mcytblrelephant

[mcytblrelephant]

have you gotten an ask on multi-character choice prompts yet? no rush to answer if so but i want to make sure it wasn't eaten

Expect an answer very soon, mods are discussing back-end logistics of this one!

[mcytblrelephant]

is any dark content (kidnapping, stalking, violence, yandere, obsession, war, grief, death, etc) allowed as long as it’s not explicit/sexual?

Good question! We disallow all works that a pitcher or writer might think warrant an "E" rating on ao3 for any reason. From our info doc; "We understand that dark and potentially triggering topics can be very common in MCYT stories; because of this, we will not be policing certain content warnings." This means that "dark" or potentially warned-for topics as you mentioned are certainly allowed in your writing and pitches, as long as they follow DNWs and do not exceed an M rating. We do ask you make a good faith effort to use content warnings, through the appropriate spots in the forms and the tags / notes of writing.

[mcytblrelephant]

how does one sign up to be a pinch hitter? do you just choose the role on the discord or is there something else to do?

Nothing else! Choosing the role in the Discord lets us know who to ping when we need Pinch Hitters; if you see a PH offer you're interested in, you'll be given guidelines on how to claim it in the Discord! You don't need to fill out the sign-up form if you just want to Pinch Hit. Participants are welcome to be Pinch Hitters as well!

[mcytblrelephant]

i'm a little unclear on how vague we're allowed to be for the prompts, you've said not to be too Specific but. does it have to have a story built into it? could it kind of just be a concept? (eg. X characters are in X situation and just leave it up to the writers what happens from there?)

Hey, thanks for asking! We would prefer a detailed setting or a loose plot (or both!), if that makes sense! So if you're unsure where you want to go as far as story, being as detailed with the setting as possible might be a good idea! Rather than just saying "superhero AU" with your provided relatoinships, you might be able to describe which characters are heroes or villains, what their roles might be in the setting, etc! Hope this helped clarify, feel free to ask further questions here or in the discord server!

[mcytblrelephant]

Discord and Signups are open!

We are ready to roll!! The discord server is now open along with the sign-up form; the schedule has been updated in the server and will be momentarily changed on the blog. Signups will be open until Tuesday the 28th at 11:59 PM EST. Once the writing period begins, there are no adjustments to the original schedule.

Thank you all for all your patience with the White Elephant event as the mod team worked out some kinks. We are so excited to have you all, let's get the fun started! (Remember, if you fill out the sign-up form, you are signed up for the event and expected to participate as an event participant. All participants must join the discord server for communication and matching reasons!)

[mcytblrelephant]

If you make it onto more than one team during the event as a writer (like your initial claim and then your fic gets sniped so you move to another team) will you have access to both of the "team chats" you mentioned? Or just the one for the team you most recently got placed into?

Great question, sorry for the delay in answering! You will have access to all the team chats you have participated in, for sharing your work with future writers!

[mcytblrelephant]

just a thought, it would probably be a good idea to pin the main info/schedule post so it doesn't get buried under asks and other things, to make it easier for people to find

Great idea!! We've done that now!

[mcytblrelephant]

Is the discord open?

Thank you for checking in! We are working through some kinks and will keep you updated on this blog when the discord opens and / or if there are scheduling adjustments!

[mcytblrelephant]

Mods have been chosen!

If you have applied for a mod position in the MCYTBlr White Elephant exchange, please check your Discord DMs! If you have been selected for the position, you should have a DM that starts "White Elephant mod Mack message".

Please note that we had more than triple the amount of people I was allowing myself to take apply. So many qualified applicants, I would have taken everyone if I could! If you were not selected to moderate the event, we are still strongly hoping you will join us in helping the event flourish! Expect to see the server link drop and signups begin by January 13th, in a little under two weeks. Thank you!

[mcytblrelephant]

does the writer team just get their own private chat?

This is not something I have 100% set in stone yet, but as it stands right now I believe each team will have their own private channel in the discord. If you write for multiple pieces, you may be a part of multiple channels.

[mcytblrelephant]

how much of an obligation do we have to take things in the direction of where the previous authors *seem* like they’re going? Like, plot synopsis notwithstanding, are we allowed to, for example, go “actually, all of that was a dream and Milfboss would *never* do that to her friend” or “that guy you just killed? she’s actually alive!”

obviously good faith and conduct should be maintained throughout the process, but where exactly would you say that line falls ?

Good question!! This isn't something the mods are going to make a hard-line-drawn ruling on, but in the faith of good event conduct I would say plot twists and trickery are on the table as long as a good-faith effort should be maintained not to entirely undo the work of your previous writers. So something like "secret plot twist: this setting has actually been a trap!" Would be more acceptable than "secret plot twist: And all of that was just a dream the whole time and nothing anyone else did mattered!". If you are planning something really diverging, there's nothing to say you can't talk it out with your previous writers!

[mcytblrelephant]

are we allowed to specify character interpretations along discourse lines? IE, if we’re writing discduo and we want to clarify that ctommy is a point of contention for cdream because he sees him as the first crack in his perfect server where YouTube didn’t have ads yet of if we say that esmp1 Lizzie is headstrong and haughty but scared of a future where she’s alone.

That's a good question! If it's relevant to the plot and synopsis, minor characterization details may be included. (Example: "Lizzie, scared of a future where she is alone, decides to [etc etc etc]"). However, another viable solution to this might be using your DNW! Certain, non-judgemental characterization choices that might influence potential writers may be DNW'd, just like they might in another exchange. For example: "DNW: Tommy and Dream portrayed as friends": Acceptable! "DNW: Lizzie portrayed as weak and a pushover": Acceptable! "DNW: Tommy and Dream portrayed as friends because that's apologizing for abuse and totally gross": Not acceptable--this is judgemental. "DNW: Lizzie portrayed as weak and a pushover because that's not at all how she acts in canon": Not acceptable--this is judgemental. "DNW: Any Dream characterization that's not him being the all-powerful admin of a perfect server and he's protective of it and strong but doesn't want any cracks and this can make him hot-tempered and mean and he takes it out on Tommy because he's so worried". Not acceptable--this is too specific. We understand this is a fine line to walk, and this is why mods will be here to help you tailor your synopses and DNWs! We want all pitchers to be getting a piece they're satisfied with, but also to understand that you will be getting up to four authors who have up to four differing viewpoints on your piece--so if there's a character who you have very, very specific characterization opinions about and won't accept anything else, this might not be the event in which to pitch that character. Hope this answered your question; if not, feel free to send another ask or DM the blog!

[mcytblrelephant]

We have just about twelve hours left in our Moderator Application process. If you wish to be considered to moderate the White Elephant event, swing by to fill out the form! Thanks!

Moderator Applications are Open!

Hello, everybody! Second post of the day with a quick heads up; the Moderator Applications are open for the MCYTblr White Elephant Event! These apps will be open until December 30th, 2024, 11:59 PM EST. The application can be found here.

Thank you for your consideration!

[mcytblrelephant]

Hi! Question, how will the writing process go when it comes to having multiple writers? Will we all be expected to add each other in a Google document when ownership gets transferred/the baton gets passed? Or is there a different method you have in mind for that?

Good question! Team communication will probably be done through a channel in the discord server that only you and your team (and the mods) have access to. A communal Google document is one good way to share writing between writers, but it's certainly not the only way, and as long as all writers are able to see all the previous rounds' writing, it can be done whichever way everyone wants. As answered in a previous ask, writers should not be editing their former writers' work, so only viewing is needed. I hope this answered your question, and if you have further questions, feel free to dm the blog or send another ask!

[mcytblrelephant]

Hello this event seems neat! I do have some questions after reading the info doc:

Will writers be able to indicate a preference for being a stage 1/2/3/4 writer upon sign ups, or is it completely random?

If you snipe another's work, are you allowed to edit the earlier writing? Say you want a plot twist, and want to insert a hint earlier on for example. Or must the earlier writing remain untouched?

I understand there are minimums for each stage. Are there any maximums?

I think that's all I have for now, thank you!

All great questions! 1. You will not be able to indicate a preference in your sign-up. While we will be (as stated in the doc) going over signups to try and spread people in similar fandoms across the rounds, we're trying to otherwise make things as random as possible! This way, nobody gets disappointed if they don't get their preferred round. 2. This is a great question (and one I should probably add to the info doc haha). You will be able to communicate with your previous writers, but No, you will not be able to edit any writing that was done in a previous round. Things like plot twists are still welcome and accepted, and while having a piece with (up to) four different authors with four different ideas is certainly unusual, it's part of the appeal of the event, so things like sudden plot twists might be part of the fun of it for potential readers! 3. There is no writing maximum for each stage, which is a big part of the reason we have minimums. If the first writer fulfilled their 300 word minimum but then decided to write 600 words total, round 2's writer still has to write only a minimum of 500 words. Writing above your minimum, whether that's a little or a lot, is entirely the writer's choice, and there should be no expectation for writers to have to match previous rounds' wordcounts (as long as they follow their minimum). Thank you for excellent questions! If you have further inquiry, feel free to send another ask or DM the blog!

[mcytblrelephant]

would pitches include like. a plot synopsis? like. obviously we want to give writers a degree of control over the story, but to what degree are pitchers allows to plot out the um. plot.

(Example)

-start: milfboss and glup shitto live together in apartment.

-glup shitto is taken by the lightbulb demons, milfboss begins a journey to retrive them

-milfboss encounters many colorful characters along the way

-milfboss retrieves glup shitto after final confrontation that embodies themes

themes: learning to believe in oneself, growing up and confronting the future, gay longing

(Example End)

Hello! I think while initially I had more of a general pitch in mind than a full a plot synopsis (for example, "Milfboss and Glup Shitto live together in apartment, Glup Shitto is taken by the lightbulb demons, Milfboss begins a journey to retrieve them" and it stops there), something like this would still be a very acceptable pitch! Giving your writers a very general bit of an outline of your intended piece would be acceptable as long as it isn't too specific. Mods will be looking over all the pitches, so what 'too specific' means may be judged on a case-by-case basis, but that's why we have a few days baked in to go over all the pitches. I hope that answered your question, but if you have further inquiry feel free to send another ask or dm the blog!

[mcytblrelephant]

Would mods be allowed to participate in the writing/event itself?

Yes, they would; whether or not you wish to do so is a question on our mod application form! -Mod Mack