Rules for SummerGen 2013!
As sign-ups are just on the horizon, I figured I'd better post these so everyone can get a peek at them ahead of time and start thinking about the glory that is SummerGen! \0/! I'm stupidly excited about this, so here goes.
THE RULES
What is Summergen all about?
spn_summergen is an anonymous gen fanfic gift exchange.
If you sign-up, you will be assigned to write a fanfic for another participant based on a selection of prompts, and somebody else will be assigned to write something for you. You must be willing and able to write a story based on somebody else's prompts and preferences as described in their sign-up request.
The identities of the creators will be kept secret at first, and we (the mods) will post all of the stories. Note: this means you can't write a story that will implicitly identify you, such as a fic set in a 'verse you've created.
All offerings and requests must be gen. By "gen" we simply mean stories that do not focus on romantic or sexual relationships, although those relationships may be a small component of the story. If you're not sure your idea fits, comment and ask, or take a look at last year's master list to get an idea about what's appropriate.
Prior to the 2011 round, we had a firm rule in spn_summergen that RPF (real-person fic) was not allowed. After The French Mistake aired in SPN season six, we modified that rule slightly. Prompts and stories related to living real people will be allowed only if a fictional version of that real person has appeared in SPN canon (e.g. Misha) or played a key role in it (e.g. Samuel Colt). Yes, that does include Jared and Jensen, but only as they were portrayed in that episode. You cannot give prompts based on things in their real lives since then, and stories that draw a lot of detail from Jared and Jensen's real lives will not be accepted.
Fictionalized versions of real people who are dead (e.g. Samuel Colt) are allowed without these restrictions, whether they have appeared in SPN canon or not.
All other types of stories and genres are welcome: angst, crack, past-fic and future-fic, case files, brotherly bonding, AUs, character studies, monster studies, monster-of-the-week adventures and character studies, comedies and tragedies and everything in between.
Your requests:
When you sign up you must give at least three (3) prompts and a maximum of six (6) prompts for your assignee to write a story for you. You can include any canon characters in your prompts - not just Sam and Dean but minor and obscure characters too, if you like.
Your prompts can be as general or as specific as you like but remember that the purpose is to give your author an idea of what you enjoy while still leaving her some leeway to write a good story. And please do remember that prompts must be Gen.
You can request a crossover or fusion with another fandom, but please limit yourself to one crossover prompt only. [Ghostfacers still doesn't count as a crossover :)]
You are allowed to recycle prompts you've given for a previous Summergen but remember they won't be new any more - and there's always a chance they'll get assigned to the same writer! It's a good idea to include at least one brand new prompt, just in case.
Signups will open on Saturday 13th April and the last day to sign up is Tuesday 30th April. A detailed guide to signing up will be posted when signups open.
Assignments:
Assignments will be sent via email on or before Wednesday 15 May.
You will have at least three prompts to choose from. We will do our best to make sure everyone has more than one prompt that matches their offering, but we can only guarantee one.
Please read this part! Matching assignments to everyone is a tough job. Some participants will be lucky enough to get a prompt set that is perfect for them. Hopefully most of you will have at least one prompt you're happy about. But occasionally even if the prompts you get match what you offered, you'll find they don't work for you, and even more rarely we might screw up and send you something that doesn't suit you at all.
If you get an assignment you simply cannot work with, please tell the mods as soon as you can. We do ask that you wait a while, see if the muse kicks in, but if you're sure you can't do the assignment, tell us. You might not be the only one in that position, and we can give you a trade. There might be someone who had dropped out, and again, we can offer you a trade. Even if there's no one to trade with, we'll have a backup plan in case it's our screw up. So don't struggle on if you know it won't work for you.
BUT you must tell us quickly. If you wait more than a week after assignments are sent, we'll have to treat it as a default instead.
Your writing:
You will be required to write one story based on the prompts assigned to you. You are are not required to follow the prompts to the last detail; there is always room for flexibility and interpretation. You might like to mix and match parts of the prompts or combine two of them. You might start a story based on one and find yourself going off on a tangent that doesn't really fit the prompt. This is completely okay.
Your story must be new, created specifically for this exchange, not something you've posted anywhere before. Because all stories will be anonymous at first, you cannot include anything in your story that will reveal your identity, such as an original character you've written about before or setting the story in a 'verse you created.
All stories must be at least 1,000 words in length (excluding the title), and stories must be spell-checked and proofread for grammar and punctuation. If you can't do that yourself, find a beta who can. A "willing to beta" post will be available when assignments are sent out. There is no maximum story length, but the story must be complete by the deadline. Don't plan a 10,000 word fic if you're a slow writer!
We reserve the right to send stories riddled with errors and mistakes back to the authors for cleaning up. This is a gift exchange, and we want to make sure everybody receives the best possible story.
Complete submission guidelines will be posted later.
Extensions on the deadline:
The deadline for all fics is 30 June.
If you need an extension, you must request it before that date. There's a simple reason for this: on deadline day the mods are too damn busy to do anything but check the submissions as they come in.
So the last day you can ask for an extension is 29 June.
Before you ask for an extension, please make sure you understand:
• The earlier you ask, the easier it is for all of us.
• There are no extensions on extensions, so be realistic about the amount of time you need.
• If you ask for an extension when you're already late submitting, you're too late - you are already in default.
• If you only need a few days, that won't be a problem. Longer extensions come with conditions. For example, we might ask you to submit a finished rough draft quickly, then allow you more time to get the story polished up.
You can ask for an extension by emailing the mod team at supernatural @ summergen . co . uk (remove the spaces).
If you need to withdraw/default:
Once assignments have been sent out, everyone who has signed up and received an assignment is expected to submit a story, because someone else is working hard to create something for you.
But we do understand that unexpected things happen and some people may be unable to finish their fic by the deadline. If this is you, please, please, please contact us sooner rather than later. We may be able to offer a limited extension and if that's not going to help then we need as much time as you can give us to find a pinch-hitter so your recipient won't lose out.
• If you sign up but need to pull out before assignments are sent, just let us know. No harm done.
• If you find you need to drop out after you have received your assignment but before the deadline, there is no penalty. You may still receive your gift fic, but if the person writing for you also drops out, we won't seek a pinch-hit.
• If you default on or after the deadline, you can still sign up for a future challenge but you will not receive your gift fic this year. Stories submitted for recipients who have defaulted on or after the deadline will be posted with spn_summergen as the recipient.
• If you default without contacting the mods, or if you fail to respond if we need to chase up your submission, you will be banned from participating in future challenges.
We don't enjoy banning anyone, and all we are asking for is the courtesy of an email to let us know you need to default. We don't think that's too much to ask.
If you need to withdraw from the exchange at any time after you've signed up, you must contact the mods by email to supernatural @ summergen . co . uk (remove the spaces).
Please explain why you need to drop out, but don't feel you have to go into detail. We're not interested in prying into your personal life - 'health issues' or 'RL issues' is sufficient explanation, but we'd appreciate knowing that you have a reason for pulling out of the challenge.
Schedule*:
The sign-ups will open on April 13 and close on April 30. Information about how to sign up will be posted on April 13.
Assignments will be sent out on or before May 15. You must provide a working email address in order to receive your assignment.
Stories will be due 2 July. The last date to request an extension is 29 June.
Story posting will begin on 9 July and will end when we run out of stories.
The day after the last story is posted, a master list will go up revealing the authors' names. At that point, all authors are free to post their stories elsewhere.
One week later, the fall-free-for-all begins: all the prompts will be posted for anyone to grab one and write a fic.
*As always, the schedule is subject to change if disaster strikes, but we're going to do our very best to stick to the above.
F.A.Q.
Q: Can I sign up if I defaulted/withdrew in a previous Summergen?
A: If you withdrew properly (i.e. you emailed the mods to let us know you weren't able to complete your submission), yes you can. If you just vanished without a trace, or you didn't contact us until after we assigned a pinch-hitter, of course you can't sign up again. Why should we trust you not to do that again?
Note: If this applies to you, you know who you are because the mods will have emailed you to ask that you not take part again.
Q: Can I request stories about minor and recurring characters, not just the Winchesters?
A: Absolutely, yes. Please do!
Q: Will there be a separate sign-up post for pinch-hitters?
A: No. All pinch hits go through our pinch-hit community, spn_genpinchhit. If you're interested in pinch-hitting, please join that community. Note: you have to join, not just watch, because all pinch-hit requests will be locked.
Q: Can I sign up if I don't have a livejournal?
A: Yes. The sign-up form asks for a link to your journal (there's a good reason for this) but if you don't have an LJ you can give a link to your Dreamwidth, Tumblr or whatever. Or if you don't have any kind of online journal you can still sign up.
You do need a valid email address and you can't sign up without one of those.
Q: How do I sign up as an artist/vidder?
A: Sorry, you can't. We tried allowing art and vids for two years, but there wasn't enough demand to make it worth the extra difficulty of matching three different types of fanworks to prompts. Summergen is back to being fic-only.
Q: Are we allowed to write our recipient multiple fics based on their scenarios/prompts, or only one fic?
A: You can submit only one fic for your recipient as part of the anonymous exchange. It can be as long as you like (the minimum length is 1,000 words), and you can mix multiple prompts for one fic, but you can submit only a single story for the challenge.
If you want to write more than one story, you can save the extras for the free-for-all period after the main challenge is over. Though if you really think you'll have time to write more than one fic, please sign up as a pinch-hitter. These are the people who step in to write/create for any participants who have to drop out: if you pinch-hit you'll get a new set of prompts to choose from, and you'll be a hero!
Q: Can I thank my beta in my author's notes, or is that giving away my identity?
A: That's kind of a judgment call. Yes, you can thank your beta by name in your author's notes. But if you think doing that is a dead giveaway, please consider not doing it. If you want, we will be happy to edit your post with a beta-thanks after the reveal.
Any further questions, please comment.
THE RULES
What is Summergen all about?
spn_summergen is an anonymous gen fanfic gift exchange.
If you sign-up, you will be assigned to write a fanfic for another participant based on a selection of prompts, and somebody else will be assigned to write something for you. You must be willing and able to write a story based on somebody else's prompts and preferences as described in their sign-up request.
The identities of the creators will be kept secret at first, and we (the mods) will post all of the stories. Note: this means you can't write a story that will implicitly identify you, such as a fic set in a 'verse you've created.
All offerings and requests must be gen. By "gen" we simply mean stories that do not focus on romantic or sexual relationships, although those relationships may be a small component of the story. If you're not sure your idea fits, comment and ask, or take a look at last year's master list to get an idea about what's appropriate.
Prior to the 2011 round, we had a firm rule in spn_summergen that RPF (real-person fic) was not allowed. After The French Mistake aired in SPN season six, we modified that rule slightly. Prompts and stories related to living real people will be allowed only if a fictional version of that real person has appeared in SPN canon (e.g. Misha) or played a key role in it (e.g. Samuel Colt). Yes, that does include Jared and Jensen, but only as they were portrayed in that episode. You cannot give prompts based on things in their real lives since then, and stories that draw a lot of detail from Jared and Jensen's real lives will not be accepted.
Fictionalized versions of real people who are dead (e.g. Samuel Colt) are allowed without these restrictions, whether they have appeared in SPN canon or not.
All other types of stories and genres are welcome: angst, crack, past-fic and future-fic, case files, brotherly bonding, AUs, character studies, monster studies, monster-of-the-week adventures and character studies, comedies and tragedies and everything in between.
Your requests:
When you sign up you must give at least three (3) prompts and a maximum of six (6) prompts for your assignee to write a story for you. You can include any canon characters in your prompts - not just Sam and Dean but minor and obscure characters too, if you like.
Your prompts can be as general or as specific as you like but remember that the purpose is to give your author an idea of what you enjoy while still leaving her some leeway to write a good story. And please do remember that prompts must be Gen.
You can request a crossover or fusion with another fandom, but please limit yourself to one crossover prompt only. [Ghostfacers still doesn't count as a crossover :)]
You are allowed to recycle prompts you've given for a previous Summergen but remember they won't be new any more - and there's always a chance they'll get assigned to the same writer! It's a good idea to include at least one brand new prompt, just in case.
Signups will open on Saturday 13th April and the last day to sign up is Tuesday 30th April. A detailed guide to signing up will be posted when signups open.
Assignments:
Assignments will be sent via email on or before Wednesday 15 May.
You will have at least three prompts to choose from. We will do our best to make sure everyone has more than one prompt that matches their offering, but we can only guarantee one.
Please read this part! Matching assignments to everyone is a tough job. Some participants will be lucky enough to get a prompt set that is perfect for them. Hopefully most of you will have at least one prompt you're happy about. But occasionally even if the prompts you get match what you offered, you'll find they don't work for you, and even more rarely we might screw up and send you something that doesn't suit you at all.
If you get an assignment you simply cannot work with, please tell the mods as soon as you can. We do ask that you wait a while, see if the muse kicks in, but if you're sure you can't do the assignment, tell us. You might not be the only one in that position, and we can give you a trade. There might be someone who had dropped out, and again, we can offer you a trade. Even if there's no one to trade with, we'll have a backup plan in case it's our screw up. So don't struggle on if you know it won't work for you.
BUT you must tell us quickly. If you wait more than a week after assignments are sent, we'll have to treat it as a default instead.
Your writing:
You will be required to write one story based on the prompts assigned to you. You are are not required to follow the prompts to the last detail; there is always room for flexibility and interpretation. You might like to mix and match parts of the prompts or combine two of them. You might start a story based on one and find yourself going off on a tangent that doesn't really fit the prompt. This is completely okay.
Your story must be new, created specifically for this exchange, not something you've posted anywhere before. Because all stories will be anonymous at first, you cannot include anything in your story that will reveal your identity, such as an original character you've written about before or setting the story in a 'verse you created.
All stories must be at least 1,000 words in length (excluding the title), and stories must be spell-checked and proofread for grammar and punctuation. If you can't do that yourself, find a beta who can. A "willing to beta" post will be available when assignments are sent out. There is no maximum story length, but the story must be complete by the deadline. Don't plan a 10,000 word fic if you're a slow writer!
We reserve the right to send stories riddled with errors and mistakes back to the authors for cleaning up. This is a gift exchange, and we want to make sure everybody receives the best possible story.
Complete submission guidelines will be posted later.
Extensions on the deadline:
The deadline for all fics is 30 June.
If you need an extension, you must request it before that date. There's a simple reason for this: on deadline day the mods are too damn busy to do anything but check the submissions as they come in.
So the last day you can ask for an extension is 29 June.
Before you ask for an extension, please make sure you understand:
• The earlier you ask, the easier it is for all of us.
• There are no extensions on extensions, so be realistic about the amount of time you need.
• If you ask for an extension when you're already late submitting, you're too late - you are already in default.
• If you only need a few days, that won't be a problem. Longer extensions come with conditions. For example, we might ask you to submit a finished rough draft quickly, then allow you more time to get the story polished up.
You can ask for an extension by emailing the mod team at supernatural @ summergen . co . uk (remove the spaces).
If you need to withdraw/default:
Once assignments have been sent out, everyone who has signed up and received an assignment is expected to submit a story, because someone else is working hard to create something for you.
But we do understand that unexpected things happen and some people may be unable to finish their fic by the deadline. If this is you, please, please, please contact us sooner rather than later. We may be able to offer a limited extension and if that's not going to help then we need as much time as you can give us to find a pinch-hitter so your recipient won't lose out.
• If you sign up but need to pull out before assignments are sent, just let us know. No harm done.
• If you find you need to drop out after you have received your assignment but before the deadline, there is no penalty. You may still receive your gift fic, but if the person writing for you also drops out, we won't seek a pinch-hit.
• If you default on or after the deadline, you can still sign up for a future challenge but you will not receive your gift fic this year. Stories submitted for recipients who have defaulted on or after the deadline will be posted with spn_summergen as the recipient.
• If you default without contacting the mods, or if you fail to respond if we need to chase up your submission, you will be banned from participating in future challenges.
We don't enjoy banning anyone, and all we are asking for is the courtesy of an email to let us know you need to default. We don't think that's too much to ask.
If you need to withdraw from the exchange at any time after you've signed up, you must contact the mods by email to supernatural @ summergen . co . uk (remove the spaces).
Please explain why you need to drop out, but don't feel you have to go into detail. We're not interested in prying into your personal life - 'health issues' or 'RL issues' is sufficient explanation, but we'd appreciate knowing that you have a reason for pulling out of the challenge.
Schedule*:
The sign-ups will open on April 13 and close on April 30. Information about how to sign up will be posted on April 13.
Assignments will be sent out on or before May 15. You must provide a working email address in order to receive your assignment.
Stories will be due 2 July. The last date to request an extension is 29 June.
Story posting will begin on 9 July and will end when we run out of stories.
The day after the last story is posted, a master list will go up revealing the authors' names. At that point, all authors are free to post their stories elsewhere.
One week later, the fall-free-for-all begins: all the prompts will be posted for anyone to grab one and write a fic.
*As always, the schedule is subject to change if disaster strikes, but we're going to do our very best to stick to the above.
F.A.Q.
Q: Can I sign up if I defaulted/withdrew in a previous Summergen?
A: If you withdrew properly (i.e. you emailed the mods to let us know you weren't able to complete your submission), yes you can. If you just vanished without a trace, or you didn't contact us until after we assigned a pinch-hitter, of course you can't sign up again. Why should we trust you not to do that again?
Note: If this applies to you, you know who you are because the mods will have emailed you to ask that you not take part again.
Q: Can I request stories about minor and recurring characters, not just the Winchesters?
A: Absolutely, yes. Please do!
Q: Will there be a separate sign-up post for pinch-hitters?
A: No. All pinch hits go through our pinch-hit community, spn_genpinchhit. If you're interested in pinch-hitting, please join that community. Note: you have to join, not just watch, because all pinch-hit requests will be locked.
Q: Can I sign up if I don't have a livejournal?
A: Yes. The sign-up form asks for a link to your journal (there's a good reason for this) but if you don't have an LJ you can give a link to your Dreamwidth, Tumblr or whatever. Or if you don't have any kind of online journal you can still sign up.
You do need a valid email address and you can't sign up without one of those.
Q: How do I sign up as an artist/vidder?
A: Sorry, you can't. We tried allowing art and vids for two years, but there wasn't enough demand to make it worth the extra difficulty of matching three different types of fanworks to prompts. Summergen is back to being fic-only.
Q: Are we allowed to write our recipient multiple fics based on their scenarios/prompts, or only one fic?
A: You can submit only one fic for your recipient as part of the anonymous exchange. It can be as long as you like (the minimum length is 1,000 words), and you can mix multiple prompts for one fic, but you can submit only a single story for the challenge.
If you want to write more than one story, you can save the extras for the free-for-all period after the main challenge is over. Though if you really think you'll have time to write more than one fic, please sign up as a pinch-hitter. These are the people who step in to write/create for any participants who have to drop out: if you pinch-hit you'll get a new set of prompts to choose from, and you'll be a hero!
Q: Can I thank my beta in my author's notes, or is that giving away my identity?
A: That's kind of a judgment call. Yes, you can thank your beta by name in your author's notes. But if you think doing that is a dead giveaway, please consider not doing it. If you want, we will be happy to edit your post with a beta-thanks after the reveal.
Any further questions, please comment.