FAQ Post
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a big bang anyways?
A Big Bang is a specific type of challenge that combines long fic and accompanying artwork/media. Writers, er, write, and artists draw, make vids, make fanmixes/soundtracks, photo collages, etc., and then they are matched together to collaborate on a joint contribution of fic and media that comes together in a Big Bang!
How does it work?
Writers and artists sign up to participate in the challenge, independently of each other. Writers must submit a completed draft of their fic that meets a minimum word count of 15,000 words, along with a title and summary of their fic by September 1st. The following week, story titles and summaries will be posted without revealing the authors’ names. Artists will then have the opportunity to claim a fic based on the summary, and they will have roughly a month to create art for that fic. Writer/artist pairings will then be assigned specific posting dates, and their Big Bangs will be posted and shared and loved by all! Specific rules will be in the author/artist sign up posts, coming soon!
Can I choose my author/artist before sign ups?
No, writers and artists will sign up independently. Artist clams will be done on a first come, first serve basis. We will put up a f-locked claims post once all of the fics have been finished, and artists will reply to it with which story they wish to claim. Comments will not be screened, so that artists may see what has been taken and what has not. However, because the post will be locked, you must join the community to make claims.
Can I sign up for both fic and art?
Sure! You just can’t do art for your own fic, but we’ll try to manage the deadlines for both fic and art so that writers have time to also contribute media. The more stuff the better!
Are there prompts or can I write about/create anything I choose?
We will have a prompts/plot bunny post in a few weeks, but there is one main rule for fics/art: A Disney or Nick Actor/Actress/Singer must be the primary focus. Aside from that, you basically have free reign. It must be about real people and not their characters. For example, a Hannah Montana/Carly Shay fic would not be allowed but a Miley Cyrus/Miranda Cosgrove fic would. It is okay to have a crossover of Disney/Nick stars and other celebs, as long as there is at least one Disney/Nick star as the main character.
One Direction was on iCarly, may I write about them?
Yes, you may, as they also went on tour with Big Time Rush.
Does my story have to include a current Disney/Nick star?
No. You may write about past stars as well. For example, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are fair game.
Is this just a het challenge or is slash and gen allowed?
Everything is allowed! Slash, het and gen are all great, as long as a Disney/Nick star is the primary character.
Can writers collaborate on a story?
Yes. As long as it meets the story requirements, no problem.
Are AUs allowed?
Yes.
Can I submit a WIP I've been posting in my journal as my fic contribution?
It depends! You can submit a story you’ve already started and partially posted as long as (1) you write a minimum of 15,000 NEW words for your Big Bang submission, and (2) the fic is complete when you post it for Big Bang.
Can I submit a sequel to a story I've already posted?
Yes, as long as the submitted story can completely stand-alone, does not end in a TBC, and meets all the other requirements.
Is there a word limit on first-drafts?
It needs to be at least 10,000 words, or 80% of your fic. You do not need to have your fic finished by this time however, you may still work on it and get it beta-read until your final fic and art is due. We just need to be able to reasonably verify that you are going to be able to post on your assigned date.
Can I have an extension?
We will be granting extensions on a case-by-case basis for rough drafts as long as your final fic or art is in by the due date. We would hope, however, that you use the occasional checkpoints and all your available writing time to it's fullest.
Can an author turn in more than one story?
Yes you can, as long as you think you'll be able to finish both by the deadline and that both will be more than 15,000 words. However, please limit the number of submissions per author to TWO fic per challenge.
Can an artist do more than one piece of art?
For your chosen story prompt: Yes. The more the better! For another prompt once my first prompt is finished: Yes. You may claim more than one story to do artwork for, if and ONLY if you are quite certain you will be able to complete both pieces of artwork on time. Again, you MUST think hard if you are biting off more than you can chew with this - otherwise we will just be left with many art-less stories.
What happens if the number of authors doesn't match up with the number of artists?
We will do several rounds of claiming so that EVERY fic has art and in the event that fics outnumber artists. If it's the other way, we may open up the fics so that more than one artists is assigned to the same fic. Either way, everyone who wants to participate will get to participate.
Is there a size limit on art?
No. As long as it's postable, you're good.
Can I post art that I or someone other than my artist has done when I post my story?
No. Not before the end of the posting period. The point of this challenge is for the writer and the artist to collaborate.
Can I give my artist direction on the art?
No. This is not a commissioned piece. It's probably a good idea for the artist and author to talk about the work, but the ultimate call on art is made by the artist, just as the final say on the story content is made by the author. You can of course express your preferences, but the artist doesn’t have to make what you ask for, just as the writer doesn’t have to write their fic the way the artist wants it to go.
Do soundtracks/mixes count as art?
Yes.
Can I turn my story in before October 1st?
Yes. Send your 15,000 word draft, a 1-2 paragraph summary, a final title and any story warnings to: disnickbigbangmod@gmail.com
How detailed should my summary be?
Your summary should be descriptive enough to make someone want to read your fic, and to make an artist want to choose your fic to contribute art for. Please warn for anything that could be considered offensive or triggery.
Can I f-lock my Big Bang fic when I post it?
No. Please remember to keep your story posts unlocked (you too, artists). If you don’t want to post them to your personal LJs, you can post the contributions directly to this comm. we’ll lay out specific posting instructions as we approach the posting dates.
Can I tell people what I’m writing about?
No. As much fun as it is to flail about our fics, part of the fun of a Big Bang challenge is for artists to choose fics based on their summaries, and not based on who the author is. We’d prefer it if people didn’t know too much about your plot (other than your beta) so that it isn’t immediately obvious when we post the fic summaries.
When will the artist know who their writer is?
After the artists have chosen the fics based on summaries, we’ll reveal who is working with who and what the assigned posting date is for that writer/artist team. After that reveal, artists and writers can contact each other and start working together.
I'm In! How do I sign up?
Sign ups start today (April 12th) and we will have roughly a month to persuade others to get involved. Sign ups will close on May 12th.
Dates to remember
April 12th, 2012 - Sign ups begin
May 13th - Sign ups close
September 1st - First drafts and summaries are due
September 2nd - Summaries are posted for artists to claim
October 1st, 2012 - final drafts are due
October - staggered posting of final works will continue throughout the month.
Okay guys! Thats about all there is to it. Whats left to do now? Get EXCITED! In the next few weeks there will be a prompt/plot bunnies post posted for those who have no idea what to write, or those of you who have too many plot bunnies to handle. There will also be a beta signups/offerings post for those wonderful people who will hold our writers' hands for the next few months.
Any other questions you have can be asked here, PM'd to disnick_mod, or emailed to disnickbigbangmod@gmail.com.
We can't wait to see what we all come up with. ♥
What is a big bang anyways?
A Big Bang is a specific type of challenge that combines long fic and accompanying artwork/media. Writers, er, write, and artists draw, make vids, make fanmixes/soundtracks, photo collages, etc., and then they are matched together to collaborate on a joint contribution of fic and media that comes together in a Big Bang!
How does it work?
Writers and artists sign up to participate in the challenge, independently of each other. Writers must submit a completed draft of their fic that meets a minimum word count of 15,000 words, along with a title and summary of their fic by September 1st. The following week, story titles and summaries will be posted without revealing the authors’ names. Artists will then have the opportunity to claim a fic based on the summary, and they will have roughly a month to create art for that fic. Writer/artist pairings will then be assigned specific posting dates, and their Big Bangs will be posted and shared and loved by all! Specific rules will be in the author/artist sign up posts, coming soon!
Can I choose my author/artist before sign ups?
No, writers and artists will sign up independently. Artist clams will be done on a first come, first serve basis. We will put up a f-locked claims post once all of the fics have been finished, and artists will reply to it with which story they wish to claim. Comments will not be screened, so that artists may see what has been taken and what has not. However, because the post will be locked, you must join the community to make claims.
Can I sign up for both fic and art?
Sure! You just can’t do art for your own fic, but we’ll try to manage the deadlines for both fic and art so that writers have time to also contribute media. The more stuff the better!
Are there prompts or can I write about/create anything I choose?
We will have a prompts/plot bunny post in a few weeks, but there is one main rule for fics/art: A Disney or Nick Actor/Actress/Singer must be the primary focus. Aside from that, you basically have free reign. It must be about real people and not their characters. For example, a Hannah Montana/Carly Shay fic would not be allowed but a Miley Cyrus/Miranda Cosgrove fic would. It is okay to have a crossover of Disney/Nick stars and other celebs, as long as there is at least one Disney/Nick star as the main character.
One Direction was on iCarly, may I write about them?
Yes, you may, as they also went on tour with Big Time Rush.
Does my story have to include a current Disney/Nick star?
No. You may write about past stars as well. For example, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are fair game.
Is this just a het challenge or is slash and gen allowed?
Everything is allowed! Slash, het and gen are all great, as long as a Disney/Nick star is the primary character.
Can writers collaborate on a story?
Yes. As long as it meets the story requirements, no problem.
Are AUs allowed?
Yes.
Can I submit a WIP I've been posting in my journal as my fic contribution?
It depends! You can submit a story you’ve already started and partially posted as long as (1) you write a minimum of 15,000 NEW words for your Big Bang submission, and (2) the fic is complete when you post it for Big Bang.
Can I submit a sequel to a story I've already posted?
Yes, as long as the submitted story can completely stand-alone, does not end in a TBC, and meets all the other requirements.
Is there a word limit on first-drafts?
It needs to be at least 10,000 words, or 80% of your fic. You do not need to have your fic finished by this time however, you may still work on it and get it beta-read until your final fic and art is due. We just need to be able to reasonably verify that you are going to be able to post on your assigned date.
Can I have an extension?
We will be granting extensions on a case-by-case basis for rough drafts as long as your final fic or art is in by the due date. We would hope, however, that you use the occasional checkpoints and all your available writing time to it's fullest.
Can an author turn in more than one story?
Yes you can, as long as you think you'll be able to finish both by the deadline and that both will be more than 15,000 words. However, please limit the number of submissions per author to TWO fic per challenge.
Can an artist do more than one piece of art?
For your chosen story prompt: Yes. The more the better! For another prompt once my first prompt is finished: Yes. You may claim more than one story to do artwork for, if and ONLY if you are quite certain you will be able to complete both pieces of artwork on time. Again, you MUST think hard if you are biting off more than you can chew with this - otherwise we will just be left with many art-less stories.
What happens if the number of authors doesn't match up with the number of artists?
We will do several rounds of claiming so that EVERY fic has art and in the event that fics outnumber artists. If it's the other way, we may open up the fics so that more than one artists is assigned to the same fic. Either way, everyone who wants to participate will get to participate.
Is there a size limit on art?
No. As long as it's postable, you're good.
Can I post art that I or someone other than my artist has done when I post my story?
No. Not before the end of the posting period. The point of this challenge is for the writer and the artist to collaborate.
Can I give my artist direction on the art?
No. This is not a commissioned piece. It's probably a good idea for the artist and author to talk about the work, but the ultimate call on art is made by the artist, just as the final say on the story content is made by the author. You can of course express your preferences, but the artist doesn’t have to make what you ask for, just as the writer doesn’t have to write their fic the way the artist wants it to go.
Do soundtracks/mixes count as art?
Yes.
Can I turn my story in before October 1st?
Yes. Send your 15,000 word draft, a 1-2 paragraph summary, a final title and any story warnings to: disnickbigbangmod@gmail.com
How detailed should my summary be?
Your summary should be descriptive enough to make someone want to read your fic, and to make an artist want to choose your fic to contribute art for. Please warn for anything that could be considered offensive or triggery.
Can I f-lock my Big Bang fic when I post it?
No. Please remember to keep your story posts unlocked (you too, artists). If you don’t want to post them to your personal LJs, you can post the contributions directly to this comm. we’ll lay out specific posting instructions as we approach the posting dates.
Can I tell people what I’m writing about?
No. As much fun as it is to flail about our fics, part of the fun of a Big Bang challenge is for artists to choose fics based on their summaries, and not based on who the author is. We’d prefer it if people didn’t know too much about your plot (other than your beta) so that it isn’t immediately obvious when we post the fic summaries.
When will the artist know who their writer is?
After the artists have chosen the fics based on summaries, we’ll reveal who is working with who and what the assigned posting date is for that writer/artist team. After that reveal, artists and writers can contact each other and start working together.
I'm In! How do I sign up?
Sign ups start today (April 12th) and we will have roughly a month to persuade others to get involved. Sign ups will close on May 12th.
Dates to remember
April 12th, 2012 - Sign ups begin
May 13th - Sign ups close
September 1st - First drafts and summaries are due
September 2nd - Summaries are posted for artists to claim
October 1st, 2012 - final drafts are due
October - staggered posting of final works will continue throughout the month.
Okay guys! Thats about all there is to it. Whats left to do now? Get EXCITED! In the next few weeks there will be a prompt/plot bunnies post posted for those who have no idea what to write, or those of you who have too many plot bunnies to handle. There will also be a beta signups/offerings post for those wonderful people who will hold our writers' hands for the next few months.
Any other questions you have can be asked here, PM'd to disnick_mod, or emailed to disnickbigbangmod@gmail.com.
We can't wait to see what we all come up with. ♥