly in their story somewhere that they did not invent "Sliders," but that the characters and elements are the legal property of St. Clare Entertainment. It should also be at the beginning of every story.

All Sliders fanfiction must contain this warning, and this warning must be clear and legal. It should not be glossed over or turned into a joke, because it has to stand up in a court of law in case St. Clare Entertainment or Universal ever decided to turn their legal guns on fanfiction. And don't say that wouldn't happen, because Fox has already cracked down on unauthorized websites, which aren't even a clear violation of copyrights.

The following is an example of a good disclaimer:

Some characters and elements of this story are based on the TV show Sliders and are the property of St. Clare Entertainment and Universal, used without permission.

The following is an example of a bad disclaimer:

You know the drill folks. Blah, blah, without permission, blah, blah.
Standard disclaimers apply.

What is a spoiler warning?

Fanfic stories sometimes make references to other fanfic stories or episodes. If you haven't seen or read the material being referred to, then that information is called a "spoiler" because it has the potential of spoiling it. Authors should always remember that there are a large number of Sliders fans who have not seen the first, second, or even the third season because they've found the show late or live in countries where these seasons hasn't even aired. New writers also join the Net daily and haven't read any of the stories. Always warn the reader in advance before making a spoiler to any episode of Sliders or fanfiction story. Here are some examples of spoiler warnings you could use:

This story contains spoilers to the story "Sixteen Candles"
This story contains spoilers to the "Exodus" episode of Sliders
This story contains spoilers to the first season of Sliders

How can I get someone to proofread (or "betaread") my fanfic story?

The best way is to email an author whose work you admire and ask him or her if they're willing to betaread for you. Don't forget to give them some details like the length and time-setting for the story (eg. It's a post-Exodus story that 25 pages long).

How should I spell Wade's last name? Wells or Welles?

A majority of the press material and evidence from the TV show spells her last name W-E-L-L-S. But the following is copied verbatim from a post by Kyrie Daniels on the SLFIC mailing list:

According to creator Tracy Torme, it was always "Welles." However, in the press releases it got misspelled as Wells in the first season and since became difficult to correct in press material. Torme missed the error in the novelization, but did verify that it was definitely an error in the spelling. The press material listing the cast for "Season's Greedings" did spell the last name right and that's why TV Guide and other sources that publish cast listings got it right. It doesn't end up on the on-screen credits, true, but it is published and sent out to media sources that run things like episode synopses.

Ed Hall got the information from Torme directly and I made him verify it more times than I care to count. Why Universal/Fox don't get it consistantly correct is beyond me, but since I hate it when I see my name and my characters' names misspelled, I make it a point to use Welles out of respect for Torme's creation. :)

I would also add to that support for the "Welles" spelling, because according to the Expert's site, Torme has said that Wade's name was originally a reference to Orson Welles.

That said, whether you choose to spell it the way the TV show does or the way Tracy Torme intended is entirely up to you.

How do I get the story formatted properly for all email readers?

One way is that you might want to avoid indenting the paragraphs of your stories so that they come out properly. Use spaces between paragraphs instead.

Also always save your writing in text format before pasting them into email. Otherwise, on some email programs, the formatting gets messed up with things like black boxes instead of quotation marks. Not sure how it's done on other writing programs, but in Microsoft Word, do this...

Click on the File Menu in the top left, then select Save As. When the "Save" box comes up, click on the "Save File As Type" box and select "text only." Then close/exit the document. When it asks what format you want to save the file as, click on "text only" again. When you bring up the file again, the text will be reformatted in ASCII, which will be easily read by other email programs. You might want to read it over to make sure the formatting changes haven't messed up the document too much.

If you look around, something similar to this procedure would probably work on other word processors.

Can I have a story archived before it's finished?

No.

1) It seems like fifty percent of the time (being generous), someone announces they're going to write a great story and/or posts part one, then disappears and the story is never heard from again. This is frustrating, in the extreme, for readers and writers.

2) The other thirty percent of the time, the story is written on the fly, meaning that it's written and archived as soon as the author can write it. This usually means that the author hasn't had time to properly edit and/or format the story, so it comes out with typos or other problems that make reading difficult. Some people might not bother to read the story at all because of that.

3) Included in that thirty percent (and maybe even an additional ten percent), the writer hasn't really thought out where the story is going and is making it up as he or she goes along. This can work, but usually results in a story that's disjointed and undirected with ideas that aren't fully-developed.

4) Almost ninety percent of stories that are archived unfinished end up with delays between postings that range from several days to several months. The result is that anyone who might have been interested in the story might lose the thread or interest by the time the next part appears, besides the frustration of waiting and waiting for more of the story.

A better idea for all concerned would be to write the entire story, then ask for it to be archived. You might also want to have someone read it over before posting it, just in case.