Rules & FAQ Post
Everything you need to know about The Big Bang Theory Big Bang...
What the heck is a big bang?
The first big bang challenge took place in at big_bang_hd for Harry/Draco (Harry Potter) fans. Since then, it has spread like wildfire throughout many fandoms. The simple definition of a 'big bang' is a challenge in two parts. Authors write fics and artists create art to go along with the written words. This challenge comes in many forms, but for the purpose of The Big Bang Theory big bang, we're looking at fics of 15,000 words or more which will be paired with artists to create graphics, artwork, fanvids and mixes to accompany the fic.
Wait... how does that work again?
We will open sign-ups for writers, artists and mixers on March 1. Writers are given a deadline (see dates below) for a rough draft and summary to be turned in. At that point, we will post summaries and warnings for each fic and allow artists and mixers to claim which fic they would like to create art for. There will be another deadline for final drafts and artwork/mixes to be ready to go and all final works should be posted to the community by September 15. Then what? We all get wonderful fic to read and great art to accompany it.
Important Dates
March 1 - 31: Sign-ups for Authors!
March 1 - June 30: Sign-ups for artists/mixers, betas, etc.
April 1 - June 30: Write write write those first drafts!
May 1: Required check-in for Authors. Post a snippet!
July 6: First draft due. Must be 15K and must have a beginning/middle/end.
July 9: Artist/mixer claims day!
August 6: Required check-in for Authors.
August 13: Required check-in for Artists/Mixers. Must show screenshot of current work.
September 15: All fanworks should be be in the queue by the end of the day.
September 17: The mods will release posts from the queue and post the masterlist of fics/art/fanmixes, etc. for all to enjoy.
You can also check out our Google calendar by clicking here. If you have a Gmail account, you can add it to your calendars to send you reminders of deadlines and important dates.
Rules for Written Works
- Must be at least 15,000 words in length. No maximum requirement, once you hit 15K, write as much as you want afterwards.
- All fic must include at least ONE character from The Big Bang Theory as a main character.
- All characters, pairings, gen, het, slash, etc. are acceptable. This challenge is for EVERYONE in the fandom to enjoy, no matter what your preferences are.
- AU, Crack!fic, NC-17, Kink, etc. is also acceptable.
- RPF (Real Person Fiction) is allowable. We require that at least one actor from The Big Bang Theory be a main character.
- Crossovers are also okay. However, at least one character from The Big Bang Theory must be a main character.
- All fic (and summaries) are REQUIRED to be sent/posted with appropriate warnings. (i.e. character death, angst, non-con, dub-con, incest, etc.) It should also carry an appropriate rating. (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17).
- Any fics containing spoilers for unaired episodes (or for crossover fics) should be marked as such.
- Rough drafts must include title, warnings, rating and a summary. This is the information artists will be choosing from when they make their claims.
- We are also REQUIRING every fic to be beta read before the final posting date. As these are long fics, we feel it's necessary as it is easy to lose sight of grammar and mechanics especially when trying to hit a word count. We will have beta readers available through the community, but you are not required to use their services. If you know of a trusted beta reader outside of this community, you are free to use them. It's also important that you leave enough time between when you send your fic to be beta read and your deadline to ensure your beta reader has sufficient time to do their job.
- We are asking to see final drafts before your posting date, just to make sure the fic is finished and no artist is being left out in the cold without a fic to create for. However, you are free to edit your fic and make changes right up to your assigned posting date.
- You can use previously posted or published fic for your Big Bang as long as you have an additional 15k of new content. (For example, if you wrote a 3K fic for a meme and want to include that 3K in your big bang, your big bang must then be at least 18K words in length.)
- You may sign up to co-write, but you cannot sign up as a solo author AND a co-writer.
Rules for Mixers
- Should be between 10-15 songs.
- Uploaded to a free and reliable site so everyone can download.
- Creating cover art is strongly encouraged but it is not required.
- Songs with explicit content should be marked as such.
Rules for Artists
- Art can be in any medium, whether hand-drawn, digital, photo manipulations or anything else. As long as it is able to be posted on the internet, it's fair game.
- Just as with fic, art should be posted with appropriate ratings/warnings.
Rules for Fanvids
- Videos should be at least 2 minutes long and preferably no more than 5 minutes.
- Explicit content or lyrics should be marked as such.
Rules for Beta Readers
- Please be fluent in English. We also expect beta readers to have a firm grasp on grammar and mechanics.
- Please do your best to have your beta finished in time for your author to make needed corrections. If you cannot do this, please let them know ASAP so they can find someone else.
Rules for Everyone
- IMPORTANT: Works will not be posted to this community. You may post it anywhere you like as long as it is posted PUBLICLY and not in a locked or protected area. Everyone who wants to must be able to access it with ease. You may post it on your personal livejournal, art/fic journals, or other archives. For those writers who post at AO3, we have a Collection set up so that fic from this challenge will be easily accessible and grouped together. If you do not have an AO3 account, but would like an invite, now is a good time to get on the waiting list. (We HIGHLY recommend it!) If the mods find available invitations, we will let you know. You are also welcome to post at fanfiction.net, a personal website or any other fanfiction archive if you do not have an AO3 account. Detailed instructions will be given prior to your assigned posting date.
Do I need to have a Livejournal account to participate?
Yes. Though you are not required to post your work on Livejournal, you do need an account to participate in this community and get important information regarding deadlines, claims and posting instructions. If you don't have one yet, you may sign up here. (It's free!)
Okay then, how do I sign up for the challenge?
First, watch this community! On March 1, we will post instructions and a link to our sign-up forms.
How else can I get updates from this community?
If you're anything like the bigbangbigbang mods, you may spend more time on Twitter than you do on LJ these days. If so, we'd love for you to follow our Twitter account - @bbbbupdates. Also, if you tweet about the challenge, please use the hashtag #bbbb2012!
Can I sign up as a writer AND an artist/mixer?
Sure! BUT... we ask all writers for a couple things before doing so. First off, do not sign up to do art/mixes if you don't feel you can handle both projects. Secondly, people signed up as artists/mixers-only will get FIRST claim on fics. Once they have all made their claims, we will then allow writers who want to do art/mixes to make their claims. You are also not allowed to claim your own fic.
Can I claim more than one fic as an artist/mixer?
Yes. But you must show us the rough draft of your original claim before we will allow a second claim. (This statement only applies if we have an equal number of artists and authors. If we have less artists than authors, artists are encouraged to make multiple claims.)
Holy crap on a cracker! 15,000 words? How the heck can I do that?
Don't let it stress you out! That's the first rule. You have a lot of time and as long as you don't procrastinate too much or let it worry you, you CAN do it. Just make sure you plan ahead, outline, whatever it takes. And BREATHE.
You can also join us at bbbbsupport and we hope all of our participants join up. It's a great place to vent about your works, share links and resources with fellow writers, cheer on others, find writing buddies, get feedback and lots more. We'll be utilizing this community even more this year than ever before, so please come on over.
Still not sure? Check out these links...
Whether it's for this challenge or to help improve your writing in general, we highly recommend the following links:
Giant List of Fandom/Writing Resources
How to Write Long-form Stories
Finish that Epic!
Finishing Works in Progress
How can I see what people posted in previous years?
Check out our masterlists! This is 2010 and here is 2011. We've had two great years of fic and look forward to a third.
Hold on... I have another question...
Please feel free to contact us at bbbbmods@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Your mods for this community are bekkis, ishie and weasleytook and we're happy to answer whatever we can for you.
What the heck is a big bang?
The first big bang challenge took place in at big_bang_hd for Harry/Draco (Harry Potter) fans. Since then, it has spread like wildfire throughout many fandoms. The simple definition of a 'big bang' is a challenge in two parts. Authors write fics and artists create art to go along with the written words. This challenge comes in many forms, but for the purpose of The Big Bang Theory big bang, we're looking at fics of 15,000 words or more which will be paired with artists to create graphics, artwork, fanvids and mixes to accompany the fic.
Wait... how does that work again?
We will open sign-ups for writers, artists and mixers on March 1. Writers are given a deadline (see dates below) for a rough draft and summary to be turned in. At that point, we will post summaries and warnings for each fic and allow artists and mixers to claim which fic they would like to create art for. There will be another deadline for final drafts and artwork/mixes to be ready to go and all final works should be posted to the community by September 15. Then what? We all get wonderful fic to read and great art to accompany it.
Important Dates
March 1 - 31: Sign-ups for Authors!
March 1 - June 30: Sign-ups for artists/mixers, betas, etc.
April 1 - June 30: Write write write those first drafts!
May 1: Required check-in for Authors. Post a snippet!
July 6: First draft due. Must be 15K and must have a beginning/middle/end.
July 9: Artist/mixer claims day!
August 6: Required check-in for Authors.
August 13: Required check-in for Artists/Mixers. Must show screenshot of current work.
September 15: All fanworks should be be in the queue by the end of the day.
September 17: The mods will release posts from the queue and post the masterlist of fics/art/fanmixes, etc. for all to enjoy.
You can also check out our Google calendar by clicking here. If you have a Gmail account, you can add it to your calendars to send you reminders of deadlines and important dates.
Rules for Written Works
- Must be at least 15,000 words in length. No maximum requirement, once you hit 15K, write as much as you want afterwards.
- All fic must include at least ONE character from The Big Bang Theory as a main character.
- All characters, pairings, gen, het, slash, etc. are acceptable. This challenge is for EVERYONE in the fandom to enjoy, no matter what your preferences are.
- AU, Crack!fic, NC-17, Kink, etc. is also acceptable.
- RPF (Real Person Fiction) is allowable. We require that at least one actor from The Big Bang Theory be a main character.
- Crossovers are also okay. However, at least one character from The Big Bang Theory must be a main character.
- All fic (and summaries) are REQUIRED to be sent/posted with appropriate warnings. (i.e. character death, angst, non-con, dub-con, incest, etc.) It should also carry an appropriate rating. (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17).
- Any fics containing spoilers for unaired episodes (or for crossover fics) should be marked as such.
- Rough drafts must include title, warnings, rating and a summary. This is the information artists will be choosing from when they make their claims.
- We are also REQUIRING every fic to be beta read before the final posting date. As these are long fics, we feel it's necessary as it is easy to lose sight of grammar and mechanics especially when trying to hit a word count. We will have beta readers available through the community, but you are not required to use their services. If you know of a trusted beta reader outside of this community, you are free to use them. It's also important that you leave enough time between when you send your fic to be beta read and your deadline to ensure your beta reader has sufficient time to do their job.
- We are asking to see final drafts before your posting date, just to make sure the fic is finished and no artist is being left out in the cold without a fic to create for. However, you are free to edit your fic and make changes right up to your assigned posting date.
- You can use previously posted or published fic for your Big Bang as long as you have an additional 15k of new content. (For example, if you wrote a 3K fic for a meme and want to include that 3K in your big bang, your big bang must then be at least 18K words in length.)
- You may sign up to co-write, but you cannot sign up as a solo author AND a co-writer.
Rules for Mixers
- Should be between 10-15 songs.
- Uploaded to a free and reliable site so everyone can download.
- Creating cover art is strongly encouraged but it is not required.
- Songs with explicit content should be marked as such.
Rules for Artists
- Art can be in any medium, whether hand-drawn, digital, photo manipulations or anything else. As long as it is able to be posted on the internet, it's fair game.
- Just as with fic, art should be posted with appropriate ratings/warnings.
Rules for Fanvids
- Videos should be at least 2 minutes long and preferably no more than 5 minutes.
- Explicit content or lyrics should be marked as such.
Rules for Beta Readers
- Please be fluent in English. We also expect beta readers to have a firm grasp on grammar and mechanics.
- Please do your best to have your beta finished in time for your author to make needed corrections. If you cannot do this, please let them know ASAP so they can find someone else.
Rules for Everyone
- IMPORTANT: Works will not be posted to this community. You may post it anywhere you like as long as it is posted PUBLICLY and not in a locked or protected area. Everyone who wants to must be able to access it with ease. You may post it on your personal livejournal, art/fic journals, or other archives. For those writers who post at AO3, we have a Collection set up so that fic from this challenge will be easily accessible and grouped together. If you do not have an AO3 account, but would like an invite, now is a good time to get on the waiting list. (We HIGHLY recommend it!) If the mods find available invitations, we will let you know. You are also welcome to post at fanfiction.net, a personal website or any other fanfiction archive if you do not have an AO3 account. Detailed instructions will be given prior to your assigned posting date.
Do I need to have a Livejournal account to participate?
Yes. Though you are not required to post your work on Livejournal, you do need an account to participate in this community and get important information regarding deadlines, claims and posting instructions. If you don't have one yet, you may sign up here. (It's free!)
Okay then, how do I sign up for the challenge?
First, watch this community! On March 1, we will post instructions and a link to our sign-up forms.
How else can I get updates from this community?
If you're anything like the bigbangbigbang mods, you may spend more time on Twitter than you do on LJ these days. If so, we'd love for you to follow our Twitter account - @bbbbupdates. Also, if you tweet about the challenge, please use the hashtag #bbbb2012!
Can I sign up as a writer AND an artist/mixer?
Sure! BUT... we ask all writers for a couple things before doing so. First off, do not sign up to do art/mixes if you don't feel you can handle both projects. Secondly, people signed up as artists/mixers-only will get FIRST claim on fics. Once they have all made their claims, we will then allow writers who want to do art/mixes to make their claims. You are also not allowed to claim your own fic.
Can I claim more than one fic as an artist/mixer?
Yes. But you must show us the rough draft of your original claim before we will allow a second claim. (This statement only applies if we have an equal number of artists and authors. If we have less artists than authors, artists are encouraged to make multiple claims.)
Holy crap on a cracker! 15,000 words? How the heck can I do that?
Don't let it stress you out! That's the first rule. You have a lot of time and as long as you don't procrastinate too much or let it worry you, you CAN do it. Just make sure you plan ahead, outline, whatever it takes. And BREATHE.
You can also join us at bbbbsupport and we hope all of our participants join up. It's a great place to vent about your works, share links and resources with fellow writers, cheer on others, find writing buddies, get feedback and lots more. We'll be utilizing this community even more this year than ever before, so please come on over.
Still not sure? Check out these links...
Whether it's for this challenge or to help improve your writing in general, we highly recommend the following links:
Giant List of Fandom/Writing Resources
How to Write Long-form Stories
Finish that Epic!
Finishing Works in Progress
How can I see what people posted in previous years?
Check out our masterlists! This is 2010 and here is 2011. We've had two great years of fic and look forward to a third.
Hold on... I have another question...
Please feel free to contact us at bbbbmods@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Your mods for this community are bekkis, ishie and weasleytook and we're happy to answer whatever we can for you.