Spiffy!

Getting authors to OFU's by Ammar on 2025-02-01 04:17:58 UTC Reply

What is the procedure for getting badfic writers to OFU's? Do the Flowers have agents violently kidnap them? If so, is there a specific group for that? Do they use some kind of teleportation technology? Or do they just send the writer an email?

FYI, this is usually covered in the first 1-3 chapters of an OFU story. by Neshomeh on 2025-02-02 03:49:11 UTC Reply

Since it seems like you're interested in OFUs, which ones have you read so far? At least OFUM, the original, I hope? Would you like some recommendations beyond that?

~Neshomeh

I have not read any, but I am interested by Ammar on 2025-02-22 00:45:18 UTC Reply

What would you recommend?

*peeks head in* by Scarlett on 2025-02-27 02:36:26 UTC Reply

I’d have to recommend the Official Fanfiction University of Redwall by Laburnum as well, seeing as that’s how I found the PPC.
Spiffy! by Neshomeh on 2025-02-22 05:34:41 UTC Plug Reply
In case it somehow wasn't clear, read The Official Fanfiction University of Middle-earth by Camilla Sandman first. It's the original and sets the precedent for all other OFU stories there are. It has an unfinished sequel, too. (Links are to the AO3 mirrors, because it's less janky than Fanfiction.net.)

Then, my recommendations for spin-off OFUs:
1. The Hogwarts Fanfiction Academy by Meir Brin is one of if not the most successful at taking the concept and putting its own unique spin on it. There's also a crossover with OFUM's sequel and an enormous PPC crossover toward the end! It's also one of the few completed spin-offs. HFA also has an unfinished sequel, but unfortunately, FF.net has butchered the formatting so much it's hardly readable. (I'm working on an archival version.)
2. Official Buffy and Angel Fanfiction University by HonorH is, IMO, one of the best written spin-offs, and it's a real shame it was kicked off FF.net and never finished. Link is to the wiki page because it's backed up on Livejournal and there isn't a good chapter index there. Also features a strong PPC presence.
3. I would be most remiss if I didn't mention The Official Fanfiction University of Discworld by Huinesoron, my good friend. And it's Discworld! I'm of the opinion that you can't properly appreciate the PPC until you've read at least a couple Discworld books. Wiki link again because of its complex history.
4. I would also be remiss if I failed to mention The International Academy of Hetalia Fanfiction by Lily Winterwood, also my good friend. It's a rare completed OFU, and it also has a completed sequel! I confess I never read it fully because I never got into Hetalia, but even so! Wiki link again just because.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some other good stuff, and I don't know your fandoms, so be sure to look through our wiki's category for Official Fanfiction Universities. There are probably more lurking out there that we don't have pages for, too.

Happy Learning Through Pain! {= D

~Neshomeh

OFUs are separate from the PPC. by Lily Winterwood on 2025-02-01 09:00:31 UTC Reply

Typically the OFU sends a side character staff member to deliver the letter. The prospective student fills out the form and is then transported after falling asleep. In terms of the fic itself, the OFU writer puts a form in the first chapter that reviewers fill out to submit their student characters. For those who posted on FFN, this means making it clear that fic isn’t interactive—the readers have no control over what their characters do—because that violates FFN terms of service.

(Not that ff.net really even enforces this absurd rule.) (nm) by Linstar on 2025-02-01 16:30:01 UTC Reply

Oh that rule has been around for a while. by Lily Winterwood on 2025-02-02 10:19:18 UTC Reply

It was more rigorously enforced in the earlier years. It’s part of why Suedom got removed from FFN, because they said it was an “interactive” fic.

I wish the Pit would enforce the actually meaningful rules this hard... by Sergio Turbo on 2025-02-02 12:14:47 UTC Reply

Seriously, just yesterday I got a PM that turned out to be an art commission scam, and to report that I had to write a mail to support because there is no on-site report function for PMs (despite the big "unsolicited PMs will get you banned" PSA you get in your inbox).

Apparently this is also a widespread issue that's going as far back as September at least, and the only reason I had not been hit yet is likely because my account has been pretty much inactive since 2018.

I think the FFN admin team has pretty much backed off the site? by Lily Winterwood on 2025-02-02 14:32:34 UTC Reply

I remember a while back hearing that they weren't really maintaining the site as much as in its heyday. So if you got this stuff recently, chances are that that's the reason why you've got more hoops to jump through.