RPF (Real Person Fiction) Guidelines
No Stairway considers material by any writer, whether new or previously published.
The No Stairway staff believe promoting the work of new writers is as important as showcasing the work of familiar authors. The staff will accept previously published work, and ideally every anthology volume will be a mix of old and new.
These guidelines have been crafted to assist the Editorial Reviewers in maintaining consistency in the acceptable standards for NoStairway. Not every story will meet absolutely every criterion-the freedom of fan fiction allows fan authors to continuously find new, interesting, or innovative ways to produce an effect that combines other, perhaps more traditional, elements without directly reproducing them.
A story that includes a combination of a compelling burst of narrative and some snappy on-the-mark dialogue may be entirely devoid of any kind of descriptive atmosphere, and that's okay. The pace of the language and the clear actions and reactions of the characters are what bring the readers in and keep them on the edge of their seats. It's making use of the words chosen, not the word choice, that's important and what makes the story an excellent read. Likewise, an ambitious staccato pacing, while an unusual narrative choice, may be the perfect stylistic melding of form to function in the hands of the right author.
Supernatural Real Person fanfiction (RPF) encompasses a broad range of imaginative and interesting concepts and we encourage experimentation and explorations of new themes.
Characterization
No Stairway intends to publish stories Supernatural RPF stories, both Alternate Universe (AU) and those set in the "real world." This means the people involved in the making of Supernatural must be present for a story to be considered. Alternate Universe stories (AUs) are also welcome as long as some defining aspect of Supernatural RPF remains clearly evident.
Characterizations must be consistent. They need not be completely consistent with actual life, but they have to be internally consistent. Sometimes the progress of the story changes characters just the way the progression of life changes people, and sometimes odd circumstances (as in the case of AUs) are reflected in a character's behavior. However, if people's public personas have been drastically altered in a story, the change should be well addressed in the text - after all, their public personas are the foundations of any RPF universe.
Plot
A story must stand on its own merit and accomplish the goals it lays out for itself with internal structural integrity.
A coherent storyline is key - we want to know that the story knows where it is going. Existing conflicts, internal or external, should be resolved. Where the failure of resolution is deliberate, it should be acknowledged and its purpose in the theme of the story demonstrated clearly to the reader.Any story submitted should offer solid motivations, unique insights and well-paced action. Even if it's short smutty fiction, we look for a strong set-up and follow-through that provide dynamic characters and character growth.
Command of Language
The story must contain language that catches the reader's attention. It doesn't have to be flowery or poetical; the language simply needs to be engaging, like the story's ideas. Plots are used and reused, but what can make a story unique is the author's capacity to bring a new idea to the table or to take disparate words and put them back together in a form that catches the interest and the eye.
RPF FAQ
Can I write a story featuring [actor name] as the main character?
The easiest way to answer this question is to ask if the actor ever been on Supernatural . If the answer is yes - Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sam Ferris - then absolutely, no questions asked.
If the answer is no - Chad Michael Murray, Steve Carlson - then an actor from Supernatural must be in a second lead role in order for the story to be considered. The focus of the Anthology is on Supernatural , after all, so these stories will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if they're what we're looking for.
Can I write a story featuring a crew member from Supernatural as the main character?
The answer is a conditional yes. Stories about recognizable crew (such as Eric Kripke, Sera Gamble or Kim Manners) are more likely to be given serious consideration for the anthology. However, any story featuring a crew member is eligible for submission.
Does this mean I shouldn't submit my epic fic about the camera operator ("a" camera) on episodes 2-14 and his adventures on set?
By all means, submit your story. No Stairway supports experimentation and innovative stories of all stripes. We will give due consideration to any RPF about the Supernatural set. However, it is worth noting that stories about crew with recognizable personalities or featuring familiar performers and actors are more likely to be accepted.
Submissions are currently closed.
An announcement will be made here and at our LiveJournal community nostairway.livejournal.com when they reopen. For more information, please check out our submission guidelines!