HOW TO CONTRIBOOT TO THE SCP WIKI


TALES

Ah, tales... the stories and articles about the SCP Universe. You really have complete creative freedom here. Which is also what makes them difficult to write. Since there's so much creative freedom, there's too many options to consider. For SCP articles, it's some sort of anomalous object. You are freed from the basic premise underlying the work. But here it's a totally new ballgame.

So, if it's all too much, perhaps you can start of writing for one of the [link]canons. They're like SCPs, in that they have rules and structure to work within, and you can also have much more creative freedom. If you don't like the rules of one canon, there are plenty of others to pick from. They've got handy contributors guides, and other information to inspire you.

If you don't want to write for a canon, that's fine. You can just write up a story about anything your little heart desires. Once you've got a story down, you can take it to the [linked]forums or the [linked]chat to have people look at it and give some feedback. Remember to put it on a sandbox page first, as posting full drafts in forum posts is against our rules!

Once you've run it by multiple people, or have some degree of confidence in it, you can post it to the wiki. You can either post your desired URL in the topbar and find yourself an empty page, or type the title into the handy-dandy module at the bottom of this page. Then you can announce it in the [linked]announcement forum.

Side note: On the SCP wiki, creepypasta has basically come to mean "A story that doesn't take place in the SCP Universe". It doesn't have to be creepy or spooky, just unrelated to the universe. You can also write a story not explicitly in the SCP Universe and still tag it as tale, as long as you(the author) say that's where it's supposed to be set.

SCP ARTICLES

Writing an SCP article should start with an idea. Whether you make a simple, cool, object, or something that desires to tell a deeper narrative, you'll need an idea of what you're working with first. We have resources to give inspiration, such as the [linked]Visual Records wiki or the [linked]Fragments page. If you want some help developing ideas, we have a [linked]forum dedicated to doing just that.

Now, once you have an idea, it's time to start writing! This is going to be the hard part, as the transition of idea to document is one that many fail to realize. Especially with a limited format like SCP. What's important, though, is that you use the [linked]sandbox for works in progress, and not the main wiki. Unfinished works posted to the main wiki are summarily deleted.

So, where can you get feedback for your articles? The [linked]chat and the [linked]help forums are a great place to get started. You can also PM veteran authors who make themselves available to you, as well as a staff member who wishes to give their assistance. A link to the staffers who can help can be found [linked]here.

Once you have a draft, and have run it through multiple people, find the empty page on the series you're posting in and click on the number. It'll take you to a spot where you can make your page! Once it's posted, it's a good idea to [linked]announce it. Make sure to add the name to the Series list... but only if you're sure the article will stick. If it gets deleted, clearing the name becomes a chore for somebody else.

(I'd want to add something about templates here but to be honest they're boring to write about and I'm sure that since they're so awfully crowbarred into the main guide that we'll be doing something else with them.)

VISUAL RECORDS

The Visual records pages are a source of inspiration and an artwork repository all rolled into one. If you want to contribute to either, there are some steps you need to go through first. But, before we get into that, let's assume you're here to just use an image for an SCP. Let me go over the three most frequently asked questions:

**Do I need to join the site to use it?**

No, you're free to use any of the SCP Fuel images as you see fit.

**How do I join?**

There's a big "JOIN THIS SITE" button in the sidebar. It used to be you had to ask me nicely, but I decided to cut out the middleman and just make the site open to anyone.

**Can I reserve an image?**

No, sorry. Unless it's being used in an article on the site that you wrote, we will decline any requests to remove or change an image.

So, now to the people who want to upload images. We ask that you only upload images which are compliant with our current license, creative commons. If you don't know that your image is, it probably isn't. Information about CC can be found in our [linked]License Guide. Once you have a CC image, please source it in the sidebar. If you can, keep the filename simple. Editor's Note: This is made under the assumption that the current plans for revamping the Visual records site go as planned. It may change pending new additions to that plan.

For artwork, we ask that you either be the original artist, or have their explicit permission to use their image. If you are not the artist and don't have their permission, don't upload it. Artists who wish to have their works removed are free to do so, or to ask us to do so on their behalf, at any time.

ESSAYS

Essays are a relatively new way to contribute. Until relatively recently, essays were written as guides. Essays can be written by anyone, although unless you are a site veteran, or at least have some time and articles under your belt, you simply won't have any material to write with.

Most essays fall into three categories

HUMOR

Essays intended to write about a nonfiction topic related to the Foundation in a humorous way. See the standard form for downvotes, rules of thumb, or the author stereotype articles.

WRITING

Essays intended to assist with some form of writing. These can be things like Mackenzie's Essay Series, The [EXPUNGEMENT] essay, or Understanding Memetics. All of these attempt to assist the user with the creation or development of articles, or help them use aspects of the Foundation universe correctly.

CULTURE

Articles about the culture of the SCP wiki, from an out-of-universe perspective. The Glossary of Terms and the History essays are both examples of this.

You may post links to the sandbox where you draft your essay in the appropriate forums, but be aware that essays are judged by a very high standard, so do not be surprised if you meet some negative reception at first.

COLLABORATIVE PAGES

Collaborative pages are those which allow anybody to add content to them. However, there are rules governing how these pages may be edited. Only add content based on the instructions provided on the page. If you are confused, ask for help in the discussion page. Once you have added content, it may be reverted at any time for quality purposes.

If you have edits to collaborative pages which are repeatedly reverted, please refrain from adding to them again unless you have been given explicit permission to do so from a staff member.