#Big Bang; Art weeks etc etc

[the-centennial-husbands-bigbang]

We are happy to introduce you all to the Centennial Husbands' Big Bang!

We wish you a warm welcome to the Centennial Husbands Big Bang!

This is a Big Bang challenge focused around all things Dreamling (Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling) from the Sandman comics and show, brought to you by the @mr-sadman Modteam!

Without further adue, here are all of the details!!

Our stance on plagiarism and AI 

We do not accept nor condone the use of plagiarism, including the use of AI, whether in writing or art. If you are caught using either, you will be disqualified from the current event and barred entry for the other events the Mr. Sadman team puts forward.

General Rules and Informations

Anyone is welcome to participate! 

Fear you can’t make it yet? Sign-ups for pinch-hitters will be open later during the event!

You can sign up both as an artist and a writer!! That said, we do not want you to bite more than you can chew, be careful and conscious of the event’s schedule!

Joining the Mr. Sadman discord is strongly advised, as there will be event related channels and roles available, but not required. Please make sure to give us another reliable and quick way to get a hold of you in the case that you don’t join the server/don’t use discord often!

If you are under the age of 18, you will not be able to create explicit content for the event. As a general rule, Mr. Sadman is a 16+ server, be aware of this fact!

The Mr. Sadman Modteam is a firm believer of “ship and let ship” as well as the kinktomato (https://fanlore.org/wiki/Kinktomato). As such, and in accordance with the Server’s existing rules, we will not tolerate any discrimination and harassment in any forms whatsoever. This includes : queerphobia, homophobia, racism, content policing, hate speech, doxxing, shaming, etc. 

What’s a Big Bang?

What’s a Big Bang?

Glad you asked! This is a challenge where writers come up with a 15k+ words fic and get paired with a just-as-enthusiastic artist that accompanies their written work with a piece of art! A detailed schedule spanning around 4 months will be available down this post, fear not! 

15k is a lot of words, is there any other way that, as a writer, I can participate?

There is! We are offering a beta-reader partnering system as well as a Mini Bang!

What’s a Mini Bang?

This is a challenge similar to a Big Bang where you write a piece under 15k words! Do note that the Mini Bang does not come with art like the Big Bang does!

Why does the Mini Bang don’t include art?

This is the less stressful option for writers who still want to participate in the event! Less stress for the writers and none for the artists! That said, this might be revised if an important number of artists sign up!

I don’t think my Big Bang fic is gonna reach 15k, can I downgrade to the Mini Bang?

Yes! You will be able to downgrade until December 2nd, a few weeks before drafts are due and artist pairing starts!

I think my Mini Bang fic is gonna be longer than 15k, can I upgrade to the Big Bang?

Yes! You will be able to upgrade until December 2nd, a few weeks before drafts are due and artist pairing starts!

Rules and requirements

For Writers

What are the requirements for my fic? 

Your fic must be an unpublished, completely new work! It needs to be able to stand on its own (meaning that sequels and crossovers/fusions are allowed, but your fic must be able to be read on its own!) and must meet the minimum word count requirement, which is  15k words. It is also strongly recommended for no parts of your work to have been already published elsewhere (even small snippets)!

It is also mandatory that you keep your work a secret - this is to assure an anonymous art claim process and is very important. If you talk about your work in any public way (this includes our discord server), your violation will be discussed amongst the mod team and could result in potential removal from the event!

Does it have to focus on a romantic pairing?

Not at all! Your fic can be platonic, romantic, neither or all of the above, as long as it focuses on the relationship between Dream and Hob!

Does my fic have to be beta-read?

While it is not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to use a beta reader during your writing process! Don’t have a beta reader already? We offer a beta-reader pairing system! Just make sure to fill in the appropriate section in the sign-up form to indicate that you are in need of betaing!

My friend and I want to co-author a fic, is that alright?

Hell yeah! We love collaboration! Simply make sure to indicate it on each of your sign-up forms (meaning that each one of you needs to fill a form)!! The word count requirement is still 15k (even if you are one, two, three or more, yes!) and keep in mind, though, that you will not receive more art because there are more authors!

Can I have a secondary pairing in my fic?

Yes! As long as the focus of your fic is Dream/Hob, go ham!

Can I write threesomes, foursomes, polycules?

Yes! As long as the focus of your fic is Dream/Hob, please do!!

Can I write RPF (Tom Sturridge/Ferdinand Kingsley)?

Yes! 

What can’t I write, then?

Anything is fair game as long as it is properly tagged and/or warned for! Major content warnings (such as AO3 dictates) must also be applied properly! There is only one exception to this : work depicting real life children (such as the actors’), which is not allowed.

What if I have a fic that I’ve been working on but never posted?

You can totally use it! As long as your work remains unpublished, it’s fair game!

Can I write something for NaNoWriMo and use it as my submission?

Hell yeah!! As long as it’s unpublished and meets the word requirements!!

I’m so excited for this event that I want to write two fics, is that all right?

We never say no to more cake! Please do keep in mind that you’ll still have to respect the schedule for both works at the same time!

As the author, do I have a say in what my paired artist creates?

In short : no. While we do encourage collaboration, this is not a commission process. The artist has free reign on what they want to create that is inspired by your fic. If you can write what you want, then your artist can create what they want!

Can I already pair up with an artist friend?

Absolutely! Just make sure you tell us in the sign up form!

I don’t like my paired artist and/or what my artist has created.

While this is unfortunate, your artist has spent their own energy and free time to create their piece. To dismiss them and their efforts is plain rude. The mods will not step in and give you another artist simply because you are not pleased with your match. Your artist deserves your thanks, not your ire. 

What are authors check-ins?

Be not afraid! These are mostly touch points for the modteam to make sure everyone is still on board and on schedule! That said, these are mandatory! Failure to respond to check-ins will disqualify you from participating in the current event.

What if I can’t meet a deadline?

Please make sure to inform a mod as soon as you know! Accommodations might be worked out depending on the situation. We simply ask you to be considerate to your fellow artists, it is unfair to them to back out as they had already started working on their pieces!

Where do I post my fic?

We ask you to post your story to the AO3 collection! You are free, after that, to post it anywhere else you’d like and/or prefer! There, you will also be able to embed and link to your artist’s piece(s)!

For Artists

What kind of art can I make?

Anything from traditional or digital drawing, to photomanips, fanvids, podfics, songwriting, book binding and more! We only ask you to put some effort into it, after all, your author has worked hard on their piece as well! 

A few exceptions include : playlists, icons and banners. These, while being a nice and fun bonus for your author, can’t be counted as your primary piece!

How much art do I have to make? 

You are required to make one piece of art! But if you are inspired, more are definitely welcome!

What are the minimum requirements for my art?

A minimum of 500px by 500px piece for visual pieces. A minimum of 2 minutes for digital pieces. 

*If your art doesn’t fit within these parameters, an agreement can be reached between mod, author and artist as to what could be considered equivalent/sufficient. 

How will I be able to claim a fic?

Art claims will be held from January 6th to 10th to give authors the time to complete a first draft as well as send in a summary of their work. We ask you to be readily available to answer messages during that time period as the process will be held on a “first come first served” basis. You will receive a link to the claiming form at the beginning of this period. 

Can I already pair up with a writer friend?

Absolutely! Just make sure to tell us in the signing up form!

How do I get in touch with my writer?

Fear not, the mods will place you in contact with your partner once pairing is done!

What are artists’ check-ins?

Be not afraid! These are mostly touch points for the modteam to make sure everyone is still on board and on schedule! That said, these are mandatory! Failure to respond to check-ins will disqualify you from participating in the current event.

What if I can’t meet a deadline?

Please make sure to inform a mod as soon as you know! Accommodations might be worked out depending on the situation. We simply ask you to be considerate to your fellow writers, it is unfair to them to back out as they had already started working on their pieces!

Where do I post my art?

From your designated host (whether that’s tumblr, pillowfort, etc.) so that it can be embedded into AO3! We simply ask you to use the relevant tags and link back to your writer’s story!

I’m not a writer nor an artist, but I wish to help. What can I do?

You are very welcome to join us as a beta reader! Every author has different betaing needs, but betaing ranges from cheering your author on, to making sure their grammar and spelling is tip-top! This is an event-long commitment, so make sure you know this before signing up! You are also very welcome to share any relevant information about the Big Bang and join us on Mr. Sadman for all things Sandman!!

Event Schedule

Sign-ups : September 18th to October 21rst First Check-in : October 28th Second Check-in : November 18th Upgrade/Downgrade for Mini Bang/Big Bang : December 2nd Third Check-in/First Draft+Summary due : December 22nd Holiday Pause : December 23rd to January 3rd Art claims : January 6th-10th Art Pairings Masterpost : January 11th Pinch-hitter Signups : January 29th to February 2nd Fourth Check-in : February 3rd  Pinch-hitter post : February 4th Final draft : February 25th Posting dates : March 1rst to 3rd

I want to Sign Up!!

You can fill the form and sign up here : https://forms.gle/2RwZrPNxs4Y95oLS9

I need help, how do I reach a mod?

If there is something that is not covered by our rules masterpost and/or FAQ, you are very free to DM us here, on tumblr!

We are also available on email at [email protected] and on discord at Mr. Sadman

That said, the dedicated mods for this event are Winter, Aria, Ches and Britt!

Have fun and keep the Dreamling on!!

#centennialhusbandsbigbang #centennialhusbandsbigbang2023 #mr sadman #centennial husbands big bang #centennial husbands big bang 2023 #centennial husbands #dreamling #dream x hob #dream of the endless #hob gadling #the sandman #the sandman fanart #the sandman netflix #sandman #sandman fanart #sandman netflix #big bang #sandman discord #sandman fanfic #morpheus #big bang rules #faq post #faq #rules #event rules

[just-some-random-blogger]

Bright Eyes | 3

Part 1 2

Prince Aemond's marriage was borne out of necessity and political advantage. Let it never be said that he did not know duty, for duty was what kept Aemond Targaryen grounded. But in truth, the prince felt cheated by the match, for he felt his wife was getting scraps as her dowry. After all, she was chosen for him because of her family's wealth and resources. It was then rather scandalous when the icy prince became temperate to his bride.

Aemond Targaryen x Reader | 2k+ | cw: fem!reader, arranged marriage au, smut (vaginal penetration, breeding kink), jealousy, reluctant lovers ig, fluff, typos, etc.

A/N: This is part of the 'house of the dragon big bang celebration' that's also available on AO3 and my art was made by @ewanmitchellcrumbs

Tagging: @pinksirensong @aralezinspace @delicious-xx @deniixlovezelda @targaryenmoony @risefallrise @slavyanskiyahui @thebullship @sa3losa @toodlesxcuddles @shygardengalaxy

For the past weeks, Aemond had been unknowingly attending a play. He had not realized he was an avid watcher until he caught two servants muttering to each other about the very observations he had: the princess is an odd one.

The realization came about when a lord visited The Keep, dressed in a ridiculous cape and a large flower broach. The man had concerns for his village and aired his errs with the king. Or he would have, except the king would not see him, or rather could not; Viserys was too busy wasting away. The Lord Hand could not see him either, nor did any lord in the king's council, all of them preoccupied with something else.

His older brother, Aegon, with a head powered by mead, could not possibly entertain the lord. So, that left him.

Except he was not there when this poorly dressed fellow came to King's Landing, and so, naturally, his wife that attended to this man who awaited his return.

Aemond had asked those two servants where his wife was upon returning and not finding her in the usual places she stayed. The women explained the situation and said you were showing a lord around The Keep.

With a raised brow, Aemond asked if the Lord was from a major house, and the servants said no. In fact, he was from a house that's serves under his wife's. They then both expressed mutual befuddlement on why the princess acted as though that were not the case. 

Aemond listened to how the servants went about how the pompous prick of a lord talked about the scenery of his home soil, and how he would gladly host her there to experience it, and the princess never once mentioned that she has seen all the sights he'd boasted about.

Irritation grew within him as he walked around the palace looking for his bride and the rat she was touring. Upon spotting them, he froze in his spot when he witnessed the lord pluck a flower from a bush and hand it to his wife. His eye twitches when she accepts.

She smiles and mutters something to him, making him laugh and Aemond finally storm over. She places the flower on the man's cape, which makes him strike a pose.

They're both laughing when Aemond comes up to them.

Once he's made his presence known, the man immediately bows and begins to drone about how good of a host his wife was. Aemond impatiently tells him he knows all about why he was here, tells him he'll speak to the king, then dismisses him, taking his wife by the hand as he did.

They get to their chambers. Aemond finds he is visibly annoyed, given how his wife gently pacified him. He doesn't know why he doesn't rip his arm out of her grip when she touched him, nor why his glare softened when he looked at her.

She sits them down on the side of their bed. At this point, the ire in his belly out.

"How was your ride on Vhagar?" she asks, taking his hand and placing it on her lap.

Aemond looks at her face then his hand, cradled in hers. He holds her wrist for a second then sighs, "fine."

"That's good. I was concerned when it drizzled."

"It did not where I rode," Aemond lifts his gaze.

He watches her nod then averts his attention back on his hand on her lap. He rubs the fabric of her skirts.

"I have given quite a few solutions to Lord-"

"Do not speak of him to me," Aemond quips. His hand on her skirt grabs the fabric. He lifts his eye up to her face, "I have my hand on your lap."

She opens her mouth but says nothing.

Aemond's focus is on her lips now.

"I beg your pardon, my prince."

Aemond leans closer, "as you should."

They kiss and Aemond immediately rips her skirts up. He heaves and pushes her down on the bed. There is a fire within him that can only be put out by the wetness of her cunt.

As much as he wanted to strip her naked, he could not wait. He tugs his pants down and barely even gets her smallclothes past her knees when he started to fuck her.

He presses her legs to her chest and traps her beneath him. The sound of her cries further fuel his depravity. He thrusts faster, squeezing her thighs to keep her put under him.

"Whose children will you sire?" Aemond presses.

He watches her squirm and whimper. He snaps his hips rougher, demanding an answer.

She digs her nails into the sheets and whines out his name.

"Louder."

"Yours, Aemond," she barely has the breath to say.

Aemond makes her cry out his name until she comes undone. The feeling of her tightening around him makes his body flush with a greediness. His head spins with the thought of her being filled by him, and it sequentially pushes him to his peak.

He spills into her just as he feels whatever was pent up inside him spill out. As he slows and stops, the craze that powered his mind fades; he finally has the mind to strip her naked.

Aemond rips her smallclothes off, her footwear, then his top. He throws them all off the bed. He grabs her by the bodice and sits her up on his lap, unwilling to be separated as he rids her of her dress.

He can hear her heart pulsing as works on her laces of her corset.

He doesn't speak, but he looks at her with something akin to desperation. Was this jealousy?

The thought makes him dig his fingernails into her back. The way she moans and tightens her thighs around him makes him realize he doesn't care if he was.

He gulps when she mutters, "my prince."

I cannot help the laugh that leaves me when the Queen coos and pulls me into a tight embrace. I smile from ear to ear as I wrap my arms around Queen Alicent. Her warmth was comforting, even more so her whispers, "oh... well done, my sweet girl."

My chest tightens at her praise. I involuntarily feel my eyes water.

When she pulls away, her pout flips into a faint smile. She cups my cheeks and rubs my skin, "well done."

I nod and blink away the tears that were forming.

"Have you told Aemond?"

I shake my head, "he is on dragonback. I will tell him when he returns."

She nods and rubs my arms, "good. Tell him at once," she clasps her hands together, "add that the Queen advices him to lessen his dragon rides."

"Of course, mother," I curtsy.

With that, Alicent gives one last look, and resumes what she was doing before I came to her chambers.

I decide to head to the gardens as I await the return of my husband. On my way there, I rub my belly and fantasize about his reactions to the news. I'm sure he'd be relieved to know I was finally with child, and yet I wonder if he'd be... happy.

"My lady."

I avert my attention to the man in the garden. It was the same flamboyantly dressed man who I had met a moon ago.

Before I can respond, he walks over to me and extends a hand. I politely take it and maintain a smile as he gives and exaggerated bow before he kissing my hand.

When he does not release me right away, I pull out of his grip. I play it off with a smile, "to what do I owe the honor, my lord?"

The man gives a grin, "you forgot to mention when we met that you belong to the greater House that presides my village."

I offer a chuckle. Before I can respond though, he's speaking again.

"You've made me ramble like a fool about places you grew up going to," he raises his brows.

Once more, he continues to speak before I even open my mouth, "my ego is quite bruised, my lady. Whatever could be done about that?"

The smile on my lips thin as he gives me a hurt expression.

And yet, he gives me no opportunity to even speak on the matter. The Lord waves his hands and shakes his head, "no matter. I've come here to make amends." He raises his hands to prove a point, "for the sake of my pride."

At this point, I don't try to get a word in and merely nod.

He smirks and pulls out a letter from his breast pocket and, again, bows deeply as he hands it to me.

I stare at what appeared to be a letter bearing my father's sigil and link my fingers together, "and what is this thing you've brought to make amends?"

The man straightens up and somehow looks confused by my question. He purses his lips and waves the letter as he speaks, "a letter from your mother, of course."

My brows knit.

"I was instructed to have it delivered to you with great urgency and discretion," he brings the letter towards me again.

I hesitate, but take the letter and read its contents. Sure enough, it was from my mother, clear from the writing, its contents, and even the paper that was used. My stomach rolls at her words. My throat tightens, and my mouth goes dry.

Yet again, she write meticulous instruction for the benefit of conceiving. And though she expressed no direct disappointment, this letter was mere proof of it, a reminder of my continuous shortcomings.

The man before me looks with concern.

I erase the worry on my face with a smile. I bow my head to him, "thank you for your services, my lord."

The man bows lowly once again. He then gives a prolonged smile where I expected him to leave.

I grin wider, "I will not kee-"

"Pardon-" he cuts me off.

My brows quirk.

"-me, milady," he tilts his head in regard, "but might I know what it is your mother wrote?"

My expression drops, "what?"

He motions aimlessly with his hand and shakes his head, "well, you see, I went through a great many lengths to get here as soon as possible."

I cannot contain my look of disbelief as he steps closer and adds, "I do think it is within reason for me to know what was written. After all, I could have read it myself, but you see, I did not."

"I do not think it is possible, my lord," I affirm, "nor appropriate that I divulge the private words of my mother to a stranger."

"My lady! I am not a stranger," he laughs as he places a hand on his chest, "I am-"

"A dead man walking."

Black leather and blonde hair floods my vision. As quickly as a gasp leaves me, I realize my husband yanked me back to come between us. I hear a choking and the sound of soles skidding against gravel.

Aemond holds a knife against the man's neck, already nicking it with how tightly he pressed it against him.

The man squawks, "my prince-"

"Correct," he nods in approval, "I am the prince, and the woman I am married to is my princess. You will address her as such."

"O-" he chokes as he is forced down. His hands flare out, not knowing what to do with them, "of course."

I watch as my husband makes the man wobble back. My breathing grows heavy with every move. I follow after them but make no attempt to intervene.

"You see," Aemond mutters, "my princess is too kind for her own good. She's learned to make due with the short end of the stick."

A bead of blood trickles down the man's throat.

"Mmm," the prince hums.

I squeal when the lord yelps from being forced down on his knees.

"I do not share in her naiveté. I'll force the stick out of your hand and beat you with it."

The man shudders, "my prince-"

"Evidently, I am unopposed to violence."

I grab the back of the prince's coat, "Aemond."

Aemond ignores me. He clenches his jaw then releases the man with a shove.

My husband wipes his blade on his sleeve then sheathes it. I come to his side and take his arm. I am ignored still, his eyes locked on the man before him.

Aemon raises his brows in offence, "quickly, jobbernowl."

The man looks at the prince, terrified.

"Or must I chase you and make a meal out of your-"

Aemond does not continue as the man effectively scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could.

We both watch as he disappears. Once he was out of sight, he finally turns to me. His lone eye roves my body, and once it lands on my face, I am unable to hold it.

I turn to my feet, fidgeting with my letter.

He takes the letter from my hands.

My lips part. I take in a breath before explaining, "my mother sent it. She said-"

"I did not enquire."

I watch as my husband folds the parchment and places it back into its envelope. He takes my hand and returns my letter. My heart quickens when he does not release me.

I muster the courage to look up at him.

"Why do you do that?"

I inhale deeply, "...do what?"

"Permit audacity."

I press my lips into a line

"Have charlatans take you for a fool."

I shake my head and turn back to my feet, "I'm not a fool."

"I know that," Aemond lowers his head to hold my gaze, "you are the bride of a prince. You should not stand to be trampled, if not for your own sake, for mine."

"I-"

He takes my chin and lifts my gaze. I behold his disapproving look.

"It will not happen again," I say.

He releases me and tilts his head, "good." He clasps his hands behind him, "still. Answer my question."

I turn to the letter in my hand then back to him. I explain, "solace is found after bloodshed. Peace achieved through forced is futile."

Aemond makes a face then chuckles dryly. He shakes his head, "so you would face the wrath of a dragon in hopes it will spare you after?"

I press my lips into a smile, "it would be an honor to behold such ferocity."

He scoffs. A line forms between his brows. His face contorts so much his eyepatch shifts a fraction out of place.

I place a hand on his cheek. I fix his patch and huff whilst smiling, "how fortunate to know I am on the other side of the flames."

The prince stares at me for a moment. I fix his hair as well before pulling away.

"I will not always be there," he takes my wrist, "what if they hurt you before I hurt them?"

My body grows warm, at both his touch and his sentiment. The smile on my face grows, "then I would hope you arrive before then."

Aemond groans. He lowers my hand, "no. That cannot be a probability."

"My prince. You needn't-"

"From now on, if you are not within my gaze, you will have a guard hot on your heels."

I decide not to argue, seeing the severity of his expression. I smile in response.

"And in your spare time, I will teach you how to use a dagger."

I blink at his words but ultimately nod, "if it pleases you."

Aemond says nothing more, but he is clearly still uneasy. I take his arm and lead him into the garden.

He and I walk in silence for a moment, watching as the wind blows through the leaves of the flora.

"I would not have you hardened," he says, making me turn to him. His eyes remain fixed in front, "I would have you strengthened."

I take in the shape of his nose and think about how our children would inherit it. I smile at the thought.

"I am with child."

He stops in his tracks. He takes a second before turning to me.

I smile grows, "all the more reason to teach me, no?"

Aemond looks down as I take his hands in mine. He looks up at me and nods, "indeed."

#house of the dragon big bang #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfic #hotd fanfic #hotd fic #aemond fanfic #aemond fanfiction #aemond fic #aemond Targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen #aemond #aemond x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x you #aemond x you #aemond smut #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen fic #aemond fluff #aemond targaryen fluff #aemond targaryen fanfiction

[goldenheart-week]

Goldenheart Week 2024 FAQ

June 27 - July 3, 2024

What is this?

Goldenheart Week is a celebration of our favorite gay knights, in both their movie and comic incarnations. We're hoping to encourage new fanworks of all kinds!

Why those dates?

June is Pride Month, June 30th was the Netflix release date for Nimona (and is the midpoint of Goldenheart Week), and July is Disability Pride Month.

Are there prompts?

There will be! Credit to @candyskiez for some good suggestions. You can add to the list of possible prompts here by April 13th. We'll then open it up to voting and should have a final list by the end of the month to give everyone enough time to create.

What can I make?

You can make or write basically anything: haikus, limericks, 100 word drabbles, ficlets, long fics, traditional art, digital art, gifsets, cosplay, embroidery, etc.

How can I help?

@zyrafowe-sny would love graphic design support and someone else with blog access to reblog tagged posts during Goldenheart Week. Participating in polls and signal boosts are also always appreciated.

Are there any other Nimona fandom events?

Yes! Beta reader sign ups for the @nimonabigbang are open through July 28th, and final fics and fanart will be revealed in September. Reach out if you have other event ideas/plans — we're always happy to signal boost! @zyrafowe-sny could probably be talked into helping run another theme day/week, bingo, AO3 prompt fill, AO3 fic exchange, or something else after the Big Bang is over.

What about...

Feel free to send asks if you have questions! We'll also be updating the FAQ as needed.

#goldenheart week #goldenheart week 2024 #goldenheart #blackloin #ballister x ambrosius #ambrosius x ballister #ballister boldheart #ballister blackheart #ambrosius goldenloin #nimona #nimona 2023 #nimona movie #nimona netflix #nimona film #nimona comic #nimona graphic novel #nimona fanart #nimona fanfic #nimona fandom #fandom event

[wipbigbang]

WIP Big Bang 2023 Round Schedule & FAQ!

Schedule

All times are by 8:59pm PST. Convert time zones.

Sign-ups Begin- April 1st Sign-ups Close- April 21st Check In #1- April 22nd Check In #2- May 15th Snippets Due- June 1st Art Claims Begin- June 17th Check In #3- June 22nd Check In #4- July 6th Rough Drafts Due- July 15th Posting Claims Begin- July 23rd Posting Claims Ends- August 1st Final Drafts/Art Due- August 7th Posting Starts- August 8th Posting Ends- October 31st (the last two weeks are reserved for emergency posting)

FAQ

What is the WIP Big Bang? Good question! This is a Big Bang with one goal in mind: to clean out your fanfic drafts folder. These are stories that were unfinished for whatever reason, that authors returned to and completed, and the art that goes with them!

Do I need a Livejournal/Dreamwidth/AO3/etc. account to participate? No! You don’t have to have an account on anything to participate, though you will need to have somewhere to post your finished work. Having one or more accounts will help for you to follow what is going on with the bang (we crosspost to Dreamwidth, Tumblr, and sometimes Twitter at the moment), but they are not required to participate. You can always leave comments anonymously or with an opensource ID.

How many fics can we sign up for? We absolutely don’t mind multiple sign-ups. I know one year someone submitted 50 fics to finish, and got at least half of them done. We just ask that when you sign up with more than one fic you give each fic a unique user ID (please do not use the same ID for all your fics...it’s important to have different IDs for the check-ins).

Will I get emails about the bang? We do send out some emails, mostly for snippets and art claims and to ensure communication between authors and artists, but please do NOT rely on getting an email to remind you of due dates. We currently do not keep an updated email list of participants, so we only send individual emails as needed rather than mass emails.

However, email is the fastest way to communicate with the mods. If you have any questions or are having trouble communicating with your artist/author, please do email us! We will do our best to respond quickly.

What do you mean by minimum word count to enter? This is a WIP Big Bang, therefore we ask you to have at least 500 words of your story drafted when you enter.

Can an outline count towards those first 500 words that are needed at sign up? We have admitted work on an outline before so yes, if your outline is fleshed out enough to cover a 7,500 word+ fic, we’ll allow it.

Are multi-chapter fics allowed? Yes, multi-chapter fics are allowed and even more so encouraged if your fic is lengthy.

What about fics that are already posted on ao3 in part? Do those qualify for the bang? It's okay if you have posted a few chapters of your fic already (you never know when the muse deserts you, after all), we just require you to refrain from posting more until posting begins here. All we ask is that you not post any public updates to the fic until August 1st (or July 1st with the mod’s okay). We don’t want you to lose kudos and comments so don’t worry about pulling the fic down, just hold off on updates for now.

Is there a minimum word count? 7,500 words for each finished fic, but the sky's the limit, right?

I see that the fic minimum is 7500 words and that published WIPs are acceptable - but what if the WIP I’m considering is already more than 7500 words? Is the expectation to add an additional 7500 to it? No. You can add as much or as little as you need to finish the story, though we do expect at least 1,000 or so new words if your WIP already meets the word count.

What happens if an author finishes the fic they signed up with but it’s less than 7,500 words? The intent was to go over the minimum but once they got into it the story was shorter than they thought and stretching it out would make it less good. Do they have to drop out at that point? By all means, we want your stories to feel as natural as possible, and if it’s under 7,500 words you may have two options:

1 - Drop the fic for the main BB event, post it now, and wait to post it to our AO3 collection in February when we run our International Fanworks Day celebration of finishing fics that are less than 7,500 words when finished. There’s no art for the fic, but bragging rights are posted to the communities for a week.

2 - If there are enough fics that fit that category, we can do a special day of posting the fics, but you’ll have to forgo art for the fic. I, as a mod, would probably pick October 31st for the posting day, as it’s the last day of posting for the bang and I don’t think anyone will mind more than one fic that day. You can post bragging rights to the community and share the fic with everyone.

Is there anything not allowed? As long as you wrote it and you want to finish it, you're welcome to participate. RPS/RPF is fine. Incest pairings are fine. Things like that I know have been hinted at in questions asked and as long as you tag for them, we’ll allow it. Also, canon settings with mostly OCs is allowed. We just ask that it be tagged properly with any content warnings you would deem fit and be given the appropriate rating for the level of sex/violence there is in the fic. As of the 2023 round, original work is also allowed; however, we recommend you bring in your own artist or forgo art for an original work.

I have a fic I wrote a few years ago, but only the first couple chapters are posted on AO3 because I was never happy with the rest of it and knew it needed major revision. Is that something I could use for WIP Big Bang? The entire fic has been posted, but only on one platform, and it would be rewritten for AO3 and WIPBB. I think revising a fic for posting would work, as long as you have at least 500 words done, will have 7,500 words at a minimum when it’s done, and are planning to add more to the fic. Simply rewriting what you have would be a gray area, but if you’re going to take stuff out and add new scenes, either in the old scenes place or on your own, you should be fine.

What's the etiquette around OC-centric stories? Ones that are set in a well known fandom and use several characters, but still lean a lot on original characters? Are they discouraged, or fine? Based on my own personal experience making art for a story that had a heavy OC presence, it’s not something we discourage at all, but be forewarned when it comes to the art accompanying your fic your artist may not be able to incorporate the OCs into your art. Not everyone makes art of a hand-drawn or digitally drawn nature, so it helps if you have people for face claims ahead of art submissions, and you and your artist communicate regularly. You can also end up with art not featuring the OCs at all, just the canon characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Your other options are to bring in an artist you trust with your vision of your OC/make your own art (we do allow that, we just need to be told during the check-in before art that you’re bringing in your own artist if you go that route, or that you’re doing your own art…there will not be a need to sign up in the artist’s sign up, however) or to opt-out of art entirely. So there’s plenty of options to call on when it comes time for art. What are 'check-ins’? These are a way for us to see what you've been up to and for you to make sure you're still on track. It will give you a little nudge/reminder if you need it, but they are not compulsory. Basically a form is posted that you fill out with your user ID (unique for each fic) and a checkbox to let us know you’re still participating, plus a section for any notes for the mods.

How are the check in IDs used? They are solely for the mods organizational purposes. Each ID being for a separate story allows us to keep all the information you submit during check-ins and for snippets in one line on our spreadsheet. You don’t have to share your check in IDs with anyone else if you don’t want to.

How much progress should authors be making between each checkpoint? (Percentage-wise from our estimated total wc, I guess?) Ideally, with each check-in, you should be at least 25% closer to finishing. The end word count only really matters in that the fic needs to be at least 7,500 words when done, so it’s more your progress towards finishing that should be measured, not so much the word count.

What are the snippets requirements? In order to allow the artists to make art for the story they claimed, we require you to supply three snippets from your fic, between 500 – 1500 words each. The snippets will be sent to the artist after they have claimed your story. They're to help the artist match your story for artwork the best way he or she possibly can. It’s helpful to choose scenes or parts of scenes that you feel best represent your fic, but don’t feel like they have to be perfect to be submitted. Along with the snippets, we will send your artist the basic fic info and your email, so the two of you can collaborate more if you would both like.

What are the rough drafts requirements? For the rough drafts, stories should be at least 80% complete. You will not have to turn them in to us, just assure us that you are at that point. Anything less is at the discretion of the mods and those authors should speak to one of the mods asap.

What is, and do I need, a beta? A beta is basically a person who goes over your work to make sure that there are no spelling/grammatical errors and they can even be of assistance in helping you with story lines, etc. It is highly recommended that a beta looks over your work before posting. If you are having trouble finding a beta, try this post.

Where can I post my fic/art? Stories and art can be posted to your own personal journal, Tumblr, ff-net, AO3, or wherever you like. For those of you with AO3 accounts, we will set up a collection that will go live on the day of the posting. If you don’t currently have an AO3 account but would like one, you can contact the mods for an invitation code to see if they have any available. You can also add yourself to the AO3 Invites Request queue.

What does posting look like? Do we have to post the whole thing on the day, or can we stretch it out between when posting starts and our date? I’ve had a few longfics get killed by big bangs forcing posting to happen on a given day, and would prefer to avoid that if possible. For most fics, posting to AO3/FF.net/other places will be allowed to start in August and you can stretch it out as many posts as you want as long as the complete fic is up by your posting date (and posting dates go from August 8th to October 16th with two weeks for emergency posting). However, you can send us an ask/e-mail about posting as early as July if you have an extremely long fic/something with a long posting schedule. Mostly what we want is the fic to be completely up on the website of your choice by your posting date, and I know some people don’t want to overwhelm their readers. So we want to work with writers to give them ample time to post the story up to their posting date.

Now, as for posting to the communities, you get to choose which day your link to the story and bragging rights are posted, and as I said, we have a range of dates from August 8th to October 16th with two to three stories posting a day. If for some reason you miss your posting date, you have until October 31st to post to the community, during the two weeks of emergency posting. So hopefully there should be plenty of time to get a longfic up and posted to the website of your choice and our BB.

Will the three snippets per story we have to send in be the ones we want the artist to make art for? Or can it just be random snippets and then later the artist and I can check together to see which scenes would work best for art? So ideally, you and the artist will be communicating once you’re each sent each other’s contact information, and you’ll give your artist a chance to read all that you’ve written at that point. That’s what happens in most cases. If your fic gets picked by an artist and they don’t work with you, then the snippets you sent will be what the artwork will be based on. It’s a good idea to know that, while most of the time the artists work closely with the authors, there are a few exceptions to that.

How do I know when to post? Posting will be tiered; you'll each get your own posting date that you and your artist will decide on together. There will probably be three fics, plus art, posting per day between August 8th and October 31st. The post with date claims will go up on July 23rd and you'll have to choose your date by August 1st.

Posting of chapters on AO3 or your own blog (or wherever you usually post) generally starts August 1st, but you can post earlier (as early as July 1st) if you let us know you have a long story. However, posting has to be finished by your chosen posting date to the comm. One of the things we're hoping to do with the posted dates is to give everybody on the comm a little bragging time in the spotlight. You know, "this story was incomplete for this long, but I finished this sucker." If you don't have time to post your bragging rights to the communities on your chosen posting date, you can queue up a post ahead of time and we can post it on the date you picked or you can email us your bragging rights and we can post by proxy for you. Either way works for us. Art will be due on the chosen posting date to the comm.

What am I posting to the Dreamwidth/Tumblr community if I’m posting the fic elsewhere? You’ll be posting what we call bragging rights. It’s a small form you fill out and post to the community with a link to your fic (we’ll enable moderated posting to the Tumblr and Dreamwidth communities for members on August 8th). We will post a template for posting artwork and stories to the comm closer to the posting date.

Is there a minimum/maximum requirement for my art? There is no strict minimum, but we do ask artists to remember that the authors are writing a minimum of 7,500 words and your artwork should reflect that. You can do anything you like, including banners, wallpapers, icons, mixes, vids, gif sets, picspams, etc. Suggested guidelines for art are 500x500px (or equivalent of smaller pieces like banner + spacers, cover + icons, etc.) for traditional art, digital art, and manips; 2 minutes for vids; 10 songs + cover art for mixes; and 6 images for gif sets and picspams. We also ask that when you are in contact with the author, you work with them to see if there is anything specific they would like (i.e. a wallpaper, book cover, etc.). The art is your work, but having ideas doesn't hurt!

What are 'art claims'? The claims are when anonymous summaries of the story go up for artists to choose from. Artists sign-ups and art claims are the same thing; we use one form for both things, and that way the authors don’t have to sign up for an event they may not end up participating in. It is based on a 'first come, first served' basis and artists may choose up to three potential stories (in case their first choice is unavailable). If there are more stories than artists, there will be a second round of claims wherein artists may choose a second story to work with, and on and on until all stories are claimed for art.

If a fic up for claiming is rated explicit (R, NC-17, etc.), please only claim the story if you are over 18 years of age. Some authors may be uncomfortable working with underage artists on explicit works. We do not verify ages in any way for the bang, so this is solely on the honor system.

What do I do if I have problems or concerns about my author/artist? Sometimes authors and artists do not get along and this may cause problems with working together. If this happens to be the case with you, please email the mods and we will try to do what we can so that everyone has a chance to have fun at WIP Big Bang!

If you have not heard from your author/artist in some time after trying to contact them, you can reach out to us via email and we will try to get in touch with them for you.

Can I get an extension? Community extensions may be given in the event that the majority of the authors/artists need one. They may also be given individually under certain circumstances, but this must be discussed with the mods and will only be a short extension for posting. If you are certain that you won’t be able to finish your story in time, please let us know by June 13th.

Can I swap out a fic if my muse abandons it again? When you sign up, you give us the information on the potential fic(s) you want to write. If, say, one fic isn’t working but one you didn’t sign up for is, you can switch them out while letting the mods know if you need to change a user ID you used. It is absolutely okay to switch fics all the way up until snippets are due. By then, we hope you’ll have however many fics you plan on doing to at least 80% completion since rough drafts are due not much later. Just drop an email to the mods at [email protected] with the new information (title, fandom, etc) and if you want a new sign in ID or plan to use the same one for the fic you’re replacing it with.

Can I drop out? We have high hopes that everybody who signs up can actually finish the round and share in the joy of the reveal with us, but real life can unfortunately get in the way and we completely understand! If you feel like you just cannot finish in time and no amount of assistance from us can help you, just let us know by July 13th (if at all possible).

Is it possible to be banned? We do have a banned users list. We hope to use this to encourage participants who are having issues to communicate with the mods. We want to help you! The way the ban works is that participants, either authors and artists, will be banned for dropping out without notifying a mod. This means that anyone who has not posted or talked to a mod by the time the posting period ends will be banned. Dropping out is not in and of itself a banning offense, so please do not panic if you have to drop out! We understand that there are many reasons you may need to drop, and we want to work with you.

Bans will last one round or until the issue is resolved, whichever comes first. To resolve a ban, authors will have to finish and post the story they signed up with and artists will have to finish and post the art for the story they claimed. Three bans will result in a permanent ban from the bang.

Are we allowed to participate without joining the Discord? Absolutely! The Discord server is optional, as just another way to interact with your fellow writers and get updates on important dates. It’s not mandatory you join, however.

I was just wondering if there’s any way to enter the bang anonymously? Like would it be okay to put our work in an anonymous collection on ao3 or something? Unfortunately, I can’t think of a way for that to work. The collection that we use is moderated but it’s not anonymous, and there are the bragging posts that you post on your posting day, which you would have your username on whichever platform you use.

I was just wondering whether I'm sworn to secrecy on which fics I'll be finishing up, or if I can shout it out to the world? No one is sworn to secrecy once they’ve signed up (aside from posting new parts to fic that’s already up somewhere…we ask that you refrain from doing that until at least July 1st)! We will be running Word Wars, where you can add more to a fic in a certain amount of time, and Whine Bars, where you can complain or ask for help or whatever else you feel like talking about when it comes to struggling with a fic, all after sign-ups end on a weekly basis, plus there’s the Discord server for chatting with your fellow authors and artists.

I have a question/concern that’s not mentioned here. If you need help, you can always contact a mod and we will do our best to make sure that you get your story/art finished. The best and fastest method of contact is through our email, [email protected].

#wip big bang #wipbb #wipbb2023 #work in progress #fandom event #signal boost #faq #schedule

[deep-space-lines]

Literally I don't understand how the Ultrakill devs managed to make a game with a pretty bare minimum in plot/dialogue/characters and have it be the queerest-feeling piece of mainstream media I've consumed in what feels like forever

Like my other favorite video game ever is Mass Effect, and when I play the Mass Effect trilogy, games with plenty of gay romance and gay sex in it if you seek it out (don't get me wrong, it has its ups and downs with queer rep overall but overall I would consider it Pretty Good in the gay/lesbian/bi rep category) I'm like 'yaaay gay people :)))' and it makes me happy. None of the wlw romance options really appeal to me personally (though Garrus is a queer romance option to me bc you're banging an alien, no I will not elaborate) but it's like, a nice view of the future where homophobia doesn't exist and you can just be in lesbians with a blue not-really-woman and it's not a big deal. And I really love that! Makes me happy!

But then I play Ultrakill, which technically has 0 gay sex or romance in it (that we see. and even that could be argued but that's not the point here), and start emotionally foaming at the fucking mouth throwing up. Like both are Really Good but Something about Ultrakill just resonates so viscerally with me I think it altered my brain chemistry. I don't know what they put in this game that made it hit the exact resonant frequency of some queer freak part of my brain but it fuckin' did something. It just blows my mind how much Ultrakill managed to make me feel with (comparatively) so little compared to other media I enjoy (Mass Effect, Star Trek, etc). I got this game like 3 weeks ago thinking it would just be a fun shooter game where I play as a silly little robot guy, and instead since then I've made more art inspired by it in a shorter time than like? Anything I've ever played/watched/read before?? Did they put gay cocaine in here??????????

(I don't say this in an attempt to pit them against each other or even really compare them btw Mass Effect is still one of my absolute favorite games of all time and they're completely different genres with a completely different ethos behind their worldbuilding and character development)

But like. What the fuck. I don't know how I would explain to someone like my mother that whatever Ultrakill has going on feels gayer to me than like actual gay porn bc I feel like it makes me sound insane but also I'm right

#ultrakill #all i post on here is stupid art and 5 page essays #but like seriously what the fuck. someone tell me im not crazy and its not just me

[petite-madame]

Hey queen! Love your art and have been a fan for a while now.

Just a question out of curiosity: do you do art pieces/“fanarts” for fanfictions? Like, not under commissions because I see you don’t have them open atm, but for bangs or other things. And beside bangs etc, under what circumstances do you draw for fics? I’m just curious because I’ve fallen in love with your art in the life of Bucky Barnes, but I’m not really informed on whether you write your fics and draw for them too or not, or if people base their fics on your art and you just partner up with them.

Your art is kind of like my jam at the moment and I’m looking for as many stories with your art as possible.

Thanks if you’ll answer!

Hi anon ^^

Thank you so much for enjoying my art and for taking the time to contact me, it's very kind of you. 💗

Do you do art pieces/“fanarts” for fanfictions?

Oh yes, I did, tons of them! I used to collaborate A LOT between 2009 and 2015 but then :

I started The Life of Bucky Barnes in 2014, so less time for bangs, as The LoBB was extremely time-consuming

I had big health problem between 2014-2019 so less energy to do bangs (I was afraid to let authors down and not being ready for the deadline so I stopped signing up)

Everything was happening on Live Journal, I found it easy and convenient but when things started to move to Tumblr and that the sign ups + "fic grabbing" system changed (like Google drive forms and whatnot), my old ass dropped bangs entirely. My age is showing. 🤓

Anyway! If you are interested in all the collaborations I did, you'll find everything you need in THIS POST (fics + illustrations). You'll also find a download link to a big PDF with all the illustrations I did for fics from 2010 to 2017 (well, not all of them to be honest because I used to have a NSFW Live Journal account that I also used for bangs but I closed it eventually, same for my NSFW Tumblr account after the great debacle of 2017)

It's a bit different but I can also link you to THIS POST that gathers all the fics inspired by my art (I'm so grateful, you have no idea 🥳)

Under what circumstances do you draw for fics?

Two circonstances:

I sign up for a bang (because I love the ship or the theme of the bang), I see a summary that I like, I grab it and then I illustrate the fic. It can also be the other way around when it's for Reverse Bang for instance: I draw an artwork and an author grabs my art.

I collaborate with friends, fic authors that I met after years in the same fandom even if I must admit I haven't done it in ages.

I hope I answered your questions! Thanks again and have a great week🥰

#pmasks

[steddiebang2024]

⚓️ Steddie Bang Questions Round-Up: March 15 - March 30 🦇

Hey everyone!

First of all, we want to thank you so much for your interest in the 2024 Steddie Big Bang. We're blown away with how many talented authors and artists decided to join us on this round and can't wait to see everything you create over the next few months. 

We know not all of you chose to join our Discord server, so we’ve decided to make a round-up post of the questions that we're asked on the server to ensure everyone sees it. If you have a question about the event, just hit us up anywhere you'd like and we'll be more than happy to help you.

If you decide to join our discord server at a later date, that's fine. Just message or email us and we'll get you a new link! 

We also sent out a form this week asking for your feedback on Artist Claims to help us make an informed decision about the best way to structure them. We’ve answered some of the questions gathered from that form below as well.

Artist Claims Questions & Feedback Survey

We recognize that artist claims were very stressful last year and while claims can always be a little bit stressful, we want to make the process as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

Currently, we are entertaining the idea of doing a mixed Artist Claims process in which artists can decide whether they would like to claim a fic in the traditional way, or if they would like to be assigned a fic. If we were to include this option, traditional claims would occur as per usual. Artists who choose to claim will claim fics from slides on a first-come, first-serve basis and we would then assign remaining fics at the end of each round.

For those interested in being assigned fics, we would ask for either a list of top choices or for artists’ preferences (TBD) and pair accordingly. Nothing would be assigned randomly, as we want to ensure that pairings make sense and that everyone is excited about the projects they’re working on!

At this point, this is just an idea. We sent out the survey to determine how many participants would be interested in the additional assignment option.

We're also aware that having the claims process be a live event might be fun for some and stressful for others. Based on feedback, it’s clear that there’s a lot of unnecessary stress, negative feelings related to being the last project chosen, etc. with live claims so we will not be having live claims updates for authors.

Artists will be able to see what projects were claimed/assigned by the end of each round so that they can make their next choices if they so desire, but we want to help minimize as much stress and pressure on authors as possible.

While we still cannot guarantee that all projects will be matched with an artist, we feel confident that the odds are very good of everyone being paired based on our sign-up numbers.

Questions about the bang in general:

Q: If our fic gets picked, are we still allowed to make art for it ourselves?

A: You are more than welcome to make art for your bang fic in addition to whatever art your partner makes!

Q: How many fics are authors allowed to submit to the bang? 

A: We ask that authors stick to one fic for this bang, which is typical of most big bangs. 

We have the cap in place partly to ensure that there are only a certain number of projects during the posting season to minimize the chances of fics falling through the cracks because of too many posting at once. We also don’t want anyone to accidentally overcommit and burn themselves out!

Q: What happens if two or more authors have the same moderately specific idea? a hypothetical example, if someone else is writing a seinfeld au and I had the same idea, should i scrap what I've got and try to work toward something else?

A: There's nothing wrong with writing ideas that are similar and God knows that with a fandom this big, there's a lot of that! But we know that every one of you will have a personal spin to add to the idea, so just go for it! 

Q: Will the event have a tag on Ao3 like the big bang last year had? I find it easier to look for the works once the posting period starts.

A: There will be an Ao3 tag along with a collection for the bang. Additional posting information, including tags, collections, etc. will come closer to posting season! 

#steddiebang24 #steddie big bang #mods talk #questions round up

[bmc-bigbang]

reblog this post if you'd be interested in a bmc big bang

forever ago we had a couple big bangs and then it fizzled out so. i'm wondering if we would still have enough interest to run another one ! a big bang is a fandom event where authors write fics (10k word minimum over about 6 months) and then get paired with artists who create artworks (can be a playlist, graphic, banner, edit, video, etc) for their fic, and then it all gets posted in, like, a one week period. hopefully it would push new longfic & art into the fandom and kinda bring people together !

you can write for any pairing, but there would be no rpf, incest, squip ships, or sexually explicit scenes with underage characters. i've uhh never done one of these before personally but you can look at @bmcrbb to see what the old ones were like. and my main is @pumakittycat if you're wondering who tf i am. this post is just to gauge interest ! you can message me with any questions or suggestions and uh. i'll open proper signups if i think enough people are interested

#bmc #be more chill #boyf riends #stagedorks #pinkberry #richjake #expensive headphones #tbh not expecting a tooooon of interest but uh. i'd participate. so #and since bmcblr is getting some ground uh. is there a better time to ask

[mock-arts]

Vagueblogging a little, but this sucks actually. Apologies for my disorganized thoughts. I’m not much of a writer.

I get that they were hurting, but I feel like they didn’t consider the people they collaborated with at all. I only lost one piece, but I know I’m not the only one. I had a podficcer tell me they were having panic attacks not knowing if they’d be asked to take down all their work podficcing this author, following this.

Like a heads up at least :/

I’ve been taking a few days to process this since I’ve had a lot else going on. Since I saw this, I have gotten a massage, watered my plants, touched some grass, pondered over my feelings a few separate times. It still sucks.

I love the Big Bang format, but I do feel like you encounter an attitude that the author’s work is the only component that matters sometimes.

I’ve had a lot of my art orphaned as authors pull their bang fics down, or fail to produce them at all — which, you know, is their right. My art was also posted separately on ao3 typically, and I don’t consider the effort wasted, because I love the process of collaboration, and I think it pushes me to make art in ways I wouldn’t think of myself.

But this is the first time I’ve had an author pull down something that, frankly, they were pretty minimally involved in. It contained a paragraph of their work, read by a podficcer, along with some animation (my first real go at animation in 10ish years! It was only six frames), some sound fx, etc.

I didn’t think we were pals or anything. I only worked with them the once, and I’m always cautious of putting an emotional burden on people that are getting a lot of attention, positive and negative, by acting like we’re friends. But I did enjoy working with them and thought there was some level of mutual respect as creators.

This piece is still on tumblr, and me and the other collaborators still have it where it was hosted from to post to ao3, but this was not a great thing to wake up to last week. It’s not that I was really attached to this piece, or even to the comments on the piece. For me it’s more the… social aspect I guess? Not so for everyone, I’ve had a few people tell me that this makes them want to never use the collaboration feature on ao3, if somebody could just hit “delete all” and never even consider the effect on the other co-authors. I love collaborating, and I don’t think I would do anything differently than what I did in the future.

It’s just still a little hurtful.

That all said, I hope they’re okay, or on the way to being okay.

#idk idk #this is part frustration with the Big Bang format — which I love — and author entitlement around them #which I don’t think really was the issue here #they were great at the time of collaboration #which I can’t say for everyone and that includes us plebes #and part frustration with bnfs I guess #and the impression that wow i and the other people that were affected by this were just not on your radar at all #just ants to you huh #I’m more melancholy than upset #I’ll likely delete this in a few days after reblogging to my personal #this blog is meant to be more of a straightforward gallery #but I wanted to say something :/

[tss-storytime]

2024 TSS Storytime Big Bang FAQ

If you’re already familiar with the Big Bang, jump down to the Word Count and Communication and Check-ins sections for this year’s changes.

The Basics of the Bang

What is a Big Bang?

A Big Bang is a challenge that encourages writers to create long stories (25k minimum) within a certain time frame and artists to create works to pair with those stories. Basically, the fandom gets a lot of long stories and awesome art all at the same time! Every writer gets fanart, every artist gets inspiration, and everyone gets to enjoy the final product. 

Is this Big Bang limited to a certain pairing, genre, or rating?

No. Most ships (except incest) and gen stories are welcome. Likewise, AUs, crossovers and fusions, all genres and all ratings are also welcome, including NSFW fic and art.

Only adults (18 or older) may work on M+ or unrated works. NSFW works must be clearly indicated as such so that no one ends up partnered with someone whose work will make them uncomfortable) So long as the primary focus of your story is Thomas Sanders and/or the Sanders Sides, you are good to go!

How do I sign up? Will there be an email or a message so that I’ll know that I’ve actually gotten through?

You can sign up via the Google Form linked at the bottom of the pinned post! It’s via google forms so you should receive a confirmation message on the site once you hit submit. We’ll also post a list of everyone who has signed up about a week before sign-ups close.

Roles

I am both a writer and an artist, would I be able to sign up for both or should I just sign up for the one I’m more interested in? 

You can absolutely sign up for both if you think you can finish both! You can even sign up for more than one story as a writer if you think you can finish more than one.

Can I sign up as both an artist and a beta? 

Absolutely! You can sign up for all three things if you think you can manage them!

I want to participate but am not a writer or an artist. What can I do?

Please consider signing up as a beta or offering to cheerlead creators you follow. Writers and artists need and appreciate all the support they can get!

Writing Requirements

What’s the minimum word count? (Updated for 2024)

25,000 words.

This is a six-month challenge, from Feb 1st to August 1st, and you should use all the time available to you. So start writing as soon as you sign up, and make the most of all the time you have!

Writers must have a minimum of 1k words by April 1st. We recommend writers have at least 5k by the time artists begin to sign up in May.

Can I write more than one story?

You may, but please note that the deadlines and word counts hold for each story you submit.

Does my story have to be completed by the end of the Big Bang? Is it okay if I get past the 25k mark but by the time August rolls around it’s still going?

The story you upload in August should be complete on its own. You can definitely write a sequel and continue to explore the characters and the setting in future stories, but the one uploaded for the challenge should have a beginning, middle, and end and have its main plot threads resolved.

I’ve started a fic that I’d like to turn into a submission. Can I do that?

All works should be created specifically for this challenge. However, if you are working on a prequel/sequel piece to something you have already written, that is acceptable, as long as you link to the piece it comes before/after in your submission and it can be read and understood on its own. 

That said, so long as you have not posted any of your fic, you may use it for the challenge (this means don’t post chapters or large portions on your tumblr/AO3/etc. until your posting date. You can use your usual feedback methods so long as it’s not open to people you’re not personally conversing with).

Can the work be chaptered, or does it necessarily have to be a very very long oneshot?

We strongly recommend you chapter your work, however you will not be disqualified if you prefer to keep it as a oneshot. Be sure to meet the word minimum and have the fic complete and posted in its entirety by your posting date.

Does the work need to be a 25k words chaptered story or can it be several short stories set in the same universe following a loose timeline? Or just oneshots unrelated to each other but with something in common for each one shot? 

It should, if possible, be one story. Several snapshots from the same universe that have a unifying theme and follow a timeline would qualify under that—it’s all part of the same life story - but unrelated oneshots would not.

Does my story have to be beta read?

It’s highly encouraged, but not a necessity. However, there will be a list of betas you can ask to beta your fic and we will include any beta readers you are working with in your team channel on the event Discord server.

Art Requirements

I’m an artist, not a writer. How do I participate?

In May, artists will get to choose among anonymous summaries the writers submit. They will be posted about halfway through the challenge and artists will be given time to read through these and submit their top three choices. Once they have their assignment, they should work with their writer so that the finished product is something they both love.

Does the art for the project have to be digital or regular? And how massive of a piece is it?

The piece of art does not have to be digital or traditional - so long as you can get traditional art scanned, you can definitely use pencil/pens/markers/paint/etc.

As for how massive, you should expect to do one or more illustrations for the story you end up with. If you’re creating a large full color painting - either digital or traditional - you’d only really be expected to do one. If you’re going to create uncolored lineart, maybe two or three, etc.

The art should be commensurate with the level of effort the writer is putting into the event.

You’ll also be working with your writer directly, so you can coordinate with them once you’ve been assigned to each other to see what will work best for both of you!

What exactly do they make for the story? Can it be anything, like for example a comic of a scene in the story, or like a ‘cover art’ for the fic? 

Basically, yes. You’ll work directly with your writer, as they’ll need to give you access to their rough draft and plans so you can gain inspiration, so the two of you can work together to see what would fit best and is most exciting for both of you. But you can do any of those things. A comic, cover art, a single scene illustration, chapter headings, character portraits, whatever most inspires you and moves you!

The artist sign-ups are for drawings, paintings, and likely more if you can make a convincing argument to us and your writer! Writers are also indicating if there’s any kind of art they don’t want to receive you can be certain the person you’re paired with is more than happy to get your type of art for their story!

Beta

Are beta readers assigned to writers, or would the writer have to reach out to them? 

There will be a list of people who offered to beta with details of their preferences so you can contact them directly or ask for someone in the discord. If you’re having trouble finding someone, you can reach out to us and we’ll do our best to match you. However, we do want to avoid matching up everyone individually.

Do beta readers work exclusively with one writer or are they expected to beta multiple works if multiple writers reach out to them? 

That’s up to the individual beta! If you wish to work with only one person, you can let us know once you have arranged things with them and we’ll take you off the list. If you wish to work with multiple people, you can do that, too. Just remember not to stretch yourself too thin!

Can we have our friends edit and look at our story if they are not a part of the Big Bang? 

Absolutely! You can use any beta/editor/cheerleader you’d like. Just be sure the story itself isn’t up for general viewing until your posting date. But someone doesn’t have to sign up to be an event beta to help you edit. The beta sign-ups are to help writers who don’t already have someone to look over their work. It’s also a great way to make new friends :D

Communication and Check-ins

Communication: Discord and Tumblr

All announcements will be made on Discord first. We will cross post to Tumblr, but Discord is the place to be for the latest information. After you have signed up as a writer, artist, beta readers, or a pinch-hitter, you’ll get the link to the Discord.

We ask that all participants join the event Discord server.

What does check-in mean?

Since the sign-up period is quite long, there will be regular check-ins to be sure anyone who signed up way back on Feb 1st both still remembers signing up and is still interested in participating. This is a long challenge and people do move fandoms/have life things happen.

What if I’m not available/busy during a check-in?

With the exception of the minimum 1k word count in April and the 5k word count by the end of artist sign-ups, you don’t have to have a particular amount done by a check-in. It’s simply to let us know you’re still working on it. We’ll also create a post and send out messages/asks about a week before the check-in date as a reminder—both on tumblr and on discord - so as long as you’ll be able to shoot a quick “yes, still working!”, you’re good! 

You can also check in early, it’ll be done in the same manner as the sign up—via google forms that are posted about a week in advance of when the check-in is due.

Collaboration

What if there was an uneven number of participants like 40 artists signed up but 80 writers. What would happen then? 

Initially there will be more writers signed up than artists but by the second check-in some of those writers will duck out (quack) which usually evens things out a bit.

That said, in some years, several artists have volunteered to create art for more than one story, and we will put out requests for more if it’s incredibly unbalanced. There will also be pinch hitters to jump in in case we need to replace an artist later into the event.

Alternatively, if we have many more artists than writers, multiple artists will be assigned to the same story. No matter what, every writer who finishes will receive art!

What’s a pinch hitter? 

An angel. 😇

Someone who is willing to jump in to create something they otherwise wouldn’t have because someone else backed out. In a Secret Santa, these will usually be people willing to write a story if one of the participants doesn’t, for example. In this case, we will likely ask for people who would be willing to be ready to jump in as artists if a writer’s partner isn’t going to finish, or disappears, or something like that. Hopefully they won’t be needed, but their willingness to step up makes a challenge of any kind run much more smoothly!

How much should you share with your partner?

You’ll share your draft with your artist and your beta reader, but not with anyone else. You should be ready to show them everything you have once they get assigned to you, and to send them updates—that way they’ll be able to gain inspiration from all parts of the story. Many teams use Google Docs and Drive to make it easier to collaborate.

In May, we’ll post the summaries writers supply for the artists to choose among, but those should just be two or three paragraphs at most, basically what you’d read on the back of a book to get you to buy it.

Is a title required for the summaries that will get posted for the artists?

Nope! If you have one, it will be posted with the summary, but no worries if you don’t - and no worries if it changes between then and posting!

Posting

How will the works be posted? 

There will be a schedule for the month of august for when which works will be posted so that all works are spread out and get the attention they deserve without overwhelming people. Works can be posted on AO3, on your own tumblr, or wherever you feel most comfortable. The work should be posted in full somewhere. If it’s on tumblr, just @ this blog on your post(s) so we can reblog it here, if it’s exclusively somewhere else just @ this blog on the post with the link.

Can you post all of your fic on one site, but post it at different dates for another? For example, could I post the whole thing on AO3, but then post daily chapters on Tumblr?

Sure! As long as the full fic is available online on your posting date and not before, you can post it in another place however you like!

As writers, are we allowed to post teasers of our stories on our blogs to let our followers know what we’re working on, or do we have to hold all the content until the very end? 

So long as it’s just a teaser and doesn’t go up until after the summaries have been claimed and artists assigned, yes. Summary claiming is anonymous to be sure everyone’s story gets the same chance among all the artists so please don’t indicate which summaries is yours/what you’re working on in detail before that publicly.

#sanders sides #tss storytime 2024 #tss storytime #thomas sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #remus sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #janus sanders #ts roman #ts remus #ts janus #ts logan #ts patton #ts virgil

[simplysnowbarry]

MARK YOUR CALENDARS ❄️⚡

Big thanks to everyone who voted in our poll recently. We can now announce that Snowbarry Week 2023 - our final full-length Snowbarry Week - will run from Monday December 4th to Sunday December 10th this year!

We’ve chosen the prompts from those submitted to us so as to speed the process along and give everyone plenty of time to create. And we’ve also got extras for artists, as well as a few song prompts.

prompts:

day 1, Mon Dec 4th - First + Last Time

day 2, Tues Dec 5th - Innovation

day 3, Weds Dec 6th - Reconnecting

day 4, Thurs Dec 7th - FREE DAY + any past prompts

day 5, Fri Dec 8th - Fantasy / Fairytale

day 6, Sat Dec 9th - "Just a normal day"

day 7, Sun Dec 10th - Post-canon / Future AUs

extras for artists:

silver and gold

hues of red and/or blue

song prompts:

The Script - No Good In Goodbye

Picture This - Take My Hand

The Heydaze - New Religion

Posting guidelines will be posted closer to the date. We hope to see you all in December, and in the mean time, HAPPY CREATING!

(!) F.A.Q

Who can participate in Snowbarry Week?

ANYONE! Writers, giffers, manip-ers (?), fan artists smol and toll. We welcome fan fiction, gifsets, manips, fanart, fanmixes, …

Can days be combined?

YES! Reconnecting with future AU? Or innovation and fairytale? All joking aside, you can combine whichever prompts you’d like.

Can I create work for both the artists prompts and the writer prompts?

ABSOLUTELY YES!

Can I use the artists prompts for a fic, or the writer prompts for art work?

GO CRAZY!

If I want to contribute something do I have to do something for every day?

Not at all. You’re free to commit to a single day, and we will be so flipping excited to see it. The point is just to have fun with the prompts, even if it’s just the one.

Can I post a WIP that I started working on before that fits a Snowbarry Week theme?

Yes, of course! We’re not a Big Bang, or even a Mini Bang, we don’t require art or fic to have been created from scratch for exactly this week.

I’m going to be busy/out of town during Snowbarry Week. Can I post early/late?

We’d really like to avoid early posting. If you’re out of town or too busy the week itself you can always schedule posts for the correct dates.

Posting late shouldn’t be a problem. Posting Day 1 on Day 3 is also perfectly fine, just make sure we can tell which day you’re posting for, so our heads don’t start spinning.

What does free day mean?

Basically, free day is where you decide what prompt you want to do something with. As long as it’s Snowbarry (or one of its variations like Savifrost, Flashfrost, etc), you’re okay to do whatever you want. A free day in the middle of the week might also provide some much needed breathing space for all the contributors.

Also, the same as last year, our free day now doubles as an opportunity to create for any of our past prompts! If there was a prompt you didn’t manage to finish something for, or just always liked the sound of doing but missed the opportunity, we’d love to see that for this day to have a fun revival of some of the great prompts from past events.

What does [insert theme] mean?

Oh man, this is a hard one to answer. Reconnecting could be about Barry and Caitlin getting to know each other after falling out, or after drifting apart, but it could also be about reconnecting with other things in their life or even as literal as reconnecting cables on some tech as part of an action plot! We can’t tell you which roles to cast your characters in, because everyone has different interpretations. If you can justify the connection, we’re pretty sure you’re good.

Does my idea fit the theme?

Like we said above, if you can justify it, we’re pretty sure you’re good. If you’re really not sure, hit us up!

If there are more questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us an ask. Any questions you don’t want published, feel free to come off anon and ask us as well - we promise we won’t publish what you’re not comfortable with, just let us know if you want it answered privately.

#snowbarry #simplysnowbarry #snowbarryweek #challenge #snowbarryweek23

[theuhurabang]

The Uhura Bang Schedule 2023

The Uhura Bang 2023 Full Schedule

16th May-16th June: Creator Sign-Ups. 

(Solo creator sign-ups can continue until as late as August)

16th June: primary creator sign ups close.

23rd June: First Primary Creator Check-in:

Primary Authors should have a fic description in mind, and decide if they are doing a fic, ficlet, etc.

Primary Artists should be aware that they will need at least a sketch which they can present for match-ups.

Solo Creators should have a work description in mind, and should present any written/drawn material to the mods at this stage.

Primary Creators may choose to change their role at this stage, but the 7th of July is the absolute latest in which you can drop out, or change your role. If you want to change your role, please email a mod [email protected] as soon as possible.

23rd June: First Secondary Creator Check-In: (Pre-Match-Up Check-in): Participants must tell mods any special considerations they require for match-ups.

1st July: Second Primary Creator Check-In (Pre-Match-Up Info)

Primary Authors, Primary Artists: Submit drafts/summaries/sketches for Match-Ups!

1st July: Secondary creators to submit their first/second/third choices for match-ups.

7th July: Deadline for submitting match-ups

16th July: Creator match-ups and teams announced

23rd July: (Optional) team check-in: Participants should contact us if there are any problems with their teammates.

30th July: First Team Check-In Due

Primary Authors must have a rough idea of final word count.

Secondary Authors should decide if they are writing a fic, one-shot, drabble, ficlet or poem (etc.), and have an idea of word count. Authors who are writing a full fic should submit a description or outline.

Primary Artists do not need to fill in this check-in, but may submit any other materials they have if they wish

Secondary Artists should describe any drawing ideas they have, or submit sketches.

24th August: Second Team Check-In:

Primary Authors must submit a rough draft which is at least 50% complete.

Primary Artists may upload images, but it is not compulsory.

Secondary Authors must have an outline

Secondary Artists should provide sketches.

30th of August: Second Solo Creator Check-In. Written works should be 50% complete. Illustrations should have at least an outline/rough sketch.

September: Teams should begin to discuss when they want to post for posting week.

16th of September: Third Team Check-In:

Primary and secondary Author drafts should be 75% complete & have no missing scenes [these can be listed on your outline in bullet-point form]

Artists should provide sketches

September 22nd: ALL creators submit posting availability, preferences.

September 30th: Posting schedule is made public

October 1st: Posting begins

October 22nd or sooner: Posting ends

What is the Uhura Bang?

The Uhura Bang is a combination big bang and reverse big-bang event focused on creativity, teamwork and communication. The only rule is that your work must prominently feature Uhura, and there are no word limits or minimums. Your work can be whatever length or genre you choose.

You should be 13+ to sign up. Creators who are under 18, or do not disclose their age, will only be assigned fics rated gen or teen-and-up.

Secondary Artists must complete at least one full illustration, either digital or traditional art.

Solo creators may submit photomanips or collages if they wish.

Past Entries The Uhura Bang 2021 Sign Up for The Uhura Bang 2023

#the uhura bang #the uhura bang 2023 #the uhura bang 2023 schedule #fandom event #nyota uhura #uhura

[random-nerd-posts]

Please share for more inputs and impact!

Description of each option is listed under the cut:

Big Bang: A Big Bang is a specific type of challenge involving long fics and accompanying artwork. This type of challenge is a reprise of the old zine tradition of collaboration between artists and writers for internet fandoms. Most Big Bangs have a similar format: Writers sign up and begin writing stories. When the early drafts of the stories are available, each one is assigned one or more artists, or artists might claim stories from posted summaries. Artists create fanart to go along with the story. This art can take the form of illustrations, manips, photo collages, vids, icon sets, etc.

Reverse Big Bang: Similar to a Big Bang, but Artists make medias that work with a story idea and when they are in the early drafts, they are assigned to one or more writer, or the writers might claim the story plots and work with the artist to create a story. The art media is the same for both formats of a Big Bang

Themed Week: Think of Whump/Ink/Flufftober events, but instead of one month/only art, there are prompts for a week selected for the event. An example of this is @nimona-week's setup/prompt list here.

#hazbin hotel #helluva boss

[events-in-the-velvet-room]

Author Guessing Post!

So for our first annual New Years Community Prompts, we had 6 lovely contributors!

NextTrickAnvils ( @nexttrickanvils )

Ravenoftheskyes ( @ravenoftheskyes )

Oceantoast ( @ocean--toast )

marshie_marshmallow ( @purplespacefairy )

shadow_reader (I don't know your tumblr, please send an ask or DM me so I can add you if you want)

a_salty_alto ( @yusuke-of-valla ) (aka me)

They contributed 11 wonderful works!

All I Want For Christmas is Yu

Nanako wants nothing more than to see her big bro come home for Christmas. But unfortunately, that’s not happening.

But maybe the magic of Christmas can help…?

Countdown

Happy New Years from Toshiro and Takuto!

Cracks in the Stained Glass

Yusuke finds himself in Ueno, staring at that genuinely bright portrait being subjected to the harsh artificial brightness of the spotlight. It feels so hollow here, surrounded by other works of art and gawked at from afar rather than being the quiet fireplace it had been in LeBlanc. Yusuke wonders how long it had been there without him thinking anything more of it than the pedestrians stopping and passingly mentioning its beauty before moving on.

How easily he had fallen into the same blind contentment as Eve. Allowing Maruki to guide his thoughts as far back as October, easing him into the idea that he could be happy being so divorced from the art that inspired his career path like this

glory and gore

The Metaverse is amazing. She can move just as well as- no, even better than Kasumi. Feats that no human could ever actually pull off are possible in this world. She has power running through her veins and she can do anything.

And it’s the one thing that Kasumi doesn’t have.

A Leg Up

The Metaverse starts taking a toll on Ryuji’s leg.

make me feel something

Toshiro meets a strange man at a bar

Oh Captain, My Captain

Toshiro gets bullied into confessing his love for Eri by a 19 year old boy he met two minutes ago.

Operation: First Date

Yosuke wants to ask Labrys out on a date, there were just a couple hurdles for him to get through.

Really bad day in Mementos

A day where things go very, very poorly for the Phantom Thieves.

Prompt:

Characters getting afflicted with some of the weirder SMT status conditions such as Vamp, High, Drunk, Guilt, puppet, etc.

Red Alert!

Rise finally hits the button.

Self (in Approximation to Others)

All she’s ever wanted is to be loved the way that Kasumi has been. The way that’s been afforded to her for just existing in a way that Sumire was never good enough for. Not even good enough, just never enough to deserve.

“I know I don’t say it enough but that’s one of the reasons that I love you, Sumire.”

Her red bangs fall in front of her face and her glasses clang on the tile when she lowers her chin. Her jaw tightens and her hands ball into fists. She thinks she hears Akechi but she can’t understand a thing that he says. “Shut up.”

If you still want to have some fun, you can guess in the comments and tags of this post who contributed what!

Ground rules:

No guessing on the fics themselves, because it'll be awkward if you're wrong.

Be polite! If you don't have anything nice to say, you don't have to say anything at all!

If you can, comment on the fics themselves! They turned out great!

If you don't want to comment, share this post so others can see everyone's hard work

Authors will be revealed next week, so let's start off the year with some fun! Good luck!

#new years community prompts #persona series #persona fic #author guessing post #for the record you get nothing but the satisfaction of being correct if you guess it

[duke-thomas-stan-blog]

I feel like we’re in a duke drought rn 😭 any advice on how to make it through?

i know 😭 duke tag has basically No duke every time i check it to queue something. and hes already neglected in DC comics. heres what we can all do to help this drought:

Make posts!! go read a comic and make some comments, observations, or jokes on tumblr.com. go make some art of your favourite moment, or just a character design of him, or anything! any effort counts, low effort memes or gorgeous art and everything in between

Write fic!!! this is in addition to the above, but we could always use more duke-centric fics! post a link on tumblr too- heck, tag me in it & ill reblog it

On that note, go re-read your favourite duke fics and give them a comment! fics authors love comments, dont feel shy if the fic is like 3 years old or whatever, comment!!!!! and also go read new duke fics but i assume you already do that if youre here

Go dig up your favourite duke posts (ive reblogged a lot if you feel like going through my archive) and reblog them again! spread the word!

send an ask to your favourite duke blogs and get a discussion going! we're always open to discussions on comic appearances, headcanons, au's, etc

look out for events! the duke thomas big bang is currently ongoing & starts to post in october, & duke week 2023 is happening at the end of september. go participate in duke week, go reblog posts when the big bang comes out, just interact with the community in general :D

thats all my advice, go forth and rejuvenate the duke tag <3 we will make it through this drought together

#ask #anon #duke thomas #dc #dc comics #fandom things

[severitus-big-bang]

Pitching has ended! And How To Claim!

Last updated 29/01/2024.

Thank you, to all who pitched! We received 17 wonderful pitches (writing, art, podcast, a bit of music), and now, we are all trembling in anticipation for claiming, beginning in less than a week!!!

Here's the How-To-Claim document

detailing the claiming process. Please read it carefully before filling out the claiming form linked in this doc once claiming is open.

The most notable information is the following:

You can find all the pitches here:

There will be three rounds of claiming (I don't know what it is with UNIX timestamps and tumblr, but they don't like each other): -- Round 1: Feb 3rd, 11:59 UTC – Feb 4th, 11:59 UTC -- Round 2: Feb 7th, 11:59 UTC – Feb 8th, 11:59 UTC -- Round 3: Feb 10th, 11:59 UTC – Feb 11/12th, 11:59 UTC [there is a chance that this round will be extended to 48 hours if there are still many open pitches by then]

Each round, every claimer can express interest in up to 3 pitches, in descending priority.

Teams will not be created according to “first come, first serve” - so there's no need to rush filling out the form as long as your response arrives within the timeframe.

You will receive news on whether your claim was successful within 48-72 hours of each claim round's end.

Each round, you may change your claims ONCE, as long as the form is open.

Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, etc.

Til then - we're so EXCITED!!!

#severitus big bang 2024 #severitus #pitching #claiming #so excited! #lets's go!!!!