FAQ

[hit_the_books]

Team Free Will Big Bang FAQ

What are the differences between mini and big bangs?

Basically how long your story is. The Big Bang has a minimum of 15,000 words, and will receive a minimum of two art pieces from the artist plus a fic cover, while the Minibang has a minimum of 5,000, and will receive a cover and at least one piece of art.

Do covers have to be completely separate pieces of art from the rest of the bang’s art?

Covers can be remixes of art already created for the fic. But they need to feature the fic title, the names of the artist and the author(s).

How/where do I submit my draft?

Check out our draft submission guidelines post here.

How long does my story need to be?

You have two options: for a Big Bang, you need a minimum of 15,000 words. For a Minibang, you need at least 5,000.

What does the focus of my story need to be?

Your story must focus on all three members of Team Free Will: Dean, Sam, and Castiel. This means the story can be Dean/Sam, Dean/Cas, Sam/Cas, Sam/Dean/Cas or gen. If you choose a two-person pairing, the third character must be an equal focus on the story.

We won’t be counting words, but please try to stay within the spirit of the challenge. This is about celebrating all three characters, so have fun with them.

Are AUs, crossovers and fusions allowed?

Yes, all are allowed. However, the more obscure the other fandom, the harder finding an artist who knows both will be, so keep that in mind.

What about RPF?

RPF is welcome, but again, must focus on all three actors and their relationships with each other. So Jensen/Misha, Jensen/Jared, Jared/Misha, and Jensen/Jared/Misha are all welcome.

What about underage?

Please ensure that all fanfic and art doesn’t include under 16s depicted in sexual situations - this raises to 18 for RPF. Basically - off the page is fine, but not on the page.

Is it okay to write a sequel or prequel to an existing fic?

Yes, but only if your bang fic can be read without having read the existing fic.

Can I sign up as both an author and an artist?

Yes, but you cannot claim your own fic.

Can I create additional art for my fic/have other artists make banners and art?

Not until after your post date.

Can I advertise my fic on my Tumblr, Dreamwidth, etc?

Once claims are completed and you’ve been assigned your artist, you are welcome to advertise your fic on whatever media you’d like as long as you don’t post any snippets of the actual fic.

Where do I post my fic/art when it’s complete?

All fics must be posted to either Dreamwidth or AO3 and made live on your posting date, with the art embedded in the appropriate scenes. All art must have a masterpost on either Dreamwidth or Tumblr made live on your posting day.

On or before your posting day, both links must be submitted in a post to the TFW Big Bang Dreamwidth and/or Tumblr using this format:

[cover image]

<strong>Title:</strong>

<strong>Pairings:</strong>

<strong>Rating:</strong>

<strong>Word Count:</strong>

<strong>Warnings:</strong>

<strong>Summary:</strong>

<strong>Fic Link:</strong> <a href=” Dreamwidth URL”>Dreamwidth</a> | <a href=”AO3 URL”>AO3</a>

<strong>Art Link:</strong> <a href=” Dreamwidth URL”>Dreamwidth</a> | <a href=”Tumblr URL”>Tumblr</a>

We will check over the fic post for Tumblr and/or Dreamwidth, and make it public on the appropriate day.

Will there be an AO3 collection for posted fics?

You will be able to add your fics to the moderated collection via: tfw_bb_2017

Do I need a Dreamwidth/Tumblr/AO3 account to participate?

Artists should have at least a Dreamwidth or Tumblr to post their art to, and authors should have at least Dreamwidth or AO3 to post their fic to. No account besides an email address is required for claims.

Due to changes in LiveJournal’s terms of service in April 2017, the bang is no longer running on LJ.

Can I write more than one story/collaborate on a story?

Each author can write only one story for this challenge. You are welcome to collaborate on a story, but that counts as your one story.

Can I claim more than one fic to make art for?

The first round of claiming will allow artists to claim only one story. If there are still unclaimed stories 24 hours after the claiming begins, we’ll open a second round for artists to claim a second piece or for artists who didn’t originally sign up to participate. If artists drop out after assignments are set, artists can sign up to pinch hit as well regardless of whether they’re already assigned one story.

What do I need to provide for claims?

Fic writers will need to provide drafts that are 80% complete (with a beginning, middle and end) for claims, along with a summary. Specifics on how to do this are provided in this drafts post.

We will not accept drafts that don’t meet this criteria, as it’s not fair on artists.

How will claims work?

There will be a preview doc with each summary posted 48 hours before claims and emailed to artists who have already signed up, and posted on the Dreamwidth community. When claims open, we will email a link to a Google Form where we’ll ask you to resubmit some of your artist details and your top three picks for doing art. We’ll update the preview summaries with notes on fics as they’re assigned.

Do writers need beta readers?

Yes, all fic needs to be beta read for at least spelling, punctuation and grammar.

If you don’t have a beta reader, you can try asking for help over on:

/r/fandomnatural

Or ask someone from All SPN Ship’s list of alpha and beta readers:

allspnships.tumblr.com

If you still need help finding a beta reader, email teamfreewillbigbang@gmail.com and we will create a beta reader request post for you here.

May I post a WIP?

Works in progress (WIP) are not permitted to be posted for this bang. Fics must be posted complete (i.e. no serial posting), with art embedded.