F.A.Q v1.0
F.A.Q.
1. What is a BigBang?
A BigBang is a challenge that usually lasts around 3-4 months from sign up to posting. In a BigBang you sign up to write a fanfic of a certain length, usually 20,000 words as both this one and spn_j2_bigbang are, and there are certain deadlines for the rough and final drafts.
When the rough draft deadline comes up, you email copy to the community mods (to prove that yes you are going to have a finished fic for the final deadline and to show how many people out of the ones who originally signed up actually made it). The mods of the community make a list of all the summaries and warnings for each fic and post it (but with no author names mentioned publically) a couple of days later. Then artists can choose which fic from the list of summaries to make art for (on a first-come-first-served basis). The rough draft deadline is also usually a month to 5 weeks before the final deadline, giving you time to get it beta'd and fix any mistakes that occurred.
When the final deadline comes around, you send a copy of the final draft to the mods so they know you're still around and have it completed (also, artists must have their art finished by this date and send copies to the author they're working with/for and to the mods as a back up). The mods then go through all of the finished ones and work out a posting schedule (trying to take into account any days that authors have said they really can't make - holidays etc.) and email each of the authors when their posting day is (usually starting about a week after the final deadline). When your posting day comes around, you post your fic to your journal/fic community (if you have one) and link each chapter and the page that the graphics are on that your artist made in a post on thebigbangjob along with title|summary|warnings|author's notes etc.
2. Is RPS/RPF allowed?
We’ve talked it over and at this point, no. The point of this challenge is to write a piece of fiction focussing on the Leverage team/team member.
3. (a) What’s the minimum word count?
20,000 words, but feel free to go over to your heart’s content :D
3.(b) Is there a maximum word limit?
Nope, not at all. The sky really is the limit with this type of challenge.
4. (a) Are crossovers allowed?
Yes, so long as the focus of the fic is on the team or a specific team member.
Good example: NCIS/Leverage; Gibbs knows Nate by reputation and Eliot from a previous case, he surreptitiously gets their help with a case that he needs to close but can’t as he can’t legally gain access to crucial piece of evidence as his hands are tied by bureaucratic red-tape. The fic follows the Leverage team as they get said evidence.
Bad example: Stargate SG-1/Leverage; Jack O’Neill knows Eliot from a black-ops mission pre-Stargate and asks him to retrieve a stolen piece of (alien) technology from the Trust. The fic follows the SG-1 team as they try to cover the fact that they lost said technology and keep an intra-galactic dispute from occurring.
4. (b) Is a crossover with more than one other fandom allowed?
By all means yes! If you want to write a Leverage/Supernatural/Buffy-verse crossover or Leverage/Criminal Minds/CSI crossover (or one with even more fandoms involved), feel free to. Just remember that the main focus must be on a Leverage team member/the Leverage team.
5. Is slash allowed?
Yes. So is het and gen :)
6. (a) Can I write more than one story for this?
No, sorry.
6. (b) Even if the other fic is a co-written fic?
Again, sorry but no.
7. Are AUs allowed?
The rule of thumb on this is pretty much the same as for crossovers. So long as the focus of the fic is on the Leverage team/a Leverage team member, then yes, AU away.
8. Can I submit a WIP I’ve been posting to my journal?
Sorry, but no. This is a challenge for new fic only (though if you want to use a previously posted short fic as a prologue or similar (therefore 5000 words or less) that’s alright).
9. Can I submit a sequel/prequel to a fic that I’ve already written?
So long as it fits the parameters mentioned in this FAQ and other mod posts and can be read as a standalone fic, then yes.
10. Can I make art/a vid as well as write a fic?
If you can finish your fic and give evidence to reassure us that you would be able to do both, yes. However, we'd prefer all authors to finish their stories and us be short a few artists than the other way around.
11. Can more than one person write the story (i.e. is collaborating allowed)?
So long as the fic is a minimum of 20,000 words when completed and everything else is in order, then yes.
12. What do I do if I need a beta and don’t have one/don’t know anyone who’s willing to beta for me?
Look for the "Beta/cheerleader needed" post that’ll be posted within a week of the writer sign ups being closed and go through the replies to it. There’ll be two different threads made. One saying "I’m a beta, willing to help" in the subject line and another "Help! I need a beta" in the subject line. Look through the first one and only if no one seems to fit what you need/want, do you comment to the second one.
Alternatively, check out omgleveragebb and see if anyone's offering beta services/is willing to help you out.
13. (a) As an artist, am I allowed to make more than one piece of art e.g. a banner and set of icons?
Of course! We wouldn’t want to stifle your creativity at all.
13. (b) If I’m making art, is there a size limit on what I create?
So long as it can be hosted somewhere, whether it’s photobucket, imageshack, your LJ scrapbook/own website or elsewhere, then size doesn’t matter ;)
13. (c) Why do artists only have a fortnight to make art in (19th October-1st November)?
Artists actually have just under a month to make their art in. From the moment an artist claims a fic (so from 5th October onwards), he/she can work on their art. Thus giving artists almost a month to make their art in unless they don't claim a fic til the last second.
14. Is it ok to post a soundtrack along with my story?
Yes, but...if the art for it is not made by the artist who claimed your fic, then the artwork cannot be posted alongside the soundtrack until a fortnight after the last bigbang has been posted (but can be inside the zip/rar file you upload). If the artwork was done by the artist who claimed your fic, then sure, post the art along with the links for the soundtrack - just get the artists permission to put the artwork in the zip before you do.
15. Is it ok to send in my rough draft before the deadline?
Yes! And please do if you can. It’ll make your mods lives much easier if you send your rough draft (RD) in as soon as it’s done instead of waiting for the RD deadline.
If you have a question or query that you don’t think has been addressed in this post, then please leave us a comment or email us with it (leverage.bb.mods [@] googlemail [.] com) and we’ll do our best to get an answer to you.
1. What is a BigBang?
A BigBang is a challenge that usually lasts around 3-4 months from sign up to posting. In a BigBang you sign up to write a fanfic of a certain length, usually 20,000 words as both this one and spn_j2_bigbang are, and there are certain deadlines for the rough and final drafts.
When the rough draft deadline comes up, you email copy to the community mods (to prove that yes you are going to have a finished fic for the final deadline and to show how many people out of the ones who originally signed up actually made it). The mods of the community make a list of all the summaries and warnings for each fic and post it (but with no author names mentioned publically) a couple of days later. Then artists can choose which fic from the list of summaries to make art for (on a first-come-first-served basis). The rough draft deadline is also usually a month to 5 weeks before the final deadline, giving you time to get it beta'd and fix any mistakes that occurred.
When the final deadline comes around, you send a copy of the final draft to the mods so they know you're still around and have it completed (also, artists must have their art finished by this date and send copies to the author they're working with/for and to the mods as a back up). The mods then go through all of the finished ones and work out a posting schedule (trying to take into account any days that authors have said they really can't make - holidays etc.) and email each of the authors when their posting day is (usually starting about a week after the final deadline). When your posting day comes around, you post your fic to your journal/fic community (if you have one) and link each chapter and the page that the graphics are on that your artist made in a post on thebigbangjob along with title|summary|warnings|author's notes etc.
2. Is RPS/RPF allowed?
We’ve talked it over and at this point, no. The point of this challenge is to write a piece of fiction focussing on the Leverage team/team member.
3. (a) What’s the minimum word count?
20,000 words, but feel free to go over to your heart’s content :D
3.(b) Is there a maximum word limit?
Nope, not at all. The sky really is the limit with this type of challenge.
4. (a) Are crossovers allowed?
Yes, so long as the focus of the fic is on the team or a specific team member.
Good example: NCIS/Leverage; Gibbs knows Nate by reputation and Eliot from a previous case, he surreptitiously gets their help with a case that he needs to close but can’t as he can’t legally gain access to crucial piece of evidence as his hands are tied by bureaucratic red-tape. The fic follows the Leverage team as they get said evidence.
Bad example: Stargate SG-1/Leverage; Jack O’Neill knows Eliot from a black-ops mission pre-Stargate and asks him to retrieve a stolen piece of (alien) technology from the Trust. The fic follows the SG-1 team as they try to cover the fact that they lost said technology and keep an intra-galactic dispute from occurring.
4. (b) Is a crossover with more than one other fandom allowed?
By all means yes! If you want to write a Leverage/Supernatural/Buffy-verse crossover or Leverage/Criminal Minds/CSI crossover (or one with even more fandoms involved), feel free to. Just remember that the main focus must be on a Leverage team member/the Leverage team.
5. Is slash allowed?
Yes. So is het and gen :)
6. (a) Can I write more than one story for this?
No, sorry.
6. (b) Even if the other fic is a co-written fic?
Again, sorry but no.
7. Are AUs allowed?
The rule of thumb on this is pretty much the same as for crossovers. So long as the focus of the fic is on the Leverage team/a Leverage team member, then yes, AU away.
8. Can I submit a WIP I’ve been posting to my journal?
Sorry, but no. This is a challenge for new fic only (though if you want to use a previously posted short fic as a prologue or similar (therefore 5000 words or less) that’s alright).
9. Can I submit a sequel/prequel to a fic that I’ve already written?
So long as it fits the parameters mentioned in this FAQ and other mod posts and can be read as a standalone fic, then yes.
10. Can I make art/a vid as well as write a fic?
If you can finish your fic and give evidence to reassure us that you would be able to do both, yes. However, we'd prefer all authors to finish their stories and us be short a few artists than the other way around.
11. Can more than one person write the story (i.e. is collaborating allowed)?
So long as the fic is a minimum of 20,000 words when completed and everything else is in order, then yes.
12. What do I do if I need a beta and don’t have one/don’t know anyone who’s willing to beta for me?
Look for the "Beta/cheerleader needed" post that’ll be posted within a week of the writer sign ups being closed and go through the replies to it. There’ll be two different threads made. One saying "I’m a beta, willing to help" in the subject line and another "Help! I need a beta" in the subject line. Look through the first one and only if no one seems to fit what you need/want, do you comment to the second one.
Alternatively, check out omgleveragebb and see if anyone's offering beta services/is willing to help you out.
13. (a) As an artist, am I allowed to make more than one piece of art e.g. a banner and set of icons?
Of course! We wouldn’t want to stifle your creativity at all.
13. (b) If I’m making art, is there a size limit on what I create?
So long as it can be hosted somewhere, whether it’s photobucket, imageshack, your LJ scrapbook/own website or elsewhere, then size doesn’t matter ;)
13. (c) Why do artists only have a fortnight to make art in (19th October-1st November)?
Artists actually have just under a month to make their art in. From the moment an artist claims a fic (so from 5th October onwards), he/she can work on their art. Thus giving artists almost a month to make their art in unless they don't claim a fic til the last second.
14. Is it ok to post a soundtrack along with my story?
Yes, but...if the art for it is not made by the artist who claimed your fic, then the artwork cannot be posted alongside the soundtrack until a fortnight after the last bigbang has been posted (but can be inside the zip/rar file you upload). If the artwork was done by the artist who claimed your fic, then sure, post the art along with the links for the soundtrack - just get the artists permission to put the artwork in the zip before you do.
15. Is it ok to send in my rough draft before the deadline?
Yes! And please do if you can. It’ll make your mods lives much easier if you send your rough draft (RD) in as soon as it’s done instead of waiting for the RD deadline.
If you have a question or query that you don’t think has been addressed in this post, then please leave us a comment or email us with it (leverage.bb.mods [@] googlemail [.] com) and we’ll do our best to get an answer to you.