it's time try to dream a little big
Hello, and welcome to the rules/FAQ post for cycle 3 of je_otherworlds! We're already moving in on year three of this exchange, so these might be more of a refresher, but please do read through this post completely -- it will make life a little easier when sign ups close and assignments go out!
Basic Rules
1. Fics must be AU.
2. Fics must focus on at least one or more members of Johnny's & Associates.
3. Fics must be 2,000 words or more.
4. Fics must be beta read.
5. No unnecessary wank or drama; this is purely for fun!
FAQ
What's the timeline look like?
As we all know, the cycle this time around has been pushed back a little bit. Here are the official dates for cycle 3:
Important Dates:
Sign ups open: May 20th
Sign ups close: May 31st
Assignments go out: June 2nd
Fics due: August 23rd
Posting begins: September 1st
Reveals: TBD
What constitutes AU?
For our purposes, the textbook definition of 'AU' would probably work best, and that being an alternate universe in its basic form, in regards to JE -- a world without Johnny's Entertainment. So if you wanted to write an entire fic on what the boys' lives would be like if there was no such thing as JE in Japan, then that would be considered AU. That's probably as close as it would cut it, though. In other worlds, if you wanted them to be idols, singers, whatever, that would also be completely acceptable, but if you wanted to be totally out there and write them as X-Men, or a professional league of car boosters, that's okay, too!
So, as an example:
A fic that focuses on the wacky hijinks that occur during a taping of Kanjani's Seven Okans skit -- not allowed
A fic wherein the members of Kanjani form a cross-dressing comedy group called the Seven Okan and try to make it as idols -- totally okay
A fic wherein the members of Kanjani are a group of space pirates orbiting Earth-3 who disguise themselves using their Seven Okan alter egos -- AWESOME
Who can I write about?
Any member of Johnny's & Associates. Non-Johnny's are also acceptable provided at least one Johnny's member is the main focus. So if you want to write Toma/Jun/Shun buddy cop fic, that's okay just as long as Toma and/or Jun are kept as main characters. A fic focused on Horikita Maki as a female firefighter with occasional mentions of Yamapi, however, would not be acceptable within the parameters of this exchange.
Can I have drama characters/settings?
As dramas are pretty much ready made AUs, we're going to have to say no on this one. If you wanted to put your favorite Johnny's into the setting of a drama, that's fine, so long as they stay who they are. So Nino and Ryo in the Ryusei no Kizuna world would still be Nino and Ryo, not Koichi or Keisuke. Otherwise, steer clear of the drama characters.
What isn't allowed in my fics?
Fic based in the current J&A universe and/or focused around non-Johnny's. Also, porn involving people under the age of 18. We understand that some of you may be down with the underages getting down, but as this is a public comm, the posting of explicit materials featuring minors is prohibited in LJ's TOS, so we're putting the kibosh on it. We'd rather not have Chris Hansen knocking on our doors, asking us to take a seat, okay?
Other than that, feel free to be as creative as you want with your fics. Any genre is fine so long as it's based in an AU. Middle Earth, outer space, 19th century Russia, under the sea, the year 3010 -- the possibilities are limitless! :3
What if I have questions about my assignments?
Do not break anon and contact your recipient directly. If you have questions, send it to the mods, and we'll get in contact with your recipient for you.
Also, please keep in mind that we only have what you put on your sign-up to go by when in the assigning process. We do our best to pair everyone up with someone we feel is compatible with your list of will's and won'ts, but we can't do that without a sufficient sign-up. To ensure that you receive an assignment that is within your writing strengths, please provide enough detail in your sign-up so we can get a proper feel of who you could write best for. Questions and discrepencies regarding assignments once they have been sent out can be directed to the mods via email or PM.
What are my fic limitations?
All fics must be at least 2,000 words and beta read. If you do not have a beta reader, we will do our best to assign one to you. As this is an English language exchange, all fic should be in English (and in general, please go easy on the fangirl Japanese? Terms like senpai and kouhai are okay, but we'd rather not need a translator to read your fic.)
How/where/when do I submit my fic?
Fics are due August 23rd, 2013! You can e-mail your finished fic to us any time between April 2nd and June 3rd, and we accept .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .txt files. For GoogleDocs users, you can also send us your stories that way; just make sure to share the file with je.otherworlds@gmail.com.
If you need an extension, please tell us as soon as possible. Likewise, if you feel you have to drop out, let us know as soon as possible so we can set about finding pinches.
Is there a penalty for dropping out?
If you have to drop out and notify us before the due date, that's fine. If, however, you don't tell us you're dropping out until after the deadline rolls around, you will be put on probation for the next year. If you drop out again the next year without forewarning, you will be banned from participating in the exchange in the future.
Really, there are only a few things that will earn you the ire of the mods:
(1) Breaking anon - it takes all the fun out of the exchange. We'd like to keep some element of surprise, y'know?
(2) Blatantly ignoring your recipient's requests - it's just not nice. You wouldn't want it done to you so don't do it to others.
(3) Dropping out and disappearing on us - we try to be nice people. We don't like chasing you down. Don't make us be Dog the Bounty Hunter, bro.
(4) Being a jerk in general - if you've got beef with someone, beef on your own time and in your own journals. We're here to have fun and play around in make believe worlds. Do not make us come down on you for being a prick.
...so as long as you don't do any of those things, you're golden! Really, the main goal is to have fun and be creative. Oh, and produce lots of fun fic, of course! :D
Any other questions can be directed to the mods via a comment to this post, a PM, or an email, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! The sign-up post will be coming shortly, so hang tight, and happy AUing!
Basic Rules
1. Fics must be AU.
2. Fics must focus on at least one or more members of Johnny's & Associates.
3. Fics must be 2,000 words or more.
4. Fics must be beta read.
5. No unnecessary wank or drama; this is purely for fun!
FAQ
What's the timeline look like?
As we all know, the cycle this time around has been pushed back a little bit. Here are the official dates for cycle 3:
Important Dates:
Sign ups open: May 20th
Sign ups close: May 31st
Assignments go out: June 2nd
Fics due: August 23rd
Posting begins: September 1st
Reveals: TBD
What constitutes AU?
For our purposes, the textbook definition of 'AU' would probably work best, and that being an alternate universe in its basic form, in regards to JE -- a world without Johnny's Entertainment. So if you wanted to write an entire fic on what the boys' lives would be like if there was no such thing as JE in Japan, then that would be considered AU. That's probably as close as it would cut it, though. In other worlds, if you wanted them to be idols, singers, whatever, that would also be completely acceptable, but if you wanted to be totally out there and write them as X-Men, or a professional league of car boosters, that's okay, too!
So, as an example:
A fic that focuses on the wacky hijinks that occur during a taping of Kanjani's Seven Okans skit -- not allowed
A fic wherein the members of Kanjani form a cross-dressing comedy group called the Seven Okan and try to make it as idols -- totally okay
A fic wherein the members of Kanjani are a group of space pirates orbiting Earth-3 who disguise themselves using their Seven Okan alter egos -- AWESOME
Who can I write about?
Any member of Johnny's & Associates. Non-Johnny's are also acceptable provided at least one Johnny's member is the main focus. So if you want to write Toma/Jun/Shun buddy cop fic, that's okay just as long as Toma and/or Jun are kept as main characters. A fic focused on Horikita Maki as a female firefighter with occasional mentions of Yamapi, however, would not be acceptable within the parameters of this exchange.
Can I have drama characters/settings?
As dramas are pretty much ready made AUs, we're going to have to say no on this one. If you wanted to put your favorite Johnny's into the setting of a drama, that's fine, so long as they stay who they are. So Nino and Ryo in the Ryusei no Kizuna world would still be Nino and Ryo, not Koichi or Keisuke. Otherwise, steer clear of the drama characters.
What isn't allowed in my fics?
Fic based in the current J&A universe and/or focused around non-Johnny's. Also, porn involving people under the age of 18. We understand that some of you may be down with the underages getting down, but as this is a public comm, the posting of explicit materials featuring minors is prohibited in LJ's TOS, so we're putting the kibosh on it. We'd rather not have Chris Hansen knocking on our doors, asking us to take a seat, okay?
Other than that, feel free to be as creative as you want with your fics. Any genre is fine so long as it's based in an AU. Middle Earth, outer space, 19th century Russia, under the sea, the year 3010 -- the possibilities are limitless! :3
What if I have questions about my assignments?
Do not break anon and contact your recipient directly. If you have questions, send it to the mods, and we'll get in contact with your recipient for you.
Also, please keep in mind that we only have what you put on your sign-up to go by when in the assigning process. We do our best to pair everyone up with someone we feel is compatible with your list of will's and won'ts, but we can't do that without a sufficient sign-up. To ensure that you receive an assignment that is within your writing strengths, please provide enough detail in your sign-up so we can get a proper feel of who you could write best for. Questions and discrepencies regarding assignments once they have been sent out can be directed to the mods via email or PM.
What are my fic limitations?
All fics must be at least 2,000 words and beta read. If you do not have a beta reader, we will do our best to assign one to you. As this is an English language exchange, all fic should be in English (and in general, please go easy on the fangirl Japanese? Terms like senpai and kouhai are okay, but we'd rather not need a translator to read your fic.)
How/where/when do I submit my fic?
Fics are due August 23rd, 2013! You can e-mail your finished fic to us any time between April 2nd and June 3rd, and we accept .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .txt files. For GoogleDocs users, you can also send us your stories that way; just make sure to share the file with je.otherworlds@gmail.com.
If you need an extension, please tell us as soon as possible. Likewise, if you feel you have to drop out, let us know as soon as possible so we can set about finding pinches.
Is there a penalty for dropping out?
If you have to drop out and notify us before the due date, that's fine. If, however, you don't tell us you're dropping out until after the deadline rolls around, you will be put on probation for the next year. If you drop out again the next year without forewarning, you will be banned from participating in the exchange in the future.
Really, there are only a few things that will earn you the ire of the mods:
(1) Breaking anon - it takes all the fun out of the exchange. We'd like to keep some element of surprise, y'know?
(2) Blatantly ignoring your recipient's requests - it's just not nice. You wouldn't want it done to you so don't do it to others.
(3) Dropping out and disappearing on us - we try to be nice people. We don't like chasing you down. Don't make us be Dog the Bounty Hunter, bro.
(4) Being a jerk in general - if you've got beef with someone, beef on your own time and in your own journals. We're here to have fun and play around in make believe worlds. Do not make us come down on you for being a prick.
...so as long as you don't do any of those things, you're golden! Really, the main goal is to have fun and be creative. Oh, and produce lots of fun fic, of course! :D
Any other questions can be directed to the mods via a comment to this post, a PM, or an email, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! The sign-up post will be coming shortly, so hang tight, and happy AUing!