Ficlets

R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It

In some newer ficlets writers, I’ve noticed some confusion about how to use tags. Some people don’t even seem to use them at all. This is a pity, because tags are one of the only ways that people might be able to discover your ficlets after they vanish off the front page.

But what should you tag with? Anything. Everything. The name of your main character, the genre or genres like “fantasy” or “science fiction”, any adjectives like “funny” or “weird” that you think describe the story. Things that happen in it, like “transformation” or “burglary”. Anything else you can think of. The more tags you add, the more chances someone will have to search and find your story.

Type the tags as normal phrases. If they involve more than one word, you can put a space in; you don’t have to use an underscore or quotation marks. Separate the tags with commas.

And if you’re out of inspiration sometime, try searching on tags that interest you. You might find some long-forgotten ficlet that would be great for a sequel.

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R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Trying to Blend
Posted 3 months ago

I don’t know if you are continuing this series, but so far, this has been interesting to read and informative. Thanks.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Trying to Blend
Posted 3 months ago

woops…f ive *
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
THX 0477
Posted 3 months ago

I really like this advice. It’s been a while since I’ve had time to go searching for tags, but it can be really fun. Using character names can also be an easy way to refind your own ficlet or for someone else to refind the series later. I’ve been using the keyword ‘marshmallow’ to refind one of my earliest ficlets for quite a while whenever I need to reference it (since I reused the characters in other places).
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
BARomero
Posted 3 months ago

Tags certainly make it easier to sift through 26,000+ (and climbing) Ficlets to find the one(s) you’re looking for.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Mycroft
Posted 3 months ago

And one more thing – tags are alphabetised on the published page. Don’t tag with “science” and “fiction” and assume that it will look like “science fiction” – because it won’t!
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Blusparrow
Posted 3 months ago

I have just started using them and it is a good idea and I don’t think it ever shows up on the most active or most popular unless you use tags. I think anyway.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Flute Loop<33
Posted 3 months ago

whoops. I never use tags, I know how, I just never bothered with them. Good advise though.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Mask By The Moon
Posted 3 months ago

I don’t use tags on a semi-regular basis. Starts of series and individual ficlets that I want people to read, I use them on those.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
wytherwings
Posted 3 months ago

I always use tags, they’re just fun to type.
And I love searching for tags too, though I usually don’t have time.
Great advice. Again.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
Jenunique
Posted 3 months ago

I used to think I went overboard on tags. I have some of the strangest tags around. Even known of myself to use “back to my roots” as a tag. ;)
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #6: Tags, You're It
SKermitgorf
Posted 3 months ago

I never find stories thru tags. I read whats on the active/recent/popular list and the many ficleteers on the buddy list, and my favorites.
LoA