alt.tv.x-files.creative

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Newsgroup
Name: alt.tv.x-files.creative, ATXC
Date(s): 1994 - present
Moderator: n/a
Type: fanfiction
Fandom: The X-Files
URL: ATXC on Google Groups
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Partner to alt.tv.x-files, alt.tv.x-files.creative (ATXC) is a usenet group dedicated to X-Files fanfiction. Along with fanfic, users discussed fic, posted feedback, made story recommendations, proposed fic challenges, and made requests for forgotten stories and website announcements.

Authors posted their fic directly to the newsgroup, and it was automatically forwarded there by certain mailing lists. Depending on the author's wishes, the fic posted to this group was picked up and archived by Ephemeral and/or Gossamer.

ATXC was unmoderated, and alternated between being a fairly relaxed community interspersed with periods of extreme wank. At times, fans made the comment that they were glad they weren't as bad as the sister list, alt.tv.x-files!

Like any community, ATXC had its problems with fans using sockpuppets, unwanted MSTing of other people's fanfic, harassment regarding shipping choices, arguments involving BNFs, and heated discussions regarding concrit and reviews.

The posting of X-Files RPF, or "actorfic" as it was known then, also caused periodic stirs in the late nineties; anyone posting it to the newsgroup found their stories attacked, and as a result it was generally understood that RPF was not welcome there. Even with RPF becoming more accepted with the rise of popslash, ATXC's anti-RPF attitude hasn't changed.[1]

Some individuals also voiced concern about the amount of R and NC-17 fanfic being posted to the group. This led to the creation of alt.tv.x-files.creative.mature in 1999. Though this accommodation wasn't to stop explicit fiction from being posted to ATXC, but rather to allow people to go straight to the "smut," as it was affectionately called.

Around 2000, the majority of the fiction-related discussion in the community moved off of ATXC, and over to the Idealists Haven message boards.

From the FAQ in 1994

In November 1994, this FAQ was posted. The FAQ also contained a long list of fics and their summaries from members.

/Questions/

**What is alt.tv.x-files.creative?** a.t.x-f.creative is a newsgroup dedicated to stories, story ideas and scripts written by fans of the television show _The X Files._

**Why do we need a .creative group?** The newsgroup was created to keep _X Files_ stories and suggestions from appearing on the main alt. group and enable fans who work for Fox Television and staffers at the _X Files_ office to read posts on a.t.x-f. If stories and ideas had continued to appear on the alt. group there was a possibility that these individuals would have to quit reading the newsgroup for legal reasons.

**What can be posted to a.t.x-f.creative?** Anything! Story ideas, stories, poetry, and scripts have all been posted. Stories of an "adult" nature should be labeled as being NC-17 or "Erotica" in the subject header so that people who don't want to read that kind of story can avoid it. Comments on the stories posted are also welcome. Post binaries of original artwork at your own risk. But *please* do not post comments on the show or ask questions about the show on a.t.x-f.creative! The "regular" alt. group is the place for that.

**Is there anything special I need to know to post a story?** No, just post it as you would post a comment to a newsgroup. It's a good idea to cut up long stories into shorter hunks, as some people can't download huge documents. Please mention in the header what kind of story it is, and whether or not it's NC-17/erotica. This would be helpful to those who want to skip that kind of story. Please ask permission of other writers if you use a non-X Files character that they created, or plan on following up their story with one of your own. They may be working on their own followup! As a courtesy, please acknowledge the copyrights of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Production, and 20th Century Fox Television on the characters and situations shown on _X Files_. And please send a synopsis of your creative endeavor to the FAQ keeper ([email protected] / AOL:LauraHolt), who reserves the right to edit what you send. Please note what category your work falls under, and add your e-mail address if you can or will e-mail copies of your stories to others.

**I missed a story! How can I get a copy?** Currently, the a.t.x-f.creative newsgroup's only storage area is through the WWW site in Australia: http://rschp2.anu.edu.au:8080/XFiles.html. The X Files FTP site mtp034.mis.semi.harris.com will only be open until 11/10/94; after that it will shut down. In addition, various individuals have offered to e-mail copies of stories to other fans, and some authors are willing to e-mail their stories to you if you've missed them. Please be kind to these people and try the FTP site first; it is time consuming to e-mail stories to people daily.

**How do I know what I've missed?** This FAQ will list stories/creative efforts. If anyone would like to try their hand at uploading a weekly or biweekly list of titles that appeared on .creative, please let the FAQ keeper know. (She was going to try and do that, but just keeping up with both FAQs is about all she can handle. :-) ) [2]

Sister Lists

It is a sister list to alt.tv.x-files.analysis, alt.tv.x-files, alt.tv.x-files.x-ville, and alt.binaries.x-files.

Conflicts, Wank, and Discussion

The list had its share of heated discussions. Some examples:

In 2001 when a fan commented that there had been a lot more slash recently posted to alt.tv.x-files.creative, another fan responded: "There's really no more than there ever was. It's just that since Down In The Basement (the main slash archive) implemented the option to submit to atxc (as well as DITB) that slashers are choosing to post here more often. For a long time, slashers were actively discouraged from posting here, mostly by fellow slashers who had been burned here or knew someone who had been burned here, and that's why we didn't see so much of it. This cycle had become so entrenched that many newer slashers didn't even know what atxc was, they had become that removed from "mainstream" XF fandom." -- comment by Deslea: alt.tv.x-files.creative, November 2, 2001</ref>.

Meta

Interviews with users

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