Big Bang Q&A Post
This is the community for the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang Challenge! Now, what is that, you ask?
Well, the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang Challenge is a fanfiction and fanart challenge specifically for the video game series "Kingdom Hearts". Authors make a goal to write at least 10k-25k per fic, depending on which challenge they sign up for.
There are two specific challenges. First is the Mini-Bang, where authors write at least 10,000 words in a fic. Second is the Big-Bang, where authors write at least 25,000 words per fic. Artists are also included in this challenge. They can sign up to draw art for the fics that are going to be written, either by putting claims to the fics as they come up or by being assigned to authors who don't have artists. The general idea is to have at least one piece of art for a Mini-Bang, and at least two for a Big-Bang.
Artists are allowed to only claim one fic, but if they get their claim done, they can do art for any other fic that is in the challenge on their own time.
Now, I bet you have some other questions. So if I don't cover your question here, please, comment, message me on my personal LJ (zenelly), send me an ask on my Tumblr, or email me at KHBigBangMod @ Gmail.com (removing the space around the at sign)! All questions regarding the challenge can be directed to those four places as well!
Q: Wait, if this is the community, why can't I join it?
Membership is going to be moderated. Only the authors and artists (and betas, of course) will be able to join, and even then, it will only be during sign ups. HOWEVER, anyone can watch the community to keep track of it and the stories that are coming out.
Q: I want to be an author/artist/beta. How do I join?
There will be a sign-up post specific for each of those roles, including cheerleader and alpha reader if you'd like one. More information to come on that later in the year when I figure that part out.
Q: What's the difference between a MiniBang and a BigBang?
Length and time, simply enough. A MiniBang is shorter than a BigBang and thus should take less time. Around the middle of July, you should have a good idea of how long the fic is going to be, so you can go ahead and either upgrade from a MiniBang to a BigBang or downgrade from a BigBang to a MiniBang. What's important is letting us know so we can make sure that the artists know too.
Since the MiniBangs are going to be shorter, we'll set up a separate posting schedule for them that starts earlier than the BigBang one will.
Q: So... there's a posting schedule?
In order to make sure that people have things to read, there IS a posting schedule. One for the Minibang and one for the BigBang. This is also to keep the community free of posting clutter, shall we say? The schedule will be announced at the tail-end of the challenge, after final drafts of both fic and art have been submitted.
Q: You said that the fanfic writers have to write 10k-25k words in a fic. Does there have to be any pairings?
Only if you want there to be! This is not a pairing specific challenge, so you can write for any pairing you want or no pairing at all! This means you can write gen, slash, fem
slash, or het and really, as long as you write over 10k, it counts for the challenge.
Q: Are there any things that AREN'T allowed in the challenge?
Yes. Underage and prepubescent relationships are NOT allowed.
To clarify, if you want to write about a 16 or 17 year old hooking up with an older person, that is fine. If you want to write about an older person raping a small child, or someone younger than 16, as a main focus of the story (such as not-backstory) that is NOT fine. Almost everything else IS allowed. Crossovers, genderbending, Alternate Universes, mpreg, all are good to write about. Please just keep in mind the general laws against portraying minors in sexual situations. (Be careful, in other words.)
To make things even easier for the readers, if you go into issues like rape, torture, murder, etc, please put the appropriate warnings on your fic. Fanfiction is supposed to be fun, and it's no longer fun when someone is triggered or hurt because of it.
Q: Can I co-write something with another person?
Absolutely! But neither of you can write another fic for the challenge until next year. One fic per author, period.
Q: Can I use a WIP or a sequel story that I've been working on?
I'm thinking about bending typical Big Bang rules here for the first year. Typically, the answer would be no, unless you haven't posted it anywhere. If the fic hasn't seen public internet, then you could use it.
But since the Big Bang is a new thing for this fandom, I'm considering allowing it, PROVIDED THAT YOU WRITE THE REQUISITE AMOUNT OF WORDS AFTER YOU SIGN UP. In other words, anything you write BEFORE you sign up for the challenge doesn't count for your word total, AND you won't be allowed to post any more of the story until after your posting date. This rule will only cover the first year. After that, we're working on the idea that if it has been seen on the internet, it will not be able to be submitted to the challenge at all.
Q: Does that mean that I can't show my story to ANYONE before the posting date?
No. You have to have a beta, for one. Besides, authors sometimes need to have someone they know go over the story. You can send it through email to your friends or your betas, but you CANNOT post it on the internet unless it has restricted access to it.
Q: I have an old fic that I abandoned. What if I took it and completely rewrote it for the challenge?
Then go for it! If you have an abandoned plot line that you'd like to go back to, but you want to rewrite the rest of it to fit first, then you can use it for the challenge. It might be best if you take the old fic off the internet while working on it, though.
Q: Does my fic have to be beta-read?
YES. Every fic that enters the challenge has to have a beta reader. If you authors don't have a regular one (or would like to try someone that isn't used to your style), then we will try our hardest to make sure there are betas for you through the community.
But if you have a regular beta that you'd prefer to use, you can do that too!
Q: Can I be an author/artist and a beta too?
Yes, as long as you make sure you have the time for it. If you are the artist for a fic, however, you will not be allowed to Beta for the same fic.
Q: Do artists get to pick the story they work with?
Yes, they do. After fics have hit a certain point, there will be a summary post where artists can claim the fic they want to work on. It goes on a "first come, first serve" basis, so you miiiight want to keep your eyes open for that.
Q: Okay, so I'm an artist. What do I have to do for the fic I'm assigned to?
You must make at least one of these: digital art/sketch, photomanipulation, or fanvids. After you do that, you can make icons, headers, wallpapers, podfics, or really anything else you'd like to for that story.
Q: Are there any requirements for the art?
Yes. You can link to a higher resolution image, if you feel the need to, but all art needs to follow these size requirements:
Minimum sizes: Wallpaper- 800x600px, Manips- 500x500px, Artwork- 500x500px, Digitial Artwork- 500x500px, Icons: 100x100px, Videos: a minimum of 1 minute and 30 seconds for Mini-Bang artists and a minimum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds for Big-Bang artists.
Q: Am I allowed to write more than one fic? Am I allowed to create art for more than one fic?
No, only one fic per author. Summer is a busy time, and the one Big Bang you have should be more than enough to keep you busy. However, artists can draw for more than one fic if they sign up to be a pinch-hitter.
Q: Okay, what's a pinch-hitter?
Say someone isn't able to completely finish their Big Bang art. Pinch hitters are the awesome people who step in and create art in place of someone who had to drop out because let's face it, sometimes things just crop up. Pinch hitters are going to be required to create art in a very limited amount of time, so please take that into consideration if you want to sign up.
An artist can only sign up to be a pinch-hitter for one fic.
Q: You mentioned alpha readers earlier?
Ah yes, "Alpha Readers". Unlike beta readers, who check fics for grammatical consistency, spelling, characterization, plotholes, and almost everything else, alpha readers are the ones who go through plot arcs, characterization, backstory, pacing etc before the beta readers see it. They are not there to check grammar. They are there to clear up reader confusion if something isn't clear in the story.
Q: So... are authors required to have them?
No, they aren't. Alpha readers are available to the authors who want them. If an author wants to use only their beta, then that's what they do. Same thing goes for cheerleaders.
Q: You keep throwing out unfamiliar terminology.
I'll ignore that that's not an actual question. Cheerleaders are people who encourage the authors if they get stuck in a writing bind. Again, some people prefer using just their beta. Others like having fresh eyes looking over their story. You only get assigned one if you ask.
Q: Can I friendslock my fic/art?
NO. Absolutely NOT. You have to keep it open for viewing. If you don't want to post it to your LiveJournal, you can post directly to the community instead.
Q: I'm active on other sites/communities too. Can I crosspost there?
Yes, you can. But only AFTER your posting dates have shown up. If you want to crosspost while the Big Bang challenge is still going (as in, after yours but before everyone else's is done), please link first to your masterpost on the community. This way, we can interest more people in the challenge and have more entries for next year! When you crosspost on different websites, please just mention that the fic was written for the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang Challenge (with a link back to the community).
Q: Am I allowed to post my Big Bang before the challenge is completed?
Nope. If you do post before your assigned posting date has come, the fic will be disqualified from the challenge and it won't be advertised or hosted on the community. Same thing goes for art.
Q: Wait, so how do you know that the authors are going to be finished by their due dates?
For one, I trust you. For two, I don't trust you that much. There are going to be Check-In posts periodically where you can let us know how you're doing and if you think you're going to be done in time. I will ask that ALL AUTHORS comment on those posts so we know everything's alright.
Also, there will be a point where rough drafts are going to be due.
Q: Whoa whoa, hold up there. Rough Drafts?
Yep. When it gets closer to the posting date, we'll need a rough draft of your fic. It doesn't have to be finished. It DOES need to be close, though. As in, over the minimum word limit. After this is done, we can start setting artists up with authors and (more importantly) make sure the artists HAVE the fics so they can start working on accompanying art.
Q: How am I supposed to send in my fic / art draft? Is there a special format or...?
All fics and art need to be sent to the following email: KHBigBangMod @ Gmail.com (just delete the space around the @ sign). Allowed document formats are as follows: .txt, .doc, .docx, .odt (Open Office), .pdf. Fics can also be included in the email itself (not as an attachment) or via private Google Documents (by giving the official community's email address permission to view the document).
Contact the Mod
Official Email: KHBigBangMod [AT] Gmail [DOT] com
Mod account: Feel free to contact me at zenelly
If there are any more questions, again, please either comment here, send an email to the account, or PM my LiveJournal.
Well, the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang Challenge is a fanfiction and fanart challenge specifically for the video game series "Kingdom Hearts". Authors make a goal to write at least 10k-25k per fic, depending on which challenge they sign up for.
There are two specific challenges. First is the Mini-Bang, where authors write at least 10,000 words in a fic. Second is the Big-Bang, where authors write at least 25,000 words per fic. Artists are also included in this challenge. They can sign up to draw art for the fics that are going to be written, either by putting claims to the fics as they come up or by being assigned to authors who don't have artists. The general idea is to have at least one piece of art for a Mini-Bang, and at least two for a Big-Bang.
Artists are allowed to only claim one fic, but if they get their claim done, they can do art for any other fic that is in the challenge on their own time.
Now, I bet you have some other questions. So if I don't cover your question here, please, comment, message me on my personal LJ (zenelly), send me an ask on my Tumblr, or email me at KHBigBangMod @ Gmail.com (removing the space around the at sign)! All questions regarding the challenge can be directed to those four places as well!
Q: Wait, if this is the community, why can't I join it?
Membership is going to be moderated. Only the authors and artists (and betas, of course) will be able to join, and even then, it will only be during sign ups. HOWEVER, anyone can watch the community to keep track of it and the stories that are coming out.
Q: I want to be an author/artist/beta. How do I join?
There will be a sign-up post specific for each of those roles, including cheerleader and alpha reader if you'd like one. More information to come on that later in the year when I figure that part out.
Q: What's the difference between a MiniBang and a BigBang?
Length and time, simply enough. A MiniBang is shorter than a BigBang and thus should take less time. Around the middle of July, you should have a good idea of how long the fic is going to be, so you can go ahead and either upgrade from a MiniBang to a BigBang or downgrade from a BigBang to a MiniBang. What's important is letting us know so we can make sure that the artists know too.
Since the MiniBangs are going to be shorter, we'll set up a separate posting schedule for them that starts earlier than the BigBang one will.
Q: So... there's a posting schedule?
In order to make sure that people have things to read, there IS a posting schedule. One for the Minibang and one for the BigBang. This is also to keep the community free of posting clutter, shall we say? The schedule will be announced at the tail-end of the challenge, after final drafts of both fic and art have been submitted.
Q: You said that the fanfic writers have to write 10k-25k words in a fic. Does there have to be any pairings?
Only if you want there to be! This is not a pairing specific challenge, so you can write for any pairing you want or no pairing at all! This means you can write gen, slash, fem
slash, or het and really, as long as you write over 10k, it counts for the challenge.
Q: Are there any things that AREN'T allowed in the challenge?
Yes. Underage and prepubescent relationships are NOT allowed.
To clarify, if you want to write about a 16 or 17 year old hooking up with an older person, that is fine. If you want to write about an older person raping a small child, or someone younger than 16, as a main focus of the story (such as not-backstory) that is NOT fine. Almost everything else IS allowed. Crossovers, genderbending, Alternate Universes, mpreg, all are good to write about. Please just keep in mind the general laws against portraying minors in sexual situations. (Be careful, in other words.)
To make things even easier for the readers, if you go into issues like rape, torture, murder, etc, please put the appropriate warnings on your fic. Fanfiction is supposed to be fun, and it's no longer fun when someone is triggered or hurt because of it.
Q: Can I co-write something with another person?
Absolutely! But neither of you can write another fic for the challenge until next year. One fic per author, period.
Q: Can I use a WIP or a sequel story that I've been working on?
I'm thinking about bending typical Big Bang rules here for the first year. Typically, the answer would be no, unless you haven't posted it anywhere. If the fic hasn't seen public internet, then you could use it.
But since the Big Bang is a new thing for this fandom, I'm considering allowing it, PROVIDED THAT YOU WRITE THE REQUISITE AMOUNT OF WORDS AFTER YOU SIGN UP. In other words, anything you write BEFORE you sign up for the challenge doesn't count for your word total, AND you won't be allowed to post any more of the story until after your posting date. This rule will only cover the first year. After that, we're working on the idea that if it has been seen on the internet, it will not be able to be submitted to the challenge at all.
Q: Does that mean that I can't show my story to ANYONE before the posting date?
No. You have to have a beta, for one. Besides, authors sometimes need to have someone they know go over the story. You can send it through email to your friends or your betas, but you CANNOT post it on the internet unless it has restricted access to it.
Q: I have an old fic that I abandoned. What if I took it and completely rewrote it for the challenge?
Then go for it! If you have an abandoned plot line that you'd like to go back to, but you want to rewrite the rest of it to fit first, then you can use it for the challenge. It might be best if you take the old fic off the internet while working on it, though.
Q: Does my fic have to be beta-read?
YES. Every fic that enters the challenge has to have a beta reader. If you authors don't have a regular one (or would like to try someone that isn't used to your style), then we will try our hardest to make sure there are betas for you through the community.
But if you have a regular beta that you'd prefer to use, you can do that too!
Q: Can I be an author/artist and a beta too?
Yes, as long as you make sure you have the time for it. If you are the artist for a fic, however, you will not be allowed to Beta for the same fic.
Q: Do artists get to pick the story they work with?
Yes, they do. After fics have hit a certain point, there will be a summary post where artists can claim the fic they want to work on. It goes on a "first come, first serve" basis, so you miiiight want to keep your eyes open for that.
Q: Okay, so I'm an artist. What do I have to do for the fic I'm assigned to?
You must make at least one of these: digital art/sketch, photomanipulation, or fanvids. After you do that, you can make icons, headers, wallpapers, podfics, or really anything else you'd like to for that story.
Q: Are there any requirements for the art?
Yes. You can link to a higher resolution image, if you feel the need to, but all art needs to follow these size requirements:
Minimum sizes: Wallpaper- 800x600px, Manips- 500x500px, Artwork- 500x500px, Digitial Artwork- 500x500px, Icons: 100x100px, Videos: a minimum of 1 minute and 30 seconds for Mini-Bang artists and a minimum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds for Big-Bang artists.
Q: Am I allowed to write more than one fic? Am I allowed to create art for more than one fic?
No, only one fic per author. Summer is a busy time, and the one Big Bang you have should be more than enough to keep you busy. However, artists can draw for more than one fic if they sign up to be a pinch-hitter.
Q: Okay, what's a pinch-hitter?
Say someone isn't able to completely finish their Big Bang art. Pinch hitters are the awesome people who step in and create art in place of someone who had to drop out because let's face it, sometimes things just crop up. Pinch hitters are going to be required to create art in a very limited amount of time, so please take that into consideration if you want to sign up.
An artist can only sign up to be a pinch-hitter for one fic.
Q: You mentioned alpha readers earlier?
Ah yes, "Alpha Readers". Unlike beta readers, who check fics for grammatical consistency, spelling, characterization, plotholes, and almost everything else, alpha readers are the ones who go through plot arcs, characterization, backstory, pacing etc before the beta readers see it. They are not there to check grammar. They are there to clear up reader confusion if something isn't clear in the story.
Q: So... are authors required to have them?
No, they aren't. Alpha readers are available to the authors who want them. If an author wants to use only their beta, then that's what they do. Same thing goes for cheerleaders.
Q: You keep throwing out unfamiliar terminology.
I'll ignore that that's not an actual question. Cheerleaders are people who encourage the authors if they get stuck in a writing bind. Again, some people prefer using just their beta. Others like having fresh eyes looking over their story. You only get assigned one if you ask.
Q: Can I friendslock my fic/art?
NO. Absolutely NOT. You have to keep it open for viewing. If you don't want to post it to your LiveJournal, you can post directly to the community instead.
Q: I'm active on other sites/communities too. Can I crosspost there?
Yes, you can. But only AFTER your posting dates have shown up. If you want to crosspost while the Big Bang challenge is still going (as in, after yours but before everyone else's is done), please link first to your masterpost on the community. This way, we can interest more people in the challenge and have more entries for next year! When you crosspost on different websites, please just mention that the fic was written for the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang Challenge (with a link back to the community).
Q: Am I allowed to post my Big Bang before the challenge is completed?
Nope. If you do post before your assigned posting date has come, the fic will be disqualified from the challenge and it won't be advertised or hosted on the community. Same thing goes for art.
Q: Wait, so how do you know that the authors are going to be finished by their due dates?
For one, I trust you. For two, I don't trust you that much. There are going to be Check-In posts periodically where you can let us know how you're doing and if you think you're going to be done in time. I will ask that ALL AUTHORS comment on those posts so we know everything's alright.
Also, there will be a point where rough drafts are going to be due.
Q: Whoa whoa, hold up there. Rough Drafts?
Yep. When it gets closer to the posting date, we'll need a rough draft of your fic. It doesn't have to be finished. It DOES need to be close, though. As in, over the minimum word limit. After this is done, we can start setting artists up with authors and (more importantly) make sure the artists HAVE the fics so they can start working on accompanying art.
Q: How am I supposed to send in my fic / art draft? Is there a special format or...?
All fics and art need to be sent to the following email: KHBigBangMod @ Gmail.com (just delete the space around the @ sign). Allowed document formats are as follows: .txt, .doc, .docx, .odt (Open Office), .pdf. Fics can also be included in the email itself (not as an attachment) or via private Google Documents (by giving the official community's email address permission to view the document).
Contact the Mod
Official Email: KHBigBangMod [AT] Gmail [DOT] com
Mod account: Feel free to contact me at zenelly
If there are any more questions, again, please either comment here, send an email to the account, or PM my LiveJournal.