FAQ
F A Q
Q: So how does this work?
You sign up. Each person who signs up is both a gifter and a giftee. We, the mods, send your request to another participant, and you will be given another participant's request. This is how most fanfiction exchanges take place. Ours only has the added flavor of being holiday-themed (and, of course, WAY MORE TOTALLY AWESOME).
Q: How long does the sign-up period last?
A: The sign-up period lasts one or two weeks, depending, so tell your friends as quickly as possible! After the sign-up period, we will still accept gifters, but not giftees. Sorry! More on backup gifters later.
Q: How long does the creating period last, and how much am I supposed to create, again?
A: You have roughly a month from the day that the prompts are sent out to the day that your gift is due. If your gift is fic, it has to be at least 1,000 words long. Fanmixes should include at least six tracks and coverart. AMVS should be at least minute long, with decent-quality sound and footage. Art should be presentable and scanned. Graphics should include an icon and banner. If you have questions for the last three categories, just run them by one of the mods (or comment and ask on this post).
Q: So wait... I can do AMVs and fanmixes now?
If you want, yes. We decided there's no reason to bar any kind of gift from the exchange. Although we still expect a heavy fanfiction turnout, AMVs and fanmixes are certainly welcome.
If you're doing a fanmix, please keep in mind that file sharing must be conducted outside of the comm. You can post your coverart and compilation - on youtube, playlist.com, etc. - here, but keep filesharing to PM and please ensure that your giftee is okay with recieving files before you give them. People who recieve fanmixes are not to expect any more than a compilation. If the gifter wants to share on fanmix , that's acceptable. Just don't cut or fake cut to a download link on this comm, please.
Q: How do I contact the mods?
A: If you have a general question, ask it here in the comments of the FAQ. If you have a more personal question, or need to tell us that you'll be late or are defaulting, PM one of us ASAP. More on that later.
Q: Um... I'm not really sure how to sign up.
A: This one's easy: go to the most recent sign up post (you can find a link here, on the holiday_ouran profile page). You'll see a text box in the post. Copy and past it into a reply. Now simply answer the questions and post as a comment. Comments are screened, so only the mods will be able to see who suggests what. Part of the fun is seeing all the prompts when the time comes! Think of the screened comments like presents at an actual Secret Santa: it's no fun if they're unwrapped at the beginning.
Q: Okay, that makes sense. But I'm kind of confused about the questions. What's a good prompt? What's a do-not-want?
A: People generally agree that a good prompt is one that gives the gifter room to work, but also gives them something to work with. Please give more than one prompt - it gives the gifter vital wiggle room! They might hate and be unable to write Kyouya/Haruhi for you, but if you also give 'Renge-centric', 'Hunny/Mori friendship', or 'Tamaki/Haruhi', they'll probably be able to write a good fic for you from one or more of those prompts. Put down things that you want, but allow for some range. As for story prompts, phrases, loose scenarios, and single words are the way to go. Part of the fun for the gifter is interpreting your prompts and writing the story you want. Part of the fun for you is reading something that is perhaps different - and hopefully better - than what you had in mind.
A do-not-want is something that you do not want to write or receive. Or maybe it's just one or the other (specify which, please). It can be anything, but it's for the most part something you refuse to write or would hate to have in your gift. For example, "I'm uncomfortable/bad at writing yaoi/smut", or "no [kink here], please".
More information on the sign-up form here.
Q: Do my prompts have to be holiday themed?
A: Prompts must relate to the season in some way. That's the point of the community - holiday_Ouran, you know? Prompts can be related to Christmas, New Year, or anything wintry (snowflakes, forests of pine trees, candles, fires in the hearth...).
Q: My giftee's prompts aren't really holiday-themed. What should I do?
A: You have to holiday-ify the fic. Have everyone trapped indoors during a snowstorm. Record the characters on Christmas Eve, or their New Year visit to a shrine. Or just make it really, really cold and snowy out. The holiday season doesn't have to be the focus of the story (you can make the prompt the focus), but it has to be a significant part of it.
Q: I'm creating graphics/an AMV/a fanmix. I want to make something that my giftee can enjoy year-round, as opposed to something seasonal. That, and I'm having trouble applying their 'story prompts' to my idea.
A: For graphics, something generally wintery or bright (a la Christmas lights) is probably a good compromise. Try your best with the given prompts, but understand that we don't expect graphics to convey the same thing as a story or a picture. If you want to try and fit the fanmix/AMV to a story or put in a couple Christmas songs, that might be a way to compromise. Again, we don't expect the same from these unique mediums. We'll take into account your needs when assigning prompts, and will try and give you prompts that are less story-intensive. We try - we're not perfect. We simply want to keep the exchange open to as many gifters as possible.
Q: What's acceptable for giving/receiving?
A: Almost anything. The mods reserve the right to delete from the comm any gifts that we feel are horribly tasteless. That's extremely unlikely to EVER happen. Just stay within the giftee's guidelines and you should be fine. Yaoi/yuri and NC-17 gifts are definitely allowed, but please mark the gift as such. If the gift is NC-17, please be sure to use a fake cut (a link).
Q: Uh-oh... my fic isn't within my giftee's guidelines. What's going to happen to me?
A: If your gift completely disregards guidelines, such as exceeding the maximum rating, focusing on completely different characters/pairings, or including squicks that were specifically named under 'do-not-wants', you may be asked to edit or entirely rewrite your fic. Otherwise, if you tried to comply and the giftee just wasn't happy... well, what can you do about it? We hope that all the giftees will at least comment on their gifts.
Q: What if my gift is late?
A: If you think you're going to be two days to two weeks late (but know that you will finish your gift), contact one of the mods to tell us that your gift will be late. Please only use this extension if you really, really need it. The holiday season will be up by the time you post, and your poor giftee will have been without a gift! Still, giving at all is better than disappearing.
Q: Something came up, and I can't finish my gift. What should I do?!
A: Stay calm. As sad as we are that you won't be completing your gift, your giftee won't suffer. This is where backup gifters come in. Please contact one of the mods and tell us that you won't be able to turn in your fic at least two weeks before the final due date. This gives our backup gifters enough time to finish a gift for your giftee.
If you're hedging, but finally swallow your courage, you're still welcome to tell us a few days before the deadline. We'll do our best to give your giftee something, and will respect you for being a man/woman and owning up (even if we wish you'd have done it sooner).
Q: What happened to your penalty system?
We decided that penalties discourage people from telling us they're defaulting, or maybe even submitting their late gifts. We want this comm to run smoothly. You'd think this would rely on deadlines - and it does - but if you realize mid-month you won't complete your gift, feeling free to tell us will help us to prepare back-up gifters and achieve the whole running-smoothly thing.
Q: My gift is done, but I won't have access to the internet during posting week. What should I do?
A: Contact one of the mods. If you give us your email, you can email it to us and we'll happily post it for you in the comm. We'll delete it and let you re-post it when you come back if you want to make it a fake cut or want to make edits.
Q: So what's a backup gifter? I want to be one.
A: People can sign up as backup gifters during the main sign-up, or after. For example, in addition to writing a fic for a giftee (or not, if they sign up late), the backup gifter will write a SECOND fic in case someone is unable to finish theirs. Backup gifters have their pick of the unfilled prompts. Hopefully this will encourage you to sign up as one!
Q: Can I affiliate with you?
A: Absolutely! We would LOVE affiliates. They make us feel big and important. PM one of the mods and we'll happily add you to our profile. Our only condition is that your comm be related to Ouran or fanfiction/gift exchanges.
Q: Are these real frequently asked questions?
A: No. In fact, no one's ever asked most of these questions before. But I thought YOU, hypothetical reader, might ask. So it's more of a convenient way of laying down the holiday_ouran law. Many points here can also be found in The Rules. Go and check them out.
Q: So how does this work?
You sign up. Each person who signs up is both a gifter and a giftee. We, the mods, send your request to another participant, and you will be given another participant's request. This is how most fanfiction exchanges take place. Ours only has the added flavor of being holiday-themed (and, of course, WAY MORE TOTALLY AWESOME).
Q: How long does the sign-up period last?
A: The sign-up period lasts one or two weeks, depending, so tell your friends as quickly as possible! After the sign-up period, we will still accept gifters, but not giftees. Sorry! More on backup gifters later.
Q: How long does the creating period last, and how much am I supposed to create, again?
A: You have roughly a month from the day that the prompts are sent out to the day that your gift is due. If your gift is fic, it has to be at least 1,000 words long. Fanmixes should include at least six tracks and coverart. AMVS should be at least minute long, with decent-quality sound and footage. Art should be presentable and scanned. Graphics should include an icon and banner. If you have questions for the last three categories, just run them by one of the mods (or comment and ask on this post).
Q: So wait... I can do AMVs and fanmixes now?
If you want, yes. We decided there's no reason to bar any kind of gift from the exchange. Although we still expect a heavy fanfiction turnout, AMVs and fanmixes are certainly welcome.
If you're doing a fanmix, please keep in mind that file sharing must be conducted outside of the comm. You can post your coverart and compilation - on youtube, playlist.com, etc. - here, but keep filesharing to PM and please ensure that your giftee is okay with recieving files before you give them. People who recieve fanmixes are not to expect any more than a compilation. If the gifter wants to share on fanmix , that's acceptable. Just don't cut or fake cut to a download link on this comm, please.
Q: How do I contact the mods?
A: If you have a general question, ask it here in the comments of the FAQ. If you have a more personal question, or need to tell us that you'll be late or are defaulting, PM one of us ASAP. More on that later.
Q: Um... I'm not really sure how to sign up.
A: This one's easy: go to the most recent sign up post (you can find a link here, on the holiday_ouran profile page). You'll see a text box in the post. Copy and past it into a reply. Now simply answer the questions and post as a comment. Comments are screened, so only the mods will be able to see who suggests what. Part of the fun is seeing all the prompts when the time comes! Think of the screened comments like presents at an actual Secret Santa: it's no fun if they're unwrapped at the beginning.
Q: Okay, that makes sense. But I'm kind of confused about the questions. What's a good prompt? What's a do-not-want?
A: People generally agree that a good prompt is one that gives the gifter room to work, but also gives them something to work with. Please give more than one prompt - it gives the gifter vital wiggle room! They might hate and be unable to write Kyouya/Haruhi for you, but if you also give 'Renge-centric', 'Hunny/Mori friendship', or 'Tamaki/Haruhi', they'll probably be able to write a good fic for you from one or more of those prompts. Put down things that you want, but allow for some range. As for story prompts, phrases, loose scenarios, and single words are the way to go. Part of the fun for the gifter is interpreting your prompts and writing the story you want. Part of the fun for you is reading something that is perhaps different - and hopefully better - than what you had in mind.
A do-not-want is something that you do not want to write or receive. Or maybe it's just one or the other (specify which, please). It can be anything, but it's for the most part something you refuse to write or would hate to have in your gift. For example, "I'm uncomfortable/bad at writing yaoi/smut", or "no [kink here], please".
More information on the sign-up form here.
Q: Do my prompts have to be holiday themed?
A: Prompts must relate to the season in some way. That's the point of the community - holiday_Ouran, you know? Prompts can be related to Christmas, New Year, or anything wintry (snowflakes, forests of pine trees, candles, fires in the hearth...).
Q: My giftee's prompts aren't really holiday-themed. What should I do?
A: You have to holiday-ify the fic. Have everyone trapped indoors during a snowstorm. Record the characters on Christmas Eve, or their New Year visit to a shrine. Or just make it really, really cold and snowy out. The holiday season doesn't have to be the focus of the story (you can make the prompt the focus), but it has to be a significant part of it.
Q: I'm creating graphics/an AMV/a fanmix. I want to make something that my giftee can enjoy year-round, as opposed to something seasonal. That, and I'm having trouble applying their 'story prompts' to my idea.
A: For graphics, something generally wintery or bright (a la Christmas lights) is probably a good compromise. Try your best with the given prompts, but understand that we don't expect graphics to convey the same thing as a story or a picture. If you want to try and fit the fanmix/AMV to a story or put in a couple Christmas songs, that might be a way to compromise. Again, we don't expect the same from these unique mediums. We'll take into account your needs when assigning prompts, and will try and give you prompts that are less story-intensive. We try - we're not perfect. We simply want to keep the exchange open to as many gifters as possible.
Q: What's acceptable for giving/receiving?
A: Almost anything. The mods reserve the right to delete from the comm any gifts that we feel are horribly tasteless. That's extremely unlikely to EVER happen. Just stay within the giftee's guidelines and you should be fine. Yaoi/yuri and NC-17 gifts are definitely allowed, but please mark the gift as such. If the gift is NC-17, please be sure to use a fake cut (a link).
Q: Uh-oh... my fic isn't within my giftee's guidelines. What's going to happen to me?
A: If your gift completely disregards guidelines, such as exceeding the maximum rating, focusing on completely different characters/pairings, or including squicks that were specifically named under 'do-not-wants', you may be asked to edit or entirely rewrite your fic. Otherwise, if you tried to comply and the giftee just wasn't happy... well, what can you do about it? We hope that all the giftees will at least comment on their gifts.
Q: What if my gift is late?
A: If you think you're going to be two days to two weeks late (but know that you will finish your gift), contact one of the mods to tell us that your gift will be late. Please only use this extension if you really, really need it. The holiday season will be up by the time you post, and your poor giftee will have been without a gift! Still, giving at all is better than disappearing.
Q: Something came up, and I can't finish my gift. What should I do?!
A: Stay calm. As sad as we are that you won't be completing your gift, your giftee won't suffer. This is where backup gifters come in. Please contact one of the mods and tell us that you won't be able to turn in your fic at least two weeks before the final due date. This gives our backup gifters enough time to finish a gift for your giftee.
If you're hedging, but finally swallow your courage, you're still welcome to tell us a few days before the deadline. We'll do our best to give your giftee something, and will respect you for being a man/woman and owning up (even if we wish you'd have done it sooner).
Q: What happened to your penalty system?
We decided that penalties discourage people from telling us they're defaulting, or maybe even submitting their late gifts. We want this comm to run smoothly. You'd think this would rely on deadlines - and it does - but if you realize mid-month you won't complete your gift, feeling free to tell us will help us to prepare back-up gifters and achieve the whole running-smoothly thing.
Q: My gift is done, but I won't have access to the internet during posting week. What should I do?
A: Contact one of the mods. If you give us your email, you can email it to us and we'll happily post it for you in the comm. We'll delete it and let you re-post it when you come back if you want to make it a fake cut or want to make edits.
Q: So what's a backup gifter? I want to be one.
A: People can sign up as backup gifters during the main sign-up, or after. For example, in addition to writing a fic for a giftee (or not, if they sign up late), the backup gifter will write a SECOND fic in case someone is unable to finish theirs. Backup gifters have their pick of the unfilled prompts. Hopefully this will encourage you to sign up as one!
Q: Can I affiliate with you?
A: Absolutely! We would LOVE affiliates. They make us feel big and important. PM one of the mods and we'll happily add you to our profile. Our only condition is that your comm be related to Ouran or fanfiction/gift exchanges.
Q: Are these real frequently asked questions?
A: No. In fact, no one's ever asked most of these questions before. But I thought YOU, hypothetical reader, might ask. So it's more of a convenient way of laying down the holiday_ouran law. Many points here can also be found in The Rules. Go and check them out.