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fishcommander · 1 year ago

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Welcome to our Fall round of Sterek Fests! Sterek Fall Fest will run from September 3rd - October 7th in celebration of Fall, whether you enjoy drinking every kind of pumpkin spice drink or visiting a pumpkin patch every year. There’s a little something for everyone!

Check out our Rules and FAQs.

We also have a Discord you can join that has events running such as @sterekbingo and @sterekweekly along with @sterekfests.

How to Participate:

Participating in Sterek Fall Fests is easy and stress-free! This is a no-commitment fest where you can participate as little or as much as you want. Participate in one week and none of the others if you so fancy, or participate in all of them! We have an AO3 Collection for you to post all of your creations in! This fest is open to both Fic and Art, so create to your heart's content!

How to post:

You can post your creations to any website that you want, as long as they are viewable to the public, whether that’s Tumblr, LiveJournal, DreamWidth, or our AO3 Collection. @sterekfests so we see your creations to reblog them. Use the tags #sterekfestsfall2023, and #sterekfests for generic tags. For weekly tags: #sterekfestssweater, #sterekfestsbaking, #sterekfestsbonfire, #sterekfestspumpkin, #sterekfestshaunted,

Late Posting:

Late posting is always welcomed! The collection will stay open for late submissions.

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an ask!

- Liam (@sterekbros) & Dori (@evanesdust)

Keep reading to see all the awesome theme weeks ahead!

September 3-9: Sweater Weather

As the leaves change to a beautiful rainbow of colors, it’s time for Stiles and Derek to break out the sweaters and savor some cozy autumn days. Do they explore harvest farms and drink seasonal cups of pumpkin spice latte? Or maybe they take a hike through the woods or visit a corn maze? The possibilities are endless as they embrace the season and all the flavors of fall.

September 10-16: Baking

It’s that time of year when cool weather brings out everyone’s love for baking! Tarts, pies, pumpkin butter, cookies, cheesecake bars, and cobblers are on the menu. Is Stiles in a baking mood with the change of the weather, getting ready for the upcoming holidays? Is Derek making his mother’s from-scratch apple pie? Maybe there’s a local bake-off for a harvest festival, where Stiles or Derek is the undefeated champion, and the other has come to challenge them to an on-the-spot bake-off. May the best baker win!

September 17-23: Bonfire

The air is crisp and autumn’s arrival is the absolute perfect time of the year to take advantage of the cool nights and starry skies and to make memories around the fire pit with friends, pack, and family. Roasting marshmallows for s'mores and getting cozy with your mate is one of the many things Sterek can enjoy this Fall around the bonfire. Are they having a pack get-together at the rebuilt Hale house where Derek is hosting a bonfire party for the pack? Or perhaps they’re at the beach building up a bonfire to fight off the salty chilly air? Wherever you take Sterek this Fall, they’ll be snuggly and warm, enjoying the starry night together.

September 24-30: Pumpkin Patch

It’s that time of the year when everyone loves to visit a pumpkin patch! It’s one of the most Fall things you can do. Are Derek and Stiles getting ready for October, which is just around the corner? Are they picking out pumpkins so they can roast the seeds and use the rest for tasty recipes? Or maybe they’re taking their family to visit the games, including hayrides at their local pumpkin patch to support local farms and their seasonal farmers market? Perhaps the pack shows up for family photo ops for Eli’s first pumpkin patch visit! The possibilities are abundant, along with those cute adorable pumpkins we can only enjoy during the Fall season.

October 1-7: Haunted House

Phantoms and demons and ghosts, oh my! With Halloween around the corner, Stiles and Derek would certainly be brave enough to visit a haunted house or two, racing each other to see who would make it out first. Or maybe they work in one, chasing screaming patrons through the attraction. Either way, their wild energy and fearlessness would make for some thrilling entertainment.

@teenwolffandomevents @thebigbangblogproject @sterekevents

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fishcommander · 1 year ago

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We have 108 prompts up for claims!

Hey everyone! We have 108 Sterek prompts up for claims if you're looking for inspiration. You do not have to sign up to claim a prompt, but prompt drops are always welcomed also.

Check out the prompts in our collections here and here! There is no time limit for claim submissions, so write to your heart's content!

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fishcommander · 1 year ago

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Reminder for prompt drops!

Hey everyone! Just a reminder that we have the collections open for prompt drops! You can drop them in either collection: Parent Collection (established 8/2022) or Sub-Collection (established 6/2023) for extra prompts.

You can also claim any of the prompts over at the fix-it event. There are still 67 prompts up for claims!

Remember, this is a Sterek blog for sterek writing prompts, therefore, all your prompts should be sterek-centric and in either of the boy's perspectives or third person. With the edition of Eli to the sterek family, his perspective is accepted for the prompt drop also.

Crossovers are welcome as long as Sterek is the focus (I love me some SPN, TVD, TWD, etc crossovers).

You are not required to claim a prompt to drop a prompt! Give us all your sterek ideas!

Make sure to @sterekwritingprompts and we can even reblog your prompt here if you're not an A03 member! We can also put your prompts in for you if one of the mods has time.

@thebigbangblogproject @sterekevents @teenwolffandomevents

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fishcommander · 2 years ago

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Mark your calendars! The next round of @sterekbigbang starts August 1st!

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fishcommander · 2 years ago

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Welcome to our Summer round of Sterek Fests! Sterek Summer Fest will run from May 28th - August 5th in celebration of Summer, whether you’re getting out for school at the end of the school year and have two months to travel, or love the heat and spending it locally with your pack, enjoying a staycation. There’s a little something for everyone!

Check out our Rules and FAQs.

We also have a Discord you can join that has events running such as @sterekbingo and @sterekweekly.

How to Participate:

Participating in Sterek Summer Fest is easy and stress-free! This is a no-commitment fest where you can participate as little or as much as you want. Participate in one week and none of the others if you so fancy, or participate in all of them!

We have an AO3 Collection for you to post all of your creations in!

This fest is open to both Fic and Art, so create to your heart's content!

How to post:

You can post your creations to any website that you want, as long as they are viewable to the public, whether that’s Tumblr, LiveJournal, DreamWidth, or our AO3 Collection.

@sterekfests so we see your creations to reblog them.

Use the tags #sterekfestssummer2023, and #sterekfests for generic tags.

For weekly tags: #sterekfestsbreak, #sterekfestscoastal, #sterekfestsstay, #sterekfestscamp, #sterekfeststent, #sterekfestslake, #sterekfestsroad, #sterekfestseuro, #sterekfestsisland, #sterekfestsBTS

Late Posting:

Late posting is always welcomed! The collection will stay open for late submissions.

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an ask!

- Liam (@sterekbros) & Dori (@evanesdust)

Keep reading to see all the awesome theme weeks ahead!

May 28-June 3: School is out for the summer!

School is out for the summer! It's time to relax, have fun, and enjoy the warm weather. Are Stiles and Derek looking forward to swimming, surfing, visiting friends, or just taking some time off? No matter what they do, it’s sure to be a summer to remember.

June 4-10: Coastal Celebration

What better way to celebrate the summer than hitting the beach? Are Stiles and Derek watching the sunset in Santorini, Greece? Swimming in the clear waters of Hawaii? Maybe they’re taking a pack trip or sailing around the world together for the summer. Take us on their coastal celebration!

June 11-17: Staycation

It’s summertime in Beacon Hills! From the bowling alley to the indoor ice rink, there are a lot of fun places to hang out and explore. Will Stiles and Derek dance the night away at one of the local clubs? Or maybe they spend their time walking through the preserve, taking in all nature has to give. Who knows! It’s up to you to decide how Stiles and Derek spend their staycation.

June 18-24: Camping Anywhere

Stiles and Derek are going on a camping trip! Are they going to a National Park? Hiding out in the preserve in a den? Sleeping in the Jeep because the rain flooded them out of their undisclosed campsite? Maybe they’re taking a pack trip during the full moon to run under the moonlight together, hunting deer while Stiles and Derek renew their mating bond. Only you can tell us where their camping adventure will take us!

June 25-July 1: Tented Elegance

It’s that time of the year when fabulous parties happen in large, elegant tents! Maybe Stiles and Derek are having a summer wedding on their property at the rebuilt Hale house, renewing their vows; or they’re having a pack get-together escaping the heat in style. Wherever they decide to spend their time, it’s under a large, elegant tent! Take us on their adventure this summer!

July 2-8: Luxe Lakeside

It’s time to hit the lake! Lydia Martin is known to throw the best parties at her lakehouse! But this one is going to last all summer. Is it pack party time? Or are Derek and Stiles alone at the lakehouse after everyone left the party? Maybe Stiles borrowed the key from Lydia and there is no party, so the mated couple is getting away and spending time alone. Or they’re taking a trip out of town to visit a lakehouse in a beautiful secluded place that is owned by Derek’s family. Only your imagination can tell us!

July 9-15: Road Trip to Anywhere

Pack your bags for a road trip to anywhere! Stiles and Derek are getting the heck out of Beacon Hills this summer. Pick a destination, whether by Camaro or Jeep and show us their journey! Are they going to a state or national park? Visiting the hot springs in Yellowstone? Hitting all the cheesy roadside attractions with no destination in mind? Only you can show us!

July 16-22: Backpacking Europe

Grab your backpack and your passports! Stiles and Derek are trekking across Europe this summer! Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Greece… there are so many beautiful places the boys can visit this summer! Take us on your fantasy trip, or give us some insight if you live or have visited European destinations!

July 23-29: Island Getaway

Stiles and Derek are heading to an island getaway! It sounds like a great time to visit Cancun for the first time. Jamaica, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Cuba, Honduras, the British Virgin Islands, Bora Bora, Fiji, Greece, Italy… There are so many places to visit, laying on a beach, catching some sun! What are Derek and Stiles doing on their island getaway? Are they on their honeymoon? Taking a pack trip? Take us away to their island getaway!

July 30-August 5: Back to School

Summer is over and it’s time to head back to school! Are Stiles and Derek the same age and in high school together? Are they attending the same university? Maybe they’re pledging the same fraternity or they’re freshman roommates away for the first time at school. Maybe they met at summer camp and have to leave since summer is over and find out they don't live that far from each other. After all, it’s a small world! Take us back to school with Stiles and Derek!

@thebigbangblogproject @teenwolffandomevents @sterekevents

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fishcommander · 2 years ago

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Sterek Reverse Bang 2023

TIMELINE

April 14, 2023 - Sign-ups open via Google form

May 30, 2023 - Art due, sign-ups close

June 2, 2023 - Art goes up for viewing

June 17, 2023 - 7 pm UTC - Claims round 1

June 18, 2023 - 7 pm UTC - Claims round 2, if necessary and until all art has been claimed.

June 26, 2023 - Check-in 1: Teams must confirm that they have made contact and are good to collaborate.

July 17, 2023 - Informal intra-team update: Writers submit an outline of 200-500 words to their artist for comment.

September 10, 2023 - Check-in 2: Teams must confirm that they are on schedule to post. Writers will receive a link to a Google form for submitting their drafts. Drafts should be 80 % done with any parts/scenes that are not yet complete outlined.

October 1, 2023 - All collaborations posted to the challenge collection on AO3.

October 6, 2023 - Moderated posting starts and runs until all collaborations have been posted.

Rules and Expectations for all Participants

Sign-ups open April 14th via Google Form. By signing up to participate you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the rules.

While the mods will send out reminders, it is your responsibility to meet the Sterek Reverse Bang deadlines. If you have a true emergency regarding the deadlines (failure to plan is not an emergency), please contact the mods.

Communicate with your partner within 48 hours of your claim being confirmed. Mandatory partner check-ins should be met. This is meant to be collaborative and fun.

Participants must be 18 years or older.

A Discord account is necessary to join.

Participants need an email address that they check on a regular basis.

Any questions, issues, or disagreements should be taken to the mods.

RULES for ARTISTS

In the regular reverse bang round the following types of art are accepted:

painting/drawing (traditional, digital, mixed)

mood boards

fanvids (min 30 sec)

original gif sets (min 6 gifs)

>> All art will be uploaded through a Google Form. Please keep in mind that Discord has a limit for file sizes. If the piece cannot be uploaded to Discord directly, it has to be hosted in a way that doesn’t reveal the identity of the artist.

>> In the spirit of anonymous claims, no watermarks, signatures etc. are permitted! If you are worried about art theft, you can add “Sterek Reverse Bang” as a watermark. Signatures may naturally be added for the final posting with the fics.

>> Artists are limited to submitting one or two pieces.

>> Art must not have been published before, been a commission, or be associated with a fic at the time of claims.

>> When you submit your art, it should be finished. You may of course keep working on it until posting.

>> You may choose to create more art for longer fics, but this is not a requirement.

RULES for WRITERS

>> Minimum word count for fics in this round of the challenge is 10k. Artists have the option to offer more art for longer fics.

>> Artists’ prompts need to be followed unless writer and artist agree to do something else.

>> Squicks and triggers have to be followed without discussion.

>> Authors may not demand or request changes to the art. Artists may offer to do this, but that is up to the discretion of the artist.

>> Fics must be in English.

>> Submitted drafts must be typed and be in a standard document form (.docx or Google Drive). iOS extensions or photos will not be accepted.

>> Writers must follow the check-in dates including sharing a 80% completed draft with the mods (check-in 2).

>> All fics must be posted in their entirety on the submission date.

>> You must tag for any of AO3’s major warnings and use appropriate tags, including the Sterek Reverse Bang tag.

>> All fics need to be beta read. If you need help finding a beta reader, you can ask on Discord. Mods for the bang will not assign beta readers.

>> Depending on the preferences of the artist, on AO3 the fic must list the artist as a co-creator, be gifted to the artist on AO3, or list the artist’s work as inspiration using the official AO3 feature for ‘inspired by’. Art should be embedded in the fic. Any additional links to the art (e.g. on Tumblr) should be added in the notes.

Like a regular Bang, a Reverse Bang is meant to be a collaboration between artist and writer. Think of your artist like a partner in your creative process and follow the sharing guidelines that we have laid out in terms of sharing outlines and drafts. Everyone has their own creative style, but do be willing to listen to the input from your artist as you write. One of the joys as a writer is having a collaborative partner to bounce ideas off of and talk through your WIP. Your artist will probably love to be part of this process.

Please be gracious about all pieces and remember to keep all discussion about the art and what you want to claim in #strb-writers-chat. Flailing and praising is permitted in #strb-general, but please refrain from mentioning any specifics. Artists are very anxious about their art getting claimed and we don’t want to add to any fears about any piece of art not receiving the attention it is due.

SUBMITTING PROMPTS

>> All art will be submitted using a Google Form. Links will be sent out via the challenge Discord server.

>> Be ready to give the following information when submitting art:

title of art: e.g. The Moon Shines High

rating of art: e.g. mature

highest rating the fic can have: e.g. explicit

any warnings (you must warn for archive warnings!): e.g. no archive warnings apply

main pairing (obviously Sterek for this bang, but e.g. if you’d be ok with a second main pairing or changing your main pairing if your art permits): e.g. Stiles/Derek

acceptable background pairings: e.g. Scott/Allison

short description of art/ prompt: e.g. A full moon in the dark sky, bathing the forest beneath it in silver light. Red eyes gleam in the darkness, watching a boy in a red hoodie huddling close to a tiny fire.

likes: e.g. fluff, hurt/comfort, BAMF!Stiles, …

dislikes: e.g. Steter, blood, hurt no comfort, rape, …

eligible for multiple claiming: yes/no

willing to make more art: yes/no/maybe

willing to make more art for longer fics: yes/no/maybe

Keep in mind that the more detailed the prompt, the fewer the people who might feel up to fill it. Also, be aware that cross-overs can be difficult as well.

CLAIMS

>> Art prompts will become available for viewing in the challenge Discord server in the channel #strb-prompts-and-teams.

>> Prompts will be numbered - this number will be needed for claims.

>> Claims will take place on the date specified in the timeline at 7 pm UTC (Universal Time Coordinated - takes care of time zones as well as winter/summer times).

>> Claims will take place in a Google form that will be posted in Discord #strb-claims as soon as claims open. Only registered writers can make a claim.

>> Claims will be assigned on a first come first serve basis.

>> All claims have to be kept confidential until claims are over. Please be respectful to artists and conscious of their feelings - nobody likes to hear that their piece is bad, unpopular, or left over.

>> Authors will submit between 3-10 choices in order of preference.

>> If there is any art left after the first round, there will be further rounds on the following days at 7 pm UTC until everything has been claimed.

POSTING

On the date specified in the timeline, all collaborations will be posted to the challenge collection on AO3.

Once moderated posting starts, it will run until all collaborations have been posted.

>> Every team posts their collaboration to the challenge collection on AO3. The collection is set up so that works cannot be seen yet by the public.

>> Once posting starts, the mods will reveal one or more collaborations, depending on the number of teams, every day until the end of the week. Once a collaboration has gone live, teams can update the posting date of their work if they wish to do so.

>> In order to ensure that the art is only publicly visible once the AO3 post has been revealed to the public, art should be hosted accordingly, i.e. invisibly to the public until the date of posting, as well. Apart from using certain photo hosting pages or personal website space, this can be done e.g. via a private Discord server or in a Tumblr or Pillowfort post set to private.

Teams will:

make a master post on Discord in #strq-gallery, using the pinned format template

add the fic with the art or a link to the art to the AO3 collection

voluntary: submit a post to the challenge tumblr at sterekreversechallenges.tumblr.com using the same format as for the master post in #strq-gallery

Teams are of course welcome to also make posts on any platform of their choice to promote their work and the bang once their work has been revealed on AO3.

DROPPING

Talk to your mods! There is usually a solution, both for the person dropping and the person remaining in the bang (e.g. finding a pinch hitter).

>> Should any participants drop before claims (Sterek Reverse Quickie, Sterek Reverse Bang) or matching (Sterek Artist Seduction Screw), no harm done, no worries.

>> Should any participants drop out after claims without a very good reason and extenuating circumstances, participants will not be allowed to take part in the next round of reverse challenges hosted by Sterek Reverse Challenges.

>> Check-ins and deadlines have to be met. Missing a check-in or a deadline without a very good reason will result in the participant being disqualified from the current challenge as well as the next round of Sterek Reverse Challenges. Failing to plan ahead, e.g. for holidays, data loss, etc., does not constitute a good reason!

>> Dropping and ghosting will receive a lifetime ban with the participant in question also being removed from the Discord Server.

>> Should a team wish to drop out by mutual consent, they may do so, but may not post their work as part of the Sterek Reverse Bang Collection.

COMMUNICATION

The STRB is meant to be a collaborative effort between artist and writer. Part of the fun of the process is working with another creative person to make something new in the Sterek fandom. With that in mind, we have a set of things you should be talking about with your partner.

Artists and writers are free to decide mutually on how much contact they wish to have and in how much detail they wish to collaborate. However, as this is a bang based on art prompts, artists and writers should collaborate on the plot, unless the artist choses differently. Minimum Requirements:

>> By Check-in 1: Talk to your artist/author partner and exchange:

Names and pronouns

Account names (AO3, Tumblr, Discord)

Best way to communicate

How much do you want to communicate/ how much interaction are you looking for?

Time zones

Are there any times/dates when you won’t be available?

Any general ideas you have

>> The Informal intra-team update: Writers submit an outline of 200-500 words to their artist for comment.

>> By Check-in 2: Fic rough drafts due. Rough drafts need to be 80 % complete of the projected final word count. Any scenes that aren’t finished need to be outlined. Writers will share their rough drafts with their artists and submit them to the mods via a Google form that will be sent out closer to that time.

Apart from sign-ups, the bang will be run via Discord, i.e. a Discord account is necessary to join.

By submitting this form you acknowledge that you have read and understood the terms and conditions and consent/agree to the challenge rules listed above.

Sign-ups for the 2023 round of the Sterek Reverse Bang will be open from April 16th to May 30th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTAhF7lLCB5T58SFz2GqHzbmnPJ0VlXz5rfO44Ycd_FtQ0GA/viewform?usp=sf_link

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fishcommander · 2 years ago

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Welcome to Sterek Bingo 2023-2024!

We are open for cards, so stop by and get yours!

Check out our Rules, No List, FAQs, and Bingo Card color options. You can also follow us on Twitter and save the A03 collection for your submissions.

We offer either 3x3 or 4x4 bingo cards. You will choose 25 prompts from our prompt list (which you can find on our signup form) and your card will be filled with randomly generated options from the prompts you have chosen.

Bingos can be completed by filling prompts diagonally, straight across, straight down, inner four corners, outer four corners, or a blackout.

Request cards here!

Submit completed bingos here!

If you have any questions, stop by our ask box and we'll get back to you ASAP!

Cards will be sent out on Sundays, so give us a week to get card requests made and sent out to you.

We're excited to see what everyone creates!

@teenwolffandomevents @thebigbangblogproject @sterekevents

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fishcommander · 2 years ago

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WIP Big Bang 2023 Round Schedule & FAQ!

Schedule

All times are by 8:59pm PST. Convert time zones.

Sign-ups Begin- April 1st Sign-ups Close- April 21st Check In #1- April 22nd Check In #2- May 15th Snippets Due- June 1st Art Claims Begin- June 17th Check In #3- June 22nd Check In #4- July 6th Rough Drafts Due- July 15th Posting Claims Begin- July 23rd Posting Claims Ends- August 1st Final Drafts/Art Due- August 7th Posting Starts- August 8th Posting Ends- October 31st (the last two weeks are reserved for emergency posting)

FAQ

What is the WIP Big Bang? Good question! This is a Big Bang with one goal in mind: to clean out your fanfic drafts folder. These are stories that were unfinished for whatever reason, that authors returned to and completed, and the art that goes with them!

Do I need a Livejournal/Dreamwidth/AO3/etc. account to participate? No! You don’t have to have an account on anything to participate, though you will need to have somewhere to post your finished work. Having one or more accounts will help for you to follow what is going on with the bang (we crosspost to Dreamwidth, Tumblr, and sometimes Twitter at the moment), but they are not required to participate. You can always leave comments anonymously or with an opensource ID.

How many fics can we sign up for? We absolutely don’t mind multiple sign-ups. I know one year someone submitted 50 fics to finish, and got at least half of them done. We just ask that when you sign up with more than one fic you give each fic a unique user ID (please do not use the same ID for all your fics...it’s important to have different IDs for the check-ins).

Will I get emails about the bang? We do send out some emails, mostly for snippets and art claims and to ensure communication between authors and artists, but please do NOT rely on getting an email to remind you of due dates. We currently do not keep an updated email list of participants, so we only send individual emails as needed rather than mass emails.

However, email is the fastest way to communicate with the mods. If you have any questions or are having trouble communicating with your artist/author, please do email us! We will do our best to respond quickly.

What do you mean by minimum word count to enter? This is a WIP Big Bang, therefore we ask you to have at least 500 words of your story drafted when you enter.

Can an outline count towards those first 500 words that are needed at sign up? We have admitted work on an outline before so yes, if your outline is fleshed out enough to cover a 7,500 word+ fic, we’ll allow it.

Are multi-chapter fics allowed? Yes, multi-chapter fics are allowed and even more so encouraged if your fic is lengthy.

What about fics that are already posted on ao3 in part? Do those qualify for the bang? It's okay if you have posted a few chapters of your fic already (you never know when the muse deserts you, after all), we just require you to refrain from posting more until posting begins here. All we ask is that you not post any public updates to the fic until August 1st (or July 1st with the mod’s okay). We don’t want you to lose kudos and comments so don’t worry about pulling the fic down, just hold off on updates for now.

Is there a minimum word count? 7,500 words for each finished fic, but the sky's the limit, right?

I see that the fic minimum is 7500 words and that published WIPs are acceptable - but what if the WIP I’m considering is already more than 7500 words? Is the expectation to add an additional 7500 to it? No. You can add as much or as little as you need to finish the story, though we do expect at least 1,000 or so new words if your WIP already meets the word count.

What happens if an author finishes the fic they signed up with but it’s less than 7,500 words? The intent was to go over the minimum but once they got into it the story was shorter than they thought and stretching it out would make it less good. Do they have to drop out at that point? By all means, we want your stories to feel as natural as possible, and if it’s under 7,500 words you may have two options:

1 - Drop the fic for the main BB event, post it now, and wait to post it to our AO3 collection in February when we run our International Fanworks Day celebration of finishing fics that are less than 7,500 words when finished. There’s no art for the fic, but bragging rights are posted to the communities for a week.

2 - If there are enough fics that fit that category, we can do a special day of posting the fics, but you’ll have to forgo art for the fic. I, as a mod, would probably pick October 31st for the posting day, as it’s the last day of posting for the bang and I don’t think anyone will mind more than one fic that day. You can post bragging rights to the community and share the fic with everyone.

Is there anything not allowed? As long as you wrote it and you want to finish it, you're welcome to participate. RPS/RPF is fine. Incest pairings are fine. Things like that I know have been hinted at in questions asked and as long as you tag for them, we’ll allow it. Also, canon settings with mostly OCs is allowed. We just ask that it be tagged properly with any content warnings you would deem fit and be given the appropriate rating for the level of sex/violence there is in the fic. As of the 2023 round, original work is also allowed; however, we recommend you bring in your own artist or forgo art for an original work.

I have a fic I wrote a few years ago, but only the first couple chapters are posted on AO3 because I was never happy with the rest of it and knew it needed major revision. Is that something I could use for WIP Big Bang? The entire fic has been posted, but only on one platform, and it would be rewritten for AO3 and WIPBB. I think revising a fic for posting would work, as long as you have at least 500 words done, will have 7,500 words at a minimum when it’s done, and are planning to add more to the fic. Simply rewriting what you have would be a gray area, but if you’re going to take stuff out and add new scenes, either in the old scenes place or on your own, you should be fine.

What's the etiquette around OC-centric stories? Ones that are set in a well known fandom and use several characters, but still lean a lot on original characters? Are they discouraged, or fine? Based on my own personal experience making art for a story that had a heavy OC presence, it’s not something we discourage at all, but be forewarned when it comes to the art accompanying your fic your artist may not be able to incorporate the OCs into your art. Not everyone makes art of a hand-drawn or digitally drawn nature, so it helps if you have people for face claims ahead of art submissions, and you and your artist communicate regularly. You can also end up with art not featuring the OCs at all, just the canon characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Your other options are to bring in an artist you trust with your vision of your OC/make your own art (we do allow that, we just need to be told during the check-in before art that you’re bringing in your own artist if you go that route, or that you’re doing your own art…there will not be a need to sign up in the artist’s sign up, however) or to opt-out of art entirely. So there’s plenty of options to call on when it comes time for art. What are 'check-ins’? These are a way for us to see what you've been up to and for you to make sure you're still on track. It will give you a little nudge/reminder if you need it, but they are not compulsory. Basically a form is posted that you fill out with your user ID (unique for each fic) and a checkbox to let us know you’re still participating, plus a section for any notes for the mods.

How are the check in IDs used? They are solely for the mods organizational purposes. Each ID being for a separate story allows us to keep all the information you submit during check-ins and for snippets in one line on our spreadsheet. You don’t have to share your check in IDs with anyone else if you don’t want to.

How much progress should authors be making between each checkpoint? (Percentage-wise from our estimated total wc, I guess?) Ideally, with each check-in, you should be at least 25% closer to finishing. The end word count only really matters in that the fic needs to be at least 7,500 words when done, so it’s more your progress towards finishing that should be measured, not so much the word count.

What are the snippets requirements? In order to allow the artists to make art for the story they claimed, we require you to supply three snippets from your fic, between 500 – 1500 words each. The snippets will be sent to the artist after they have claimed your story. They're to help the artist match your story for artwork the best way he or she possibly can. It’s helpful to choose scenes or parts of scenes that you feel best represent your fic, but don’t feel like they have to be perfect to be submitted. Along with the snippets, we will send your artist the basic fic info and your email, so the two of you can collaborate more if you would both like.

What are the rough drafts requirements? For the rough drafts, stories should be at least 80% complete. You will not have to turn them in to us, just assure us that you are at that point. Anything less is at the discretion of the mods and those authors should speak to one of the mods asap.

What is, and do I need, a beta? A beta is basically a person who goes over your work to make sure that there are no spelling/grammatical errors and they can even be of assistance in helping you with story lines, etc. It is highly recommended that a beta looks over your work before posting. If you are having trouble finding a beta, try this post.

Where can I post my fic/art? Stories and art can be posted to your own personal journal, Tumblr, ff-net, AO3, or wherever you like. For those of you with AO3 accounts, we will set up a collection that will go live on the day of the posting. If you don’t currently have an AO3 account but would like one, you can contact the mods for an invitation code to see if they have any available. You can also add yourself to the AO3 Invites Request queue.

What does posting look like? Do we have to post the whole thing on the day, or can we stretch it out between when posting starts and our date? I’ve had a few longfics get killed by big bangs forcing posting to happen on a given day, and would prefer to avoid that if possible. For most fics, posting to AO3/FF.net/other places will be allowed to start in August and you can stretch it out as many posts as you want as long as the complete fic is up by your posting date (and posting dates go from August 8th to October 16th with two weeks for emergency posting). However, you can send us an ask/e-mail about posting as early as July if you have an extremely long fic/something with a long posting schedule. Mostly what we want is the fic to be completely up on the website of your choice by your posting date, and I know some people don’t want to overwhelm their readers. So we want to work with writers to give them ample time to post the story up to their posting date.

Now, as for posting to the communities, you get to choose which day your link to the story and bragging rights are posted, and as I said, we have a range of dates from August 8th to October 16th with two to three stories posting a day. If for some reason you miss your posting date, you have until October 31st to post to the community, during the two weeks of emergency posting. So hopefully there should be plenty of time to get a longfic up and posted to the website of your choice and our BB.

Will the three snippets per story we have to send in be the ones we want the artist to make art for? Or can it just be random snippets and then later the artist and I can check together to see which scenes would work best for art? So ideally, you and the artist will be communicating once you’re each sent each other’s contact information, and you’ll give your artist a chance to read all that you’ve written at that point. That’s what happens in most cases. If your fic gets picked by an artist and they don’t work with you, then the snippets you sent will be what the artwork will be based on. It’s a good idea to know that, while most of the time the artists work closely with the authors, there are a few exceptions to that.

How do I know when to post? Posting will be tiered; you'll each get your own posting date that you and your artist will decide on together. There will probably be three fics, plus art, posting per day between August 8th and October 31st. The post with date claims will go up on July 23rd and you'll have to choose your date by August 1st.

Posting of chapters on AO3 or your own blog (or wherever you usually post) generally starts August 1st, but you can post earlier (as early as July 1st) if you let us know you have a long story. However, posting has to be finished by your chosen posting date to the comm. One of the things we're hoping to do with the posted dates is to give everybody on the comm a little bragging time in the spotlight. You know, "this story was incomplete for this long, but I finished this sucker." If you don't have time to post your bragging rights to the communities on your chosen posting date, you can queue up a post ahead of time and we can post it on the date you picked or you can email us your bragging rights and we can post by proxy for you. Either way works for us. Art will be due on the chosen posting date to the comm.

What am I posting to the Dreamwidth/Tumblr community if I’m posting the fic elsewhere? You’ll be posting what we call bragging rights. It’s a small form you fill out and post to the community with a link to your fic (we’ll enable moderated posting to the Tumblr and Dreamwidth communities for members on August 8th). We will post a template for posting artwork and stories to the comm closer to the posting date.

Is there a minimum/maximum requirement for my art? There is no strict minimum, but we do ask artists to remember that the authors are writing a minimum of 7,500 words and your artwork should reflect that. You can do anything you like, including banners, wallpapers, icons, mixes, vids, gif sets, picspams, etc. Suggested guidelines for art are 500x500px (or equivalent of smaller pieces like banner + spacers, cover + icons, etc.) for traditional art, digital art, and manips; 2 minutes for vids; 10 songs + cover art for mixes; and 6 images for gif sets and picspams. We also ask that when you are in contact with the author, you work with them to see if there is anything specific they would like (i.e. a wallpaper, book cover, etc.). The art is your work, but having ideas doesn't hurt!

What are 'art claims'? The claims are when anonymous summaries of the story go up for artists to choose from. Artists sign-ups and art claims are the same thing; we use one form for both things, and that way the authors don’t have to sign up for an event they may not end up participating in. It is based on a 'first come, first served' basis and artists may choose up to three potential stories (in case their first choice is unavailable). If there are more stories than artists, there will be a second round of claims wherein artists may choose a second story to work with, and on and on until all stories are claimed for art.

If a fic up for claiming is rated explicit (R, NC-17, etc.), please only claim the story if you are over 18 years of age. Some authors may be uncomfortable working with underage artists on explicit works. We do not verify ages in any way for the bang, so this is solely on the honor system.

What do I do if I have problems or concerns about my author/artist? Sometimes authors and artists do not get along and this may cause problems with working together. If this happens to be the case with you, please email the mods and we will try to do what we can so that everyone has a chance to have fun at WIP Big Bang!

If you have not heard from your author/artist in some time after trying to contact them, you can reach out to us via email and we will try to get in touch with them for you.

Can I get an extension? Community extensions may be given in the event that the majority of the authors/artists need one. They may also be given individually under certain circumstances, but this must be discussed with the mods and will only be a short extension for posting. If you are certain that you won’t be able to finish your story in time, please let us know by June 13th.

Can I swap out a fic if my muse abandons it again? When you sign up, you give us the information on the potential fic(s) you want to write. If, say, one fic isn’t working but one you didn’t sign up for is, you can switch them out while letting the mods know if you need to change a user ID you used. It is absolutely okay to switch fics all the way up until snippets are due. By then, we hope you’ll have however many fics you plan on doing to at least 80% completion since rough drafts are due not much later. Just drop an email to the mods at [email protected] with the new information (title, fandom, etc) and if you want a new sign in ID or plan to use the same one for the fic you’re replacing it with.

Can I drop out? We have high hopes that everybody who signs up can actually finish the round and share in the joy of the reveal with us, but real life can unfortunately get in the way and we completely understand! If you feel like you just cannot finish in time and no amount of assistance from us can help you, just let us know by July 13th (if at all possible).

Is it possible to be banned? We do have a banned users list. We hope to use this to encourage participants who are having issues to communicate with the mods. We want to help you! The way the ban works is that participants, either authors and artists, will be banned for dropping out without notifying a mod. This means that anyone who has not posted or talked to a mod by the time the posting period ends will be banned. Dropping out is not in and of itself a banning offense, so please do not panic if you have to drop out! We understand that there are many reasons you may need to drop, and we want to work with you.

Bans will last one round or until the issue is resolved, whichever comes first. To resolve a ban, authors will have to finish and post the story they signed up with and artists will have to finish and post the art for the story they claimed. Three bans will result in a permanent ban from the bang.

Are we allowed to participate without joining the Discord? Absolutely! The Discord server is optional, as just another way to interact with your fellow writers and get updates on important dates. It’s not mandatory you join, however.

I was just wondering if there’s any way to enter the bang anonymously? Like would it be okay to put our work in an anonymous collection on ao3 or something? Unfortunately, I can’t think of a way for that to work. The collection that we use is moderated but it’s not anonymous, and there are the bragging posts that you post on your posting day, which you would have your username on whichever platform you use.

I was just wondering whether I'm sworn to secrecy on which fics I'll be finishing up, or if I can shout it out to the world? No one is sworn to secrecy once they’ve signed up (aside from posting new parts to fic that’s already up somewhere…we ask that you refrain from doing that until at least July 1st)! We will be running Word Wars, where you can add more to a fic in a certain amount of time, and Whine Bars, where you can complain or ask for help or whatever else you feel like talking about when it comes to struggling with a fic, all after sign-ups end on a weekly basis, plus there’s the Discord server for chatting with your fellow authors and artists.

I have a question/concern that’s not mentioned here. If you need help, you can always contact a mod and we will do our best to make sure that you get your story/art finished. The best and fastest method of contact is through our email, [email protected].

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