Big Bang rules

[briarwood]

Writers will sign up to write an Almost Human project that is at least 10,000 words. It can be fiction, non-fiction or a combination of the two. It can be a single work or a collection of linked works. Fiction projects may have any kind of plot and any (or no) pairing. Gen, het, slash, it doesn’t matter. It just has to be a written fanwork based on the Almost Human tv show.

Once each project is complete, each project will be matched with a fan artist or vidder who will take the project and produce a creative work to accompany or illustrate the work. The end result is a fest showcasing the creative talents of Almost Human fandom for everyone to enjoy!

Rules for Writers

1. You are signing up to write one (1) Almost Human-related written project. You may submit up to two (2) projects - you only need to sign up once unless one of your sign-ups is for a co-written project (please see the FAQ for more information about this).
2. You can use a project you have already started, as long as no part of it is publicly posted anywhere once the Big Bang opens for signups until posting ends.
3. Each project must be at least 10,000 words. There is no upper limit.
4. Projects must be stand-alone works. That is, it should not be necessary for the reader to be familiar with some other fanwork in order to read your project. This does not mean you can’t write in an existing 'verse, but if you do the story must stand alone and you should be prepared to provide a brief ‘primer’ in your author’s notes.
5. If you use a project you have previously begun posting (even if it’s under friends-lock or in some other non-public way), you must write at least 7,000 new words and at least double the length of whatever you have previously posted. In other words, if you’ve already posted 10,000 words of it, you must add at least that much to qualify for the Big Bang. If you’ve already posted 3,000 words or less, you only need to meet the 10,000 minimum to qualify
6. Fiction and meta may be gen, het or slash-focussed.
7. Finished projects must be beta-read. You will be expected to credit your beta in your final submission. If stories are submitted which appear not to have been beta-read (e.g. full of spelling errors or sentences that make no sense), the mods reserve the right to reject such submissions.
8. Real-Person Fiction is not allowed.
9. Explicit sex scenes involving under-age characters are not allowed. Under-age for this purpose means under 18. Sexuality involving under age characters (e.g. kissing, fade-to-black) will be accepted, just no porn.
10. Writer sign ups will open on 27 January and will close on 31 May.
11. Rough drafts of projects must be submitted by 12 June and must be in line with the submission guidelines (tbc). There will be no extensions for rough drafts.
12. Final copies of projects will be due by (tbc - July or early August) and must be in line with the submission guidelines (tbc). Extensions to this deadline may be given but must be requested before the deadline.
13. Final submissions are final. The mods will not accept corrections or amendments once the final draft has been checked and accepted. This applies even if you submit early or ahead of your extension, so please ensure you are happy with your work before you hit ‘send’. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

Rules for Artists

1. You are signing up to create at least one piece of artwork to illustrate an Almost Human-related written project.
2. “Art” for the purpose of the Big Bang means any creative fanwork that can be posted online and is not the written word. In other words, this covers not just pictures but also animations, vids, music, podficcing or any combination of multimedia.
3. Under-age sexually explicit artworks are not allowed. Under-age for this purpose means under 18. If your style of artwork is one that makes characters appear very young e.g. chibis or anime-styles, please keep your artwork within the “PG” range. Implied sexuality is okay, just no nudity. If your characters look 18 or older, there are no such restrictions on content.
4. Artist sign ups will open on 27 January and will close on 16 June.
5. Artist claims will begin on 16 June and assignments will be confirmed at the end of that week.
6. Rough drafts of artwork must be submitted by 15 July and must conform to the submission guidelines. There will be no extensions to this deadline.
7. Final copies of artworks will be due by (tbc - late July or early August) and must conform to the submission guidelines (tbc). Extensions to the final deadline may be given but must be requested before the deadline.
8. Final submissions are final. The mods will not accept corrections or amendments once the final draft has been checked and accepted. This applies even if you submit early or ahead of your extension, so please ensure you are happy with your work before you hit ‘send’. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

Cheerleaders

Any writer participating in the Big Bang can request the help of a cheerleader.

1. You’ll be signing up to partner with a writer who has indicated she needs someone to help her stay enthusiastic or help her brainstorm ideas or reassure her that her work-in-progress doesn’t suck.
2. Cheerleaders are not expected to be beta-readers, that’s a separate role. You can beta, of course, if you and your writer work out a mutual agreement, but your role as a cheerleader is to help keep your writer’s spirits and enthusiasm high while they are working on their project.
3. Writers who want a cheerleader will comment on the request post. You’ll be able to look over the comments and reply to offer your services as cheerleader.
4. You may volunteer to cheerlead for more than one project, if you feel that you can provide full attention to more than one!

Additional Rules

1. There will be regular “checkpoints” posted in our Livejournal community which we strongly encourage everyone to join in. Artists and writers will be asked to post about their progress, and everyone else can help encourage them, commiserate with those who need it, share the joy of success and generally get all excited about the fandom-fest to come.
2. You can sign up as both an artist and a writer, but you cannot create an artwork for your own project.
3. You can sign up to create more than one art project, or to write for more than one artwork, however if there are more writers than there are artists, only one project per writer may be accepted for artist claims. If there are more artists than writers, artists will only be able to claim one project to illustrate.