FAQ
1. Will this fest be held on livejournal or insanejournal? There are communities for it on both places.
Simple answer: yes. More specifically all works will be posted on both communities, although here on livejournal all posts with adult content will be tagged as such and marked as friends only. This is to allow people who are solely on one site or the other to read the fics without causing any confusion.
2. Do I need to sign up at both livejournal and insanejournal?
No. Please only post your signup sheet to one or the other, not both.
3. If I get too busy, don't like my assignment or don't like who I'm writing for, can I just drop out?
Absolutely not. If you're even thinking this please do not sign up here. We want committed, reliable writers for this fest. We don't want to have to chase people down to find out what's happening, to have to reassign fics half way through the fest or to risk people not getting what they've asked for. Seriously, don't do it.
4. What if I do need to drop out then?
Tell us ASAP. If it's early on in the fest, we can still try and find new participants or pinch-hitters. If we don't find out until posting has almost started, this becomes a lot more difficult. Furthermore, unless you're dropping out for a really, really good reason, we will not allow you back into any fest that either of us ever end up running.
5. I don't like the person I'm writing for, what do I do?
You will almost never hear us say this, but deal with it. If you can write the request, ignore who it's for. Just write the story to the best of your ability -- the recipient really doesn't matter. In the end, you've hopefully still got a good story, right?
6. What if I absolutely can't write my request?
Let us know. If we've sent you something that's a real mismatch we'll make sure we rearrange things so that you have something you can write. Just make sure you're really specific on your signup form so we can try and avoid this eventuality. For example, if you say you can't write Hagrid and we send you an assignment with only Hagrid pairings or you say you can't write angst or darkfic and that's all your recipient wants, tell us. We've made a mistake and we'll gladly fix it.
7. What if it's not a squick, I said I could write it but I just...can't?
Once again, tell us ASAP. We've been there ourselves and we will be sympathetic. We'll either try and help you brainstorm ideas to get you going again or see what we can do to rearrange things. We don't want you to be stuck writing something you hate, and we're more than happy to try and help out if we can.
8. I only write het/slash/femmeslash/gen. Can I still sign up?
Sure! Just make sure to mark that on your signup sheet. Your assignment may include a mix of het and slash and femmeslash pairings, but we only expect you to write what you're comfortable with, so just pick one that you can do and go for it.
9. I've signed up and I really want to keep participating, but I need more time. What do I do?
Let us know as soon as you can. We can probably arrange an extension for you (provided that everyone else hasn't also asked for one). On that note, however, please only ask us if you genuinely need it. If you just can't be bothered to finish writing your fic right now, we probably won't be sympathetic and will be pissed off that you've used up an extension someone with a valid reason needed.
10. Hey! I wrote a fic, and didn't get a gift!
We don't anticipate this happening. In fact, we're going to do absolutely everything in our power to make sure it hasn't. But if, for some reason, you didn't get your gift by May 31, tell us nicely and we'll find out what on earth happened. Even if it ends up being late, you will get it.
11. Can I post the fic I wrote elsewhere?
Sure, just wait until after May 31st and we've revealed all the authors, please.
12. Can I post the fic I received elsewhere?
You can rec it, definitely. However, despite the fact that it's 'your' gift, it still remains the work of the author. If you wish to post it elsewhere, ask them first and make sure you credit them.
13. Do I need to use everything from the author's request?
Definitely not. You can use as much or as little as you want, however you do need to chose at least one of their requested pairings and one of the requested traditions. The rest of the kinks/things they'd like to see are just guidelines, although the more you put in the happier your recipient will no doubt be.
14. Can I write something on my recipient's squick list?
Absolutely not. No way, no how. The squicks list is there for a reason -- to help you avoid it. As such any fics that contain even a hint of the recipient's squicks will be rejected and you can either re-write it or leave the fest.
15. Can I use more than one of my recipient's requested pairings?
Yes, and I'm sure they will love you forever for it.
16. Can I write threesomes with one of my recipient's requested pairings and another character?
No. Not unless they specifically requested it anyway.