A brief FAQ
Because I've had a couple people already ask me a couple questions, I figure I might as well address them, and tack this up so that people can keep asking questions as they come up.
General Information
So, what is a Big Bang, anyway?
A Big Bang is an event that sets off a movement. The first Big Bang began in 2005, when a group of Harry Potter fans put together Big Bang, Baby after Order of the Phoenix was released. From there, the Big Bang challenge has spread to other areas of the fandom, and to other fandoms entirely. The goal is for writers to hone their writing skills to create a 20,000(+) word count piece, and for artists to hone their artistic skills to help enhance those stories.
Why are you doing this?
Late last year, I read a Supernatural RPS called Monogatari which got under my skin. I had already finished a novel for NaNoWriMo that year, and the idea of writing a fanfic of a comparable length appealed to me. As of July, I posted my SPN Big Bang fic for this session, Set Out For Ithaka. During the writing process of that, I got a reply to one of the chapters of my AS/S epific on The AS/S Ship, asking if the story was on indefinite hiatus, or if I had plans to return to it. After ten months, it got the wheels slowly turning again. Then, late one night, I sat reading Big Bang, Baby fics for this last--and final--round of theirs, and it struck me: Why doesn't Next Gen have one of their own?
Who is helping you?
Uh, currently I'm helping myself. There have been several offers for help from my fellow AS/S shippers, but until I have an idea of how many participants there will be, I'm managing on my own. nuclearsugars is helping me maintain, and will be helping organize the entries and set up a posting schedule. betelin_notecor is running ngbb_writers for the writers (and eventually the artists as well, once they've chosen writers).
Writer's Questions
If I'm writing 'next gen' as opposed to 'pre-epilogue', am I still allowed to play a bit with the golden-oldies of Harry's generation...or am I forced to dump them for a newer model?
First, the difference: post-war/pre-epilogue are stories that exist in the nineteen years between one canon (Harry’s) and the next (the new Potter/Weasley/Malfoy bunch). They, I figure, would deal with everyone putting their lives back together; reformations and rebuilding; the continued, but winding down, saga of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Next Gen are stories that exist from the canon presented in the Epilogue. They deal with the next generation, obviously, and are, I figure, more about a different sort of coming age than what Harry and his friends had. THEREFORE, if you pick post-war/pre-epilogue, your story should be working with our seasoned old boys; if you pick Next Gen, your story should be working with these fresh new younguns. This doesn’t mean you can’t play with the golden-oldies in a Next Gen fic, it just means you should be FOCUSING on the newer models. On the other hand, a post-war/pre-epilogue fic might extend into Next Gen canon, but would FOCUS on the golden-oldies.
[ETA for clarifications] If you are working with intergenerational dynamics--Scorpius toward Harry or Teddy toward one of the older Weasleys or James toward Narcissa Malfoy or whatever--consider the timeframe of the story: if it begins before the nineteen year mark of the Epilogue's canon, consider it a PWPE fic; most intergenerational stories, I'm sure, would occur in the NG 'verse, though, so that's probably the safer bet.
Would it be all right to write a 20,000+ novella based on a one-shot I had written a while back?
Of course! As long as the one-shot is not used in actual text. The object of this challenge is to turn out new and exciting things for our fandom. But I understand that inspiration comes from strange places.
If we were to choose to write a post-war/pre-epilogue fic, *must* we take the epilogue as canon? That is, could I write a story featuring characters of Harry's generation that does not culminate in or point to them getting married/having kids in the formulations described in the epilogue?
No. Because the post-war/pre-epilogue canon is nebulous and essentially speculation (as far as I know), have fun with it. However, if you draw things up to the nineteen year point--when pre-epilogue because Next Gen canon--your story should probably be marked as Alternate Reality.
Or if they have to "end up" there, can I mess with the presentation of relationships versus the reality (i.e., it looks to everyone like Harry and Ginny are married and fine, but they both know it is pretense/have other relationships)?
By all means, experiment as much as you'd like! I've got a soft spot for beard-relationships, and an even softer spot for wives/husbands who let their spouse be happy, even if they must be married for apperances. ^_^ A look into the secret lives of the Potters/Weasleys/Malfoys could be really interesting!
Could the story be a sequal to a story already written, or does it have to be something completely new?
'verse work is always good! The sequel itself that is being written for Big Bang can be a part of a larger arc, a sequel to a previous piece, or, as said above, based off a premise already created. It can even be inspired by fanart not for your work. The only stipulation is that it CANNOT have been posted ANYWHERE prior to your posting date for the challenge.
Must writers be a certain age (ie, 14+, 18+)?
Not at all. I know that people are going to write what they write regardless of how old they are, and that age limits really just encourage people to lie about their age if they're too young. For this reason, we run on a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy for ages--since, ya know, legally I could get in trouble for pandering to minors if people under 18 are caught writing NC17 works. BE SAFE, KIDS. BE SMART.
You can pick any ship right?
Of course. The challenge is totally not ship exclusive, because I like to let authors and artists have a bit of reign with creativity. NOT TOO MUCH, though. It might go to their heads.
When you say next gen, do you mean that it has to be from a next gen character?
Next Gen simply refers to the period of time that takes place after the Epilogue. However, it is recommended that a Next Gen-set story focus on those characters, rather than the HP Gen characters.
If I pick next gen and have an element of H/D is that fine?
There can be elements of any pairing you want. It's just that, if you're writing NG pairings, the FOCUS pairing has to be from the NG characters--everybody from Teddy Lupin down to Lily Potter and beyond. Pairings are slash or het--a threesome with two girls and a guy or two guys and a girl is considered het, and is allowed; get creative--and anything that doesn't focus on a romantic (read: sexual) relationship between characters is GEN (this includes friendship couples; if the characters aren't bomfing or at least snogging, it's gen).
Are you going to put a cap on the amount of writers participating?
There will be no cap on participators, but there will be a cap on participating: each writer can only submit one novella per session. Everyone is welcome to sign up, and I don't expect everyone who signs up to reach the end, but everyone who does finish can only submit one project (and, trust me, if you manage to finish more than one in the timeframe, you're doin' it wrong).
What if we signed up and then for some reason we weren't able to complete it? Or we didn't get to the 20,000 mark in time?
That's fine. I totally understand that Real Life Happens. If you're unable to complete it, contact me; since the stories have to be at least at the 20k mark by the time the rough drafts are due in for artist selection, you should know at least a few weeks ahead of that if you're going to be able to finish or at least reach that mark.
When can we start writing?
Oh, heavens, start whenever you want! Some people are insane and capable of writing 20k+ words in two weeks; some people need the whole span of time from when they sign up until the rough drafts have to be completed. There are three months from the end of sign ups to the time the rough draft must be completed--and your rough draft MUST have reached the 20k mark by March 20, or you won't be allowed to participate further in the contest--but it's not even OCTOBER yet! I'm sure everyone that THINKS they can finish will be capable of at least hitting the 20k mark ^_^
If you're past the 20k mark but your story isn't 'completed' is that still okay once posting starts? Or does the story have to be pretty much finished except for like a few chapters (not just like half-way through the story!) by the time posting starts?
As stated above, you must reach the 20k mark by the day of artist selections (March 20th). There is NO max word count, so if your story is over the 20k mark, that's awesome. However, stories must be posted in their entirety, meaning: 1) No dropping off because the story is incomplete and 2) No "TBC". If your story is getting grossly long with no end in sight, go back and cut back, or reassess your plot outline to figure out how to sum up the story in the best manner. Preferably, stories should be completely finished before an artist chooses you. That way, you and the artist can work over the completed first draft while it goes through editting.
Are crossovers allowed?
I won't say that they're disallowed, but crossovers aren't encouraged. However, there are certain things that maybe would be considered crossovers normally that I don't. Per this question in particular, that includes:
* the use of Historical Fiction as alternative source. This includes time travel. Because HF, you know, really happened and everything, I don't like to think of it as fandom (lol, but I totally do, because I'm in a couple of fandoms all about history--ANYWAY).
If you have other questions about appropriate crossover alternative sources, drop a line, and I'll yay or nay your alternative source. (FYI, anime is, for the most part, going to be a nay vote. Especially if it involves an anime character as an exchange student to Hogwarts. I'm sorry, I personally want to introduce my head to the wall every time I see one of those >.>)
Do I have to follow the information from Rowling's interviews?
Nope. Even with her interview-given information, the information for these time period is pretty nebulous. I recommend that you stick to the BIG things--obviously, if you're working in the Next Gen time period, the vast majority of the children mentioned in the Epilogue should still exist--but things that are just floating around on the internet at this point can probably be taken with a grain of salt. Use your best judgment.
For the summary that we have to submit along with the fic: how detailed is it supposed to be? Is it to give the artist some idea of what we're doing, or a full summary so they can pick a scene they want to illustrate, or--?
A summary to give the artists an idea of what they could be working with is generally the best course of action. That way, the people who are reading over summaries won't have the entire story spoiled for them.
Basically, make it a blurb: longer than two lines, shorter than five, I figure.
Artist’s Questions
Can I do my own art for my own fic?
Nope. The rule is: Write OR Illustrate. Those are your options. If, by the time the Artist Sign-ups close, there is still only one artist (as there is at the time of my answering this question), this may be amended to: Writers that wish can draw up to THREE illustrations for ONLY their fic. If, by chance, you have a couple of pictures you drew independently of the fic itself that fit into the 'verse, that's fine. But there can be no artwork made for the purposes of this challenge that is made by a writer.
[ETA because I said so] If it happens that writers want to illustrate their own pieces, they must submit this information with their summaries come March 20, and they will not be up for Artist Selection. There will be no cap on the number of illustrations a writer wishes to do for their piece.
Can artists only chose one story?
An artist can do as many stories as they like, and since our ratio of authors to artists is still a little severe, I encourage artists to pick up multiple stories. However, don't pick so many that you can't finish all your pieces in the time period you have (a little over a month, from March 28th until May 1st).
Is there a limit on how many artworks we can do?
Do as many pieces of artwork for the stories you pick as you feel you are capable of completing. I figure, the more the merrier! Don't do so many that, if you have other stories you're making pieces for, you neglected one for another.
How "good" does the art have to be?
Good is relative! Don't draw stick-figures. Also remember that the art is not restricted to drawings. It can be photomanipulation or any other non-written, visual art (if you can make a music video/"preview" for the fic, I WOULD LOVE YOU KINDA HARD, because that would be cool). For now, think about what sort of things you'd like to be drawing for especially since this is looking to be a very Next Gen Slash heavy turn out, and worry about the drawings when you can get in contact with your author.
General Information
So, what is a Big Bang, anyway?
A Big Bang is an event that sets off a movement. The first Big Bang began in 2005, when a group of Harry Potter fans put together Big Bang, Baby after Order of the Phoenix was released. From there, the Big Bang challenge has spread to other areas of the fandom, and to other fandoms entirely. The goal is for writers to hone their writing skills to create a 20,000(+) word count piece, and for artists to hone their artistic skills to help enhance those stories.
Why are you doing this?
Late last year, I read a Supernatural RPS called Monogatari which got under my skin. I had already finished a novel for NaNoWriMo that year, and the idea of writing a fanfic of a comparable length appealed to me. As of July, I posted my SPN Big Bang fic for this session, Set Out For Ithaka. During the writing process of that, I got a reply to one of the chapters of my AS/S epific on The AS/S Ship, asking if the story was on indefinite hiatus, or if I had plans to return to it. After ten months, it got the wheels slowly turning again. Then, late one night, I sat reading Big Bang, Baby fics for this last--and final--round of theirs, and it struck me: Why doesn't Next Gen have one of their own?
Who is helping you?
Uh, currently I'm helping myself. There have been several offers for help from my fellow AS/S shippers, but until I have an idea of how many participants there will be, I'm managing on my own. nuclearsugars is helping me maintain, and will be helping organize the entries and set up a posting schedule. betelin_notecor is running ngbb_writers for the writers (and eventually the artists as well, once they've chosen writers).
Writer's Questions
If I'm writing 'next gen' as opposed to 'pre-epilogue', am I still allowed to play a bit with the golden-oldies of Harry's generation...or am I forced to dump them for a newer model?
First, the difference: post-war/pre-epilogue are stories that exist in the nineteen years between one canon (Harry’s) and the next (the new Potter/Weasley/Malfoy bunch). They, I figure, would deal with everyone putting their lives back together; reformations and rebuilding; the continued, but winding down, saga of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Next Gen are stories that exist from the canon presented in the Epilogue. They deal with the next generation, obviously, and are, I figure, more about a different sort of coming age than what Harry and his friends had. THEREFORE, if you pick post-war/pre-epilogue, your story should be working with our seasoned old boys; if you pick Next Gen, your story should be working with these fresh new younguns. This doesn’t mean you can’t play with the golden-oldies in a Next Gen fic, it just means you should be FOCUSING on the newer models. On the other hand, a post-war/pre-epilogue fic might extend into Next Gen canon, but would FOCUS on the golden-oldies.
[ETA for clarifications] If you are working with intergenerational dynamics--Scorpius toward Harry or Teddy toward one of the older Weasleys or James toward Narcissa Malfoy or whatever--consider the timeframe of the story: if it begins before the nineteen year mark of the Epilogue's canon, consider it a PWPE fic; most intergenerational stories, I'm sure, would occur in the NG 'verse, though, so that's probably the safer bet.
Would it be all right to write a 20,000+ novella based on a one-shot I had written a while back?
Of course! As long as the one-shot is not used in actual text. The object of this challenge is to turn out new and exciting things for our fandom. But I understand that inspiration comes from strange places.
If we were to choose to write a post-war/pre-epilogue fic, *must* we take the epilogue as canon? That is, could I write a story featuring characters of Harry's generation that does not culminate in or point to them getting married/having kids in the formulations described in the epilogue?
No. Because the post-war/pre-epilogue canon is nebulous and essentially speculation (as far as I know), have fun with it. However, if you draw things up to the nineteen year point--when pre-epilogue because Next Gen canon--your story should probably be marked as Alternate Reality.
Or if they have to "end up" there, can I mess with the presentation of relationships versus the reality (i.e., it looks to everyone like Harry and Ginny are married and fine, but they both know it is pretense/have other relationships)?
By all means, experiment as much as you'd like! I've got a soft spot for beard-relationships, and an even softer spot for wives/husbands who let their spouse be happy, even if they must be married for apperances. ^_^ A look into the secret lives of the Potters/Weasleys/Malfoys could be really interesting!
Could the story be a sequal to a story already written, or does it have to be something completely new?
'verse work is always good! The sequel itself that is being written for Big Bang can be a part of a larger arc, a sequel to a previous piece, or, as said above, based off a premise already created. It can even be inspired by fanart not for your work. The only stipulation is that it CANNOT have been posted ANYWHERE prior to your posting date for the challenge.
Must writers be a certain age (ie, 14+, 18+)?
Not at all. I know that people are going to write what they write regardless of how old they are, and that age limits really just encourage people to lie about their age if they're too young. For this reason, we run on a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy for ages--since, ya know, legally I could get in trouble for pandering to minors if people under 18 are caught writing NC17 works. BE SAFE, KIDS. BE SMART.
You can pick any ship right?
Of course. The challenge is totally not ship exclusive, because I like to let authors and artists have a bit of reign with creativity. NOT TOO MUCH, though. It might go to their heads.
When you say next gen, do you mean that it has to be from a next gen character?
Next Gen simply refers to the period of time that takes place after the Epilogue. However, it is recommended that a Next Gen-set story focus on those characters, rather than the HP Gen characters.
If I pick next gen and have an element of H/D is that fine?
There can be elements of any pairing you want. It's just that, if you're writing NG pairings, the FOCUS pairing has to be from the NG characters--everybody from Teddy Lupin down to Lily Potter and beyond. Pairings are slash or het--a threesome with two girls and a guy or two guys and a girl is considered het, and is allowed; get creative--and anything that doesn't focus on a romantic (read: sexual) relationship between characters is GEN (this includes friendship couples; if the characters aren't bomfing or at least snogging, it's gen).
Are you going to put a cap on the amount of writers participating?
There will be no cap on participators, but there will be a cap on participating: each writer can only submit one novella per session. Everyone is welcome to sign up, and I don't expect everyone who signs up to reach the end, but everyone who does finish can only submit one project (and, trust me, if you manage to finish more than one in the timeframe, you're doin' it wrong).
What if we signed up and then for some reason we weren't able to complete it? Or we didn't get to the 20,000 mark in time?
That's fine. I totally understand that Real Life Happens. If you're unable to complete it, contact me; since the stories have to be at least at the 20k mark by the time the rough drafts are due in for artist selection, you should know at least a few weeks ahead of that if you're going to be able to finish or at least reach that mark.
When can we start writing?
Oh, heavens, start whenever you want! Some people are insane and capable of writing 20k+ words in two weeks; some people need the whole span of time from when they sign up until the rough drafts have to be completed. There are three months from the end of sign ups to the time the rough draft must be completed--and your rough draft MUST have reached the 20k mark by March 20, or you won't be allowed to participate further in the contest--but it's not even OCTOBER yet! I'm sure everyone that THINKS they can finish will be capable of at least hitting the 20k mark ^_^
If you're past the 20k mark but your story isn't 'completed' is that still okay once posting starts? Or does the story have to be pretty much finished except for like a few chapters (not just like half-way through the story!) by the time posting starts?
As stated above, you must reach the 20k mark by the day of artist selections (March 20th). There is NO max word count, so if your story is over the 20k mark, that's awesome. However, stories must be posted in their entirety, meaning: 1) No dropping off because the story is incomplete and 2) No "TBC". If your story is getting grossly long with no end in sight, go back and cut back, or reassess your plot outline to figure out how to sum up the story in the best manner. Preferably, stories should be completely finished before an artist chooses you. That way, you and the artist can work over the completed first draft while it goes through editting.
Are crossovers allowed?
I won't say that they're disallowed, but crossovers aren't encouraged. However, there are certain things that maybe would be considered crossovers normally that I don't. Per this question in particular, that includes:
* the use of Historical Fiction as alternative source. This includes time travel. Because HF, you know, really happened and everything, I don't like to think of it as fandom (lol, but I totally do, because I'm in a couple of fandoms all about history--ANYWAY).
If you have other questions about appropriate crossover alternative sources, drop a line, and I'll yay or nay your alternative source. (FYI, anime is, for the most part, going to be a nay vote. Especially if it involves an anime character as an exchange student to Hogwarts. I'm sorry, I personally want to introduce my head to the wall every time I see one of those >.>)
Do I have to follow the information from Rowling's interviews?
Nope. Even with her interview-given information, the information for these time period is pretty nebulous. I recommend that you stick to the BIG things--obviously, if you're working in the Next Gen time period, the vast majority of the children mentioned in the Epilogue should still exist--but things that are just floating around on the internet at this point can probably be taken with a grain of salt. Use your best judgment.
For the summary that we have to submit along with the fic: how detailed is it supposed to be? Is it to give the artist some idea of what we're doing, or a full summary so they can pick a scene they want to illustrate, or--?
A summary to give the artists an idea of what they could be working with is generally the best course of action. That way, the people who are reading over summaries won't have the entire story spoiled for them.
Basically, make it a blurb: longer than two lines, shorter than five, I figure.
Artist’s Questions
Can I do my own art for my own fic?
Nope. The rule is: Write OR Illustrate. Those are your options. If, by the time the Artist Sign-ups close, there is still only one artist (as there is at the time of my answering this question), this may be amended to: Writers that wish can draw up to THREE illustrations for ONLY their fic. If, by chance, you have a couple of pictures you drew independently of the fic itself that fit into the 'verse, that's fine. But there can be no artwork made for the purposes of this challenge that is made by a writer.
[ETA because I said so] If it happens that writers want to illustrate their own pieces, they must submit this information with their summaries come March 20, and they will not be up for Artist Selection. There will be no cap on the number of illustrations a writer wishes to do for their piece.
Can artists only chose one story?
An artist can do as many stories as they like, and since our ratio of authors to artists is still a little severe, I encourage artists to pick up multiple stories. However, don't pick so many that you can't finish all your pieces in the time period you have (a little over a month, from March 28th until May 1st).
Is there a limit on how many artworks we can do?
Do as many pieces of artwork for the stories you pick as you feel you are capable of completing. I figure, the more the merrier! Don't do so many that, if you have other stories you're making pieces for, you neglected one for another.
How "good" does the art have to be?
Good is relative! Don't draw stick-figures. Also remember that the art is not restricted to drawings. It can be photomanipulation or any other non-written, visual art (if you can make a music video/"preview" for the fic, I WOULD LOVE YOU KINDA HARD, because that would be cool). For now, think about what sort of things you'd like to be drawing for especially since this is looking to be a very Next Gen Slash heavy turn out, and worry about the drawings when you can get in contact with your author.