Rules and iFAQ
Like any good community, we have our rules and regulations on how things should be done around here. In fact, we have them in two groups - how the challenge operates and how we expect our members to behave. Let's get right to them, shall we?
1. BE NICE That means no pairing bashing, no acting like a spoiled brat, no flaming or flame-baiting. We welcome and encourage constructive criticism, but if you don't like a pairing, then don't read it.
2. If you don't want con-crit, say so. This one's on you, authors. This is, after all, a writing community, and those with more experience/ability may be able to help out those with less. But if you're not interested in constructive criticism of your fic (and not everyone is, which is fine), then it's up to you as the author to tell us this. We're not mind readers, after all.
3. If you're having trouble with someone, bring it to the attention of a mod. We don't really expect this to be an issue, but we like to cover all our bases. If you are having a hard time with another comm member, notify one of the mods and we'll take care of it.
4. No disabling/deleting comments. Going along with #3, all posts to the community must have comments enabled, even if it's just a link to your fic. Posts that do not have comments enabled will be deleted. Also, please don't delete comments, even if they're not complimentary. If someone is being abusive, then by all means, freeze the thread and let us know about it, but don't delete.
5. Use English in your comments. I know, not everyone speaks English as a first language, but in order to effectively moderate, we need to know what's being said. A little bit of language-slipping is fine (I do it myself, being a language sponge), but the bulk of your comments should be in English.
So you want to write for our challenges? Excellent, here's what you need to keep in mind.
1. You may have up to two claims, but only one per fandom. What does "per fandom" mean? Each band/group/solo+support is its own fandom. If you choose a crossover pairing and then want to make a second claim, it can't be from either of the first two. So say your first was ... GacktxShinya. That means your second claim can't involve Gackt/JOB OR Dir en grey.
2. You can claim (almost) anything. This is the really fun part - you don't have to claim a pairing. Yes, the name of the comm is Four Seasons of Love, but there's all kinds of love out there, not all your fics have to be about sexual love. Claim a pairing, claim a threesome, claim a band, claim a single person! Now here's the really important bit: if you claim a pairing, every fic must focus on that pairing. Same deal with a threesome. If you claim an entire band, the whole band must appear in every fic. If you claim a single person, you can pair him or her with whomever you like, regardless of other claims, or no one at all.
3. You must follow posting format. Every time you post, you must use the format. In your subject lines, include title, pairing/claim, and challenge number. In the body of your post, include the following header:
Title: [if you're doing a multichaptered fic, be sure to note n/x somewhere so we can keep track]
Author: [self-explanatory, I think]
Theme: [both set and theme number]
Claim: [whatever you specifically claimed, put it here so we can keep things organized]
Pairing(s): [There are at least a dozen different operators and conventions for how to mark pairings, but let's at least try to be consistent, (seme)x(uke), okay?]
Genre: [ie: drama, action, fluff, PWP, H/C, romance]
Warnings: [required field for the following: deathfic, rape/non-con, graphic violence, graphic drug use, bdsm/kink/explicit sex. Don't argue with me, just do it, okay?]
Summary: [A quick line or two about your fic.]
Comments: [Anything else you want to tell us about your process, any usage or cultural notes, thanks to betas and commenters, that sort of thing]
4. You may only post once a day per claim. If you want to tackle your themeset as a chaptered fic (or even just part of the set in chapters), then that's fine, but no matter how inspired you get, you can only post for your claim once a day. We hope for this comm to be wildly popular and we don't really want to be flooding anyone's f-lists, least of all Selah's, since she has to keep track of you hairy lot.
5. The lj-cut tag is your friend. Use it. All fanfics must either be cut or linked. It's not even that hard. Need the code? The tag is: [content]
1. Can I really claim anything?
Well, just about. Your claim has to be a part of the music industry in a country in SE Asia. There's a certain expected bias, but your claim doesn't have to be Japanese. China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam ... feel free to let creativity sweep you away. You do, also, have to claim whole people - you can't for example, claim Toshiya's knees or Gackt's smile.
2. Okay, so what are the themes? And what's this about sets?
The themes are right here. Read the theme post for more information on how exactly those work.
3. When can I start posting for my claim?
You have to wait for approval before you can start posting for your claim. This is to make sure your claim isn't in conflict with anyone else - the claims list may only be updated once a day, or even less frequently if something's come up. Claims are usually processed within 48 hours, and often within much, much less.
4. How do I make a claim? Drop a claim? Finish a claim?
Comment with your desired claim here. To drop or notify us that you've finished with your claim, comment here. Be sure to use the appropriate form for each action.
5. Do I have to do the themes in order?
Not at all. If you want to start with the first one and work your way through, that's fine. If you want to pick and choose at random, that's fine too.
6. Can I use more than one theme in a fic?
Conditional yes. We've seen this get abused rather badly elsewhere, so here's the deal. The only way you can use more than one theme in the same fic is if it's a chaptered fic and even then you can only use one theme for each chapter. If you choose to do this, every chapter of your fic must use one of the themes in your set ... and of course we expect the seasonal theme to be present in the overall fic, even if it fades a bit from chapter to chapter.
7. You deleted my post! Why?
Chances are, one of two things happened. One, you disabled comments on your post; this is against the rules and we'll delete without blinking. Two, you tried to over-post; you can only post once per claim per day. If it wasn't one of these reasons, you should have received a comment just prior to explain it.
Note: If you break posting format, you will get a mod comment telling you to fix your post and giving a timeline in which to do it. We try to be reasonable - we know that sometimes people post as they're running out the door to do something else, but if you miss the deadline, then please repost, this time keeping format.
8a. Why can't I claim [AxB/band X/person Z/usw.]?
There are a couple reasons for this.
a) The claim you're trying to make was already claimed by someone else. This is why we ask you to wait before posting - so we can be sure you're free and clear.
b) You've already made a claim in the same fandom. You get two claims, but they have to be different fandoms. You can't claim GakuHaiEev (GacktxhydexMiyavi) and then try to claim MiyavixMaayatan or yukixtetsu
c) You recently dropped this claim and failed to justify why you should be allowed to have it back again. The more mainstream your claim, the more time will have to pass before you pass out of the justification period. So someone who drops Gacktxhyde may still have to justify themselves after three months while someone who drops KikasaxO-jiro won't. [And please, if there is such fic, don't tell me about it. x_x]
8b. Why can't I claim [AxB/band X/person Z/usw.] and just use the next themeset?
Ah-hah, thought you'd be tricky and double-up by moving to the next themeset? No such luck. Why? Because when you complete your claim, you have the option of keeping it and moving to the next themeset or letting it go so someone else can do so. Even if you get Writer M to swear on her greatgrandmother's grave that she won't want to continue, what if she reaches the end of her set and then changes her mind? Only she wouldn't be able to continue, because you already are. And that wouldn't be very fair, now would it? So no, you're just going to have to wait.
9. Can I reserve a claim?
No. If what you want is already claimed, then you just have to wait like everyone else. If what you want isn't claimed, then you can either claim it now or take your chances by waiting.
10. Writer M has claimed pairing AxB. If I claim [A/B], can I still write AxB fics?
To a point. Since you're claiming a single person, you are indeed allowed to pair A and B together. HOWEVER, if you write all twenty-five fics with them as a pairing, then you're doing an end-run around our rule of only one person being able to claim a pairing/person/band/usw. at a time. That means at least some (as in more than a couple) have to be not-AxB.
11. I'm a slow writer. How often do I have to post to keep my claim?
I would love it if people were posting for their claims once a month or more, but I am myself a slow writer, so I know the pain. At the same time, it's not fair for someone to make a claim and then never do anything about it, so I will periodically go through and if you haven't posted for your claim in four months, you'll get a one month warning.
12. Writer M hasn't posted in forever and I want that claim. Do something!
Claims can only expire when we're doing a sweep of authors. Such sweeps may or may not happen every four months, in which case authors may get some extra grace. Claims will not be taken away from an author outside of a sweep period no matter how long it's been, so don't bother us about it, bug the author. But do it nicely, okay? There could be a very good reason for the silence.
13. You said my claim is in danger. Now what?
Well, the easiest thing for you to do is to write something for your claim. However, when we post about a sweep, we'll also provide a form you can use to request an extension. If you're requesting an extention, be prepared to justify yourself - "I'm too lazy" isn't going to work as an excuse. Reasons for your extention will be kept between you and us, your privacy will be preserved.
14. How long does my fic have to be? Is there a length cap?
One-shots have to be at least 500 words. For chaptered fics, I'd expect chapters of at least 800 words, but I'm not going to sit there counting them. Beyond that, write as long as you like, but be aware that LJ does have a post length cap - you're unlikely to get a fic or chapter of more than 10 000 words to post.
15. Can I write AU? What about crossovers?
All fic is AU to some degree, but if you're talking about the infamous schoolfic or other radical AU, then yeah, sure, go for it. Write as many as you like, in fact. As for crossovers ... you can do one crossover per set.
Note - and this is important - just because you want to use members of multiple bands, that doesn't make your fic a crossover. These people all work in the same or at least similar industries and thus share a 'verse, as it were. You may have to do some fast talking to explain why Lee Dong Hae is hanging all over SID's Aki, but it's not a crossover. Now if you have Hakuei attending Hogwarts, that's a crossover.
16. Okay, I've read it a couple times now and it's bugging me. What's 'usw.'?
Shorthand. XD Usw. is an abbreviation for und so weiter - and so forth. Why? Because I studied German for a number of years and the habit sort of stuck.
17. I have a question that isn't on here!
You're kidding me, right? No? Well then, ask away and we will answer your question forthwith!
18. Selah, are you really a jaguar?
Yes, actually, complete with tail and claws.
1. BE NICE That means no pairing bashing, no acting like a spoiled brat, no flaming or flame-baiting. We welcome and encourage constructive criticism, but if you don't like a pairing, then don't read it.
2. If you don't want con-crit, say so. This one's on you, authors. This is, after all, a writing community, and those with more experience/ability may be able to help out those with less. But if you're not interested in constructive criticism of your fic (and not everyone is, which is fine), then it's up to you as the author to tell us this. We're not mind readers, after all.
3. If you're having trouble with someone, bring it to the attention of a mod. We don't really expect this to be an issue, but we like to cover all our bases. If you are having a hard time with another comm member, notify one of the mods and we'll take care of it.
4. No disabling/deleting comments. Going along with #3, all posts to the community must have comments enabled, even if it's just a link to your fic. Posts that do not have comments enabled will be deleted. Also, please don't delete comments, even if they're not complimentary. If someone is being abusive, then by all means, freeze the thread and let us know about it, but don't delete.
5. Use English in your comments. I know, not everyone speaks English as a first language, but in order to effectively moderate, we need to know what's being said. A little bit of language-slipping is fine (I do it myself, being a language sponge), but the bulk of your comments should be in English.
So you want to write for our challenges? Excellent, here's what you need to keep in mind.
1. You may have up to two claims, but only one per fandom. What does "per fandom" mean? Each band/group/solo+support is its own fandom. If you choose a crossover pairing and then want to make a second claim, it can't be from either of the first two. So say your first was ... GacktxShinya. That means your second claim can't involve Gackt/JOB OR Dir en grey.
2. You can claim (almost) anything. This is the really fun part - you don't have to claim a pairing. Yes, the name of the comm is Four Seasons of Love, but there's all kinds of love out there, not all your fics have to be about sexual love. Claim a pairing, claim a threesome, claim a band, claim a single person! Now here's the really important bit: if you claim a pairing, every fic must focus on that pairing. Same deal with a threesome. If you claim an entire band, the whole band must appear in every fic. If you claim a single person, you can pair him or her with whomever you like, regardless of other claims, or no one at all.
3. You must follow posting format. Every time you post, you must use the format. In your subject lines, include title, pairing/claim, and challenge number. In the body of your post, include the following header:
Title: [if you're doing a multichaptered fic, be sure to note n/x somewhere so we can keep track]
Author: [self-explanatory, I think]
Theme: [both set and theme number]
Claim: [whatever you specifically claimed, put it here so we can keep things organized]
Pairing(s): [There are at least a dozen different operators and conventions for how to mark pairings, but let's at least try to be consistent, (seme)x(uke), okay?]
Genre: [ie: drama, action, fluff, PWP, H/C, romance]
Warnings: [required field for the following: deathfic, rape/non-con, graphic violence, graphic drug use, bdsm/kink/explicit sex. Don't argue with me, just do it, okay?]
Summary: [A quick line or two about your fic.]
Comments: [Anything else you want to tell us about your process, any usage or cultural notes, thanks to betas and commenters, that sort of thing]
4. You may only post once a day per claim. If you want to tackle your themeset as a chaptered fic (or even just part of the set in chapters), then that's fine, but no matter how inspired you get, you can only post for your claim once a day. We hope for this comm to be wildly popular and we don't really want to be flooding anyone's f-lists, least of all Selah's, since she has to keep track of you hairy lot.
5. The lj-cut tag is your friend. Use it. All fanfics must either be cut or linked. It's not even that hard. Need the code? The tag is: [content]
1. Can I really claim anything?
Well, just about. Your claim has to be a part of the music industry in a country in SE Asia. There's a certain expected bias, but your claim doesn't have to be Japanese. China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam ... feel free to let creativity sweep you away. You do, also, have to claim whole people - you can't for example, claim Toshiya's knees or Gackt's smile.
2. Okay, so what are the themes? And what's this about sets?
The themes are right here. Read the theme post for more information on how exactly those work.
3. When can I start posting for my claim?
You have to wait for approval before you can start posting for your claim. This is to make sure your claim isn't in conflict with anyone else - the claims list may only be updated once a day, or even less frequently if something's come up. Claims are usually processed within 48 hours, and often within much, much less.
4. How do I make a claim? Drop a claim? Finish a claim?
Comment with your desired claim here. To drop or notify us that you've finished with your claim, comment here. Be sure to use the appropriate form for each action.
5. Do I have to do the themes in order?
Not at all. If you want to start with the first one and work your way through, that's fine. If you want to pick and choose at random, that's fine too.
6. Can I use more than one theme in a fic?
Conditional yes. We've seen this get abused rather badly elsewhere, so here's the deal. The only way you can use more than one theme in the same fic is if it's a chaptered fic and even then you can only use one theme for each chapter. If you choose to do this, every chapter of your fic must use one of the themes in your set ... and of course we expect the seasonal theme to be present in the overall fic, even if it fades a bit from chapter to chapter.
7. You deleted my post! Why?
Chances are, one of two things happened. One, you disabled comments on your post; this is against the rules and we'll delete without blinking. Two, you tried to over-post; you can only post once per claim per day. If it wasn't one of these reasons, you should have received a comment just prior to explain it.
Note: If you break posting format, you will get a mod comment telling you to fix your post and giving a timeline in which to do it. We try to be reasonable - we know that sometimes people post as they're running out the door to do something else, but if you miss the deadline, then please repost, this time keeping format.
8a. Why can't I claim [AxB/band X/person Z/usw.]?
There are a couple reasons for this.
a) The claim you're trying to make was already claimed by someone else. This is why we ask you to wait before posting - so we can be sure you're free and clear.
b) You've already made a claim in the same fandom. You get two claims, but they have to be different fandoms. You can't claim GakuHaiEev (GacktxhydexMiyavi) and then try to claim MiyavixMaayatan or yukixtetsu
c) You recently dropped this claim and failed to justify why you should be allowed to have it back again. The more mainstream your claim, the more time will have to pass before you pass out of the justification period. So someone who drops Gacktxhyde may still have to justify themselves after three months while someone who drops KikasaxO-jiro won't. [And please, if there is such fic, don't tell me about it. x_x]
8b. Why can't I claim [AxB/band X/person Z/usw.] and just use the next themeset?
Ah-hah, thought you'd be tricky and double-up by moving to the next themeset? No such luck. Why? Because when you complete your claim, you have the option of keeping it and moving to the next themeset or letting it go so someone else can do so. Even if you get Writer M to swear on her greatgrandmother's grave that she won't want to continue, what if she reaches the end of her set and then changes her mind? Only she wouldn't be able to continue, because you already are. And that wouldn't be very fair, now would it? So no, you're just going to have to wait.
9. Can I reserve a claim?
No. If what you want is already claimed, then you just have to wait like everyone else. If what you want isn't claimed, then you can either claim it now or take your chances by waiting.
10. Writer M has claimed pairing AxB. If I claim [A/B], can I still write AxB fics?
To a point. Since you're claiming a single person, you are indeed allowed to pair A and B together. HOWEVER, if you write all twenty-five fics with them as a pairing, then you're doing an end-run around our rule of only one person being able to claim a pairing/person/band/usw. at a time. That means at least some (as in more than a couple) have to be not-AxB.
11. I'm a slow writer. How often do I have to post to keep my claim?
I would love it if people were posting for their claims once a month or more, but I am myself a slow writer, so I know the pain. At the same time, it's not fair for someone to make a claim and then never do anything about it, so I will periodically go through and if you haven't posted for your claim in four months, you'll get a one month warning.
12. Writer M hasn't posted in forever and I want that claim. Do something!
Claims can only expire when we're doing a sweep of authors. Such sweeps may or may not happen every four months, in which case authors may get some extra grace. Claims will not be taken away from an author outside of a sweep period no matter how long it's been, so don't bother us about it, bug the author. But do it nicely, okay? There could be a very good reason for the silence.
13. You said my claim is in danger. Now what?
Well, the easiest thing for you to do is to write something for your claim. However, when we post about a sweep, we'll also provide a form you can use to request an extension. If you're requesting an extention, be prepared to justify yourself - "I'm too lazy" isn't going to work as an excuse. Reasons for your extention will be kept between you and us, your privacy will be preserved.
14. How long does my fic have to be? Is there a length cap?
One-shots have to be at least 500 words. For chaptered fics, I'd expect chapters of at least 800 words, but I'm not going to sit there counting them. Beyond that, write as long as you like, but be aware that LJ does have a post length cap - you're unlikely to get a fic or chapter of more than 10 000 words to post.
15. Can I write AU? What about crossovers?
All fic is AU to some degree, but if you're talking about the infamous schoolfic or other radical AU, then yeah, sure, go for it. Write as many as you like, in fact. As for crossovers ... you can do one crossover per set.
Note - and this is important - just because you want to use members of multiple bands, that doesn't make your fic a crossover. These people all work in the same or at least similar industries and thus share a 'verse, as it were. You may have to do some fast talking to explain why Lee Dong Hae is hanging all over SID's Aki, but it's not a crossover. Now if you have Hakuei attending Hogwarts, that's a crossover.
16. Okay, I've read it a couple times now and it's bugging me. What's 'usw.'?
Shorthand. XD Usw. is an abbreviation for und so weiter - and so forth. Why? Because I studied German for a number of years and the habit sort of stuck.
17. I have a question that isn't on here!
You're kidding me, right? No? Well then, ask away and we will answer your question forthwith!
18. Selah, are you really a jaguar?
Yes, actually, complete with tail and claws.