Welcome to the newbies! And believe me when I tell you it hurts me more to use the word than it does you to hear it. Blusparrow gave some great advice on things not to do. As the Grand Awesome Marshall of the League of Awesomeness, I shall ascend once more upon my soapbox to give some suggestions on things to do.

1. Leave lots of comments. Constructive is wonderful. Even a quick note that you read and enjoyed some aspect of a ficlet is great. And honestly, earnest, thoughtful comments are far more likely to get me to read stuff by a particular author than anything else.

2. Sequel! (or Prequel!) And I don’t mean your own stuff. Series can be great on your own, but the real magic is when people jump onto someone else’s ficlet and put their own spin. No author minds a genuine attempt at a sequel or prequel. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did.

3. Be awesome. This isn’t school. No minimum requirement. No grades. Just you doing your best to see if you can. You can. So do it, and do it well.