WarrenTheConey

The way I title anything I write, is with some type of reference to the story or some part of it's content.
I like to give the reader as many hints as I can, about what my story will entail. I personally believe, that a title which is in some way faithful to the story’s content, will garner you at least, some good grace with a reader, even if, for whatever reason, they choose to avoid reading that story.
However, I don't see any reason why an accurate title, can't also include a bit of humor.
Maybe you should try 'playing around with' the two potential titles, just to see if it's possible to add whatever you feel is missing from them.
But if you absolutely can't bear to change them, take a look at both and then pick the one that 'feels' best to you in that moment; As they say, the first response is usually the correct one.

The way I title anything I write, is with some type of reference to the story or some part of it's content.
I like to give the reader as many hints as I can, about what my story will entail. I personally believe, that a title which is in some way faithful to the story’s content, will garner you at least, some good grace with a reader, even if, for whatever reason, they choose to avoid reading that story.
However, I don't see any reason why an accurate title, can't also include a bit of humor.
Maybe you should try 'playing around with' the two potential titles, just to see if it's possible to add whatever you feel is missing from them.
But if you absolutely can't bear to change them, take a look at both and then pick the one that 'feels' best to you in that moment; As they say, the first response is usually the correct one.

I just can’t seem to stop having ideas for some reason. But I’m running into a bit of a problem.

I’ve been thinking about the title for this new idea and I’m not sure which way to go. Whether I should go with a kinda funny title or a more accurate title. For context, it centres around a play on the main character’s name. One is a bodily function and the other is a physical action. If I go with the bodily function, people might expect certain things in the story. But if I go with the more accurate title, it won’t necessarily be as funny and people might be less inclined to read it.

What do you think?
 

Sending hugs your direction, titles can be the bane of authors.  (readers should feel lucky it’s not “TBD” all the way through...)
More seriously, I’d suggest simply using that “new idea title” temporarily until you figure out what you actually want to do.  I typically start with a temporary “working title” until I get a ways into the chapters, when I can refine it later.  Maybe the main character’s name, or some other central theme, or a key word/phrase.  (ie, for Jefferey, it’s the main character.  For Repair Guy, it was a spin on a common trope.)

And now all I can picture is John Malkovich penning a letter while resting the paper on Uma Thuman’s back…  

Hi, all.
… would spreading your newspaper across her shoulder-blades to read while engaging in the act be a bit too much?  Or perhaps using her breasts to prop up your smartphone but not using it for the camera?
 
Cheers!

Not knowing the characters makes it hard to know how they would react to a 'slight' of any kind.
That being said, any mention of a broken promise during a 'make up', would probably turn into an argument or fight. So that should be avoided at all costs.
Your best bet, at least I think, would be to show one fully engaged and committed to their love making, and to have the other show the slightest sign that they are not equally engaged.
It would have to be something that can easily played off as nothing, like rolling her eyes at a sweet little declaration of love, or maybe letting out a noticeable sigh when she's asked to do something physical.

The other night I was working on one of my many, (probably too many), short stories. I decided to move a folder that held the scene I was working on, and then attempted to save the document the scene was in. The document acted strangely and then I realized I had just moved the file itself, I double checked the file and found the thirteen hundred word scene I had just finished, had not been saved. Luckily, I keep scenes, completely separate, while I write, so I only lost one scene. Of course, being the surly, impatient person, I am, I decided to end my writing session for the evening. But this made think, it has to happen to other writers now and then, right?

So tell me, what's the highest word count you've ever lost, when your work wasn't saved?

The highest word count I've ever lost, was one thousand eight hundred words.
I'm sure that's not much for the more prolific among you, but it's a lot for a featherweight like me.

Well, flip the tables around and imagine it’s a fanfic with YOU as the central character.  It’d be a fictional narrative putting events/actions into your own personal history/future, yeah, that’d be disturbing.   (And if it’s derogatory/slanderous, the author opens themselves up to a lawsuit too.)
Normally I bend over backwards to NOT associate my stories with real people/buildings/etc.  So, I’ll make up town names, or at least scramble the road/street name the homes are on to avoid the Goonies House effect.  It’s a fine line, but as a viewer, I know I was irritated when a show like Dead Like Me films in Vancouver BC and tries to pass it off as Seattle… it broke the immersion because I knew it was off.

Desiderius Price "I’ve learned to never say never when it comes to writing, usually because saying “never would” becomes an inducement to do just that."
That's the absolute truth. It's because of that, I try to turn things I dislike, into challenges that broaden my imagination and world view.

I also agree that writing about real people, is something that I would probably refrain from.

However, with the rise of characters that are fictitious representations of real people, both directly and indirectly, there are even some shows, that I would rather avoid writing about, just because they toe, a palpably, unpopular grey line.
For instance, I actually enjoyed the cartoon, The Prince, (I hate myself for admitting that), and I wanted to write a fan-fic to resolve it's cliffhanger ending.
But I never wrote one, because I feel, that grey area, is essentially the same as writing about real people.
And I'm not alone in the sentiment, that writing about characters who act as fictitious representations of real people, is essentially the same, as writing about those real people.
I know that most people agree with me, since the decision to make prince George the main character of that show, was so overwhelmingly controversial, that the show's run, was ended, before the episodes were even aired.

Desiderius Price "I’ve learned to never say never when it comes to writing, usually because saying “never would” becomes an inducement to do just that."
That's the absolute truth. It's because of that, I try to turn things I dislike, into challenges that broaden my imagination and world view.

I also agree that writing about real people, is something that I would probably refrain from.

However, with the rise of characters that are fictitious representations of real people, both directly and indirectly, there are even some shows, that I would rather avoid writing about, just because they toe, a palpably, unpopular grey line.
For instance, I actually enjoyed the cartoon, The Prince, (I hate myself for admitting that), and I wanted to write a fan-fic to resolve it's cliffhanger ending.
But I never wrote one, because I feel, that grey area, is essentially the same as writing about real people.
And I'm not alone in the sentiment, that writing about characters who act as fictitious representations of real people, is essentially the same, as writing about those real people.
I know that most people agree with me, since the decision to make prince George the main character of that show, was so overwhelmingly controversial, that the show's run, was ended, before the episodes were even aired.

Desiderius Price "I’ve learned to never say never when it comes to writing, usually because saying “never would” becomes an inducement to do just that."
That's the absolute truth. It's because of that, I try to turn things I dislike, into challenges that broaden my imagination and world view.

I also agree that writing about real people, is something that I would probably refrain from.

However, with the rise of characters that are fictitious representations of real people, both directly and indirectly, there are even some shows, that I would rather avoid writing about, just because they toe, a palpably, unpopular grey line.
For instance, I actually enjoyed the cartoon, The Prince, (I hate myself for admitting that), and I wanted to write a fan-fic to resolve it's cliffhanger ending.
But I never wrote one, because I feel, that grey area, is essentially the same as writing about real people.
And I'm not alone in the sentiment, that writing about characters who act as fictitious representations of real people, is essentially the same, as writing about those real people.
I know that most people agree with me, since the decision to make prince George the main character of that show, was so overwhelmingly controversial, that the show's run, was ended, before the episodes were even aired.

Which fandoms will you NOT write or read?

Oh yes, real person fiction is a line I cannot cross either!

For me, it’s more on the practical side of where I want to be spending my time, and I prefer spending it on writing my own creations—it’s fun!  So, unless I get really motivated, I don’t expect to venture into new fandoms for writing.

I write for a very few fandoms myself, based on what interests me, but I do read outside those fandoms. There are just those few that I will not ever seek out when I have time to read for pleasure.
Of course, I also avoid certain tags, but that’s not the question here.

I’ve gotten unsolicited requests that try to push me into writing for fandoms that I know nothing about.  Guess that’s my hard stop for writing, along with the desire to finish what I’ve already started.  And TBH, if I had fallen into the potter universe today, it’s unlikely that I’d even delve into fanfiction.

I’ve learned to never say never when it comes to writing, usually because saying “never would” becomes an inducement to do just that.  That said, involving a real person based fanfic would have a certain level of ick to it, likely invite lawsuits depending on what you’re depicting, so probably best avoided. 
REFERENCING a real person, can be alright though.  JKR famously put Rupert’s first name into HBP (when Slughorn was trying to remember Harry’s friend’s name…).  I’ve had Harry visit Graceland, so the name of Elvis comes up.  Also when I wrote about my Harry getting a flood of hate mail, I put some addressed to the actor’s name with “Who’s …?”  I’ve also loosely based some characters on real people before (won’t give names).

Not knowing the characters makes it hard to know how they would react to a 'slight' of any kind.
That being said, any mention of a broken promise during a 'make up', would probably turn into an argument or fight. So that should be avoided at all costs.
Your best bet, at least I think, would be to show one fully engaged and committed to their love making, and to have the other show the slightest sign that they are not equally engaged.
It would have to be something that can easily played off as nothing, like rolling her eyes at a sweet little declaration of love, or maybe letting out a noticeable sigh when she's asked to do something physical.

Dragons lay here because some authors are pretty fragile.  So, remember to butter it up if you start tossing in negatives, keeping those to one or two.

As an author that gets almost no reviews… an “Atta boy Love this!” would be GREAT.  Mentioning points you like, wonderful.  If there’s something you don’t… butter it up on both sides with what did work/loved, sandwich in the bad, so it doesn’t come off utterly negative.

My goal of course, is to give anyone who is thinking of giving a review a simple base to start from.
I would go so far as to say, my own review can be further broken down to a very simple core.
---
Did you enjoy the story?
What was one very notable aspect of the story, that made the work enjoyable to you?
Why in your opinion, did that aspect, make the story more enjoyable?
OR
Did you dislike the story?
What was one very notable aspect of the story, that made it difficult to enjoy?
Why in your opinion, did that aspect, make the story difficult to enjoy?
How would you, personally, change that aspect, to make the story more enjoyable?
---
The above could apply to anything, characters, grammar, spelling, plot, etc.
I also want to encourage people to leave ANY type of thoughts or reviews, whether they are 'positive' or 'negative'.
As long as a thought or review is given, with logic and objectivity tempering that opinion, then that 'criticism' will always be 'constructive'.
'Constructive criticism', will always be a benefit to both readers and writers. Readers will have an idea of what to expect before reading, and writers will be advised on aspects of their writing, that may benefit from some level of improvement.
I really hope people will see this post and feel encouraged to leave a short thought or review on the next story they read.

Hi, @Desiderius Price and all.
To the all the above, I would add, “First, read the story.”  There are some readers “out there,” in multiple meanings of the phrase, who will pan a story over points that were covered in the story with crystal clarity had they only bothered to read it.
Otherwise, @WarrenTheConey’s key points are a very good start.  Keeping in mind that beta readers are scarcer than hen’s teeth, most fanfiction writers are having to figure out everything all on their own.  Any advice sincerely and honestly given will help the writer in posting a better story.
The “great story, keep posting” reviews are also nice, especially for longer stories.  While I don’t write for reviews, I also don’t turn my nose up at good reviews that only tell me that the reader is enjoying the story.
Cheers!

I have a sneaking suspicion, that people aren't leaving reviews, because they don't know what they should say in them.
It's something that I asked myself about, when I wanted to leave a review on a story I enjoyed.
I didn't want to just say 'good job', and I also wanted to avoid saying 'this is bad' or 'good', without being as objective as I could be.
So, I sat down and thought about what things a reader and writer of fan-fiction, might want to know or should know, about a fan-fic.
With this in mind, I wrote down a list of things that I may or may not put in a review, depending on whether or not I think it should be said.
This is the list that I now use, when writing a review.
---
Was this story good or bad overall? Could you recommend the story? Give at least a vague reason or example as to why, it was good or bad for you.
Do the characters have, for the most part, 'clear' and 'reasonable' motivations that drive them to do what they are doing? If motives are in doubt, can you offer improvements to the motives of their characters?
Is the story too, out of place, to be believable in the 'cannon' of that 'universe'? If it does feel out of place, can you offer an improvement, so the story doesn't feel out of line with the 'cannon' of that 'universe'?
How is the wording and spelling? Is it difficult or easy to read through? If it is difficult to read through, can you offer a suggestion as to how the writer can improve on those?
Does the story's title, description and tags, give the reader a clear idea of what the story may be about, without, spoiling the story? Can you offer advice on how to make these more clear, without, spoiling the story?
What else, if anything, do you want the readers and/or the writer to know, about this story?
---
These are of course, things that I felt would be important in a review, for both a reader and writer.
I think this would be a good template for those who are looking to give an 'objective' review, but don't know where to start.
Of course I'm always eager to hear other's thoughts and perspectives on the matter, and on the template I now use.

I have a sneaking suspicion, that people aren't leaving reviews, because they don't know what they should say in them.
It's something that I asked myself about, when I wanted to leave a review on a story I enjoyed.
I didn't want to just say 'good job', and I also wanted to avoid saying 'this is bad' or 'good', without being as objective as I could be.
So, I sat down and thought about what things a reader and writer of fan-fiction, might want to know or should know, about a fan-fic.
With this in mind, I wrote down a list of things that I may or may not put in a review, depending on whether or not I think it should be said.
This is the list that I now use, when writing a review.
---
Was this story good or bad overall? Could you recommend the story? Give at least a vague reason or example as to why, it was good or bad for you.
Do the characters have, for the most part, 'clear' and 'reasonable' motivations that drive them to do what they are doing? If motives are in doubt, can you offer improvements to the motives of their characters?
Is the story too, out of place, to be believable in the 'cannon' of that 'universe'? If it does feel out of place, can you offer an improvement, so the story doesn't feel out of line with the 'cannon' of that 'universe'?
How is the wording and spelling? Is it difficult or easy to read through? If it is difficult to read through, can you offer a suggestion as to how the writer can improve on those?
Does the story's title, description and tags, give the reader a clear idea of what the story may be about, without, spoiling the story? Can you offer advice on how to make these more clear, without, spoiling the story?
What else, if anything, do you want the readers and/or the writer to know, about this story?
---
These are of course, things that I felt would be important in a review, for both a reader and writer.
I think this would be a good template for those who are looking to give an 'objective' review, but don't know where to start.
Of course I'm always eager to hear other's thoughts and perspectives on the matter, and on the template I now use.