Valkyrie Diaries writing guide for fanfiction: part 3 and 4

3. "Ing-disease": 
 
This is more to be considered a point 2a, but I think it warrants its own entry. This is a grammatical curiosity most common amongst English speakers from the Scandinavian countries, but it is getting pretty common across the globe. It stems, as far as I know, from a desire to put more action into the written words, culminating with the use of the -ing form instead of the past tense. It usually results in literary characters doing a lot of things simultaneously, usually a lot of impossible things. Use the past tense to describe what people are doing, and only use the -ing form in conjunction with the past tense, if other actions take place at the same time as the "master action" in past tense.

Example:
✔ "Officer Crabtree ran up the stairs to the door. As he reached the top he pulled out his revolver and, checking the magazine was loaded, prepared to kick the door in."

✖ "Running up the stairs to the door, Officer Crabtree checked his revolver for bullets and prepared to kick the door in."

Poor Officer Crabtree can't kick a door in if he's busy running, can he? Maybe he's a par cour master, who knows? It looks silly, nonetheless.


4. Writing for the ∫tage:
 
Script-style stories are quite popular amongst those just setting out writing and it is easy to see why: you (almost) always use the present tense and direct language. But it does have its rules. Or rather; guidelines.
Scripts often leave out descriptions of surroundings save for the barest minimum, for a quite obvious reason. That's the set designer's job, not the playwright's. However, in a fanfic (or other fiction for that matter) this barest minimum of set description can give the reader the feeling that the action is taking place in an empty white void. It can happen to novel-style fics as well, but it is most prevalent in script-styles. So, give some set description beyond, say "Helsingør castle, Denmark".
When writing dialogue, start with the speaking character's name in CAPITALS (first or surname, your choice but be consistent about it!) and then write the dialogue, without quotation marks. If they're delivering their line a very particular fashion, write that out within parentheses after the colon and before the line itself. You should, if possible, use only one word to describe how they say something.
Actions performed as the line is delivered should be similarly treated: one the same line as the dialogue, within parentheses. Whether it comes before or after or even within (!) the line of dialogue depends on the timing of the action.
Action and description independent of dialogue are written as separate paragraphs, in present tense and with no parantheses. Character's names are always capitalised in description, never in spoken dialogue.

Example from Red Dwarf, Episode 1 "The End", Scene 1:

One of the corridors of the Red Dwarf. It is rather cramped. The walls are grey. Rimmer and Lister enter the scene from right. Lister is pushing a cart full of strange gear. Rimmer walks ahead with a clipboard and pen in his hands.

LISTER (singing softly) From Ganymede to Titan, yessir I've been around...

RIMMER (stops) Lister, ever been hit in the head with a welding mallet? (turns around) No? Shut up then! (Continues walking)

LISTER (mockingly) Yessir, Mr. Rimmer, sir! (Pushes cart after RIMMER)

BOTH exit the stage to the front left.