Round 3 FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a big bang?
Big bangs are challenges that are based on the spirit of collaborations, where authors write long fics (in this case, a minimum of 15,000 words) and artists create art to accompany them.
How do I sign up?
Once sign-ups open up, there will be individual posts for authors and artists to sign up. Just fill out the forms there and leave it as a comment and you're signed up!
How many projects can I sign up to do?
Authors can write up to two (2) stories, but across mediums, you can sign up to do up to three (3) projects.
What pairings and genres are allowed?
Any and all, provided that the story has a focus on the characters from Inception. This means that gen, alternate universe, crossovers and fusion fics are all allowed too.
Is RPF allowed?
Yes it is.
Can I join this community?
Please do! Feel free to join and watch, even if you don't plan on participating in the challenge itself. If you ARE going to sign up, then please join the community ASAP, as some important posts will be locked for members only.
Authors
What is the minimum word count?
15,000. There is no maximum word count.
Do I need a beta reader for my story?
Yes you do. If you are in need of one, there will be a beta sign-up post made once the author sign-ups begin. If you already have one, that is also fine.
Can I collaborate with another author?
Yes you can.
How many stories can I write for this challenge?
You may write up to two (2) stories.
Artists
inception_bang seeks to foster a collaborative spirit between the authors and artists of our fandom. The ultimate goal of this challenge is to produce multimedia projects through the shared efforts of our participants. With this in mind, we have decided to introduce a dual-track scheme for author-artist collaborations.
TRACK ONE
TRACK TWO
Tradtitional format where collaborative effort begins once author has submitted fic summaryAlternative format where authors and artists are friends who share a common idea for the final project and sign up togetherAuthor posts fic summary (with warnings) anonymouslyFic summaries are NOT posted for claiming because the team has been formed at the very beginningArtist claims summary that interests them Artist creates graphics/fanmixes/videos to accompany ficArtist creates graphics/fanmixes/videos to accompany fic
PLEASE NOTE:
• In order to ensure a friendly and non-competitive environment, in no situation are ANY participants allowed to comment on sign-up posts in order to form partnerships
• Nor should participants contact certain authors or artists they want to work with (based on quality of work or prompts) unless they are already friends, or have a pre-existing idea for the project
Bear in mind that we have no way of knowing whether participants who sign up as a team actually are friends, or whether they have a pre-existing idea for the project. We expect everyone to act in good faith.
What forms of art can be submitted?
Any, including but not limited to traditional drawing/painting, digital drawing/painting, photomanipulations, photography, fanmixes, fanvideos, posters. If you are not sure the style of art you would like to do will be accepted please just ask!
What are the requirements for art?
You are required to make a minimum of one piece of art for your project, but you can make as much as you would like. The main requirement is that you put as much effort into your art as the authors do for their stories. However, if you are creating a fanmix, you are required to have at least eight (8) songs and to create cover art.
How do I claim a fic?
Once the authors turn in their rough drafts, a claims post will go up, including summaries, pairings and warnings for each of the fics. You will then be required to comment listing your preferences once claims are open, and it will be first come, first served.
HOWEVER, if you are participating in Track Two, you will not be required to claim a fic, as you will already be signing up with an author.
Schedule
This is the timeline we will be following:
August 14th-November 18th: Author sign-ups
August 14th: Beta sign-ups
August 14th-Dcember 6th: Artist sign-ups
September 15th: Author check-in #1 (optional)
October 13th: Author check-in #2 (optional)
November 17th: Author check-in #3 (mandatory)
December 5th: Rough drafts and summaries due
December 8th: Story summaries are posted for artists to select from
December 29th: Artist check-in (mandatory)
January 21st: Submission of final drafts and art
February 1st: Posting of art and fic begins
What are check-ins?
For authors, these are just gentle reminders along the way to give them an idea of where they should be in their writing process. Only the last one for authors is mandatory. For artists, there is only one mandatory check-in, to make sure that their work is progressing at a good pace and they've received the fic from the author.
What happens once artists claim fics?
You will receive emails with contact information for your author/artist once your claim has been confirmed. Please allow up to 24 hours after your claim is confirmed for this.
What should my rough draft be like?
You do not need the entire fic to be completed by this time, but it needs to be at least 12,000 words long. You may continue working on it until your final submissions are due. We just need to be able to make sure you will be ready to post on your assigned date.
Do you give extensions?
These will be done on a case-by-case basis, but the schedule has been planned to allow for plenty of time to finish your submissions. However, if at any time, you feel you may need an extension, please do not hesitate to contact a mod so we can work it out.
What is the Unofficial track?
The Unofficual track is new this year, and is track author's can join around the time rough drafts are due. If authors are NOT sure they will finish by the final deadline but still want to try they can join the Unofficial track (instructions on how to do so will be up at the time). Their story won't go into claims but if they are able to finish then an artist will be arranged for them (or they can arrange their own artist if they choose).
Posting
How do I post my completed project?
More detailed information about this will be posted closer to the actual submissions, but you will be required to post your project with a header containing information about the fic and art, including any necessary warnings.
Am I allowed to post it early on my own journal?
Your assigned posting date is the first time you are allowed to post your fic/art for others to see. However, if you wish, you can post it in an entry that is locked so that only you can see it, and then unlock it on your assigned date.
What if my post is too long for one entry?
If your fic exceeds the character limits, you can break it up into separate parts and create a master post that links to them all, and provide links to the next part at the end of each. You may also post to sites like Archive of Our Own or Dreamwidth that have larger character limits.
Where can I upload my art?
There are a variety of sites that host images or allow you to share other files (such as fanmixes). For graphics, you can use sites like Tinypic, Photobucket and Imgur. For other files, you can use Mediafire or similar file sharing sites.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask in the comments!
What is a big bang?
Big bangs are challenges that are based on the spirit of collaborations, where authors write long fics (in this case, a minimum of 15,000 words) and artists create art to accompany them.
How do I sign up?
Once sign-ups open up, there will be individual posts for authors and artists to sign up. Just fill out the forms there and leave it as a comment and you're signed up!
How many projects can I sign up to do?
Authors can write up to two (2) stories, but across mediums, you can sign up to do up to three (3) projects.
What pairings and genres are allowed?
Any and all, provided that the story has a focus on the characters from Inception. This means that gen, alternate universe, crossovers and fusion fics are all allowed too.
Is RPF allowed?
Yes it is.
Can I join this community?
Please do! Feel free to join and watch, even if you don't plan on participating in the challenge itself. If you ARE going to sign up, then please join the community ASAP, as some important posts will be locked for members only.
Authors
What is the minimum word count?
15,000. There is no maximum word count.
Do I need a beta reader for my story?
Yes you do. If you are in need of one, there will be a beta sign-up post made once the author sign-ups begin. If you already have one, that is also fine.
Can I collaborate with another author?
Yes you can.
How many stories can I write for this challenge?
You may write up to two (2) stories.
Artists
inception_bang seeks to foster a collaborative spirit between the authors and artists of our fandom. The ultimate goal of this challenge is to produce multimedia projects through the shared efforts of our participants. With this in mind, we have decided to introduce a dual-track scheme for author-artist collaborations.
TRACK ONE
TRACK TWO
Tradtitional format where collaborative effort begins once author has submitted fic summaryAlternative format where authors and artists are friends who share a common idea for the final project and sign up togetherAuthor posts fic summary (with warnings) anonymouslyFic summaries are NOT posted for claiming because the team has been formed at the very beginningArtist claims summary that interests them Artist creates graphics/fanmixes/videos to accompany ficArtist creates graphics/fanmixes/videos to accompany fic
PLEASE NOTE:
• In order to ensure a friendly and non-competitive environment, in no situation are ANY participants allowed to comment on sign-up posts in order to form partnerships
• Nor should participants contact certain authors or artists they want to work with (based on quality of work or prompts) unless they are already friends, or have a pre-existing idea for the project
Bear in mind that we have no way of knowing whether participants who sign up as a team actually are friends, or whether they have a pre-existing idea for the project. We expect everyone to act in good faith.
What forms of art can be submitted?
Any, including but not limited to traditional drawing/painting, digital drawing/painting, photomanipulations, photography, fanmixes, fanvideos, posters. If you are not sure the style of art you would like to do will be accepted please just ask!
What are the requirements for art?
You are required to make a minimum of one piece of art for your project, but you can make as much as you would like. The main requirement is that you put as much effort into your art as the authors do for their stories. However, if you are creating a fanmix, you are required to have at least eight (8) songs and to create cover art.
How do I claim a fic?
Once the authors turn in their rough drafts, a claims post will go up, including summaries, pairings and warnings for each of the fics. You will then be required to comment listing your preferences once claims are open, and it will be first come, first served.
HOWEVER, if you are participating in Track Two, you will not be required to claim a fic, as you will already be signing up with an author.
Schedule
This is the timeline we will be following:
August 14th-November 18th: Author sign-ups
August 14th: Beta sign-ups
August 14th-Dcember 6th: Artist sign-ups
September 15th: Author check-in #1 (optional)
October 13th: Author check-in #2 (optional)
November 17th: Author check-in #3 (mandatory)
December 5th: Rough drafts and summaries due
December 8th: Story summaries are posted for artists to select from
December 29th: Artist check-in (mandatory)
January 21st: Submission of final drafts and art
February 1st: Posting of art and fic begins
What are check-ins?
For authors, these are just gentle reminders along the way to give them an idea of where they should be in their writing process. Only the last one for authors is mandatory. For artists, there is only one mandatory check-in, to make sure that their work is progressing at a good pace and they've received the fic from the author.
What happens once artists claim fics?
You will receive emails with contact information for your author/artist once your claim has been confirmed. Please allow up to 24 hours after your claim is confirmed for this.
What should my rough draft be like?
You do not need the entire fic to be completed by this time, but it needs to be at least 12,000 words long. You may continue working on it until your final submissions are due. We just need to be able to make sure you will be ready to post on your assigned date.
Do you give extensions?
These will be done on a case-by-case basis, but the schedule has been planned to allow for plenty of time to finish your submissions. However, if at any time, you feel you may need an extension, please do not hesitate to contact a mod so we can work it out.
What is the Unofficial track?
The Unofficual track is new this year, and is track author's can join around the time rough drafts are due. If authors are NOT sure they will finish by the final deadline but still want to try they can join the Unofficial track (instructions on how to do so will be up at the time). Their story won't go into claims but if they are able to finish then an artist will be arranged for them (or they can arrange their own artist if they choose).
Posting
How do I post my completed project?
More detailed information about this will be posted closer to the actual submissions, but you will be required to post your project with a header containing information about the fic and art, including any necessary warnings.
Am I allowed to post it early on my own journal?
Your assigned posting date is the first time you are allowed to post your fic/art for others to see. However, if you wish, you can post it in an entry that is locked so that only you can see it, and then unlock it on your assigned date.
What if my post is too long for one entry?
If your fic exceeds the character limits, you can break it up into separate parts and create a master post that links to them all, and provide links to the next part at the end of each. You may also post to sites like Archive of Our Own or Dreamwidth that have larger character limits.
Where can I upload my art?
There are a variety of sites that host images or allow you to share other files (such as fanmixes). For graphics, you can use sites like Tinypic, Photobucket and Imgur. For other files, you can use Mediafire or similar file sharing sites.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask in the comments!