Magnificent Seven Big Bang 2012 FAQ
Welcome to the third year of the Magnificent Seven Big Bang!
There are a couple of changes from last year, one of them, a decreased word goal. Please read the information provided below.
The mag7bigbang Goal:
To write a Magnificent Seven story 10,000 words or over. Stories will be accompanied by either artwork or a fanmix. (I would like to guarantee artwork or a fanmix for all stories, but I can't do that at this stage without knowing how many artists and mixers are going to sign up. I guarantee that every writer will get at least one bonus feature to accompany their story, even if I have to mix it or illustrate it myself.)
Information on dates and deadlines for all participants:
Sign-ups for Writers: Monday July 16th
Sign-ups for Artists: Monday July 16th
Sign-Ups for Writers Close: Friday October 26
Sign-Ups for Artists Close: Friday October 26
Check in for Writers: Friday October 05
Rough Drafts Due: Friday November 02
Summaries for Artists Go Up: Sunday November 04
Final drafts, art and mixes due: Friday December 14
Posting begins: Monday December 17
Additional Information:
On Friday November 02, email your fic draft to mag7bigbang@gmail.com . So long as it is Friday November 02 somewhere in the world, then I will still accept your story. You then have until Friday December 14th to get your fic beta'ed and ready to post.
I will be making a post nearer the time outlining how to send in your fics, but I know that some of you are super-enthusiastic so briefly: put your username and 'first draft' in the subject line. Attach your story as a .doc or .rtf file. Please don't attach a .docx file as some artists and mixers have problems opening these files. It is mandatory to warn for the following: rape/non-con, dub-con, incest, character death/suicide or graphic self-harm. Other warnings are at your discretion.
Your story MUST be at least the word limit requirement for your story when you send in the draft. Your story does not have to be beta'ed and tagged and the absolute final version, but the story must be complete. It must have a beginning, a middle and an end, although some sketched out and outlined scenes are acceptable. Your artist will use your whole text to create some piece of artwork/fanmix/fanvid and it is not fair on them if there are important and pertinent storyline points missing. I will be checking, and any story that does not meet the minimum word count requirement or is too incomplete for a mixer or an artist to work with will not be allowed to participate.
You cannot submit a story that has already been posted complete elsewhere. If you have not!ficced or comment ficced part of a story and want to continue writing it, then please email: mag7bigbang@gmail.com with details, and we'll talk it over with you.
You will need to include a summary of your story along with your fic draft. This is not necessarily the summary that you will post with your story. It is the hook that will tempt an artist and/or mixer to pick your story over all of the other ones. Make it long, make it dramatic, make it paperback-y. Give away elements of your plot if you want. Sell that story. Again, I'll make more posts about this closer to the time.
If you have not guessed already, the Writers will be posting their own fics to the comm. You can post it to your own lj and then link it to that post with a master post made in the mag7bigbang comm.
Information for Artists:
Art can take whatever form you like, so long as your writer is able to display it along with their fic. In the past this has included photos of artwork and crafts, as well as scanned pictures and computer-aided design.
If you are creating a fanmix: Mixes must be between twelve and twenty songs long. Covers are
optional, but appreciated. A track list must be included. You can zip this up with your mix, but you must also include this as either a .txt file or in the body of your email when you send it in to the mods.
Since megaupload has gone down, the best site I’ve found to use so far has been Mediafire for uploading fanmixes. If you’ve found something else to use, that’s fine as well.
If there are enough artists, I will allow double claiming for a fic. But only after all of the summaries have been claimed!
Further Questions and Answers:
Are crossovers allowed?
Yes, crossovers are allowed. But the story must center around a character from this fandom. For example, if you have a crossover between this show and White Collar - your story cannot be about Neal Caffrey and how he meets a con artist named Ezra, but the other way around.
Are AU stories allowed?
Absolutely! As long as they're set in the Magnificent Seven fandom, as usual.
Can I write and sign up to make a mix and/or illustrate?
Yes, you absolutely can! As long as it's not for your own story.
Can I write with a co-writer?
Yes, you can! The collaborative word count minimum is still 10,000 words.
Can I write a Big Bang on my own, and co-author a Big Bang with someone else?
Yes, you can! I admire and salute (and slightly fear) all such intrepid souls. Just sign up for them both in separate comments.
Can I opt out of receiving art or a mix for my story?
No. Magnificent Seven Big Bang is a collaborative effort between artists and mixers and writers.
Can I write a sequel to a Big Bang I wrote in 2010? 2011?
Absolutely!
What if I want to post my own graphics with my story?
That's fine! However, your summary will not be eligible for claiming by artists. You should state this explicitly when it comes to handing in your first draft.
Can I post my Big Bang friends-locked?
No. The fic must be accessible to the reader.
Do I get a confirmation that I have been accepted into the challenge?
No, I don't reply to sign-up comments. As long as you can see yours appear on the page, you can
take it as confirmation that you are, in fact, signed up for Mag7 BB! You WILL get an information email when I receive your fic draft, though.
I claimed a fic to mix/make art for, but haven't gotten my e-mail yet! How long will it be before the draft gets here and I can start working?
We send out drafts as soon as we process the claims comments. There's really no rhyme or reason
to it - sometimes you'll get yours within minutes because a mod is already online, logged into the inbox and has the spreadsheet open when you post. Sometimes it will take an hour, or several, or half a day or more because we are all out frolicking through fields of daisies. If you've been waiting for more than 24 hours, it might be a good idea to send us an e-mail to make sure nothing got lost in the shuffle. Don't worry, though: we will comment in reply to confirm your claim (or ask you to change it if it's already taken) and we will get back to you if your e-mail address comes back an error, so, generally speaking, there's not much that could go wrong here.
I haven't gotten the e-mail with my mix/art and my posting date yet!
Don't fret, and please bear with us; it takes us days to compile all the stuff we need to send you and then get it out. I send out e-mails by posting schedule, so the people we have penciled in for early posting dates will get theirs a lot sooner than someone who's posting during the last week. Just be on the lookout, check your spam folders regularly, and watch the community for updates - we will keep y'all in the loop about how things are progressing. Don't worry too hard about potentially missing your assigned posting date; if we have already sent you an e-mail and you do not reply in a timely fashion to confirm, we will totally start following you all over the internet to make sure you got it.
My friend made some art/a mix to go with my story! I can include that when I post to the comm, right?
I want to give your Big Bang mixer and/or artist a chance to shine. Please don't include links to ANY extras for the story that were made outside the challenge in the community header post, and I would really like it if you held off on posting them altogether, even to your own journal, for at least a week.
What about cross-posting and advertising my fic on comms?
Please don't do that until Big Bang posting has officially ended!
Where can I post?
If livejournal is not your main journal, you can post to wherever it is. Whether it is livejournal, Dreamwidth, Insanejournal, Archive of our Own or even Tumblr. But please remember to create a master post that links the story from here to there.
Who posts the mix(es) and art that were created for a story?
The writer does, in their own personal journal. I do it this way because trying to find a posting date that will work for a writer and their mixer and their artist, times the number of writers we have, is a logistical nightmare. That's not even mentioning the fact that these individual posts would have to go up at the same time of day. If you have strong preferences otherwise, send us an e-mail.
I'm an artist - can my artwork be included in the body of the story I'm illustrating, rather than a separate post?
If your writer is fine with that, yes, but once you have submitted your art to the mods, you will need to work out the details of inline art yourselves. We ask that art gets a separate post so that people remember to feedback the art, even if your art has been posted within the story.
A note about contacting the mods:
Sometimes emails from mag7bigbang@gmail.com get lost in people's spam folders. If you're waiting for something from me, please check there before contacting me again. The best way to contact me is by PMing me in livejournal: sparrowsverse or even my co-mod: Valiha
A note about dropping out:
If you are wanting to drop out, a post before the first draft is due will be put up in the comm and you can comment there.
If you have any questions about the challenge which are not covered above, please ask them in the comments! I'll try to answer them, and update this post.
There are a couple of changes from last year, one of them, a decreased word goal. Please read the information provided below.
The mag7bigbang Goal:
To write a Magnificent Seven story 10,000 words or over. Stories will be accompanied by either artwork or a fanmix. (I would like to guarantee artwork or a fanmix for all stories, but I can't do that at this stage without knowing how many artists and mixers are going to sign up. I guarantee that every writer will get at least one bonus feature to accompany their story, even if I have to mix it or illustrate it myself.)
Information on dates and deadlines for all participants:
Sign-ups for Writers: Monday July 16th
Sign-ups for Artists: Monday July 16th
Sign-Ups for Writers Close: Friday October 26
Sign-Ups for Artists Close: Friday October 26
Check in for Writers: Friday October 05
Rough Drafts Due: Friday November 02
Summaries for Artists Go Up: Sunday November 04
Final drafts, art and mixes due: Friday December 14
Posting begins: Monday December 17
Additional Information:
On Friday November 02, email your fic draft to mag7bigbang@gmail.com . So long as it is Friday November 02 somewhere in the world, then I will still accept your story. You then have until Friday December 14th to get your fic beta'ed and ready to post.
I will be making a post nearer the time outlining how to send in your fics, but I know that some of you are super-enthusiastic so briefly: put your username and 'first draft' in the subject line. Attach your story as a .doc or .rtf file. Please don't attach a .docx file as some artists and mixers have problems opening these files. It is mandatory to warn for the following: rape/non-con, dub-con, incest, character death/suicide or graphic self-harm. Other warnings are at your discretion.
Your story MUST be at least the word limit requirement for your story when you send in the draft. Your story does not have to be beta'ed and tagged and the absolute final version, but the story must be complete. It must have a beginning, a middle and an end, although some sketched out and outlined scenes are acceptable. Your artist will use your whole text to create some piece of artwork/fanmix/fanvid and it is not fair on them if there are important and pertinent storyline points missing. I will be checking, and any story that does not meet the minimum word count requirement or is too incomplete for a mixer or an artist to work with will not be allowed to participate.
You cannot submit a story that has already been posted complete elsewhere. If you have not!ficced or comment ficced part of a story and want to continue writing it, then please email: mag7bigbang@gmail.com with details, and we'll talk it over with you.
You will need to include a summary of your story along with your fic draft. This is not necessarily the summary that you will post with your story. It is the hook that will tempt an artist and/or mixer to pick your story over all of the other ones. Make it long, make it dramatic, make it paperback-y. Give away elements of your plot if you want. Sell that story. Again, I'll make more posts about this closer to the time.
If you have not guessed already, the Writers will be posting their own fics to the comm. You can post it to your own lj and then link it to that post with a master post made in the mag7bigbang comm.
Information for Artists:
Art can take whatever form you like, so long as your writer is able to display it along with their fic. In the past this has included photos of artwork and crafts, as well as scanned pictures and computer-aided design.
If you are creating a fanmix: Mixes must be between twelve and twenty songs long. Covers are
optional, but appreciated. A track list must be included. You can zip this up with your mix, but you must also include this as either a .txt file or in the body of your email when you send it in to the mods.
Since megaupload has gone down, the best site I’ve found to use so far has been Mediafire for uploading fanmixes. If you’ve found something else to use, that’s fine as well.
If there are enough artists, I will allow double claiming for a fic. But only after all of the summaries have been claimed!
Further Questions and Answers:
Are crossovers allowed?
Yes, crossovers are allowed. But the story must center around a character from this fandom. For example, if you have a crossover between this show and White Collar - your story cannot be about Neal Caffrey and how he meets a con artist named Ezra, but the other way around.
Are AU stories allowed?
Absolutely! As long as they're set in the Magnificent Seven fandom, as usual.
Can I write and sign up to make a mix and/or illustrate?
Yes, you absolutely can! As long as it's not for your own story.
Can I write with a co-writer?
Yes, you can! The collaborative word count minimum is still 10,000 words.
Can I write a Big Bang on my own, and co-author a Big Bang with someone else?
Yes, you can! I admire and salute (and slightly fear) all such intrepid souls. Just sign up for them both in separate comments.
Can I opt out of receiving art or a mix for my story?
No. Magnificent Seven Big Bang is a collaborative effort between artists and mixers and writers.
Can I write a sequel to a Big Bang I wrote in 2010? 2011?
Absolutely!
What if I want to post my own graphics with my story?
That's fine! However, your summary will not be eligible for claiming by artists. You should state this explicitly when it comes to handing in your first draft.
Can I post my Big Bang friends-locked?
No. The fic must be accessible to the reader.
Do I get a confirmation that I have been accepted into the challenge?
No, I don't reply to sign-up comments. As long as you can see yours appear on the page, you can
take it as confirmation that you are, in fact, signed up for Mag7 BB! You WILL get an information email when I receive your fic draft, though.
I claimed a fic to mix/make art for, but haven't gotten my e-mail yet! How long will it be before the draft gets here and I can start working?
We send out drafts as soon as we process the claims comments. There's really no rhyme or reason
to it - sometimes you'll get yours within minutes because a mod is already online, logged into the inbox and has the spreadsheet open when you post. Sometimes it will take an hour, or several, or half a day or more because we are all out frolicking through fields of daisies. If you've been waiting for more than 24 hours, it might be a good idea to send us an e-mail to make sure nothing got lost in the shuffle. Don't worry, though: we will comment in reply to confirm your claim (or ask you to change it if it's already taken) and we will get back to you if your e-mail address comes back an error, so, generally speaking, there's not much that could go wrong here.
I haven't gotten the e-mail with my mix/art and my posting date yet!
Don't fret, and please bear with us; it takes us days to compile all the stuff we need to send you and then get it out. I send out e-mails by posting schedule, so the people we have penciled in for early posting dates will get theirs a lot sooner than someone who's posting during the last week. Just be on the lookout, check your spam folders regularly, and watch the community for updates - we will keep y'all in the loop about how things are progressing. Don't worry too hard about potentially missing your assigned posting date; if we have already sent you an e-mail and you do not reply in a timely fashion to confirm, we will totally start following you all over the internet to make sure you got it.
My friend made some art/a mix to go with my story! I can include that when I post to the comm, right?
I want to give your Big Bang mixer and/or artist a chance to shine. Please don't include links to ANY extras for the story that were made outside the challenge in the community header post, and I would really like it if you held off on posting them altogether, even to your own journal, for at least a week.
What about cross-posting and advertising my fic on comms?
Please don't do that until Big Bang posting has officially ended!
Where can I post?
If livejournal is not your main journal, you can post to wherever it is. Whether it is livejournal, Dreamwidth, Insanejournal, Archive of our Own or even Tumblr. But please remember to create a master post that links the story from here to there.
Who posts the mix(es) and art that were created for a story?
The writer does, in their own personal journal. I do it this way because trying to find a posting date that will work for a writer and their mixer and their artist, times the number of writers we have, is a logistical nightmare. That's not even mentioning the fact that these individual posts would have to go up at the same time of day. If you have strong preferences otherwise, send us an e-mail.
I'm an artist - can my artwork be included in the body of the story I'm illustrating, rather than a separate post?
If your writer is fine with that, yes, but once you have submitted your art to the mods, you will need to work out the details of inline art yourselves. We ask that art gets a separate post so that people remember to feedback the art, even if your art has been posted within the story.
A note about contacting the mods:
Sometimes emails from mag7bigbang@gmail.com get lost in people's spam folders. If you're waiting for something from me, please check there before contacting me again. The best way to contact me is by PMing me in livejournal: sparrowsverse or even my co-mod: Valiha
A note about dropping out:
If you are wanting to drop out, a post before the first draft is due will be put up in the comm and you can comment there.
If you have any questions about the challenge which are not covered above, please ask them in the comments! I'll try to answer them, and update this post.