Hll Angel ([info]hllangel) wrote in [info]tardis_bigbang,
@ 2007-09-16 14:03:00
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Entry tags:!modpost, faq, round 1, round 2

FAQ


Welcome to the TARDIS Big Bang!

We know that you have questions, so here is our attempt to answer some of them:

1. What is a Big Bang Fest?

A Big Bang fest is two-part: There's fic and there's art. Writers submit fics, and artists/vid makers claim them to make art or video to go along with the fics. The first Big Bang Fest was [info]big_bang_hd, and we owe them a lot of credit for a great idea that has since spread to other fandoms such as Smallville, Supernatural, House, Heroes, SGA and others. It has finally come to Doctor Who.

2. What canon can I use?

Though the name is [info]tardis_bigbang, all Whovian canon is included. Old Who, New Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

3. What's this thing about word limits?

All fics must be a minimum of 20,000 words. There is no upper limit.

4. What's the deal with multiple deadlines?

The draft deadline has two purposes: 1, to see who has actually completed their fics on time, and 2, to give artists something to work with when creating their art or vid.

5. What do you mean, no Whovian actors?

A show like Doctor Who does (on occasion) cross into the modern world, in which real people and real places play a part. The Doctor (or anyone else) can run into anyone from the course of history, though NOT the actor who plays that particular character. For example, the Tenth Doctor could not run into David Tennant, though he could run into Casanova as played by David Tennant. Likewise, Captain Jack would not be able to meet John Barrowman. The purpose of this is to steer away from RPS, which is not a part of this fest.

6. Do I need a beta?

Yes. There is a post to look for a beta, and where you can offer your services as a beta or a cheerleader for the writers or artists.

7. Can I join the community?

Membership is closed to participants only. Once signups end on October 3, we will issue invitations to all participants. If you are not participating, please do watch the community for public posts keeping you updated with the fest's progress.

8. What if I have more questions?

Leave a comment on this post, or email the Mods at Tardis.bigbang [at] gmail [dot] com.


(Post a new comment)


[info]travels_in_time
2007-09-20 05:42 pm UTC (link)
all Whovian canon is included.

What about non-canon AUs?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2007-09-21 04:54 pm UTC (link)
Yes, AU will be included.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]fandom_me
2007-09-20 07:38 pm UTC (link)
What's the deal with posting completed fic. I know it's a ways off, but does it go here, get linked from here, stay under wraps until the website goes live or get posted when it's done?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]fandom_me
2007-09-20 07:39 pm UTC (link)
Oh, look, I learned to read. Please disregard this. >.< Sorry.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]babel
2007-09-20 10:10 pm UTC (link)
Can we sign up both to write a story and to contribute art?

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[info]hllangel
2007-09-20 11:50 pm UTC (link)
Of course!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]calavarna
2007-09-21 01:03 pm UTC (link)
Is there a penalty for not making the deadline or pulling out? I'm... 80% sure I can make it but there are a few nagging thoughts telling me not to even make an attempt and I know some challenges ban future participation if the deadline isn't met.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2007-09-21 03:40 pm UTC (link)
There's no penalty, but you won't get artwork to go with your fic if we don't have a draft from you.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]rheanna27
2007-09-21 07:14 pm UTC (link)
Will the subjects of the fics come from challenges/prompts/requests etc. or will people who sign up be free to write anything, so long as it's Whovian and meets the 20,000 word minimum?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]rheanna27
2007-09-21 08:06 pm UTC (link)
Oh, wait, sorry, I missed the plotbunny adoption post, which answers my question. Thanks!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]elliptic_eye
2007-09-21 09:42 pm UTC (link)
Is there a set deadline by which we must have a beta? I don't ask because I don't like using a beta (I definitely do), but just because I'm pretty new to this fandom and want to have time to find a good fit.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2007-09-21 09:43 pm UTC (link)
Final drafts will need a beta, which gives you several months to find one that fits you. We would like the drafts to at least have a cursory beta, but it's not required.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]freekychikadee
2007-09-22 03:43 am UTC (link)
Can fics include all three Whovian shows (Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sarah-Jane Adventures) ?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2007-09-22 04:46 am UTC (link)
Of course!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]wired_lizard
2007-09-22 04:34 am UTC (link)
...please do watch the community for public posts...

I gather from that that draft posts are f-locked to this community and to this community only? Assuming we make chapter-by-chapter draft posts at all?

(I'm a semi-shameless draft post whore, hence my asking. Sorry if I'm being daft and missing something.)

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]jadesfire2808
2007-09-22 09:44 am UTC (link)
[I'm posting this without checking with fellow-mods, but I'm pretty sure it's right :)]

The idea of the f-locking was rather so that authors can stress at each other/discuss things/ask questions without it being general knowledge. Ideally, the stories themselves would be kept more or less under wraps until posted on the Big Bang website, although if you want to post stuff in your journal for general f-list prodding, that's not a problem.

I don't think we'd envisaged chapter-by-chapter drafts being posted here - not because we've got a rule against it, but more because we saw this as a place for general wailing/bouncing than posting drafts. We're asking for a draft and summary well before the site goes live, so that we can assign artists to stories that we know are going to be finished.

Do get back to me if I'm not making sense or haven't actually answered your question.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]wired_lizard, 2007-09-22 01:10 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jadesfire2808, 2007-09-22 01:49 pm UTC

[info]dr_is_in
2007-10-01 10:17 pm UTC (link)
Can you co-write with someone?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2007-10-02 05:29 am UTC (link)
Co-writing is fine, but we'll need contact details for both of you.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]dr_is_in, 2007-10-02 05:32 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kijikun, 2008-02-16 10:30 pm UTC

[info]argyleheir
2007-10-02 12:31 am UTC (link)
Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere: what's your policy on mutating plot bunnies? That is, how closely will participants be held to their initial outlines?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2007-10-02 12:54 am UTC (link)
There's nothing binding about your initial outlines. We just want to get a sense of how many people are doing what so we can scout artists in the right areas.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]argyleheir, 2007-10-02 01:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]copperbadge, 2009-04-02 02:32 pm UTC

[info]biichan
2008-02-10 05:08 am UTC (link)
Does the draft have to be at the 20,000 word minimum?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2008-02-10 05:58 am UTC (link)
Yes, and the story must be wrapped up (i.e. no major plot changes/twists after the draft is turned in.)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]shiny_rosie
2009-01-26 05:43 pm UTC (link)
Hello! I've a quick question. Do you have to start completely from scratch or can you begin with, say, a shorter piece that you would now like to turn into a great big epic? I've got a piece that's 2 or 3 thousand words right (don't have it in front of me so I'm not sure exactly) that I began as a one shot that then grew into a little bit more, and then got completely derailed. This might be just the motivation I need to get it going again and really get it good and finished, but I wasn't sure if that was allowed. Thanks!!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-01-26 10:01 pm UTC (link)
Have you posted the original story?

If it's published as a WIP, we can't allow you to continue it for this fest.

If it's published as a standalone, we'd welcome the expansion of the universe here.

If it's completely unpublished, then we'd love to see it finished for this!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]shiny_rosie, 2009-01-26 10:30 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]hllangel, 2009-01-28 05:22 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]shiny_rosie, 2009-01-30 01:38 am UTC

[info]starletfallen
2009-01-29 02:55 am UTC (link)
I know you sort of answered this already, but this question is slightly different than the one above, so I'd like to run it by you.

I started a DW fic for NaNoWriMo in November, and it actually just passed 20,000 words. The thing is, I know that there's a good chunk of the story left to write, and when I edit it, it's going to lose a lot of those words (probably between 10,000 and 15,000, in all honesty). I have trouble finishing big projects, usually, and I thought that having something like this to encourage me to finish it would work nicely, but since I already have so much written, I wasn't sure if it would really be allowed.

The story so far has been posted under heavy locks to a handful of my friends for (originally) encouragement purposes (and because it was easier than emailing it to all of them, but is not complete and not actually published anywhere.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-01 03:26 am UTC (link)
Because the nature of the challenge is to write 20,000 words during the time frame, and because you've already surpassed that (even if it's not finished) we have to say no to this one.

Best of luck finishing the NaNo story, and we hope you'll sign up and write something else for the fest!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]tardis_stowaway, 2009-02-02 09:10 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]hllangel, 2009-02-02 02:42 pm UTC

[info]knitchick1979
2009-02-01 06:11 am UTC (link)
So, I see AUs are okay, so I can write a new story set in my AU Torchwood universe right? I've written two one-shots (that are at Teaspoon) and more than 52K during NaNo but I've got plenty of ideas so I would try and do a completely new separate story (with these characters in their 'verse). That's okay, right?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-01 06:14 am UTC (link)
As long as the new story can be read on it's own, with no previous knowledge of your particular AU, it's fine.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]knitchick1979, 2009-02-01 07:08 am UTC

[info]snowwhiteliar
2009-02-01 12:59 pm UTC (link)
What about stories that are for other prompts as well? For example, I have a few ideas I'm working on for [info]au_abc that could fit here as well. Is that allowed, or would I have to have something completely seperate from all prompts for the Big Bang?

Thanks.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-03 06:39 am UTC (link)
Sorry this has taken so long to get to your question. We promise we're not ignoring you. Before we start, the fact that you did complete the challenge earns you brownie points. That said, the answer is going to get a bit long.

The short answer is "it depends." Because the nature of the challenge is to write 20k for this particular fest, we have to ask if it's something that you were already planning for [info]au_abc, or if it's something you were planning on writing here that happens to fit au_abc.

The distinction is subtle, but we think it's an important one. If it's something you were already writing for another challenge, I don't think it would be acceptable here, because it goes against the nature of this challenge. If, however, you wanted to submit it here and it happens to fit for au_abc, then we'd have no problems with it.

I hope I've made myself clear. Feel free to ask any more questions if it's not.

Cheers!
The Mods

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]irytgud
2009-02-02 11:43 am UTC (link)
Are crossovers okay? Like, say I wanted to write the Doctor subbing as a Hogwarts professor (I don't, but I've totally read that fic!) could I?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-02 02:40 pm UTC (link)
Crossovers are welcome! We had several last year, and it looks like we'll be getting several this year as well.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]gothic_veils
2009-02-02 02:44 pm UTC (link)
Would I be allowed to write a future version of a Time Lord, eg a future regeneration of the Rani, rather than the one seen in the series?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-02 02:45 pm UTC (link)
We haven't had that yet, but it is definitely allowed.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]gothic_veils, 2009-02-02 02:48 pm UTC

[info]knitchick1979
2009-02-05 06:01 am UTC (link)
Another question! Actually...two.

I see a few people signing up for two stories. Now, I've got two fairly solid ideas but I don't know if I'll have time to write two. If I discover that I *fly* through the first story and am up for a second (ie, homework is really making me need the distraction), can I sign up for a second one later? Or should I sign up for the second now, in case I do get to it? (they'd both be pretty related, in my same AU)

Also, when can we start writing?


Sounds like we're gonna have some awesome stories this year, I can't wait to read all the great stuff!!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-05 06:03 am UTC (link)
We'd need you to sign up for the second one now. We need the count to be able to beg and plead for artists. There has to be at least one for every story. IF you drop out later, it's not a big deal, but adding a story is difficult for us.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]knitchick1979, 2009-02-05 06:06 am UTC
Artist question
[info]kerravonsen
2009-02-09 12:40 am UTC (link)
What do you mean by "cover art"?

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Artist question
[info]knitchick1979
2009-02-10 03:06 am UTC (link)
Not a mod but if you look at the art from last round it might give you an idea. But basically, like if the fanfic was a book you'd be making the artwork that goes on the cover of that book. All those pretty covers that make people walk into the bookstore and go "must buy book!" :D

Oh and love the icon ;)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Artist question - [info]kerravonsen, 2009-02-10 03:22 am UTC

[info]cactus_smollet
2009-02-10 09:44 pm UTC (link)
I'm very interested in this competition it sounds fun :) Im going to sign up as artist but before I do I need to make sure I'm clear : if I sign up as an artist, I am then assigned to draw a cover for a writers story? You don't draw your own idea? That's fine I'm just making sure!?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-11 02:21 am UTC (link)
If you sign up as an artist, you will be given a story and you will create any sort of art for it. Vid, cover art, photo manips, etc. We have a few people this year interested in creating fanmixes.

The idea is to have a bunch of fantastically long stories and art to go with them.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]cactus_smollet, 2009-02-11 09:23 am UTC

[info]momdaegmorgan
2009-02-14 02:08 am UTC (link)
Can I change the premise of my story or do I have to keep the one I signed up with. And, if I can change it, how do I go about doing that?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-14 02:10 am UTC (link)
You can change your mind as many times as you want, without telling us, until you turn in your drafts. Once that's done, you're set, because that's what we send to the artists.

There's no need to do anything but write right now.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]momdaegmorgan, 2009-02-16 04:50 am UTC

[info]ionlylurkhere
2009-02-26 04:26 pm UTC (link)
I know you end up uploading to an external site, but what format do you prefer submissions in? I can be fairly flexible, but I'd rather start as I mean to go on rather than end up faffing about with conversions between file types at a later date.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-02-26 04:28 pm UTC (link)
We will be posting submission guidelines as we get closer to the draft/final due dates.

For now, a word document that has all smartquotes removed, and includes basic HTML (b, i, etc) formatting is perfect.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]jovialien
2009-05-31 11:50 pm UTC (link)
Just to double check, there's no posting elsewhere until the Fest goes live but what about after that? Are we allowed to crosspost, pimp and generally shout from the rooftops?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]hllangel
2009-05-31 11:53 pm UTC (link)
Once the fest goes live, you may post, crosspost, shout as loudly as you want.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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