We Invented the Remix...Redux IV: Registration Open
What's this all about?
* Ever read a fic and think, wow, what a fascinating story, but if I had written it, I would have... Well, now here's your chance to do just that. Rewrite someone else's story, tell somebody else's tale. Take the work of another person and wrap it up in your vision and style, just like a remixer does to songs.
So just take another person's story and change everything?
* Yes and no. You can do whatever you like to the story - change POV, dialogue, mood, characterization, make it longer or shorter, whatever - except for three things: pairing(s), setting(s) (except in certain circumstances, see below), and the basic plotline.
Why can't I change ____?
* Basic plotline is fairly obvious, I think. If you change the plot, then you're really not writing the same story, right? This doesn't mean you can't change little things, adding or deleting things as you see fit. For example, if you were rewriting The Little Mermaid, you might decide to give the mermaid a best friend who's a fish and a guardian who's a lobster, things that weren't in the original story. But you would keep the sea witch and the fact that the mermaid loses her voice because those are essential to the story. Of course, what are and aren't essential plot points is purely subjective, but I trust people will be able to decide what to do.
* Pairing(s) must be kept as is. While this can certainly be argued, I think once you change who the story is about, you're pretty much writing a new story and contrary to popular belief, that's not what this challenge is about. It's about reinterpreting a story that's already been told. So, no, you cannot change the pairing(s) in the story. We also do not want any slash pairings het-ified or het pairings slash-ified.
* And with the settings, people may take non-AU stories and make them AUs only if the plot remains almost exactly the same.
All right. So then we can choose any story we want to rewrite?
* Not just any story. Each participant will be assigned a writer (who will be a fellow participant and chosen at random, but matched by fandom) and must choose a story from that writer. You can choose any story written by the person you are assigned except for whichever fic they designate as their safe story (to be explained below) and stories that are nothing more than smut, nor remixes they've written in the past (if they participated in past remixes). Not that you can't choose a smutty story to rewrite, just not one that is one long sex scene. After all, where's the challenge in rewriting that?
It's generally preferred that a story which has been remixed in the past not be remixed again, but it's not against the rules to do so (e.g., if the person assigned to remix me would like to remix "Three Tequila," she could, even though it's been remixed previously).
And just in case it's not common-sense, don't pick a series or story that's unfinished. It's not fair to the original author or the readers to have someone else come up with an ending.
I'm still confused. We're just writing someone else's story?
* Rewriting. Don't just change a line here and there. Be creative. Have fun. Make a mess if you want. Remember, it's a challenge. Don't make it too easy on yourself. I've written about the process here, if that helps.
And these are only Harry Potter stories?
* Nope. This is a multifandom challenge, so everyone from BSG to DS to LotR and beyond should join in. (Please note that this version is for FPF only. No RPF will be accepted. LotRPS and Popslash both run their own remix challenges.) If you've written in more than one fandom, so much the better. If you've only written in one fandom, but are itching to tackle a new one, I will try to find you a good match, but it all depends on how many people sign up, and what fandoms they're in. If you want to write in a more obscure fandom, make sure you bring two or three friends along who also write in that fandom, so you have something to remix.
So what the hell is a safe story?
* It's the one story that you don't want anyone messing with, for whatever reason. You only get one. You don't have to have one, only if you want. Any story you wrote for any past Remix challenge is also ineligible to be remixed again, as it is based in part at least on someone else's story, and may contain significant bits of that original story.
Do I have to have a website?
* Yes, because otherwise, how will we find your stories? You don't need your own website; hosted stories are fine as long as they're all on the same site. Stories posted to LiveJournal are okay as long as there is some sort of index or listing for them, making them easily accessible. Stories posted only to friends-only LJs or LJ communities, message boards and/or mailing lists are ineligible because access to those is often limited. If your stories are hosted on a password protected archive, you must provide the Remix mod with the password, and she will pass it on to the person you are assigned to (and then forget she ever knew it).
I've only written a few stories. Can I still play?
* As long as you have a minimum of three (3) stories of five hundred (500) words in one fandom (crossover fandoms may be included in this three), not including your safe stories, and they're not drabbles or PWPs, then you can. Works in Progress are not acceptable.
What if I've co-written with someone?
* If you have someone you co-write with regularly and the two of you wish to sign up for the challenge together, you will be counted as one participant and only the stories you have written together are eligible. If you regularly co-write with someone but only one of you signs up, then your co-written stories are off-limits. The same goes if both of you sign up but separately.
Are there any sort of other requirements/rules?
* Each remix must have a minimum word count of 500 words. Five hundred words in six weeks isn't difficult. Also, though drabbles don't meet the required word count as entries, you may remix a drabble if you so choose, by expanding upon it.
Are there any sort of deadlines?
* Why yes, there are! People can sign up for the challenge until 11:59 PM EST February 3. Assignments will be handed out by February 5, hopefully before the Super Bowl kickoff. And then the stories aren't due until 11:59 PM EST March 20. So you've got a lot of time.
When will the stories be put up?
* I would like to have them up by March 25, barring technical difficulties.
Oh yeah? What if I miss the deadline? Then what're you gonna do?
* Well, I'm not going to hound you for the story, except that I totally am, and neither of us will enjoy it. But I'm not putting up any of the stories until I have all of them. And when people ask me, "Hey, why aren't the stories up?", I'll point them to the site, which will have the names and email addresses of everyone who's late, and say, "Because of those people."
Plus, I have the scary poky stick.
Fear me.
If you bailed last year without telling me, don't sign up again. I'll know.
That's kind of mean.
* Why, yes, yes it is.
How do I play?
* Please leave a comment here if you'd like to participate.
Please include:
* your preferred pseudonym and LJ name (if you have one; an LJ is not required to participate)
* your preferred contact email address
* the URL for your website or the index of your stories
* the fandom(s) in which you've written more than three (3) 500 word stories (excluding previous remixes you've written)
* the top three fandoms (if you've got more than one) in which you are most eager to write (and please, be specific, e.g., if you only
write Buffy and not Angel, say so) (this doesn't have to be the same as the fandoms in which you've already written)
* past fandoms in which you no longer write
* the name of your "safe story" if you've got one, the name of the story(ies) you've written for past Remix challenges.
* are you willing to pinch hit (i.e., write a fill in story, usually on short notice, for someone who has defaulted on their assignment)?
For example, my sign up would look like this:
Your Name: victoria p. (musesfool)
Your email address: victoria @ unfitforsociety.net
Your website/fic index: http://www.unfitforsociety.net/musesfool/sindex.htm
Fandoms in which I've written more than three 500 word stories: Firefly, HP, Ocean's 11
Top Three Fandoms I'd like to write in: Firefly, HP, Ocean's 11
Past fandoms in which I no longer write: XMM, Smallville
Safe Story: Sometimes Salvation
Remix(es) Written: Hair Shirt, I Drove All Night, Three Days, Clean (Live, Acoustic), Bittersweet Triumph, etc.
Pinch hit? Yes
I'll be in touch by February 5th with your assignment and more instructions.
If you have any questions, please drop a comment here.
Signups are closed
Disclaimer: The management, meaning me, is not responsible for whatever is done to your story. If you can't handle the idea of someone else mucking around with your babies, don't sign up.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Slodwick and Loneraven for the banners, to Beth for giving me a mailbox and webspace to host the archive, to Bree for building the database, and to the originators of the challenge, who let me run with their idea.
*thanks to slodwick for the fabulous graphic on this page