User:WikiBuilder1147/Sandbox2
Welcome to The Sims Wiki's Fanon Namespace! We look forward to seeing your ideas join our extensive and varied library of Sims fanon and fan fiction content. However, before you begin bringing your ideas to life, we have a few pointers you might want to take into consideration, such as some rules and guidelines. After all, The Sims Wiki is an encyclopedia about The Sims series, and while we welcome fanon content and encourage editors to be creative in contributing their content, our main mission is to preserve and develop the canon information. Because of this, we do have a few definite policies that we enforce regularly. We try to make these rules as easy to follow and understandable as possible. Our goal is to make sure that you are able to create excellent fanon content without negatively affecting other content on the wiki.
Before putting pen to paper (metaphorically speaking)
- Create an account or log in
Unless you're logged in or registered, you unfortunately are unable to create fanon content. This is because we attribute all fanon content to their respective creators, and to make this possible, each author must have a Wikia account. Should you not be registered with Wikia, click here to register a free account. Once you've registered, please make sure you log in every time you edit the wiki or within the Fanon Namespace.
- Read The Sims Wiki's policies
These are the pages detailing our regulations and rules. All are extensive, so you know exactly what to and what not to do. Remember to abide by the policies!
- Read and understand our fanon policies
We also have a few policies applying specifically to the Fanon Namespace. Many are already here, but be sure to take a look at the official policies anyway. If you have any questions, you can ask any Admin or Bureaucrat.
- Take a look at other users' fanon!
Reading other users' fanon may help inspire you for your own! We recommend taking a look at a few examples before starting to write.
Creating fanon, step by step
- Step 1 - Naming the page.
All fanon pages are located within what is called the Fanon Namespace. This means that they all have a 'Fanon:' prefix to differentiate them from mainstream, canon articles. Example: Fanon:Ecclesiarchy.
Alternatively, below is an article creation box, which you can use to create new fanon articles! Be sure to type in the name of your article after the prefix!
<createbox> width = 40 default= Fanon: preload=Template:Property/preload buttonlabel = Create fanon article </createbox>
- Step 2 - Add the {{Property}} template to your page.
This template lets everyone else know just who wrote the awesome fanon they are about to read. If you created the article through the create-box, the template will already be preloaded. If not, add {{Property|<your username here>}} to the top of the page.
- Step 3 - Write your fanon!
This is, without any doubt, the most important and fun bit in creating fanon - writing the fanon itself! Make sure you write as much as you can to make your fanon understandable and interesting. Make sure you use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalisation. Separating your fanon into sections (such as "History") if it's an 'informational' article, or chapters if it's a story, will help you organise the page and it'll also make it easier to edit, because you can edit individual sections later.
- Step 4 - Add templates to your page.
It's always useful to add templates to the page. It helps to create a more organised look to the page. Here is a rundown of templates you can add.
- Infoboxes
- Infoboxes help to create a summary of the page, and to make the page look more organized. Here is a list of infoboxes available for use. Be sure to choose one that is relevant to what your page is about (i.e. {{Sim}} for Sims, {{NeighborhoodInfobox}} for Neighborhoods, etc.).
- {{Fanon-uc}}
- Chances are, you won't be able to finish your fanon in one sitting! If you can, that's awesome, but if not, add the {{Fanon-uc}} template to the top (below the Property template) to let people know that you're still working on the page. This is to make sure administrators won't think you've abandoned the page and delete it. However, if it does end up being deleted, do not despair, as you can always ask an admin to un-delete it.
- {{Evolve}}
- If you are still writing your fanon, another useful template to use is {{Evolve}}. This lets users know that the story is ongoing and will change over time.
- {{Adult}}
- If your fanon deals with mature topics that other users may find offensive, be sure to add {{Adult}} to the top of the page.
After creating fanon
- Receive and access reviews
Make sure you listen to what users have to say about your fanon. Take into consideration any suggestions they may have.
- Make adjustments to fanon (optional)
After receiving reviews, you may want to adjust your fanon to what the users suggested. However, this is completely optional.
Removing fanon
If you no longer wish to continue a fanon, you can simply abandon it by placing {{Fanon-abandoned}} on the page. We recommend users mark fanon as abandoned as opposed to simply deleting it. However, if you wish to delete a fanon and remove it from public view, add {{speedydelete|Author request}} to the page and an administrator will delete it shortly.
Tips
- Make sure your fanon gains an audience before you create all your chapters. It can be intimidating for readers to find a fanon series with many chapters already released.
- Create a chapter release schedule to keep your audience's attention. Make sure it does not span over long periods of time, such as months, since the audience's attention would easily be lost. Similarly, make sure it does not span over very short periods of time, such as 1-2 days, since the audience would be unable to keep up with the fanon. A weekly schedule is preferred.