#we used to get an email from the scheduling team email address

[thinkinpoink]

Me? Having a meltdown due to stupid changes in the work scheduling process?

More likely than you think!

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The PledgeManager has launched!

Thank you for bearing with us. We’re happy to say that, as promised, the PledgeManager has officially launched!

In case you missed it, we detailed earlier this week that the publication of the graphic novel has been pushed back from its original July 2024 estimate into Spring 2025 - you can read the full update here. We also want to take a moment to say that we have seen the outpouring of love and support on Kickstarter, and across various platforms, wishing Colleen well in her recovery and the time needed for the graphic novel - a huge thank you from all of the team for your understanding and patience, and for the genuine community and care we’ve seen these past few days. We appreciate you all.

PledgeManager

With this in mind, we think it’s important to underline: though PledgeManager has launched, you do not need to pay for your shipping fees immediately.

The PledgeManager is there for those who missed the campaign to order the graphic novel, and indeed for any backers who would like to upgrade, get some other add-ons, or the new items. You, as a pre-existing backer, should receive an email with information via Kickstarter and/or PledgeManager to inform you that this is now open to you - note, these are sent in waves of smaller batches, so if you don't get yours immediately, don't panic! It will likely take between 12-18 hours to process all the backers.

You are, of course, welcome to pay your shipping right away if you'd like, however we completely understand that you may want to wait until closer to the fulfilment time, or when more solid dates are confirmed, before actioning this.

For this stage, we have compiled a quick FAQ below covering some key questions:

Will the whole project be moving from Kickstarter to PledgeManager? No. This is just for the fulfilment side and logistics - all updates will still remain here.  

Do PledgeManager backers get everything that Kickstarter backers do? No. While the remaining tiers will be made available for those who missed it, with certain stretch goals (e.g. additions to the book, loot boxes, etc), Kickstarter backers have a number of exclusives such as the Good Omens HQ discount code for when the store launches, and the backers only events.  

My PledgeManager address will be different to what is listed on my Kickstarter. Is that fine? Yes. We are handling all logistics through PledgeManager and, as such, that is the only place where we will need your address. If you move or need to change any details, that will be the place to do so.  

Can I change my address? Yes. You can update your address until we are at the shipping stage. We will keep this option open for as long as possible to ensure maximum flexibility around this.  

How are shipping fees calculated? It is based on both weight and the country it is being sent to. We have been working over the past months to streamline processes and bring the costs down from their original starting point.  

Do I have to pay just now? You do not need to pay immediately, but payment will need to be made prior to your items being shipped. You now have a bigger window during which you can make payment. As above, we will keep updating you on the progression of the publication schedule, should you be waiting for firmer dates before doing so.  

What about taxes and import duty? UK: VAT is included in the costs UK backers pay, there should be no extra tax charges. US: We believe (but cannot guarantee) that imports under $800USD in value should not attract import duty, those pledges above may be taxed at import. EU & REST OF THE WORLD: If taxes or duties apply to your pledge, these will need to be paid at time of import into your country. We’ve spent months trying to integrate the costs at this stage, but in having the project open across the globe, it has proven too complex to be able to fully refine and cover all instances and locations, and we’ve been advised that this is the best route forward.  We know a lot of international backers, particularly in the EU – for example – will already be used to this process, and we will keep you all updated on any developments on this front. For all of our backers, we are working hard to make labelling and declaring all of the contents of your pledges as transparent as possible, in order to make taxing and importing as easy and affordable as possible.  

I want to buy the new items, but am waiting to pay shipping. Are they limited? The pins, mugs, notebooks - all the new items specifically added to the PledgeManager are not limited and will be available regardless of whether you get them now, or months down the road. The only limited items are the remaining tiers that have moved over from the Kickstarter (e.g. the Obsidian Tier) that were limited to begin with, and a very limited run of the Alien Parking ticket. Everything else is fully available, in perpetuity.  

Will you be adding extra items to the PledgeManager? No. What is there at launch is all we plan to include at this point - any new items afterwards will instead originate via the Good Omens HQ store.  

Will Kickstarter backers get items first? Yes. We will have a staggered approach for fulfilment: Kickstarter backers, then PledgeManager, then everything that is moving to the Good Omens HQ store will subsequently be made available.

You can also view the more general PledgeManager FAQ at terrypratchett.com.

We will keep PledgeManager and logistical notes present in all the monthly updates going forward, but felt this warranted a dedicated one-off. 

These are available as part of the PledgeManager. Another beauty from our pin designer, Carl Sutton.

Thanks again for your patience. Back in the April monthly update.

In short: :)

The Good Omens Pledge Manager has launched:

those who missed the Graphic Novel Kickstarter: Now you can order the Graphic novel, not all things that were in the original Kicstarter are available but there is stil a lot of options and fuckton of lovely ineffable add-ons! :)<3

those who participated inthe original GO GN Kickstarter: you should an email (Dunmanifestin needs more information to fulfill your reward) with a link that logs you (if not log manually) into the pledgemanager and lets you edit the order (add new add ons) (yep, my wallet weeps :D<3)

The addons:

I mean... how can one resist for example these I do not know... :D

[aktyzine]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ PREORDERS ARE NOW OPEN⋆⁺₊⋆

Preorders for ECLIPSE: An AkiToya Zine are now open from June 15th to July 31st!

⋆ ★ EU/UK ONLY: https://aktyeclipse.etsy.com

⋆ ★ Everywhere else worldwide: https://aktyzine.bigcartel.com/

Check out our bundles below the cut!

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ FIRST CONTACT SPECIAL⋆⁺₊⋆

In the first 48 hours, get our TOTAL ECLIPSE bundle at a special discounted price!

Make sure to catch it before it’s too late! We will have a limited amount of these special bundles.

This will last until JUNE 17TH, 11:59PM EST! 

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ TOTAL ECLIPSE - DELUXE FULL BUNDLE ($75 USD) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Includes physical zine (+ digital PDF) and ALL merch:

4 4x6” Postcards

2 Photocards

1 Photostrip

3 Die-cut Stickers

1 Sticker Sheet

2 Holo Tickets

1 Lanyard

2 PVC Fans

1 Acrylic Charm

2 Downloadable Icons

This bundle is eligible for stretch goals.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ SAROS - FLAT FULL BUNDLE ($55 USD) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Includes physical zine (+ digital PDF) and all FLAT merch:

4 4x6” Postcards

2 Photocards

1 Photostrip

3 Die-cut Stickers

1 Sticker Sheet

2 Holo Tickets

2 Downloadable Icons

This bundle is eligible for stretch goals.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ SUNSET - FLAT MERCH BUNDLE ($35 USD) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Doesn’t include physical zine or PDF of zine, just includes all of the flat merch:

4 4x6” Postcards

2 Photocards

1 Photostrip

3 Die-cut Stickers

1 Sticker Sheet

2 Holo Tickets

2 Downloadable Icons

This bundle is NOT eligible for stretch goals.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ MOONRISE - HALF BUNDLE ($40 USD) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Includes physical zine (+ digital PDF) and the following merch:

2 4x6” Postcards

2 Photocards

1 Photostrip

1 Die-cut Sticker

2 Downloadable Icons

This bundle is eligible for stretch goals.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ WAXING CRESCENT - ZINE ONLY ($25 USD) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Includes:

Physical Zine

Digital PDF Zine

2 Downloadable Icons

This is NOT eligible for stretch goals.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ NEW MOON - DIGITAL ONLY ($15 USD) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Doesn’t include anything physical, just the digital PDF and the downloadable icons!

This is NOT eligible for stretch goals.

⋆ ★ The PDF will be emailed to the address provided once shipping for all physical products begins.

ORDER NOTES ⋆ ★

All items are available for PREORDER. Manufacturing will begin in August, then shipping will begin ASAP. Digital PDFs will be sent out once the shipping period begins.

We will post updates on our social media!

Please note that all Etsy orders are ONLY For the EU/UK region. Any non-EU/UK orders through Etsy will be refunded and we will contact you regarding your order. All orders for other regions must go through our Bigcartel. 

⋆ ★ The ECLIPSE Mod Team is so excited to present the result of our hard work! Thanks for continuing to support ECLIPSE and we hope you like the zine! We couldn’t have gotten here without our lovely contributors!

Information 

⋆ ★ Retrospring: https://retrospring.net/@aktyzine

⋆ ★ Schedule: https://aktyzine.carrd.co/#schedule

Please e-mail us at aktyzine(@)gmail(.)com if you have any private questions!

[strawberries-and-summer-days]

NO WAY IN HELL ‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅

| percy jackson x popstar au

| au masterlist ☽

warnings: swearing and i think thats just about it!

a/n: i return from the actual dead guys. live has been hectic as hell recently so im staying up late so i can get the part out to you!! its like 12am when im posting this so delusion is feeding me here

lia and riley crowd around you as you recount for the millionth time what happened at the rooftop party.

they've been at you all week asking what happened - it definitely didn't help when that stupid gossip account posted about it. so now you face the downfall of trying to be a decent human being.

clearly it worked out oh so well and everything is perfectly fine.

you've been drained all week working out a few details for your upcoming shows, going to the gym every day to stay in shape for said shows, dealing with lia and riley, the pile of emails and work related things you should probably answer but haven't gotten around to yet.

honestly all you want to do is curl up into bed and sleep.

a nap would be really good right now.

instead you're stuck here with lia pestering you about the whole rooftop ordeal.

"oh my gosh, we've been over this, as i said the last time you asked - which by the way was," you check your watch. "thirty minutes ago. i said hello, we stood there awkwardly for about six minutes i asked how his day was he said decent, he asked me how my day was, i said decent, i randomly blurted out that the stars were pretty and then proceeded to complain about the party, then said i was going home. end of goddamn fucking story."

riley just laughs at your frustration and lia grins sheepishly at you.

"im sorry, please let me stay here tonight."

shaking your head you get up off the couch to start making dinner. your phone starts blaring as you do and lia picks it up and launches it across the room. "its stacey." she says as you catch it.

"hey, stacey what's up?" you ask your assistant/ agent. she does a lot of shit for you honestly, its hard to keep up with what she does.

"i just got a call from someone on percy jackson's marketing team-" you drop the onion you were holding. "and they want to schedule a meeting with you sometime this week." the silence is loud.

"why?" you croak out

"they want to discuss the rumours going around." fucking finally you hiss internally.

"okay...."

"okay you'll do it? or okay you want to tell them where to shove their discussions?" stacey asks skeptically, having worked with you long enough to know your tones.

sighing you answer her, "okay i'll do it, but i want riley and lia there with me."

"of course," stacey replies likely jotting this down.

"and for the love of god not in a public space."

you hash out some more details and hang up turning to face to very eager eavesdroppers, "what do you want us for?" lia asks.

letting out another sigh, "guess who's meeting us this week?"

☾. ⋅

percyjackson

liked by underovergrover, chris.rodriguez, lukecastellan, the.annabethchase, lia.mandel, rileywest and 923, 872 others

percyjackson i won both games btw

view all comments

underovergrover only cause you cheated!

percyjackson don't be bitter because i won

underovergrover fucker

user1 these little bits of his life only make him more hot oml

user2 i so wanna know if y/n was there

user3 no cause real??? i wanna know if us percy/n shippers have a chance

user4 im in love with him holy

user5 Y/N'S FRIENDS LIKED THE POST AGAIN AHHHHHH

user6 oml i ship them so hard i need to know if they're dating

☾. ⋅

percy was pissed.

ok that's an understatement. he was- is livid.

he had only agreed to this stupid meeting because he managers had suggested to him it might be good to clear the air. what he wasn't expecting was y/n to agree, let alone agree with a list of fucking demands.

and not only did she come with demands she shows up thirty minutes late with her friends in tow.

what. the. fuck?

once she settles in her agent leans froward and addresses percy's team as if y/n is incapable to do so.

"hello there everyone, how are you all doing today?"

percy's manager reply's out of curtesy before getting right down to business. "ok, i'd like to start by introducing myself, y/n i'm lauren i'm percy's manager and i organised this meeting because of the rumours i'm sure you've heard all about."

y/n nods. "yes i've heard of them."

"good because my team and yours have come up with a few ways to deal with the rumours." she place's a her hands on the table and leans forward when she talks. "the first and most obvious is for both of you to post an announcement that you aren't dating, but are simply friends and or acquaintances." you both nod at that. "the second option is to address the rumours via getting into another relationship - but obviously since you're both single right now its a poor decision." she takes a deep breath and flicks her eyes over to y/n's managers. "and the third and mine and stacey's most favoured one is that you.... fake date."

the silence the follows is deafening.

percy practically leaps out of his chair. "what the hell?"

"no fucking way-" y/n says at the same time.

"you've got to be kidding me," you both say at he same time you eyes shooting up to meet, stacey's and lauren's hidden smiles don't help the situation either.

"obviously if you don't feel comfortable doing that we understand," stacey says calmly.

"but if you are okay with that we can move forward with that plan... if that's what you wish for."

percy glares at y/n as she gathers her stuff and mutters "no way in hell am i doing that," before storming off.

her friends... lia? and... riley? stand up after her hastily making apologies, "we'll go.. get her, i'm so sorry about that."

stacey obviously knowing that y/n isn't coming back starts to gather all her stuff. "so sorry about all that," she looks at me and then lauren. "we'll have an answer by the end of the week."

☾. ⋅

yn.official

liked by underovergrover, lia.mandel, rileywest, lukecastellan, maisiehpeters, gracieabrams and 1, 489, 326 others

yn.official life's been good 😊

view all comments

lia.mandel im so excited to for our dinner tmr night!!

user1 mother posted!!!

user2 percy's friends liking this is my roman empire

user3 ikr i need to know if they're dating

user4 ugh seeing y/n happy make me smile

rileywest coffee with you was fun!!

underovergrover new album maybe??

yn.official maybe 🤭

user5 GROVER COMMENTED??? AND Y/N RESPONDED???? THIS IS NOT A DRILL GUYS.

user6 HOLY FUCK!!!!

☾. ⋅

you pace the room, stacey watches you with lia and riley on the couch as the phone dials.

lauren picks up on the third ring. "hello this is lauren smyth speaking."

"hi lauren, its stacey here. i was just ringing about our answer to your offer," she makes one more glance at you before focusing back on the call. "our answer is...."

TAGLIST‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅ [if you're name is white it mean i couldn't tag you]

@lauptimist, @itzmeme, @mariaaaaaahhhh, @paankhaleyaar, @maybxlle,

@lara20aral, @cxp1d, @user-3113s-blog, @pleasingregulus,

@avihashearts4lix, @inlovewithmorales, @brokecollegebitch, @user-3113s-blog, @officiallyalbino

@gloryhaddock, @kozumesphone, @moonlightwonderlan, @starxshining, @taintedrosee [if you want to be added just let me know!]

[hananoami]

FROM THE OFFICIAL GLOBAL TWITTER

Dear Hunters, It has come to the development team's notice that some illegally gained material "leaks" are spreading on multiple platforms. We are sorry for this situation. We are sorry if this illegal leak undermines the ceremonial first meeting between you and Sylus. Every love interest's first meeting with the hunter is a precious memory that cannot be repeated. For a long time in the past, planning content, promoting development, optimization and modification… We have been trying our best to prepare for this surprising "first meet." However, this incident disrupted the plan and undermined the experience for all players. Meanwhile, we also believe that the first glimpse may not be everything, because you and Sylus will have countless days of surprise that are worth looking forward to. Rather than let malicious leaks disrupt the pace, it is better to go forward bravely—debut of Sylus's Preview. The development team will continue to prepare for your formal first meeting. We sincerely hope that after he comes to your side, you two will gradually get to know each other and get along well. If the future ahead is good enough, the regret caused by this incident will be soothed. To whom behind this illegal and vicious incident, Obtaining and maliciously leaking business secrets through illegal means may give you a certain sense of accomplishment, but these acts will not escape the law. The investigation of this incident has been fully launched, and we will take all necessary rights protection measures, including but not limited to civil and criminal rights protection, according to the results of the investigation, to pursue to the end, and severely investigate the legal responsibility of the infringer. We sincerely call on Deepspace Hunters to join us in stopping the spread of this leak. The special mailbox for collecting information and clues about vicious access and leaks related to confidential content has been opened. If you encounter related behaviors or clues that are suspected of malicious leaking, stealing, and spreading undisclosed game content, you are welcome to send relevant information to the following email address: [loveanddeepspace-en@infoldgames.com], the relevant departments will follow up the first time. Thank you again for your understanding and support through all this time. I hope we can work together to maintain a healthy and harmonious community environment and protect Linkon City for every player. Love and Deepspace Global Team

A leaked schedule with tentative dates is something I can overlook, but to leak major spoilers like this is kinda disheartening since it ruins the player's first time experience. To each their own, I suppose. Anyway, I'm re-posting this announcement for posterity with the preview vod because it was publicly released through the official platforms.

[pilesofnonsense]

RQBB 2024 Writer Sign-Ups Open!

Writer Sign-Ups are now open for the Rusty Quill Big Bang 2024!

Please read through the information carefully to understand what will be expected of you as a participant.

The sign-up link is at the end of the post under the spoiler cut!

You do not need to have decided what you will be writing at this stage, but please consider whether the fic requirements are compatible with what you have in mind, and be sure that you can commit to contacting us on the below deadlines to share your progress (or withdraw your participation if necessary).

Schedule for 2024 (all deadlines at 23:00 BST / 5pm CDT):

Writer Sign-ups: May 20th - 26th

Full First Draft & Summary Due: August 18th

Artist Sign-ups: August 26th - September 1st

Art Draft Deadline: September 29th

Final Fic & Art Due: October 13th

Posting: October 16th- 27th

Confirmation e-mails for sign-ups will be sent out after sign-ups close; if you have not received a confirmation by May 30, please contact us at pilesofnonsense@gmail.com. We ask that you check your email (including the spam folder!) and reply so we can confirm that your registered email address is correct and you still intend to participate.

Participation Requirements:

You must choose whether to join the Big Bang as an artist or writer. You may not do both.

Writers will require an AO3 account; if you do not have an AO3 account, please request one via AO3’s login page.

If you wish to write M or E rated fics you must be aged over 18.

All participants must read and adhere to the Expected Conduct guidelines (see below).

Minimum Final Word Count: 20,000

Maximum Number of Fics per Writer/s: 1

Maximum Number of Writers per Fic (collaboration): 2

Fic Draft Requirements: At the draft deadline (August 18th), we will require a complete draft of at least 18,000 words. “Complete” means that the fic is written from start to finish with no indispensable scenes missing or left as outlines—think, “If I posted this right now, would I be happy with the story it tells?”

Ideally, you will refine and polish your draft in the remaining time, but it can also be your final draft if you prefer.

Drafts will be handed in via a form that will be sent out to you before the deadline. Drafts should be available in Google docs, or if need be in PDF format.

Summary Requirements: A form for the summary will be sent out to you before the deadline. Summaries should briefly outline the general premise, and include rating, ships, triggers and other warnings, and any other relevant details.

Eligible Fics:

Fics of any rating and with any warnings are permitted, as long as they meet the minimum word count (20,000), are centered around at least one Rusty Quill original podcast (The Magnus Archives, The Magnus Protocol, Rusty Quill Gaming, Stellar Firma, Inexplicables, Chapter & Multiverse, Trice Forgotten, Cry Havoc!, Neon Inkwell), and are tagged appropriately.

We encourage authors to take this opportunity to challenge themselves to take on a project that they might not otherwise—though please consider what is realistic in terms of the deadlines as well!

Fics must be stand-alone (requires no knowledge of previous fics to enjoy), complete (resolves all main plotlines within the story, as opposed to being part I of a trilogy, etc.), and previously unposted.

Crossovers are allowed, but the focus should be on the RQ podcast involved. For example: a fusion crossover with the Leverage Team replacing the LOLOMG in the RQG!verse would not be permitted, though the RQG characters in the Leverage!verse would be.

Please be aware that fics with obscure crossovers, common squicks, higher ratings, etc., may be more difficult to match, and thus take a little longer to get snapped up. We will do our best to find you a suitable match, though!

If you have any questions about the suitability of your fic, please contact the mods.

Matching Process:

The artist sign-up will include a list of the anonymised fic summaries. Each artist will select 3 fics which they would be interested in creating for, with additional preferences (favourite show/shows they do not follow, OTPs and NoTPs, Do Not Wants, etc.) indicated in the comment field. Mods will then match writers to artists, taking preferences into account as much as possible.

If fics are oversubscribed or if it is otherwise necessary for matching, they may be removed from the list of eligible fics before the end of artist sign-ups.

If you have an issue with your match, please let the mods know as soon as possible.

Do Not Wants:

In this event, you will have an opportunity to Do Not Want (DNW) the types of content that you do not wish to work on. Similarly, if you’ve had conflicts with certain people in the past and do not want to risk matching to them, you can include this in your sign-up or draft submission, and we will avoid matching you with them (details of these will not be shared beyond the mod team).

The mods will always account for DNWs within reason; however, attempts to manipulate matches via DNWs or otherwise acting in bad faith will result in the rejection of your sign-up or draft. We are also not private detectives, and will thus not be fielding any requests such as “do not match me with anyone who has ever drawn/written XYZ.” Please keep that in mind when considering whether this event is right for you.

Expected Conduct:

By signing up for this event, you agree to do your best to meet the deadlines. If you might need a little more time, please email the mods to explain your situation before the deadline passes. Those who miss deadlines without contacting the mods beforehand may be dropped from the event without further contact.

In order to participate in this event, you must be willing to contact the mods directly in the event that you have a question, concern, or issue with your participation (as in the deadline example above). We are happy to help participants with anything that arises, but cannot accept “telephone”-style communiques on behalf of others.

Be in regular contact with your match—if you’re going to be offline for a significant length of time, let them know. Radio silence from your match in events of this kind can be very concerning. (If you are having trouble getting in touch with your match, please contact us!)

Please take care to credit your artist/writer in your own final post.

Our Discord server has its own list of rules, which are listed within the server. If you decide to join the server, we require you to read and abide by those rules.

Be kind and courteous towards your match and fellow participants. This naturally means that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are prohibited, but even where those are not at play, you are expected to treat others with respect.

We, like Rusty Quill, have an “all headcanons are valid” policy. Harassment or mockery of those with different interpretations will not be tolerated. This does not mean you cannot discuss how you see the characters with others or that your artist/writer should not take it into account at their discretion, but insistence that any one interpretation must be adhered to is not allowed.

If you have concerns that a work or participant may be in violation of the rules, please bring it to the mods directly. Harassment of other participants (including but not limited to callout posts, name-calling, baiting, etc.), either publicly or in the Piles of Nonsense discord server, over their identities, fanworks, or headcanons will result in an instant default.

A full overview of the Guidelines can be found on our Challenge Guidelines page. We also have an FAQ.

The writer sign-up form can be found here.

Thanks for reading, and we look forward to working with you!  

[loquaciousquark]

Having one of those days where you can feel the dozen invisible hands behind you, keeping you upright and on your feet, and I just have to sing some praises for our admin staff semi-publicly.

We've had a fairly important VIP speaker trying to get on the schedule to meet the students. After a ton of back and forth with the venue, flight arrangements, catering order - basically everything going wrong that could - we finally land on today lunch, with the main student body in the 2nd floor classroom and any overflow in the 3rd floor classroom via Zoom.

I've already had to offload a lot of duties that would normally be mine, including a building tour, because I had practicals this morning that absolutely could not be moved. The whole time I was grading, though, I was thinking about how I needed to race out after the practical, set up the Zoom on 2, run up to the 3rd floor, start that Zoom there and join my own meeting, check the sound because it constantly picks the wrong devices, race back down, check the food order, find the battery for the lapel mic because the Monday AM lecturer always runs it dead and never puts in a new one, make sure there's a basket for the raffle tickets, and then somewhere in there actually meet this speaker I'm supposed to be introducing and apologize for the scheduling confusion and thank his organization for their support of our program.

My student's practical ends at 11:53. I have seven minutes to set this all up, so I race across the hall to find:

It's all been done. He's already in the classroom with his notes and the lapel mic, set up on Zoom with his slides ready to go. The third floor classroom is already in the Zoom call, video running with the sound tested and everything. The raffle tickets are in a basket and are being handed out as I approach. As I walk up I get an email from our alum director with the speaker's bio I'll be using to introduce him. He's got a water bottle and he's schmoozing with the students & faculty and literally all I have to do is walk in, read his bio, and sit down. They even have a lunch set aside for me.

It was just...incredible. Not only did they help me without a word of complaint, they anticipated every need and solved it before I even had to ask. I had been dreading that ten minute timespan for over a week, and I walked in to find every possible problem had already been discussed and completely addressed. It was so wonderful I very nearly started crying.

They're not direct reports to me, so I can't influence their annual reviews or anything, but I'll be writing thank-you notes to each of them and will send an email to their manager. Good admin support can be so hard to find, and this was another reminder of how preciously golden our current team is.

[strangerthingsreversebigbang]

CODE RED!! CALLING ALL ARTISTS!!!

We’ve got fantastic news!! We’ve had such an overwhelming response from our authors, that the mods have decided to bump up our submission limit to FOUR PIECES! 

In this event, a submission piece is a single slide. This could mean it is one single piece of artwork OR a group of artworks that go together for a single story idea. Examples of multi-piece submissions could be the following: two portraits of characters (maybe an Upside Down version and a Right Side Up version), panels for a single comic story scene, or multiple pieces of art that coincide for one story like stills from the potential story/what you see in media.

You are absolutely not required to submit more than one submission!! It’s there if you’d like, but please be aware that for every submission, you will have an author who will need contact. Do not submit multiple pieces if you cannot commit to it. You know your limits better than anyone, look at the schedule, and keep in mind that every team is different and the author who claims your piece may need and/or want frequent contact. This is not simply creating a piece of art and giving it to the artist, but a collaboration which requires communication and working together. 

The timeline for the event is also not changing. Submissions are not due until November 3rd, and claims are November 17th. You have until November 3rd to get your submission(s) to at least 50% to continue in the event! 

All of the rules still apply on what’s acceptable and what our submission expectations are. They are: 

You must keep your work private.  One month before posting, you may start posting drafts to tease the work, but no complete works until posting day.

Art must be new, but can be in any medium you wish as long as it can be recorded and emailed.  

Accepted mediums include, but are not limited to:

Traditional/Digital art 

Manipulations 

Audio

Playlists/Fanmixes (with a cover and a minimum of 15 songs), 

Mood Boards

Textile Crafts (knitting, crocheting, quilting, needlepoint, felting, etc., as long as the work can be photographed in one image)

Recipes

Covers/Banners

Photosets

If you have an idea for a piece that is not on this list, please send us an ask on tumblr or email us at strangerthingsreversebigbang@gmail.com

Art must be at least 50% complete by claims

This means that the subject of the art has to be discernible independent of the written prompt 

50% looks different for every artist, but you need to have enough done that the authors can see where you’re going. 

Example: line work and color blocking done but extra details or shading/highlights.

Pinch hitters are available in case your author drops out at any given point. *We will do our best to pair you with a pinch hitter, however, if no one picks it up you are welcome to submit it for another phase or post independently*

Please contact us if you have any questions that aren’t addressed here at strangerthingsreversebigbang@gmail.com 

Thanks for joining us on this adventure and keep it up with all of your incredible artwork!!

And don't worry, sign ups are STILL OPEN for artists until OCTOBER 3RD!! There's still time to join us!

Schedule | Sign Up | Info | FAQ | Rules | Ask the Mods

[culinarycrucible]

Production Update!

Hi everyone! Head mod Ari here with an update on where we’re at: To start, we will be pushing our shipping period to (ideally) the month of August. 

We apologize for the delay, but a number of factors have contributed to this decision- and I feel more comfortable giving my team the time they need to work than pushing them to rush out a subpar product. 

We recently parted ways with one of our mods, and the remaining three of us have been pushing to cover the extra workload. This, along with the obligations we have offline, has put us a little behind schedule in the layout department, but I assure you that progress is being made to make this a GORGEOUS cookbook.

All of our merch (sans aprons) have arrived and are accounted for. The aprons have unfortunately had to travel from overseas by freight, so it’s taken a little while to get to us! They should be here within the week- which will put us that much closer to shipment! 

I understand the frustration that must come along with hearing our shipment period has been delayed, but we thank you so SO much for your understanding and patience. We’re three people right now working hard to get your items ready for their new homes. We’ll be sending a reminder email out to those of you who ordered from us before we begin shipping- so anyone who needs to update their address can do so. 

 As always, thank you for your support and understanding! - The Culinary Crucible mod team

[floorcoveringslocal]

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[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Jyoti Madhusoodanan

Published: Nov 15, 2018

Racial bias can put people of color at a disadvantage when interviewing for a job, buying a house, or interacting with the police. New research suggests that bias may also shape daily interactions between racial minorities and white people, even those whites who tend to be less biased.

According to new research by Cydney Dupree, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Yale SOM, white liberals tend to downplay their own verbal competence in exchanges with racial minorities, compared to how other white Americans act in such exchanges. The study is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

While many previous studies have examined how people who hold racial bias behave in multi-racial settings, few have studied how whites who are more well-intentioned interact with people of other races. “There’s less work that explores how well-intentioned whites try to get along with racial minorities,” Dupree says. “We wanted to know their strategies for increasing connections between members of different social groups—and how effective these strategies are.”

Dupree and her co-author, Susan Fiske of Princeton University, began by analyzing the words used in campaign speeches delivered by Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to different audiences over the years. They scanned 74 speeches delivered by white candidates over a 25-year period. Approximately half were addressed to mostly-minority audiences—at a Hispanic small business roundtable discussion or a black church, for example. They then paired each speech delivered to a mostly-minority audience with a comparable speech delivered at a mostly-white audience—at a mostly-white church or university, for example. The researchers analyzed the text of these speeches for two measures: words related to competence (that is, words about ability or status, such as “assertive” or “competitive”) and words related to warmth (that is, words about friendliness, such as “supportive” and “compassionate”).

Warmth, related to intentions towards others, and competence, related to the ability to carry out those intentions, are two fundamental dimensions of how we see others and portray ourselves in social interactions. Stereotypical portrayals of black Americans generally show them as being less competent than their white counterparts, but not necessarily less friendly or warm, Dupree explains.

The team found that Democratic candidates used fewer competence-related words in speeches delivered to mostly minority audiences than they did in speeches delivered to mostly white audiences. The difference wasn’t statistically significant in speeches by Republican candidates, though “it was harder to find speeches from Republicans delivered to minority audiences,” Dupree notes. There was no difference in Democrats’ or Republicans’ usage of words related to warmth. “It was really surprising to see that for nearly three decades, Democratic presidential candidates have been engaging in this predicted behavior.”

With this preliminary evidence in hand, the researchers set out to further test their ideas.

“My hope is that this work will help include well-intentioned people who see themselves as allies but who may be unwittingly contributing to group divides.”

They designed a series of experiments in which white participants were asked to respond to a hypothetical or presumed-real interaction partner. For half of these participants, their partner was given a stereotypically white name (such as “Emily”); for the other half, their partner was given a stereotypically black name (such as “Lakisha”). Participants were asked to select from a list of words for an email to their partner. For some studies, this email was for a work-related task; for others, this email was simply to introduce themselves. Each word had been previously scored on how warm or competent it appears. The word “sad,” for example, scored low for both warmth and competence. “Melancholy,” on the other hand, scored high for competence and low on warmth.

Participant also completed a variety of measures that assessed how liberal they were.

The researchers found that liberal individuals were less likely to use words that would make them appear highly competent when the person they were addressing was presumed to be black rather than white. No significant differences were seen in the word selection of conservatives based on the presumed race of their partner. “It was kind of an unpleasant surprise to see this subtle but persistent effect,” Dupree says. “Even if it’s ultimately well-intentioned, it could be seen as patronizing.”

Dupree and Fiske suspect that the behavior stems from a liberal person’s desire to connect with other races. One possible reason for the “competence downshift,” as the authors describe it, is that, regardless of race, people tend to downplay their competence when they want to appear likeable and friendly. But it’s also possible that “this is happening because people are using common stereotypes in an effort to get along,” Dupree says.

Initial data from follow-up studies suggest that describing a black person as highly intelligent, thus reversing the stereotype, or as already highly motivated to get along with whites, thus removing the need to prove goodwill, can reduce the likelihood that a white person will downplay their competence in their interactions with the black person.

Now, Dupree is working to understand how these behaviors play out in real-world organizations: for example, whether medical professionals engage in this behavior when interacting with minority patients and how corporate executives present themselves to minority peers. She is also testing the efficacy of this possibly strategic behavior: for example, do black receivers of white liberals’ competence downshift see this behavior as demeaning or endearing?

“There’s a lot of research focused on biased individuals and how holding bias, especially implicit bias, can influence social interactions,” Dupree says. “But that leaves a lot of people out. My hope is that this work will help include well-intentioned people who see themselves as allies but who may be unwittingly contributing to group divides. There is a broader need to include them in the conversation.”

--

Self-Presentation in Interracial Settings: The Competence Downshift by White Liberals

Abstract

Most Whites, particularly socio-political liberals, now endorse racial equality. Archival and experimental research reveals a subtle but reliable ironic consequence: White liberals self-present less competence to minorities than to other Whites-that is, they patronize minorities stereotyped as lower status and less competent. In an initial archival demonstration of the competence downshift, Study 1 examined the content of White Republican and Democratic presidential candidates' campaign speeches. Although Republican candidates did not significantly shift language based on audience racial composition, Democratic candidates used less competence-related language to minority audiences than to White audiences. Across five experiments (total N = 2,157), White participants responded to a Black or White hypothetical (Studies 2, 3, 4, S1) or ostensibly real (Study 5) interaction partner. Three indicators of self-presentation converged: sophistication of vocabulary selected for an assignment, competence-related traits selected for an introduction, and competence-related content of brief, open-ended introductions. Conservatism indicators included: self-reported political affiliation (liberal-conservative), Right-Wing Authoritarianism (values-based conservatism) and Social Dominance Orientation (hierarchy-based conservatism). Internal meta-analyses revealed that liberals- but not conservatives-presented less competence to Black interaction partners than to White ones. The simple effect was small but significant across studies, and most reliable for the self-reported measure of conservatism. This possibly unintentional but ultimately patronizing competence-downshift suggests that well-intentioned liberal Whites may draw on low-status/competence stereotypes to affiliate with minorities.

[..]

General Discussion

Five studies found preliminary evidence that White liberals (but not conservatives) present less competence to a Black (versus White) interaction partner. The competence downshift emerged among self-identified Democrats in Study 1, self-reported liberals in Studies 2 and 3, values-based liberals (i.e., low-RWA Whites) in Study 3, and hierarchy-based liberals (i.e., low-SDO Whites) in Study 5. These liberal Whites presented significantly less competence to a Black interaction partner than they did to a White interaction partner. Specifically, these White liberals presented less competence (Studies 2 and 3) and used fewer competence-related words (Studies 1 and 5) when responding with a Black interaction partner than with a White one. While liberals also tended to describe themselves as less competent in Study 4, though this effect did not reach significance (ps > .115). Across all studies, shifts in White conservatives' self-presentation of competence did not reach significance (see Study S1 for an exception, wherein conservatives engaged in a competence upshift). Ultimately, White liberals were more likely than White conservatives to present less competence to a Black (versus White) interaction partner.

==

As usual, I object to the use of the American usage of "liberal" here; what they mean is left-wing "progressives." Although treating black people like imbeciles is particularly regressive.

[sparrow-in-boots]

Modern timeline bits we should have gotten in AC3 but we were robbed:

big city chase scene with diving into buildings and vaulting over cars to ditch pursuers. bonus points if it's in São Paulo, the portion of Manhattan we get is too vertical for a nice free running-heavy segment imo.

speaking of, small scene of the São Paulo assassin team welcoming the group and helping set them up with what they need to get around. (it was said they were moving locations but they never said they were moving away from the city, maybe just different hideouts. i sincerely doubt the brotherhood would let themselves be thrown off a major city like that.)

on the topic of Manhattan, we should have gotten a stealth escape sequence on the way out of the building. we went through a whole thing to jump from one building to the next, there's bound to be enough security to make this interesting.

which means, access to more gear!!! smoke bombs, sound poppers, flashbangs, gun silencers, hell even improvised weapons from office supplies. i know the brotherhood is stretched thin but c'mon!

Desmond finding and releasing more animus project test subjects. He's right in the heart of the whole project and he only walks out with his dad? Nuh-uh, if there are anymore subjects (and knowing Abstergo, there is a very high chance there are), then he's also walking out with them.

an actual, sincere, thesis-lead, fight and then confession with Daniel Cross. those two need to fucking talk more than exchanging a few snide remarks at each other, i am BEGGING.

Desmond! Riding! A MOTORCYCLE!!!! Perfect way to go full circle, the thing that got him caught in the beginning is the thing that saves his hide in a pinch.

access to Bill's emails, as well as Becca's and Shaun's. i don't care if it's sus, this is a brotherhood. they are stretched thin and with windling numbers, but all the more reason to keep in touch and find solidarity and companionship on one another. i wanna hear from the other teams, i wanna know what's going on around the world with them, and i want them to reach out to each other.

BONUS POINTS if Desmond opens up about reading the team's emails back in Monteriggioni and addressing the fact that they basically tried to schedule a dinner out without inviting of thinking about him. among other things too, he was so left behind in the socializing!!

on that note, Desmond gets to talk to his mom. i don't care if it's too dangerous, let him talk to his mom!! if you're gonna make your character feel sorry for refusing the call and regret being away, then make that mean something? hell, let him send her an email at least!

Desmond, Shaun and Becca break time. No Bill, just the three of them catching up and, discussing what happened back in ACB. you kill off one of your biggest side characters and we're supposed to just carry on? i'm not having it, this can't go unaddressed for the audience, it's so cheap. (no that bit from the Juno story hours doesn't count)

Shaun and Becca being more than voices on your ear. We should have gotten a bit of them having the spotlight, maybe infiltrating Abstergo's servers to wreck havoc and cover for Desmond's escape. Maybe even giving us environment cues to use on the fight against Daniel as mentioned above. A sliding door to break a chokehold, or overloading a server to make the power go out to give you an advantage, shit like that!

The team slowly but surely tipping the scales against Bill. Yes, we all know we're in a deadline, things are tense, yadda yadda. They are still people, and you make people overwork for too long, and they break in terrible ways. Desmond should be able to bring a measure of defiance to Bill's iron fist, telling him off often so that Shaun and Becca can catch a breather too, and it helps. Which would be a great way to segue into the Bill rescue mission, it's not what he would have wanted them to do but well, his orders are shit anyway, so let's save his ass.

[mdzsbigbang]

Thanks so much for all of your interest!

It's amazing to hear how excited you guys are for this event, thanks so much for all the signal boosting and the interest check forms you guys filled in! It seems like everyone is happy with the schedule so far, which is great news. If you didn't get a chance to fill in that form and still want to, it's here.

Also a big thank you to everyone who signed up as a mod! We'll be reviewing sign ups and contacting you in the next few days.

We thought we'd make this post just to answer a few questions that were submitted.

Do we need to submit our portfolios?

This event is open for everyone, no matter how much or how little experience you have in creating, so there's no need to submit anything except the sign up form in order to participate.

How do the signups work when they open up?

Sign ups will open on 20th November and will be via a google form (much like the interest check). Writers, Artists, and Beta Readers sign ups will open simultaneously and we'll make a post on tumblr to announce it with the links to the forms - keep an eye out! We don't have an exact time that they'll open yet but will probably end up scheduling a post for midnight (GMT or similar - currently mods are in europe) but it'll be self reblogged throughout the sign up period, so hopefully no one will miss it.

We'll ask for your contact details (name, primary handle, email address and discord if you have it) and any details on co-authors/artists if you have them. Writers don't need to submit fic details yet (though we'd certainly encourage you to start work on your fic once you're signed up) as the fic details form that we'll use for claims will be sent out in january. So yes - you can sign up with 0% of a plan, as long as you'll have one by January 22nd, when fic details forms are due.

What are the rules and guidelines?

We have an about/FAQ here (or alternatively linked in our pinned post) which we're trying to keep updated as we get new questions! But anything you can't find on there or anything that doesn't make sense, please do send us an ask.

Is it for ao3 only or tumblr too?

All fics must be posted on AO3, where we will have a collection for this event (that we'll create and explain nearer the time) so if you're considering signing up as a writer and don't have an AO3 account yet, please join the waitlist for an account. Fics can be posted and promoed on tumblr too - we'd certainly love to be able to reblog all works onto this account - but they don't have to be.

As for art, it's up to the artists to discuss with their team how art is going to be posted. It can be posted on AO3, or on tumblr, or even twitter, but wherever it is it must clearly link to the fic (and vice versa - the fic must clearly link to the art)

Will artists/betas know during claims what adaptation an author is basing their work off? [NB: i rephrased this question from a suggestion]

Yes! This will be part of the fic details forms that writers will submit ready for claims.

Since art can take many forms and doesn't necessarily have to be drawing, we won't put any restrictions on what art can be made and in what style. However, it needs to fit into the rating and tags of the fic it will go with, and we'd recommend that an artist stick to the particular adaptation/s that the fic is based on.

Is there a twitter page to retweet?

Not yet I'm afraid. We're working on that, and have just created a bluesky. We'll update you is and when we get a twitter up and running!

Is it possible to sign up as a pinch hitter only?

Yes definitely! Pinch hitter sign ups will open on January 7th, as author sign ups close, so just keep an eye out for that. Please note we can't guarantee if there will be anything available for you, or when it will come available, or what exactly it'll be.

Once again thank you all so much for your excitement, and we'll see you at sign ups!

[mariacallous]

I spent some time on the subway trying to decompress from work and also trying to pinpoint what my specific frustrations are with work.

I actually left earlier then I normally do today because I just couldn’t be there anymore (and both the overall team director and my supervisor weren’t in the office at that point) which helped a bit, especially since we had finally, finally, finally finished getting all the feedback and making the edits and updates to this one project and sent the proposed final draft and got a response with two minor changes (which could and should have been asked for earlier but whatever) which I made and then resent.

Anyway, during those 45ish minutes on the subway, here’s what I realized/concluded:

-There have been so many shifts and changes and adjustments that have had to been made across the board with work that it’s hard to find or maintain and equilibrium. I have no problem being flexible, but I’m also not Elastigirl and it also takes time to adjust and shift mentally and emotionally.

-A lot of the projects I’m supposed to be sort of taking the lead or being point on either keep getting postponed or delayed or pushed back in addition to shifts and changes and whatnot, and other ones get placed on hold so there’s a sort of scrambling to figure out what I can and should focus on and what I need to pause working on. And having to stop what’s being worked on to immediately address some new feedback or requests from higher up add to that.

-Relatedly, a lot of projects are very dependent on other people reacting or responding or contributing and so there’s either constant checking in and asking for things or things getting cancelled and needing to be rescheduled. For example, one of the senior leadership we’ve been trying to meet with for like 3-4 weeks now and every time realizes there’s a conflict with the new proposed time and so it gets pushed off to the next week or so (when they finally respond, that is). This member of leadership is also in the division with some of the biggest capacity and staffing and process issues and the meeting is specifically about us working with them and their team(s) to try to address those exact problems which makes it even more frustrating.

-People keep waiting or delaying things in order to get things as perfect and the people gathered as full as possible, so that even if there’s a meeting where 6-7 of the 10 people total invited are available, with two particular people not being available throws it off to needing to reschedule. And that group of 10 was expanded (not by me but by people forwarding the meeting invite to others not intended or expected) so that the actual core group of people needed are all available.

-Some group projects I’ve been working on have not been prioritized or fully worked by other people compared to the work I’ve put in, and so things we’ve been trying to complete with them haven’t been able to happen (like submission by specific deadlines or having specific milestones met re: work progress) and I’ve also stepped up more and done more with these projects because of that so I’m even more resentful and irritated. Combined with the fact that there was little guidance or structure provided with many of them to begin with and how much they’ve morphed and grown, and it’s made me lose a lot of enthusiasm and engagement.

-Both my supervisor and the overall team director can work remotely but it’s hit or miss if they remember to let people know in advance (the overall director is really bad about that) and so meetings or presentations that were scheduled for in-person have to be either shifted to factor in remote capability or moved to another day and time. And the amount of checking in or updates or work that gets done decreases and responses are difficult to get, regardless of whether they’re emailed or sent via teams chat. Additionally, if I’m the only person on my team in the office, people come to me about shit that at least half the time I can’t answer or address or don’t know anything about.

-People overbook themselves or get pulled into meetings and requests, either intentionally or inadvertently, but it means that things take forever to happen and a huge amount of time is spent having to juggle and balance schedules and people are hesitant to meet or discuss things if such-and-such a person isn’t present, even if the purpose of the meeting is to just discuss and prepare for a future meeting or next steps where such-and-such can be included or is available. Literally every time I have to schedule something it’s a minimum of 10 minutes looking for available times and keeping a particular timeframe or deadline in mind.

Anyway, those are the frustrations and disappointments. My next steps are to figure out how to adapt and not get too irritated and to seek equilibrium.

[whentherewerebicycles]

SORRY i have to do dear diary: work problems edition under the cut again

so on monday i volunteered to do this small project with the HR team to wrap up a massive project i’d led earlier (although of course it was one that my lead took over in the last 2% of work and now claims as her own achievement). got the go-ahead from my boss & my lead was copied on all the emails. so i set up meetings with the team today and tomorrow, circulated an agenda, and created a structure for us to use in brainstorming content. my lead was CC’d on all of this because i’m not allowed to email people without her knowing. then this morning she messaged to ask me to change the time of my meeting because she wanted to meet with the HR lead about something earlier in the day. so i was like ok whatever! annoying that you couldn’t find some other time and had to take this time but fine! i moved the meeting, sent out a note to the HR team, and don’t really think anything of it.

but THEN we just had our weekly meeting with our boss, and at this meeting ashley announced that she had met with the HR team this morning, gotten all the material needed the project, and would complete everything by the end of the day. i was just sitting there like “...i’m sorry?” and finally interrupted her to be like “so what should i do with them in the meeting?” and she was like “well you don’t really need to have it now. but you could just sit on the call with them and have them upload these three forms i need and email them to me if you want.” i just sat there gaping at her because what the ACTUAL fuck???? like you already block me from taking on projects and take credit for the projects i DO do and now you’ve escalated to stealing projects I’d claimed & completing them before i can finish them & then telling me that in front of my boss so it looks like either you didn’t trust me to do it myself or i was failing in some way and you had to pick up the slack? and also you make me look stupid in front of the HR team by scheduling your own private meetings with them and not telling me so i’m still communicating with them like i’m coordinating the project? like WHAT is this woman’s deal??? jesus christ!!!!

i have a meeting with her later (which she rescheduled earlier one minute before it was supposed to start without telling me) and i’m trying to decide if i bring it up with her to be like “that really fucking bothered me” in more professional language, or if i just let it go and use it as further fuel to get out of here. i feel like i keep letting things go because they’re annoying/insulting but they’re also just “oh i can explain...” enough that i feel dumb bringing them up because there’s that tiny voice in my head that’s like ‘did you miss something? did YOU fuck up? is someone mad at you? did your boss say yes to your face and then go over your head to tell your lead to do the project for you?’ which just makes me feel all uncomfortable and lowkey anxious even though i’m like if i DID fuck up recently somehow (how could i have fucked up?? i’ve been out for three weeks!!!! i literally have not had opportunity to fuck up!!!) and my boss handled it that way instead of addressing it with me, that’s just terrible management and should not be something i internalize. but AGH the fucking MIND GAMES in this team and just all! the! tiny! ways! my lead undermines me or tries to make me doubt myself. and THEN i have no idea if she’s doing it intentionally or if she’s just kinda shitty at supervising people or at communicating clearly (which is funny because she talks all the time about how she’s such a ~relator~ whose biggest skill is building relationships and communicating with people). idk man it just makes me feel bad and then it feels even worse to stew in the negative feelings all day. like i don’t actually ENJOY complaining i would much rather just have a job where i get to work hard alongside people i generally like and respect and all of my dear diary posts are about how rewarding i find my work or whatever!!! blehhhh okay gotta go do a quick lap around the house before i can face her in 5 minutes. 

[pilesofnonsense]

RQBB 2023 Writer Sign-Ups Open!

[ID: Picture of a black banner with the Rusty Quill show logos and a text in white and red that reads Rusty Quill Big Bang 2023]

Writer Sign-Ups are now open for the Rusty Quill Big Bang 2023!

Please read through the information carefully to understand what will be expected of you as a participant.

The sign-up link is at the end of the post under the spoiler cut!

You do not need to have decided what you will be writing at this stage, but please consider whether the fic requirements are compatible with what you have in mind, and be sure that you can commit to contacting us on the below deadlines to share your progress (or withdraw your participation if necessary).

Schedule for 2023 (all deadlines at 23:00 BST / 5pm CDT):

Writer Sign-ups: May 8th - 14th

Check-in 1: June 11th

Full First Draft & Summary Due: July 9th

Artist Sign-ups: July 17th - 23rd

Check-in 2 & Art Draft Deadline: August 20th

Final Fic & Art Due: August 27th

Posting: August 31st - September 15th

Confirmation e-mails for sign-ups will be sent out after sign-ups close; if you have not received a confirmation by May 21, please contact us at pilesofnonsense@gmail.com. We ask that you check your email (including the spam folder!) and reply so we can confirm that your registered email address is correct and you still intend to participate.

Participation Requirements:

You must choose whether to join the Big Bang as an artist or writer. You may not do both.

Writers will require an AO3 account; if you do not have an AO3 account, please request one via AO3’s login page.

If you wish to write M or E rated fics you must be aged over 18.

All participants must read and adhere to the Expected Conduct guidelines (see below).

Minimum Final Word Count: 20,000

Maximum Number of Fics per Writer/s: 1

Maximum Number of Writers per Fic (collaboration): 2

Fic Draft Requirements: At the draft deadline (July 9th), we will require a complete draft of at least 18,000 words. “Complete” means that the fic is written from start to finish with no indispensable scenes missing or left as outlines—think, “If I posted this right now, would I be happy with the story it tells?”

Ideally, you will refine and polish your draft in the remaining time, but it can also be your final draft if you prefer.

Drafts will be handed in via a form that will be sent out to you before the deadline. Drafts should be available in Google docs, or if need be in PDF format.

Summary Requirements: A form for the summary will be sent out to you before the deadline. Summaries should briefly outline the general premise, and include rating, ships, triggers and other warnings, and any other relevant details.

Eligible Fics:

Fics of any rating and with any warnings are permitted, as long as they meet the minimum word count (20,000), are centered around at least one Rusty Quill original podcast (The Magnus Archives, Rusty Quill Gaming, Stellar Firma, Inexplicables, Chapter & Multiverse, Trice Forgotten), and are tagged appropriately.

We encourage authors to take this opportunity to challenge themselves to take on a project that they might not otherwise—though please consider what is realistic in terms of the deadlines as well!

Fics must be stand-alone (requires no knowledge of previous fics to enjoy), complete (resolves all main plotlines within the story, as opposed to being part I of a trilogy, etc.), and previously unposted.

Crossovers are allowed, but the focus should be on the RQ podcast involved. For example: a fusion crossover with the Leverage Team replacing the LOLOMG in the RQG!verse would not be permitted, though the RQG characters in the Leverage!verse would be.

Please be aware that fics with obscure crossovers, common squicks, higher ratings, etc., may be more difficult to match, and thus take a little longer to get snapped up. We will do our best to find you a suitable match, though!

If you have any questions about the suitability of your fic, please contact the mods.

Matching Process:

The artist sign-up will include a list of the anonymised fic summaries. Each artist will select 3 fics which they would be interested in creating for, with additional preferences (favourite show/shows they do not follow, OTPs and NoTPs, Do Not Wants, etc.) indicated in the comment field. Mods will then match writers to artists, taking preferences into account as much as possible.

If fics are oversubscribed or if it is otherwise necessary for matching, they may be removed from the list of eligible fics before the end of artist sign-ups.

If you have an issue with your match, please let the mods know as soon as possible.

Do Not Wants:

In this event, you will have an opportunity to Do Not Want (DNW) the types of content that you do not wish to work on. Similarly, if you’ve had conflicts with certain people in the past and do not want to risk matching to them, you can include this in your sign-up or draft submission, and we will avoid matching you with them (details of these will not be shared beyond the mod team).

The mods will always account for DNWs within reason; however, attempts to manipulate matches via DNWs or otherwise acting in bad faith will result in the rejection of your sign-up or draft. We are also not private detectives, and will thus not be fielding any requests such as “do not match me with anyone who has ever drawn/written XYZ.” Please keep that in mind when considering whether this event is right for you.

Expected Conduct:

By signing up for this event, you agree to do your best to meet the deadlines. If you might need a little more time, please email the mods to explain your situation before the deadline passes. Those who miss deadlines without contacting the mods beforehand may be dropped from the event without further contact.

In order to participate in this event, you must be willing to contact the mods directly in the event that you have a question, concern, or issue with your participation (as in the deadline example above). We are happy to help participants with anything that arises, but cannot accept “telephone”-style communiques on behalf of others.

Be in regular contact with your match—if you’re going to be offline for a significant length of time, let them know. Radio silence from your match in events of this kind can be very concerning. (If you are having trouble getting in touch with your match, please contact us!)

Please take care to credit your artist/writer in your own final post.

Our Discord server has its own list of rules, which are listed within the server. If you decide to join the server, we require you to read and abide by those rules.

Be kind and courteous towards your match and fellow participants. This naturally means that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are prohibited, but even where those are not at play, you are expected to treat others with respect.

We, like Rusty Quill, have an “all headcanons are valid” policy. Harassment or mockery of those with different interpretations will not be tolerated. This does not mean you cannot discuss how you see the characters with others or that your artist/writer should not take it into account at their discretion, but insistence that any one interpretation must be adhered to is not allowed.

If you have concerns that a work or participant may be in violation of the rules, please bring it to the mods directly. Harassment of other participants (including but not limited to callout posts, name-calling, baiting, etc.), either publicly or in the Piles of Nonsense discord server, over their identities, fanworks, or headcanons will result in an instant default.

A full overview of the Guidelines can be found on our Challenge Guidelines page. We also have an FAQ.

The writer sign-up form can be found here.

Thanks for reading, and we look forward to working with you!