FAQ
Will there be extensions?
We will be allowing a 1 week extension for those who need it for Check-Ins. Reminder to let the mods know before the deadline ASAP if you need an extension for smooth sailing!Is AI allowed?
AI is forbidden for everyone. We do not believe in generative AI and do not believe in it as an art form or ethical practice. There will be plenty of opportunities to talk to other people (especially your beta reader) about how to make your work better. We aren’t looking for masterpieces, we just want your best genuine effort.If caught using generative AI or AI art, you will be removed from the big bang.Grammar checkers (such as Grammarly) are okay but any generative AI functions/writing assistants in the program must be disabled.Are other media forms allowed?
We want to see everyone get creative in their own way with other media (animatics, comics, edits, etc). We want to say yes, but they could pose difficulties. Therefore, we will approve alternate media on a case by case situation. It just needs to be YOUR work.Does the Fanfic need to be a new one?
Yes. Anything that has already been posted publicly on the internet is a No-Go, this includes WIPs. Since we have Beta readers and artists coming in as well, we highly encourage you to start a brand new fanfic for this project.Does it have to be shipped?
As long as Aventurine and Ratio are the main characters, platonic, in between, or romantic are all on the table!Are side-ships allowed?
They can be present, but they are not allowed to be the main focus of the fic.Are AUs allowed?
Yes!! We would love to see them!
Are OCs allowed?Yes, granted, as they aren’t the main focus of the fanfiction. They can appear as minor characters/have minor roles. Please keep the main focus on the Canonical characters.What Genres are allowed?
Any kind is allowed!Can we try to match ourselves up preemptively?
Please keep in mind that no artist/writer match is guaranteed, and while we understand having a friend you know is nice, we highly encourage you to try to work with others. If you end up with your friend by pure accident then that’s just how it goes!Is NSFW content allowed?
No. We will not be allowing explicit NSFW of any kind in this round. However…Can we make mature works?
We will be allowing mature stories with mature subjects and will allow for references to mature themes and can fade to blacks, gore, etc. However, if it is tagged mature, you must be 18+ to write/draw/beta-read the work. Furthermore, we ask you to crop or sensor these subjects when posting previews in order to keep it safe for everyone.Do we need tumblr in order to join this event?
No, you do not! However, we do require all participants to have discord for easy communication. We would like all writers to have an A03 account so all fics can be collected in one event. Finally, we ask artists to have some platform of art. If artists do not have a platform, we will do our best to make arrangements.
Event Schedule
Interest Check: Dec 16th
Sign ups open: Jan 14th
Writer and Artist Sign ups close: March 20thWriter summaries Due: March 28th
Artist & Beta Reader claiming: March 29th- April 4th
Claiming Results Reveal: April 5thFirst Writer Check in: Sunday, April 30thFirst artist check-In: Sunday, May 30thMidway Check in: June 30thWriter check-in 3: July 30thSecond artist check-in: August 3rdFinal Check in (everyone): August 29thDeadline: September 6thPromo Week: September 7th- September 13thPosting Week: September 14th- September 20th
Event Info Breakdown
Interest Check Opens: Seeing exactly who is interested in the project and event!
Sign ups open: Applications will go up and allow for writers, artists, and beta readers to sign up. We will contact those who have signed up to state we have gained their application in order to allow writers to start planning.
Writer and Artist Sign ups close: Writers and artists are officially closed, and participants will be given notification and being given a discord link. Only pinch hitters and beta readers applications will be kept open.Writer summaries Due: Writers are to create small summaries of their works with a form provided by the moderators. They will be put in a list with no author names (instead each fic will be given a number) in preparation for Artist and Beta reader claiming.
Artist & Beta Reader claiming: Beta readers and artists will look over the presented summaries and will give their preferred fics they would like to work on.
Claiming Results Reveal: Beta Readers and artists are assigned to their fanfictions to work with their writer.First Writer Check in: Check ins are to designed to keep everyone on track, the first check in ideally is 5,000 words, though we will be simply checking if you are still actively participating regardless of word count. This is our only "soft" check in, made to make sense for writers on how check ins work.First artist check-In: We check in on artists to see how its going, we are looking for some progress but nothing perfected. If we do not hear from an artist, that writer will be given a Pinch Hitter.Midway Check in: Writers must have 10k words, or more than 9,000 words, at the deadline of this check in to qualify. The deadline does require it's minimum words of 20,000. Artists will also be checked for continued progress and we are looking for one of the required artworks to be more refined at this time.Writer check In 3: Writers are given a third check in for 15k words, or a word count above 14K words.Second artist check-in: Artists at this time should have one piece finished and in progress to the second one.Final Check in: Writer check and artists will be check with the expectation that they are nearly completion on their works. Artists should be nearly finished their second piece and writers should have 19,000 words at least.Deadline: All art and writing should be completed, we will be doing another check in to see that everyone is finished.Promo Week: We will be advertising all fics and art via snippets and cropped pieces. This doubles as a time for relaxation.Posting Week: All fics and art are able to be posted online! Ideally, all pieces will be submitted over the course of the week.
Writer Guidelines
Requirements: Fanfiction must be new, not be posted anywhere beforehand, and ideally created for this event. It must not exist as a published work elsewhere.
The fanfiction should be a continuous storyline. Though they can be chaptered works, those chapters must not be disconnected like a collection of unrelated one-shots. What we’re looking for is a coherent, 20,000 words minimum story with a narrative flow.
Ratings and Triggers:
Please properly rate your fanfiction. AO3 has a posting tutorial that can help you get an idea of your fic's rating. However, no explicit fics are allowed. We ask you to list any and all triggers contained as well. If you have any questions on this or wonder if a certain aspect would require a trigger warning, please ask the mods!
Aus and Genres:
We are allowing all genres and Aus (Alternate Universe settings) so long as they falls under the gen category! We do ask that you give a general explanation of the AU in your summary so that the artists will be able to get a grasp of what they will be drawing from. This is the same for your summary even if you are not writing an au.
We will have a form for you to fill out for your submission for your summaries.As a preview:
Summary:
AU (if any):
Wordcount:
Characters:
Rating:
Triggers/Warnings (if any):Extensions for Check-ins and Deadlines:
We ask you to notify us ASAP if you cannot make the deadline. Please keep in mind the sooner you let us know, the better. In general, we will be allowing 1 week extension if needed for important check-in deadlines.Misc. Writer FAQ:
Q. Are original characters allowed?Yes, though they should not be a main focus of the fic.Q. What if I posted a one-shot of my fic somewhere else but I want to turn it into a longer fic for the Big bang?No, you cannot. This has to be a new idea that hasn’t been posted anywhere.Q. Will my name/username be given along with my outline to artists/beta readers for claiming?We will be keeping the usernames out of both claiming periods, so it will be a secret who is writing what. However, if you want to avoid working with a particular artist/beta reader, let us know privately beforehand and we will avoid pairing them with you.Q. What if the artist I’m working with drops out?We will do our best to get you a new artist ASAP via our list of Pinch Hitters. Additionally, both mods are going to be labeled as Pinch Hitters. :DQ. What if nobody chooses my fic at claiming?There is always a risk of your piece not being chosen, in which we will do our best to assign you a Pinch Hitter. As we stated before, both mods are listed as Pinch Hitters. However, if for some reason allPinch Hitters are unable to work on your fanfiction, we will work with you on what to do next.
Artist Guidelines
Artist Requirements:
Artists will be required to make two fully rendered pieces by the end of the big bang. To define these, we are asking for fully coloured pieces with clean lineart. The background may be stylized to be simplified for creative liberty. For example, the anime shocked background or a mostly dark background if the characters are in a cave.)Extra Artwork:
Artists are more than welcome to do more than the two required pieces for their story if they are inspired to do so.
Artists can also work on different kinds of media (such as a comic or video/animatic) if they wish! Just please let us know if you intend to do this and we can approve it on a case by case basis.Claiming:
Artist claiming will happen on March 2nd-March 8th.
• Writers will be handing in their outlines on March 1st.• Each summary will be given a number, much like how beta readers will have in their claiming process. This is to avoid fics being picked solely for their authors. This list will be made available in a google document on March 2nd.• Your choices will be submitted to us, the mods, by March 8th. If you have anyone you are uncomfortable with, or if any fanfiction has triggers that affect you, let one of us know privately ASAP. We will not be pairing you with them.• We will sort claims by what your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices are and go from there. We will randomize it if there are tied claims so everyone has an equal chance to get the fic they’ve chosen. If you do not get one of your top 3, we will ask you for your next top 3, and go from there. We will do our best to match you with one of your top 3 choices, though.Q. What if I can’t choose what fic I want to draw for?
We ask that you pick at least 2 fan fictions you are interested in as your top 2, with your third choice being: Choose for me!/All in!Q. Can I say which fan fiction I absolutely don’t want?
We are going to ask you to refrain from doing that. If there is a fic with a trigger you are affected by, please let us know privately (discord DMs, email, etc.) and we will accommodate.Misc. Artist FAQ:
Q. Can I sign up as a pinch hitter?Yes, please! Just in case one of the artists has to back out, signing up as a pinch hitter will help us keep on track and make sure no writer goes without accompanying art.Q. What if a writer drops out?In that case, the artist will be reassigned to another writer. Let us know and we will work it out with you.Q. What if I’m not around at claiming time?You can pick someone you trust to act as your proxy and create your preference list on your behalf. Please just let us know ahead of time.