RPF Remix!
Hey folks, it's that time! Signups for rpfremix are now open. Please read the entire FAQ below before signing up. If there are any glaring errors, or I clearly forgot something, please let me know in comments.
RPF REMIX FAQ
What's this all about?
* Ever read a fic and think, wow, what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have... Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.
So just take another person's story and change everything?
* Yes and no. You can do whatever you like to the story - change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization, make it longer or shorter, whatever - except for three things: pairing(s), setting(s) (except in certain circumstances, see below), and the basic plotline.
Why can't I change ____?
* Basic plotline is fairly obvious, I think. If you change the plot, then you're really not writing the same story, right? This doesn't mean you can't change things, adding or deleting as you see fit. For example, if you were rewriting The Little Mermaid, you might decide to give the mermaid a best friend who's a fish and a guardian who's a lobster, things that weren't in the original story. But you would keep the sea witch and the fact that the mermaid loses her voice, because those are essential to the story. Of course, what are and aren't essential plot points is purely subjective (for example, in the original Little Mermaid, Ariel dies), but I trust people will be able to decide what to do.
* Pairing(s) must be kept as is. While this can certainly be argued, I think once you change who the story is about, you're pretty much writing a new story, and contrary to popular belief, that's not what this challenge is about. It's about reinterpreting a story that's already been told. So, no, you cannot change the pairing(s) in the story. We also do not want any slash pairings het-ified or het pairings slash-ified. You may, if you feel it necessary, background the pairing(s) and focus on less pairing-centric plot points.
* And with the settings, people may take non-AU stories and make them AUs only if the plot remains almost exactly the same.
All right. So then we can choose any story we want to rewrite?
* Not just any story. Each participant will be assigned a writer (who will be a fellow participant and chosen at random, but matched by fandom--every participant will have at least one fandom in common with their assigned remixee) and must choose a story from that writer. You can choose any story written by the person you are assigned except for whichever story they designate as their safe story (to be explained below) and stories that are nothing more than smut. Not that you can't choose a smutty story to rewrite, just not one that is one long sex scene. After all, where's the challenge in rewriting that?
* A special note for any bandslashers who might be tempted to participate: I am counting band-fandom as *one fandom* because of the sheer amount of intermixing and intermingling going on. If you have a particular band you absolutely refuse to touch with a ten-foot pole, note that on your signup and I will do my best to avoid matching you with someone who only writes that band. (This applies to the current crop of emo bands only; if you're writing RPF about the Rolling Stones, for example, that's a separate fandom.)
* Also, please note that there is no matching on pairing or genre (i.e., slash, het, or gen), so if you only write het, for example, or only write a particular pairing or character, etc., you may not want to sign up, because there is no guarantee you'll get someone who matches on those requirements.
* And just in case it's not common sense, don't pick a series or story that's unfinished. It just causes bad feelings all around, which is something we are trying to avoid.
I'm still confused. We're just writing someone else's story?
* Rewriting. Don't just change a line here and there. Be creative. Have fun. Make a mess if you want. Remember, it's a challenge. Don't make it too easy on yourself. I've written about the process here, if that helps.
And these are only CW RPS stories?
* Nope. This is a multifandom challenge, so everyone from popslash to CW actors to bandslash to sports to politicians. If you've written in more than one fandom, so much the better. If you've only written in one fandom, you may ask to write in a new fandom, but must be willing to write in your current fandom. Actually, everyone must be willing to write in at least one of their written-in fandoms. Matching depends on how many people sign up, and what fandoms they're in. If you want to write in a more obscure fandom, make sure you bring two or three friends along who also write in that fandom, so you have something to remix.
So what the hell is a safe story?
* It's the one story that you don't want anyone messing with, for whatever reason. You only get one. You don't have to have one, only if you want.
Do I have to have a website?
* Yes, because otherwise, how will we find your stories? You don't need your own website; hosted stories are fine as long as they're all on the same site. Stories posted to LiveJournal are okay as long as there is some sort of index or listing for them, making them easily accessible. Stories posted only to friends-only LJs or LJ communities, message boards and/or mailing lists are ineligible because access to those are often limited. If your stories are hosted on a password protected archive, you must provide the Remix mod with the password, and he will pass it on to the person you are assigned to (and then forget he ever knew it).
I've only written a few stories. Can I still play?
* As long as you have a minimum of three (3) stories of five hundred (500) words in one fandom (crossover fandoms may be included in this five), not including your safe story, and they're not drabbles or PWPs, then you can. Works in Progress are not acceptable.
What if I've co-written with someone?
* If you have someone you co-write with regularly and the two of you wish to sign up for the challenge together, you will be counted as one participant and only the stories you have written together are eligible. If you regularly co-write with someone but only one of you signs up, then your co-written stories are off-limits. The same goes if both of you sign up but separately.
Are there any sort of other requirements/rules?
* Each remix must have a minimum word count of 1,000 words. One thousand words in five weeks is incredibly reasonable. Also, though drabbles don't meet the required word count as entries, you may remix a drabble if you so choose, by expanding upon it.
Are there any sort of deadlines?
* Why, yes, there are! People can sign up for the challenge until 11:59 PM PDT March 18. Assignments will be handed out no later than March 25. And then the stories aren't due until 11:59 PM PDT April 29. So you've got a lot of time.
When will the stories be put up?
* I would like to have them up by May 6, barring technical difficulties.
Oh yeah? What if I miss the deadline? Then what're you gonna do?
* Well, I'm not going to hound you for the story, except that I totally am, and neither of us will enjoy it. But I'm not posting any stories until all the stories are in. And when people ask me, "Hey, why aren't the stories up?", I'll point them to a public post in this community, which will have the names and email addresses of everyone who's late, and say, "Because of those people."
That's kind of mean.
* Why, yes, yes it is.
How do I play?
* Please leave a comment here if you'd like to participate.
Please include:
* your preferred pseudonym and LJ name (if you have one; an LJ is not required to participate)
* your preferred contact email address (this should be one you check daily)
* the URL(s) for your website or the index of your stories
* the fandom(s) in which you've written more than three (3) 500 word stories
* the top three fandoms (if you've got more than one) in which you are most eager to write (you must list at least one fandom in which you've already written amongst these three) (see note about fandoms below)
* past fandoms in which you no longer write
* the name of your "safe story" if you've got one
* are you willing to pinch hit (i.e., write a fill in story, usually on short notice, for someone who has defaulted on their assignment)?
For example, my sign up would look like this:
Your Name: Drew (babyofthegroup)
Your email address: babyofthegroup @ gmail.com
Your website/fic index: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=babyofthegroup&keyword=fic&filter=all
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=babyofthegroup&keyword=highschoolery&filter=all
Fandoms in which you've written more than five (5) 500 word stories: CW RPS, popslash
Top Three Fandoms you'd like to write in: CW RPS, popslash, bandslash
Other fandoms I would write in: none
Past fandoms in which you no longer write: none
Safe Story: none
Pinch hit? Yes
I'll be in touch by March 25 with your assignment and more instructions.
Pinch Hitting
* Pinch hitters are the oft-unsung heroes of every ficathon. We adore pinch hit remixers, and are always happy to add you to the list. If you cannot participate due to not meeting the requirements or other ficathon commitments, but would be willing to get a frantic email and turn around a story in two or three days' time (or sometimes more, since some people are conscientious even in dropping out, and let me know early), please leave a comment to that effect, as well, listing the fandoms in which you are willing to pinch hit in. Please put "Pinch hitter" in the subject line of your comment, and please include a contact email so I can get hold of you when the time comes.
If you have any questions, please comment on this post.
Disclaimer: The management, meaning me, is not responsible for whatever is done to your story. If you can't handle the idea of someone else mucking around with your babies, don't sign up. If you do not sign up, your stories will not be remixed. The Remix is completely opt-in only, so please don't comment in a panic that you don't want your stories touched. Unless you sign up, you have nothing to fear from this challenge.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to musesfool for allowing me to crib furiously from her Remix/Redux post and providing publicity. Thank you to the folks who started the popslash remix five years ago (!), and all those people who have organized and participated in remixes since then. Thank you especially to those people who volunteer to pinch-hit.
RPF REMIX FAQ
What's this all about?
* Ever read a fic and think, wow, what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have... Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.
So just take another person's story and change everything?
* Yes and no. You can do whatever you like to the story - change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization, make it longer or shorter, whatever - except for three things: pairing(s), setting(s) (except in certain circumstances, see below), and the basic plotline.
Why can't I change ____?
* Basic plotline is fairly obvious, I think. If you change the plot, then you're really not writing the same story, right? This doesn't mean you can't change things, adding or deleting as you see fit. For example, if you were rewriting The Little Mermaid, you might decide to give the mermaid a best friend who's a fish and a guardian who's a lobster, things that weren't in the original story. But you would keep the sea witch and the fact that the mermaid loses her voice, because those are essential to the story. Of course, what are and aren't essential plot points is purely subjective (for example, in the original Little Mermaid, Ariel dies), but I trust people will be able to decide what to do.
* Pairing(s) must be kept as is. While this can certainly be argued, I think once you change who the story is about, you're pretty much writing a new story, and contrary to popular belief, that's not what this challenge is about. It's about reinterpreting a story that's already been told. So, no, you cannot change the pairing(s) in the story. We also do not want any slash pairings het-ified or het pairings slash-ified. You may, if you feel it necessary, background the pairing(s) and focus on less pairing-centric plot points.
* And with the settings, people may take non-AU stories and make them AUs only if the plot remains almost exactly the same.
All right. So then we can choose any story we want to rewrite?
* Not just any story. Each participant will be assigned a writer (who will be a fellow participant and chosen at random, but matched by fandom--every participant will have at least one fandom in common with their assigned remixee) and must choose a story from that writer. You can choose any story written by the person you are assigned except for whichever story they designate as their safe story (to be explained below) and stories that are nothing more than smut. Not that you can't choose a smutty story to rewrite, just not one that is one long sex scene. After all, where's the challenge in rewriting that?
* A special note for any bandslashers who might be tempted to participate: I am counting band-fandom as *one fandom* because of the sheer amount of intermixing and intermingling going on. If you have a particular band you absolutely refuse to touch with a ten-foot pole, note that on your signup and I will do my best to avoid matching you with someone who only writes that band. (This applies to the current crop of emo bands only; if you're writing RPF about the Rolling Stones, for example, that's a separate fandom.)
* Also, please note that there is no matching on pairing or genre (i.e., slash, het, or gen), so if you only write het, for example, or only write a particular pairing or character, etc., you may not want to sign up, because there is no guarantee you'll get someone who matches on those requirements.
* And just in case it's not common sense, don't pick a series or story that's unfinished. It just causes bad feelings all around, which is something we are trying to avoid.
I'm still confused. We're just writing someone else's story?
* Rewriting. Don't just change a line here and there. Be creative. Have fun. Make a mess if you want. Remember, it's a challenge. Don't make it too easy on yourself. I've written about the process here, if that helps.
And these are only CW RPS stories?
* Nope. This is a multifandom challenge, so everyone from popslash to CW actors to bandslash to sports to politicians. If you've written in more than one fandom, so much the better. If you've only written in one fandom, you may ask to write in a new fandom, but must be willing to write in your current fandom. Actually, everyone must be willing to write in at least one of their written-in fandoms. Matching depends on how many people sign up, and what fandoms they're in. If you want to write in a more obscure fandom, make sure you bring two or three friends along who also write in that fandom, so you have something to remix.
So what the hell is a safe story?
* It's the one story that you don't want anyone messing with, for whatever reason. You only get one. You don't have to have one, only if you want.
Do I have to have a website?
* Yes, because otherwise, how will we find your stories? You don't need your own website; hosted stories are fine as long as they're all on the same site. Stories posted to LiveJournal are okay as long as there is some sort of index or listing for them, making them easily accessible. Stories posted only to friends-only LJs or LJ communities, message boards and/or mailing lists are ineligible because access to those are often limited. If your stories are hosted on a password protected archive, you must provide the Remix mod with the password, and he will pass it on to the person you are assigned to (and then forget he ever knew it).
I've only written a few stories. Can I still play?
* As long as you have a minimum of three (3) stories of five hundred (500) words in one fandom (crossover fandoms may be included in this five), not including your safe story, and they're not drabbles or PWPs, then you can. Works in Progress are not acceptable.
What if I've co-written with someone?
* If you have someone you co-write with regularly and the two of you wish to sign up for the challenge together, you will be counted as one participant and only the stories you have written together are eligible. If you regularly co-write with someone but only one of you signs up, then your co-written stories are off-limits. The same goes if both of you sign up but separately.
Are there any sort of other requirements/rules?
* Each remix must have a minimum word count of 1,000 words. One thousand words in five weeks is incredibly reasonable. Also, though drabbles don't meet the required word count as entries, you may remix a drabble if you so choose, by expanding upon it.
Are there any sort of deadlines?
* Why, yes, there are! People can sign up for the challenge until 11:59 PM PDT March 18. Assignments will be handed out no later than March 25. And then the stories aren't due until 11:59 PM PDT April 29. So you've got a lot of time.
When will the stories be put up?
* I would like to have them up by May 6, barring technical difficulties.
Oh yeah? What if I miss the deadline? Then what're you gonna do?
* Well, I'm not going to hound you for the story, except that I totally am, and neither of us will enjoy it. But I'm not posting any stories until all the stories are in. And when people ask me, "Hey, why aren't the stories up?", I'll point them to a public post in this community, which will have the names and email addresses of everyone who's late, and say, "Because of those people."
That's kind of mean.
* Why, yes, yes it is.
How do I play?
* Please leave a comment here if you'd like to participate.
Please include:
* your preferred pseudonym and LJ name (if you have one; an LJ is not required to participate)
* your preferred contact email address (this should be one you check daily)
* the URL(s) for your website or the index of your stories
* the fandom(s) in which you've written more than three (3) 500 word stories
* the top three fandoms (if you've got more than one) in which you are most eager to write (you must list at least one fandom in which you've already written amongst these three) (see note about fandoms below)
* past fandoms in which you no longer write
* the name of your "safe story" if you've got one
* are you willing to pinch hit (i.e., write a fill in story, usually on short notice, for someone who has defaulted on their assignment)?
For example, my sign up would look like this:
Your Name: Drew (babyofthegroup)
Your email address: babyofthegroup @ gmail.com
Your website/fic index: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=babyofthegroup&keyword=fic&filter=all
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=babyofthegroup&keyword=highschoolery&filter=all
Fandoms in which you've written more than five (5) 500 word stories: CW RPS, popslash
Top Three Fandoms you'd like to write in: CW RPS, popslash, bandslash
Other fandoms I would write in: none
Past fandoms in which you no longer write: none
Safe Story: none
Pinch hit? Yes
I'll be in touch by March 25 with your assignment and more instructions.
Pinch Hitting
* Pinch hitters are the oft-unsung heroes of every ficathon. We adore pinch hit remixers, and are always happy to add you to the list. If you cannot participate due to not meeting the requirements or other ficathon commitments, but would be willing to get a frantic email and turn around a story in two or three days' time (or sometimes more, since some people are conscientious even in dropping out, and let me know early), please leave a comment to that effect, as well, listing the fandoms in which you are willing to pinch hit in. Please put "Pinch hitter" in the subject line of your comment, and please include a contact email so I can get hold of you when the time comes.
If you have any questions, please comment on this post.
Disclaimer: The management, meaning me, is not responsible for whatever is done to your story. If you can't handle the idea of someone else mucking around with your babies, don't sign up. If you do not sign up, your stories will not be remixed. The Remix is completely opt-in only, so please don't comment in a panic that you don't want your stories touched. Unless you sign up, you have nothing to fear from this challenge.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to musesfool for allowing me to crib furiously from her Remix/Redux post and providing publicity. Thank you to the folks who started the popslash remix five years ago (!), and all those people who have organized and participated in remixes since then. Thank you especially to those people who volunteer to pinch-hit.