Read this! And then sign up here!
ETA: Signups are now closed.
I kept putting off another round of the Free Verse Challenge, but there finally seems to be no better time than the present. So here, in this shiny new community, I'm announcing it officially:
The Free Verse Challenge, Round 2
Instructions and explanations are offered in the form of a FAQ.
What is this thing, anyway?
The Free Verse Challenge is a fanfic challenge that I originally held in the autumn of 2003. Since it ended, people have sporadically requested that I run it again. It works like this: you sign up, using the form below, in the comments to this post. I will give you a snippet of poetry from a longer poem - 2-7 lines (about 20-30 words). You will write some fanfic based on the poetry I give you and submit a link to me by July 15. On that day, I will post a masterlist of stories and reveal the contexts of everyone's snippets.
What kind of poetry are we talking about here?
All of the snippets are from poems recently published in professional print or electronic journals. Most of the poets and poems will be fairly obscure - my hope is that the lines will be completely new to you. For a clearer idea of what I'm talking about, see my posts to breathe_poetry.
Why only a few lines? Why not give us the whole poem?
This way, everyone gets about the same amount of material to work with.
What's stopping me from googling the lines and finding the whole poem?
Nothing, really. Most of the poems are available online. But I discourage you from doing so: part of the challenge is to work with what you're given, without the context. Frankly, in most cases, it will be more difficult to use the whole poem than to stick with what I've given you.
What if I don't like the poem I'm assigned?
E-mail me (mosca at livejournal.com will work) and let me know. I'll assign you a new snippet and reassign your snippet to someone else. I will only do this once per writer, and then you're stuck with what you've got.
Can I trade poems with someone else?
I would prefer that you didn't do this. It's hard to keep track of everyone's assignments as it is.
Okay. But what fandoms can I write in?
Any fandom is fine. The more the merrier, in fact.
What about RPF? Crossovers? Incest? Slash based on obscure eighteenth-century novels?
Anything goes. Really, as long as it's fanfic and you're having fun, you can write whatever you want.
Does it have to be fanfic?
It really does. I have a number of reasons for this, but the principal reason is that it's quite easy to write "original fiction" based on a poem. It's much more challenging to combine the language and imagery of poetry with the language and imagery of your favorite fandom. And this is, you know, a challenge.
Any other restrictions?
Not really. Just make sure it's spell-checked and meets the minimum word count. I encourage writers to use beta readers, but I don't require it.
That's an awful lot of leeway. How do you want us to use these poems?
Any way you want to. In the first round, a lot of people used the poems in their titles. Some snippets suggest a setting, an emotion, a relationship, or even a plot. Many writers chose a favorite image or turn of phrase and incorporated it into the story. Many others just used it as a jumping off point and wrote something that seemed completely unrelated to the poem (but that the poem had inspired).
How long does it have to be?
Minimum word count is 750 words. There is no maximum.
When's it due?
Stories are due on Friday, July 15. Conveniently, that's the day before the new Harry Potter book comes out.
I can handle all of this. How do I sign up?
Sign-ups will run from right now through 11 PM EST on June 9. (I will not respond to any late sign-ups.) To sign up, comment to this post with the following information:
Name/LJ name:
E-mail:
Fandom(s) you're likely to write in:
Are you most likely to write m/m slash, femslash, het, or gen?
I'll reply with your snippet as soon as I can.
Do I have to write in the fandom or genre that I listed in my sign-up?
No. Those questions will just help me give you a snippet that you can work with.
Can you help me find a beta reader?
I'm afraid you're on your own for that. Sorry.
Where can I find stories from the first round of the challenge?
Those stories are conveniently archived here. I will try to archive the stories from this round, too.
What if I have to drop out?
Since you're not writing for a specific recipient, there are no repercussions other than your own guilty conscience. If you know you have to drop out, please e-mail me and let me know.
How do I post my story when it's done?
On July 15th, post your story in your own journal. Or on a website, or in a friend's journal - the thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn't (and, in fact, can't) post to this community. Then, either post a link in the comments to the masterlist (which I will post on the 15th) or e-mail me the link. I will add your story to the masterlist as soon as you tell me where I can find it.
What if I'm done early?
Hang onto it until the 15th. Stories should not be posted anywhere before the due date.
Some of these rules are different than last time.
Yep. I have learned from past disorganization.
I have another question that you didn't answer here.
E-mail me at mosca at livejournal.com and I'll answer it as soon as possible. I'll be posting sporadic clarifications and reminders to this community, too.
Have fun!
ETA:
1. I have no idea why all the comments are in boldface. I've made some attempts to correct it but decided that there are more pressing problems facing the world.
2. I'm making assignments in screened comments. Please bug me if a few days have gone by and you can't find yours - it means LJ burped somehow, and I'll e-mail your assignment directly.
I kept putting off another round of the Free Verse Challenge, but there finally seems to be no better time than the present. So here, in this shiny new community, I'm announcing it officially:
The Free Verse Challenge, Round 2
Instructions and explanations are offered in the form of a FAQ.
What is this thing, anyway?
The Free Verse Challenge is a fanfic challenge that I originally held in the autumn of 2003. Since it ended, people have sporadically requested that I run it again. It works like this: you sign up, using the form below, in the comments to this post. I will give you a snippet of poetry from a longer poem - 2-7 lines (about 20-30 words). You will write some fanfic based on the poetry I give you and submit a link to me by July 15. On that day, I will post a masterlist of stories and reveal the contexts of everyone's snippets.
What kind of poetry are we talking about here?
All of the snippets are from poems recently published in professional print or electronic journals. Most of the poets and poems will be fairly obscure - my hope is that the lines will be completely new to you. For a clearer idea of what I'm talking about, see my posts to breathe_poetry.
Why only a few lines? Why not give us the whole poem?
This way, everyone gets about the same amount of material to work with.
What's stopping me from googling the lines and finding the whole poem?
Nothing, really. Most of the poems are available online. But I discourage you from doing so: part of the challenge is to work with what you're given, without the context. Frankly, in most cases, it will be more difficult to use the whole poem than to stick with what I've given you.
What if I don't like the poem I'm assigned?
E-mail me (mosca at livejournal.com will work) and let me know. I'll assign you a new snippet and reassign your snippet to someone else. I will only do this once per writer, and then you're stuck with what you've got.
Can I trade poems with someone else?
I would prefer that you didn't do this. It's hard to keep track of everyone's assignments as it is.
Okay. But what fandoms can I write in?
Any fandom is fine. The more the merrier, in fact.
What about RPF? Crossovers? Incest? Slash based on obscure eighteenth-century novels?
Anything goes. Really, as long as it's fanfic and you're having fun, you can write whatever you want.
Does it have to be fanfic?
It really does. I have a number of reasons for this, but the principal reason is that it's quite easy to write "original fiction" based on a poem. It's much more challenging to combine the language and imagery of poetry with the language and imagery of your favorite fandom. And this is, you know, a challenge.
Any other restrictions?
Not really. Just make sure it's spell-checked and meets the minimum word count. I encourage writers to use beta readers, but I don't require it.
That's an awful lot of leeway. How do you want us to use these poems?
Any way you want to. In the first round, a lot of people used the poems in their titles. Some snippets suggest a setting, an emotion, a relationship, or even a plot. Many writers chose a favorite image or turn of phrase and incorporated it into the story. Many others just used it as a jumping off point and wrote something that seemed completely unrelated to the poem (but that the poem had inspired).
How long does it have to be?
Minimum word count is 750 words. There is no maximum.
When's it due?
Stories are due on Friday, July 15. Conveniently, that's the day before the new Harry Potter book comes out.
I can handle all of this. How do I sign up?
Sign-ups will run from right now through 11 PM EST on June 9. (I will not respond to any late sign-ups.) To sign up, comment to this post with the following information:
Name/LJ name:
E-mail:
Fandom(s) you're likely to write in:
Are you most likely to write m/m slash, femslash, het, or gen?
I'll reply with your snippet as soon as I can.
Do I have to write in the fandom or genre that I listed in my sign-up?
No. Those questions will just help me give you a snippet that you can work with.
Can you help me find a beta reader?
I'm afraid you're on your own for that. Sorry.
Where can I find stories from the first round of the challenge?
Those stories are conveniently archived here. I will try to archive the stories from this round, too.
What if I have to drop out?
Since you're not writing for a specific recipient, there are no repercussions other than your own guilty conscience. If you know you have to drop out, please e-mail me and let me know.
How do I post my story when it's done?
On July 15th, post your story in your own journal. Or on a website, or in a friend's journal - the thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn't (and, in fact, can't) post to this community. Then, either post a link in the comments to the masterlist (which I will post on the 15th) or e-mail me the link. I will add your story to the masterlist as soon as you tell me where I can find it.
What if I'm done early?
Hang onto it until the 15th. Stories should not be posted anywhere before the due date.
Some of these rules are different than last time.
Yep. I have learned from past disorganization.
I have another question that you didn't answer here.
E-mail me at mosca at livejournal.com and I'll answer it as soon as possible. I'll be posting sporadic clarifications and reminders to this community, too.
Have fun!
ETA:
1. I have no idea why all the comments are in boldface. I've made some attempts to correct it but decided that there are more pressing problems facing the world.
2. I'm making assignments in screened comments. Please bug me if a few days have gone by and you can't find yours - it means LJ burped somehow, and I'll e-mail your assignment directly.