Library Rules, Guidelines, and Index

[Galleon]

Welcome to...
The Library

What is the purpose of this new Library section?

Actually, there are two purposes. The first is to provide a place for people to view stories that are very well-written, stories that people can go to for motivation and inspiration. The second purpose is to provide a new challenge for our writers out there, the challenge to write a story and have it accepted into this veritable 'hall of fame.'

This section shall serve as an archive for stories that we believe are of exceptional quality. However, only stories from now onward are eligible. We're not saying that those old stories aren't as good as newer ones; we're simply saying that this collection is meant to give us something to look forward to, not just back at, because the purpose of the Library isn't merely to reward authors for hard work, as stated previously, but also to help motivate authors to do that hard work in the first place. So here is an official list of rules:

Rules
1) Only stories posted from now onward are eligible. Yes, today is the cut off point. Sorry if you posted your masterpiece yesterday, but that's just how it is. This Library is foremost about providing a source of inspiration and motivation for people, not just giving out pretty awards and making people feel special. This rule, specifically, is also to make sure that everyone starts out equally, everyone with the same blank slate. So all those old stories out there are just outta luck. If you want to have an amazing story in the Library, then you'll just have to write a new one.

2) Stories here need to be downright impeccable. No two-ways about it. Quality is the only thing that matters in the Library.

3) If you think that your story may qualify for the Library, then you can submit a request in the Chat & Request thread (http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101061). Please provide a link to your story, to make it easier for the Councilors.

4) Councilors are a new division of Graders who may accept requests to read stories for the Library section. Councilors have all the abilities of Graders and may of course continue to grade stories, but they also may recommend any story for the Library by posting in the Recommendation Log thread (http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101063). Councilors will receive payment for reviewing stories, regardless of whether or not they approve the story. However, Councilors will not receive pay for recommending stories that they have already graded, because in those cases, Councilors can just use their grades as summaries, so there's no extra work involved.

5) And finally, a story may only be moved to this section if EmBreon and I both agree to it. Sorry, but no, this isn't going to be completely democratic. Councilors will be able to make recommendations, but the ultimate decision is up to the two of us. We'd like to make it quite difficult for folks to get a story to reside here, and we want to ensure that we give recognition to stories based on their quality, rather than their popularity or whatever else.

*Note: Should either EmBreon or I remain absent for an extended period of time, or have story needing a final approval for passage into the library, Phantom Kat will step in as an Alternative.

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Newly appointed Councilors may be found here (http://www.pokemonelite2000.com/forum/showthread.php?p=203128#post203128).

Furthermore, regular Graders may also make recommendations for stories that they have graded, but they will not receive pay for making these recommendations, as it does not entail anymore work on their part. However, by making consistently good recommendations or by writing consistently strong grades, regular Graders may work their way up to a promotion to Councilors, if they so desire.

Neat, eh?

[Galleon]

Genres and Emblems
These genres will be used to categorize the stories that are archived here in the Library. If a story that you’ve written gets moved to the Library, then you will be awarded the “Emblem” of the accompanying genre of your story. If your story has more than one genre, then you will receive the Emblem based on the genre that is most relevant to your story (ex. If you write an Adventure/Drama/Romance, but your story is mostly about the romance, then your story will receive the Romance Emblem).

Emblems have a bit of a special significance. While the real honor of having your story accepted is simply to have it sit here in the Library among similarly amazing stories, there are also a few consolation prizes for folks who manage to collect Emblems. You see, when a story you've written gains entry into the Library, you'll receive an Emblem, and if you manage to get another story into the Library that belongs to a different genre, then you will receive another Emblem. However, if you manage to get two stories entered that both belong to the same genre, then you'll only get one Emblem, so be careful. The challenge here is to write as many exceptional stories in as many different genres as you possibly can, and if you manage to complete these very difficult tasks, you'll be awarded a few consolation prizes, in addition to the Pokemon that your story has already captured. These prizes are:

2 Emblems -> Hard 'mon
5 Emblems -> Complex 'mon
9 Emblems -> Demanding 'mon
14 Emblems -> Merciless 'mon
20 Emblems -> Mystery Prize?!?!

Here is a list of all the genres (and thus, all the Emblems) that you may acquire, as well a short description with a bit of advice. More genres may be added as things progress. Feel free to suggest one in Library Chat & Request thread.

Action
This genre is all about the exciting and intense. Explosions, car chases, burning buildings, hand-to-hand combat, sword fights, and whatever else you can imagine. But before you go off and write all that insanity, take some time to consider why all of it is happening in the first place. And don’t settle for reason like, “cuz it rocks,” if you’re actually looking to get your story accepted, that is.

Adventure
This genre is about traveling to unusual places and doing unusual things. Oftentimes, it involves a quest of some sort, but not necessarily. The key concepts of this genre are ‘exploration’ and ‘discovery.’

Comedy
It can be hard to make people laugh, but that’s what this genre tries to do. If you wanna write for this genre, then you have to think about not just what is funny, but also, what makes a story funny. Take your time.

Crime
Mm, organized crime. This genre gives the reader a look into the souls of the unlawful, and what the reader sees is what makes or breaks these kinds of stories. Think about human nature, corruptibility, justice, things of that sort.

Cross Over
This genre is about mixing Pokémon fan-fiction with any other popular work of fiction, like any anime, for instance. Honestly, we don’t have any good advice for this section. This genre is quirky as heck. Good luck with it.

Cyberpunk
A trippy genre. Cyberpunk entails a generally futuristic, technologically-intensive world where things aren’t so ideal, hence the name (a marriage of “cybernetics” and “punk”). If you’re not too familiar with this genre, then some popular examples might be Blade Runner or The Matrix. Key concepts of this genre include ‘systems’ and ‘control,’ or lack there of.

Drama
The bread-‘n-butter genre. This is such a broad genre that it’s hard to even pin it down with words, but essentially, drama is about some sort of character conflict; it could be a conflict between friends or family or even a conflict with oneself. “Good” drama not only capitalizes on the intensity of the conflict, but also makes the reader understand why that conflict has to happen.

Fantasy
Another very broad genre. A lot of folks consider fantasy to be about swords ‘n magic, but that’s not quite right. Fantasy almost always entails some kind of magic, even if it’s only in a minor way, but swords, not so much. Swords belong to several fantasy sub-genres, like 'sword and sworcery' or 'medieval fantasy,' but they are not necessary for all fantasy tales. When you write fantasy, the most important thing is to rely foremost on your imagination and dig in for the creativity. “Good” fantasy is certainly a matter of opinion, but try to remember that fantasy without a certain degree of reality is much more distant from the reader and, more often than not, very confusing.

Fairy Tale
Stories that belong to this genre can be a bit strange. Fairy tales invoke a certain sense of “whimsy,” more often than not, and they also tend to involve “nature” as a theme. If you want something even stranger than that, then you can look into urban fairy tales and get yourself lost in the crazy myths that people come up with about everyday things. In short, fairy tales are a little kookie, but maybe a little fun, too.

Freaking Epic
What the heck is this genre? Glad you asked, because this genre isn’t like the other genres. It’s special. This genre is all about being freaking awesome. It has lotsa awesome things with lotsa awesome characters in lotsa awesome places. And we should probably tell you, that no, we’re not going to try define what “epic” means; and also, this genre is held to even higher standards than the other genres, so if you’d like a real, freaking challenge, then go ahead, put this as your main genre and try to get it entered. We dare you. We freaking dare you.

Heroic
Any story about a hero or heroine will fall under this genre, which includes superheroes, if you like. However, that doesn't just refer to some guy with a magic sword or some lady that can fly under her own power; a good story about heroism requires the author to really stop and consider what that word "heroism" truly means.

Historical
This genre pertains to any story that is based on or heavily influenced by some aspect of history. Good historical fiction paints a realistic picture and helps educate the reader about the time period in which the story takes place. It's not so much about writing a terribly compelling story (though that's always nice) as it is about providing an accurate representation of whatever your subject is, which is a rather odd concept when you compare this with other genres. So if you want to write for this genre, then be prepared to do a little research in order to get your facts straight.

Horror
This genre is just flat out supposed to scare the bajeebus out of whoever reads it. Think of the gruesome and grotesque; think what it really means to be a "monster." Gore is commonplace in the Horror genre, but not a necessity; you can scare the heck out of the reader without spilling a drop of blood. It's all about getting under the reader's skin and making them scared to read further, yet still compelled to, because maybe they're hoping for a happy ending somehow or maybe they just enjoy the rush. The intent is to shock the reader, to catch the reader off guard, to provide single moments of surprise and, preferably, terror. So focus on how you tell the story, more than the story itself; though, don't neglect the latter, either, because a ludicrous plot can ruin even a very well-told story.

Juvenile Fantasy
These are children’s stories, or at the very least, stories aimed at younger audiences. In all honesty, most of the stories on PE2K fall under this category, so to narrow it down, we’ll have this genre concern only very young children. If you wanna write for this genre, then think about what tickles the young mind.

Law
Legal fiction is another one of those genres that hangs on realism and believability more than anything else. If the reader can't envision your plot happening, then all is pretty much lost, unfortunately. This genre will likely require a bit of research, if you wanna get your facts correct, which you should, so expect to spend quite a bit of time planning these stories out ahead of time.

Mecha
Giant robots. That's pretty much it. That's all you need for your story to be a part of the Mecha genre. Particularly, the robots should walk on two legs and most likely be used as tools of warfare, though not necessarily. Most likely, readers will want to see your giant robots fighting it out, but don't let that overwhelm you or your story; exercise your creativity here and try to think about what else you can provide besides a lot of action and violence.

Mystery
A curious genre, BAHAHA. Sorry. This genre is all about the plot twists, about keeping the reader guessing. A lot of times, mystery authors will try to trick the reader into thinking one thing is true so that they can reveal the opposite to be true, and thus, provide a "shocking twist." However, such tactics are not very admirable. Don't try to string your reader along with endless misinformation; instead, keep the truth well-hidden and do your best to provide information that may seem like it supports one idea, even though it really supports another idea. It's a subtle, but important difference, not to mention difficult. Mystery plots are extremely difficult to write well, but they're essentially just puzzles. Make sure to nail down your plot in strong detail before writing very much text, and when you're whittling away at the plot, it may help to work backwards, especially if you hit a wall.

Psychological
This genre is often a bit mind-bending; it's meant to explore the human psyche, oftentimes the psyche of a specific sort of person, such as a masochist or serial killer or someone with a messianic complex. Typically, psychological stories will involve complex human emotions and thought processes, and these stories shouldn't be afraid to delve into the uglier side of humanity. Be prepared to explore your own emotions as your write and try to really imagine yourself in very different contexts.

Romance
Self-explanatory. These stories revolve around the relationships of its main characters. The trick to writing an interesting Romance is to create unique elements and conflicts that your characters must undergo. Try not to let the traditional concept of "love" overwhelm the rest of the story. Everyone looks for originality in Romance, which is difficult, because the whole genre hinges on some rather unoriginal concepts. But at the very least, Romance needs to be believable. If the reader can't accept your romance, then your story is pretty much toast. Not much to go on, but it's important to keep in mind, nonetheless.

Sci-Fi
Essentially, science fiction tries to make the impossible plausible. Not possible, but rather just believable, by way of some highly scientific explanation that we are assured is quite sound and provable within the context of the story. From the author's perspective, however, you should look to science as a means of inspiration, rather than just explanation, because there is a tremendous amount of freedom available to you. Creativity and believability are the key aspects of any sci-fi tale, and while that may not seem like much to go on, there's not much more that can be said without placing severe limitations upon yourself.

Steampunk
This is rather unique sub-genre of fantasy, and it pertains chiefly to the setting. It's quite simple, actually; in steampunk, the main technology used is steam-powered machinery. Trains, automobiles, boats, they're all powered by steam. Or at least, most of them are. And that's basically it. However, steampunk can be used in as a sort of alternate history, if the steam engine had become more widely used than the combustion engine. So these stories are a bit technologically heavy, but not in a hard-to-understand fashion, since the technology itself is somewhat primitive. Feel free to explore alternate uses for steam power, as this is another genre open to the very creative.

Supernatural
This genre is often confused with Fantasy. The main difference between the two is that Supernatural pertains more to "otherworldly" subjects, things like spirits 'n the like, while Fantasy tends to focus more on "magic." It's a rather subtle difference, to be sure, and there is some overlap, but the two genres have the potential to tell very different stories. For inspiration in this genre, look to modern myths.

Thriller
No, these aren't stories about MJ's video. BUMMER. These stories keep you on the edge of your seat. Prepare yourself for several twist and turns, shocking surprises, and unsettling themes. This is a more story-driven and milder genre than that of Horror. An example might be a story that entails a complex conspiracy theory.

Western
This is another genre that only directly affects the setting of your story. These take place in the Old American West, popularized by cowboys riding on horseback. But what constitutes a good western? Really, it depends on your characters; westerns provide you with an opportunity to create otherwise implausible characters. Consider what would make for an interesting character in a world where the law doesn't guarantee one's safety as much as it does in the society that you're probably used to.

Other: this one is a catch-all, for anything that doesn’t quite fit into the other genres.