...But Also a Beginning
BONUS ROUND!
Just because the exchange is formally over doesn’t meant it actually has to be over!
You guys came up with the most amazing prompts on your sign-up sheets but only got one fic. Therefore, to thank everyone who took a chance and signed up for this wacky new exchange, I think it would be fun to have a kind of informal bonus round. Here’s how it will work (please read carefully):
THINGS NOT TO DO
**Sorry to start out by being a hardass, but if it isn’t at the top, people might miss this. If you break the rules, I will delete your comment and PM you with the text to let you try again.**
a) If you defaulted, you can’t leave prompts. However, anyone else can play, even people who didn’t participate in the exchange. Pinch-hitters get to leave an extra prompt.
b) Don’t post anything other than prompts and links to fic in the comments of this post. Seconding and “I’m on it!” are not allowed. Also, do not write fic directly in the comments; only links to fic at your personal journal or elsewhere are allowed. If you have questions for me, please ask them in the FAQ post, and if you have questions for recipients, PM them.
c) Don’t ask for the same prompt for the same combo of fandoms that was written for you in the exchange (it might make your writer feel bad).
d) Don’t list more than three prompts. Once you have written three stories, you can leave a new set of three prompts, but not before.
e) Don’t bash characters, pairings, het/slash preferences or anything else in your prompts. Instead of “slash is icky” say “no slash.” Instead of “Castiel sucks,” say “no Castiel, please.” There’s no point in alienating a writer who would have written you a fic by bashing something she may happen to love. Also, if you have more complicated views on canon relationships or canon sexualities or porn or anything else, please find a way to keep the prompt simple by requesting “canon pairings only” or “lower ratings, please” or “the only slash I’m okay with is Ianto/Jack”---don’t leave a whole explanation.
f) Don’t whine about having written fics for people but not having gotten any in return. If you write something, you should do so solely because you get inspired and want to do it, not because you think anyone should feel compelled to write you something in return.
g) Don’t request RPF, anime, or book-only fandoms. This is still a live-action-only comm.
h) All stories must be at least 1000 words. This is slightly shorter than in the formal exchange, but please don’t write a drabble.
i) Wherever fic is posted, it must be publicly accessible.
j) And lastly, all prompts requested and stories linked here must be crossovers.
HOW TO PLAY
1) Choose UP TO THREE prompts that you most wanted to see, but which didn’t get written. You can also use new prompts that weren’t on your signup.
2) For each prompt, copy the following template three times into A SINGLE COMMENT and answer the questions (then delete the questions):
Fandoms: FandomA/FandomB
Characters and/or Pairing: list any characters that you want to appear, and/or any romantic pairings you want to see
Prompt: You can use a scenario, pairing, and/or theme prompt
Notes: Each prompt should have its own Notes section, so only list information applicable to this prompt (stuff like what you listed in the het/slash/gen, squicks, vetoes, genres, etc. sections of the sign-up).
**Important Note on “Notes”: Try not to be redundant or irrelevant. For example, if you’ve asked for “gen only”, there’s no need to also say you don’t want incest or porn; those things are already covered. Similarly, if you veto a character, there’s no need to also veto a whole list of pairings involving that character. If you veto het, there’s no need to enumerate off-limits het pairings. If you’re requesting fic about “nice” characters meeting in a “nice” scenario (think Barney Sintson/Cuddy in a café), torture and non-con are hardly going to enter into it; if it isn’t likely to come up, don’t list it. And say something like, “If you write NC17, I’d prefer vanilla sex (although a little spanking is fine)” rather than itemize a long list of hardcore kinks that people aren’t likely to write anyway. Based on the majority views expressed in the original sign-ups, this bonus round is operating under the assumption that unless someone specifically says they’re fine with non-con and/or hardcore kinks, you shouldn’t write them. Ie., the only people who should be vetoing scat and watersports are people who have okayed other hardcore kinks.
3) If you see a prompt you like, write a story to fill it and post it to your own journal or wherever you usually post fic (do NOT write fic in the comments of this post). Then reply to your prompter’s comment here using the following template:
Recipient: FANDOM A/FANDOM B
Fandoms:
Characters and Pairings:
Summary:
Prompt: copy the prompt(s) used (but not the Notes)
Link: include a link to your fic
Note: Feel free to write something even for prompts that have already been filled. More fic is good for the world and everyone has a different approach!
4) Every so often, whenever I feel like there’s a good handful, I’ll make a post with all the latest links so that everyone can enjoy the stories without having to obsessively check this post. This will quietly go on until either all the prompts are filled or I start organizing another exchange.
IMPORTANT TIPS
1) If you can’t remember your prompts and don’t have a copy of your sign-up form, send an email to xover.exchange@gmail.com with the subject line “Resend?” and I will email it back to you.
2) How you write prompts really does affect how likely people are to write them. Leaving just a pair of fandoms and no prompts with a note of “I’m good with anything!” is often the opposite of freeing because it leaves a lot of people blank. At the other extreme, giving a detailed plot outline (or copious notes) can be equally scary, because it leaves zero creative wriggle room. Being super flexible while still providing some germ of an idea (ie., a crossover pairing, a theme prompt, a simple set-up that leaves a lot of direction) is ideal.
RELAXED RULES
**A lot of the strict rules from the exchange were in place solely to make matching feasible. Therefore, for this round, some of them are getting relaxed. So, here’s a list of things you’re allowed to do in this round that you weren’t allowed to do in the formal exchange.**
a) You can say “romantic preferred” instead of having to leave a gen option for pairings.
b) You are allowed to request certain ratings (though remember that not everyone writes porn or is into your fanon OTP; if you make certain things requirements, you’re narrowing the pool of people who can write for you).
c) Feel free to request any live action fandom you want (but RPF, anime, and book-only fandoms are still ineligible). However, be smart about it; people gathered here based on their interest in more mainstream (with a preference for sci-fi and procedurals) fandoms, so if you request something obscure, it’s less likely that anyone will write it. Things like White Collar and Fringe are better bets.
d) The minimum wordcount has been lowered to 1000 words.
I know that people have lots of fic commitments and other exchanges until the end of the year, but whenever you have time later on and are in need of a prompt, please do visit this post and try to make someone's day! :)
Just because the exchange is formally over doesn’t meant it actually has to be over!
You guys came up with the most amazing prompts on your sign-up sheets but only got one fic. Therefore, to thank everyone who took a chance and signed up for this wacky new exchange, I think it would be fun to have a kind of informal bonus round. Here’s how it will work (please read carefully):
THINGS NOT TO DO
**Sorry to start out by being a hardass, but if it isn’t at the top, people might miss this. If you break the rules, I will delete your comment and PM you with the text to let you try again.**
a) If you defaulted, you can’t leave prompts. However, anyone else can play, even people who didn’t participate in the exchange. Pinch-hitters get to leave an extra prompt.
b) Don’t post anything other than prompts and links to fic in the comments of this post. Seconding and “I’m on it!” are not allowed. Also, do not write fic directly in the comments; only links to fic at your personal journal or elsewhere are allowed. If you have questions for me, please ask them in the FAQ post, and if you have questions for recipients, PM them.
c) Don’t ask for the same prompt for the same combo of fandoms that was written for you in the exchange (it might make your writer feel bad).
d) Don’t list more than three prompts. Once you have written three stories, you can leave a new set of three prompts, but not before.
e) Don’t bash characters, pairings, het/slash preferences or anything else in your prompts. Instead of “slash is icky” say “no slash.” Instead of “Castiel sucks,” say “no Castiel, please.” There’s no point in alienating a writer who would have written you a fic by bashing something she may happen to love. Also, if you have more complicated views on canon relationships or canon sexualities or porn or anything else, please find a way to keep the prompt simple by requesting “canon pairings only” or “lower ratings, please” or “the only slash I’m okay with is Ianto/Jack”---don’t leave a whole explanation.
f) Don’t whine about having written fics for people but not having gotten any in return. If you write something, you should do so solely because you get inspired and want to do it, not because you think anyone should feel compelled to write you something in return.
g) Don’t request RPF, anime, or book-only fandoms. This is still a live-action-only comm.
h) All stories must be at least 1000 words. This is slightly shorter than in the formal exchange, but please don’t write a drabble.
i) Wherever fic is posted, it must be publicly accessible.
j) And lastly, all prompts requested and stories linked here must be crossovers.
HOW TO PLAY
1) Choose UP TO THREE prompts that you most wanted to see, but which didn’t get written. You can also use new prompts that weren’t on your signup.
2) For each prompt, copy the following template three times into A SINGLE COMMENT and answer the questions (then delete the questions):
Fandoms: FandomA/FandomB
Characters and/or Pairing: list any characters that you want to appear, and/or any romantic pairings you want to see
Prompt: You can use a scenario, pairing, and/or theme prompt
Notes: Each prompt should have its own Notes section, so only list information applicable to this prompt (stuff like what you listed in the het/slash/gen, squicks, vetoes, genres, etc. sections of the sign-up).
**Important Note on “Notes”: Try not to be redundant or irrelevant. For example, if you’ve asked for “gen only”, there’s no need to also say you don’t want incest or porn; those things are already covered. Similarly, if you veto a character, there’s no need to also veto a whole list of pairings involving that character. If you veto het, there’s no need to enumerate off-limits het pairings. If you’re requesting fic about “nice” characters meeting in a “nice” scenario (think Barney Sintson/Cuddy in a café), torture and non-con are hardly going to enter into it; if it isn’t likely to come up, don’t list it. And say something like, “If you write NC17, I’d prefer vanilla sex (although a little spanking is fine)” rather than itemize a long list of hardcore kinks that people aren’t likely to write anyway. Based on the majority views expressed in the original sign-ups, this bonus round is operating under the assumption that unless someone specifically says they’re fine with non-con and/or hardcore kinks, you shouldn’t write them. Ie., the only people who should be vetoing scat and watersports are people who have okayed other hardcore kinks.
3) If you see a prompt you like, write a story to fill it and post it to your own journal or wherever you usually post fic (do NOT write fic in the comments of this post). Then reply to your prompter’s comment here using the following template:
Recipient: FANDOM A/FANDOM B
Fandoms:
Characters and Pairings:
Summary:
Prompt: copy the prompt(s) used (but not the Notes)
Link: include a link to your fic
Note: Feel free to write something even for prompts that have already been filled. More fic is good for the world and everyone has a different approach!
4) Every so often, whenever I feel like there’s a good handful, I’ll make a post with all the latest links so that everyone can enjoy the stories without having to obsessively check this post. This will quietly go on until either all the prompts are filled or I start organizing another exchange.
IMPORTANT TIPS
1) If you can’t remember your prompts and don’t have a copy of your sign-up form, send an email to xover.exchange@gmail.com with the subject line “Resend?” and I will email it back to you.
2) How you write prompts really does affect how likely people are to write them. Leaving just a pair of fandoms and no prompts with a note of “I’m good with anything!” is often the opposite of freeing because it leaves a lot of people blank. At the other extreme, giving a detailed plot outline (or copious notes) can be equally scary, because it leaves zero creative wriggle room. Being super flexible while still providing some germ of an idea (ie., a crossover pairing, a theme prompt, a simple set-up that leaves a lot of direction) is ideal.
RELAXED RULES
**A lot of the strict rules from the exchange were in place solely to make matching feasible. Therefore, for this round, some of them are getting relaxed. So, here’s a list of things you’re allowed to do in this round that you weren’t allowed to do in the formal exchange.**
a) You can say “romantic preferred” instead of having to leave a gen option for pairings.
b) You are allowed to request certain ratings (though remember that not everyone writes porn or is into your fanon OTP; if you make certain things requirements, you’re narrowing the pool of people who can write for you).
c) Feel free to request any live action fandom you want (but RPF, anime, and book-only fandoms are still ineligible). However, be smart about it; people gathered here based on their interest in more mainstream (with a preference for sci-fi and procedurals) fandoms, so if you request something obscure, it’s less likely that anyone will write it. Things like White Collar and Fringe are better bets.
d) The minimum wordcount has been lowered to 1000 words.
I know that people have lots of fic commitments and other exchanges until the end of the year, but whenever you have time later on and are in need of a prompt, please do visit this post and try to make someone's day! :)