The Rules and Sign-ups Post: "We're going to be friends for a long, long time."
Sign-ups for the fkficfest ficathon are now open! Our mission: fantastic, fresh Forever Knight fanfiction and fun along the way! Please read the rules in this post and think over your prompts. To sign-up, comment on this post by March 18 (11:59 PM Pacific Time). Once your prompts are posted, they are considered final.
(Comments are screened. We will unscreen any questions and answer them for all to see. Sign-ups will remain screened.)
Edited to Add: Yes, this is the post on which to comment with your sign-up! :-)
Timeline
No stories will be released until all stories are in. Stories will release at a rate of one per day if we have ten or fewer players, two per day up to twenty players, three up to thirty, and so on. If all stories are in early, we'll begin releasing early.
Meet Your Mods. Your mods are brightknightie (Knightie Amy) and amilyn (Natpacker Amy). You may know us from the PSU email lists in days gone by, or from LJ and DW more recently. All official ficathon communications come from and go to fkficfestmod (email address: fkficfestmod (at) rittenhurst (dot) com). Anything addressed to the individual mods at their personal blogs or email addresses is considered personal correspondence, not ficathon business.
Game Play: Each player (1) submits a slate of three story prompts, (2) receives in return a slate of three prompts submitted by someone else, (3) writes one story of at least 1,000 words to fulfill any one of the three prompts received, (4) receives one story that fulfills one of the three prompts submitted, and (5) FK is celebrated and a grand time is had by all.
The Rules
Posting
The community is currently set to moderated posting. When you finish your story, please post it to the community. (This ficathon is not anonymous, like some. Posting as yourself lets you retain editing control of your own story post, in case of last-minute typos or future concerns that we can't imagine today.)
Stories will be released from the moderation queue a few per day -- the exact quantity will depend on the number of players -- as soon as all ficathon entries have been turned in. (Yes, this is the incentive for getting all stories in as soon as possible!) Many ficathons release all stories at once in a great waterfall of fiction, but since we're all-FK here, we're going to try a steady stream of stories and hope everyone finds time to read and comment on many entries.
If your story is too big for one post, you may submit two posts. (This is a paid account, so we can have multiple posts from a member in queue.)
We prefer to have your story actually on the community, rather than only a link to it elsewhere, in case of future events like the Great Geocities Goodbye. If you'd like to add a link in your story post to your story in an archive elsewhere after the ficathon, that's just fine.
Steps:
If your story does not meet these three basic criteria, we will ask you to re-post it.
Example Headers
If Natalie were playing in this ficathon, her story subject line and header might look like this:If Janette were playing in this ficathon, her story subject line and header might look like this:"Cause of Life" by Natlamb (PG, Gen)
Title: "Cause of Life"
Author: Natlamb
Beta-Reader: Raven2U
Recipient: Plantstheanswer
Prompt: Nick & Natalie. "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" -- Springsteen, "Badlands"
Rating: PG
Summary: The case of a murdered baseball player gives Nick hope, Natalie an idea, and Schanke indigestion."A High-Walled Garden" by Raven2U (NC-17, M/F)
Title: "A High-Walled Garden"
Author: Raven2U
Beta-Reader: Littlebear
Recipient: DarkButton
Prompt: Tracy/Vachon. Tracy's interest in past lives surprises Vachon.
Characters: Tracy, Vachon, Nick, Urs, Reese, Natalie, Others
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Highlight to view: * explicit sex, explicit violence, character death *
Signing Up
You will be asked to list characters you want. Please be sure to list a reasonable number for your writer, who is allowed to also include any other characters he or she wishes to write.
(In your sign-up, there's space to state what you'd rather not read or write. Please do not bash other characters, pairings or factions; just say they're not your cup of Ribena.)
The Sign-Up Template:
Username:
E-mail:
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR WRITER TO SEE
Gen Request
Characters:
Prompt:
Pairing Request
Characters:
Prompt:
Wildcard Request
Characters:
Prompt:
Faction/Affiliation or Favorite Character:
Maximum Rating Enjoyed (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17):
Five Things You Love To Read:
Five Things You Prefer to Avoid Reading:
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR MODS TO USE
Three Things You Will Not Write:
Three Things You Love To Write:
Are You Willing To Be A Back-Up Writer?
~~~~~~~~~~
Example Sign-Ups
If Nick were playing in this ficathon, his sign-up might look like this:If Lacroix were playing in this ficathon, his sign-up might look like this:Username: NBK
E-mail: nknight@metropd.gov.ca
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR WRITER TO SEE
Gen Request
Characters: Natalie, Schanke, Nick
Prompt: home run for the good guys
Pairing Request
Characters: Alyssa/Nick
Prompt: How did Nick fall in love with Alyssa (from "Dead of Night")?
Wildcard Request
Characters: Schanke
Prompt: that wild bicentennial summer
Faction/Affiliation or Favorite Character: Die-Hard (Refuse to Choose)
Maximum Rating Enjoyed (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17): No higher than PG-13, please.
Five Things You Love To Read: angst with hope, Nick regaining his mortality, historical fiction, spiritual struggles, automotive trivia
Five Things You Prefer to Avoid Reading: non-con, evil triumphing over good, Nick embracing his vampirism, Valentine (Lacroix/Natalie), Lacroix inside Nick's mind
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR MODS TO USE
Three Things You Will Not Write: non-con, humor, Nick killing people he loves
Three Things You Love To Write: Angsty introspection, baseball, characters who are musicians or artists like Nick
Are You Willing To Be A Back-Up Writer? No.
~~~~~~~~~~Username: Rosebud
E-mail: rosebud@freenet.to.ca
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR WRITER TO SEE
Gen Request
Characters: Lacroix & Nicholas
Prompt: The Nightcrawler wins a major broadcasting award. Nicholas is impressed. The Enforcers are not.
Pairing Request
Characters: Lacroix/Fleur & Nicholas
Prompt: "But since correction lieth in those hands / Which made the fault that we cannot correct" -- Shakespeare, R2, Act I, Scene II
Wildcard Request
Characters: Lacroix & Natalie & Nicholas -or- Lacroix/Natalie & Nicholas -or- Lacroix/Natalie/Nicholas
Prompt: reason prevails
Faction/Affiliation or Favorite Character: Cousin, UF, Valentine, Faithful, Seducer…
Maximum Rating Enjoyed (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17): No preference
Five Things You Love To Read: plot, metaphor, Nicholas embracing his vampirism, Lacroix winning, vampire eroticism
Five Things You Prefer to Avoid Reading: fluff, Nicholas regaining his mortality, Lacroix stymied, Nicholas/Natalie, mpreg
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR MODS TO USE
Three Things You Will Not Write: Nicholas regaining his humanity, Nicholas romancing a mortal successfully, "Lite" Lacroix
Three Things You Love To Write: Nicholas/Janette, Nicholas embracing his vampirism, historical fiction
Are You Willing To Be A Back-Up Writer? Yes.
~~~~~~~~~~
Want to know more about your recipient's preferences? Check out your recipient's blog or fanfic! If you have friends in common, you might try asking them. But please keep secret from your recipient that you're the one. Your story will be a surprise gift to your specific recipient, and to all FK fandom.
Thanks for playing! Have fun!
Don't forget to watch/join the community! All reminders will be posted here.
(Comments are screened. We will unscreen any questions and answer them for all to see. Sign-ups will remain screened.)
Edited to Add: Yes, this is the post on which to comment with your sign-up! :-)
Timeline
- 02/18/2010: Sign-ups open.
- 03/18/2010: Sign-ups close.
- 03/21/2010: Prompt assignments sent.
- 04/18/2010: Deadline to default in good grace.
- 05/08/2010: On-time submissions due. Pinch-hitter assignments sent.
- 05/18/2010: Stories begin releasing. (This is the fourteenth anniversary of the first airing of "Last Knight" -- give or take local syndication.)
No stories will be released until all stories are in. Stories will release at a rate of one per day if we have ten or fewer players, two per day up to twenty players, three up to thirty, and so on. If all stories are in early, we'll begin releasing early.
Meet Your Mods. Your mods are brightknightie (Knightie Amy) and amilyn (Natpacker Amy). You may know us from the PSU email lists in days gone by, or from LJ and DW more recently. All official ficathon communications come from and go to fkficfestmod (email address: fkficfestmod (at) rittenhurst (dot) com). Anything addressed to the individual mods at their personal blogs or email addresses is considered personal correspondence, not ficathon business.
Game Play: Each player (1) submits a slate of three story prompts, (2) receives in return a slate of three prompts submitted by someone else, (3) writes one story of at least 1,000 words to fulfill any one of the three prompts received, (4) receives one story that fulfills one of the three prompts submitted, and (5) FK is celebrated and a grand time is had by all.
The Rules
- So that's three prompts, but only one story?
Right. Each player submits three prompts, but has to write only one story. Writing more than one story is permitted and applauded -- more new FK! -- but is neither expected, nor required, nor typical. - What are the three kinds of prompts/stories?
Each player must submit one gen, one pairing, and one wildcard prompt. This is to give the writer options. For this ficathon, we'll use the following definitions:- A "gen" story is primarily about anything except romantic and/or sexual relationships or activities. So stories that are primarily about building a friendship, solving a crime, strengthening a family, finding a cure, saving a life, taking a life, getting a haircut . . . all these count as "gen." (Yes, romance and sex may be mentioned in gen stories. Nick can kiss Janette. Schanke can fuss about Myra. Natalie can date Lionel. Feliks can hit on Vachon. But these must be minor elements in a gen story.)
- A "pairing" story is primarily about romantic and/or sexual relationships or activities. So stories that are primarily about finding love, losing love, forbidding love, sustaining love, having sex, missing sex, adapting sex, avoiding sex, getting married . . . all these count as "pairing." (Yes, by all means, mysteries may be solved, themes explored, and haircuts gotten in pairing stories. Pairing stories are not necessarily "plot, what plot?"! Although they may be, if you think your recipient would like that.) M/f, m/m and f/f pairings are all equally allowed, rated and respected.
- A "wildcard" prompt may be anything you like. You may list another gen prompt, or another pairing prompt, or something completely different, or something combining the two. (This would also be the place for a threesome or moresome request, rather than under "pairing.")
Please note during sign-ups that an ampersand ("&") designates a gen prompt, and a slash ("/") designates a pairing prompt. (For example, "Nick & Lacroix" is a gen, Cousin-of-the-Knight prompt, while "Nick/Lacroix" is a pairing, Unnamed Faction prompt.)
- How long must the story be?
Stories must be a minimum of 1,000 words. There is no maximum. - What about beta-reading?
Please have your story beta-read before posting. There will be a post for beta-readers and writers to find each other. (Your mods are not able to match beta readers with writers and are officially unavailable for beta-reading purposes -- though they may, or may not, individually volunteer on the post when the time comes just like everyone else.) - CANS O' WORMS. What is forbidden?
- Underage Sex. No character who is, or who appears to be, under the age of eighteen may be depicted "on screen" in sexual activity with anyone. No exceptions (Divia and Daniel are explicitly prohibited). If a plot requires such activity to have happened -- for example, as part of the crime the detectives are solving -- it must take place "off screen."
- Human Incest. No characters with human family consanguinity within the third degree may be depicted "on screen" in sexual activity with each other (Lacroix/Divia, Don/Jenny, Nick/Fleur and Natalie/Richard are explicitly prohibited). If a plot requires such activity to have happened -- for example, as part of Divia's sociopathy -- it must take place "off screen."
- Crossovers. No crossovers. However, you can bring in other works the way canon did, if needed. Emily Weiss of "Stranger Than Fiction" is analogous to Anne Rice. "Curiouser and Curiouser" is all over Alice in Wonderland. The Hound of the Baskervilles originates in "Blind Faith." Nick and Lacroix both quote classic literature in various episodes, and Nick and Natalie watch old movies.
- Real People Besides Historical Figures. No real private individuals may appear in your story. But public figures may play roles in your story consistent with their accepted roles in history and the example of canon (for example, Saint Joan in "For I Have Sinned," Rasputin in "Strings," Hitler in "Jane Doe," Jack the Ripper in "Bad Blood," and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in "Blind Faith").
- Trolling or Flaming or Offensive Prompts. If the two mods agree that you have trolled or flamed, you will be banned. We are pro-Forever Knight, diversity, tolerance, kindness, respect, truth, justice, and the Canadian Way . . . whoops, that's the Knightie Creed. But you know what we mean. Constructive criticism is fine. Bashing is not.
- What if I have to default?
We understand that sometimes there are problems in Real Life that get in the way of fannish commitments. However, defaulting means that we have to scramble for a back-up writer. That's not fair to your recipient or the back-up. If you are going to default, please do so by one month before the due date. The deadline to default in good grace is April 18, 2010. Anyone defaulting after that date will not be allowed to participate in any future fkficfest ficathons. - When can I post my story elsewhere?
Please wait until after the last story posts on the ficathon before also posting your story to fkfic-l, your blog, AO3 or elsewhere. We're hoping that people will come to the community to read your story, and stick around to read others' stories, too! (If you feel like it, please do point out and link to your story in your own journal when it posts here, so your friends can find your story and the ficathon.) - What's with all the jargon? -or- Help! I don't know the faction names!
Faction/affiliation names and other jargon from the PSU lists and the show itself are some of the joys of FK fandom! However, our special FK language has evolved through generations of fans. We may want to translate for each other, to define "Immortal Beloved" or "IB" as "Nick/Janette," for example. For more information on factions, check out the detailed "Factions" entry on the FK Wiki.
Posting
The community is currently set to moderated posting. When you finish your story, please post it to the community. (This ficathon is not anonymous, like some. Posting as yourself lets you retain editing control of your own story post, in case of last-minute typos or future concerns that we can't imagine today.)
Stories will be released from the moderation queue a few per day -- the exact quantity will depend on the number of players -- as soon as all ficathon entries have been turned in. (Yes, this is the incentive for getting all stories in as soon as possible!) Many ficathons release all stories at once in a great waterfall of fiction, but since we're all-FK here, we're going to try a steady stream of stories and hope everyone finds time to read and comment on many entries.
If your story is too big for one post, you may submit two posts. (This is a paid account, so we can have multiple posts from a member in queue.)
We prefer to have your story actually on the community, rather than only a link to it elsewhere, in case of future events like the Great Geocities Goodbye. If you'd like to add a link in your story post to your story in an archive elsewhere after the ficathon, that's just fine.
Steps:
- Put everything except your header behind a cut-tag.
- Your header must include, at a minimum, the title, author, recipient, beta-reader, prompt, rating, and any warnings. (Anything more is up to you.) The template is below, so you can copy-and-paste, and fill it in. Please note that we use the "white on white" warnings format, so that people can choose to avoid spoilers.
- Enter a subject line with the title, rating and type (gen or pairing).
The Header Template:
Title:
Author:
Beta-Reader:
Recipient:
Prompt:
Rating:
Warnings: Highlight to view: * InsertWarningHere *
If your story does not meet these three basic criteria, we will ask you to re-post it.
Example Headers
If Natalie were playing in this ficathon, her story subject line and header might look like this:If Janette were playing in this ficathon, her story subject line and header might look like this:"Cause of Life" by Natlamb (PG, Gen)
Title: "Cause of Life"
Author: Natlamb
Beta-Reader: Raven2U
Recipient: Plantstheanswer
Prompt: Nick & Natalie. "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" -- Springsteen, "Badlands"
Rating: PG
Summary: The case of a murdered baseball player gives Nick hope, Natalie an idea, and Schanke indigestion."A High-Walled Garden" by Raven2U (NC-17, M/F)
Title: "A High-Walled Garden"
Author: Raven2U
Beta-Reader: Littlebear
Recipient: DarkButton
Prompt: Tracy/Vachon. Tracy's interest in past lives surprises Vachon.
Characters: Tracy, Vachon, Nick, Urs, Reese, Natalie, Others
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Highlight to view: * explicit sex, explicit violence, character death *
Signing Up
You will be asked to list characters you want. Please be sure to list a reasonable number for your writer, who is allowed to also include any other characters he or she wishes to write.
(In your sign-up, there's space to state what you'd rather not read or write. Please do not bash other characters, pairings or factions; just say they're not your cup of Ribena.)
The Sign-Up Template:
Username:
E-mail:
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR WRITER TO SEE
Gen Request
Characters:
Prompt:
Pairing Request
Characters:
Prompt:
Wildcard Request
Characters:
Prompt:
Faction/Affiliation or Favorite Character:
Maximum Rating Enjoyed (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17):
Five Things You Love To Read:
Five Things You Prefer to Avoid Reading:
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR MODS TO USE
Three Things You Will Not Write:
Three Things You Love To Write:
Are You Willing To Be A Back-Up Writer?
~~~~~~~~~~
Example Sign-Ups
If Nick were playing in this ficathon, his sign-up might look like this:If Lacroix were playing in this ficathon, his sign-up might look like this:Username: NBK
E-mail: nknight@metropd.gov.ca
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR WRITER TO SEE
Gen Request
Characters: Natalie, Schanke, Nick
Prompt: home run for the good guys
Pairing Request
Characters: Alyssa/Nick
Prompt: How did Nick fall in love with Alyssa (from "Dead of Night")?
Wildcard Request
Characters: Schanke
Prompt: that wild bicentennial summer
Faction/Affiliation or Favorite Character: Die-Hard (Refuse to Choose)
Maximum Rating Enjoyed (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17): No higher than PG-13, please.
Five Things You Love To Read: angst with hope, Nick regaining his mortality, historical fiction, spiritual struggles, automotive trivia
Five Things You Prefer to Avoid Reading: non-con, evil triumphing over good, Nick embracing his vampirism, Valentine (Lacroix/Natalie), Lacroix inside Nick's mind
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR MODS TO USE
Three Things You Will Not Write: non-con, humor, Nick killing people he loves
Three Things You Love To Write: Angsty introspection, baseball, characters who are musicians or artists like Nick
Are You Willing To Be A Back-Up Writer? No.
~~~~~~~~~~Username: Rosebud
E-mail: rosebud@freenet.to.ca
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR WRITER TO SEE
Gen Request
Characters: Lacroix & Nicholas
Prompt: The Nightcrawler wins a major broadcasting award. Nicholas is impressed. The Enforcers are not.
Pairing Request
Characters: Lacroix/Fleur & Nicholas
Prompt: "But since correction lieth in those hands / Which made the fault that we cannot correct" -- Shakespeare, R2, Act I, Scene II
Wildcard Request
Characters: Lacroix & Natalie & Nicholas -or- Lacroix/Natalie & Nicholas -or- Lacroix/Natalie/Nicholas
Prompt: reason prevails
Faction/Affiliation or Favorite Character: Cousin, UF, Valentine, Faithful, Seducer…
Maximum Rating Enjoyed (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17): No preference
Five Things You Love To Read: plot, metaphor, Nicholas embracing his vampirism, Lacroix winning, vampire eroticism
Five Things You Prefer to Avoid Reading: fluff, Nicholas regaining his mortality, Lacroix stymied, Nicholas/Natalie, mpreg
~~~~~~~~~~
FOR YOUR MODS TO USE
Three Things You Will Not Write: Nicholas regaining his humanity, Nicholas romancing a mortal successfully, "Lite" Lacroix
Three Things You Love To Write: Nicholas/Janette, Nicholas embracing his vampirism, historical fiction
Are You Willing To Be A Back-Up Writer? Yes.
~~~~~~~~~~
Want to know more about your recipient's preferences? Check out your recipient's blog or fanfic! If you have friends in common, you might try asking them. But please keep secret from your recipient that you're the one. Your story will be a surprise gift to your specific recipient, and to all FK fandom.
Thanks for playing! Have fun!
Don't forget to watch/join the community! All reminders will be posted here.