Rules & FAQ
RULES
(note: these are general rules; a more complete list for each category will be attached to the sign-up posts)
What is a Big Bang?
A Big Bang is a writing event focused on a specific fandom/ship/theme which challenges writers (and artists!) to produce new works for that focus. There is a minimum word count of anywhere between five-thousand and fifty-thousand words, and participants have roughly three months to complete their project. Each writer is also paired with an artist who creates a companion piece for the story!
Okay, so what’s this Big Bang about?
The Digimon Adventure Big Bang is about getting some new Digimon Adventure fanfic and fanart out there! Our minimum word count is 5000 words, but feel free to write more if you think you can manage it!
Digimon Adventure, for anyone uncertain, refers only to the first two series of the Digimon anime.
Why only the first two? Are you some kind of elitist? The later series were good too!
Hey, I’ve got nothing against the later series; I just really love the first two series of Digimon and want to see some new fanworks produced for them! If someone wants to set up a Bang focused on series 3+, they can go right ahead. We’ll even make a promo post for them!
Are there any other restrictions about content?
Not really! So long as it focuses on characters who appeared in either 01 or 02, you’re good. You can write a crossover, something completely AU, or something that ties neatly into canon. Fluff or angst, shippy fic or gen fic, het or slash, character introspection or something long with a juicy plot… All perfectly acceptable!
HOWEVER
While we don’t restrict content beyond asking that you write only about the 01 and 02 characters, you must include trigger/content warnings. A list of mandatory and suggested warnings can be found below.
I’m not much of a writer…
That’s fine! We also need artists to work with our writers! Artists are required to produce at least one piece for their chosen story. This can take the form of a drawing/painting or graphic, which must be at least 500x500pxls or equivalent dimensions; a fanmix containing at least five songs with accompanying cover-art; or a video of at least 30 seconds. Other types of works are welcomed, of course - just negotiate with your writer to figure out what they’re happy with.
Well, I’m not really an artist either…
There’s still a role for you! You can sign up as a cheerleader or a beta. Cheerleaders are just what they sound like - someone for the writer to discuss their story with and receive encouragement and feedback from. You’re not there to critique, just to help motivate the writer and bounce ideas off when they’re having difficulties.
Most people have probably heard of a beta and know what they are, but I’m going to explain briefly anyway. Betas are, essentially, proof-readers and editors. They go over the story and nitpick characterisation, spelling and grammar, as well as pointing out plot-holes and suggesting solutions for any problems they notice. You’ve gotta be honest with your writer, but not harsh or cruel - your job is to help the writer make their fic as good as it can be!
Okay, I’m interested! How do I sign up?
We’ll be opening writer sign-ups on July 26th, and beta/cheerleader sign ups about a month after that. All you need to do is fill out the correct form and post it as a comment on the sign-up posts once they're up! If you want to sign up for more than one category (for example, as a writer and beta, or an artist and cheerleader, or writer and artist, etc), or write more than one fic, you’re welcome to, but please don’t do so unless you’re sure you can handle it!
Artist sign-ups will open October 18th! It’s a long way off, we know, but don’t worry - there’ll be a reminder as we approach the date!
So it sounds like there’s a schedule for this?
Yep, there is. We have a schedule/countdown post here that lets you know how long you’ve got until each deadline seeing as we’re running on GMT and people from different timezones will be participating.
What are check-ins?
Check-ins are just a way for us to check that you’re on track to finish and for you to interact with your fellow participants and share bits of your project! We will be setting a goal for each check-in, but (with the exception of having a summary by the first check-in) that is only a suggested goal and the purpose of it is to keep you on track. If you don’t meet the target, don’t stress!
What if I change my mind about participating or can’t make the final deadline?
Well, if you’re a writer it’s not a big deal so long as no artist has claimed your story yet. We’ll be sad we won’t get to see your awesome fic, but things happen and writer’s block can strike at the worst of times, so we completely understand! If it’s a matter of needing an extra day or two, contact us and we will probably be able to work something out.
If you’re an artist or beta - especially if you’ve already picked a fic - please contact us as soon as you can so we can work something out for your writer!
What if I don’t know what I want to write?
That’s okay, we’ve got a plot bunny/prompt post over here where you might be able to get some ideas!
I know what I want to write! In fact, I’ve even started writing it!
Well… that’s great - so long as you haven’t posted it anywhere yet, in part or in full.
Ideally, we’d like you to start at least mostly from scratch, not work on an existing project -- but it’s fine if you’ve written part of the fic (say, a few hundred or a few thousand words) and would like to continue that, so long as you’re the only one who’s read it. This isn’t for motivating you to finish that multichapter fic you’ve been posting on fanfiction.net for a year or so now (although, if that’s the case, get on that!), it’s about getting fresh new content out there!
Do I have to join the community?
Well, yes. Big Bangs are partially about getting to know others in your fandom, too. There will be announcements made and joining the community is the best way to keep up to date!
But I don’t really use LJ…
That’s fine (to be honest, we don’t either - it’s just the best platform for a BB). We have a tumblr blog, too, where announcements will also be made and you can ask the mods any questions you may have!
Still have questions? Leave us a comment or hop over to our tumblr askbox!
(note: these are general rules; a more complete list for each category will be attached to the sign-up posts)
- Don’t be a dick.
That means no character or ship bashing, no putting anyone’s writing or ideas down, and no abusing the mods. Be civil with your fellow participants, even if you don’t particularly like them. Even try being friendly! You might just make an awesome new friend!
- Warnings for sexual content, underage sex/sexual activity, rape/noncon/sexual assault, attempted rape or sexual assault, dubcon, incest, abuse (child abuse and sexual abuse in particular), suicide or suicidal thoughts, self-harm or graphic thoughts of self-harm, major character death, and torture or graphic violence are mandatory.
- Warnings for eating disorders, depression, drug use/abuse, homophobia or internalised homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, mpreg, cannibalism, slavery, mutilation/gore or body horror, etc, are strongly advised.
- Overall, err on the side of caution with warnings - better to overdo it than catch someone unaware with a trigger or squick. If you’re worried about your warnings spoiling the story, feel free to hide them under a blackout (the code for that can be found below), but make sure that they’re plainly visible to readers.
What is a Big Bang?
A Big Bang is a writing event focused on a specific fandom/ship/theme which challenges writers (and artists!) to produce new works for that focus. There is a minimum word count of anywhere between five-thousand and fifty-thousand words, and participants have roughly three months to complete their project. Each writer is also paired with an artist who creates a companion piece for the story!
Okay, so what’s this Big Bang about?
The Digimon Adventure Big Bang is about getting some new Digimon Adventure fanfic and fanart out there! Our minimum word count is 5000 words, but feel free to write more if you think you can manage it!
Digimon Adventure, for anyone uncertain, refers only to the first two series of the Digimon anime.
Why only the first two? Are you some kind of elitist? The later series were good too!
Hey, I’ve got nothing against the later series; I just really love the first two series of Digimon and want to see some new fanworks produced for them! If someone wants to set up a Bang focused on series 3+, they can go right ahead. We’ll even make a promo post for them!
Are there any other restrictions about content?
Not really! So long as it focuses on characters who appeared in either 01 or 02, you’re good. You can write a crossover, something completely AU, or something that ties neatly into canon. Fluff or angst, shippy fic or gen fic, het or slash, character introspection or something long with a juicy plot… All perfectly acceptable!
HOWEVER
While we don’t restrict content beyond asking that you write only about the 01 and 02 characters, you must include trigger/content warnings. A list of mandatory and suggested warnings can be found below.
I’m not much of a writer…
That’s fine! We also need artists to work with our writers! Artists are required to produce at least one piece for their chosen story. This can take the form of a drawing/painting or graphic, which must be at least 500x500pxls or equivalent dimensions; a fanmix containing at least five songs with accompanying cover-art; or a video of at least 30 seconds. Other types of works are welcomed, of course - just negotiate with your writer to figure out what they’re happy with.
Well, I’m not really an artist either…
There’s still a role for you! You can sign up as a cheerleader or a beta. Cheerleaders are just what they sound like - someone for the writer to discuss their story with and receive encouragement and feedback from. You’re not there to critique, just to help motivate the writer and bounce ideas off when they’re having difficulties.
Most people have probably heard of a beta and know what they are, but I’m going to explain briefly anyway. Betas are, essentially, proof-readers and editors. They go over the story and nitpick characterisation, spelling and grammar, as well as pointing out plot-holes and suggesting solutions for any problems they notice. You’ve gotta be honest with your writer, but not harsh or cruel - your job is to help the writer make their fic as good as it can be!
Okay, I’m interested! How do I sign up?
We’ll be opening writer sign-ups on July 26th, and beta/cheerleader sign ups about a month after that. All you need to do is fill out the correct form and post it as a comment on the sign-up posts once they're up! If you want to sign up for more than one category (for example, as a writer and beta, or an artist and cheerleader, or writer and artist, etc), or write more than one fic, you’re welcome to, but please don’t do so unless you’re sure you can handle it!
Artist sign-ups will open October 18th! It’s a long way off, we know, but don’t worry - there’ll be a reminder as we approach the date!
So it sounds like there’s a schedule for this?
Yep, there is. We have a schedule/countdown post here that lets you know how long you’ve got until each deadline seeing as we’re running on GMT and people from different timezones will be participating.
What are check-ins?
Check-ins are just a way for us to check that you’re on track to finish and for you to interact with your fellow participants and share bits of your project! We will be setting a goal for each check-in, but (with the exception of having a summary by the first check-in) that is only a suggested goal and the purpose of it is to keep you on track. If you don’t meet the target, don’t stress!
What if I change my mind about participating or can’t make the final deadline?
Well, if you’re a writer it’s not a big deal so long as no artist has claimed your story yet. We’ll be sad we won’t get to see your awesome fic, but things happen and writer’s block can strike at the worst of times, so we completely understand! If it’s a matter of needing an extra day or two, contact us and we will probably be able to work something out.
If you’re an artist or beta - especially if you’ve already picked a fic - please contact us as soon as you can so we can work something out for your writer!
What if I don’t know what I want to write?
That’s okay, we’ve got a plot bunny/prompt post over here where you might be able to get some ideas!
I know what I want to write! In fact, I’ve even started writing it!
Well… that’s great - so long as you haven’t posted it anywhere yet, in part or in full.
Ideally, we’d like you to start at least mostly from scratch, not work on an existing project -- but it’s fine if you’ve written part of the fic (say, a few hundred or a few thousand words) and would like to continue that, so long as you’re the only one who’s read it. This isn’t for motivating you to finish that multichapter fic you’ve been posting on fanfiction.net for a year or so now (although, if that’s the case, get on that!), it’s about getting fresh new content out there!
Do I have to join the community?
Well, yes. Big Bangs are partially about getting to know others in your fandom, too. There will be announcements made and joining the community is the best way to keep up to date!
But I don’t really use LJ…
That’s fine (to be honest, we don’t either - it’s just the best platform for a BB). We have a tumblr blog, too, where announcements will also be made and you can ask the mods any questions you may have!
Still have questions? Leave us a comment or hop over to our tumblr askbox!