Writing your own FanPost

SB Nation allows you the reader and member of this Villanova Community to share your writing with other fans. A number of FanPosts have already been added to the front page of VU Hoops and we are always looking to show off the writing of our community.

So, you've made a few comments, now you're ready to do your first FanPost. Here are a few tips.

Make the topic interesting. Put some thought into what you're writing. We have a character minimum (300 I think) which means that you can't just throw out one line (unless it's really long). You'll be rewarded with a good stream of comments if you make the effort to proofread and fill it with good info.

Do not post entire articles from other sites. A link, which is always necessary to any article mention, and a snippet of the article is the max you can do. We can get in trouble for reposting entire pieces.

Always link to an article or source you mention. Like I said above. It's part etiquette and part requirement.

Entertain questions from commenters and follow on what they say. Defend your new turf with vigor but while still following our commenting guidelines.

Utilize the formatting buttons above the text box. Use paragraphs. The quotes are for highlighting text and converting to an indented blockquote. The picture frame is for images, which are always nice.

Never write a FanPost or comment in ALL CAPS or without formatting paragraphs. You may have just written a great post but if it's a huge block of text with no formatting, nobody is going to read it.

Here are a few more tips about FanPosts:

• Browse the FanPosts already written to see if you are covering a topic that's already been posted about. Do your best not to duplicate topics in the FanPosts. Unless you have a unique angle on the subject, join in the current conversation on another post.
• Try harder than "Here are 8 one liners about what I think about the team" without any thought or analysis behind them. You'll generate more conversation and it will benefit everyone. How else are we supposed to kill time at work?
• Utilize the "Rec" feature which is on every front page post, FanPost and FanShot right above the beginning of the comments. If you like what you're reading, hit the "Rec" button. Once that FanPost or FanShot goes over a certain number of recs (which we can change at any time) it moves in to the "Recommended" section. That way, the best posts don't get lost in the shuffle.
• Before you post, check over your writing for typos and other errors. With most browsers nowadays, there are add ons or built in features you can get that will put a red line under misspelled words, making it really easy to pick out typos.

What are you waiting for? Go write one now!